Heishou Packs

The Heishou Packs (simplified Chinese: 黑兽; traditional Chinese: 黑獸; pinyin: hēi shòu; 'Black Beast') are a group of organizations that operates in District 8, functioning as a "secret service" or private army to the four great families of Daguanyuan. They first appeared in Intervallo V: Nocturnal Sweeping.

Overview

The Heishou Packs are a group of organizations of augmented fighters that serve the upper classes of Hongyuan, particularly the families of Daguanyuan. There are twelve official Branches of the Heishou Packs in total, each of which corresponds to one animal in the Chinese Zodiac, and named after the corresponding Earthly Branch. Members of each Branch have characteristics and display manually-induced mutations (gained after a regimen of Bolus treatments, revealed to be based on life-forms from the Outskirts) reminiscent of the animal they are based off of. Members are thus usually referred as the "beasts" of the Heishou Packs, with each branch's members having a different specialization.

Each Branch is overseen by a Heishou-Xianren who strictly controls their population, using a secret Branch-specific recipe for their Bolus, which contributes to their abilities and strengths.

Each Branch of the Heishou Packs swears allegiance to one given figure, who becomes their lord, at any given time. The current lord must receive from the Heishou absolute loyalty, regardless of any previous affiliations; which appears to be enhanced by Q Corp.'s Singularity. Because of these factors, the dynamic is colloquially referred to as the lord "holding the Heishou's leash".

The beasts of the Heishou Packs all wear black robes and tend to cover their faces. The outfits present variations among the Branches, as members have the animal their Branch is named after depicted on their robes. Each branch is spearheaded by a small number of higher ranking members known as Adepts, second in command to only the leash-holder themselves, who wear a uniform that appears to feature more of the same animal (such as Zilu, whose outfit possesses two hares as opposed to the regular Mao Branch members' singular hare, as well as dual wielding a personal blade and the standard-issue Mao Branch's "Butcherblade"). However, some Heishou entirely lack the animal their Branch is named after, such as the Heishou Pack - Si: Shadestriker, suggesting a lower rank.

The effects of the Heishou Boluses can be reverted through consumption of Boluses specifically to suppress the mutations, but the effect is temporary; frequent doses of the repression Bolus are needed to avoid the effects of the Heishou Bolus resurfacing.

Heishou-Xianren

Each Heishou Pack is said to have a respective Bolus known only to their respective Heishou-Xianren, an individual who created the recipe for their Boluses, and thus, their mutations.

The existence of the Heishou-Xianren is not common knowledge, as everything relating to them appears to be a closely guarded secret. This extends to the Boluses as well, with only the respective Xianren knowing of the process to create each Bolus. Because of this secrecy, it is near impossible to expand the groups of Heishou Pack members unless the respective Xianren deems it required. They also withhold the "true strength" of the Heishou Packs, only fielding it against foes "foreign to this land".

Despite their titles, they are not connected to the Xianren of Tiekan Temple.

Mao Branch

The Mao Branch (卯; pinyin: mǎo), colloquially known as 'hares', wear hats bearing two yellow strips of cloth resembling a hare's ears. They specialize in group ambush and pursuit missions, and their mutations are based on hares, allowing them to transform their legs into digitigrade limbs to massively enhance their speed and agility.

Their weaponry consists of a long and thin rectangular greatsword with glyphs inscribed onto them using Q Corp.'s Singularity, which grants them additional power when a certain pre-determined condition is met.

The Mao Branch is currently in service to Jia Qiu and his clan, and were temporarily loaned to Shi Yihua during the events of Intervallo V: Nocturnal Sweeping.

Si Branch

The Si Branch (巳; pinyin: sì), colloquially known as 'serpents', specialize in assassination and stealth. They wield thin purple spears and wear long purple scarves. The Si Branch's mutations are based on snakes, and transform their limbs into thin, scaled forms resembling snakes, which allows them to strike with blinding speed and attack from unconventional angles, while also inflicting a debilitating poison.

They are currently in service to Jia Yuanchun.

Wu Branch

The Wu Branch (午; pinyin: wǔ), colloquially known as 'steeds', have black armor-like carapaces fused to their bodies and horse-like tails. They wield large black guandao in combat, and make use of Boluses that mutate their lower body and limbs into those of a horse, granting them great speed and mobility that they put to use as cavalry and vanguards capable of breaking enemy lines.

They were formerly in service to Jia Xichun, but she willingly relinquished her control of them in exchange for Wei's freedom. Their current alliegance is unknown.

You Branch

The You Branch (酉; pinyin: yǒu), colloquially known as 'roosters' or 'gamefowl', specialize in direct combat and all-out warfare, and wear hats with bright red plumes along with red ribbonlike coattails. In combat, they make use of Xueyan (Bloodflame) Blades, red shortswords imbued with a special oil made in H Corp. that ignites from the friction of the weapon striking blood, and their mutations are based on roosters, allow them to sprout wings. They fight with utter ferocity and no self-preservation, to the point that they are largely unable to distinguish between friend and foe on the battlefield, outside of other You Branch members, and are constantly possessed by a lust for violence even when not in combat, making their deployment an uncommon occurrence as they are ill-suited for covert or bodyguard work.

