Oni

The Oni are a type of Asian Other, the remnants of a grand attempt to seperate Others from humanity. Those Practitioners who deal with them are Oni Mages.<ref name=":0">Oni themselves are the result of past

attempts to break away from humanity and create an independent spirit 

kingdom. Many Others were embroiled in the cause, and shed their labels

and natures to share out their strength.  As such, Oni have elements of
Faerie, Goblins, Spirits, Ghosts, and other forces, typically clad in 

iconography and traditional dress that marks them as something turned Oni. One that was once Faerie might be very attractive and slender, with old fashioned clothes, but it is not Faerie anymore and does not harbor the same weaknesses.

- Oni Mages </ref><ref name=":1">Ties to an era when spirits attempted to establish their own province and

domain separate from humanity, and even went to war with humanity, 

sending forth brutes and assassins. Oni magic is subtle and deceptive, aimed at infiltration, distraction, hampering and creating openings. Oni Magic stands in contrast to many practices in that it is actually more effective if not used in a way that spirits are made familiar with over time. Oni magic is typically learned as a series of ‘tricks’ taught by hard to access Others, with added benefits if the use of the trick surprises the spirits (that is, is unexpected or creative, and/or hasn’t been used in a long time), rekindling old memories and passions, or if it is dramatic and interesting. -

Pact Dice - The Practices </ref>

Description

The Oni have blended their natures, but individual Oni may have some visual cues as to what it was before becoming an Oni.<ref name=":0" />

Physically, Oni have certain markers they have taken on as a part of their movement, especially high-ranking Oni (whose uniforms can fill entire rooms with their volume.) They may float independently or be carried by subordinates if they are impractical to carry personally. These symbols are:<ref name=":2">Oni typically have masks, traditional symbols of binding or restriction (cuffs, collars, chains), paper, old clothing or weapons (pre-1600s), cultural blending, stark contrasts of light and dark and either natural weapons (horn, fang and claw) or personal decoration (masks, gloves, tattoos) echoing these things. Oni are broken up into castes and successively greater Oni tend to take more and more of these decorations

and play them up, with the greater ones bearing clothes, scrolls, 

and/or weapons to the point that they fill a room. A moderate oni noble

could bear a weapon rack on his back with a dozen weapons, with 

pauldrons and gauntlets fit for a giant floating in the air around him, autonomous. If these things are not floating or carried, lesser Oni may

bear them or may bear the greater Oni on a palanquin. - Oni Mages</ref>

• symbols of binding or restriction (cuffs, collars, chains),
• paper/scrolls
• old clothing or weapons (pre-1600s),
• natural weapons (horn, fang and claw) or personal decoration (masks, gloves, tattoos) echoing. They also tend to display cultural blending, and stark contrasts of light and dark.<ref name=":2">Oni typically have masks, traditional symbols of binding or restriction (cuffs, collars, chains), paper, old clothing or weapons (pre-1600s), cultural blending, stark contrasts of light and dark and either natural weapons (horn, fang and claw) or personal decoration (masks, gloves, tattoos) echoing these things. Oni are broken up into castes and successively greater Oni tend to take more and more of these decorations and play them up, with the greater ones bearing clothes, scrolls, and/or weapons to the point that they fill a room. A moderate oni noble could bear a weapon rack on his back with a dozen weapons, with pauldrons and gauntlets fit for a giant floating in the air around him, autonomous. If these things are not floating or carried, lesser Oni may bear them or may bear the greater Oni on a palanquin. - Oni Mages</ref>

Culturally, they have a formal caste system,<ref name=":2" /> and a deep resentment for humanity - extracting steep prices and/or only dealing with Oni Mage families who sided against humanity in the war. They cling to history, grudges, and their lost cause.<ref>Oni Mages typically pick up their art through family lines, tracing back to the time when spirits and Others tried to divorce themselves from humanity in a stab at self preservation. In Practice and in the eyes of other Practitioners, they are functionally assassins, thieves, and deceivers with a strong combat focus. Part of their dark reputation stems from distant history, when practitioners took the side of the spirits in the war against humanity, gaining power for their betrayal.

