#gilded paths

Gilded Paths, a wonderful AU

Got married yesterday. Pretty cool.

for the first time. In a very long time. Nokt could feel his body failing him. Theroxians were resistant to all kinds of disease. He’d been physically strong his whole life. He could handle shocks, burns, broken bones, magical paint, visions.

Peace

Horns

Oni horns are straight. They jut out briefly from the forehead/hairline, and go straight upwards. The taller an onis horns are, the stronger they are.

Horns are also a weak point. By striking an oni on their horns, you can stun or disable them, and cracking/taking one or both horns out and severely hinder an onis fighting ability, as well as moral. While scratches and scars and sometimes chips are respected, a hornless oni is dishonorable, and a one-horned oni may be seen as untrustworthy or weak.

on the contrary, dragon horns curve, branch out, etc. the curlier and more branched a dragons horns are, the stronger they become. Horns are not a weak spot for them, and usually they regrow within a year.

2. Fighting

Oni decide social status and rank through battle, and if an Oni sees another Oni of what they think is comparable strength, they may demand a duel. They have honour though. The opponent is allowed to reject the duel.

By tilting their head back and looking at the sky, as well as verbalizing they wish not to fight, the duel is cancelled. The opponent is revealing their weak spot(neck) as well as hiding their horns .

By nodding their head forwards and pointing their horns at the challenger, they are accepting the duel. It may happen on the spot, or be moved to a better location. The user is pointing their horns towards their challengers horns, and hiding their neck.

3. Hair

When oni go to war, their cut their hair. This is why pre-merge, they were almost always depicted bald, as their species was very hell bent on war. The whole tribe will cut off their hair, and create a bonfire with it, the ashes and smoke of which form the black smoke that turns people to stone. there must be a significant amount of oni for this to happen.

Oni hair has a wide range of texture and length, but it is usually thick and curly, and always white. Long hair symbolizes peace, and short, war/battle prowess.

4. Oni Emperor

An Oni emperor/leader/king chooses his successor not through familial ties, but by battle prowess as well as wit. If another Oni challenges the leader, they are also given leadership. This must be in fair and righteous battle, and can not be granted through deception. The three Oni warlords are stronger than the emperor usually, but exist separated from the royalty and status of regular oni culture.

5. Dragon hunting.

Oni take pride in their dragon hunts, and collect the wings, scales, teeth, claws, and horns of dragons as prizes. Wings can be used to rain-proof houses, or be used as decorative capes, teeth and claws can be be used in weapons, and horns are more often than not decoration or things to collect.

the Oni emperor artifact collection includes the two wings of the firstborn, who is able to regenerate her wings at will. The two wings are either worn both by the leader, or by the leader and their spouse during meetings with other factions.

6. Vengestone

Vengestone does not effect oni. At all. In fact, it focuses them. The oni have little access to Vengestone, so this is not an easily utilized fact, but one that exists in the opposition of dragon/elementals weakness to it.

7. Elemental powers