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Being chosen to be possesses by a god is the highest honor an individual can receive in this world religion. The person has their soul subsumed by the deity, becoming one with them. The resulting demigod emerges as an entirely different being, who gains access to the god's abilities on the mortal plane. This being lives for 1000 years, in which he heads his community as a tribal leader. After this timeframe, this demigod ascends to the heavens and returns to the god realm. After some time passes, a new individual is chosen for this ritual to be possesses by that same god.

While this demiogd is one earth, he or she can produce children. These descendents are the only ones who can undergo the ritual to be possessed by that god.There can be only one demigod at a time, and there are several clans like this in existence. However, descendents of these clan don't gain any magical or godlike abilities unless they are chosen. There is no change in their genetic structure or alterations in their biology to make them any different from other mortals.

Since their are no genetic structures that separate this clan from other mortals, what can I use differentiate them from other humans to make them capable of being possessed in this way?

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    $\begingroup$ The chosen ones don't eat some animals and wear a very tiny hat? $\endgroup$
    – Misha R
    Commented Mar 1, 2020 at 18:24
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    $\begingroup$ "There are no genetic structures that separate this clan from other mortals": this is flat out impossible. Every single human has a unique genetic makeup. The vast majority of geographical subpopulations have identifiable genetic markers. Yes, you can look at a person's DNA and say whether they are a Han Chinese or a South-East European (= the Balkans and southern of Romania). (Modulo modern mixed-up subpopulations, such as USAians, of course.) Quite often, even finer distinctions can be made; look up, for example, Y-chromosomal Aaron. $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Commented Mar 1, 2020 at 20:09
  • $\begingroup$ You don't need to explain it. Otherwise you can end up with a midichlorian level of bull**** plot. $\endgroup$
    – maxisalamone
    Commented Mar 2, 2020 at 13:04
  • $\begingroup$ Is this distinction important to the deity or to the culture surrounding this religion? For example, are only descendents of these individuals allowed to participate in a ritual that may or may not lead to them being possessed? Or can the deity choose anyone they want so long as they are a descendent of the individual they have possessed previously and therefore not restricted to only those that participate in the ritual? $\endgroup$
    – V. Sim
    Commented Mar 2, 2020 at 19:41
  • $\begingroup$ Having multiple clans, does this mean there is more than one deity that may descend even though there can only be one present at a time? Or are these clans all surrounding one deity's descent into multiple heirs of one original descent? $\endgroup$
    – V. Sim
    Commented Mar 2, 2020 at 20:17

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Magically imbued blood.

When this being is a god, basically there should, in theory, not be a limit to their power. Especially not the limit of what humans can explain with biology, DNA, or genes. The god could place a magical marker upon these people, which carries on through the generations. Basically their version of a godly STD. When the magic is carried by their blood, this could explain why magical powers which were dormant at first could be activated.

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They could all have recognisable facial features, other than that they will be no different than other humans, but everyone in the tribe will know who they are and respect/ fear them.

As the demi god lives for a thousand years and their children are mortal, only the children born in the last few decades could become the next demi god, this could lead to children killing each other off to be the remaining one.

They would be treated like royalty and like heirs to the throne in the past they could be under handed in getting rid of their siblings.

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The difference is that they want to be possessed and offer themselves. Other clans utterly shun this practice.

What you are describing has a lot in common with the real-world religion of voodoo/voudou practised in parts of the Caribbean and West Africa. Possession, to be 'ridden' by a Loa or spirit is the highest honour. Whereas to folk from other religions, this is demonic possession.

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