. There's also information on how Bone Flowers often view and interact with the other dharmas, and what life is like in different parts of the Middle Kingdom for Bone Flowers. Allied to Yomi Wan A lot. 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. Those who went there and were fortunate enough to return would tell stories of the bizarre abilities and practices of the "Cathayans" (Cathay is an archaic name for China). There are actually a few. In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. As many Thrashing Dragons learned to laugh only after they died, the training of these Kuei-jin often includes the learning of rites which often feature tantric positions, and with their inhibitions often lost when they return from Yomi, studying dance, sex, and pleasure are often common. . In earlier times, enlightenment was faster (or perhaps by virtue of having Wan Kuei who were once Wan Xian, the road was easier seen). In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. In addition to offering greater information on their histories, abilities and outlooks, this sourcebook deals with a brand-new dharma: The Scorpion Eaters. 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. Kindred of The East - Dharmas A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. Asia was always a forbidden land to Western Vampires. Since that time, the Dharmas have formed the religious basis of Kuei-Jin society; every Cathayan adopts a Dharma and progresses onwards to enlightenment. These moments arrive rarely, and can be triggered by great insight into one's dharma, or occasionally by great diversion from it. The Great Principle constitutes the ancient code of behaviour for all Kuei-jin. During the Victorian Era, the Bone Flowers also studied the Paths of Enlightenment under the umbrella term Dharmas of the Unexamined Horizon, before declaring them hoaxes. Kindred of the East Dharmas. 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. However, as each age has progressed, the time required to achieve enlightenment lengthens and the gifts of higher wisdom are less profound. Revisit the Game of Blood and Enlightenment In 1998, White Wolf Games released Kindred of the East, the flagship game for the World of Darkness’s “Year of the Lotus.”For the first time, the supernatural world of East Asia was revealed, and the gaming community was introduced to a whole new group of vampires: the Ten Thousand Demons. This is important because if you give too few Kuei-jin to the Yama Kings grouping, then the central "Bad Guys" in the entire Kindred of the East setting become a non-issue due to lack of man power. Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement by White Wolf Game Studio to their Vampire: The Masquerade line. Cainites in Asia risk all of the wrong kinds of attention. Kindred of the East May You Gain the Notice of Those in High Places For centuries the exotic realm of Asia has defied the Kindred's incursions. Asia's vampires are not descended from Caine, unlike all other vampires in the world (including African ones), and are special demon-ghost-vampires. 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. Chih-mei subsist on flesh, low-dharma Kuei-Jin on blood, higher dharma Kuei-Jin on breath, and the most enlightened can absorb chi ambiently. Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement published by White Wolf Game Studio to their Vampire: The Masquerade line. Each step of the way is progressively harder, with the time between moments of enlightenment taking years, then centuries, the millennia at the highest levels. Kindred of the East is the vampire book from White Wolf's Year of the Lotus, which focused on Asia in the World of Darkness. Four “great” Dharmas are predominant in China, with a significant presence in China-adjacent countries. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon is one of five non-heretical dharmas. Kindred of the East Rulebook states (p. 53): As your character reaches a moment of insight, make a resisted roll pitting the Virtue rating of your chosen Dharma against your P'o rating. 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. I was still young and grabbing every World of Darkness book I could get hold of when Kindred of the East came out. 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. As demonic creatures, enlightenment is far harder for Kuei-Jin, and the path to wisdom can take millennia. Like it feels like the Devil-Tigers are supposed to punish sinners, but then it feels like Cranes are supposed to do the same thing. Appendix: Rules of the Hungry Dead brings Kindred of the Of all the hungry dead, they are the most comfortable with mortals. Xue himself reached the Hundred Cloudsand has not been heard of since he achieved enlightenment. White Wolf Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. The Kuei-jin of the east are, thus, anchored to the world of the living and to the powers of creation. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Kindred of the East The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: The Dharma embracing Yang. The massacres on Sook Ching Beach could be dark mortal reflection of the supernatural attempt at genocide that accompanies this era. I've been re-reading the core book (well, close enough). The Dharmas, five philosophies accepted by the greater Kuei-jin community as potential paths, each emphasize a particular aspect of Kuei-jin existence: White Wolf's penchant for mashing different The Five Dharmas of Kuei-Jin society are The Bone Flowers, The Devil Tigers, The Resplendent Cranes, The Thousand Whispers, and The Thrashing Dragons.While there are other Dharmas that have been cultivated by the Kuei-Jin throughout the ages, they have been cast aside and declared Akuma for reasons ranging from political to genuine heresy. This also lead to the first edition of vampire:dark ages where a new type of paths called vias or roads where introduced. Dharmic progression is tied to the Wheel of Ages. Physically, higher enlightenment brings rewards. Gaia Online is an online hangout, incorporating social networking, forums, gaming and a virtual world. The Dharmas, five philosophies accepted by the greater Kuei-jin community as potential paths, each emphasize a particular aspect of Kuei-jin existence: In addition to these primary dharmas, a number of Heretical Dharmas have also come into existence. In particular, with a Dharma above 5, the Kuei Jin can raise their attributes to 6 or higher. To start off, it made me cringe. [2] One could argue that Golconda as formulated by Saulot after his travels to the Middle Kingdom was inspired by the dharmas of Xue. Kindred of the East is a spin-off of Vampire: The Masquerade dealing with, well, the closest thing the Old World of Darkness had to Eastern vampires. The Thrashing Dragons like to do things, only EXTREME. To date, they have classified seven[1]. Each new disciple is commanded to learnand live by its precepts, called the Fivefold Way, in his or-her every word and deed. Dharmas traditionally follow a ten step path, with a chih-mei having a rating of zero, and the Hundred Clouds at rank 10. Those few Children of Caine dwelling in Asia whisper of the monstrous Cathayans--the shadowy vampires native to the East. It also has about 9 extra disciplines for kuei-jin to use. Kindred of the East: For it is unobtrusive enough to mind its manners. Kuei-Jin were descended from the Wan Xian, immortal god-heroes of the First Age (and the predecessor to the Exalted). It has 4 more dharmas to follow if you didn't like any of the 5 in the KoE book. There's a direct link to Hunter: The Reckoning in their story. All four of the great Dharmas notably lay claim to being the True Dharma of the First Arhat, with ancient sutras, several recorded arhats throughout history, and long-lived dharmic schools. Orthodox The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon • The Howl of the Devil Tiger • The Path of a Thousand Whispers • The Song of the Shadow • Way of the Resplendent Crane. Kindred of the East differs from Vampire: The Masquerade in both theme and mood despite s… Once you have glanced inside, you'll never listen … https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Dharma?oldid=199831, The Hundred-Mask Clowns, referring to Clan, The Shameful Path of the Ghost Bully, referring to Clan, The Silent Tiger Brotherhood, likely referring to Clan, The Rut of the Pretentious Geisha, likely referring to Clan, The Way of the Insufferable Flesh Gardners, likely referring to Clan, The Inauspicious Order of Blood Devils, likely referring to Clan, The Thousand Charming Company Men, likely referring to the Clan. As a rule, a character aspiring to be an ancestor must have a Dharma rating of at least 6. Dharma Book: Thousand Whispers is the latest Dharma Book for Kindred of the East. The Dharmas were originally outlined by the Grand Arhat Xue (who used the term Di'hana in his writings), who received five or one paths to enlightenment and transmitted them through his disciples (save for one who fled to the West). In addition to these primary dharmas, a number of Heretical Dharmas have also come into existence. A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. The most enlightened Kuei-Jin spend much of their time in contemplation, chasing those moments of clarity. A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. In broad strokes, what does each one do? Dharmas: Frankly, I can see the militaristic Uji from Japan coming here to claim power and influence and exterminate the other Dharmas (and Cainites of course) so as to shore up strength for the Turning of the Age. I've just started a new chronicle in Kindred of the East (Blood and Silk) and one of my players plays a Devil Tiger. The South Bay is the Camarilla's stronghold and is held in an iron grip therefore, and the North Bay . Social role is determined at least partly by Dharma. The Kindred of the East are able to do most of those things and more. The sun rises in the east, signifying the beginning