Kindred of the East Cross-Reference(Basic information, i.e.

that from the main book is not listed yet)

Book key:
Kindred of the East[KotE]
Kindred of the East Companion[KotEC]
Dharma Book:Devil-Tigers[DB:DT]
Dharma Book:Bone Flowers[DB:BF]
Dharma Book:Thousand Whispers[DB:TW]
1,000 Hells[TH]
Shadow War[SW]
Half-Damned:Dhampyr[HD:D]
Killing Streets[KS]
Wind from the East[WftE]
Blood&Silk[B&S]
Dark Kingdom of Jade*[DKJ]
Dark Kingdom of Jade Adventures* [DKJA]
Hengeyokai:Shapeshitfters of the East*[H:SotE]
Land of Eight Million Dreams*[Lo8MD]
Dragons of the East*[DotE]
World of Darkness:Tokyo*[WoD:T]
World of Darkness:Hong Kong*[WoD:HK]
World of Darkness:Demon HunterX*[DHX]
*denotes non-KotE books

Level One Rites:

The Ritual of a Thousand Cuts[Dark Jade Lover/1, DB:TW/57]
The Ashes of the Phoenix[Dark Jade Lover/1, DB:TW/57]
The Gentle Repose[Dark Jade Lover/1, DB:TW/57]
Center the Demon[Dark Jade Lover/1, DB:TW/58]
Rite of the Gracious Courier[1, SW/96]
Blood Preservation[General/1, B&S/96]
Speak Through the Tongue of the Dragon[1, WftE/72]
Sense of the Ger[1, WftE/72]

Level Two Rites:

Branding the Criminal[Resplendent Crane/2, B&S/98]
Savage Joss[Spirit/2, DB:DT/52]
Ebon Wardings[Chi/2, DB:DT/56]
Harmony with Night[2, DB:BF/61]
Walk the Spirit Path[Chi/2, DB:TW/54]
The Folding Lotus[Individual/2, DB:TW/55]
Binding Goods[General/2, B&S/96]
Dream of the Suffocating Cat[Devil-Tiger/2, B&S/97]
Sensing the Earth's Sickness[Thrashing Dragon/2, B&S/102]

Level Three Rites:

Asserting the Heavenly Privilege of Yang Demon Command[Spirit/3, DB:DT/53]
The Deceptive Jade Chains of Yin Demon Command[Spirit/3, DB:DT/53]
The Black Silken Pouch[3, DB:BF/62]
Donning the Flawless Mask[3, DB:BF/62]
Assume the Greater Mask[Indidual/3, DB:TW/55]
Wear the Lesser Mask[Individual/3, DB:TW/56]
The Earth's Embrace[Dark Jade Lover/3, DB:TW/59]
Reflecting the Inner Face[3, SW/97]
The Ritual of the Black Peony[3, TH/104]
The Rite of Renunciation[3, TH/111]
Stroking the Demon's Fury[General/3, B&S/96]
Facing the Dynastic Way[3, B&S/125]
Encircle[3, WftE/72]
Strength of the Herd[3, WftE/73]
Inquisition of the Prying Magistrate[Resplendent Crane/3, B&S/99]
Bone-Oil Kiss[Shadow Song/3, B&S/100]
The Ritual of the Invisible Mask[Thousand Whisper/3, B&S/101]

Level Four Rites:

Speak with Local Beasts[Thrashing Dragon/4, B&S/102]
Memories of Torments Unexperianced[Devil-Tiger/4, B&S/97]
Commune with Tengri[4, WftE/73]
Commune with Itugen[4, WftE/74]
The Pact of Ebony and Scarlet[4, TH/113]
Inauspicious Object[Spirit/4, DB:DT/54]
Bakemono Rite[Spirit/4, DB:DT/54]
Honor the Second Breath[Individual/4, DB:TW/56]
Reading the Leaves of Wisdom[Shadow Song/4, B&S/100]

Level Five Rites:

Digesting the Feast[Individual/5, DB:DT/57]
Gracious Acceptance of the Most Revered Lotus Blossom Gift[5, DB:BF/62]
Wisdom of the Spirit Ways[Thousand Whisper/5, B&S/101]
Gather the Broken Mask[Individual/5, DB:TW/56]
Embracing the Little Demon[Dark Jade Lover/5, DB:TW/59]

Level Six Rites:

Purifications of Rice and Garlic[Resplendent Crane/6, B&S/99]
Ritual of Heavenly Defilement[Chi/6, DB:DT/56]
Loose the Wandering Spirit[Chi/6, DB:TW/54]
The Righteous Hunt[Shadow Song/6, B&S/100]

Level Seven Rites:

Reeds in the Cycle of Seasons[Thousand Whisper/7, B&S/101]
The Breathing Mask[Thrashing Dragon/7, B&S/103]
Memorial to the Merciless Ministers[Devil-Tiger/7, B&S/98]
Embracing the True Death[Dark Jade Lover/7, DB:TW/59]
Crowning the Ancestor[General/7, B&S/97]

Level Eight Rite:

The Inauspicious Gate[8, DB:BF/63]

Merits/Flaws:
Eternal Cherry Blossoms[Merit/4, DB:BF/57]
Cannibal[Flaw/1-3, DB:BF/57]
Ch'ing Shih[Flaw/3, DB:BF/57]
Limited Yang[Flaw/4, DB:BF/58]
Life-Blind[Flaw/5, DB:BF/58]
Tomb[Merit/2, DB:TW/51]
Tenacious Spirit[Merit/7, DB:TW/51]
Wandering Spirit[Flaw/1, DB:TW/51]
Favors[variable, B&S/86]
Inoffensive to Animals[Merit/1-2, WftE/75]
Sense of the Stock[Merit/3, WftE/75]
Repulsive to Animals[Flaw/2, WftE/76]

Dhampyr Merit/Flaws:
Dharmic Schooling[Merit/1-2, HD:D/58]
Chi Attunement[Merit/3, HD:D/58]
Vivophage[Flaw/1, HD:D/59]
Sheltered Upbringing[Flaw/2, HD:D/59]
Sun Allery[Flaw/3, HD:D/59]
Tainted Joss[Flaw/3, HD:D/59]
Ignorance of Self[Flaw/4, HD:D/59]
Strong P'o[Flaw/4, HD:D/59]
Poison Joss[Flaw/6, HD:D/59]

Discipline Techniques:
Spit Blood[Blood/2, DB:DT/64]
Gentle Yielding[Flesh/3 DB:BF/59]
Taking What Is Given[Flesh/4 DB:BF/59]
Taking The Face[Bone/3+Flesh/1, DB:BF/59]
Spider's Blessing[Yin/2, DB:BF/60]
Bitter Yin Caress[Yin/4, DB:BF/61]
Bitter Yin Cloud[Yin/5, DB:BF/61]
Dance of Shiva[Yin/8, DB:BF/61]

Skills:
Archery[B&S/85]
Meditation[B&S/85]
Pilot[B&S/85]
Ride[B&S/85]

Dealing with Direction

Contributed by Willpell

"You were born in the Year of the Rat, Kai Lau, while the third star of
the Crane was in ascendence over Saturn. You rose as Wan Kuei in the
Year of the Dragon, with Mars in declination and the Moon in the
house of the Farmer. Therefore, I have consulted with Niya Tou, third
of the Four Sages of the Astral Court, and determined that you are of
the East direction, and your destiny is to be shepherd over the mortal
flock, preserving and directing the humans for the good of all Kuei-
jin."
"F**k that sh*t," Kai Lau swore. "I have Kin-jin a** to kick!"

