Midians

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Name: Midian

Notes: An ancient off-shoot of the Shinso species, no one knows how long ago they split, the first Midians left as they detested the concept of peaceful co-existence with what they say as their prey....their food. Instead, they much preferred the role of predator and enjoyed combat. Over the countless generations since, they have evolved from the original group with philosophical differences of the past to a completely new species today - one optimized for their nocturnal hunting and combat prowess.

Midians posses similar abilities to their Shinso cousins. Strength, longevity, and so on are the norms, but Midians also have evolved new abilities, perhaps to make up for lost Shinso specific ones, which are optimized for their way of life.

Midians are greatly stronger than an unenhanced base human. They naturally have the strength to easily and freely wield weapons that base humans would consider semi-portable at best. This means that recoil is not as much an issue for them. Some have even been known to utilize weapons of grades more commonly seen on armored vehicles.

Like Shinso and most other 'vampire' species, Midians are effectively immortal in terms of both longevity and regenerative powers. They physically age at an exponentially decelerated rate. This means a 'turned' Midian can look the same way for centuries, if not more. Though, with the high rate of mortality due to combat between different bloodlines and individuals, it is hard to tell exactly how long any one individual can live as few Midians actually survive very long. However, it is not unknown for those that do make it into maturity to survive for centuries, if not millennia.

Unique to the Midian species, however, is their massive abilities when it comes to umbrakinesis. They are able to naturally manipulate darkness and shadows at will. Particularly adept members of the species have even been known to use this to shield themselves from ultraviolet radiation and other harmful issues with sunlight, a trait they share with other Shinso off-shoots but not Shinso themselves. Normally, however, the average Midian able to use umbrakinesis uses it in battle. Not all members of the species are able to, at least the younger 'fledglings' don't often survive long to figure out how to utilize the ability.

Midians are extremely resistant to conventional injuries. Decapitation or impaling their heart is often understood as only real killing chance against a Midian. Silver weaponry are extremely effective against all but the most powerful Midians as an example of the silver allergy seen in other Shinso off-shoots.

Naturally telepathic, Midians in the same bloodline form psychic links with each other. Though the actual nature of this link is hard to define, it serves to allow members of a bloodline to 'feel' the condition of their fellows, knowing when one dies. However, elder members of the species have been seen using full telepathic communication with each other and members of other species, extending to the point of potentially reading the minds of others. Normally, however, the average Midian instinctively uses telepathy in their hunting, using it to lure weaker willed prey into a sense of safety. Those skilled in the art can use it to essentially hypnotize people. As a downside, though this is not fully understood what this is exactly, echos or copies, what is still up to debate, of the minds of those they feed upon linger inside the Midian, and are known as Familiars.

Though an individual can be born as or turned into a Midian, like Shinso, they don't have full access to their powers and abilities until after they have 'awakened'. Unlike the unknown conditions for a Shinso, which seem to be highly individualistic, a Midian awakens by the acceptance of what they are and decision to feed on a member of a sentient prey species. The absorption of the prey's 'soul' somehow triggers the next stage into what is considered a mature Midian.

Midians also possess a dark variant of the Shinso's power of 'Creation'. By infusing energy into blood, powerful Midians can shape it into structures, weapons, armor, and other shapes. Like their umbrakinesis, however, this hemokinesis seems to be restricted by age. This is assumed that it takes time to learn how to do, thus younger members of the species, especially those who don't survive to become mature Midians, are unable to do anything with it, unless they are natural 'born' prodigies.

It is unknown if the parent Shinso species are capable of this, but Midians are capable of entering a death like state as a form of stasis. In this state, they eventually shrivel up until they are overlooked as harmless. However, upon exposure to fresh blood, a Midian in stasis can revive. Though it will take time for him or her to recover fully.

Like Shinso and some other descendant species, Midians are able to convert humans, and members of human off-shoots, into new Midians. Similar to the psychic link between naturally born children and their parents, this generates a 'master-servant' bond between the two. This is done by the 'master' Midian feeding their blood to a human. Oddly, however, for some reason this only works for virgins of the opposite gender; anyone else is converted into what is known as a 'Ghoul', a mindless eating machine that Midian 'masters' use as armies.

Given how aggressive and territorial the Midian species is, they are widely spread out. No 'master' of a given area will tolerate non-submissive Midians in his or her territory and any that act up are actively hunted down.

Currently, only one bloodline, that of Alucard Hellsing, has aligned itself with the Terran Imperial Loyalists. They actively combat other bloodlines that see the Imperial Loyalists as nothing but food and consider the alliance as one of convenience, giving Hellsing's bloodline resources to fight the other Midians with.

Another bloodline has settled in Etherlion Federation territory. This particular group of the species is employed by the Federation in heavy combat situations. Otherwise, they have agreed to provide them with all the medically drawn blood they need. Like those in Terran Imperial Loyalist space, they agree to protect Etherlion Federation space from the predation of unaligned Midians and other predatorial species.