Leech Child Races: Oni, Gaki, and Halfbreeds
Long post bluh bluh.
...I need to post more. D:
The Oni, Gaki, and Halfbreeds (Hiruko)
History:
The oni were once hunchbacked, ogre-like beasts with little or no sentience. Legends passed down through the ages say that the Oni existed when Amaterasu arrived at Jigoku, and she saw potential in them and gave them the power of wisdom.
At first the oni went around smashing everything with wooden clubs, this time just a bit more intelligently. However, after a while, the oni's intelligence grew, and they were able to accomplish tasks such as using more advanced tools and creating language. As each generation went by the race got smarter, finally becoming a generally smart, but war-obsessed, group of people. (This is when the humans arrived).
The oni learned a lot from the foreign humans - how to create more advanced weapons, how to get along with their fellow races, and how to eat with forks and knives - though the oni soon eschewed this for the tengu custom of chopsticks.
After the human genocide during Ganymede's War, the Oni were at their prime as the most powerful race in Jigoku, and they still remain such.
The gaki are a mysterious phenomenon that has appeared ever since the oni race became wise enough to keep records, and most likely before that as well. Whenever an oni was executed for doing something "bad" (in that age, usually refusal to fight, treason, etc.), the next day, a thin, grey creature who looked much like an oni - a gaki - would wander into the same city or town where the execution had happened. The gaki would have a lot of the same mannerisms as the dead oni, but at first the oni considered it a strange thing and just allowed the gaki to move on with their lives.
Gaki preferred to breed within species, and soon there was a large gaki community in many oni cities, including Akamachi, the capitol. When a famous scholar showed his research "proving" (this is still a hot topic in the debate for gaki equality) that gaki were oni who had done something terribly wrong and had been executed, the current emperor founded the first prison, and allowed the gaki to live, on one condition - that they would be inferior to the oni in all ways.
To this day gaki are used as slave labor in the Akamachi mines, and live in their own area of the city called 'the slums'. Gaki uprisings have happened during the years, but lack of major oni support has always caused them to fail.
Hiruko, or as they much prefer to be called, halfbreeds, are the result of a oni breeding with a gaki. The term hiruko was originally coined by the unofficial ruler of the gaki during the first uprising. When a gaki mother took her infant son to the gaki ruler during the Uprising, he saw it was part oni and spit on it, calling it hiruko or "Leech Child". Nowadays hiruko is a degrading term, considered terribly offensive by the halfbreeds and even some gaki. It is similar in use to the n-word.
Religion:
The oni, gaki, and halfbreeds' religion is sort of like a duotheistic paganism, usually focused around only one god. They practice ritual once a week, usually in family groups. Ritual usually consists of a food "sacrifice" for the oni, but for the gaki it consists of giving a small amount of blood from the corner of their eye.
The oni worship Amaterasu, who is the goddess who gave them sentience. As she is the goddess of the sun, rituals usually take place during the dawn in summer and the dusk in winter.
The gaki worship Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon and the brother and enemy of Amaterasu. The gaki believe that Tsukiyomi hates the oni and the way they treat the gaki, and if that they show enough devotion, that he will come to Jigoku and set things straight.
The halfbreeds usually choose to worship the deity of the group they were brought up with, however some halfbreeds worship Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi as two halves of a whole god.
Government and Social Structure:
Oni government is a pretty traditional empire/monarchy. The emperor/empress rules with a cabinet of advisors who help them sort out different issues, though the emperor's word is final.
The gaki are under the rule of the Emperor, however the gaki have a ruler who decides things that the emperor does not regarding his race. Their ruler is elected based on a vote, and is called the Grand Yasha.
Halfbreeds usually live with the oni or the gaki, depending on who their oni parent was.
The social structure is based on honor and strength. Besides the emperor, his family and his cabinet, the highest ranked oni are the police chief and officers, which are considered the most honorable non-royal oni. Next comes those who lead the army, then pretty much everyone else.
The gaki believes that everyone but the Grand Yasha and the hiruko are on even ground, considering they are all given the same job and the same amount of rations. Mothers who are pregnant or taking care of children get to stay home from the mines, and some gaki resent this, putting them below the normally even ladder.
The halfbreeds are considered one rung on the ladder below the gaki, though the gaki tend to resent halfbreeds who live with the oni more, calling them traitors.
Values:
The oni value honor, bravery, honesty, and strength above all. They believe family is important but not as important as one's individuality.
The gaki believe everyone should have the same lot in life as long as they are being enslaved. Individual values and talents are often passed over in favor of how well you fit in.
Halfbreeds, once again, tend to think the way of the race that they live with.
Language:
The oni, gaki and halfbreeds all speak Makai, the universal Jigoku language, though gaki and hiruko (and even some oni) involved in the resistance speak Yashaspeak, a secret language.