In most traditional Kuei-jin courts, new vampires have their horoscopes analyzed to determine their
Direction, an astrological confluence which suggests the most harmonious path for the Kuei-jin to take
in his individual destiny. The stars have given everyone, whether living or undead, a proper path to
take, a map outlining the proper direction of their life.
Not everyone cares.
While every character should determine his Direction (if only to find the lucky
numbers for his Horoscope background, which the Storyteller might call for a roll
of in certain circumstances even if the character did not purchase it), not all Kuei-
jin pay any attention whatsoever to it. In China most vampires of high standing
treat Direction as the law of Heaven and look unkindly on the forsaking of its
duties, but even so the Running Monkeys are often hard to persuade that an
obscure astrological coincidence which conveniently can only be interpreted by
the elders should determine their choice of career in their unlife. Further from the
orthodox influence of the Quincunx (and to a lesser extent House Bishamon and
other long-established and formal Courts), Direction is given less and less
emphasis. Even with persistent prodding from joss, the character may ignore her
astrological destiny as she sees fit; the duties of Direction are not written in stone.
This is particularly true if the character is an ill fit for his duties; a character who is
astrologically destined for the West direction will have a hard time fulfilling his
duties if he has taken nothing but Shintai arts and possesses no Rituals. In the
Quincunx and their ilk, such a character would be pressured to pursue spirit-
studies in order to become a proper messenger, but in less formal arenas it is
unlikely that the character will be pushed to follow a destiny to which he is poorly
suited. While it can be entertaining to play a character whose Direction does not
fit his capabilities (an Easterner who always aspects to Yin, a South with no
combat disciplines, or a freebooting anarchist born to the North), this is likely to
lead to frustration down the road and many players would rather possess the
harmony that comes of following their characters' specialties. Whether a
character who strays from Direction should be punished is entirely up to the
Storyteller, but if he is going to use bad joss to "pimp-slap" the character until he
follows his Direction, then the least he can do is drop hints that the character's
current career isn't working (possibly by throwing an omen or four at him, or by
failing to give him Horoscope rolls when he expects them; make sure he knows
that it's the stars that hold him in disfavor, and not just the Storyteller's whim).
Some characters may not fit neatly into the role of a single direction. For instance,
consider a character who wanders about dispensing justice on the streets by
battling evil; is this character a Magistrate of the North or a Warrior of the South?
If the kindly sage who gives Dharma advice to all the Disciples sits in a zen temple
on top of a mountain contemplating his navel until a student arrives, he's patently
a Center, but what if he operates out of a curio shop in downtown Shanghai?
Could he not in this case be an East who keeps tabs on the mortals through his
store even as he dispenses helpful advice to fellow Kuei-jin? If the character does
not know what his Direction should be, try looking at the character's dharma. If
the wandering justice is a Resplendent Crane he may lean more to the North in his
duties, while a Devil-Tiger performing that same duty could be considered South
with equal facility. (Or you could reverse this and say that their Direction pulls the
opposite way from their Dharma; after all, eastern philosophy has always stressed
the importance of conflicting energies.) The curio shoppe guy could be a member
of the Whispering Way, in which case his business is just an adjunct of his
Dharmic path and he is definitely a Center in terms of his value to the Court; then
again if he were a Thrashing Dragon he might not have the patience to monitor
mortal society from such a passive role, so as a Dragon he might also be of the
Center. Then again, the Dharma may not play a role at all; just because you're a
Devil-Tiger doesn't mean you're incapable of acting as a messenger to the spirits
or watching over the mortal flock (fear can be as effective as any other method of
keeping humanity in its place). And some Kuei-jin may not follow any of the
Directional duties; the Court's librarian might qualify as a Center but would
seldom be expected to guide Dharmic seekers or unearth lost artifacts, and a
heimin dilletante who goes to America to carve out a private empire is obviously
not following any Direction. If a character comes to dislike his existing Direction,
some Rites exist which can change it. If you do not possess the Kindred of the
East supplements detailing these Rites, assume that a Level 2 Rite can sever an
existing character's Direction and cause him to assume the Direction dictated by
the stars on the night of the ritual, though unless the character has studied the
necessary astrology he may not know himself what that will be. This Ritual may
only be taken or used with the Storyteller's permission; it is no mean feat to
rewrite one's destiny, even if the only tangible effect of this will be to change the
character's lucky numbers.
Note that followers of Heretical Dharmas have to pay a little more attention to
Direction than their more orthodox counterparts, since they recieve only their
Direction as a lucky number. Of course, members of the Flame of the Rising
Phoenix may not even acknowledge the existence of their Direction, since they
wish to minimize their concern with vampiric affairs. Similary, Cerulean Veils are
more likely to consult the spirits than the stars for advice, and the arrogant
Godlings may forget that they too answer to Heaven's dictates. The Storyteller
may choose to apply the bad joss "smackdown" more or less heavily to these
characters, depending on whether he wishes to enforce that they have strayed
from Xue's wisdom and lost the universe's favor, or to suggest that they too are
valid choices for destiny.
As a final thought, one way to shake up a game is to do Direction randomly; after
all, who gets to choose what the stars have in store for them? If all players agree,
you may roll a die for each character; if the roll comes up as a Direction's lucky
number (a 6-10), the character has that Direction (so on a roll of 7 the character
will be a South). If the number is a Dharma's, the Direction is that which
corresponds to the Dharma's auspicious direction (thusly if the roll was 2 the
character would also be a South, since the Devil-Tiger dharma favors the south
direction). This roll is made after the character is otherwise complete; this
encourages characters to develop in more than one direction, so that they will not
invest all their points in Martial Arts and then be informed that they are members
of the farmer caste by accident of birth. However, if the players catch on they
may realize that their characters are better left unspecialized until after their
Direction is cast, and if the Storyteller isn't careful he may end up with an entire
wu of initially identical characters who are all rotten at their jobs and redundant in
their other abilities.

