Oathbound lore

Here, I present to you, the goddamn infodump about the Lore of my ocs and the world they occupy. You're welcome to make your own ocs in this world. And you don't have to stick strictly to whats written. You're welcome to create new traits, and include your own folklore and mythology in this world.What's important is that, not all of supernatural is evil and out to get humanity. There are covens of vampires which keep peace, packs of werewolves that keep to themselves in their hunting grounds, et cetera.With questions, or if you'd like to tell me about your ocs, or want to contribute contact me on discord or via email!

Oathbound, what are they?

Oathbound are genetically modified humans for the purpouse of protecting humanity from supernatural threats.Back in the day The Oathbound were crucial in the protection of humanity, as the creatures of the night obeyed no laws and predated on humanity as they saw fit for their own survival and wellbeing.
But these days Vampires have organized in covens in most parts of the world and help uphold the masquerade. They hold territory, run bloodbanks as to acquire food without harming humans, they engage in politics.
Werewolves hold power over the forests and sanctuaries, the packs held under the control of the alpha rarely outstep their hunting grounds.But not all is well.There are rogue units doing what they want, harming humans in their own self interest. And there are worse threats than vampires around.
Inhuman threats.But Oathbound.Oathbound are miserable creatures. Mutated, Changed humans, clinging to their humanity in spite of the changes that were wrought upon them. Amazing powers come at a price.How are oathbound made?Children below age of ten are either taken off the streets, given, abducted or outright sold to Oathbound sects. The children are then raised in harsh conditions of constant training and conditioning on top of enduring the various experiments necessary to provide them with phisical and mental aptitude to fight for humanity's survival. Because without them, even the vampires could enslave all of humanity without much issue.Nowadays the training includes martial arts, training in firearms, on top of normal if not accelerated schooling curriculums, as well as Extensive courses on the anatomy, biology and history of supernatural beings, to the extent that they're understood.
The mutations are a horrifying experience, similar to Witcher's "Trial of the Grasses" Though the main course of mutations does not have a singular name name, only referred to as "The Test" or "Great Filter", specific sects might have their own names for this main mutation segment.Great Filter is usually called that because of the mortality rate that it has. As above 70% of children subjected to it, do not survive it. Those that do are changed forever. The unimaginable pain and suffering both mental and phisical caused by The Test leaves scars on body and soul that do not vanish with age.The last modification on the list, done at about age 18 is the grafting. Grafting is the process of replacing a part of the soon to be oathbound with a part of the monster that they're supposed to specialise in combatting.For example, Oni Oathbound, get their spinal fluid replaced with that of an oni's. Vampire Oathbound get blood transfusion from a vampire.This process is equally as painful, prone to side effects and death just like other steps of this entire procedure. But the end result bestows special powers based on the grafted creature. For example Vampire Oathbound Get enhanced reflexes and all the benefits and drawbacks of The Thirst. Werewolf Oathbound get to shift into a quasi-werewolf form, the transformation may be painful, but it is a great powerboost.Generally, The bigger the upside, the bigger the downside.Due to the genetic mutations and other changes to the organism of an Oathbound, they are made completely infertile. Who knows what kind of genetic mess the kid would be. Unable to make more Oathbound naturally, Oathbound are forced to procure new ones from somewhere else.Below you can find my and my partner's OCs.

Known sects of Oathbound and their perks.

