Kuei-jin RanksScarlet Queen :: Goddess of all Kuei-jin
Ebon Dragon :: Angelique to Scarlet Queen
Temple Guardians: Temple Guardians are Kuei-Jin who have given up their Dharma, their path to enlightenment, family and love to dedicate their entire lives in service to protecting the Scarlet Queen and her temple. They do not mate and very rarely ever have children, even less likely to have six tailed children. The tails are gifts not meant to be passed on as are their weapons. To be distracted from their duties by love or family leaves weak spots that put the Scarlet Queen at risk. They have sworn to lay down their lives for their Goddess and do so proudly. All Guardians are gifted a Shadow Weapon powered by Chi that is unique to the individual as she is among her sisters. Temple Guardians are not bred they are uplifted from their former stations to be forged a new.
BodhisattvaWhen a Kuei-jin reaches the final stages of his Dharma, he removes himself from the larger world, from political and social interaction, and lives the unlike of an ascetic. These ascetics are known as bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are primarily concerned with the end of their Dharmas and their earthly existences -- through most remain in the Middle Kingdom for centuries more, instructing lesser Kuei-jin and providing unliving examples of correct behavior.
Near the end of their Dharmas, bodhisattvas obtain communion with the spirit wolds: They experience frequent contact with historic Kuei-jin, Grand Ancestors, the Yin and Yang Worlds, and even the Yama Kings, all of whom bodhisattvas believe grant the final answers for transcending earthly existence. It is only when a Kuei-jin reaches the final stages of his Dharma that his consciousness opens to this dialogue with the ancients. (Zao-lat, the imperfect one, dubbed this state the "Suspire.")
Relatively few Kuei-jin ever attain the rank of bodhisattva; the process takes centuries, even millennia, and most Kuei-jin meet Final Death or succumb to the P'o long before they reach the bodhisattva stage. Kuei-jin who do reach the bodhisattva stage are vastly powerful beings -- easily on the level of a Kindred Methuselah -- and are revered as near-gods by other Kuei-jin. (Some are feared, and rightly so; those bodhisattvas following the Devil-Tiger Dharma, for example, have spent centuries perfecting the way of monstrosity, and it shows. Even the most vicious and homicidal "enlightened ones," though, are respected rather than reviled -- albeit at a safe distance.)
Although most bodhisattvas live solitary existences in the wilderness, a few congregate in remote communities across Asia. The most famous one houses the spiritual teachers of the Shaolin Monastery in central Chin, all of whom are bodhisattvas. Along with their personal Dharmas, bodhisattvas act as spiritual leaders for all Kuei-jin, typically receiving any Kuei-jin who comes before them with questions. For sentimental reasons (though these sentiments are often viewed as imperfections), some bodhisattvas even maintain close ties with the ancestor of the court to which they belonged. Although they are ostensibly available for any Kuei-jin to consult, bodhisattvas' innate spiritual force can be overpowering, even devastatingly painful, for younger Kuei-jin to endure.
The bodhisattva's existence ends when he becomes an arhat, a term that symbolizes the completion of the journey along the Road Back. There have been very few arhats in the multimillennial history of the Kuei-jin. Arhats are those bodhisattvas who have completely fulfilled their Dharmas and discerned their place in the Great Cycle. They have transcended their endless hunger, and they live out the rest of their nights as total hermits before their essence is reunited with the Great Cycle.
Arhats are the saints, buddhas and holy men of Cathayan society. To many Kuei-jin, they are unliving proof that there exists a purpose for their vampiric existence. To shed one's karmic curse and rejoin the Great Cycle is a Kuei-jin's primary and most daunting taskl the arhats are testaments to the worth of a Kuei-jin's Dharma and place on Earth. Bodhisattvas believe that in their meditations they speak with the arhats, receiving guidance and advice from them. In many ways, they arhats hold a social standing and respect akin to what Kindred accord Antediluvian. Unlike those terrible Cainites, though, Kuei-jin arhats keep completely to themselves and do no interfere in the affairs of the greater Kuei-jin society. They have ended their sojourn in the Middle Kingdom and belong to the Ages of the Great Cycle.
AncestorThe term "ancestor" has multiple definitions for Kuei-jin. It can refer to the original founder or one of the original founders of a Kuei-jin court. These figures are usually called "Imperial Ancestors" or simply "emperors" to distinguish them from the modern meaning of the term, which is either the head of a specific court or the governor of a region comprising several courts of Kuei-jin (something akin to a Kindred prince).