Cathayan Vs. Kindred

By Willpell

We all know that the Kindred have made almost no inroads into Asia due to the presence of the Orient's own
vampires. Why? Well, because the Kuei-jin are far more powerful than the Kindred, right? Wrong.
In truth, individual Kuei-jin are often *less* powerful than Kindred. Consider: Kuei-Jin have no discounted Clan
Disciplines, so they invariably develop their supernatural powers more slowly than comparable Kindred. They
cannot innately "blood-pump" their physical statistics. While some of their disciplines are quite versatile and
those at higher levels may be quite powerful, many of the lower-level powers (such as Stand Upon the Dragon's
Back, No Mind, Scrutinize, and Goblin Face) are rather weak compared to the most straightforward Kindred
Disciplines such as Potence, Celerity, Fortitude, Protean, and Dominate. They cannot surround themselves with
legions of blood-bonded ghouls or Presence-entranced servants. They can only easily hold 10 Chi points in their
body, of which at most 6 are likely to be of either variety, so they seldom have as much "ammunition" for their
supernatural powers as Kindred whose Generation gives them Blood Pools of 12 to 15 even for most neonates;
the Kuei-jin can hold up to 20 Chi, but holding more than 10 (for any save enlightened elders) or even having too
much Yang and not enough Yin or vice versa can cause them to self-destruct in a moment of stress. Not to
mention that every Kuei-jin has an archnemesis in their own body which not only drives them to frenzy but also
schemes and plots consciously against them. And to top it off, the Kindred's primary enemies are themselves,
while Kuei-jin face not only internecine conflict but the assaults of the Akuma and other minions of Yomi; granted
the Kuei-jin are on better terms with the hengeyokai than the Kindred with the Lupines, but only somewhat
better, and most Kuei-jin would gladly trade the rampaging Lupines for the sinister demon-kings any day.
With all these disadvantages, the Kuei-jin's current Great Leap Outward seems a suicidal measure. Indeed, we
begin to wonder why the Kindred have not overwhelmed Asia before. The answer, of course, lies in the
environment. In Asia much of the populace would endure the worst tortures the Malkavians desire without
betraying their knowledge of the Kuei-jin; though the citizenry may fear the Hungry Dead, their fear is far greater
for the foreign devils which are just as villanous but far more barbaric, and the Kindred will find few allies in Asia
save those bought by their Blood or the Piercing Gaze--and even these may work less reliably on Asian humans
than elsewhere.
(In game terms, the GM may give native Asians a bonus on Willpower rolls to resist Dominate and perhaps
Presence effects, and may assume that a greater than average percentage of Asian humans have Iron Will,
Unbondable, or True Faith due to the nature of their culture). But even more than the stoicism of the mortals, the
Kuei-jin owe their continued supremacy of Asia to the allies they cultivate in the spirit realm.
Their spirit powers are perhaps the Kuei-jin's greatest advantage over the Kindred, most of whom don't even
know the spirit world exists and thus would panic if they discovered spirit-walking Kuei-jin appearing inside
locked rooms or vanishing with the drop of a jade statue. Kuei-jin who understand the spirits and have allies in
the Courts can weave Joss itself to thwart Kin-jin foes without ever coming near them; Kindred can be frustrated
by the Cathayans without ever confronting them.
So the Wan Kuei can be fairly secure in their hold on the Middle Kingdom, for with the people and the spirits on
their side they can hardly lose out to the barbarians (though said barbarians can do a lot of damage). But the
chances of an Asian invasion of the west succeeding are slim indeed, for all their advantages are therein lost.
American or European lands have spirits which are as hostile to Kuei-jin as the Asian ones are to Kindred, and
the populace will not bow down before the Kuei-jin but are likely to dismiss them or even try to drive them off with
hostility.

RITES
Balm of the Wounded Tiger
(Level 1 rite)
This rite allows the Kuei-jin to create a soft yellowish paste with healing properties that allow him to
regenerate without having to spend precious chi. The paste is created through a mixture of cats blood,
milk, arsenic, rice paste, and sugar; all stirred together under the moonlight while the 'sutra of hours' is
chanted. Makine one 'dose' worth of paste takes an hour. Once the paste is complete, it can be stored
away for a period of time. Most balms can go for a month of storage without going bad (but when they
do... let's just say mold isn't the only thing that grows on this stuff) When a Kuei-jin, or any other being
for that matter, is injured, they can simply rub the balm on thelmselves and rest for a bit. In a matter of
minutes, it will heal them. During this time, the victim in question must not move or exert himself in
any way. Fortunately, the healing process only takes a few instants, so its not too much to ask. 1 'dose'
of balm heals 1 health level of damage. The healing takes double the number of HL healed in rounds to
finish.

Bridge the Broken Tongues

(Level 1 rite)
This rite has been described as a 'life saver' by those Kuei-jin who travel often. By eating a ball of burnt
rice wrapped in a sample of a culture's writing, a Kuei-jin can temporarily gain minimal proficiency in
speaking that culture's language. He cannot read or write it, or even carry on complex conversations
with it, but he does gain some basic understanding of the 'intuitive' levels of the language. The effect
lasts for a week before it must be renewed. The KJ forgets everything he learned about that language
during that time.

Placate the Angry Spirit:

(Level Two Chi Rite)

Contributed by Wise Owl

This Rite, developed by the Spiritualist of Southern Guangdong, is used to remove the hostile
influences of angry spirits in the immediate area. An inscription in Kaja is written on White Paper with
Red Ink. The Paper is burned and placed in a shallow bowl containing water and oil.
System: To the mixture is added 2 points of Chi in the form of blood, 1 of each
type. This is followed by a meditative transe and chanting. The ritualist than
makes a Charisma+Rituals Role(Difficulty the Local Wall), if succesful the local
spirits take notice, all spirits not hostile to the ritualist will probably leave out of
curusy, and even most hositle ones will flee(As long as 3 or more successes were
gained) as long as the ritualist sacrifice another point of chi for each of them.
Truly Hostile Spirits(those bent on the rituals destruction) can make a willpower
roll to resist the effects of this ritual(each success canceling one of the Ritualists).
Failure means they must leave the immediate area, or materialize, possess
somebody or otherwise 'leave' the local spirit realms. This rite effects a relativity
small area, about the size of a single room, and lasts for a single scene.

Plactate The Bitter Monkey Spirit

Level Two Ritual

Certainly every Cerulean Veil knows that although all spirits have wisdom, not all share it readily, let
alone act civil. When a Cerulean Veil needs to approach a particualarly uncooperative spirit, Plactate
The Bitter Monkey Spirit is often used to compel a spirit to at the least, converse without frivilous mind
games or trickery.
The KJ first prepares a list of titles honoring the particular spirit. Then a
ceremonial ritual takes place witch differs from Veil to Veil, most include elaborate
garb, some type of entertainment(a dance, poem, play, folding paper
etc.)devoted to the spirit, and some type of offering, whether it be an action done
in the name of the spirit or something more direct like a gift of chi. Even the most
unusual ceremonies Start and end the same way. Beginning with a centrally
located fire being started(which burns throughout the ritual)and ends with the
Kuei-jin reciting the list of titles from memory, and then burning the list prepared
before hand.
System:Roll Rituals+Charisma, difficulty 7. If part of the ceremony involves a trait
which the KJ has a higher rating in, the ST may allow the player to substitute it for
one of the lower ones. Or, for very important(or difficult) ceremonies, each
segment of the ceremony can be rolled out(with base difficulty, 6), each success
adding one to the dice pool of the final roll. One success insures that the spirit
atleast remains through the ceremony. Three successes means the spirit not only
remains but will converse with the KJ. Five or more successes garrantees some
form of useful information, providing the spirit knows any, or make even the most
malevolent or capricious spirits act with reserve. Keep in mind an ST might want
to alter the numbers depending on the strength of the spirit, or allow a roll of
gnosis or willpower to resist, subtracting from the successes garnered.

Example 1: A character has had trouble with a specific spirit in the past, unfortunatly though he has
been led back to this spirit again for help. This time he decides to use the Plactate the Bitter Monkey
Spirit to atleast get the encounter off to a good start. The event isn't that important to the session, so the
player and st decide to keep it cut-and-dry. His rituals of 4 and charisma of 3 give him a dice pool of 7,
and he rolls four success. His st decides that the information he sought was not something the spirit
would have any reserve with parting with, so after a long conversation with the spirit after the
ceremony(which he has the player roll etiquette+charisma to avoid insulting the spirit post ceremony,
and he passes) the spirit relinquishes the information, and the player moves on.

Example 2:(this example shows how to handle a ritual that is important to the story, not a more casual
usage) Joe's character Len has been noticing some strange changes in a normally calm region he
passes through often. After asking some of the easily approachable spirits in the surrounding area, he
hasn't been able to learn more. Len knows of a small mountain not too far away, he figures such spirit
should have some insight on the situation. Unfortunatly Len also learns that this spirit in paticular
tends to be distant...not responding to those who try and communicate with it, or when it does choose
to listen, seeming to fall asleep from lack of interest or a feeling of urgency, little things don't matter
much to mountains.
Len starts by preparing the list of titles neccesary for the ritual, because of the
importance he knows this encounter will play, his ST decides to extend and disect
the ritual as much as possible. For the list he lets Joe roll his lingustics to
represent how well worded Len managed to make the titles. Joe rolls his two dice
of ling., he gets a 3 and a 9. Joe has earned one extra Die for his pool for the final
roll. Next, X decides that to honor the endurance and strength of the mountain
spirit he will perform a series of katas, Joe's character has a 3 in martial arts, and
gets a 2, 6, and a 10. Another 2 dice are added to the final pool, 3 extra so far.
Lastly,in Len's first life he was a carver. As an offering he labors and makes a few
small trinkets made out of jade. His Crafts of four comes to great use as Joe rolls
two 7's, a 2, he now has six extra dice for the final pool.
A Charisma of 2 and a Ritual of 3 gives Joe a base of 5 dice, and to that he adds
his six he earned by putting a good deal of time and effort effort into the
ceremony, giving a him a dice pool of eleven for the final roll. He rolls getting;
three 3's,two 7's a 2,9,10,1,5 and 6. After it's all considered he got five successes,
not bad. Unfortunatly, the ST had decided beforehand to have the Spirit roll
willpower to resist because of the spirits nature. He rolled two successes, which
subtract from Joe's total, bringing it down to 3.
After the ceremony Len converses with the spirit briefly, the ritual was good
enough to attract his attention, but fell short of really impressing the ancient
spirit. The conversation becomes sluggish and after a short while he realizes he's
lost the spirits interest, without gaining any usefull insights.

Unfamiliar Face
(Level 2 Rite)

Earlier in her career, Mi ChiRu possessed neither the

Disciplines nor the Ritual skill to master a method of
changing her physical appearance. She was able,
however, to devise this rite as a method of preventing
people who knew her in one life from recognizing her
when she was living out a different life. Unlike most
of her "inventions", this one is almost certainly an
original creation; no Whisper is known to have been so
impatient as to resort to such trickery in their youth
previously (or thus is the spin the disapproving
Mandarins put on this Rite; some young Whispers think
it is the only hope for those without shapeshifting
powers to lead concurrent lives in the hyper-connected
modern age). There are rumors that Mi ChiRu mastered
this trick from studying the Kin-Jin mind trick which
allows them to conceal their presence or disguise
their identity from mortals; the young Whisper has not
been forthcoming on the subject one way or another.
System: A Charisma+Subterfuge roll is needed to
activate this rite; the difficulty is 5 if the
character's Appearance is 2 or 3, 6 if it is 1 or 4,
and 8 if it is 0 or 5 or higher (the more distinctive
you look the harder it is to disguise this). The
Storyteller may modify this roll as he sees fit. With
successful activation, any character who knows the
character personally in a different "mode" than they
are currently affecting will consider her a stranger
and not approach her; a character who suspects her for
some reason (because she is staring at him, or
affecting a personality quirk of the life he knows,
etc., or simply because she is behaving strangely and
calling attention to herself) may make a
Perception+Subterfuge roll difficulty 7, and if the
roll gets more successes than the Rite roll the
character recognizes the ritualist after all. Only
vampires who maintain two identities can use this
rite, and thus it is mostly useless to non-Whispers; a
character might use it to keep mortal acquaintances he
knows when "off-duty" from recognizing him when he is
acting in his vampire identity, assuming the two
differ greatly, but he could not use it simply to keep
a complete stranger from memorizing his appearance.
Walk of the Blind Messanger
(Level 2 rite)

Sometimes, subtlety is more important than speed when important information is being passed along.
This rite takes advantage of the flow of forces like karma and joss to ensure that a message delivered
by it is nigh untraceable. First, the ritemaster must fashion a small silver tube in which the message is
to be stored. The name of the individual to whom it is being sent must be carved on it. Secondly, the
message must be written in red ink and with whatever hand the author is not used to using (in case of
an ambidexterous author, he must use his mouth or find some other unconventional means.) After
preparation is completed, all the Kuei-jin needs to do is hand the tube to the first person he sees.
Without thinking, or even noticing their own actions, they'll pocket it and go on to subconciously hand
it off to the next person they run into. Thus the chain will continue until the message reaches its
intended destination. None of these people will really notice the tube as they pass it about. Since the
message is delivered by the powers of Luck and Happenstance, it typically avoids those who could see
through its enchantment (ie, beings with spiritual senses) Once the tube reaches its goal, it loses all
magical properties. The message takes 10-(Successes on Intelligence + Rituals diff 6) days to reach its
goals. A botch indicates that the message somehow fell into the hands of the worst person possible...

