Grimms

**Grimms** are humans gifted with supernatural abilities, particularly the gift of supernatural perception. Because they are capable of seeing the true form of Wesen even when they are not fully Woged, Grimms have taken it upon themselves to protect humanity from evil Wesen.

## History

Grimms all descended from one original Grimm, about whom very little is known. However, it has been proven that all Grimms are bound together by their common blood ancestry, and may use this to summon strength from one another and from their ancestors in times of dire need.

The first Grimms in recorded history were the Dēcapitāre who were active in the first century AD, they earned Grimms a reputation for cutting the heads off of their enemies. However, Grimms truly made their first mark on history during the Fourth Crusade, when seven knights -- all of whom were Grimm -- accompanied the mostly Wesen army serving the Seven Houses to sack Constantinople. During this, they encountered an artifact so powerful they became determined to keep it hidden from the Royals, and split up the map to finding its location into seven pieces.

Over the following centuries, Grimms became a sort of freelance police, protecting humans from Wesen unable or unwilling to live in harmony with the species. Because most Grimms only dealt with Wesen of this nature, many Grimms became prejudiced against them and believed that all Wesen needed to be exterminated. Out of this bigotry grew the Endezeichen Grimms. The problem of these Grimms was countered by the creation of the Grimm Reapers -- a society dedicated to exterminating all Grimms.

Not all Grimms felt this way, however, and some Grimms were even in attendance at the Council of Walenstadt in 1521 in order to help establish the Gesetzbuch Ehrenkodex, formally establishing the Masquerade by which the Wesen would keep themselves hidden from human society. However, Grimms would ultimately allow the Wesen Council to deal with internal Wesen matters, even those that threatened the Ehrenkodex, such as the Grausen (as determined by the 1682 Charter of Wittenburg.)

By modern times, Grimms have become universally feared by all Wesen but are also increasingly rare, with only a handful left active on Earth.

## Powers & Abilities

Grimms possess a myriad of subtle powers and abilities that make them adept at fighting Wesen and other supernatural threats. Although not everyone in a Grimm bloodline will necessarily become a Grimm, it is more likely for female members of the bloodline to develop their abilities and they do so at an earlier age.

* Supernatural Perception - Grimms are able to see and detect Wesen -- able to sense the presence of Wesen nearby even if they cannot see them or have not seen them Woge. They can also see some invisible supernatural creatures, such as ghosts and barghests. Grimms can also naturally sense when they are detected by Wesen.
* Dark Eyes - when Woged, a Wesen can see reflective pools of blackness in the eyes of a Grimm. This is described as "infinite darkness" and strikes fear into virtually any who see them. Most modern Grimms wear sunglasses to prevent themselves from being discovered.
* Superhuman Strength - Grimms are marginally stronger than most humans, but still significantly weaker than a Slayer.
* Superhuman Durability - Grimms are much more resistant to damage than most humans, able to survive attacks that would kill most with only minor bruising.
* Superhuman Speed - Grimms possess greater agility, speed, and reflexes than most humans. This ability is comparable to that of a Slayer.
* Grimm Blood - the blood of a Grimm can be used to destroy the Wesen part of a Hexenbiest. However, if a Hexenbiest has reclaimed her powers after this, they will have gained an immunity to Grimm blood.
* Resistance - Grimms are resistant to many magical and chemical effects. This includes mind-altering effects, such as those of the Coins of Zakynthos or the Shroud of Rahmon. The zombifying effects of the Cracher-Mortel's spit still effects Grimms, albeit much differently than other people, providing the Cracher-Mortel less control over the Grimm.
* Combat Aptitude - Grimms are naturally gifted at melee and unarmed combat, and adept at learning new weapons of any kind.
* Adaptability - a Grimm's body will adapt to less favorable conditions. If they lose one sight, their others will become heightened. If a Grimm is asphyxiated, their body will adapt to function with less oxygen.

## Weaknesses

Grimms possess all of the weaknesses of an ordinary human, albeit to a lesser degree. They also have the following weaknesses:

* Verfluchte Zwillingsschwester - this spell or potion is part of a process by which a Hexenbiest can remove a Grimm's abilities. Furthermore, if a Grimm attempts to use this potion to turn into another person, the change would be permanent without the help of a powerful Hexenbiest or witch to undo the spell.