Oscuri

The Oscuri are

a clan of humans that were genetically modified by Azrael, after he became a Fallen Angel. They were renowned for their skill in battle during the Divine War. Oscuri were mostly created from the followers of Azrael, that wished to serve their master's desire to turn all of humanity into eternal beings. Currently, only around 3000 remain alive today, following the purge and enslavement enacted by Uriel Melym.

Physiology

The most obvious trait of Oscuri are the network of green, ordinarily faded, circuits trailing across their skin. Oscuri's mana circuits are altered to process mana differently than other races in Eternia, causing it to be visible by the naked human eye- In a form known as rieka. A powerful, concentrated form of mana, Oscuri are able to sense other rieka users around themselves instictively; This sense was intended to bid even the most frenzied Oscuri to direct their assaults towards the enemy in the midst of a bloodied battlefield. Powers wielded by Oscuri are not subtle- Any form of casting causes their mana to circulate in vivid, bright patterns along their leylines.

Their altered mana, while it has benefits, does come with side-effects which are considered beneficial among Oscuri. Oscuri naturally crave violence from a young age, far more than humans do. They become frustrated if they are unable to battle, and will often lose themselves to these emotions. Oscuri can reach almost untold adrenaline highs, with combat and conflict acting like drugs- Many are berserkers. It is unheard of for an Oscuri to not enjoy violence.

Oscuri are born with a natural affinity for darkness or light magic. Many Oscuri tend to lean towards the former. In addition to this, they are able to wield their rieka with great ease in comparison to how humans struggle to learn magic (only 2% of humans are Magi, whereas 20% of Oscuri are Magi). Their rieka also tends to give them visions of Azrael and the Divine War that occured, consistently showing them the massive battles of the past, and further encouraging their lust for blood.

Children of Oscuri inherit these traits. There is no such thing as a 'half-Oscuri'; Even if Oscuri mate with non-Oscuri, the child will be born as one as well, as it passes through the mana. Rieka overpowers mana during the fertilization process, turning all unborn children into Oscuri regardless of blood purity. This involves other mutations, such as Drakanites - Rieka always overpowers other mutations and is completely incompatable with their curses or blessings, regardless of how slight the ancestry is.

As far as weight, height, hair color, and eye color goes, they are the same as humans, with great variation from the first generation's recruited origins. Their upbringing, which often involves heavy physical training, tends to result in a more muscular physique however.

Culture

The Oscuri did possess some unique cultural traits- Holdovers from all commiting to the same faith and serving together under Azrael, despite the extreme variety of the humans enlisted.

Marriage

Weddings between Oscuri would only be conducted with human sacrifice to be considered official in the eyes of Azrael. High ranking Oscuri were known to sacrifice dozens of humans throughout their wedding, paying tribute to Azrael. The two getting married will exchange items, such as rings, to present their partnership from that day after.

Nonetheless, wedding ordinary humans was considered different. For the most part, while there was no stigma to doing to, wedding a human required a rite of bloodletting, and was much simpler- Seeing as the majority were unwilling. Oscuri would often 'wed' several humans in the long past as temporary captives and slaves during the war to avert ideas of bastardy, in order to sire more children or sate lusts. Generally, to ideally wed a human as an equal, an Oscuri would do the same honor they would for another Oscuri.

Heirarchy

The Heirarchy of Oscuri is decided by power alone. An Oscuri is able to challenge higher ranking members of their order, and if they defeat them, the Oscuri then ascends to the defeated person's rank. Law disputes are also handled through trial by combat. It is also not illegal to murder in Oscuri culture, as long as the Vindicators approve of the battle. The Vindicators are the Oscuri's top warriors, second only to the Oscuri High Priest.

As a formerly religious sect rather than a race, even if power is the only factor, respect was considered tantamount to one's betters- Under the understanding that if words displeased, tongues could be lost. Their organization was always very militarial in nature, with their purpose of war.

Religion

The religion Oscuri follow is known as 'Mortem Azrael'. It was founded shortly before their creation, and is mostly focused around humanity's ancestion past what Azrael considers to be a highly flawed world. A summary of the contents:

Preface

In the preface, Azrael details how he and the other Angels were betrayed by Kraus. That they were enticed by the promise of a much better world, only to discover it was as flawed as Atmos. Azrael explains how he feels the world will suffer a similar fate to Atmos if humans do not take control of their destiny and strive towards preventing what he considers to be doomsday. He writes how evil is created by a fear of death, and that humans only kill to survive, due to a lack of resources for a growing population.

Mastering Yourself

This includes information on how to further magical prowess through conquering the mind and taking advantage of carnal desires, such as violence. Azrael explains how humans will always stray towards violence from what he's seen, and that it is without a doubt the most powerful weapon they possess. However, he does write that he detests this aspect of humanity, regardless of its strength -- but that it's needed to create a better Eternia.

Our Role

He writes how all Oscuri must follow him if they wish to become immortal. That only he has the power to provide physical immortality for all of humanity, and that the gateway is death. After a human loses their body, Azrael is able to craft a new one, placing them in a much better shell than the temporary bodies he considers lesser. An Oscuri's role is to become strong and to then kill, so that Azrael can revive all and put an end to mortality.

Contingency

In the event that Azrael is destroyed, he has a contingency section written out that instructs Oscuri to never give up. He is an Angel and his soul is immortal, able to regenerate its body -- and as long as he exists, he can return. Azrael writes that regardless of his fate, there is an eternity to ensure this plan ends with success. He believes that the future generations will seek the flaws with Kraus's design and seek out his revival in case of death.

Role in the Divine War

The Oscuri acted as Azrael's personal army during the war, and killed tens of thousands of humans during their years of combat. Their entire purpose was to kill as many humans as possible, and they were engineered for just that task.

One particular Oscuri legion was defeated by a group of Angels in Valmasia, who cast a powerful spell that locked them in time for several centuries. After re-emerging, the Oscuri played havoc on the country of Valmasia, until eventually being beaten and almost wiped out by Uriel Melym.