Way of the Young Apprentice

(Level 2 Rite)

Members of the Thousand Whispers live many lives in

search of the truths of existence. In their journey
they learn that what you don't know can be as
important as what you do. Each person normally learns
a thing only once, and for the remainder of their life
they will never again be completely ignorant of the
subject, never again know what it is to encounter that
field of study as a completely new experience. And in
centuries of unlife, a vampire may learn far more than
he wishes to. This rite allows a vampire to
temporarily or permanently "unlearn" trades or areas
of knowledge, either so that he can learn them again
or so that he can have the experience of being
ignorant of them. Mi ChiRu claims to have invented
this rite, but there is some dispute as similar rites
appear to be known to older Rootless Trees.
System: The vampire must somehow dispose of (sell,
destroy, deliberately lose, give away) all treatises
he possesses relating to the field of study he wishes
to forget. If the ability requires physical
implements to exercise, these also must be disposed
of. Only one such artifact must be retained, ideally
one most representative of the trade (the woodcarver's
favorite carving knife, a science student's battered
first-year textbook, or the like). In the course of
the rite, the ritualist chooses whether to suppress
the knowledge for a time or to erase it altogether.
To forget temporarily, the vampire tosses the object
into a fire while reciting some verse, either a
traditional text or one of his own composition, which
he must read aloud from a piece of rice paper. The
magic of the rite will prevent the fire from damaging
the object; when the verse is complete the ritualist
eats the paper and the object disappears into the
spirit world. The ritualist forgets everything he
knows about the subject, but if he begins any study or
use of the subject again in future, he will likely
remember what he has known. In game terms, if the
character performs an action that would require a roll
of that Ability (even if the difficulty would be so
low that the Storyteller would normally forgo the
roll), he must roll using the appropriate Attribute
(plus any of the Ability he has relearned; the GM
should not charge the character EXP to relearn a
temporarily forgotten ability, though he can still
only recover one dot per session by normal means).
For each success on the roll, one dot of the forgotten
ability returns to the character's memory; if the
ability returns to its previous rating, the lost
artifact will somehow return to the character soon
after. A character wishing to permanently destroy her
knowledge of a skill or subject must write her verse
on wood-pulp paper or carve it into a piece of wood;
the verse itself will of course differ, focusing on
permanently abandoning the knowledge rather than
setting it aside for a time. The artifact (which MUST
be of great personal importance for this rite to
succeed) is not thrown into the fire until the
recitation is complete, at which time both verse and
item are thrown into the fire which flares with the
intensity of an inferno for a moment as both objects
are completely incinerated, leaving no ashes and
barely a wisp of smoke. The ability is then
permanently forgotten; the character recieves two
experience points per dot of the destroyed Ability,
which may only be spent on other Abilities (the
Storyteller will rule on how long it will take to
learn these new abilities). The character may NOT
spend these extra points to reacquire the forgotten
ability, though normal EXP may be spent to do so as
little as an hour after the forgetting if the
character indeed wishes to learn the subject anew
without any foreknowledge (she will feel a desire to
pursue this field but will have no idea she ever knew
anything about it before other than that it interested
her somehow). Dots of an ability destroyed by this
version of the right are gone forever and relearning
the ability costs as much as if it had never been
known. Either version of this rite will not usually
destroy personal memories, even those closely
connected with the forgotten activity, but these
memories may become disorganized or be mixed with
false memories of the new ability purchased with the
gained EXP or other abilities of the new identity.
Note that Talents cannot usually be forgotten in this
fashion, and if the Storyteller allows such use he may
replace the destroyed artifact (since talents will not
usually have associated artifacts, save for a few such
as Expression and Streetwise) with an act of failure
or a deliberate sabotaging of a success within a few
hours of the rite (for instance the character
forgetting Brawl might have to stumble into a fight,
without deliberately starting it, and allow himself to
be beaten, or a character trying to destroy her
Subterfuge rating might have to successfully seduce a
man, then kill him as part of the rite).
White Heron's Mantle
(Level 2 rite)

A quick and simple protection spell against the forces of Yomi, this rite surrounds the Kuei-jin in a pale
nimbus of protective joss. All directly antagonizing actions against them from a servant of the Yama
kings are at +1 difficulty for the remainder of the scene. Casting it requires the Kuei-jin to write the
symbol for "Heaven" on the palm of his hand.

Agni's Blessing
(Level 3 rite)

This rite is hoarded by the Rising Phoenixes and is typically only shared in exchange for the most
valuable of favors. It is simple to cast and has 2 powerful effects. To cast it, the Kuei-jin must burn a
small offering (something somewhat personal to him) to the fire god Agni while chanting prayers to
him. Mystically, the item will burn, regardless of the material that composes it. Then, he must dab his
face with some of the ashes from the offering. After the rite is completed, the Kuei-jin will now have
all the benefits of Yang imbalance (with none of the bad side effects.) His cheeks are flushed, his lungs
filled with air, and the air around him shimmers with life and heat. In addition, he can now soak fire
damage with stamina (it steal deals agg though). The rites effects ends with the rising of the sun.

Feast of the Ghost Bride:

(Level Three Chi Rite)

Contributed by Wise Owl

This ancient, and somewhat disturbing Rite is practice throughout the Middle Kingdom. It allows a Wu
to sacrifice a Human Spirit in order to increase the power of their Nushi or some other spirit. To being
the Rite a Suitable sacrifice must be found, that is a living Human. The Young are preferred for the
vibrancy of their Chi. A Young female Virgin is traditional but hardly necessary(in fact some of the
Golden Courts demand that anything other than the eldest Male child of a Family is vary inauspicious).
The Sacrifice is stripped and anointed in Ash of human bone(again certain traditions are common with
this practice, a new born babies bones are said to be the best for this purpose), marking the symbols of
the Victims name and the spirits name. Hands must be tied to the ankles with a White Silk cord and a
piece of White Cloth spread over the victims belly, anointed with Blood forming the Kaja for
'Sacrifice'. All who are participating must practice and chant a Mantra for 3 Hours while the 'Caster' of
the Ritual meditates and communes with the Spirit.
System:At the appropriate time the Caster makes a Manipulation+Rituals
Roll(Difficulty the Local Wall) success enabling the ritual to commence. A Specially
prepared dagger, never before having touched blood, must than be trust through
the White Cloth into the victims belly, this will release the victims spirit to be
consumed and joined by the Nushi. Each participant than makes an
Intelligence+Rituals Roll(Difficult is 5+Ones Current Background rating in Nushi-1
if proper auspices as described above are observed). Each success on this roll
allows 3 Experience points to be spent to buy 1 level of the Nushi Background to a
Maximum of 5 or the number of successes on the Casters initial
Manipulation+Rituals roll. Note that such a 'heinous' act as human sacrifice might
cause Dharma rolls(either Dan or Blindness) in some people and that an
immediate act of blindness is triggered if this Ritual is used to enhance a Bane or
other tainted Spirit.

Gift of the Flea

(Level 3 rite)

Invented by a wandering wu of heimin, this rite is usually considered quite vulgar and shameful to use
in many Courts, both because of its origins and that rather unimportant deities it calls upon.
Nevertheless, few Kuei-jin can deny its usefulness, and many employ it for long distance travel. By
calling upon the King of Small Things and sprinkling a tiny offering of gold powder on any one simple
object (ie, with no more than one or two basic moving parts) the Kuei-jin may shrink it to the size of
his thumb. In this way, heavy objects may be carried long distances. The spells effects last until the KJ
calls on it to return to normal.

