House Oni

( The Lesser Oni )

"Grr! *smash* Rrr! Die! Die!"

  The Lesser Oni are the least human-appearing of all the houses. They look something like evolutionary throw-backs, feral animals, and giants combined. Their smell and appearance are revolting and monstrous. Long, bulbous ears, coarse-skinned skulls covered with tufts of fur, and elongated limbs splotched with disgusting warts and lumps are among their less nauseating features.

  After an Oni reaches his tenth birthday, they undergo an exceptionally painful period of transformation. Over a period of weeks, they slowly shift from their human countenances to their Oni visages. The true horror in this is that the Oni do not, and cannot, reproduce among themselves, all Oni were born into a proper house but fell to a twisted fate. In the beginning, many of Ogres' children revel in their newfound powers, but soon the pain and changes begin. The psychological trauma of becoming such a loathsome monstrosity is often enough to break the misshapen child's mind, and thus the majority of Oni are not only crude and stupid, but insane as well.

  To some degree, the Oni are a hive mind, sharing the same conscious thoughts and experiencing their surroundings vicariously through other members of their individual "packs," known as circles. This link allows them to work effectively apart from each other- the house excels at coordinated combat missions, yet their abysmal intellects aren't cut out for much else beyond battle.

  The house is also notorious for it's lack of personal drive, which makes them ideal servants; no master needs to fear the Oni will turn on them. Unfortunately, the house has very little creativity, and it usually lacks the ability to out-maneuver opponents or outthink them. This not to say the Oni are not self-aware; rather, they are just dull-witted and slow.

( The High Oni )

"You're doing an excellent job. Keep up the good work."

  There is a small, secondary bloodline that shares kinship with the children of Ogre. Called the High Oni, amongst themselves, these are the rare children of the very scarce Lesser Oni that not only retains some semblance of sanity, but finds a mate as well. The High Oni are totally human in appearance, and lack any of the strength or power of their parents. They so few in number that they are raised in fosterage by the other houses- the brutish Lesser Oni are more likely to eat a babe than care for it- yet no member of the High Oni has ever shown the ability to use the magic of the other houses. Instead, they retain a connection to the hive mind, serving as the higher intellect for the brutes.

  Any High Oni can command, direct and dominate one of the brutes in a manner similar to telepathy; the two Oni actually share a single conciseness. Two High Oni cannot possess each other through this hive mind, but they can maintain constant communication, even in areas of telepathic blocks. Of course, any mental assault on a High Oni will effect all Lesser Oni in the immediate vicinity and all High Oni in the house.

A WORD ON HOUSE ONI

  Oni are intended more as a Gamemaster device than as a house for players to portray. There aren't a huge amount of roleplaying opportunities open to a family of hideous, bestial thugs with little personal drive and less intellect or their inbred, slave-master cousins. The decision to allow players to play members of this line is, as always, up to the GM and individual player to make, but I don't recommend it.

  Non-DK Players, unless your character knows a good deal about the Dread Kingdom, it's unlikely she's ever even heard about House Oni. DK Players, you've heard of them, maybe seen a few, but you know little about them. That the High Oni exist, at all, is something almost no one knows simply due to their extreme rarity.

NICKNAME:  Brutes, Monsters, Ogres, etc.

SECT:   The Oni remain loyal to the Dread Kingdom. They don't have a choice in the matter, although a handful were in the possession of various Luna and Apocalypses when the schism occurred, and would fight for their masters if ordered.

APPEARANCE:   No two Oni look precisely alike, but all are hideous and hued. Gaping fang-filled maws, discolorations, tumors, holes in place of noses, beastlike ears, sloping bald heads, twisted spines, claws, stony hides, pustulent sores, horns, and webbed fingers are just a few possible deformities possessed by Oni. An existence in dank dungeons and cesspits tends to ensure that most Oni smell about as good as they look.

HOUSE POWERS:    Massive size, supernatural strength, monstrous form.

Stereotypes
House Apocalypse	{phlegmy, wheezing hack}
House Dracos	{submissive whimper, followed by low growl}
House Doom	My master... {submissive whimper} Kill now?
House Luna	Pretty... me no want hurt.
House Lycanthro	{growl}
House Dagger	{phlegmy, wheezing chuckle}
House Yaijinden	{blank stare}
Crystal Senshi	Kill!
Mirth House	KILL!
Tenshi Force	KILL!
The Blackmoon	{blank stare} Who?