| “ | Nephilim. To some, they're abominations. But in reality, they are the offspring of an angel and a human. Their father has wings, their mother is a mortal, thy possess the soul of a human, but mixed with angelic grace, they are endowed with the strength and power of an angel. But the thing is...well, lets just say that because Nephilim are the offspring of an angel and a human, that itself isn't allowed. There are several of them on Earth. | „ |
| — Oracle to the others about Nephilim | ||
Nephilim, often called Shadowhunters, are hybrid creatures born from the union of an angel and a human. They are basically a race of beings who are half-human and half-angel. They can be the children of humans and angels, who initially appear to be perfectly normal humans. Or, they can be created by drinking an angel's blood from a magical chalice.
They rarely contract any childhood diseases, however, and sometime between the ages of twelve and eighteen they experience amazing abilities. They are strong, fearless and intelligent, charismatic, attractive, and confident to the point of being arrogant. The majority of Nephilim live peacefully among full humans while hiding their dual heritage from the mundane world.
Many Nephilim, referred to as Shadowhunters, use their abilities to hunt demons. These Nephilim also serve as a kind of police force to enforce the Law and keep the peace between vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks and witches, whom they refer to as Downworlders.
For thousands of years, Nephilim have become a secretive race of beings who are humans born with angelic blood and from their, they had the name "Shadowhunters". They are the appointed warriors on Earth of the Angel Raziel. They are appointed specifically to control and preside over the Shadow World, as well as over the demons and Downworlders who inhabit it. They have fought the demonic forces valiantly for well over the span of a thousand years, creating their own culture and civilization within human society. Their mandate is to keep the peace in the Shadow World and keep it hidden from the mundane world while protecting the inhabitants of both worlds.
Despite their ancestry, Shadowhunters are mortal and therefore vulnerable to old age and death; however, their angelic blood endows them with special abilities that allow them to achieve feats beyond humanly possible through the application of angelic runes.
History[]
Creation[]
| “ | We are sometimes called the Nephilim. In the Bible, they were the offspring of humans and angels. The legend of the origin of Shadowhunters is that they were created more than a thousand years ago, when humans were being overrun by demon invasions from the other worlds. So before the angels of God Himself hunted us down almost to extinction, a warlock summoned the Angel Raziel, who mixed some of his own blood with the blood of men in a cup, and gave it to those men to drink. Those who drank the Angel's blood became Shadowhunters, as did their children and their children's children. | „ |
| — A Nephilim to the Team | ||
Originally, the Nephilim were the offspring of humans and angels. And after their creation, they were hunted down and wiped out almost to extinction. However, with the aid of the Angel Raziel, they eventually developed a truce with the Heavenly Host and they became a new breed.
A thousand years ago, shortly after 1000 AD, the Earth was invaded by hordes of demons. During the times when the Crusades first began, particularly believed to be some time in the winter months, a crusader named Jonathan called on Raziel, though it was believed by many that it was a warlock who truly summoned the Angel. Jonathan begged Raziel to help save humanity. Seeing the honesty and nobility of his wish, the angel obliged and mixed his blood with that of Jonathan in the Mortal Cup, a mixture he let Jonathan drink. Raziel then gave Jonathan the other two Mortal Instruments, the Gray Book, and the fitting name of Shadowhunter as a symbol of his transformation.
Soon, more men and women drank from the cup and became Nephilim warriors themselves. They soon became known as Shadowhunters, after Jonathan, the first of their kind. Their children, and their children's children, inherited their parents' angelic blood and became Nephilim themselves.
Characteristics[]
The physical characteristics of nephilim tend to vary, however, they are generally revered as unearthly beautiful people. Most of these nephilim simply appear human in form with minor angelic traits, unique natural eye or hair colors.
As stated, Nephilim are the result of sexual reproduction between a human and an occupied angel vessel, the latter giving the offspring angelic properties. Nephilim are only created if their angelic parent has his or her grace during conception, which seems to be the source of what makes a Nephilim. If an angel mates with a human without its grace, the resulting offspring will be completely human. Nephilim have glowing eyes like an angel, although their glow is somewhat dim and grayish in color as opposed to the bright white or bluish-white glow of regular angels.