Vampire Oathbound:Vampire Oathbound at age 18 get a transfusion of vampire blood. The entire process is very unpleasant, as one would feel as their veins would light aflame with this, severe burning pain. The worst it gets is when the blood finally reaches heart and brain. It feels as if your chest and head are about to burst.
In the next couple of months a few changes start to happen within the body of an oathbound. The thirst sets in, fangs grow, and the body adjusts to its new powerset.Downsides: The thirst itself is a downside. But they also are sensitive to sunlight in the sensitive sense, not burning to ashes.Chart organises the increased parameters of an oathbound depending on the sect. Some are going to be stronger, some weaker than others. Where 0 is an average human, and 10 means higher recorded capability of an oathbound.
Strength: 4 -------------- █ █ █ █
Agility:6 ----------------- █ █ █ █ █ █
Resilience:5 ------------- █ █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:3 ------ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 7 - █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Healing factor:3 --------- █ █ █Mandatory trait:
Thirst:
Every Vampire Oathbound gets the thirst, when fed, They can act at peak performance, when starving they're weaker than an average human.Common trait:
Night vision:
Most vampire Oathbound get the ability to see in complete darkness, with their eyes glowing blood red.Uncommon trait:
Burst of speed:
Vampire Oathbound sometimes develop the ability to move faster than the eye can follow, essentially allowing them to change spots as if teleporting.Rare Trait:
Invisibility:
Vampire Oathbound with this power can briefly turn invisible. Still detectable by things like smell or sound.Werewolf OathboundWerewolf Oathbound at age 18 get transplanted liver from a werewolf. Don't ask me why, For some reason werewolf liver made sense, and here we are. The operation is done under narcosis so it is not as traumatising as other procedures. The problem is that as you wake up you experience the first pseudo-shift, which can be quite painful, traumatising and cause something like body dysmorphia.Downsides: Werewolf Oathbound usually also gain the drawbacks of werewolves, such as dietary restrictions, or "wolf brain" which makes them prone to impulsive actions, such as chasing someone who's running or thrown things. As well as vulnerability to silver.Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 5 -------------- █ █ █ █ █
Agility:3 ----------------- █ █ █
Resilience:5 ------------- █ █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:3 ------ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 4 - █ █ █ █
Healing factor:7 --------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █Mandatory trait:
Pseudo-shift:
Pseudo-shift lets an Oathbound manifest some features of a werewolf, like claws, slightly longer face, fangs and so on.Common trait:
Enhanced senses:
Oathbound with this trait gains enhanced hearing and smell. Making them perfect trackers.Uncommon trait:
Berserker's rage:
Oathbound with this ability can enter a state of unending rage. During that time they can shrug off most of the damage, they get a significant increase in strength, can smell blood for miles, and are immune to charming effects.Rare trait:
Full shift:
An Oathbound with this ability gets to fully transform into an enhanced werewolf form, usually much bigger than a regular werewolf.Shadow OathboundShadow Oathbound are one of the most curious. Instead of having a bodypart transplanted, They have a Shadow imprisoned within their body.Shadows are indestructible creatures, manifestations of humanity's evil and cruelty. And instead of being destroyed, they are instead absorbed and imprisoned by a Shadow Oathbound.This causes many problems to such an Oathbound. Constant headaches, as the prisoners constantly claw and scrape against the walls of their "prison". An average Shadow Oathbound can at best hold about eight of them in their mind, afterwards they go a bit crazy. The only way to get temporary relief from this constant pain is to be near an Oni Oathbound. Somehow these two have a connection which helps a Shade Oathbound with the headaches. Shade Oathbound are much colder than a regular humans, and their hearts beat much slower as well.Downsides: As described above, Constant splitting headache. Possibility of going insane. :)Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 3 -------------- █ █ █
Agility:5 ----------------- █ █ █ █ █
Resilience:5 ------------- █ █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:7 ------ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 5 - █ █ █ █ █
Healing factor:4 --------- █ █ █ █Mandatory trait:
Immunity to Mind influencing magics:
Due to their incredible mental fortitude, and the presence of other beings in their mind and the constant torture that comes with it, Shadow Oathbound are not affected by mind altering effects of magic.Common trait:
Unsettling presence:
The most common trait of Shadow Oathbound is their menacing/unsettling presence. One would feel very uncomfortable within the presence of a Shadow Oathbound with this ability. Shadow Oathbound which train this ability are able to channel it against a specific person, or mute it completely.Uncommon trait:
Shadow Sight:
Either one or both eyes of the Shadow Oathbound get replaced by the eyes of the Shadow itself. The process is very painful as the original eye kind of, instantly decays and falls apart just to be replaced moments later. This eye allows the Oathbound to see through themself, giving them the ability to see in 360'. The eye can turn around and look in any direction.Rare trait:
Shadow limb:
Sometimes, during the process of Grafting the Shadow into an Oathbound a strange thing happens. One of the limbs of the Oathbound starts to fall apart, muscle by muscle, for it to be replaced by a limb of a Shadow. Such Oathbound can summon said shadow limb on command, though it comes with the danger of the Shadows in ones mind to become more lively, threatening the life of the Oathbound even more than usual.Oni OathboundOni Oathbound at age 18 get their spinal fluid replaced with that of an Oni. The process is immensely painful, as the muscles around the spine grow, breaking the skin, causing severe scarring to one's spine. The rapid growth of muscles leaves an Oni Oathbound in permanent constant phisical pain, that never goes away. No amount of drugs can make it go away. Except their uncanny connection to Shadow Oathbound, which act as living painkillers for the Oni Oathbound. Oni Oathbound are much warmer than a regular human and they have an increased metabolism, eating for multiple grown men.Downsides: They need to be fed constantly, else they're starving, like a shounen protagonist. Restaurant bills are huge. Also the Constant Horrible Muscle Pain tm.Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 9 -------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Agility:3 ----------------- █ █ █
Resilience:7 ------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:3 ------ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 4 - █ █ █ █
Healing factor:2 --------- █ █Mandatory trait:
Hulk Smash:
Oni Oathbound get the ability to 'take the shape' of an oni. Where they grow in size considerably, and increase their muscle mass greatly. In addition, they enter this mostly mindless rage. Sadly once an Oni Oathbound enters this state, there is a meager chance that they will return back to normal without getting knocked out. (good luck with that lol)Common trait:
Fire/heat resistance:
Oni Oathbound with this trait is capable of putting their hand into a fireplace and being completely unharmed by the fire. This does have its limits but it protects the Oathbound from most hot things commonly found in a city.Uncommon trait:
Temporary bulk:
With this ability, an Oathbound can temporarily increase their strength at the cost of immense phisical pain later. You get to throw a car, but then you get to suffer for it a bit more than usual.Rare trait:
Fire breath:
Sometimes, an Oni Oathbound gets to breathe fire. Not often, but sometimes. It's cool as fuck.Bies OathboundBies Oathbound, at first originated in eastern europe, but then the general population of Bieses has spread all over the continents. Bies is a gigantic beast, once considered to be devils by early christians, they are larger than most bulls, horned or antlered creatures similar to minotaurs. It is often said that a Bies brings misfortune to those around it. Bies Oathbound have the seven segments of their spine in their neck replaced by that of a Bies. The operation is severely dangerous and not many people survive it without any nerve damage.If it came to blows, Bies and Oni Oathbounds would be toe to toe if it comes to raw power. Onis are more resistant to damage, but Bieses are more well rounded in their capabilities. Therefore it is a matter of skill.Downsides: (work in progress)Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 9 -------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Agility:4 ----------------- █ █ █ █
Resilience:4 ------------- █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:4 ------ █ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 4 - █ █ █ █
Healing factor:4 --------- █ █ █ █Mandatory traits:
Strength gauge:
Bies Oathbound are capable of fine precision in terms of their strength. Varying from normal human strength, to full power rivaling that of an Oni's, and sometimes even beyond it.Common trait:
Rain and thunder affinity:
Bies Oathbound with this trait, will find themselves harder, better, faster, stronger in heavy rain or during storms.Uncommon trait:
Luck:
On average, Bies Oathbound with this ability, will be more lucky than other people.Rare trait:
Aura of Misfortune:
People around them will be in general less lucky. The lack of luck can be gentle, bad cards, stubbed toe, but if a Bies wants someone to eat shit, they can focus on that person, and "Misfortune" is a gentle word for what might happen to them.Harpy Oathbound
Harpy Oathbound are quite rare outside of mountainous regions of the world, as that is where the harpies usually live. Though with everpresent urbanisation the harpies have moved from mountains to skyscrapers.Harpy Oathbound undergo the transplant of the skin on their back with the feathery hide of a harpy, so their back is covered in differing amount of down and regular feathers.Downsides: (work in progress)Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 3 -------------- █ █ █
Agility:6 ----------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Resilience:3 ------------- █ █ █
Mental resilience:3 ------ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 8 - █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Healing factor:2 --------- █ █Mandatory trait:
(under construction)Common trait:
(under construction)Uncommon trait:
(under construction)Rare trait:
(under construction)Gorgon - (under construction)Basilisk Oathbound
Basilisk Oathbound don't have it easy. Though their Grafting isn't most terrible, as their salivary glands get replaced with venom producing glands of a basilisk, in consequence, All of the Basilisk Oathbound lose their sense of taste and smell to some degree. Some a little, those with more potent venom, completely.Downsides: Partial or Complete loss of sense of smell and taste.Chart is the same as above.
Strength: 7 -------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Agility:3 ----------------- █ █ █
Resilience:8 ------------- █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █
Mental resilience:4 ------ █ █ █ █
Perception & reflexes: 4 - █ █ █ █
Healing factor:3 --------- █ █ █Mandatory trait:
Venom glands:
Glands in your mouth now produce a venom of various potency, from something that'd paralyse a man for a day, to something that'd kill a bull within an hour. Watch out when kissing. :)Common trait:
Venom spit:
Due to the way your glands were grafted, or because of their quality, a Basilisk Oathbound are sometimes capable of spitting venom up to a couple meters.Uncommon trait:
Immunity to ALL poisons and venoms:
What it says on the tin. No poison or venom can get ahold of your very resilient organism. Now you're immune to tummy ache, but also its so much harder to get drunk, on top of normal Oathbound resistance to alcohol.Rare trait:
Scale armor:
Rarely, Basilisk Oathbound are capable of suddenly growing a layer of protective scales around their body, which protects them from all but the most brutal damage, making them near indestructible.