Yokai

Yokai are demonic creatures that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, typically horned, leather-skinned humanoids possessing a massive structure. Even so, they've been known to take on features of other creatures, such as insects and animals.

Origin

Yokai were created in the image of the Akuma, who in Atmos, were considered both evil in nature and appearance.

Yokai were created with the intent to show other species, regardless of appearance, all creatures can do good.

Yokai weren't supposed to be evil. Like all other races, they are born neutral. However, the creation of Eternia didn't go as planned, and yokai were one of many side-effects... which made them only able to grow or evolve by directly devouring darkness. Originally, they were supposed to be able to harmlessly absorb energy to grow, but now they can only kill or be killed, heavily warping their personality.

Definition

While yokai vary in appearance, all share the instinct of cannibalism as a means to evolve. They are born with the potential to use darkness magic, as long as they reach a sufficient power, and possess the ability to absorb mana from flesh.

Evolution Grade

Through the assimilation of raw power, Yokai are able to evolve and grow into new forms. They consume power primarily through acts of cannibalism, devouring their own kind to expand their spiritual capacity.

Lessers — Lesser yokai tend to stick to packs.

They do not absorb the soul but the mana of the flesh. Yokai forever hunger and are driven by a mindless need to feed and grow for their entire lives. As they progress along the evolutionary ladder, they gradually begin to control their deadly impulses and can even repress them entirely if need be. But even the most powerful and wise of yokai can fall to bloodlust in the right circumstances.

Lesser Yokai - The lessers of the Yokai kind are mindless brutes who only seek to grow. They are unable to communicate, even with their own kind; they are essentially newborns.
Mega Yokai - The male version of Yokai in their second stage of life. They are significantly stronger and capable of communicating with other yokai through telepathy, and humans with some difficulty.
Terra Yokai - The female version of Yokai in their second stage. They are about as strong as a Mega Yokai, but are able to communicate far more eloquently than their male counterparts.
Greater Yokai (aka Giga Yokai) - A Yokai's third stage of life; they are far stronger and begin to develop the ability to take Yokai under their arms and command them. At this stage, Yokai begin to develop a very admirable intelligence.
Elemental Yokai - Elementals come in the form of Infernus (Fire), Aquarius (Water), Zeus (Lightning), Terrus (Earth), and Ventus (Wind). The element they choose is entirely up to the Yokai; they retain prowess of this element for the rest of their life. At this stage, a Yokai begins to develop their spiritual capacity, and master the art of telepathy. Their influence over inferior Yokai becomes absolute.

A kaor yokai brooding in the far eastern woodlands, overlooking a cliff face...
Kaor Yokai - The 'ultimate' form a Yokai is capable of achieving. A Kaor Yokai boasts tremendous strength, intelligence, knowledge, and magical power - usually these yokai have lived for at least a century beforehand. There are very few in Valmasia, estimated at around anywhere between 40-60 of them.
Imperfect Yokai (aka Ascended Kaor) - Imperfects are an extremely rare and dangerous mutation of Kaor Yokai, only achieveable through mastery of darkness and a bounty of incredible power. This stage is the last prior to absolute Perfection. Though they are considered a further step up the evolutionary ladder, they are simply an extension of the Kaor form and a result of a series of mutations that occur in the presence of immense power. Ascended Kaor have been known to create weapons with their sheer magic alone. They possess a myriad of other techniques and abilities which are not widely known - there have been only a handful in existence at any one time.
Perfect Yokai - The final form in a Yokai's life, only possible with the complete mastery over darkness. Since Eternia's birth, there has been only one completed Yokai, and it nearly brought Valmasia to the brink of annihilation. It was barely stopped by Arthor Pendragon and his army. When they are not shapeshifting, their form appears to be human-like with pitch black skin and long horns protruding from their forehead. The ascension of a Perfect Yokai is considered, by many, a "doomsday scenario" in which all hope is lost. In Valmasia, there exist many groups dedicated to culling powerful yokai in hopes of preventing any from becoming too powerful, let alone getting anywhere near the power needed to ascend to perfection.

Notable Yokai

There have existed perhaps hundreds of thousands of Yokai throughout history, but only few have risen to become feared and influential figures.

Mordred the Perfect

There has been only one fully-developed Yokai in Eternia's birth, and his name was Mordred. His name was recorded in books with unsteady handwriting, and sometimes simply abbreviated 'M.' in texts; for no historian who lived to see the terror of The Perfect Yokai can speak or write the name without having nightmarish episodes. He introduced upon humanity an era of darkness, and through his teachings established the Tenebris Aurora along with Valmasia's first occultists and dark mages. The legendary yokai's power could be described simply as divine in all the wrong ways. An entire battallion of the Order of Light could be destroyed with but the raising of Mordred's hand, and his raw power alone proved more than a match for Arthor Pendragon's might. In his first full encounter with Pendragon, Mordred demonstrated his superiority over Pendragon; he overwhelmed the legendary warrior in a quick duel that ended in Pendragon's humiliation. That day, Mordred showed both the country and the divines in Avalon themselves the might of true darkness.

Many turned to the teachings of Mordred after the event, and were ensnared in his influence. Thousands of both willing and unwilling soldiers marched to battle against the Order of Light accompanied by several more thousand yokai. All were under the unrelenting control of Mordred's sheer power - their very minds did not belong to them anymore, and they were helpless to resist the embrace of the unimaginable occult power the beast wielded. Before the start of what was to be a monstrously-lethal campaign against Mordred, he had amassed a legion of both yokai and mindless occultist followers that rivaled the Order of Light.

Mordred's ultimate goal was unclear, but he seemed to be believe that he was the force of good in the conflict. Despite whatever "good" intentions he had, Pendragon would not accept defeat. Battle after battle raged across Valmasia, with the two facing one another in the advent of their war many times. After numerous minor strifes and encounters, along with incalculable casualties, Arthor Pendragon was victorious in a campaign known throughout history as the End of Wars. Victory, however, was secured only with the assistance of Pendragon's army and the valor of the Knights of the Round Table. By the end of it all, Valmasia had seen ultimate terror and destruction at the hands of but one yokai.

Kok'bael Kzer-Za

Kokb'ael Kzer-Za was a yokai who, at the time of his final defeat, was but a stone's throw away from reaching ultimate Perfection. He, like Mordred, possessed an unimaginable bounty of occult power and potential. Throughout his life he has had many rivals, including Eline Sakete, Eurus Avharain, and Anariel Melym. Each of his allies have personally slain him at one point in his life - each time he eventually found a way to undo his death and return to life to once more bring havoc and death to Valmasia. It was not until Anariel Melym used the Beacon of Mercy, an artefact crafted by an Angel, that Kzer-Za was destroyed for the final time. As result of a Divine Magic spell canceled by Mercy, a spiritual meltdown occured that destroyed the Yokai's soul. He has left a trail of carnage and death in his wake, having personally slain almost 100,000 people and countless other powerful magi.

Kzer-Za was an Imperfect Yokai driven by extremely ambitious goals. He shared many of his mentor's views - Judeal Loki. He believed that in order to progress civilzation, one needed to rule and shepherd it with an iron fist. His views were, however, far more radical than his master's. He believed that humanity was a plague to Eternia, a race flawed by Sin - Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony. He worked to erradicate all extreme sin and effectively de-humanize humanity into ultra-efficient warriors and workers. His struggle for power eventually saw the creation of the Seers of Darkness, an organization that worked under the teachings of Mordred.

Kzer-Za has left behind many teachings and works that he has created over the centuries he has lived. Hidden away in vaults somewhere in Valmasia are various magical tomes and potential artefacts to be found. His philosophy could be summed up as such - humanity is flawed and needs to be cleasned. By force, if necessary.

Abilities

Shapeshifting

Upon reaching the Imperfect level, a yokai gains the ability to shapeshift, ranging from small animals to humans. Other yokai that have been around them in the past or capable of seeing past the shapeshifted form, as yokai identify each other via mana instead of physical appearance. This recognization also extends to thralled humans, even if the service has ended.

Interactions with humans

The vast majority of humans generally avoid contact with Yokai, and they have been commonly considered kill-on-sight targets. Most Yokai tend to avoid associating with humans, and can be considered unpredictable.

Occultists have been known to seek out dealings with Yokai in order to further their own ends. This has ranged from instruction in occult magic, to alliances against a common enemy. Payment varies, but is most commonly provided in the form of mana and/or service. It should be known that Yokai are generally not known to be particularly trustworthy.