Vectures

Vectures are what happens when someone who is heterozygous for the Immunity Gene gets infected. They go through many of the same symptoms as a regular human but come back with their sentience intact...more or less.

Biology
A lucky portion of humanity have a genetic immunity to the black flu in their genes. This is represented by the Allele (aa) and is recessive. When an immune has a child with a normal human with the normal Allele (AA), they produce a carrier (Aa). If the carrier gets infected, they don't shrug it off like an immune does nor do they turn full shambler like the average person. Their immune systems fight the Black Flu but is unable to trick it like a true immune. As such, instead of becoming a regular shambler, they undergo a transformation. their nails lengthen out, their skin loses much of it's melanin and their body as a whole lengthens out. In addition, their brain does rot away a bit, reducing their IQ by an average of 6 points, deadening their emotions and giving most amnesia. Most vectures are short sighted or blind because their eyes also begin rotting away during the transformation. As a whole, it looks quite similar to the normal infection process and leads many to execute possible carriers without knowing they're not turning into shamblers.

These mutations mean that excluding very specific circumstances, Vectures cannot use ranged weapons beyond basic bombs and slings. However, their deadened pain receptors, increased durability and superior strength make them perfect for melee combat. While they are incapable of triggering an adrenaline rush like a normal human, they have their own version which triggers in a life or death situation. By burning Craydic, they can increase their power for a few minutes at the cost of being absolutely famished and exhausted afterwards. Repeated use can trigger feral behavior as the shambler side of them demands subsistence.

A vecture needs to feed once every two days at minimum unless they want to become feral. After going 51 hours without food, they become permanently feral and any semblance of a personality they had before is destroyed as they become just another shambler. In addition, a vecture has a chance to go feral every day they're alive, a chance that can be reduced by the consuming of human flesh.

Despite their sentience, Vectures do still carry the black flu. As such, exchanging fluids with them will lead to infection. This has led many communities to introduce a shoot on sight policy, not wanting to risk possible infection.

Hunting Tips
Due to their weapon use and craydic burn, Vectures are among the most deadly shamblers in close quarters combat. In addition they are one of very few shamblers able to use ranged weaponry, although that is limited to bombs, arrows and slings in vectures due to their long claws.

Pro Vecture Hunters advise to ambush them. As vectures aren't as predatory and intune with their senses as shamblers like the Volatile and the Infernal, ambushes are quite effective. In addition, due to the heavier armor that most wear, igniting one with a molotov is also quite effective as they cannot dodge easily.