new lethal: narcolepsy
hi everyone! i'd like to preface this by saying that i am a professional-diagnosed narcoleptic, my mom has narcolepsy, and my grandfather has narcolepsy. (it runs in my family lol) just in case anybody was going to try to teach me about it-- i promise i know lol! also unless you are professionally diagnosed, please do not comment saying you have narcolepsy just because you're tired a lot. it's really disrespectful and offensive to those of us who suffer dramatically from this disorder. thank you <3

to start off, let me explain what narcolepsy is. using mayo clinic's description since it's very helpful and probably better written than i could do:

"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. Narcolepsy can cause serious disruptions in your daily routine. Sometimes, narcolepsy can be accompanied by a sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), which can be triggered by strong emotion. Narcolepsy that occurs with cataplexy is called type 1 narcolepsy. Narcolepsy that occurs without cataplexy is known as type 2 narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a chronic condition for which there's no cure. However, medications and lifestyle changes can help you manage the symptoms. Support from others — family, friends, employers, teachers — can help you cope with narcolepsy."


in-game effects
lethal
narcolepsy is not lethal in humans or domesticated animals because of our advanced medicine and ability to keep pets safe from natural predators. however, an animal with narcolepsy in the wild would be very much at risk of injury or death. while the cub is still too young to leave the nest, there is no risk of harm, so a cub with the narcoleptic mutation would not die until 6 months (when cub normal stage starts on lioden.)

stat decreases
strength, speed, and stamina would be drastically lowered, as physical activity can be extremely difficult for those with narcolepsy. any kind of strong emotion or physical exertion can trigger sudden drowsiness. (this part doesn't apply to lioden, but even laughing can trigger a sleep attack in a narcoleptic!)

cub health notifications
upon birth: "Cub does not seem as active as their siblings. That's alright, perhaps they will liven up eventually."
2 months: "Cub sleeps twice as much as the other cubs their age. When Cub plays, they can only do so for a very short period of time before getting tired."
4 months: "Cub's mother is very worried about the future of her cub. Cub is lagging behind all the others and shows little interest in training or sparring with their siblings. Cub constantly complains about being tired, and sometimes is too exhausted to stay standing."
6 months: "Cub followed the other cubs on an adventure but did not return home. Cub fell asleep in an unsafe location and was killed by a predator."

unique mutation art
a cub with the narcolepsy mutation would have its own art, as well as just one stage, like other lethals. my first idea for the pose would be a cub lying down, similar to cleft palate, and either sleeping or dozing off (drooping eyelids.) my second idea for the pose would be a cub lying down and yawning, or yawning and stretching out its front legs like a cat does.


mockup
i am working on a mockup and will be adding it once it is complete!