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Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement by White Wolf Game Studio to compliment their Vampire: The Masquerade line. The vanguard of White Wolf's Year of the Lotus theme (which created "Eastern" counterparts to all of their major product lines in the World of Darkness), this rich sourcebook is a stand-alone setting, requiring only secondary rules to be fully playable. The setting spans Asia, allowing players to play the so-called Kindred of the East, vampires of Asia, as well as detailing Shen, a variety of supernatural beings found on the Asian continent.

 

Characters in Kindred of the East (or Kuei-jin, as they call themselves) are vampires as depicted in classical Japanese, Chinese, and Indian Hindu, Taoist, Shinto and Buddhist mythology. Unlike the vampires traditionally associated withDracula or Caine, Kuei-jin were once mortals who died with the burden of unfulfilled Dharma or duties. Tortured in Yomi for their inadequacies in life, their souls successfully escaped and returned to their bodies. Now half-alive and half-dead, Kuei-jin must live by stealing chi from mortal victims to sustain themselves while trying to fulfill their Dharma. The most convenient form chi can be stolen in is blood, leading to their vampiric tendencies, but they cannot create new vampires. Practically all Kindred distrust the Kuei-jin. The Kuei-jin are also known to war with the other sects for territory.

 

Ten Thousand Demons

 

Kuei-Jin are souls that clawed their way out of hell to pay back a debt of either Dharma or Karma. Kuei-Jin used to be known as Wan Xian, The Ten Thousand Immortals, blessed by heaven to keep the lords of Yomi at bay. Corruption threw the Wan Xian out of the good graces of the August Personage In Jade and he removed their ability to produce chi (life force). As such the Wan Kuei, The Ten Thousand Demons, must feed on other living beings chi. This can be done by eating flesh, drinking blood, inhaling breath or absorbing ambient chi. All depending on the skill and preference of the Kuei-jin. Although Kuei-jin are cursed to be harmed by sunlight, they rot, causing a slower and more gruesome death than CainiteKindred.

 

The classic opposition of yin and yang are important to Kuei-jin not only for philosophical reasons, but because this dichotomy also delineates the two forms of chi they can potentially ingest. An imbalance of yin or yang chi in their system can lead to dire consequences. Yin-imbalanced Kuei-jin become corpselike zombies suffering from a lack of emotion. At its worst, yin-imbalance reduces a Kuei-jin to a hopping corpse. Yang-imbalanced Kuei-jin suffer wild mood swings and impulsive lusts for food, sex, and other forms of stimulation. Possibly the strangest consequence of yang-imbalance is the ability to have or sire children. Such children are called Dhampyrs, and are mortal half-vampires.

 

Dharma

 

Rather than seeking to cling to some remnant of Humanity, Kuei-Jin have developed esoteric paths of enlightenment based on ancient Asian philosophies, their development of these paths is the source of the Kuei-Jin's power rather than their distance in blood from a prehistoric homicidal farmer.

A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. The Dharmas, five philosophies accepted by the greater Kuei-jin community as potential paths, each emphasize a particular aspect of Kuei-jin existence:

The Howl of the Devil Tiger: The Dharma embracing the P'o.

The Way of the Resplendent Crane: The Dharma embracing the Hun.

The Song of the Shadow: The Dharma embracing Yin.

The Path of a Thousand Whispers: The Dharma embracing balance..

The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: The Dharma embracing Yang.

 

In addition to these primary dharmas, a number of Heretical Dharmas have also come into existence. Not accepted in Kuei-jin society, these paths nevertheless find some followers:

 

The Face of the Gods: A Dharma embracing both Hun and P'o.

The Flame of the Rising Phoenix: A Dharma embracing both Hun and Yang.

The Spirit of the Living Earth: A Dharma embracing both Yin and Yang.

The Tempest of Inner Focus: A Dharma embracing balance.

The Scorpion Eaters: A Dharma embracing the P'o, who can consume only Tainted Chi and yet are not Akuma.

 

Consequences of the Wan Kuei

 

Some Kuei-jin turn their backs on enlightenment entirely, instead swearing fealty to the Yama Kings (the rulers of Yomi) to become Akuma, the demon people. Bartering their souls for power, Akuma enter Faustian deals with the Yama Kings and pursue only power.

Dhampyrs fathered by severely Yang-imbalanced Kuei-Jin.

 

Shen

 

Xiong Ren "Ferocious People" / Hengeyokai

 

The shape shifters of Asia are collectively known as the Xiong Ren in China or the Hengeyokai in Japan.

Hakken: Werewolf relatives of the Shadow Lords

Khan: Werecats who resemble tigers

Kitsune: Werefoxes who do not know how to best serve Gaia

Kumo: Werespiders of the East

Nagah: Weresnakes, reclusive judges rarely seen in the West

Nezumi: Wererats who act as thieves in Japan's underbellies

Same-Bito: Weresharks known for their massive amount of teeth

Tengu: Wereravens that figure into many Japanese myths

Zhong Lung: One of the four elemental varieties of Werelizard

 

Chi'n Ta "Lightning People"

 

The mages of Asia; many are hedge mages or sorcerers, though one of the nine Mystic Traditions has their headquarters in the East.

 

Akashic Brotherhood

Wu-Keng

Wu Lung "Dragon Wizards"

 

Hsien

 

Changelings not especially unlike their western counterparts, they have a small number of Kiths:

Cats: Soulsuckers often associated with the Kuei Jin.

Kamuii: The elemental nobility of the Hsien.

Tanuki: Raccoon-like tricksters who resemble the Pooka.

 

Shih

Demon hunters who are perfectly happy sending any supernatural being to hell, given the oppurtunity. Shih tend to have better organization than Western hunters, maintaining a tradition of master and apprentice and practicing a variety of ancient and modern martial arts.