Powers and Abilities[]
The power level of a Nephilim depends on how strong their angelic parent is. It has been stated that Nephilim, when they grow up, can grow into their powers which is very dangerous, with Annael classifying them as "one of the most dangerous beings in all creation", and she also said that at the height of their power, a Nephilim sired by a Power can overpower a Cherubim and all Nephilim are stronger than their angelic parent. However, Oracle stated that a Nephilim parented by an archangel would possess unimaginable power beyond comprehension. Some sources say that Nephilim are able to use several powerful abilities even before they are born. According to Oracle, Nephilim parented by archangels can do "almost anything" but indicates that there are some limits to their powers. Nephilim birthed by Oracle, according to the original angel himself, are potentially powerful enough to be a match for even God. Nephilims sired by the younger Archangels are capable of rivaling the power of the youngest Seraphim Eartheia, whereas Nephilims sired by Michael and Lucifer can rival their parents mode in power.
- Angel-Human Hybrid Physiology: Although outwardly they appear to be ordinary humans, the Nephilim are bestowed with celestial powers that they inherent from the angel parent. All Nephilim have a powerful charisma, but are otherwise indistinguishable from a human. They are often fast and strong beyond the limits of human ability. Some Nephilim might show this strength in intelligence or leadership ability instead. Whatever their strengths, Nephilim are very aware of their surroundings, and are generally excellent at reading people. Although they are mortal, Nephilim will not sicken, and tend to live longer lives than normal humans. Aside from this, though, they are essentially humans, with all the weaknesses that entails.
- Empathy: Nephilim are able to sense and feel the emotions or feelings of other sentient life forms in their presence. They are able to instantly know when someone is lying by hearing the frequency of their voices. This leaves the Nephilim establish a psychic links with others; even with individuals who can understand each other and become friends or allies almost instantly. This can even go as far as using the link as a tracer to locate those the Nephilim connect with through their feelings. They will normally hear the cries of the wronged but they can learn to harness the power as they grow, using it to communicate with others.
- Healing Factor: Nephilim are enable to fully heal and recover from injuries such as gunshots, broken bones, burns, bite wounds, damaged or missing eyes, and torso impalement. The speed of regeneration is usually dependant on how severe their injury is. Standard cuts and wounds tend to heal very fast, while larger wounds can take longer. Nephilim are immune to most poisons and drugs, and their accelerated metabolism allows them to stay in near perfect shape with only light exercise. Their increased metabolism has the side-effect of dramatically increasing their appetite. This also makes it extremely difficult for them to become intoxicated from alcohol. Nephilim are also immune to most standard diseases and it is nearly impossible for them to catch a cold or common flu.
- Longevity: Nephilim have a slower aging process and while they will die eventually, a Nephilim can live up to five hundred years, although most of them never make it that far, considering how often they're hunted.
- Perspicuity: Psychic abilities cannot penetrate the Nephilim. Not even illusions, mind control, and the energy-draining abilities of supernatural beings work against the Nephilim. Oracle, however, is an exception to this and can conjure illusions in Nephilim.
- Pyrokinesis/Heavenly Elemental Manipulation: All Nephilim, no matter what type of angel there parent is, can manipulate holy fire and elements. They can summon it within there hands or create flaming swords or constructs of that divine elements that can even wound an angel and even in some rare cases kill them. This ability allows for Nephilim to use holy elements without the limitations and weaknesses of normal elemental manipulation and because of this this power has healing and anti demon properties. However, even with the most powerful Nephilim, this doesn't work against Oracle, due to him being the Original Angel.
- Sacred Blood: As beings of angelic descent the blood that courses through their veins are blessed with the essence of the divine. Their blood is sacred, and is delectable and intoxicating to vampires, or other blood thirsty creatures. As such any that would feed off the Nephilim or worse, commit the basest sin of Amaranth, find that they are punished for their transgression, as the blood burns through their vile damned bodies. Nephilim can also be use their blood to heal others by transfusing them with their own blood, it could also be used to restore a deceased human back to life. They also use their blood to mix it in weapons to use against supernatural beings; such as filling bullets with their blood. The angelic blood both adds to their beauty and caused the gentle golden glow that appears when they are in the best of moods.
- Superhuman Agility: Nephilim's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are equal to, or in most cases beyond, the natural physical limits of even a Olympic athlete. They can also easily perform any complicated sequence of gymnastics stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs at speeds and angles that would be highly difficult or impossible for a ordinary human.
- Superhuman Combat: They can even achieve natural proficiencies with all kinds of weaponry and combatant styles without the need of special or long-term education.
- Superhuman Endurance: Nephilim's body is physically tougher and more resistant to injury than the body of a normal human. Although they can still be damaged and killed by knives, stabbing weapons, bullets, shrapnel, and physical impact, their bodies hold together much better than normal. They can withstand great impacts, such as powerful blows that would severely injure or kill a human, falling from a height of several stories or being struck by a opponent of similar or greater physical strength, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no discomfort.
