Numen
Numen are an advanced and evolved species of human who have their potentials unlocked via the Progenitor Virus.
Overview[]
Numen are hailed by Sarkic cults to be the "final purpose" of all life on Earth and the race of highly advanced humanoids the Demiurge wanted to instill upon Earth. This vision was aimed to become a reality by Oswald Spencer, one of the founders of Gentex, a vision that was passed down to him by Vivian Durant-Croÿ herself. He and a fellow scientist developed a eugenics project known only as the Frost Project. The Frost Project is a program developed by Gentex to birth a new race of virally-enhanced and well-educated superhumans who would advance human civilization for generations to come.
Perhaps the most successful Numen to emerge was Rosemary Winters whose entire biology was assimilated by the Mold and when dissected into pieces then being put back together had her autophage activate within her and turned her into a Numen.
Description[]
According to Sarkic tomes uncovered by the Global Occult Coalition, Numen are described as the ultimate breed of life and the end-goal that almost all Sarkic cults aim to achieve. According to Spencer, the Mold assimilates and restructures the genome of an individual, creating a phenomenon known as an "autophage". This autophage remains dormant within a human's biology and is activated via "rebirth" or simply death. Upon death, the Numen is born when the autophage jumpstarts the body and granting extraordinary physical enhancements, such as superhuman strength and speed. They could even manipulate the viral properties of a strain so long as said strain does not evolve a step above where they came from. In Vivian Durant-Croÿ's notes, the autophage can only be released when it reaches a zero-state which is akin to a countdown of sorts.
Because of the steps and methods it requires it is said to be nigh-impossible to achieve the state of a Numen, especially since the Mold presents a high risk of death and required extensive research to achieve a strain capable of doing as the Sarkic tomes said. In addition, not just anybody can simply become a Numen as it seems to emerge in highly-intelligent individuals indicating that the autophage in a way can be nurtured under the correct environment. However, those who do not undergo a proper "rebirth" are usually fated to slowly die from a terminal disease as seen with Alex Frost.
Those who revive as Numen are for the most part human but with small changes to their physiology. In Albert Frost's case, he has bright orange eyes with slit pupils and Rosemary Winters has eyes that glow white when she uses her powers. Numen are also connected to a hive mind which allows them to communicate with one another telepathically.