Oni

Oni are one of the Dark Races of the world, a race well known for their rather aggressive attitudes and their love of alcohol.

Physical Description
Oni are fairly large individuals on average, being of muscular builds with dense muscles and bones. Oni are often heavier than they appear but not immensely so. On average male Oni are between five feet eleven inches tall and six feet four inches tall while female Oni are on average between five feet seven inches and six feet tall. The Oni's most prominent feature however are their upwards facing horns, their horns facing upwards towards whatever is above them. More often than not their horns are placed on their forehead but other locations are not unheard of, the only hard rule that defines an Oni's horns is that it must face upwards. If it faces any other direction they are not considered Oni horns and are a sign of only partial Oni blood. These horns grow at a fairly steady rate and can grow up to an inch in a three months time and will never truly stop growing. Most Oni horns grow out to 3-6 inches in length before they begin to experience cracking and deformities and as such Oni will polish their horns down to a smooth finish to keep them from experiencing such blemishes. Genetic variety does occur however making it possible for some Oni to have longer or shorter horns as a result. Horn lengths of under an inch are not unheard of while and horn lengths of up to 9 inches are not particularly rare, however horn lengths longer than that are exceptionally rare. Generally speaking female Oni have smaller horns.

An Oni's skin color is not set in place but they are rarely particularly dark in complexion, they tend to have darker colors of hair, and their eyes are very rarely darker colors with the most common color being red. Oni Horns can range from red, gold, black, or matching the color of their skin, other colors are not impossible.

Oni tend to live very long lives, contrary to what one might think given their personalities. Living anywhere between 170-200 years on average. With great healthcare and a healthy lifestyle living between 200-250 years is not unheard of.

Physical Quirks
Oni have several physical quirks that are rather unique to them, the most well known dealing with their metabolism and how they process certain foodstuffs.

The most well known is how their body processes Alcohol, which in most races is a depressant but to an Oni it actually acts as a stimulant that serves to make them more energetic and aware rather than suppressing their inhibitions and make them drowsy. Furthermore, when describing the taste most Oni will say Alcohol tastes sweet, specifically the alcohol itself as one can. And in an almost strange twist, sugary foods are exceptionally sour and unpalatable to Oni, large quantities of it capable of acting as diuretics and will induce vomitting. Sugars found naturally in fruits however seem to be less of an issue and not affect Oni, but they also cannot taste the sugar in them. Processed Sugar of anykind however, even if it originates from a fruit, is a large issue to Oni. Sugar while capable of inducing such violent reactions from Oni, is not actually poisonous to them and they do not inhibit any other bodily functions. Deaths related to sugar for Oni are more often linked to dehydration rather than the sugar itself. Curiously hybrids of Oni's with any significant Oni blood in them often are unable to taste alcohol or sugars.

Oni also have a sensitive spot between their horns, depending on the pressure and motion provided touching this spot can induce laughter from it tickling, can provide pleasure, and can provide pain.

Male Oni also possess the unique ability to control their ability to impregnate others, and as such no male Oni ever has a child they do not want to have. All children of male Oni are concieved purposefully.

Instinctual Behavior
Oni are instinctually very aggressive, born fighters and hunters. This natural inclination however does not prevent them from forming strong relationships as Oni have a strong pack mentality, preferring to live with others over being alone. Oni love showing off and love competition of all sort and as such are not known for stealth or subterfuge, making them more honest than many races. Oni have a natural strong urge to protect those they view as being in their "group" and as such will go to great lengths to make sure nothing bad happens to those people even at great personal cost. Those who are not part of their group of course are free game to an Oni, but they do not act in maliciousness or spite as Oni will view any actions taken against them as being from the same sort of drive.

Perceptions and Stereotypes
Oni are most often percieved by many races as rowdy drunkards only good for breaking things, this is despite the well documented fact that Oni physically cannot get drunk and as such are well in control over themselves.

Oni are however considered to be some of the most loyal friends one can have.

Oni on the other hand view the various races differently. By in large they view Youkai races as deceitful and untrustworthy, especially the Nurari who do not even display their emotions on their faces. They do however show some more preference for Nekomata who seem far more honest than the other Youkai races. Elemental races they do not have strong feelings for or against, seeing most of them as being oddities at best. Other Dark Races their views are mixed, Tenma are seen as unusual and stuffy, Demons as untrustworthy and boring, Rhakshasha are seen as good friends but are to be treated with caution, and Dragons are an enigma to them. The Earthly Races are also treated on a by race basis. Humans and Elves are considered hard to judge due to the sheer variety of personalities and natures. Fae are considered very honest and agreeable. Werewolves are considered furry bethren to them due to the similarities between their races personalities. As for the other races they deal with so rarely that they do not have universal opinion on.

Oni view the length of one's horns as being a status symbol, short horns being seen as feminine while long horns are viewed as masculine. Exceptionally short horns are considered signs of weakness while exceptionally long horns are seen as being exceptionally strong. Thick horns are considered signs of health and fertility while thin horns are considered sickly. Horns that are not well taken care of, horns that are cracked or deformed, are seen as signs of mental issues with the most severe cases being seen as clear signs of insanity. Gold horns are considered signs of nobility, red horns the sign of great warriors, and black horns the sign of cleverness. In truth the length and condition of horns are not indicative of anything but Oni's general beliefs.

Relationships
Oni view friendship in a very serious light, that a friend is a precious treasure to them that should not be forsaken under any circumstance. As such an Oni will take the greatest offense to being called a betrayer and will take it as a personal affront if one betrays those they call their friend.

Their views on romantic and sexual relationships however are very different, as Oni believe that love and desire are not set in stone things. They view sex as a very casual thing that can be enjoyed freely with those one finds attractive so long as one accepts the consequences of their actions. Their belief concerning love is that one can truly love more than one person and as such are polyamorous. Though despite being polyamorous they place a high value on those they have already pledged themselves to and will not purposefully attempt to forge a new serious relationship with one who their other lover(s) cannot stand.

Major Population Centers
Oni have their largest population center in Patranix, members of their race throughout the country, however they can be found in large numbers in the nations of Xexas and Ketra as well. While more rare, Oni can also be found in Vorsha and Zentreza as well.

Magical Affinities
Oni are naturally gifted with earth aligned magics as well as enhancement magics. But they are also naturally weak with water based or thought based magics.