It is a court's mandarins who choose a court's ancestor, if one is chosen at all; they select candidates through a combination of debate and spiritual revelation, as well as the state of a candidate's Dharma. Such selection is strictly the purview of the court's mandarins; they have the final say in the considerations of candidates and appointment thereof.
The selection of an ancestor to govern a city or region of Kuei-jin is a more open affair. In this instance, each court of Kuei-jin within a city or region amy send a delegation to convene, to put forth and to consider candidates, and eventually to select the ancestor of a city or region. The Kuei-jin appointed to this post invariably displays great political ambition and guile and has the spiritual grounding in his Dharma to effectively represent the Kuei-jin under his authority. For this reason, the ancestor of a city has traditionally been ancestor of a cout, but this qualification is not stringent: On some rare occasions, due to low Kuei-jin population or because of a powerful exhibition of talent, a mandarin or high-level jina is appointed ancestor.
Imbuing a Kuei-jin with ancestor-ship of a court or city is never automatic. Any Kuei-jin selected must undergo a test of leadership and character, thus proving his fitness to rule. Called the Three Dialogues, the test ranges over three nights and calls upon every face of a Kuei-jin's abilities to pass it.
The first night is a test of the mind. The candidate is effectively grilled for the entire night by all teachers and mandarins in the court (or, in the case of a regional appointment, by all the assembled delegates) to determine his command of the vast library of Cathayan philosophy and teachings. Fierce debate over spiritual matters and commands to recall the most obscure, out-of-context references from the major works of Cathayan thought are the norm. A potential ancestor is expected to conduct his arguments with razor-sharp acumen, and nothing less than perfection is tolerated.
The second night is a test of the physical body. An ancestor is expected to know how to fight, and to this end, a candidate faces five of the most respected warriors in the court. Depending upon the court, the combat may or may not employ weaponry, but the potential leader must vanquish all of his opponents, often in several battles apiece.
The third, and arguable most important night, involves testing of the soul. The mandarins and sages involved in the Dialogues collectively turn on the potential ancestor and tap into his P'o through a combination of magic and psychological warfare. The vampire must reach deep within himself to bring his near-frenzied P'o back under control and fight off the attacks of the assembly, thus maintaining a grasp of his rational, higher Hun self. In addition to testing strength of will, the activity breaks down any psychosomatic barriers that exist between the Kuei-jin and his P'o, thereby opening a successful candidate to Demon Arts that had been heretofore dormant.
Needless to say, the Three Dialogues are not easy. Many apparently qualified Kuei-jin have not endured the third night of the tests, often resulting in madness of Final Death. The intensity of the Three Dialogues highlights the gravity Cathayans place upon the choosing of the right ancestor, and it shows the vampires' willingness to destroy one of their own rather than suffer the consequences of a poor choice. Kuei-jin, believe that Heaven, the spirit worlds and the Great Cycle invariably illuminate the correct choice for ancestor-ship. The Three Dialogues serve as the traditional way of discovering the wishes of these august forces.
MandarinIn traditional Chinese society, the class of intellectuals -- the ministers, teachers and advisers to the emporer or regional governors -- held a special status based on their intellectual prowess and administrative acumen. In Cathayan society, such status goes to the advisers and administrators of a court or regional ancestor; these Kuei-jin, like their mortal counterparts, are commonly called mandarins.
Mandarins, be they advisers for individual courts or larger political bodies, are jina who have distinguished themselves in their roles as spiritual guids, but who also show particular affinity for larger advisory capacities. The mandarins are a singular caster within Kuei-jin society; they have their own customs, rituals and patois separate from all other social levels. Mandarins function as political advisers to ancestors, as ambassadors among the different courts, and as spiritual advisers to jina. Some mandarins perform other duties: Minister of Ceremonies, Foreign-Devil-Slaying General or First Interrogator, for example. The mandarins are also given the awesome responsibility within each court of selecting the court's ancestor. Considering their vast array of responsibilities, many Kuei-jin are puzzled by the taciturn and insular nature of mandarins; although they are received within Kuei-jin society as trusted spiritual advisers and de facto kingmakers, the enigmatic aura that envelops them remains bewildering to many, although very few Kuei-jin would actually admit such a thing.
