Noah Family

The Noah Family (ノアの一族, Noa no ichizoku) is a group of fourteen humans whom have had the "Noah gene" within their bodies activated. They follow the will of Noah and the Earl of Millennium.

Outline
All humans on Earth are the descendants of Noah and his family, who survived the Great Flood and populated the Earth once more. Every so often, and when there is a vacancy within the Family, a gene within a random human, called the "Noah gene", awakens, turning that human into a Noah and causing them to fall under the influence of his hatred and memories stored within their blood.

At their greatest, the Noah Family will have fourteen members, including the Earl of Millennium who leads them. When one of the members dies, an indeterminate amount of time later the same Noah will awaken in a new human, though under a new human name and a new human mindset.

Each member of the Noah Family is known as an 'Apostle', and each Apostle has their own Noah name, though a few choose to continue to go by their human name.

Members of the Noah Family, when they are in their Noah forms, are distinguished by their darkened skin, amber eyes, bluish black hair (with the exception of Jasdevi, Wisely, and Allen) and the line of black, cross-like markings that go across their foreheads, called stigmata.

History
Seven thousand years before the main story started, the Noah fought the first users of Innocence in a battle so great it destroyed the world, an event known in the Old Testament as "The Great Flood", though it is documented in the Cube as "The Three Days of Darkness". After the first incarnation of the Earl died fighting against the wielder of the Heart of the Innocence, the remaining twelve Apostles repopulated the Earth, making Noah's blood the ancestor strain of all humans of the current generation.

Thirty-five years before the main story, the fourteenth Noah, Nea Walker, betrayed the Family, killing all except Road and the Earl before being killed, himself. Though he desired to become the new Earl of Millennium, the current Earl still misses him and desires to have him by his side again, believing he can convince Nea to join them.

Inherent Noah Abilities
Natural command of all Akuma: All Noah have the ability to command Akuma to do whatever they want, both verbally and telepathically. The extent of this influence is so complete that Noah can command Akuma to self-destruct, even if it is against the Akuma's will.

Akuma Blood Oil Immunity: Though they are human, Noah are immune to the poisonous effects of Akuma blood oil, though it is noted by Jasdevi that it tastes terrible. Road however likes the taste of Akuma Blood Oil.

Noah's "Memory": The driving force behind the will that all Noah feel, it creates their thirst for blood and their hatred of Innocence and those who wield them, and, when a Noah is in a life threatening situation, it awakens their full potential, increasing their power and stamina dramatically.

Familial Empathy: Noah are able to sense when a member of their 'family' dies, a situation that seems to sadden the Noah within them, as shown when Skinn Bolic died and Tyki was unable to explain why he was crying. Road, who was also crying at the time, explained that Noah was crying.

Dark Matter abilities: All Noah members have their special abilities based off Dark Matter, which grants them each a unique and powerful ability, making them deadly fighters. This also makes them vulnerable to Innocence, but at the same time, allows them to destroy Innocence by merely touching one.

Trivia

 * It is unclear how Nea Walker, the fourteenth Noah, fits into the Noah reincarnation cycle, as it is explained by Wisely that there were only thirteen original Apostles, the Earl of Millennium included.
 * "Stigmata", by definition, are marks of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. In the Roman Catholic faith, the word is given to bodily marks, sores or sensations of pain in locations that correspond to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.