They are currently in service to the position of Family Hierarch.

Wei Branch

The Wei Branch (未; pinyin: wèi), based on sheep, specialize in bringing down enemy fortifications and barricades through destructive ramming attacks. They wear heavy brown coats lined with white wool, and have horns and rectangular pupils like sheep. In combat, they wield Battering Ram Horns, oversized tonfa that are bound and reinforced by the spiralling horns that can grow from their arms when prompted, further enhancing their overpowering strength. As the Outskirts creature their transformation bolus was based on has poor resistance to cold and can explosively grow wool from under their skin, Wei Branch members are perpetually cold no matter the external temperature, and inherit the ability to grow wool. They fight with ferocity born of terror, as their mutation instills them with a desperate fear when their master issues an order, akin to that of a predator chasing from behind; such is their fervor that they have difficulty stopping their rampage, as their eyesight also deteriorates during their frenzy and prevents them from properly identifying friend or foe.

Their allegiance is unknown.

Other Branches

Several other Branches have been alluded to or directly shown, but not extensively elaborated on:

• The Zi Branch (子; pinyin: zǐ), based on rats, which is mentioned to mobilize in large groups.
• The Chou Branch (丑; pinyin: chǒu), based on oxen, which is in service to the position of Family Hierarch. They appear to wield large, spiked clubs and specialize in raw strength, such as carrying burdens and destroying structures. They're also referred to as Oxlords.
• The Shen Branch (申; pinyin: shēn), based on monkeys, which is in service to the position of Family Hierarch. They appear to wield staves.
• The Chen Branch (辰; pinyin: chén), based on dragons, which is in service to the position of Family Hierarch. They appear to wield floating orbs.
• The Yin Branch (寅; pinyin: yín), based on tigers, alluded to by Jia Mu's skills, and implied to be sent to handle elite individuals too powerful for standard soldiers to fight.
• The Hai Branch (亥; pinyin: hài), presumably based on pigs, is currently unknown.
• The Xu Branch (戌; pinyin: xū), presumably based on dogs, is currently unknown.

Personnel

Heishou Pack
Zilu Mao Branch Adept	Wei Former Wu Branch Adept

Enemies

Fighting Style

Heishou Pack - Mao Branch

The Heishou Pack - Mao Branch primarily utilizes Rupture RuptureThe next Y time(s) the unit is hit, take X fixed damage. and Haste HasteSpeed +X for this turn., and inflicts a unique debuff called Deathrite【Haste】 Deathrite【Haste】- Base Stack: 3
- When getting Rupture triggered by getting hit by an Attack Skill from a target with 10+ Speed, lose 1 Stack and gain +1 Rupture Count
- At 0 Stack, take Gluttony damage equal to Rupture Potency on self; then, this effect expires
※ Cannot gain additional Stacks of this effect while it is already active. Mao Branch enemies gain a multiple benefits from being at 10+ Speed or being faster than the opponent, reusing Coins, inflicting additional Rupture RuptureThe next Y time(s) the unit is hit, take X fixed damage., and activating the effects of Deathrite【Haste】 Deathrite【Haste】- Base Stack: 3
- When getting Rupture triggered by getting hit by an Attack Skill from a target with 10+ Speed, lose 1 Stack and gain +1 Rupture Count
- At 0 Stack, take Gluttony damage equal to Rupture Potency on self; then, this effect expires
※ Cannot gain additional Stacks of this effect while it is already active. This is supported by their ability to gain plenty of Haste HasteSpeed +X for this turn. due to Skill Effects and their unique Status Effect Strider【Mao】 Strider【Mao】- Max Stack: 3
- Turn End: gain 5 Haste next turn
- Reduced by 1 at Turn End, granted to them with certain attacks.

The Heishou Pack - Mao Branch enemies exclusively uses Slash Skills and Clashable Counter Defense Skills. They have Lust, Wrath, and Gluttony Skills, with a Pride Clashable Counter.

