Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Cover of Kindred of the East Designer(s) Publisher(s) Rob Hatch White Wolf
Publication date February 1, 1998 Genre(s) System(s) Personal Horror Storyteller System
World of Darkness
Vampire series Vampire Settings World of Darkness Clans World of Darkness Concepts Old World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade Clans & Bloodlines Masquerade Society Cainite History Vampire Lore Genealogy New World of Darkness Vampire: The Requiem Clans & Bloodlines Other Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Mind's Eye Theatre
Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement by White Wolf Game Studio to 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.
Overview
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 with Dracula 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.
Themes
Kuei-jin are beings torn by inner conflict, and the themes of the game relate to this heavily. Unlike Western vampires, Kuei-jin are revenants and thus spiritual beings in nature.
Dharmas
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.
Kindred of the East 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 Po, who can consume only Tainted Chi and yet are not Akuma.
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. Bartering their souls for power, Akuma enter Faustian deals with the Yama Kings and pursue only power.
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/