Resetting the Weighted Scales

(Level 3 Rite)

With limits on the amount of Yin and Yang that a body

can contain, some Whispers have felt constrained; once
they have reached a certain level of Yang mastery,
they can gain no more Yin in an attempt to balance
their beings. Mi ChiRu in particular sought to vary
her balance of Yin and Yang routinely in order to
better explore facets of her being both as a Wise
Centipede and in her "visits" with the other Dharmas.
Therefore she invented this rite (or so she claims; a
few other Whispers may have beaten her to it but the
truth is unclear), which enabled her to shift the Yang
and Yin in her body, not temporarily as the
Equilibrium Discipline (which she was a disciple of)
can accomplish, but permanently.
System: The maximum of 10 of any Virtue pair can
limit a character's ability to advance; if a character
should have 6 Yang in his body, he will be unable to
gain more than a 4 Yin (until he reaches Dharma 6,
which seldom happens to player characters who begin at
Dharma 1), so he will never experience a Balanced or
Yin balance again and will be unable to gain any Yang
without falling into an imbalance which he might never
escape. This rite allows the character to "fix" a
balance so that the characters mistakes early in
unlife of pursuing a single side of the balance to
excess need not burden him for the centuries it would
take him to reach a high enough Dharma to again
advance a Virtue. This rite can turn a Yang-balanced
or Yin-balanced character into a Balanced one or vice
versa, or can cure a permanent imbalance (as long as
the character is only one point over the necessary
balance; a Yin 8 Yang 2 character is too far gone to
cure with this rite and will likely remain as he is
for the remainder of his existence). Occasionally an
unorthodox student might seek to *create* an imbalance
with this rite, then correct it the hard way through
years or even decades of study and harsh experience.
To perform the rite, the character spends a night in
meditation on the nature of the Yin-Yang balance,
contemplating the faults of the one she seeks to
decrease and the benefits of the opposite. She then
rolls the higher of the two Attributes; with a number
of successes equal to the lower Attribute, the switch
is made and the character moves a permanent point of
Yang to Yin or vice versa without Experience cost.
The change is permanent and cannot be undone with
another use of this rite; the character may never
perform this rite again until his Virtue ratings have
changed in some other fashion (it might be possible to
convince a Mandarin or Bodhisattva to perform a
version of this rite which can affect others in order
to further modify the character's Virtues;
alternatively he might have to find a way to
permanently *lose* a point of the higher attribute due
to some sort of spirit attack or self-castigation).
When making the virtue roll, the difficulty is
normally 6, but for each dot in the Equilibrium
Discipline the character possesses, the difficulty
lowers by 1 (at the GM's option, possession of a
one-sided Discipline like Yang Prana or Flesh Shintai
attuned to the higher virtue could add one to the
difficulty if the character does not possess its
opposite).

Starve the Ghost

(Level 3 rite)

This rite is a punishment directed at uncooporative ghosts. Essentially, by chanting the Sutra of Avichi
backwards and making the appropriate mudras, the Kuei-jin prevent the wraith from being able to 'feed'
on emotion as well as he/she usually can (in crossover terms, the Wraith's temporary pathos score can
never be higher than 10 minus the number of successes in the ritual; in non-crossover terms it means
that the ghost is weakened and hungry) The ritual affects any one wraith, provided they can hear the
sutra as it is chanted. At the end of the completion of the chant, the ritual master rolls Intelligence +
Rituals (diff 6) to see how effective it is. The rituals effects last for a month, or until they are dispelled
by another sorcerer.

Extending the Dragon Veins

(Level 4 Wind/Water Rite)

On a special day of the year related to spirits, a Kuei-jin can perform this rite to fortify the spirits'
purchase in the world. This is to give a dragon nest more powerful protection against the onslaught of
the chi-tempests. It requires the assistance of the spirits to help the ritualist perform the task, the
expenditure of and exhorbitant amount of chi and a lengthy span of diligence on the part of the ritualist.
System: Performing this rite requires the ritualist to have the aid of at least three spirits for the course
of three full nights. The player must spend at least five chi points and roll Manipulation+Rituals
(difficulty of the nest level +5). Each spirit (minimum of three) gets a chi point and two points of chi
empower the dragon nest itself. Every success on the first roll raises the maximum level of successes
possible for the next roll by one (minimum of one success required). For three nights the Kuei-jin
directs their hauntings of the area in a very meticulous fashion, rolling Intelligence+Occult (difficulty
of the local Wall) to guide the spirits in the quest to extend the respect and fear of the occupied region
in the eyes of the mortals who travel through it.

The purpose of this is to make the place a better-fortified sanctuary for the spirits. If successful, the
effect will be that for a set amount of time the level of protection against spirit storms provided by the
dragon nest will be one level higher.
1 success-a week
2 successes-a month
3 successes-a season
4 successes-a year
5 successes-permanent

Relive the Faded Moment

(Level 4 rite)

Kuei-jin walking the path of the rising phoenix encounter many obstacles while seeking enlightenment.
Attempting to reach a state close to what one was in life, while moment by moment being removed
farther from it, is a daunting task. In times of desperation Relive the Faded Moment is turned to,
enabling the Kuei-jin to relive a moment from his life; granting access to lost memories, or a new
perspective on the overlooked. No matter how mundane the action relived, the Kuei-jin finds himself
able to recall the moment with extreme clarity, possibly drawing great parallels with dharmic
comprehension.
Relive the Faded Moment has also been used to help coax stubborn chih-mei out
of their frenzied state. Some scholars on the path employ the ritual upon pupils,
using a variant that allows both vision of the moment, in doing so, the teacher
prepares a koan based on the experience tailored to the disciple.
Some find the rite all too enticing, becoming ensnared in reliving their life instead
of continuing it. For this reason the details of the rite are reserved for only those
most becoming of the path and rarely-if ever-possessed by Kuei-jin from outside
the Infinite Thunders Court. Unfortunately, as with all things desirable, the
secretes of this rite have been used more than once as a bargaining chip in
alluring disillusioned Kuei-jin into the service of the Yama Kings.

System: The Kuei-jin prepares by painting an expansive mandala, rolling Perception+Expression,

difficulty determined by the maximum amount of time he is attempting to attain, as listed below. If
successful the player then makes a dharma roll, difficulty 8. A single success grants a spontaneous
insight, Additional successes extend this time;
1 spontaneous insight
2 turn
3 scene
4 day
5 week
6 month
7 year
8+ ???
This time is only a maximum, highly emotional or physical occurrences warrant a
dharma roll, difficulty set by the storyteller, to determine whether or not the
character is overcome by the experience. As long as one success is gained, the
rite continues. If the player fails, the rite ends abruptly and he loses a point of
temporary willpower. In the event of a botch, the player suffers an act of blindness
and must roll accordingly.
The result of successfully completing the rite is left up to the storyteller, whether
it simply be a tool of the story or have more tangible rewards. An inspired Phoenix
may regain willpower, or having possibly made a great breakthrough in insight,
treat it as an Auspicious Occasion.
While affected by the rite, the Kuei-jin lies dormant and other measures need be
taken if the protection of the body is to be ensured. The Kuei-jin is oblivious to
what goes on outside of his dream like state, but at any time he has the ability to
end it, unless he was not the one who initiated it. Also, if any harm is done to the
body, the rite ends and the player slingshots back, making a shadow soul roll to
determine whether the Hun or Po takes control after the shock.
If uninterrupted, the rite continues until the maximum, passing equal amounts of
time in and outside of the dream-state. Some speculate that a Phoenix
exceedingly far on the path could re-experience an entire lifetime in this way and
many young Phoenixes use the rumor to explain the lack of high-ranking followers
of the dharma, accrediting this rite with their mysterious disappearances. The
effects of reliving a life, birth to death, and what it would be learned from it, is a
favorite point of conjecture and debate among the more scholarly minded
Phoenixes.

Artifacts
Chi Diviner(Level 1): This small, smoothly polished wooden staff, topped off with paper lightning
bolts, is useful for those wandering Kuei-jin who need to find the closest Dragon Nest in a hurry. By
balancing the staff on the ground, meditating for a brief period of time, then kicking it over, he can
determine the approximate direction towards the nearest Dragon Nest (the way the staff falls points the
direction) Note that Nests obfuscated mystically cannot be detected in this manner.
Jizo's Cap (Level 1): Jizo Bosatsu is something of a legend among those who survived Kakuri's frigid
nightmares. When leading some poor soul out of Hell, Jizo has been known to remove his broad-
brimmed straw hat (think those umbrella hats they always wear in samurai flix) and give it to whoever
he was helping along in an effort to keep their heads warm and the snow out of their eyes. Upon
drawing their 2nd breath, such souls would often be surprised to find the hat still on their heads. Such
Kuei- jin hold on tightly to these artifacts, treasuring them as a sign that somewhere, somehow,
redemption still exists for them. Many have also discovered that these hats have helped them in times
of need, demonstrating small but miraculous powers. The rules for these hats are rather vague.
Essentially, at the ST's discretion, once per story, when the cap is donned, any one roll the player makes
is at a -2 difficulty. This should be unpredictable, however, and usually only work at moments most
relevant to the story. Note that these powers only work for the Kuei-jin who was originally given the
hat.
Veil of the Heavenly Dancer (Level 3[ou sr 1?]): These veils, so transparent as to scarcely exist, are
said to have been dropped directly from Heaven by careless celestial concubines (ha! How's that for
illiteration!) While the validity of such claims is up for debate, there is no doubt that the craftsmanship
involved in the creation of one of these artifacts is far beyond the capacity of any mere mortal. When
the veil is wrapped around an individual, they will find themselves completely weightless and capable
of flight (same as the Jade shintai power). In addition, when waved, the veil releases a fragrant perfume
that fills all within range with a sensation of pleasant euphoria (All actions are at +2 difficulty. Effects
can be shaken off for a round with a successful willpower diff 7 roll) Heavenly veils are easily
damaged, however, and even a good splash of wather is enough to completely dissolve one. They are
extremely rare and prized.
Bowl of the Naga (Level 2): This ornate and beautifully-crafted green bowl is shaped like a coiled
serpant. When any nonmagical liquid is placed inside, it is automatically transformed into a sweet-
smelling water. Those who drink it gain an extra level of stamina for the next 2 hours, in addition,
wound penalities during that time are weakened by one level.
Despite its name, many scholars doubt that the bowl has any connections to the Hengeyokai. Rather,
some suggest that it may be linked to an ancient Indian cult of Kuei-jin that use the snake as a central
metaphor for their beliefs.
Burning Claws of the Tiger General (Level 2): Resembling a small tiger-claw with the kaja for
'required murder' inscribed upon it, this tiny artifact has the potential to transform its user into a deadly
warrior. By spending a point of yang-chi, the wielder suffuses his body with burning energies. Stripe
like tattoos appear all over his body, his eyes turn to slits, and his breath stinks of torn flesh. In addition
to this frightening demeanor (-1 diff on intimidation rolls) the Kuei-jin also gains the ability to deal
aggravated damage with his bare hands (expending 1 chi per blow to get the agg). There are said to be
somewhere around 50 of these claws in existence.
Devil-Cowering Whip (Level 2): This long whip is made from the hair of female shih and the handle
is ivory with an ornate design of one of the Devil-Tiger arhats standing over a frightened demon. When
imbued with a point of chi (yin or yang) the whip can strike out into the corresponding world with a chi
virtue VS wall-rating roll (lasts for 1 scene per chi). The whip deals normal damage, but is particularly
painful for spirits and is quite useful in getting a closed-mouthed entity to spill its guts. Devil Tigers
make the most use of these weapons, but its hardly rare to see one in the hands of the follower of
another dharma. Not all spirits are respectful of the old rules, after all.
Immaculate Dove Jewel (Level 2): This beautiful, milky crystal is the cornerstone of the Brotherhood
of Transient Purity (a Buddhist/Christian Kuei-jin order dedicated to the idea that moral purity is the
natural state of all living things, and that by seeking this lost state can hope to attain the wonders of
paradise while still dwelling in the mortal world.) Wearing it and imbuing it with a point of chi has the
following effects: (1) The wearer loses any ability to use his Demon Arts and essentially cuts him off
from his pool of demon chi for as long as it is worn. (2) All Hun rolls are at -1 difficulty. (3) It emits a
pale white glow in the presence of those seriously considering violent actions. The Kuei-jin in question
must be fully aware of the gem's abilities and be perfectly willing to accept its conditions in order for it
to affect him in any way. The Kuei-jin may still access demon arts at any time provided he removes the
gem. This breaks the contract between him and the powers bound to it, however, and it must be
renewed with yet another point of chi. Breaking the contract too often in this manner will attract bad
joss
Crimson Eye of Sujaku (Level 3): On this large, smoothly-polished ruby can be seen an intricately
done carving of a large phoenix in flight. All around it are written lines of poetry in kaja and a mystical
form of Arabic script. Legend has it that these rubies were made by Abad Al'Saddim, a travelling Kuei-
jin who converted to the Islamic faith centuries ago and picked up much of Egyptian magic.
The ruby imbues those who carry it with the immortality of the phoenix. If the wearer is bound to the
ruby (requires a ceremony described in the writing on the ruby) he automatically gains 3 temporary
health levels in addition to his normal 7. These health levels are 1 extra -1, 1 extra -2, and 1 extra -5,
respectively. These levels cannot be regained with chi expenditure, but rather require that the wearer
spend a day in meditation.
Pearls of Xing Rei (Level 3): Xing Rei was an accomplished Yin-Yang theorist and assassin who
developed many spells and weapons embodying those two elements of his life. Among his creations,
these pearls are the most commonly found. Coming in sets of red (yang) and black (yin) they're
essentially tiny pearls with kaja carved into them. When the pearls are imbued with a point of yin or
yang energy (corresponding to their respective colors) they levitate around their user, either burning
with flame or hissing with icy energy. They remain there until the kaja inscribed on them are
pronounced and a target is selected, at which point they streak towards it unerringly (think D&D magic
missiles... cannot be dodged save by overpowered NPCs or the Flash.) The pearls strike with enough
force and speed that they are capable of tearing through flesh (4 automatic HL, aggravated) The black
pearls deal an icy strike, causing almost instant frostbite and rendering the victim sluggish (-2 dice on
all actions until the wound is healed) while the red pearls cause their victim to partially ignite (2 health
levels of damage per round until the flame is extinguished) They can also strike beings hiding behind
the Wall. Once used, a pearl either disintegrates into ash or hardens into ice and splinters. Xing Rei
pearls can come in any form; a whole bunch in a big box or a part of earrings and other jewelry. Buying
this artifact once gets the PC 4 pearls.
Heaven's Piercing Wrath(level 1 [ou ser 3?]): A long dagger usually given to righteous Cranes as an
assassins tool (there are rumors that this artifact has found a place with certain Devil Tigers
in the past), it is slender and intricately carved. The point deals greater wounds than any
blade of its size and it has a superior sharpness rarely touched upon by mortal weaponry.
System:This weapon has a long blade that may be concealed in a jacket or larger clothing. It deals
strength + 2 damage, with the damage roll being made at difficulty 4.
Mandala of Omniscience (Level 4): These long scrolls resemble childlike fingerpaintings more than
actual mandalas. Nevertheless, great insight is uncovered in their study. By meditating in front of a
mandala, an enlightened individual may suddenly comprehend any one completely random thing.
Essentially, by meditating (Per+Med diff 8) and paying the requisite xp, a character may receive a dot
in any knowledge, talent, or skill he did not previously possess. Now, this is completely random (ie,
ST's discretion) and still requires the same amount of xp to get. But it is much faster learning and does
not require a teacher or textbook. Thus, theoretically, a Kuei- jin could gain a dot in Kindred Lore all
on his own. More then one starting dot cannot be gained in this manner, however.
Blue Crane Blade (Level 5): Forged in the coldest regions of Kakuri, this Chinese longsword is cold
to the touch and seems to suck up all the heat in the area when drawn. Its thin, icy-cold blade is
inscribed with a great number of tiny kaja that recount the tales of the Blue Crane Sage, a bodhisattva
of Xues second generation of students. As it is a weapon of nearly pure yin, Blue Crane Blade cannot
be wielded by those infused with yang energies. Any with a yang imbalance who touch it will be filled
with frigid agony an lose a point of yang chi (or gnosis if you're a Hengeyokai)
Blue Crane Blade has the following powers: Upon striking any foe, it will absorb a point of yang chi
from them, transforming it into yin, and releasing it as a small wave of icy, screaming energy. The
hengeyokai and Thrashing dragons have learned to fear this blade for percicely this reason. Secondly,
for as long as Blue Crane Blade is drawn, its wielder recieves 4HL of autosoak against allheat/flame
based attacks (Yin-type fires such as barrowflame and yin ghostflame shintai don't count) as such
energies transform into yin and dissapate in the presence of the blade's magic. Also, all natural flames
immediately are extinguished when within 50 feet of the sword when it is drawn. Blue Crane Blade
deals agg damage as a normal longsword. It must be kept in a specially enspelled scabbard in order to
keep its powers in check. The sword is considered a holy relic, worthy of contemplation, and any
Boneflower wielding it receieves a +2 social bonus in the presence of his peers. It has also been used to
kill many demons, however,and will attract significant amounts of negative attention if used
excessively.
Gai-Shapan's Mirror (Level 5): This legendary bronze mirror has the power to see through ANY
illusion. In order to make it work, the user must hold it up so that it reflects the illusion that is to be
seen through. Immediately, the mirror will reveal the truth. In addition, it will reveal the 'natural' form
of any shen reflected in it. Thusly, a Hengeyokai will look like his breedform, while a shape-shifting
mage will show his true colors. Gai-Shapan only made one such mirror and it is highly coveted by
many. Rumors place it somewhere in the Green Courts at the moment.

