Sentinels of Humanity



The Sentinels of Humanity are the presiding governing body over human society and a military organization of highly trained individuals. Their main goal is the eradication of all demons as a threat against humankind.

History
The Sentinels began as an offshoot of the Church, regarded as a radical minority with no power of influence. They were largely ignored by the greater populace in favor of the Church's peaceful teachings of acceptance and unity. The Sentinels, however, advocated for freedom from the 'demon scum' and the protection and preservation of humankind as the dominant race. Four hundred years ago, the beginnings of the Sentinels as they are now struck a devastating blow against the demons, an event known as the Calamity. As a result of this event, humans began running to the Sentinels for protection against the newly savage demons. In return, the Sentinels were able to overturn the Church and cement themselves as the Sentinels of Humanity, with the vow to destroy the demon race.

Three Families
The origin of the Sentinels rests in the Three Families. These families dedicated themselves to the creation of the organization from the very beginning and hold very high importance in society.

The first is the Ulrich bloodline, whose children descend from the man who killed the last Demon Monarch and have always led the organization since as the Sentinels' Commander. Second is the Ampelio family, who first served the Church and later joined forces with the Ulrich's by bringing down the Church from the inside. The last are the Castors, a wealthy family who became the monetary benefactors to the Sentinels prior to their ascension, granting them access to the equipment powerful enough to kill demons.

Structure
The Sentinels are made up of defined ranks, the highest being held by the Commander. Sentinels without rank are those still in training. Each rank is used to differentiate one Sentinel's power from another's. The rank one holds is based off of their merits alone, not on seniority or strength. As such, it is impossible to rise through the ranks without proving oneself worthy.

Most Sentinels are partnered into groups of two or three during missions, often remaining in said groups throughout their time in the organization. High ranking Sentinels commonly lead with the other being of a lower rank, however there are other groups made up solely of a single rank. Only the highest ranked Sentinels are allowed on missions on their own.

Joining
In order for someone to officially join the Sentinels of Humanity, they must first pass the Induction Race, a test which is held only once every two years. A Major and at least one of the Watchers oversee each test and participants must be at least 16 years old before they may compete. The exact details of what must be done are kept secret for the sake of fairness for future participants, but there are many rumors surrounding the entire ordeal making it out to be a singularly traumatic experience.

The influence of the Three Families cannot undermine this process. Family members are in fact forced to take a more advanced test, as detailed by Irene Castor.

Commander
The Commander is the individual above all other Sentinels who stands at the top of the organization as their leader. Every Commander up to the current have been direct descendants of the 0th Commander and succeed the role at a very young age; a result of the Ulrich family curse that causes all in their bloodline to die young. The power of a Commander doesn't lie in their strength alone, although they are largely among the strongest within the Sentinels. Instead, a Commander must be relied on as a pillar of intelligence and leadership with the ability to guide and organize the Sentinels with conviction.

Thanks to their leadership, the Sentinels have nearly reached their goal to eradicate the demon race, with the current Commander hoping to bring the centuries-long war between the races to a conclusive end during her reign.

Major
A Major is the highest rank a Sentinel can achieve and few currently hold the title. A Major is only dispatched on missions against very strong demons or large groups of demons which lower ranks would be unable to handle. Majors can also issue order to the lower ranks out in the field if deployed alongside them. However, they are mostly on missions alone as they would likely only be held back by a lower rank or would have no use for them in the first place.

Lieutenant
Lieutenant is the second-highest rank a Sentinel can achieve. While there are generally more Lieutenant than Majors, they are still weaker in power and ability, although they power distance is nearly as great between them and the rank below them. They are mostly deployed to the outskirts of civilization, traveling between small cities and villages as they are most susceptible to attacks. They are also the ones largely in charge of handling Serpents.

Officer
An Officer is the lowest rank and the one assigned to a Sentinel once they have finished training. The majority of the organization is made up of Officers, who are largely found in large cities and towns acting as guards protecting civilians. An Officer is only allowed out into the field alongside a Lieutenant. They are weaker than demons alone, but together they have the power to ward off Corrupted demons and even groups of demons, although no amount of Officers can stand against Lesser demons.

Watcher
Watchers are a special rank held by only a small handful of Sentinels at any given time. Those who take on this role are handpicked by the Commander herself and given the unique role as her eyes and ears, giving themselves wholly in body and soul to serving her. They are not generally sent out for battle, instead being used to keep an eye on all that goes on in the world and report back anything of interest. Watchers also act as messengers between the Commander and the Sentinels, although they specifically lack the authority to issue orders of their own.

The current Watchers are the youngest ones to have ever held the position. However, they are exceptionally skilled at their work and even expressly allowed to act on their own if their strength is specifically needed in battle.

Serpent
While not actually part of the organization, Serpents only became an officially recognized group under the rule of the Sentinels. Serpents are a humans who have become infected with by magic due to a demon attack, thereby gaining their own magic. A Serpent must submit themselves to the Sentinels to become officially recognized, a procedure which includes the removal of one of the Serpent's eye to halve their magical power. In the instance of a Serpent refusing to submit themselves, Sentinels are expressly ordered to dispatch them.

Officially recognized Serpents are treated as second-class citizens by the general public, although they are granted protection by the Sentinels which allows them to live relatively normal lives.

Physical Capabilities
Every member of the Sentinels has enhanced physical abilities from the grueling training they must undergo to gain ranks. This ranges from increased strength, endurance, and stamina up to nearly supernatural abilities which allow higher ranks to singlehandedly kill strong demons.

Perception
Perception is a supernatural ability which a Sentinel gradually unlocks as they continue fighting demons. It's an ability completely unique to humans. This ability allows the user to see magic auras, putting them on equal ground against magic users. In the right hands, users can become completely untouchable when facing magic opponents.

The current Commander was one of the youngest users to have fully mastered Perception.

Uniform
The Sentinel uniform's standard appearance can be seen across all Officer ranks. The uniform is made of a lightweight yet durable material made specifically to protect the wearer both from attacks and the elements. Once an individual has reached the rank of Lieutenant, they are given the freedom to customize their uniform to a certain extent. As a result, it becomes easy to identify high-ranking Sentinels.

Black Blade
The Black Blade is the signature weapon wielded by the Sentinels, referred to as such due to their unique black color. They are made from a special black ore that results in far stronger and more durable weapons. The ore can be refined into a variety of weapons depending on the individual's request, although they must have a bladed edge. These weapons are the only reliable manmade weapon that can ensure a demon's death and are as important as the wielder's life.