i'm going to try and toss another idea out there, hopefully i get more comments than last time.

Rodentia Mutatio Syndrome

Rodentia Mutatio Syndrome is classified as a Genetic condition that seems to affect mainly male subjects, giving them rodent/rat like features of varying degree. Symptoms of this condition remain dormant up till the subject’s late teens and last into their mid 30’s, new rodent features or progression of existing features don’t seem to accrue in subjects after the age of 40. The progression and development of rodent/rat features seems to require a level of stimulation and satisfactions of certain urges that the subject develops during the active period of the condition. Therefore, if a subject with this condition wishes to maintain the average human’s life style, the subject needs to have a great deal of willpower to resists giving into their urges during this period of… Ratifacation.

During this ratification period, base on the degree of their rodent/rat features development, there are 3 stages that they could be categorized into.

- Stage 0: at this stage, subjects are confirmed to have this condition with increased appetites, display of unusual flexibility for their builds, without the usual training needed, and larger than average ears and testicles.

- Stage 1: those who at this stages show minor rodent features, which could be easily hidden or corrected with minor cosmetic surgery after the ratifacation period, to pass as a normal human. The degree of rodent features are a slight swelling/ puffiness around the mouth and nose, giving the face a rodent like look, notably large ears, slight development of claws, slightly longer toes, the beginnings of a tail, notable increased testicle sizes, early sheath development, and slight weight gain. A nick name for these individuals who remain at this stage are referred to as mouse men

- Stage 2: those who are at this stage would need major surgery to remove and correct certain features and is usually discourages do to high risk. The degree of rodent features are, a definable muzzle with altered teeth development, the formation of whiskers, repositioned rodent like ears, an inhuman shaft and functional sheath, sizable testicles, a tail measured in feet, elongated feet and toes to rodent proportions, and slight body proportion shifts. The nick names for those within this stage are rat men.

- Stage 3: those at this stage cannot undergo surgery to make corrections due to the degree of the changes being too far from a normal human’s form and any attempts would most likely lead to death. The degree of rodent/rat features at this stage are major skeletal changes giving the subject a build closer to that of a common feral rat, not including the size.

It should be noted that hair/fur development over a subject’s form is not linked to the stage the subject is at, but depend on how well the subject can maintain a comfortable body temp. With those who don’t experience cold winters often having little to no fur development throughout the ratifaction period. With some recent studies, a subject of stage one who went through cold exposure developed a full fur coat, while another subject that been given daily sauna time with no exposure to cold environments, became furless, even after reaching stage three of the condition.

Due to the nature of the condition causing the subject to look less human, most with the condition are usually shunned. In the past, those with the condition said to be curse for a sin that they might have done, and if they became more rat like, they were exiled from the community for fear of corrupting others. Leading some to live in isolation, this affected their mental state which leads to them going feral in way. While others lives in groups and form colonies some distance away from human settlements, each colony developing its own culture of sorts. It is within these larger colonies that we are able to see a wide verity of ratification of different subjects, hinting towards what simulations causes them.

It should also be noted that male rats usually don’t possesses nipples, but due to some unknown factors, the
subjects of this condition maintain and even develop more nipples, in lined with what a female rodent would have. In fact, some of these subjects tend to be submissive and act more feminine to the point that they can produce milk from their extra nipples. A side note, the milk they produce is fairly rich and do not infect normal humans with the condition like superstitions say it would.

On the subject of female, there are a rare few female subjects that do, develop the rodent features of this condition, but with some recent studies and test, it turns out that these females are suffering from another genetic condition which gives them the appearance of being a female, while in reality they are genetically male. This discovery also explains why these females always seem infertile and why it so rare to find children within the colonies.