Oni-Touched

Oni-Touched are a playable race in the Mists of Akuma setting for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. They are a human offshoot created when babies are contaminated in the womb by the titular Mists of Akuma, causing them to manifest unique mutations and alien powers at puberty. Of all the races in Soburin, oni-touched are the most reviled, lumped together with Akuma-spawned monsters like bakemono and shikome - even the freakish creatures spawned by the Ceramian and Ropaeo invaders like necroji and mutants are considered more acceptable than these poor bastards.

Typically abandoned by their communities, there is a strong tendency for oni-touched to be self-reliant survivors. Despite the fear they inspire the supernatural beauty granted by their contaminated ancestry cannot be denied—combined with their independent nature, oni-touched tend to have strong personalities that draw conflict to them like moths to the flame. One thing rings true for all of this race: they are individuals of solitary magnitude, carving legends of redemption or terror wherever they go as they try to find their place in Soburin.

Though drawn from humanity, oni-touched tend to be much taller and wider than their parents, making them physically imposing even when disguised. Some grow small horns along their shoulder blades, neck, limbs, or skull, but even more noticeable are the unnatural veins running across their reddish skin—when oni-touched use their inborn magical abilities these blood vessels flare with power that no reasonable amount of wax or cloth can hide. Still more variations occur to humans transformed in the womb by the Mists of Akuma and new kinds of oni-touched appear throughout the prefectures every day.

The fear of the oni-touched stems from ancient tales, where humans who were only "subtly" touched by the Mists of Akuma went on to become complicit with yai sovereigns and oni warlords. Despite the fact that oni-touched haven't been seen for millennia, the old legends have bred a new wave of fear and revulsion; oni-touched are forced to survive as best they can in a world that hates them.

Contrary to this ignorant popular belief, oni-touched actually are not inherently evil, but instead are drawn towards malice and wickedness due to the brutality and cruelty they face from all others. Whilst highly individualistic in nature, it is not unusual for one to harbor deep hatred for a specific prefecture or settlement that it used to belong to.

Oni-touched are a dispossessed people; scattered and fragmented, prevented from coming together even as their numbers increase in this dying age by their own cynical suspicion when the idea of forming alliances comes up. Despite rumors of oni-touched villages hidden beyond human reach, most conceal themselves with magic and makeup, hiding amongst the humans that they walk apart from. The exceptions openly revel in their power, and this has been bolstered by the fact that their racial immunity to the deadly touch of the Mists of Akuma has made them increasingly valuable as honor guards for Soburin's clan lords, giving the race a chance at power that they will seize with both hands. And if their detractors tend to "disappear" when the dark mists rise and the nobles hide in their enclosed spaces? Well, things like that happen when the Mists of Akuma fill the air...

Many oni-touched share a wistful love for the arts and take up a craft with the same seriousness they would for mastering blades or spells, devoting a disproportionate amount of resources and time to creating a masterpiece that bridges the gap from their lost humanity.

PC Stats

Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Charisma

Size: Medium

Speed: 35 feet

Darkvision 60 feet

Corrupted: Regardless of how high your Haitoku stat is, you cannot die or be transformed by the Mists of Akuma.

Hated: You have the Hated condition - see below.

Deceptive: You have Proficiency in the Deception skill.

Magic Talent: Choose one Cantrip from any class's spell list. You are able to cast that cantrip with only Somatic components, using Charisma as your spellcasting ability score.

Condition: Hated

You have disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma checks against any humanoid that doesn’t also have the hated condition but you never have disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) or Haitoku (Intimidation) checks.