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In the second and third generations after the Exodus, some of the Baniss began to manifest strange abilities. They discovered that they were capable of manipulating the emotions of those around them, of paralyzing them with fear, inspiring them with rage, and strengthening them with fury. Some of them were even capable of causing physical harm, snapping bone and rupturing blood vessels with a mere thought. The others, awed and terrified, began to defer to those who possessed them, allowing them to lead the tribes. They became the patriarchs of their tribes, and were called the Fathers. In addition to the fearsome fighting tactics possessed by most of the Baniss, these leaders also had their respective unusual powers to aid them.
The Baniss continued in this way for decades, honing their abilities, increasing the size and strength of their tribes, and building that which served as a society for them. They were cutthroat and merciless, even amongst one another. The only time they cooperated is against outsiders, or at the specific command of their Father. Each family or individual would scavenge and fend for itself; indeed, they likely would not have tolerated the nearness of so many others at all were it not for the tremendous charisma of the Fathers or their acolytes, the weird and powerful Bone Doctors. The society and ways of battle of the Baniss were simple and brutal, but sufficient. All the while they planned for the time that they would become strong enough to take their revenge upon those who had cast them out, the humans that now called themselves the Forsaken.
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