of the new day. Kindred of the East remains, even when evaluated in context, to be a highly flawed work that had a great deal of potential. Originally, they weren't really vampires; they were the Wan Xian, dedicated to fighting the malevolent Yama Kings and their servants, empowered by the August Personage of Jade. In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. I've been very, very interested in Japanese culture and history lately (as well as Korean and Chinese, to a lesser extent), so I decided to take a look at the oWoD's Kindred of the East books and see what it was like. Kindred of the East Companion Paperback – March 1, 1999 by David Bowker (Author) 4.6 out of 5 stars 5 ratings. The Dharmas were originally outlined by the Grand Arhat Xue (who used the term Di'hana in his writings), who received five or one paths to enlightenment and transmitted them through his disciples (save for one who fled to the West). Dharmic progression is tie… I have a player who actually likes the Dharmas written in Kindred of the East and would like to use them as a basis for Paths of Enlightenment. I also remember at one point that I saw charts like this somewhere, but cannot remember for the life of me where. There's also the option of making them Risen instead of Kindred or their own thing. Recent contact, however, challenged that claim. A new life and a rebirth comes with each rise of the sun. The East Bay is a split city, with both Prince Amanda and Anarch Barons like the Brujah Mary Ellen Pleasant. It is a complete guide to playing the enigmatic chameleons of the Middle Kingdom. Bone Flowers have taken up study of the various "dharmas" that the western vampires seem to adhere. The secrets of the Broken Mask Technique, in which a vampire lives mortal lives, await within, along with many new rites and powers, prominent characters and new facts about the Asian World of Darkness. Now I have problems with his Dharma rolls. Since that time, the Wan Kuei, the fallen Wan Xian, have developed a redemptory religion while occupying an ecological niche akin to Western vampires. This lead to the dharmas in Kindred of the East where alternative codes where standard for vampires and based more on personality traits than before. Heretical Face of the Gods • Flame of the Rising Phoenix • Seekers of the Inward Way • Spirit of the Living Earth. Not accepted in Kuei-jin society, these paths nevertheless find some followers: Finally, 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. Now with that in mind, you break that 1,818 kuei-jin into 5 person Wu … It is the single most important teachingin Cathayan society. Heresies of the Way is a Kindred of the East sourcebook dealing with the heretical dharmas and their motivations. In addition, Dharma rank influences how much chi can be stored and spent, and what type of nourishment a Kuei-Jin can take. Bartering their souls for power, Akuma enter Faustian deals with the Yama Kings and pursue only power. Since that time, the Dharmas have formed the religious basis of Kuei-Jin society; every Cathayan adopts a Dharma and progresses onwards to enlightenment. The Wan Xian betrayed the mandate of Heaven and were cursed to live on blood and shun the sun. It contains all of the hidden knowledge of the Song of the Shadow, from rituals and rites to secret agendas regarding the other dharmas. Bodhisattvas have a minimum dharma rating of 9. Have to say I'm a big fan of this thread. Read more about this topic:  Kindred Of The East. Xue himself reached the Hundred Clouds and has not been heard of since he achieved enlightenment. Dharma Book: Bone Flowers is the second Dharma Book for Kindred of the East™. Vampires advance in their Dharma by achieving moments of enlightenment, called dah. Players in KotE played Kuei-jin, the undead of Asia. And what few Sabbat are left in the Bay now that the Gehenna Crusade started. In Kindred terms, a Kuei-Jin has a Generation roughly equivalent to 13 - their Dharma score. The Risen are already a global phenomena that overlaps highly with how the Gui-ren come about metaphysically, the idea that south east Asia has cultural practices that have allowed Risen to expand in numbers sufficient to have true societies works well as why they're dominant in a geographic area, and … Kindred of the East Companion 4 Chapter Six: Gweilo draws attention to the few Kin-jin who exist in the East. Kuei-jin in the West are under similar pressures, and survival isn't easy in a land of foreign and hostile vampires. Like many, I came to realize there were a lot of problematic elements with the game series but wasn't sure how to go about correcting it and presenting a playable game. There are five orthodox dharmas, with their virtues: In addition to these five, there are 4 known heretical dharmas: Finally, there is one dharma despised by all: And in addition, one dharma went extinct long ago: For the Kuei-jin, the concept of a "Clan" in which you are Embraced is alien. 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