In terms of terminology, Oni Mages draw heavily from Eastern influences in naming and reference, even though they can be from anywhere. A practitioner who was taught by family is frequently referred to by their House name, the family line that their craft was derived from. A plural of such practitioners might simply be called ‘House Kuro’, while a single practitioner might be ‘Son of Yama’ or ‘Blackhedge Mage’ for the houses of Yama and Blackhedge, respectively.

The remainder of practitioners are taught by an ‘oni’ or self-taught with the assistance of some item or source of power, and are termed Ronin Mages.- Oni Mages </ref><ref name=":3">In terms of disposition, Oni are merciless, first and foremost. They are defined by hate and spite, cold resentment, and an inclination to cling to history. Very frequently they won’t deal with people not from Houses, or they will only deal with people with a steep and inevitable price to be paid. As such, a given Ronin may only have the Oni with her teaching her things because she has agreed that when she has murdered everyone on her list of people who wronged her, she will lose her life and her spirit will be dragged into an eternity of darkness. Complex cursed items with a tendency to find their way into the hands of mundane mortals and perpetuate their own existence are common Oni items that they contract from practitioners (if they don't have different practitioners make different parts so the item's course might be harder to avert). - Oni Mages</ref>

Abilities

The Oni shared their power, blending their natures to the point that they no longer retain their original natures or weaknesses. An Oni may have some visual cues as to it's original nature, but little more.<ref name=":0" /> This blended nature is not a shared type that can be used to base a binding on; they do not have shared weaknesses the way other types of Others do.<ref>They devised their own contrary practices and counter-practices.  Stuff like their faerie trading glamour for goblins to dress up in, until the ‘goblin’ label stopped fitting.  Or a goblin edging into the spiritual to make itself more immaterial, or an echo being led to realms to get a bit of Abyss in it, or a bit of elemental. [...] Step one of binding is usually to identify what you’re binding, and they confused labels enough to make that next to impossible.  The Oni thing was more of a uniform than a typing that could be used for binding, as were the masks, old weapons and other recurring visual motifs they adopted. - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.1</ref>

The Oni magic they forged together is weak/subtle compared to other forms of magic, but grows stronger when it defies convention and established patterns. To surprise the spirits and stir up old passions once again is a source of strength. Individual Oni will have their own specific tricks and abilities.<ref name=":1" /><ref>When they lost the war, the Oni were bound to convention. The ongoing struggle to escape and bend the rules of convention has led to a form of practice which works against many common assumptions. Oni Mages are stronger when they defy pattern and convention. While weak on their own, techniques are stronger when used infrequently or as a surprise, to the targets and to the spirits. [...] Most Oni Mage practices are traps, backstabs, deceptions or misdirections aimed at combat, and general-use anti-practice stuff.

Why be an Oni Mage?

Oni Mages have some advantages in that they can deflect or bypass some practitioner offenses and defenses. They are weak against direct assaults and hard barriers, but are otherwise fairly effective at working against practitioners and making their lives hard.They can also bypass some weaknesses. It's common knowledge that an Oni Mage family had an artifact that allowed one lie every three years. Such knowledge colors the interactions of councils with families of Oni Mages. Oni themselves are versatile and varied, but again, are weak against direct assaults and favor flanking, traps, setup, or conditions. Some have gimmicks, like sapping strength for every word someone says around them, or stealing your face if you make eye contact. - Oni Mages </ref>

Oni are known for being varied and breaking rules, but tend to be lacking in raw power and durability.<ref name=":4">Oni themselves are versatile and varied, but again, are weak against direct assaults and favor flanking, traps, setup, or conditions. Some have gimmicks, like sapping strength for every word someone says around them, or stealing your face if you make eye contact. - Wildbow on Reddit</ref> Abilities Oni may display include:

• Special rules of discourse.<ref>“What’s going on there?” Yadira asked, indicating Snowdrop.
  
  “Special rule of discourse,” Lucy said.
  
