Necronite

Mhr'Azakel's Species of quasi-undead. While they are resistant to damage, they are not as immune to it as ‘Drones. They do, however, regenerate. Necronites do age, albeit very slowly following maturation, and can die. They reproduce and are a self-perpetuating species. Necronite appearances vary between individuals, but bear certain similarities. They are all sallow-skinned with a strong tendency towards dark hair. Almost without exception, they tend to be of lean builds; obesity is completely unknown to them. The eyes of Necronites are generally gray and clear, lending them the appearance of transparency. Horde hallmarks are exceptions, of course, and should be considered dominant traits. Beneath Mhr'Azakel's sons, the Eidolons, Necronite society is split into two separate factions: The Zealots and the Collective. The Zealots are Mhr'Azakel's holy warriors, his clergy, and his congregation. The Collective is the dark technology of the god, and his labor force. For the most part, the Zealots and the Collective have very little to do with one-another. The Zealots feel "the Collective grows too proud of itself and forsakes the dark god for science." The Collective finds the old ways of the Zealots to be foolish, preferring to serve Mhr'Azakel "through dedication and progress, rather than lip service." The Huntsman Set apart from not only the Zealots and the Collective but, indeed, from Necronite society as a whole, is the dreaded Huntsman. It is often whispered about but rarely seen. Some claim it to be an avatar of the god, others say it is an angel of Mhr'Azakel. The only known fact is that the huntsman keeps and cares for the hounds, vicious creatures like something out of a Barkerian Hell. When a hunt is called and the death-song of the hounds fills the night, every Necronite prays it is not the hunted. In all the Generations of Earth, less than a dozen hunts have been called, but over half of them have occurred during the modern era. According to ancient lore, only thirteen by thirteen such hunts may be called, for the last hunt shall be the final battle to mark the beginning of the Exodus to the Next World. Necrodrones True undead, walking corpses animated by minions of Mhr'Azakel. Highly resistant to mechanical damage, save to the central nervous system. Severe damage to the brain “kills” them. Necrodrones that are incapacitated beyond hope of repair are relegated to use as spare parts. Possess undead strength. Very low will Intelligence ranges from baseline to nil Undead Strength Damage resistant Never heals Repairable with 'drone parts Grow stronger with time May never use magic Mana-dead and Soulless May evolve Undead Strength The power within the muscles is effectively doubled by the reanimation process. Thus, a human that could lift 300 lbs. in life would be able to lift 600 lbs. in undeath. The Zealots Preasts Preasts are the lowest within Zealot ranks and, moreover, in the whole of Necronite society. The preasts are the footmen, often pulled from human society, rather than Necronite. Preasts fulfill every duty, from propaganda to petty theft to strong-arm tactics. Preasts are invested with a small amount of power during a ritual of "ordainment" and are thereafter the sole responsibility of their patron, usually a monk or—much more rarely—Templar, to use in the execution of Mhr'Azakel's will. The rare preast who shows great devotion and proves himself (The majority of preasts are male, recruited from the ranks of human clergy whose faith has been shaken.) worthy may be blessed by the Eidolons and be adopted into one of the Hordes as a full Necronite. This is known as Stepping into the Fold. Such “converts” are nearly always of the lowest rank within the Horde, with no possibility for advancement. Their children may advance, however, assuming the preast is taken for a mate or consort and breeds true. Such converts are never taken into Horde Gi. Monks Monks are a rare breed. The vast majority of the monkhood belongs to Horde Kelsh. Monks tend to have very close relations and most of Necronite society is unwilling to deal with the Kelsh. The most sacred covenant among the monks is the Sacrifice of the Flesh, another reason many avoid the monkhood. The Sacrifice of the Flesh entails the ritualistic removal of a pound of muscle from one's own body following a thirteen-day fasting. Monks may only eat human flesh; sacred law allows no other meat, save for the quarterly ritual of consuming oneself. The belief behind the ritual is to show the perfection of the flesh Mhr'Azakel has bestowed upon his chosen, the determination to perform it, and to signify the endless reign of Mhr'Azakel ("Perseverance at any cost."). Monks are the masters of ceremony and the keepers of ritual and the sacred lore of the Necronites, save for the history of Horde Gi. Zerks “Zerk” is the common name for a Berserker, who are bloodlust, incarnate. Used with the careful planning of a tac-nuke, the Valkyrie that sets loose a pack of Zerks without proper forethought often finds herself at the mercy of a Templar, or worse. Zerks are exclusive to Horde Valkan. When the Valkan Horde was incepted, something changed in the males, making them more primal, more akin to amoeba than men. Zerks are suited only for breeding and battle. Zerks are animals and treated as such, kept chained or caged by the Valkyries that watch over them. The twisted nature of the Zerks is thought to be due to the touch of something most vile upon them, perhaps something older, darker, and more powerful than