So I've finally started to take a look at the Half-bloods.
(Why yes, that is a terrible name. But Nephilim and Grigori aren't quite right, Avatars and demigods and every other word I've come across doesn't work, and I haven't mashed up a word I like yet.
So they're Half-bloods right now. I get the feeling once I solidify their name, the rest will click into place, but I've got what I need right now to at least start building.)
The Half-Bloods are my "Superman" part of the equation--the power-heavy superhumans of the group. This will be needed, as the forces of Hell do not in any way feel obligated to using human-level threats against humans. The armies of daemons include a log of big scary monsters, and you'll need a guy who can leap tall giants in a single bound.
They've been with humanity since the dawn of time. They're in ancient scrolls and clay tablets and stone bas reliefs the world over. Every Ancient bad-ass in the world is rumored to have been a Half-Blood, from this world's Alexander to Plato to Ghengis Khan or Gilgamesh. Be they sinner or saint, a Half-Blood will leave a mark on history (normally, a bloody one at that).
Half-Bloods are stronger, faster, more alive, and perhaps most (in)famously are able to bond with a mystical Element. With this, they can summon that power to give themselves amazing abilities. Now, what exactly makes a Half-Blood a Half-blood isn't very well understood--According to earlier works a Half-Blooded would traditionally be "born in fire", and a previously-normal person would suddenly gain abilities in the middle of some very bad times. This happened exceedingly rarely--a literal one in a million chance, and having the power kick off in the middle of a life or death struggle? Well, there weren't that many of them running around.
There's no genetic code for Half-Bloods, while some scholars say there's slightly better odds of a child of a Half-Blood erupting, it's not reliable in any way. It just happened, with little regard for who a person was before.
Historically, Half-Bloods aren't really liked for a few reasons. First, there's the issue that no one knows where the power is coming from--the Clergy state that the Half-Blooded are those that had some contact with an angel or demon (normally hinting strongly that one of their parents were not who they said they were during the consecration of said Half-Blood). So there's the fact that these select few have direct ties with horrifying all-powerful aspects of reality, which Bill the Baker doesn't really need in his shop. The mere mention of possibly being tied to demons is a great way to meet the local lynch mob, and it's really hard to argue that you're not evil when you have the ability to shoot fire from your mouth.
Add onto this is that Half-Blood are known for going crazy and becoming monsters in their own right. This isn't due to some ancient curse or anything--it's simply the fact that few people really handle the power. Think about it--if you were a serf in the 12th century or ancient Greece or pre-revolution Paris, and during a time where you almost died you instead became a physical powerhouse that can chuck lightening? That's going to warp your psyche a bit. Now have everyone around you be a bit scared of you at all times. Half your family thinks your the devil. People keep showing up at your door with sick and dead family members since, hey, you're half-angel, right?? Angels bring people back to life, right? Then the local Duke keeps calling you buddy and keeping you drunk and aiming you at front lines of wars with this look in his eyes that he really doesn't mind if you'd die...
So a Half-Blood is stressed, unloved, alienated, manipulated, and pushed by everyone in society. Just imagine that pressure in a guy who used to just raise sheep? Now imagine how that must feel when you realize that everyone around you is just so weak. Sure, Half-bloods can die, but it's going to look like the last act of Hamlet by the time they're down.
Basically, there's no "evil" mechanic for these guys. There's no taint or dark side points--it's just a fine martini of being powerful and being feared, with a dash of religiously-fueled paranoia handed to your character. You'll need to figure out how to handle that.
The other big reason people hate Half-Bloods is that they mean trouble's coming. Some times, during big wars or natural disasters, people would erupt before things got bad. This especially happened before Impact--Half-Bloods were kicking off left and right during the time before Impact. Even worse, that's still happening. That's why the Lords had to impose the Drafting Order to force anyone who became a Half-Blood to become part of the elite special forces that dive into Hell--otherwise it was a bunch of strong guys all stuck in a tower.
And yes, the rest of the world has noticed that when Half-Bloods arrive, Demons tend to follow. Some say it's because the Half-Bloods are there to protect humanity. Others say the Half-Bloods are just demonic scouts.
So yes, it's not easy being Superhuman--few if any live a decade past their re-birth, and that time is one filled with fire, steel, and pain. If your lucky though, you might become a name that echos forever.
...and maybe I'll get a better damn name for them, too.
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