  “Ahhh.  Some Oni are like that.” - Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.3</ref><ref>They worked hard to devise answers to everything.  We rely on truth, they used the rule of discourse to shape their language, so every Other in an area would agree to accept that every third statement from a powerful Other would be accepted as a falsehood.  Then they’d keep that Other in the background until a crucial negotiation. - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.1</ref>
• Jockey abilities<ref name=":5">They actively set out to create more Others that weren’t bound to the Seal of Solomon, which never had as much traction there as in the West, shaped themselves to be dangerous to various practices.”
  
  “Like Jockeys?” Avery asked.  “I’ve heard about Others that go out of their way to be dangerous to Host practitioners or whatever.”
  
  Matthew had mentioned that at one point.  Some Other he’d dealt with.
  
  “Like Jockeys.  Or poisonous blood that they offer to power a ritual, or disturbances for the Sight, explicitly, or Others that naturally complicate bindings,” Talos said. - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.1</ref>
• Poison blood that disrupts rituals if used as an offering<ref name=":5" />
• Interfering with Second Sight<ref name=":5" />
• Interfering with Bindings<ref name=":5" />
• sapping strength for every word someone says around them<ref name=":4" />
• stealing your face if you make eye contact<ref name=":4" />

Many Oni are Peddlars, either creating cursed magic items that will prey on humans or contracting with Practitioners to create them (sometimes multiple Practitioners, each doing only a part.)<ref name=":3" />

Notable Examples

• Kitsune are related to the Oni.<ref>“Speaking of animals,” Yadira said, leaning forward as Kass and Raquel continued in the background.  “Fox?”
  
  She was looking at Lucy.  For a second, Lucy had to remember if she was still wearing her mask.
  
  “What about it?” Lucy asked.
  
  “Kitsune,” Yadira said, laying a hand over her heart.
  
  “I don’t know… what’s the significance of that?” Lucy asked.
  
  “Fox… spirit… thing?” Verona guessed, halting.
  
  “Ayakashi, or Mamono.  Others of a particular stripe, close to the Oni,” Yadira said.  “You really had no idea?” - Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.1</ref>

History

The Oni rebellion began in the late 1800s to early 1900s in response to the growing strength and oppressiveness of Eastern Practitioners. The Oni movement created countermeasures for the Practice and modified themselves, opposing the old order of Practice and convention.<ref>As humanity surged and the families expanded into branches and sub-organizations, it got pretty oppressive for the Others.  It brewed for a long while, around the mid eighteen-hundreds to early nineteen hundreds, Others really kicked off on fighting back. They organized and started to try to subvert the practice and all conventions. - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.1</ref> They waged war on humanity, fielding brutes, assassins, and even turncoat Oni Mage Practitioners. Ultimately they lost and were bound to convention.<ref>Ties to an era when spirits attempted to establish their own province and domain separate from humanity, and even went to war with humanity, sending forth brutes and assassins. [...] Oni Mages typically pick up their art through family lines, tracing back to the time when spirits and Others tried to divorce themselves from humanity in a stab at self preservation. In Practice and in the eyes of other Practitioners, they are functionally assassins, thieves, and deceivers with a strong combat focus. Part of their dark reputation stems from distant history, when practitioners took the side of the spirits in the war against humanity, gaining power for their betrayal. [...] When they lost the war, the Oni were bound to convention. The ongoing struggle to escape and bend the rules of convention has led to a form of practice which works against many common assumptions. - Wildbow on Reddit</ref>

After the war, the American Kennedy family (not the politicians) were seemingly the first to re-establish a working relationship the Oni.<ref>“So Yadira Kennedy… the Kennedys are a big family?” Avery asked.

“A good size,” Yadira said, smiling.  “We’re not the Kennedys, but we have a presence.  After the Oni Wars, my family was the apparent first to successfully re-establish a working relationship with the new Others out East."

“That’s a lot to digest all at once,” Avery commented.

“You’ll learn about it if you read essentially any history at all on practitioner-human relationships,” Yadira said. “My family’s name gets a passing mention in many of the textbooks.”

“Okay, sidebar,” Kass said.  She leaned over the back of the bench, resting her arm there with enough forward momentum that Verona had to move out of the way of the incoming elbow.  “Yes, the Kennedy family is a big one.  Spread out all over the place.  But Yadira is from a small, forgettable branch of that family.” - Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.1 </ref>

References

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