JinaOnce a disciple has adhered for a certain amount of time to the teachings of his Dharma and has followed the laws of his court, he reaches a state of spiritual advancement that opens his mind and body to a greater level of inner power and magics. This state of existence, called the ling, corresponds to a disciple's first comprehension of the potentiality of his power and, more importantly, ways to control it. The achievement of ling is a great accomplishment for a disciple; it is his first of many epiphanies on the road to the completion of his Dharma.
Vampires who have achieved ling are called jina, an ancient term for a spiritual guru. The conferring of jina status is a profound occurrence within Kuei-jin society; along with their increased social weight, jina also have the responsibility of instructing disciples. Upon attaining the rank of jina, such vampires are officially presented with one or more disciples, whose correct spiritual guidance is the ultimate responsibility of their respective jina. If its disciples are the future of any Kuei-jin court, its jina are the first formative influences for such beginners. As the larger social cast after disciples, jina fuel the spiritual fires of all Cathayans.
ShizunAll Kuei-jin who have survived the Second Breath without completely succumbing to the P'o have done so through a combination of inner strength and innate power. A Kuei-jin who manages to rise above his initial existence naturally gravitates towards a specific Dharma, based upon his spiritual powers and strengths. After several years of rigorous training and gradual initiation, a (surviving) Kuei-jin is welcomed into the larger community, then initiated into a wu and (usually) a court of fellow Kuei-jin.
These vampires are called Shizun, for, by their initiation into a wu and court, they are considered to have embarked upon the first step toward fulfilling their specific Dharma and finding their true purpose. Teachers are officially considered part oft eh larger Kuei-jin community. Although these Cathayans are lowest on the social ladder, they earn the basic rights of Kuei-jin, in both their court and the larger community. What rights a Shizun has varies from court to court, but the fact that they achieve rights and respect from other court members is a significant episode in Kuei-jin existence. Besides being separated from the chih-mei, a disciples is accorded a respect that the childer of Kindred do not possess. Shizuns of continuity, the inheritors of the Dharma and the new members of the quest to reenter the Great Cycle. Rather than maltreating disciples, scorning them or using them as pawns -- as Kindred do their on childer -- established Kuei-jin see such nascent vampires as the future of the Kuei-jin race. Thus, elders must encourage and assist Shizuns' spiritual growth, or so Shizuns are told.
HinHin are the "nonpersons": vampires who have managed to conquer their shadow nature but who have not fully proved their worthiness to exist as Kuei-jin. They are permitted to exist and taught how to feed, but are given neither rights nor responsibilities until they have been initiated into the Kuei-jin unlifestyle, a process that can take several years.
The unlife of a hin is harsh, akin to that of a pledge in a military college. Although the entire Kuei-jin community takes responsibility for training hin, elders expect lessons to be learned diligently, gracefully and speedily. Hin must conduct themselves decorously, respectfully and -- most important in the Fifth Age -- competently. Hin who demonstrate stubbornness, disobedience or ineptitude are quickly winnowed out.
Chin-meiThe lowest vampires in the karmic cycle are the chin-mei, that vast majority of Kuei-jin whose Hun souls do not survive their initial return to the world. They are the mad, the ravenous, the carrion-eaters of the Kuei-jin, the near animals. Chih-mei tend to inhabit the most rural and desolate areas, the areas that are depopulated or barren. Chih-mei can also gravitate to regions where the Chi lines are corrupted or weak; there, they fight among themselves and slay unfortunate mortals for the flesh that will sustain them.
For the most part, chih-mei are destroyed, either by other chih-mei, by mortal witch-hunters and exorcists, or by their own talons. Some courts of Kuei-jin also take it upon themselves, as part of their commonly understood duty, to purge their regions of chih-mei if they foresee a threat to their own existence or to those of mortals. Rumors circulate that certain opportunistic Kuei-jin keep packs of cahined chih-mei for purposes of protection, intimidation and even gambling (in the manner of fighting cocks), although such exploitation of the chih-mei violates severl sacred Kuei-jin precepts. Kuei-jin regard chih-mei as unfortunate casualties of the Great Cycle, as souls condemned to truncated unlies of misery and madness. Kuei-jin who take it upon themselves to destroy chih-mei know well that they are doing the wretches a favor.
