Following humanity’s extinction, the mutation thrived. Spreading unimpeded across the landscape, seeds of twisted evolution sprouted, bringing all sorts of new creatures into existence. In Undead Paradise, the world is inhabited by a multitude of mutated beasts and monsters, transforming it to be fitting for themselves rather than the newly independent zombies.

In Undead Paradise, the world is inhabited by a multitude of mutated beasts and monsters. These creatures are divided into four categories according to their function in the ecosystem:

Vermin

The initial weeks of the zombie plague were isolated to a small collection of towns. Any infected that attempted to cross the long distance to the big cities, were quickly spotted and eliminated. In order to successfully spread, the infection mutated and created a new carrier: Vermin. Dexterous and able to travel across long distances, packs of Vermin snuck through military blockades, spreading the infection into the bigger cities.

The Vermin’s role in the ecosystem is to initiate the mutation’s expansion. Excavating the old ruined world, dropping seeds of corruption, and heralding the Terraformers to build.

Tuskrat
Vermin Class

Notable for their long lower canines which grow upwards to form a pair of tusks, these vermin burrow tunnels throughout an urban environment, breaking through brick and hard dirt. Typically travelling in packs, Tuskrats average in size at 75 centimetres tall and 60-70kg in weight (just larger than a rottweiler). Their tails end in a club-shaped bulb of hardened bone, which it can use to break apart obstacles or larger predators.

Small fungal growth spawn on their backs along the spine. These drop seeds as the Tuskrat navigates the underground, planting into the nooks and crannies where they can grow mutated flora and spread throughout the territory. A lone Tuskrat will avoid conflict unless provoked or a threat damages its habitat.

Terraformer

Within months of the zombie plague spreading, several cities were abandoned to the mutation. The undead freely roamed the empty streets, and the Vermin devoured the remaining food. However, with the towns deserted and the military permitted to utilise heavy artillery, the plague was at risk of dying from isolation. The captured land needed to be cultivated to assist in the mutation’s expansion. Hence the Terraformers were created.

These creatures are designed to convert the established environment into a space primed for mutation. From paper and wood to electronics and metal, Terraformers contaminate materials and help speed the mutation’s growth exponentially. Large gardens of mutated flora, as well as Vermin nests, can be found tended to by Terraformers. As a general rule, Terraformers don’t seek aggression against other entities, rather, they only fight if they feel their territory is threatened.  

Once a Terraformer has successfully converted significant mass towards mutation, it begins to construct nests from which Predators can spawn.

Orbrey
Terraformer Class

Floating off the ground, these rubbery-skinned creatures consume all kinds of non-living materials; like wood, paper, plastic, cloth, and broken down metals. Orbrey bodies are round and inflated, with tentacles that trail as long as 15 feet. They have no eyes or nose, relying rather on the mouths on the tips of their tentacles to feel around an area. Their bodies are usually yellow marked with arching blue lines (inspired by bluering angelfish).

Orbreys convert the materials they eat into helium in their stomachs. This allows them to lift up into the air or slowly descend, helping them to navigate large buildings. Orbreys are foragers, storing reserves of biomatter into large flora known as pulsing pods. Other creatures higher up the food chain also feed upon these pulsing pods, forming a symbiotic relationship with the Orbrey.

Orbreys are aggressive if their food supply is interfered with. Barbs along the underside of their tentacles latch onto a threat and pump a shot of venom pulsing through their body.

Predator

In less than a year, the military had completely overthrown the government, so that they could combat the spreading plague without restraint. The bombings began. Research was conducted on eliminating the zombie hordes and the mutation gardens they raised. Bullets were replaced with flamethrowers and rocket launchers. If the mutation was going to survive, it needed to evolve a counter. Therefore, the Predator class was born.

Designed to eliminate any potential threats, Predators hunt in and around the border of their territory, seeking anything it can kill or devour. Once a creature is slaughtered, a Predator will cover the corpse with mutated cells, allowing the growth of more infection to spread to new areas.

Tethka Coil
Predator Class

These large snake-like creatures fuse metal along their hide to grant them better protection and conduction. Growing up to 30 feet long, the Tethka Coil is a predator-class creature hunting in urban environments. It typically preys upon Vermin, bugs, or cattle, but will also devour anything it perceives as a rival. They also love to consume anything that runs on electricity; electronics, car batteries, machinery, etc. For this reason, Thethka Coils usually dwell near sources of electricity

Its head is exposed, showing off its two sets of glowing eyes that allow the Tethka Coil to see in the dark. The jaw is extremely strong with razor sharp teeth lining the top and bottom rows (similar to eel). The tail is coated in diamonds, granting the Tethka Coil a weapon that can shatter most protective obstacles.

Tethka Coils excrete a substance known as Tethka, a teal green liquid that soaks into metal, corroding and mutating it. These infected metals are then carried across great distances, spreading the mutation, and spawning new creations.

Titan

Despite the concept of a zombie outbreak being from the realm of fiction, the military had exercised plans and strategies to tackle such a scenario, just in case. Quarantines, evacuations, bombings, all followed a long developed procedure to handle the threat. However, the zombie plague was rapidly mutating, crafting new resources to combat humanity’s resistance. One such weapon was the Titans.

These huge monstrosities were born via mass-casualty events; catastrophes where a large mass of infected biomatter met a large mass of recently deceased organisms. Plane crashes, collapsed buildings, bombings, floodings, disastrous evacuations; these tragedies bore perfect nutrient material for the mutated cells to grow and cultivate into a threatening colossus. Titans dominate the hierarchy of mutated creatures, utilising their command to terraform ruined cities into mutation breeding grounds. As kings of the new ecosystem, their territory is upheld by the entire food-chain, and they take any invading species intruding upon their territory deadly seriously.

Myramite
Titan Class

During early evacuations, the underground train tunnels were advised as secure escape routes. However, when thousands of people began piling into trains, it only took one or two infected for things to end in tragedy.

Myramites are huge centipede-like abominations formed from the debris of wrecked train cars and the unfortunate humans who perished within them. Their outer shell is fused from the corroded metal husks that were the train, fungal and plant growths writhing along the spine. Emerging from broken windows and tears in the metal exterior, are elongated human-like arms, mutated and fused into one being by the infection. These seemingly hundred limbs give the Myramite its maneuverability, allowing it to climb walls, tunnels, and scale buildings.

The top of its head is made of hardened bone, with a large horn, reminiscent of a rhinoceros, protruding on its snout and glowing a bright-blue, illuminating the space for the Myramite to travel even at night or in dark locations. There are also two curved tusks protruding from the skull, framing and protecting the lower jaw. The Myramite possesses six eyes, three on the left side and three on the right. Steam billows from the nostrils, as the Myramite can produce a burst of fire from deep within its belly, to melt through obstacles or threats.