Mhr'Azakel. Zerks are always large and strong, as they cull their own weak offspring. Zerks instinctively will not cause harm, directly or otherwise, to a Valkyrie, ever. Zerks attacking in groups of twenty or more begin displaying pack tactics and predatory cunning. This is due to their lack of true individuality, more a hive-minded being than truly sentient. Valkyries Valkyries are the keepers of the Zerks, powerful battle-mages, and a growing source of concern among the Hordes. Traditionally, only Valkan women may become a Valkyrie, a tradition Horde Gi has been brutally enforcing. Because of this, females from every Horde have been defecting to Horde Valkan after faking their own deaths and being surgically altered by specialized Teknicians gone underground, known as Facers, to display Valkan hallmarks. By and large, the Valkyries are cunning, fierce warriors, taking their orders from the ruthless Grand Inquisitors. The Valkyries live, fight, and die by a strict code of honor that binds them together. "Converted" Valkyries never breed, so as not to betray their true lineage. Inquisitors Inquisitors are the “Intelligence Community” among the Zealots. Below rank to the malefic Templars and prestige to the awesome Paladins, the Inquisitors are feared by all. It was Inquisitors that brought down a deceptive, rogue Templar and its phalanx of Paladins. They had begun to serve themselves more than their dark god. As Paladins never stand against Templars, the duty of rooting out the bad seed fell to the Inquisitors. They completed their mission as they do all duties: with frightening efficiency and ruthless determination. Once an individual chooses the path of utter righteousness, there is no return. Potential Inquisitors are encouraged to breed before induction, as it will not be possible afterwards. Grand Inquisitors are often whispered about but rarely seen, save by the Valkyries that answer only to them. The Council of Bones is the governing body of the Inquisitors and is composed of the following individuals: Strawn-Hyge – Inquisitor Bishop Asha-Hyge – Inquisitor Noble Velvix-Hyge – Grand Inquisitor Duc-Machen – Inquisitor Noble Stroud-Hyge – Grand Inquisitor Sabine-Hyge – Inquisitor Noble Vuel-Hyge – Grand Inquisitor Seg-Kelsh – High Inquisitor Plexico-Threxelar – Inquisitor Noble Erich-Machen – High Inquisitor Xel-Hyge – Inquisitor Noble Zadamris-Hyge – Grand Inquisitor Omega-Threxelar – High Inquisitor The Council turns its all-seeing eye upon the actions of the secretive Horde Gi during the Fall of Humanity. Of all that Gi has overcome and outlived, this may be the ultimate test of the last great Saurian Horde. Paladins Paladins are the wrath of Mhr'Azakel, the god's Holy Chosen. They are the ultimate warriors. Paladins slavishly serve the unholy Templars whose malign wills darkly reflect the wishes of the dark god. There are Gi that are not paladins, but there are no Paladins who are not Gi. Challenged, many paladins will disarm themselves and remove their armor. Naked, the paladin will then accept. They usually win. Faced with a more nimble opponent, paladins usually gain victory through sheer brutality. Very few intelligent beings "in the know" would dare to confront a paladin. Often, should one do so, there is one less "in the know." Upon reaching the rank of paladin, the initiate is blessed along with any fellows who have advanced as far, by the avatar known as Mhr'Azakel, the Embodied God. After this grand and awful ceremony, the new paladin is given his holy cross (the paladin's great sword) and his mantle of righteousness (the ceremonial full plate of the paladins). Interestingly, the proper rite of supplication to bring the Embodied God into a waiting Templar is known only to the monks. This, in some ways, makes the monks more respected, feared, and envied than even the paladins. Horde Gi had been working on infiltrating the monkhood in order to find out this secret. After every Gi monk vanished in a single night, the Horde decided against further probing. The Gi sense they are weakening and at long last fear what the future may hold. Templars Templars are both cathedral and high priest. They are the beings through which the Chosen worship the Unlord the buildings in which such worship takes place. Massive creatures, the Templars are born from the god, itself, and folded into mortal reality by the Unlord's will. At any moment, only a handful of these creatures exist in a mortal world. No other creature is as simultaneously as powerful or as helpless. Caged into stone prisons and rooted to the ground, Templars never move and their every need is seen to by an outside source. They are incapable of even feeding themselves but, commanding legions of mighty paladins and acting as direct conduits of the death god's power, no Earthly creature has opposed one and lived. The Teknicians Somewhere between magic and science is the dark teknology of Mhr'Azakel's people. Primarily all members of Hordes Machen and Threxelar, they do not turn away members of other Hordes out of hand but it is exceptionally rare to find a member of Horde Gi or Horde Kelsh among their numbers. Working in both flesh and metal, the experiments in the labs of the Teknicians create some of the worst horrors to be found among the Necronites. They are always experimenting and it has been the unfortunate fate of a large number of Preasts to be the "volunteer" in such scientific exploration. This is a constant source of irritation to the Monks, but open hostilities among the Unlord's people is frowned upon.