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OutsidersCathayan society is very exclusive. Kuei-jin recognize only their own kind as meriting any sort of fundamental rights or respect. Outsiders are given little attention and even less thought; they are actively shunned, denied the hospitality and protection of a city's court, and sometimes forcibly driven from a certain region. Individuals treated as outsiders have literally no identity for the Kuei-jin; it is as if they do not exist. This stigma applies to the Kindred, to be sure, but outsider status is not limited to foreigners -- after all, unknown Cathayans could easily be pawns of the Yama Kings, and even longstanding members of a court can easily wind up on the outside looking in.
Kin-jinWestern Kindred are commonly called Kin-jin, a corruption of "Kain-jin," or "People of Caine." They are the original outsiders, the unclassifiable foreign devils and barbarians who have brought down the Fifth Age upon the Middle Kingdom. Most Cathayans see the Kin-jin as enemies, menaces and infiltrators, the ignorant and corrupt tools of the Yama Kinds.
Despite this attitude, open hostility against the Western clans is rare. A combination of political diffusion and personal self-control makes this hatred manifest istself as wariness, suspicion and tenuity -- though things are about to change, and change violently indeed.
As far as relations between Cathayans and Kin-jin, personal feelings and objective reality are often at cross purposes. The steady Western intrusion into Asia over the last three centuries has brought, in addition to trading vessels and anti-Communist troups, the Western Kindred. If anything is certain in Asia, it is that the Kindred will not cease to come in the future. Thus, the mandarins of the major Kuei-jin population centers must person a delicate balancing act in dealing with the Kin-jin. Over the decades, there has existed an unwritten rule that only the ancestor of a city or court is empowered to deal extensively with the Kin-jin in his or her sphere of authority. Only she may give them leave to move about; only she may mandate their extermination.
Despire the political freedom of ancestors in dealing with Kin-jin, the larger Kuei-jin society still forbids contact with the Kindred on any level. Most Kuei-jin courts consider it a serious breach of conduct for a Kuei-jin to associate freely or form personal connections with any Western Kindred; it is a crime tantamount to political treason. Enforcement of this rule is intermittent at best, due to the populations volume in any major Asian megalopolis, but transgressors who are caught invariably suffer the harshest punishments available. In effect, they become outsiders themselves.
Kin-jin DharmasFor the Kuei-jin, the concept of a "Clan" in which you are Embraced is alien. Like most Cainites do not differ between the various dharmas of the Cathayans, so do most Kuei-jin believe that the Kin-jin are all the same. Recent contact, however, challenged that claim. Bone Flowers have taken up study of the various "dharmas" that the western vampires seem to adhere. These dharmas are seen as even less than the heretical dharmas, given that no Cainite has ever progressed beyond the state of hin and their general ignorance of the spirit world, obvious marks of failure in the eyes of the Kuei-jin. To date, they have classified seven[1].
The Hundred-Mask Clowns, referring to Clan Ravnos
The Shameful Path of the Ghost Bully, referring to Clan Giovanni
The Silent Tiger Brotherhood, likely referring to Clan Assamite
The Rut of the Pretentious Geisha, likely referring to Clan Toreador
The Way of the Insufferable Flesh Gardners, likely referring to Clan Tzimisce
The Inauspicious Order of Blood Devils, likely referring to Clan Tremere
The Thousand Charming Company Men, likely referring to the Clan Ventrue
AkumaAkuma, a word meaning "devil," are Kuei-jin who have succumbed to the lure of the Yama Kings and rejected Dharmic transcendence in favor of demonic vassalage. They have severed all contacts with their teachers of any proper Kuei-jin and have renounced their Dharmas. Most Kuei-jin loathe akuma; although Cathayans have fallen from their karmis stations, many remember that one of their original tasks was to guard humanity from the Yama Kings' machinations. Vampires who serve the ancestral enemy willingly are the basest of traitors, and forever shame the wu and court to which they belongs.
In the Fifth Age, a Kuei-jin can be declared akuma for other reasons, such as disobeying a court's rules, deviating from the Great Principle or freely cooperating with Kin-jin. To be branded akuma in this manner is traditionally perceived as one of the most humiliating punishments inflicted upon a Kuei-jin.; it says that a Kuei-jin is no longer part of the larger community, that he has forsaken his quest for unity with the Great Cycle and performed unforgivable acts in the eyes of Kuei-jin society.
Because of the implications of pronouncement of akuma has upon a Kuei-jin, it has historically been a rarely used for of censure. Most courts and ancestors go to great lengths to prevent themselves from resorting to its pronouncement, but the history of the past few hundred years, particularly with the arrival of the Western clans, has resulted in momre akuma being created than any elder would prefer.
Even less pleasantly, the vampires of the Quincunx tend to see themselves, and China proper, as the "center" of Kuei-jin existence. Kuei-jin on the fringes of the Middle Kingdom, such as the wu courts of Japan of the Golden Courts of Southeast Asia, are often labeled akuma by virtue of their unorthodox customs. The fact that this declaration provides is an excuse to raid the so-called akuma for their Chi and jade is typically dismissed out of hand.
Akuma tend to attract other akuma. Followers of the Yama Kings regularly worship frightful demonic forces, while attempting to further their maters' goals in the material sphese. Thus, even the Devil-Tiger Dharma despises akuma; it is the Cathayan's role to be a demon oneself, not to kowtow to another demon. Despite their fringe existence, akuma exist throughout the Middle Kingdom; some have even managed to portray themselves as respectable individuals, pass the Three Dialogues with assistance from Yama Kings and set themselves up as ancestors of important cities.
Heimi
Loners and drifters are rare among Cathayans. Because the wu is the primary social unit of Kuei-jin society, vampires without a wu are traditionally perceived as rootless vagabonds. Travel throughout the Middle Kingdom is extremely problematic for solitary Kuei-jin who have neither a home court nor an ancestor to vouch for them. With the arrival of some Western Kindred in major Asian cities, the appearance of a drifting Kuei-jin tends to cause alarm among ancestors, who fear the unpredictability of possible unauthorized contact with the foreign devils.
In light of this thread, the Five August Courts, as a matter of policy (with other courts following suit), assimilate these vampires into the position of heimin, a word derived from a Japanese historical term denoting a "half-person." Heimin perform crucial duties within the Middle Kingdom. They are official intermediaries between the Kuei-jin and the Western Kindred who reside in Asia. In return for agreeing to act as couriers and delegates of local ancestors, heimin receive blanket letters of safe conduct throughout the Middle Kingdom, items freeing the vampires to travel in any direction.
Many mandarins dislike the idea of entrusting secure communications to Kuei-jin who are little better than wandering vagrants. The Quincunx and other courts employing beimin are confident that the ease of travel through ancestral domains and the pledge of ironclad loyalty, combined with the small number of heimin in existence, make the use of these drifters an acceptable trade off. How naive this position is remains to be seen, but heimin have been utilized throughout the Middle Kingdom for at least two centuries, and with the steadily growing influx of foreigners into the Middle Kingdom, the practice may very well increas.
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About the AncestorThe ancestor of a court of Kuei-jin, when one exists at all, is similar to a Kindred prince, insofar as both entities hold domain over all vampires within a certain region, social stratum or field of endeavor. But there the similarity ends. Accession, power base and rights of governance of an ancestor in Beijing or Tokyo starkly contrast with the comparative instability of a prince's influence in London or Chicago.
The most immediately obvious difference is the respect accorded an ancestor. For the Kindred, a prince typically takes power through violent revolution and maintains his position through political kowtowing to the city's primogen, who function simultaneously as advisers and opposition. All the power of a prince rest on his of her ability to quash potential usurpers, and to prevent the primogen from deserting en masse. Respect and deference toward a prince are spotty at best, even absent in some of the largest and more fractious metropoli.
With an ancestor, it is a much different matter. From the outset, the phenomenon of ancestry is a collective process. Chosen by representatives of all the affected Kuei-jin courts within a city, the ancestor enjoys the full faith and credit of his of her subjects (or at least most of them). The process is deliberate and painstaking, but rarely takes on the character or violence of a municipal civil war.
However, because a given region may consist of two or more courts, two or more court ancestors might find their purviews overlapping. Suppose that the Flowery Minister of the Opal Mirror, an ancestor ruling a spiritually oriented court in a major Asian city, finds himself at odds with the court of his rival, the Ancestress of Steel Knives, over the ascendancy of a radical mortal cult. The Flowery Minister feels that the cult's activities fall under his jurisdiction, but the Ancestress, seeing the cult's potential as a weapon against the invading Kindred, decides to use the cult as a Scarlet Screen for her court. Shadow war is declared, and disciples on both sides (as well as unaffiliated Kuei-jin) are mustered (or duped) into action. The resulting tension could theoretically bring both courts to their knees and disrupt mortal life in the city as well.
Needless to say, Kindred refugees seeking to present themselves to the "leader" of their inscrutable rivals can find this phenomenon confusing...and lethal.
The political authority of an ancestor is real and near-absolute. Compared to the chaos of the Jyhad, the shadowy dealings and infighting that scar the Western Kindred, the order of a city of Kuei-jin under a powerful and respected ancestor is almost shocking. Ironically, an ancesto rarely maintains control over mortal institutions such as government, crime or business, these trifles she leave to the courts and the mandarins. An ancestor is typically of sufficient power to enforce her will through personal strength alone.
The specific rights and duties of an ancestor reflect this mandate of authority. First and foremost, the ancestor is the prime lawmaker for a city of Kuei-jin. With her mandarin advisers, she enacts and enforces the specific codes for those areas of the city under her aegis, thus protecting the purviews of various wu, settling disputes, overseeing treaties or agreements between wu or courts under her auspices, arbitrating shadow wars, and delineating the boundaries of interaction between Kuei-jin and the mortal populations.
The ancestor also acts as an ambassador for her territory by receiving venerable Kuei-jin from other regions and by acting as the territory's representative in drafting treaties or agreements with the ancestors of other realms. Safe conduct and protection are given by the ancestor alone. Any Kuei-jin who takes the normal risks of travel to the domain of another ancestor usually carries an official signet of safe conduct, bestowed by his own ancestor, which guarantees the protection of the ruling ancestor during his of her stay. Yet, just as safe conduct and protection are given, they are as easily renounced; Kuei-jin travelers who conduct themselves unbecomingly can be officially enjoined from entering the domains of certain ancestors.
The ancestor also has the sole right to interact with any and all Kindred within her domain, and to control similar interaction for all Kuei-jin under her authority. The ancestor's official sanction is needed for any Kuei-jin to make deals with or offer hospitality to the Western clans, and such sanctions do not come easily.
Last, but definitely not least, the ancestor has the final authority to guard the territory against evil spirits and Yama Kings, which includes the ability to pronounce Akuma status on any Kuei-jin within her domain. Specific court leaders usually make their pronouncement of akuma on the unfortunates involved, but the ancestor has final say in the matter. The declaration of akuman upon a Kuei-jin is a momentous decision, one never made lightly. The subsequent approval of the ancestor, then, is more of less automatic, but there have been rare instances of an ancestor revering a decree.
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Kuei-jin Versus KindredKeui-jin differ profoundly from Kindred in many respects, both physiologically and psychologically.
Aggravated DamageKuei-jin take aggravated damage from fire, the teeth and claws of shen, and certain Chi-augmented attacks. Kuei-jin rot, rather than burn, in sunlight.
BeastOver the centuries, Keui-jin have become intimately familiar with their primal, instinctual souls (which they refer to as P'o). All Kuei-jin have a P'o Virtue, representing the strength of their inner Demon; the P'o has its own Nature and can actually prove beneficial to the characters. However, the P'o is as unpredictable as any Western Beast and much more clever; incautious Kuei-jin can find themselves trapped and helpless in their own bodies, as the P'o rampages out of control.
Blood Bond"We are all of one blood," the Kuei-jin say sincerely (well, hypocritically). Kuei-jin blood is naturally "inert" and cannot be used to create a Blood Bond. Certain Disciplines, though, allow marked exceptions to this rule.
DharmasKuei-jin have been sent back to the Middle Kingdom for a purpose, and it is their duty to find out what that purpos is. Kuei-jin categorize their personal beliefs through a series of codes, which are known as Dharmas. These Dharmas resemble the Sabbat's Paths of Enlightenment, but are much more rigorous -- and much more rewarding. Following one's Dharma leads a vampire to greater understanding of her condition and ultimately to Golconda.
Diablerie:Keui-jin have no generation per se, but they are more than capable of feeding on one another. In fact, they have refined the craft of soul-stealing to a science, and certain powers are even based upon it. Some Kuei-jin hold diablerie in every bit as much dread as their Western counterparts, while others govern its use through elaborate ceremonies.
DisciplinesKuei-jin use Disciplines, but not the ones known in the West. Centuries of studying the physiological and psychological nuances of undeath have given them great insight into the vampiric fream and soul. This insight can easily become a weapon, as many Kindred have found to their horror.
EmbraceCathayans are not victims of a random Embrace. They are truly undead -- dead mortals cursed to return from the spirit worlds and reincarnate in the Middle Kingdom. This process, call the Second Breath, is similar to that undergone by the Risen -- but Kuei-jin are not wraiths in mortal shells. Pathos is meaningless to them, for Kuei-jin have no overriding passion, save hunger; instead, Kuei-jin must fuel their powers by ingesting Chi.
FangsKuei-jin have no fangs naturally, though they may sprout them by calling upon the P'o.
Final DeathFinal Death is just as real for Kuei-jin as it is for Kindred. Upon Final Death, the soul exits the corpse, which immediately collapses and crumbles to ash. Indeed, Kuei-jin fear Final Death as few other creatures do. For them, they believe, there will be no further reincarnation. If they die unfulfilled yet again, the Great Cycle will cast them out, and they will meet an Oblivion equal to that of the most monstrous Spectre.
Frenzy and RotschreckThe P'o is as real for Kuei-jin as the Beast for Kindred, Asian vampires can suffer not only from frenzy and Rotschrek, but also can literally be possessed by their P'o souls. A Cathayan refers to his "normal" state of mine as "wa nature." When frenzied, he us in the grip of "fire nature." When maddened with terror, he suffers from "wave nature." And when the P'o rises to control him, he experiences the state known as "shadow nature."
GenerationsKuei-jin do not believe themselves to be descended from Caine, and thus, the concept of generation is irrelevant to them. They measure their power by age and by progress along their Dharmas. As a side effect, there are no "clans" of Cathayans; though they typically group themselves into sects, hierarchies, schools and other social structures, such units are not dictated by the vagaries of the Blood.
GhoulsKuei-jin cannot create ghouls. It is their karma to bear their curse alone, not to share it with others. However, Yang imbalanced Kuei-jin can become pregnant or impregnate others! The hybrid children thus birthed are called dhampyrs.
GolcondaMost Kuei-jin believe themselves to have been sent back to the Middle Kingdom for a specific reason -- and most, hating their tormented and unnatural state, seek to find a way out of their existence. The Kindred's concept of "Golconda" may actually be a Cainite's (Cappadocius' or Saulot's, perhaps) flawed interpretation of Kuei-jin practices.
ImbalanceKuei-jin must regulate their Chi intake carefully, lest they suffer from Chi imbalance. An imbalance of Yin Chi often leads to the vampire becoming more corpse-like and inhuman over time; conversely, an imbalance of Yang can lead to the outbreak of various deadly and exceedingly contagious vampiric diseases.
Stake Through the HeartA stake through the heart does not automatically paralyze a Kuei-jin. However, the heart is instrumental in processing Chi energy, and certani types of attacks can disrupt the Chi flow in a Keui-jin's body. Vampires of Yin prove vulnerable to wood, the element of Yang; conversely, vampires of the Yang are vulnerable to metal, the element of Yin.
SunlightKuei-jin are vulnerable to sunlight in some measure, but their degree of vulnerability varies according to the amount of Yin energy in their bodies. They do not "burn" in the light; rather, they rot, as the Yang enevery of the sun corrodes the unnatural magics keeping the Kuei-jin corpse animate.
SustenanceNot all Kuei-jin need to drink blood to obtain sustenance. The lowest, the chih-mei, take their Chi from human flesh (or that of other sentient beings). More refined vampires can "drink" breath, spirits and even raw essences. As a side effect, Kuei-jin are perfectly capable of eating and drinking normal food and beverages, though such things provide no nourishment. Kuei-jin can even get drunk, though the quantity of alcohol required for such a feat is truly prodigious (assume a Kuei-jin can drink 10 times as much liquor as the average mortal).
TorporTorpor, for the Kuei-jin, is a state called the Little Death. During the Little Death, the vampire's body "dies," but the dual soul lingers on within the corpse. Kuei-jin fear the Little Death, for it is a harrowing time of visions and nightmares, when the spirit is quite vulnerable to hostile magics. Many Kuei-jin lose their Dharmic way after entering the Little Death.
VirtuesKuei-jin do not possess the Virtues of Conscience, Self-Control and Courage. Instead, they use the two opposed pairs of Yin and Yang, Hun and P'o. Yin measures the Kuei-jin's sensitivity to negative energies, while Yang measures the vampire's receptivity for positive energies. Hun is the higher, "rational" soul, while P'o is the lower soul -- the Demon.
