Wohlricht

Introduction

The Wohlricht (pronounced Vahl-richt) are a rare few, with only the Dread-Arbiter of the Lorien Knights and the Lectors of the Omen faith receiving this honor, or blessing, or alteration - whatever name it goes by, it is a powerful boon only offered to a gifted few. One that can never be rescinded; that has never been cured, even perhaps following one into the realm beyond life. To become a Wohlricht is to become a merger of what is mortal and Kindred, meeting the two species in the center to uncover a trove of transcendent abilities.

This gift is always bestowed by Von Rabe, and always in the same way: he will implant the nestling spirit of a fallen Kindred young into the essence of the gifted, and from there these changes will bloom. As the Wohlricht gift is one that can never be withdrawn by the Vulture, he chooses the ones he gifts extremely carefully with the worry that they might one day betray him. Most do not, and instead serve as allies for a very long period of years.

Changes

The moment one is made into a Wohlricht, the preliminary changes immediately appear. One will find themselves more flexible, capable of performing feats such as twisting their head completely around without damaging their neck; they'll find that their steps and movements become lighter, they become more balanced, agile and capable of perceiving the world around them. They'll be able to carry a tune like a lark, creating haunting songs from their lips with ease.

After around a week of this, physical transformations begin. Plumes begin to spring from the form of the Wohlricht, feathers appearing first upon their arms and legs and then other parts of their form; around their collarbone and neck, around their eyes, their waist, thighs and behind their rear like a feathered tail, around the sides of their chest and their lower abdomen. The core of their chest and back and most of their legs remain untouched, and they do not acquire talons replacing either their hands or feet. Finally, a beak forms for some, though shortly after this they learn an important thing: that they can suppress any and all of these features at will, without even so much as a thought.

To change back can be somewhat painful, with the plumes sprouting again and the beak reforming from the frame of the nose, but it is a fairly quick process and one that does not truly debilitate. There are many more changes and possibilities afterwards, elaborated on in the Abilities section.

Abilities

Around four weeks after the first series of major changes, wings come; they begin to sprout a much more ordered and dense pattern of feathers along the span of the Wohlricht's arms, enabling high speed flight. At this stage, the Wohlricht gains access to the flight skill in order to improve upon their speed and precision in doing so, but they begin with a sort of inherent adeptness that can only be further improved upon.

After this, the changes only grow more unique and severe. The Wohlricht learns that they can become completely spectral, like a Kindred can. They can phase in and out of tangibility with ease, an extremely powerful ability. In this intangible, spectral state, they move nearly as quickly as wind and can only be seen as a faint transparent-blue outline. They cannot harm anyone like this, but there is almost nothing that can damage them like this, not even magic. They can move through physical objects and can influence others around them, speaking to them in the same darkly compelling whispers as the Kindred.

The Wohlricht, after a season or so, learn to grow and manipulate their feathers at an exponential rate. They can launch and re-grow much of their plumes within thirty second increments, and can infuse their feathers with spectral qualities that inflict those cut by them with violent illnesses; their wounds will start to grow tumors of black pus that will sicken them and hamper their movements, even killing foes after several more cuts. The spectral feathers will also move at a high velocity and with intense cutting power, capable of ripping through even plate armor. Several dozen can be launched at the start of each increment, making combat with a Wohlricht a game of avoiding repeating volleys while dealing with their already dangerous movements.

Obviously, these feathers cannot be launched or re-grown in spectral form, as the functions of the body appear to entirely freeze amidst it.

Finally at this stage, the Wohlricht can vomit black bile like the Kindred can - and can shape it into deadly, durable, quick and poisonous weapons. These weapons are highly lethal and adaptive, and if wielded by anyone else they will seep into the wielder’s flesh and corrode them from within.

Around two seasons after becoming a Wohlricht, they will manifest their final changes and abilities. They will begin to age very slowly, their lifespan roughly tripling from the point of receiving the gift; if they are a thirty year old human they may live to a hundred and eighty, and will remain youthful for a majority of that. They become harder to kill, gaining Kindred-like endurance though with difficulty regenerating wounds. Instead, sufficiently deep wounds will stick with them for a long time, though infection seems to avoid them entirely.

They become able to communicate with birds, using them as spies, decoding messages within their songs. In fact, communication with birds takes the form of song, a marvelous performance that may involve many parties. Even avian predators seem calmed by the Wohlricht, who exist as their natural friends.

Finally, and most horrifically, the Kindred soul that has so resonated with them becomes fully merged with their own being. The Wohlricht can now transform into a Kindred, violently shapeshifting into the colossal avian to a harrowing tune of pained and mournful cries. But the Wohlricht, more than just one soul, perhaps brings out the meaning of the word 'Kindred' entirely; they become more than just a malignant avian beast. They become larger, faster and stronger than the Kindred they are modeled from in every way, and can revert back to their original form quickly if they must. All damage taken amidst each form does not share between both, but will still impact the one injured. If one body dies, the Wohlricht will find it nearly impossible to ever return to it.

In fact, when the mortal form of a Wohlricht dies, it is rumored that many of them begin to vulgarly transform into a Kindred once more, forever leaving their old life behind and joining the ranks of Lorien’s tyrannical Gods.

Limitations

All weaknesses of the Kindred apply to the Wohlricht.