Nephilim

"*Nephilim. To some, they're abominations. But really, they're the offspring of an angel and a human. They possess the soul of a human, but are endowed with the strength and power of an angel. But the thing is...well, lets just say that because Nephilim are the offspring of an angel and a human, that itself isn't allowed. There are several of them on Earth.*"
—Oracle to the others about Nephilim
**Nephilim**, often called **Shadowhunters**, are hybrid creatures born from the union of an angel and a human. They are basically a race of beings who are half-human and half-angel. They can be the children of humans and angels, who initially appear to be perfectly normal humans. Or, they can be created by drinking an angel's blood from a magical chalice.

They rarely contract any childhood diseases, however, and sometime between the ages of twelve and eighteen they experience amazing abilities. They are strong, fearless and intelligent, charismatic, attractive, and confident to the point of being arrogant. The majority of Nephilim live peacefully among full humans while hiding their dual heritage from the mundane world.

Many Nephilim use their abilities to hunt rogue supernatural creatures. These Nephilim also serve as a kind of police force to enforce the Covenant and keep the peace between Angels, Vampires, Shapeshifters, Fairies,Demons, Witches, Deities, and all who they refer to as Supernaturals.

## History

### Creation

"*We are sometimes called the Nephilim. In the Bible, they were the offspring of humans and angels. The legend of the origin of Shadowhunters is that they were created more than a thousand years ago, when humans were being overrun by demon invasions from the other worlds. So before the angels of GodHimself hunted us down almost to extinction, a warlock summoned the Angel Raziel, who mixed some of his own blood with the blood of men in a cup, and gave it to those men to drink. Those who drank the Angel's blood became Shadowhunters, as did their children and their children's children.*"
Originally, the Nephilim were the offspring of humans and angels. And after their creation, they were hunted down and wiped out almost to extinction. However, with the aid of the Angel Raziel, they eventually developed a truce with the Heavenly Host and they became a new breed.

A thousand years ago, shortly after 1000 AD, the Earth was invaded by hordes of demons. During the times when the Crusades first began, particularly believed to be some time in the winter months, a crusader named Jonathan called on Raziel, though it was believed by many that it was a warlock who truly summoned the Angel. Jonathan begged Raziel to help save humanity. Seeing the honesty and nobility of his wish, the angel obliged and mixed his blood with that of Jonathan in the Mortal Cup, a mixture he let Jonathan drink. Raziel then gave Jonathan the other two Mortal Instruments, the Gray Book, and the fitting name of Shadowhunter as a symbol of his transformation.

Soon, more men and women drank from the cup and became Nephilim warriors themselves. They soon became known as Shadowhunters, after Jonathan, the first of their kind. Their children, and their children's children, inherited their parents' angelic blood and became Nephilim themselves.

## Characteristics

The physical characteristics of nephilim tend to vary, however, they are generally revered as unearthly beautiful people. Most of these nephilim simply appear human in form with minor angelic traits, unique natural eye or hair colors.

As stated, Nephilim are the result of sexual reproduction between a human and an occupied angel vessel, the latter giving the offspring angelic properties. Nephilim are only created if their angelic parent has his or her grace during conception, which seems to be the source of what makes a Nephilim. If an angel mates with a human without its grace, the resulting offspring will be completely human. Nephilim have glowing eyes like an angel, although their glow is somewhat dim and grayish in color as opposed to the bright white or bluish-white glow of regular angels.

## Biology

Like their parent races, Nephilim are biological lifeforms not unlike many other creatures in the universe. However, their divine parentage does afford the Nephilim powers beyond anything a normal being is capable of, and the irony of carrying both holy and unholy energy within themselves is an intrinsic part of their existence. Though their powers can make them extremely dangerous if provoked, most have intelligence equal to that of a human.

Nephilim are identical to humans in most ways. They eat and drink the same things, and perform all the same biological functions. They have the same lifespans as ordinary humans. If a Nephilim mates with an ordinary human, the child will be a Near-Mortal Nephilim. The children of two Nephilim will also be Nephilim. Thus, there are many Nephilim who are many generations removed from contact with Celestial Beings.

Nephilim sometimes have glowing eyes like an angel, although their glow is somewhat dim and grayish in color as opposed to the bright white or bluish-white glow of regular angels.

They give off a very distinctive smell to angels and demons that is considered repulsive to the most stringent of both classes, which makes them easy to track.

Nephilim also have a higher body temperature than human.

## Psychology & Behavior

Nephilim grow up with a sense of entitlement, and a strong impatience when they don’t get their way. Adult Nephilim are frequently viewed as egotistical, even megalomaniacal.