Vajra Spear (Level 5): A symbol of great status and prowess among the mightiest of Kuei-jin warriors,
the Vajra spear is a massive weapon (10 feet long) with ornate blades (3 feet long each) on either end of
its haft (which is 4 feet). These blades are typically constructed from some sort of mystical material,
such as jade, gold, or silver. The spear allows its wielder to deal St+4 damage in combat and strikes
against servants of the Yama Kings with a will of its own (+2 to melee when fighting such creatures,
even if this exceeds the Kuei-jin's dharmic limit) In combat, Vajra Spears let out horrific shrieks and
howls and at the height of battle will often discharge electrical sparks and tiny lightning bolts (no
mechanical effect; just looks cool. "I want you to meet my screaming, howling, badass- mutha&*^a of
a friend!") The wielder also has the option of hurling this weapon. Once thrown, the spear becomes a
spiritual missile o' death, blazing with lightning. If struck, the target must roll willpower (difficulty =
the number of total successes for damage the spears owner just rolled. This includes damage that was
soaked). If the roll fails then the shen in question cannot use any of his supernatural abilities (including
shape-shifting for hengeyokai) for the remainder of the night. Finally, a Vajra Spear will always return
to the hand that owns it (ownership is established via a little-known rite) when called. The only
condition is that the owner must be in sight of the spear (ie, he must literally be able to see it) Certain
courts keep such spears which are then broken out and given to the most competent warrior during
times of war against the Yama Kings. The wielder must be attuned to the spear through a particular rite
in order to use its powers (otherwise it's just a clumsy spear that deals st+1).

Blade of the Great Oni

(level 5 artifact)

This weapon is one of legendary renown, said to have the P'o of the Bodhisattvas
trapped within it. While it looks to be nothing more than a typical Chinese broad
sword, the Blade of the Great Oni in fact has a great store of personal Demon Chi.
It is said among the Courts that the creator of this artifact used a combination of
the Dragon Tear, Cultivation and a powerful binding rite to invest the P'o of a
particularly ferocious elder Kuei-jin to bring it to being.

The Blade of the Great Oni has an effective P'o rating of 10 for purposes of
storing Demon Chi. When using the weapon, the holder may draw upon this tainted chi
only for actions involving the weapon. The weapon also allows its user access to
Black Wind 3 and is effectively a Demon Shintai weapon in its own right. So, when
using the weapon the player may spend a point of its chi to get three extra actions
in the turn (even if he has a higher Black Wind rating than the sword, he must
adhere to its limitations unless he wants to spend his own Demon Chi reserves); or
he may spend 3 points of the Demon Chi to turn the sword into a demon weapon that
deals aggravated damage while simultaneously imbuing its holder with +1 to all
physical attributes for purposes of wielding the sword, so he can strike for more
damage, parry with greater skill and even borrow some of the sword's hardiness
while blocking with it but any punches or kicks he throws will use his own basic
attributes. The sword deals Strength +3 damage and does not effect the character's
appearance when he draws upon its Demon Shintai powers.

In order to recharge the Blade of the Great Oni, the wielder must sleep with the
weapon in hand. Over the course of the night, the weapon will draw upon the
player's own P'o, taking the Demon Chi he would have gained for its own benefit.
This means that the character cannot gain Demon Chi until the sword is filled to
capacity, unless he wants to put the sword aside during slumber. The sword can also
be recharged by placing it in contact with the rare pieces of jade that channel
Demon Chi or a Defiled Dragon Nest. The wielder may never use the chi in the Blade
of the Great Oni for anything other than fueling the weapon's powers.