The Denied

The Denied are an elder race that existed before most others. They dream of joining their more powerful brethren, The Ascended, in eternal darkness. But until then, they try to bring about the darkness. They are referred to as "denied" as they have not been able to ascend, having been denied. This gives them the drive to seek ascendency, searching forever for the way to ascend. Human in appearance, with greyer skin and purple eyes. They are tough fighters and have three sects that usually determine their choice of weapon and fighting style. Denied are gifted with incredible strength and mental capacity, making them hard to trick. They are also hyper-sensitive to sneaking, and some have an innate sense of counterattack, making them dangerous to opponents with multiple attacks or similar options. They also have powerful force-based magic, able to throw people and objects around with apparent ease. The more powerful of them have a mental bind as well, able to bend people to their will. Doing so is hard for them and only tends to be a last resort. They are highly resistant to necrotic damage and weak to radiant damage. Sect 1: Brutier Brutiers are bulky and tall, normally standing six or more feet tall. Besides their incredible build, they are the strongest of their kind in a physical sense, some able to lift up to 1000 pounds with ease. They wield broadsword, flat blades with no tip, yet still sharp as a razor edge. They are quick beyond what their build would suggest and pack a serious punch. They are the weakest magically, leaning towards actual combat. They are still adept users of it, but it is less common to see it used. Sect 2: Spellblade Spellblades are the most magically adept, leaning into it more than their shortsword, a simple weapon that is often left sheathed in favor of force-based attacks. They tend to be in the middle of the pack in physical characteristics but among the smartest. They were known for planning and organizing the sects into their hierarchal structures. They tend to be more reclusive, found either alone or with another of each sect in a battle unit. They focus large portions of time on finding a way to ascend. There is little else known about them. Sect 3: Backbiter Backbiters are easily the most dangerous of the three despite being physically smaller than most. Carrying a short sword and a twisted dagger, they can effortlessly combine the weapons into a murderous combo that catches opponents by surprise. They have a powerful ability to make the mind ignore them, so the harder you look, the harder they are to spot. They combine magic and melee in a powerful combo that often catches opponents by surprise. If one is found, it is best to run. They are also the most willing to mind bend another. A rumor of a fourth sect, who wields a broadsword with a dagger on the back and a shortsword inside, has been heard of, but they are still mainly speculation.