Nephilim do everything on a large scale. They are prone both to acts of great heroism, and massive evil. When Nephilim build structures they always endeavor to make them as large and imposing as possible. Nephilim love to build palaces with myriad rooms dedicated to single activities. They prefer to take many lovers at the same time rather than settle down with a single mate.

Nephilim generally don’t like having limits on their own behavior, although they frequently have no problem with imposing them on others. They are drawn to positions of command and power, or else they become wandering heroes who swear allegiance to nothing but their own glory. Many Nephilim will create cults around themselves, and gleefully accept the adulation and even worship of ordinary humans

Nephilim tend to be good. They look for the good in everyone around them. Many become paladins. Some Nephilim have no tolerance for evil at all, and will happily join up if the local church calls a Crusade. There are a few evil Nephilim, but they are rarely seen.

Nephilim often love to hunt, and are renowned for their bravery and ability to bring down large and dangerous prey. Many Nephilim make their living hunting monsters, and may decide to adventure simply for the opportunity to kill dangerous beasts (and be seen doing it).

Despite their ancestry, Nephilim are never of Lawful Good A alignment.

## Powers

**Angel Physiology:** Although outwardly they appear to be ordinary humans, Nephilim are bestowed with celestial powers that they inherent from the angelic parent. All Nephilim have a powerful charisma, but are otherwise indistinguishable from a human. They are often fast and strong beyond the limits of human ability. Some Nephilim might show this strength in intelligence or leadership ability instead. Whatever their strengths, Nephilim are very aware of their surroundings, and are generally excellent at reading people. Although they are mortal, Nephilim will not sicken, and tend to live longer lives than normal humans. Aside from this, though, they are essentially humans, with all the weaknesses that entails.