Opinions of other races:
Oni:
Oni/Tsuchigumo - the oni generally see the tsuchigumo as 'evil', and any tsuchigumo passing through Akamachi will be promptly arrested and interrogated.
Oni/Tengu - the oni and the tengu are allies, as judged by a peace treaty made a long time ago. The peace between them is still upheld to this day, to the point that tengu beggars are allowed in Akamachi.
Oni/Nekomata - The oni view the nekomata as reclusive, and they try to avoid them because they think the cats hate them because of Ganymede's War.
Oni/Ningyo - The ningyo and oni are recent allies since Ganymede's War.
Gaki:
Gaki/Tsuchigumo - Similar to oni/tsuchigumo
Gaki/Tengu - the gaki resent the tengu a bit for allying with the oni, though many tengu sympathise with the gaki and try to help them out, bringing them food, watching their children and the like.
Gaki/Nekomata - Similar to oni/nekomata
Gaki/Ningyo - The gaki don't tend to feel one way or the other about the ningyo. Some don't even know they exist.
Halfbreeds:
Depends on who they were raised with.
Pop Culture:
Oni popular music uses human-made guitars, bass guitars, drums and microphones, as well as pianos and sometimes violins. It's drum and bass-driven, but is generally similar to stuff that gets played on our radios today. If I had to compare it to one of our bands, it would be Crash Kings.
Gaki music is created with the use of kirin-hide and wooden drums, maracas, and such. It sounds similar to african tribal music. Gaki music is used primarily to tell a story, as opposed to oni music, which is used to entertain.
Gaki and oni are tends to be similar - done with pigment paint and sweeping brushstrokes. Think a much brighter version of asian brush paintings.
Oni read books, though they are mostly nonfiction. The most popular genre by far however is history and historical fiction.
Other:
As far as human technology goes, the oni try to use very little automatic weaponry and such.
Gaki (and by extension halfbreeds) cannot cry when they are sad. Tears lubricate their eyes, however they will never come out in a stream unless something is stuck in the gaki's eye. This is said to be a curse put on them by Amaterasu.
Gaki almost always suffer from a addiction - a need to do something, consume a substance, or suchforth. This affliction starts after a stressful time in the gaki's life, usually when they are sent to work in the mines. If the gaki does not act on this addiction, they will suffer withdrawl symptoms appropriate to their addiction. (Halfbreeds also have addictions)
Showing your back to someone is the gaki sign of trust.
...I need to post more. D:
The Oni, Gaki, and Halfbreeds (Hiruko)
History:
The oni were once hunchbacked, ogre-like beasts with little or no sentience. Legends passed down through the ages say that the Oni existed when Amaterasu arrived at Jigoku, and she saw potential in them and gave them the power of wisdom.
At first the oni went around smashing everything with wooden clubs, this time just a bit more intelligently. However, after a while, the oni's intelligence grew, and they were able to accomplish tasks such as using more advanced tools and creating language. As each generation went by the race got smarter, finally becoming a generally smart, but war-obsessed, group of people. (This is when the humans arrived).
The oni learned a lot from the foreign humans - how to create more advanced weapons, how to get along with their fellow races, and how to eat with forks and knives - though the oni soon eschewed this for the tengu custom of chopsticks.
After the human genocide during Ganymede's War, the Oni were at their prime as the most powerful race in Jigoku, and they still remain such.
The gaki are a mysterious phenomenon that has appeared ever since the oni race became wise enough to keep records, and most likely before that as well. Whenever an oni was executed for doing something "bad" (in that age, usually refusal to fight, treason, etc.), the next day, a thin, grey creature who looked much like an oni - a gaki - would wander into the same city or town where the execution had happened. The gaki would have a lot of the same mannerisms as the dead oni, but at first the oni considered it a strange thing and just allowed the gaki to move on with their lives.
Gaki preferred to breed within species, and soon there was a large gaki community in many oni cities, including Akamachi, the capitol. When a famous scholar showed his research "proving" (this is still a hot topic in the debate for gaki equality) that gaki were oni who had done something terribly wrong and had been executed, the current emperor founded the first prison, and allowed the gaki to live, on one condition - that they would be inferior to the oni in all ways.
To this day gaki are used as slave labor in the Akamachi mines, and live in their own area of the city called 'the slums'. Gaki uprisings have happened during the years, but lack of major oni support has always caused them to fail.
Hiruko, or as they much prefer to be called, halfbreeds, are the result of a oni breeding with a gaki. The term hiruko was originally coined by the unofficial ruler of the gaki during the first uprising. When a gaki mother took her infant son to the gaki ruler during the Uprising, he saw it was part oni and spit on it, calling it hiruko or "Leech Child". Nowadays hiruko is a degrading term, considered terribly offensive by the halfbreeds and even some gaki. It is similar in use to the n-word.
