Star Spawn - The Corrupted

Sometimes where a cult to the Star Gods practises it's religious rites, creatures in the local area are corrupted. This happens either through worship, or by magical means, or by deliberate physical means. Sometimes a mixture of these will suffice.
The worshipping of the Star Gods can draw their attention. This leads to the mystical energies given off by the God seeping through, making the veil between the Far Realms and the Material weaken. In turn, the energy builds up and seeps into the ecosystem, eventually corrupting different organisms in different ways. Mutation occurs, the minds of organisms changing too as strange thought patterns take over. Micro-organisms, and plants, change in ways that are totally unique, while animals start to warp at a slower pace, with each level of the ecosystem becoming more saturated with the energies of the Far Realm. Soon, even the soil, rock, water features, and such like also begin to warp.
Sometimes the effects of magic is sufficient to affect a region and the life therein. When calling forth Star Children or Gods, or by rituals such as sacrifice, it draws magical energy from the Far Realms. This leads to a short, but intense, burst of this energy that blasts out into the local ecosystem. Sometimes it is enough to adversely affect animals, and plants, leading to mutation and strange traits appearing.
A few cases, the Star Cults will take tissue of Star Children or a Star God, and deliberately infect creatures with it. This causes sporadic, and strange effects to appear quickly in another organism. Usually only a few such creatures are affected at a time at this rate. Minimal damage is done to an ecosystem this way.
Any way this is done, the Corrupted as they are now known, has a negative effect on surrounding regions. These creatures keep some semblance of what they were before the changes. This can range from bipedal creatures keeping their basic shape before, to plants keeping their basic structure. Colour changes to organic structures are noticed, and other strange effects. Some appear to be burning from the inside out yet never goes out or changes mass. Others, like canids, have little hair left, and their whole skulls splitting open the full length of them. Some have neon blue, green, yellow, and/or red blood and their tissue sometimes follow suit. Rearrangement of body parts, and differing organs appearing are also common. Plants change colour and glow, while strange noises are heard around them. Microbes seem more dangerous than normal, or grow to staggering sizes, while changing to lurid colours. Some take on a tortured appearance, with flesh & skin covering their heads and/or limbs making movement difficult. Others have corrupted leather or metal adorning them, almost showing a level of BDSM not known to mortals. Many appear in pain, and have human or humanoid skin as basic clothing, and quite a few seem to have at least one or more sense organ missing, destroyed, or enhanced to painful levels. Some have extra body parts added, or mixed with other related creatures into an amalgam or composite creature.
Each of the Corrupted appear unique to certain Star Gods, while a few are found throughout the followers of all the Gods. Some patterns are so ubiquitous in this sense, no other deity or cult can or will claim them as their own. Rumours are that a few are cursed for certain actioned they had carried out in their life before their change, while others are possessed by incorporeal spirits from the Far Realms. This has yet to be proven, but like anything involving these cults, it is not impossible.
Of special note, there is a risk to any cultist of these gods can become one of the Corrupted as well. Many show specific traits depending on the cult they belong to. A number of cults by the sea have shown to become part of the Corrupted by taking on elements of organisms regularly found out at sea. Tentacles, scales, slimy textures, faces with fish-like features are regularly encountered.
Most Corrupted disappear, or are killed by others (usually outsiders) after a while. The regions they appear end up being patrolled by local forces who wipe out any sign of corruption. Sometimes priests & clerics will move in to bless & exorcise the regions too, hoping to shut down the corrupting energies. Many of the latter will stay, to help weed out dangerous practises, look for signs of the Corrupted, and direct locals to paths of enlightenment that does not cause such corruption. Unfortunately the forces they fight against might twist it all back again, stronger and even more powerful after twisting the priests & clerics to their own cause. A few instances, the seeds of the Corrupted are found at such a depth in the surrounding life, and natural features, nothing can be done except warn others from going near the place. Access to the region is rigidly controlled, and people will hear horror stories & folk tales about it for generations to come.
Thankfully the Corrupted are rare, and usually only appear in more remote places in a kingdom or empire. And even then, certain military personnel, nobles, and clerics are tasked continuously to prevent the breakout of these. Adventurers are also regularly employed to back these up, where their unique traits, and expendability in some quarters, are perfect to deal with these.