The Elder One (Lonesome Hunter)

"Too bad it took you days to reach us, Hunter. You are too late to save most of them. Parasite that the Elder One carries has devoured all beings roaming this forest."

- The Goose Father.

"The collapse of their village was inevitable ever since they discovered the disease. It burrows deep inside one's flesh with a lightest touch, forming an insect. I watched them slowly but steadily transform into what they are now."

- The Goat Mother.

An ancient insect-like creature, known to the few survivors of the unnamed forest as the Elder One is main antagonist of EveningWayward's surreal FPS title Lonesome Hunter.

Biography
A mysterious Hunter has been summoned to the forest to help anthropomorphic animals overrun by the parasite turning them into giant insects. Once there, he is greeted by the family of four who have managed to survive the ctastrophy. The parents explain to him that there is no one left to save, adding that the Elder One is the source of infection. The Hunter exterminates several waves of these unfortunate victims, getting to their "leader" afterwards and killing it, nearly (or fully, the game leaves no answers) succumbing to the disease.

The Elder One's name is a possible reference to the highly advanced race of ancient creatures from Howard Lovecraft's universe. It resembles a massive grasshoper with insect wings and two lizard-like limbs hanging while it hovers in the air, striking it's enemies with red projectiles - the same kind of projectiles that are used by regular flying mutations. The only known way to end it's life is to destroy four whiskers extending from the Elder One's body once it receives enough damage. After all of them are destroyed, the creature starts generating long streams of projectiles from it's mouth until it dies, leaving the same red bubbling puddle like all other enemies, infested with the parasite.

If the Hunter happens to hit considerable amount of red puddles, they slow him down, regenerating a health point in return. Family members will remark how fatigued and ill he looks, predicting his own transformation. Whether the disease is transmitted only via bodily liquids, but not usual physical contact or both of these scenarios is unknown.