Religion:
The oni, gaki, and halfbreeds' religion is sort of like a duotheistic paganism, usually focused around only one god. They practice ritual once a week, usually in family groups. Ritual usually consists of a food "sacrifice" for the oni, but for the gaki it consists of giving a small amount of blood from the corner of their eye.
The oni worship Amaterasu, who is the goddess who gave them sentience. As she is the goddess of the sun, rituals usually take place during the dawn in summer and the dusk in winter.
The gaki worship Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon and the brother and enemy of Amaterasu. The gaki believe that Tsukiyomi hates the oni and the way they treat the gaki, and if that they show enough devotion, that he will come to Jigoku and set things straight.
The halfbreeds usually choose to worship the deity of the group they were brought up with, however some halfbreeds worship Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi as two halves of a whole god.
Government and Social Structure:
Oni government is a pretty traditional empire/monarchy. The emperor/empress rules with a cabinet of advisors who help them sort out different issues, though the emperor's word is final.
The gaki are under the rule of the Emperor, however the gaki have a ruler who decides things that the emperor does not regarding his race. Their ruler is elected based on a vote, and is called the Grand Yasha.
Halfbreeds usually live with the oni or the gaki, depending on who their oni parent was.
The social structure is based on honor and strength. Besides the emperor, his family and his cabinet, the highest ranked oni are the police chief and officers, which are considered the most honorable non-royal oni. Next comes those who lead the army, then pretty much everyone else.
The gaki believes that everyone but the Grand Yasha and the hiruko are on even ground, considering they are all given the same job and the same amount of rations. Mothers who are pregnant or taking care of children get to stay home from the mines, and some gaki resent this, putting them below the normally even ladder.
The halfbreeds are considered one rung on the ladder below the gaki, though the gaki tend to resent halfbreeds who live with the oni more, calling them traitors.
Values:
The oni value honor, bravery, honesty, and strength above all. They believe family is important but not as important as one's individuality.
The gaki believe everyone should have the same lot in life as long as they are being enslaved. Individual values and talents are often passed over in favor of how well you fit in.
Halfbreeds, once again, tend to think the way of the race that they live with.
Language:
The oni, gaki and halfbreeds all speak Makai, the universal Jigoku language, though gaki and hiruko (and even some oni) involved in the resistance speak Yashaspeak, a secret language.
Opinions of other races:
Oni:
Oni/Tsuchigumo - the oni generally see the tsuchigumo as 'evil', and any tsuchigumo passing through Akamachi will be promptly arrested and interrogated.
Oni/Tengu - the oni and the tengu are allies, as judged by a peace treaty made a long time ago. The peace between them is still upheld to this day, to the point that tengu beggars are allowed in Akamachi.
Oni/Nekomata - The oni view the nekomata as reclusive, and they try to avoid them because they think the cats hate them because of Ganymede's War.
Oni/Ningyo - The ningyo and oni are recent allies since Ganymede's War.
Gaki:
Gaki/Tsuchigumo - Similar to oni/tsuchigumo
Gaki/Tengu - the gaki resent the tengu a bit for allying with the oni, though many tengu sympathise with the gaki and try to help them out, bringing them food, watching their children and the like.
Gaki/Nekomata - Similar to oni/nekomata
Gaki/Ningyo - The gaki don't tend to feel one way or the other about the ningyo. Some don't even know they exist.
Halfbreeds:
Depends on who they were raised with.
Pop Culture:
Oni popular music uses human-made guitars, bass guitars, drums and microphones, as well as pianos and sometimes violins. It's drum and bass-driven, but is generally similar to stuff that gets played on our radios today. If I had to compare it to one of our bands, it would be Crash Kings.
Gaki music is created with the use of kirin-hide and wooden drums, maracas, and such. It sounds similar to african tribal music. Gaki music is used primarily to tell a story, as opposed to oni music, which is used to entertain.
Gaki and oni are tends to be similar - done with pigment paint and sweeping brushstrokes. Think a much brighter version of asian brush paintings.
Oni read books, though they are mostly nonfiction. The most popular genre by far however is history and historical fiction.
Other:
As far as human technology goes, the oni try to use very little automatic weaponry and such.
Gaki (and by extension halfbreeds) cannot cry when they are sad. Tears lubricate their eyes, however they will never come out in a stream unless something is stuck in the gaki's eye. This is said to be a curse put on them by Amaterasu.
Gaki almost always suffer from a addiction - a need to do something, consume a substance, or suchforth. This affliction starts after a stressful time in the gaki's life, usually when they are sent to work in the mines. If the gaki does not act on this addiction, they will suffer withdrawl symptoms appropriate to their addiction. (Halfbreeds also have addictions)
Showing your back to someone is the gaki sign of trust.