- Superhuman Intelligence & Perception: Nephilim possess enhanced intuition, pattern solving, information storage and retrieval, and logical and philosophical structuring. As a result of the angelic process they have undergone they are capable of knowledge, wisdom and comprehension beyond the human ability to understand. Their intuition is heightened to the degree that their hunches are almost always correct and also allows them to detect the use of magic and supernatural beings. Nephilim have a perfect memory with the ability to recall recall of everything they've ever seen, read or heard.
- Astral Perception: A Nephilim can perceive the true form of most angels without harm.
- Clairvoyance: Nephilim possess supernatural senses that allow them to perceive things that humans cannot. They can see invisible beings, they can see demons in their true forms even while said demons are in a human disguise or possessing a vessel, and they can see through dimensional barriers.
- Omnilingualism: They possess the ability to innately speak, write, understand and communicate any language they've never heard before, sign language, illegible words, and backwards speech and writing. They could even communicate with animals or read body language.
- Precognition: Nephilim have the supernatural ability to experience simple or prophetic visions of the future. At first, they are merely capable of experiencing vague dreams of the future while asleep. While in their waking state; they experience vivid premonitions, either through physical contact with a person. They also gain an acute intuitive insight; meaning their able to sense the immediate actions of people and things in their current location. They can also use this ability to to fight and sense their opponents attacks and movements, making them deadly fighters.
- Superhuman Speed: Nephilim are to be faster than any non-supernatural creature and run at an extremely high speed. This allows them to easily outrun any human, and are capable of blurring, which makes it nearly impossible for a human to perceive their movements when they are sprinting or moving at full speed. The reflexes of a nephilim are similarly enhanced and are far greater than normal. In combination with their speed, their reflexes allow them to dodge almost any attack, or even gunfire.
- Superhuman Strength: Their angelic ancestry endows Nephilim with enhanced strength sufficient to overpower and even toss lesser common angels around, making Nephilim much stronger than any being. Their superhuman strength also allows them to kill animals with ease. They have also have the strength to lift objects hundreds of times their own weight, smash through stone walls, overpowering any individual they engage in combat and take far more trauma than humans can without much discomfort or injury. They are also more powerful than other supernatural creatures, except higher-level angels and deities, however, one was able to throw around a wounded cherub. Their strength seems to be tied to their anger, becoming stronger the more they give into their rage. Their strength also extends into the muscles of their legs, allowing them to jump or leap incredible distances and heights.
Weaknesses[]
- Angel Blade: Being half-angel, even the most powerful Nephilim can be killed by an angel blade.
- Half-Human: Nephilim are still half-human, possess human-like souls, and still experience human weaknesses. They're stronger than any other being, expect the angels can mostly overpower them with their might unless the Nephilim is the offspring of a significant angel, such as an angel of the first sphere (cherubim, archangels, and seraphim).
- Heaven's Enmity: Angels and God regard the Nephilim as the worst kind of abominations, more detestable than even demons. An angel will always react negatively to a Nephilim, and will always interpret the angel's words and actions in the worst possible light. Only a direct order from the deity they serve will ever cause an angel to aid a Nephilim in any way. Nephilim can never benefit from healing or other miracles from angels. However, Oracle mentioned that he is actually more tolerant of Nephilim and is even willing to let them live in peace.
- Angelic Wrath: When a Nephilim is furious, their angelic half overcomes them and they tend to blackout for a short period of time, as well as more powerful and much more overwhelming can have an advantage over a deity.
- Hunted: Nephilim are viewed as a disgrace and a complete mistake to every normal angel, making them a prime subject for hunting. There are entire choirs of angels dedicated to the extermination of nephilim.
- Magic: Despite their angelic nature, Nephilim are still a mortal and are, as such, still vulnerable to the workings of magic in all its forms. Witches are able to give supernatural aneurysms that cause the blood vessels of nephilim to explode. Black magic has an adverse effect on them, and they're able to be trapped inside of a pentagram which weakens their powers to where they're no stronger.
- Death Scythe: It can kill anything
- Oracle: Being the Original Angel, Oracle can easily kill Nephilim sired by Powers and Cherubs as well as overpower and kill the ones sired by an Archangel. Only a child of Oracle can overpower him, however, a Nephilim parented by a Seraph has not yet happened. Additionally, Oracle is for some reason incapable of having Nephilim children.
- Primordial Beings: Being the most powerful entities of all, the Primordial Beings can kill, annihilate, and destroy Nephilim with ease.