Heishou Pack - Si Branch

The Heishou Pack - Si Branch utilizes a combination of Rupture RuptureThe next Y time(s) the unit is hit, take X fixed damage. and Poise PoiseBoost critical hit chance by X*5% for the next Y hit(s)., using their unique status Serpent Arm Serpent ArmMax Stack: 3
Turn End: gain 3 Poise and +2 Poise Count next turn
On Base Attack Skill use, if target has Rupture, gain 5 Poise
Turn End: lose 1 Stack to accumulate Poise PoiseBoost critical hit chance by X*5% for the next Y hit(s). both passively and against targets with Rupture RuptureThe next Y time(s) the unit is hit, take X fixed damage.. They are also able to inflict the unique debuff Deathrite【Venom】 Deathrite【Venom】Base Stack: 5
- Deathrite
- When getting Rupture triggered by a Critical Hit from the target, lose 1 Stack
- When losing Stacks due to this effect, gain 1 Offense Level Down or 1 Defense Level Down (3 times per turn)
- When losing Stacks due to this effect, if the Stack drops to 0, take Gluttony damage equal to Rupture Potency on self
-※ Cannot gain additional Stacks of this effect while it is already active, which triggers additional effects when the victim has Rupture RuptureThe next Y time(s) the unit is hit, take X fixed damage. triggered by a Critical Hit. Si Branch enemies' more powerful Envy Skills vary in effects, including gaining increased damage, Coin reuse, additional Deathrite【Venom】 Deathrite【Venom】Base Stack: 5
- Deathrite
- When getting Rupture triggered by a Critical Hit from the target, lose 1 Stack
- When losing Stacks due to this effect, gain 1 Offense Level Down or 1 Defense Level Down (3 times per turn)
- When losing Stacks due to this effect, if the Stack drops to 0, take Gluttony damage equal to Rupture Potency on self
-※ Cannot gain additional Stacks of this effect while it is already active activation, and becoming Unclashable, but all become more powerful if the user has Serpent Arm Serpent ArmMax Stack: 3
Turn End: gain 3 Poise and +2 Poise Count next turn
On Base Attack Skill use, if target has Rupture, gain 5 Poise
Turn End: lose 1 Stack. The Depthstrider enemy's Gluttony Skill can gain Unfocused Volley Unfocused Volley- When this Skill flips Coins, each Coin flips against a random enemy among its targets
· The first Coin always targets the main target
· All 'On Hit' effects and all damage dealt by each Coin are inflicted only against the random target the Coin selected while it has Serpent Arm Serpent ArmMax Stack: 3
Turn End: gain 3 Poise and +2 Poise Count next turn
On Base Attack Skill use, if target has Rupture, gain 5 Poise
Turn End: lose 1 Stack.

Si Branch enemies exclusively use Pierce Skills, and all Si Branch units have Clashable Guard Clashable Guard- On Clash Win: raise the target's Stagger Threshold by this unit's final Clash Power.
- On Clash Lose: when hit, reduce the attacker's Final Skill Power by this unit's Final Power.
- On Clash Lose: does not gain Final Power from the following sources: Resonance and the Level disparity against the Attack Skill Defense Skills used to generate Serpent Arm Serpent ArmMax Stack: 3
Turn End: gain 3 Poise and +2 Poise Count next turn
On Base Attack Skill use, if target has Rupture, gain 5 Poise
Turn End: lose 1 Stack. They use Wrath, Gluttony, and Envy Skills.

Types of Heishou Pack Enemies

Heishou Pack - Wu Branch
Boss Wei

Sinner Identities

Heishou Pack Identities
Mao Branch
	Faust Mao Branch Adept	Ryōshū Mao Branch	Outis Mao Branch

Si Branch
	Rodion Si Branch	Gregor Si Branch

Wu Branch
	Yi Sang Wu Branch Adept

You Branch
	Heathcliff You Branch Adept	Sinclair You Branch

Wei Branch
	Don Quixote Wei Branch

Gallery

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  Zilu
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  Wei
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  Heishou Pack - Mao: Umbrastriker
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  Heishou Pack - Si : Shadestriker
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  You Branch member
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  Silhouettes of various Branch members (left⇒right: Chou, Chen, You, and Shen)
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  Si Branch member
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  Harestride event
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  Strange Glyph event
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  Punish the You branch Heishou. event
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  Featured in The Lord of Hongyuan Hong Lu's pre-Uptie art
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  Featured in The Lord of Hongyuan Hong Lu's post-Uptie art

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  Zilu Story Log Portrait
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  Wei Story Log Portrait
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  Heishou Pack - Mao: Umbrastriker Story Log Portrait
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  Heishou Pack - Si : Shadestriker Story Log Portrait

Trivia

• The official translation of Heishou is "Black Beast" and is not to be confused with other translations using different tone marks. This can be seen in the Japanese translation of the name Heishou in the promotion video of Intervallo V: Nocturnal Sweeping when introducing the Heishou Pack Identities, in which the characters were written in Japanese kanji (written using Traditional Chinese characters). This is also further corroborated by the continued mentioning of not trusting the beasts that are black of fur.
• The Heixian Bolus created and consumed by Jia Mu appears to functionally be an amalgam of other Heishou Boluses, drawing traits from the Wei, Yin, Si and You Branches.
  • The name Heixian [Chinese:黑仙; pinyin: hēi xiān] means Black Immortal. Thus, the full name is Black Immortal Bolus.
  • The Skill "Completed Heixian Bolus - Hun [混]" does not draw directly from any Heishou Packs. The name Hun means "Mix", reflecting the attack drawing from multiple branches.
• Despite there only being 12 Branches of the Heishou Packs, the background art of a J Corp. pawnshop shows a Chinese zodiac wheel with 14 animals on it.