* **Superhuman Intelligence & Perception:** Nephilim possess enhanced intuition, pattern solving, information storage and retrieval, and logical and philosophical structuring. As a result of the angelic process they have undergone, they are capable of knowledge, wisdom and comprehension beyond the human ability to understand. Their intuition is heightened to the degree that their hunches are almost always correct and also allows them to detect the use of magic and supernatural beings. Nephilim have a perfect memory with the ability to recall of everything they've ever seen, read or heard.
* **Omnilingualism:** They possess the ability to innately speak, write, understand and communicate any language they've never heard before, sign language, illegible words, and backwards speech and writing. They could even communicate with animals or read body language.
* **Superhuman Combat:**They can even acheive natural proficiencies with all kinds of weaponry and combatant styles without the need of special or long-term education.
* **Precognition:** Nephilim have the supernatural ability to experience simple or prophetic visions of the future. At first, they are merely capable of experiencing vague dreams of the future while asleep. While in their waking state; they experience vivid premonitions, either through physical contact with a person. They also gain an acute intuitive insight; meaning their able to sense the immediate actions of people and things in their current location. They can also use this ability to to fight and sense their opponents attacks and movements, making them deadly fighters.
* **Empathy:**Nephilim are able to sense and feel the emotions or feelings of other sentient life forms in their presence. They are able to instantly know when someone is lying by hearing the frequency of their voices. This lets the Nephilim establish psychic links with others; even with individuals who can understand each other and become friends or allies almost instantly. This can even go as far as using the link as a tracer to locate those the Nephilim connect with through their feelings. They will normally hear the cries of the wronged but they can learn to harness the power as they grow, using it to communicate with others.
* **Clairvoyance:** Nephilim possess supernatural senses that allow them to percieve things that humans connot. They can see invisible beings, they can see demons in their true forms even while said demons are in a human disguise or possessing a vessel, and they can see through dimensional barriers.
* **Perspicuity:** Psychic abilities cannot penetrate the Nephilim. Not even illusions, mind control, and the energy-draining abilities of supernatural beings work against the Nephilim.
* **Longevity:** Nephilim have a slower aging process and while they will die eventually, can live up to five hundred years, although most of them never make it that far considering how often they're hunted. Some can be ageless if they are born to a more powerful angel.
* **Superhuman Strength:** Nephilim are much stronger than any other being. Their superhuman strength also allows them to kill animals, humans and regular monsters with ease. They have also have the strength to lift objects thousands of times their own weight such as cars and tanks, smash through stone walls or thick metal, overpower any individual they engage in combat and take far more trauma than humans can without much discomfort or injury. They are also more powerful than other supernatural creatures, exceptangels and deities. Their strength seems to be tied to their anger, becoming stronger the more they give into their rage. Their strength also extends into the muscles of their legs, allowing them to jump or leap incredible distances and heights.
* **Superhuman Speed:** Nephilim are said to be faster than any non-supernatural creature and can run at an extremely high speed. This allows them to easily outrun any human or monster, and are capable of blurring, which makes it nearly impossible for a human to perceive their movements when they are sprinting or moving at full speed. The reflexes of a nephilim are similarly enhanced and are far greater than normal. In combination with their speed, their reflexes allow them to dodge almost any attack, or even gunfire. Nephilim can go so fast they become an invisible blur that can disappear for creatures that even have sharp senses and high speed.
* **Superhuman Agility:** Nephilim's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are equal to, or in most cases beyond, the natural physical limits of even a Olympic athlete. They can also easily perform any complicated sequence of gymnastics stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs at speeds and angles that would be highly difficult or impossible for a ordinary human.
* **Superhuman Endurance:**Nephilim's body is physically tougher and more resistant to injury than the body of a normal human. Although they can still be damaged and killed by knives, stabbing weapons, bullets, shrapnel, and physical impact, their bodies hold together much better than normal. They can withstand great impacts, such as powerful blows that would severely injure or kill a human, falling from a height of several stories or being struck by a opponent of similar or greater physical strength, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no discomfort.
* **Healing Factor:** Nephilim are able to fully heal and recover from injuries such as gunshots, broken bones, burns, bite wounds, damaged or missing eyes, and torso impalement. The speed of regeneration is usually dependant on how severe their injury is. Standard cuts and wounds tend to heal very fast, while larger wounds can take a few minutes. Nephilim are immune to most poisons and drugs, and their accelerated metabolism allows them to stay in near perfect shape with only light exercise. Their increased metabolism has the side-effect of dramatically increasing their appetite. This also makes it extremely difficult for them to become intoxicated from alcohol. Nephilim are also immune to diseases and it is impossible for them to catch a cold or common flu. Cancer, aids, ebola and those kinds of diseases or viruses have no effect on them.
* **Flight:**Nephilim have the potential to fly, they just have to learn how to. When a nephilim learns how to they can fly anywhere instantly.
* **Sacred Blood:**As beings of angelic descent, the blood that courses through their veins is blessed with the essence of the divine. Their blood is sacred, and is delectable and intoxicating to vampires, or other blood thirsty creatures. As such, any that would feed off the Nephilim or worse, commit the basest sin of Amaranth, find that they are punished for their transgression, as the blood burns through their vile, damned bodies. Nephilim can also use their blood to heal others by transfusing it with their own blood. It can also be used to restore a deceased human back to life. They also use their blood to mix it in weapons to use against supernatural beings; such as filling bullets with their blood. The angelic blood both adds to their beauty and caused the gentle golden glow that appears when they are in the best of moods.
* **Heavenly Elemental Manipulation:**All Nephilim, no matter what type of angel their parent is, can manipulate holy elements. They can summon it within their hands or create constructs of that divine elements. This ability allows for Nephilim to use holy elements without the limitations and weaknesses of normal elemental manipulation and because of this power has healing and anti-demon properties.
* **Angelic Wrath** - When a Nephilim is furious, their power becomes unstable. Since a major aspect of their strength comes from their rage, this could give them a advantage over deities. However, it's a double edge sword that leaves the Nephilim blacked out once that power is far beyond their control.

## Weaknesses

* **Angel Blade:** Being half-angel, Nephilim can be killed by an angel blade.
* **Half-Human:** Nephilim are still half-human, possess human-like souls, and still experience human weaknesses. They're stronger than any human being, expect the angels and supernatruals can mostly overpower them with their might unless the Nephilim is the offspring of a significant angel, such as an angel of the first sphere (cherubim, archangels, and seraphim).
* **Heaven’s Enmity** - Angels *and* God regard the Nephilim as the worst kind of abomination, more detestable than even demons. An angel will always react negatively to a Nephilim, and will always interpret the Nephilim’s words and actions in the worst possible light. Only a direct order from the deity they serve will ever cause an angel to aid a Nephilim in any way. Nephilim can not benefit from healing or other miracles from angels.
* **Angelic Wrath** - When a Nephilim is furious, their power becomes unstable. Since a major aspect of their strength comes from their rage, this could give them an advantage over deities. However, it's a double edge sword that leaves the Nephilim blacked out once that power is far beyond their control.
* **Hunted** - Nephilim are viewed as a disgrace and a complete mistake to every normal angel, making them a prime subject for hunting. There are entire choirs of angels dedicated to the extermination of Nephilim.
* **Magic** - Nephilim are still mortal and are, as such, still vulnerable to the workings of magic in all its forms. Witches are able to give supernatural aneurysms that cause the blood vessels of Nephilim to explode, and extremely powerful Witches can even overpower them effortlessly. Black magic has an adverse effect on them, and they're able to be trapped inside of an pentagram or magic circle which weakens their powers to a point where they're no stronger than a normal human.