Grusel

Grusel... How a name could be so oddly fitting, yet so degrading at the same time.
No, I wasn't born like this and before you say anything, yes, I knew you were going to ask. I'm not one of the poor bastards that was born with their Curse, no. I was cursed when I was a child. About eleven, maybe twelve. Though some say maybe that puts me in an even worse position compared to most of my... "people". They're born with their Curse, they don't know anything different and as such can't begin to imagine a life where they didn't have to worry about it. But I can, and I do. Every fucking night I stare at the ceiling, wishing I wasn't this, this monster! I'm a fucking monster! Children cry when they see me, people look at me in complete disgust and doesn't matter that I was once one of them. It doesn't matter how many times I put my neck on the line to keep people safe from Dungeon-Beasts or rogue corpses or even dangerous criminals. I'm a horrendous thing who doesn't deserve to be called a Human. I really hope I don't come back from my next mission. Cause it doesn't matter if I kill whatever I've been sent to kill or it kills me. Either way, a monster will be dead.
                                                           "Extract from the Journel of  Conrad Muliv"

The Grusel are a subspecies of human who make up around two percent of the RCC's population. There are two varieties of Grusel, First Generation and Natural. No one is quite sure of how the naturally born Grusel came into being as their own distinctive subspecies, however the leading theory, known as the "Thinned bloodlines Theory" by it's pushers suggests that it is linked the idea of cursed bloodlines and family names. In which which said bloodlines had become so thinned out over the course of history, and those family names became split apart til it was unrecognizable, leaving an entire population of people who could bare these curses from birth. The theories detractors believe however that a Grusel is a biomagical defect, created during a baby's formation in the womb where the baby's magi receptors are overdeveloped and therefore force a permanent enchantment over their body. Neither theory has been proven and the real answer is left a mystery.
What is known about Grusel is that they all possess a Curse and equalizing Cope which come in many, many different varieties. To the point where no two Grusel could ever have the same Curse or Cope as each other. A Curse is a completely debilitating obsession that takes over the Grusel's life. Whether this Curse be an obsession in the sense that the body cannot function without an abnormal requirement such as excessive amounts of sleep, or only gaining sustenance from human flesh. Or whether it is an obsession in the sense of the mind being excessively compulsive in certain aspects taken to extreme levels. Such as obsessions with Schedule, or one's own anonymity. If one were to only have a Curse, they would be unable to function in society whatsoever and would be considered a lost cause.
A Grusel's Cope is the antithesis to their Curse. A magical ability produced by the body specifically to counteract the Curse, and much like the curse's extreme nature, the Cope has the tendency to be very extreme in of itself. From being able to control the physical actions people take, to being able to force any object in hand backward or forward in time. To altering people's memories, or even enhancing one's own physical abilities. If a Grusel only had their Cope, they would be gods among men, and despite it allowing the Grusel to have some amount of control over their Curse, it is unable to to make it a non issue. A Grusel's Curse and Cope counteract the other, keeping each individual Grusel on a tightrope between being an unstoppable super soldier, and a jabbering maniac unable to have a true grip on reality.
Due to the sheer amount of variety seen in Grusel, there is a very real chance that their Curse or Cope could leave them looking nearly entirely inhuman while another could look no different from any other person walking the street. It is due to this that many people within the RCC believe all Grusel are disgusting, deformed monster people who cannot be trusted. Never knowing that many of the people in high positions within the RCC, the ones who the citizens look to for help and security are themselves Grusel. Using their human appearance to blend into the shadows and bring not much attention to themselves. Many just wish to live their lives in peace, using their Copes to their advantage to get ahead in life. Others wish to see the whole world brought down to feel the torment they take part in every day of their life due to their Curse.
The Grusel are varied, powerful, but more importantly. Very, very odd and should be approached with a little bit of caution. Or at least, that's how many would advise in dealing with the Cursed Folk.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans