Quick Guide: The Kuei-jin

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Kuei-jin: A Different Kind of Vampire

The Kuei-jin of the Faekat world are based on the most part,. but not solely on Kindred of the East.

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Asian "vampires" are not Cainites. They are a species of completely separate from the 13 clans of Caine. They bear some superficial similarities, and certain of their myths parallel the tales of Lilith, the First City and the Second Generation. However, such antiquities are, in practical terms, irrelevant. Whether they were spawned in the Far East or fled there following the climax of some ancestral struggle, the vampires of the Orient have completely adapted themselves to the cosmic fluctuations of the Middle Kingdom.

Unlike Kindred, Asian vampires do not descend from a mythical father -- at least, not to their knowledge. They have no clans -- at least, not of the sort know to Western vampires. In fact, they are not Embraced at all. In some ways, Cathayans resemble the creatures known in the West as "the Risen." Asian vampires are the spirits of dead mortals who, in order to fulfill their karmic responsibilities, resurrect themselves in their old bodies (or, in some cases, in other corpses).

This process, known as the Second Breath, differs from the return of a Rise. Once reanimated, an Asian vampire is truly undead. Her body is not a shambling, zombielike shell (well, not always; vampires with high concentrations of Yin energy in their flesh are nauseating exceptions to this rule). Suspended between the matter and spirit worlds, between life and death, the Cathayan bears features of both states. Cathayans primarily attuned to Yin energies are more aligned to the world of the dead, while Cathayans attuned to Yang display more qualities intrinsic to living beings. Veering too far in either direction, though, leads to dangerous imbalance.

Nor do all Cathayans drink blood - though many do. Cathayans realize that the Kindred's vaunted "vitae" is only one receptacle for the Chi they crave. The lowest Cathayans, the ghoulish chih-meh, distill their Chi from human flesh. As a Cathayan gains understanding of his condition, he learns to siphon Chi from blood, breath, essence and even more rarefied substances.

Of course, these vampires do not use the name the barbarians have given them. They call themselves many things, the most widespread being "Wan Kuei," or "Ten Thousand Demons." Another common term is "Gui Ren," or "Demon People." However, Asian vampires permute the term "Kuei-jin." By grafting a Japanese suffix to a Chinese word, the Kuei-jin hope to foster the illusion of unity between the Middle Kingdom's two most powerful clusters of vampires. The results of this fusion are nearly as awkward as the word itself; nonetheless, It is by this name that the vampires of Asia are commonly known.

 

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Dharma Kuei-Jin
(Hinduism and Buddhism) the principle that orders the universe; one's conduct in conformity with such a principle.

For the Kuei-jin, a Dharma is a path to enlightenment which allows them to transcend their bestial natures and holds out hope for enlightenment and rejoining the Karmic cycle. As demonic creatures, enlightenment is far harder for Kuei-Jin, and the path to wisdom can take millennia.

There are five orthodox dharmas, with their virtues:

Devil-Tiger (P'o). The Devil-Tigers believe that they are replacements for the incompetent demons of ages past; they punish sinners and seek enlightenment through pain and violence.

These vampires epitomize sadomasochism; they enjoy tormenting other creatures mentally, emotionally and physically, but revel in the same treatment, too. Each tear is a new lesson, each cry a vision of truth. Just as a sudden flash of light leaves a deeper darkness, so the lash of pain creates a greater calm. Restraint comes from the fear of pain; hence, welcome pain and banish restraint. Agony should be savored for the insights that it brings - insights that turn to higher joys, if you understand their meaning.
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Song of the Shadow (Yin). The yin-aspected Song of the Shadow, also known as Bone Flowers, are coldly logical necromancers who seek dispassionate reasoning and enforcement of dharmic balance. They are also tightly tied to mortal society through their descendants, and often assist their families even centuries afterward.

Aware of their immortality, these Kuei-jin share a thirst for discovery. From libraries and mass media, they gather stories about the living world; from the spirits they collect memories and news. To bind the two together the vampires record their insights in works of art or scholarship. The Second Breath stimulates their curiosity, and the hunger to learn rivals the hunger to consume.

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Resplendent Crane (Hun). The Way of the Resplendent Crane is a highly legalistic collection of schools, dedicated to reversing the Wheel of Ages and restoring virtue.

To alleviate their shame, the vampires must serve as the Correctors of Heaven, as enforcers and exemplars of the Harmonious Way. The path is not easy — the Demon chews at one's honor and the hunger gnaws at one's resolve. Resisting these distractions, however, provides salvation: salvation for the lost souls of the vampires and for the continuation of the mortal world.

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Thrashing Dragon (Yang). The often misunderstood Thrashing Dragon dharma recognizes that they are dead, but seeks to achieve enlightenment by imitating and interacting with the living. Despite the stunned disbelief of some Resplendent Cranes, they are a fully recognized Dharma, even if they seem to eat and screw their way through unlife.

Shunning society's restrictions, they explore life's lush infinities through martial arts and Tantric practices. Since life assumes ten thousand forms, most Thrashing Dragons master shapeshifting arts. The Thrashing Dragon way is highly animistic. Looking deep into nature, each Rainbow sees the spirits beneath life's skin, and they honor them with thanks, gifts and rites. Truly skilled Dragons can move beyond the Wall and speak to the spirits in their own tongue; a younger one simply recognises the kami and grants them respect. Thrashing Dragons are also known for their willingness to involve others in their lives. Life is not a solitary game - it requires lovers and rivals and romance and danger, if it is to keep the Thrashing Dragon on edge and awake. Such an exciting life requires a strong cast of supporting characters, and Thrashing Dragons as a group are perfectly willing to entangle others in their affairs. Among Kuei-jin and other shen, they typically observe decorum, since giving offence might lead to a duel or hard feelings.

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Thousand Whispers (Balance). The Thousand Whispers live a sequence of masks, new identities they construct after death in order to understand mortal life and hopefully transcend it.

The Whispering Way is the rarest of Dharmas, and with good reason: It's the hardest to maintain. Kuei-jin are neither balanced nor temperate. To offset their destructive natures, Whispers cultivate the Broken Mask technique -- a multiple-personality path to enlightenment. While most people cling to their identities, the Rootless Trees take on different personas, then kill them off when all lessons appear to have been learned. Since most lives tend to be full-time affairs, many vampires take on one or two personas at once, then stage tragic deaths and enter new roles. Immortal as they are, the Whispers can experience the full range of human perspective and thus rise above any single view.

 

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Heretical Dharma

In addition to the five Dharmas, there are 4 known Heretical Dharmas despised by the main five:

Spirit of the Living Earth: These Kuei-Jin are shamans and interact with spirits, seeking both advice and adhering to taboos.

The Spirit of the Living Earth has been labelled heretic because they have no qualms about trafficing with demons and other tainted spirits- as they are still spirits. They Cerulean Veils believe that, as any spirit can be coerced, charmed or forced to do what a practitioner wants, if the right preparations are taken.

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Face of the Gods. Possibly the most extreme heresy, the Face of the Gods claim that the Kuei-Jin are exiled Gods. They set up their own cults with worshippers and extract chi from prayer.

They crave validation from other Dharmas, despite seeing them as pretenders and fools. Arrogance and whimsy mark the Godlings. Convinced of their superlative destiny, they find the notion of living as cursed beings repugnant. Followers of other Dharmas are seen as deluded mystics who miss the opportunity for true greatness, so no small amount of friction results. When a Divine Face feels generous, bounty flows from his hands; when enraged, though, his godly wrath tumbles down ally and enemy alike. For this reason, few trust or willingly associate with the followers of this Dharma. Other Kuei-jin even secretly fear that the Godlings may be right.

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Flame of the Rising Phoenix. The Flame of the Rising Phoenix dharma holds that the purpose of the Second Breath is to make restitution for the crimes of one's life. The dharma is noted for its members failing (or occasionally disappearing) after a short period of time.

Instead of believing they have returned to serve Heaven under a new purpose, the Phoenixes instead propagate that their return is the result of karmic imbalance. It is a second chance to redeem oneself and set the karmic scales right. Their second lives are also marked with tragedy, as the hunger, the constant whisperings of the P'o and their own Chi imbalance more than often destroys what they cherish, leaving them more alone than ever.

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Tempest Of Inward Focus: An alternative balanced dharma, the Tempests pursue a Taoist path in comparison to the Confucian courts.

Knowing the painful tearing of the conflicting natures of their kind all too well, the Seekers search for the calm in the center of the chaos within them. They crystallize enlightenment through the principles of negation. Every carefully placed element becomes part of a circle; the circle holds all of creation. No one truth leads to enlightenment; illumination throws shadows that bring understanding.

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Finally, there is one Dharma despised by all:

Scorpion Eater: This dharma holds that the Sixth Age is inevitable, that the victory of the Yama Kings is inevitable and that the only logical response it to learn to eat scorpions, feed on waste, and survive the coming times of judgment.

The philosophy of the Scorpion Eaters is a very strong contrast to other Dharmas. While every other Dharma allows for enlightenment and escape from the state as an undead, the Scorpion Eaters have no such aspirations. All that matters for them is to survive the next moment. Wisdom, virtue and introspection are a waste of time to them. The only thing that matters is surviving and doing whatever they want, often mimicking the lifestyle of gangster movies of Hong Kong. As a result, they are spiritually void, as empty as a mirror-cast reflection.

 

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The Mansion

U/C: Possible rework or change of concept.

 

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Kuei-jin of Importance

Faekats that play a major part in a clan will be listed here. They could be Ancestors, Mandarins, Jinas, Shizuns or something else. This is just a quick reference to let you know in case you come across any of them. Respect is always nice when dealing with these power players.


Thrashing Dragon:
Ancestor: Meilian Yang
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Shadow Song:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Thousand Whispers:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Devil Tiger:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Resplendent Crane:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Spirit of the Living Earth:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Face of the Gods:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Flame of the Rising Phoenix:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Tempest Of Inward Focus:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns:

Scorpion Eater:
Ancestor:
Mandarins:
Jinas:
Shizuns: