Kindred of the East

"We bear the mandate of Heaven to punish sinners and turn the Wheel of Ages. We are atrocity incarnate, burning bright to cauterize the corruption of the world. We are Heaven's Devils, who have clawed their way back from Hell to show the world what evil truly is, and to light a firee that will burn away the Ages." -- Dharmabook: Devil-Tigers

Now that we have explored the rules and Disciplines of Kindred of the East, it is now time to meet some more of the crypt. First off, the Devil-Tigers. I've provided Discipline spreads in three models; an all-KJ Discipline spreada, '50% KJ Disciplines as new', and lastly a '25% KJ Discipline as new' distribution.

You will note that the power curve of these vampires is off by approx. 1 point; that was intentional, and due to the relative lack of focus of KJ Disciplines. This imbalance would have to be corrected if we adopted a mixed-Discipline approach.

An Ning, Minister of Protocol
a. [DEMON SHINTAI, dragon tears, ghost-flame shintai]
b. [ , dragon tears, ghost-flame shintai]
c. [ , , ghost-flame shintai]

Chiu Bao, First Oni
a. [BLOOD SHINTAI, DEMON SHINTAI, dragon tears, ghost-flame shintai]
b. [, + BLOOD SHINTAI, ghost-flame shintai]
c. [ , , + ghost-flame shintai]

Crimson Peony, the Bonfire
a. [BLACK WIND, DEMON SHINTAI, DRAGON TEARS, ghost-flame shintai, jade shintai]
b. [ , , , + DRAGON TEARS, ghost-flame shintai]
c. [ , , , + ghost-flame shintai]

Ho Hsu-Tu
a. [GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI, cultivation]
b/c. [as above; both (GFSH) and (CUL) would be new Disciplines]

No-Shadow Raven
a. [DRAGON TEARS, DEMON SHINTAI, GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI, KIAI]
b. [ , + DRAGON TEARS, GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI]
c. [ , + GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI]

Yoshida Ozaki
a. [BLACK WIND, GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI, demon shintai, equilibrium]
b/c. [ , + GHOST-FLAME SHINTAI, equilibrium]

I will provide similar overviews of the other Quincunx Dharmas in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled!

cheers
Disco Stu
Prince of Melbourne, Australia

"It is said that to starve to death is a very small matter, while to lose one's integrity is very serious indeed. We Cranes are the guardians of Cathayan integrity, and we take our role very seriously indeed. It is in our hands to uphold the mandate of Heaven and return our people to a state of grace. While vampirism is a just punishment for our damnable transgressions, that punishment does not need to be eternal. Through the strictest application of law and doctrine, we Cranes will return to our blessed state and become the holiest of warriors once more."

We have encountered the depradations of the Devil-Tigers, and now it is time to meet their polar opposites - the Resplendent Cranes. Once again, I've provided Discipline spreads in three models; an all-KJ Discipline spreada, '50% KJ Disciplines as new', and lastly a '25% KJ Discipline as new' distribution.

Cheng Yi
a. [BLOOD SHINTAI, DRAGON TEARS, INTERNALIZE, OBLIGATION, iron mountain]
b. [ + BLOOD SHINTAI, DRAGON TEARS, INTERNALIZE]
c. [ + INTERNALIZE]

Chou Tun Yi
a. [BLOOD SHINTAI, OBLIGATION, demon shintai, feng shui, internalize]
b. [ + BLOOD SHINTAI, feng shui, internalize]
c. [ + internalize]

Han Hui
a. [INTERNALIZE, OBLIGATION, blood shintai]
b. [ + INTERNALIZE, blood shintai]
c. [ + INTERNALIZE]

Lu Po-kung
a. [INTERNALIZE, OBLIGATION, TAPESTRY, demon shintai]
b. [ + INTERNALIZE, TAPESTRY]
c. [ + INTERNALIZE]

Po Ying
a. [BLOOD SHINTAI, DEMON SHINTAI, internalize]
b. [ + BLOOD SHINTAI, internalize]
c. [ + internalize]

Khuc Nguyet, Fist of Victory
a. [obligation]
b/c. [ ]

These six Resplendent Cranes, I should add, are envisioned as a pretty solid cross-section for a starter deck; x2 copies each and you've got yourself a functional crypt, albeit one that could benefit from a couple of Zillah's Valleys! Again, I'll add the caveat that 'points' would need to be lowered if traditional VTES Disciplines are added to the mix.

Another note: Obligation is a Discipline with some overlap to both Dominate and Presence. It doesn't have the strict mind control aspect of , though, so I figured that would be a more natural fit. Plus, the fewer Dominate weenies added the better, hey? (I'd almost be tempted to make it to play up the 'exotic' angle, but it's a less obvious fit from a roleplaying perspective so would have to be talked around to that one.) That said, Presence does provide a lot more vote push than I originally intended to have in Obligation, so that'd need to be taken into consideration when adjusting the minion cards.

cheers,

Disco Stu
Prince of Melbourne

"We are Shadow Songs, bone flowers, death-dancers, subtle disciples who hear the quiet voice that whisper forth from the eternal blackness of Yin. We are cold, unyielfing and unemotional. Our knowledge is supreme, our powers terrifying. We see the ancestors' ghosts and honour them. We are silent and deadly, scholar-assassins and mystics of the Underworld. Fear our ways."

The third of the Quincunx Dharmas are the Shadow Songs. Once more, I've provided Discipline spreads in three models; an all-KJ Discipline spreada, '50% KJ Disciplines as new', and lastly a '25% KJ Discipline as new' distribution. This time, though, I've included a few Advanced crypt cards for variety...

Miki, the Empty Hand
a. [bone shintai, cultivation, mibasham]
b. [ + cultivation, mibasham]
c. [ + cultivation]

Han Hanshou
a. [BEAST SHINTAI, MIBASHAM, YIN PRANA]
b. [ + MIBASHAM]
c. [ ]

Ku Zu, Bone Ancestor
a. [BONE SHINTAI, CULTIVATION, YIN PRANA]
b/c. [ + CULTIVATION]

Kuro-Sama, Exalted Sensei
a. [BONE SHINTAI, YIN PRANA, beast shintai, black wind, cultivation, mibasham]
b. [ + cultivation, mibasham]
c. [ + cultivation]

Lili Zhou
a. [YIN PRANA, bone shintai, flesh shintai]
b/c. [ ]

Masahiro
a. [bone shintai, yin prana]
b/c. [ ]

I've tossed around a few thoughts on how to approach a match for Yin Prana. As the discipline has a number of stealth effects, my first thought was Obfuscate. However, in an effort to play up the mystical elements of Yin - as well as removing access of core disciplines from the Kuei-Jin - I've settled on Necromancy. This has some precedent in the roleplaying game, as rogue Kindred have actually taught a few Necromancy rituals to the Shadow Songs in the past.

Bone Shintai possesses the bonecrafting element of Vicissitude, but quickly goes off on its own direction that wouldn't match that Discipline's effects. I thought that Thanatosis might be an appropriately odd match, but keen to receive feedback if anyone can think of a better match .

Six Thrashing Dragons will follow soon, with the enigmatic Thousand Whispers later down the track to round out the Quincunx. Note that my original proposal would exclude the Thousand Whispers until the first 'expansion' to the KOTE core set, but for the purposes of completeness I figured I'd show off Mike's great work designing the Whispers' background art.

cheers all,

Disco Stu
Prince of Melbourne, Australia

"Some call us worshippers of nature, as if to imply we are somehow weak-willed or non-threatening. Never forget that the blood on a raging's tiger claws is nature, that the merciless cruelty of a typhoon is nature. We dance like the raging dragon, flowing like the teeming river. We never stop, for to stop is to die. We are passionate cratures, full of laughter and hunger, and masters of predatory enlightment. We are the Thrashing Dragons."

Back again for installment #4. This time we're looking at the Thrashing Dragons, who you've already seen a brief glimpse of when I put up some sample crypt images a while ago.

Asako Kiko
a. [IRON MOUNTAIN, YANG PRANA, flesh shintai]
b/c. [ + YANG PRANA]

Black Earth Boy
a. [FLESH SHINTAI, IRON MOUNTAIN, TAPESTRY, YANG PRANA, jade shintai]
b. [ + TAPESTRY, YANG PRANA]
c. [ + YANG PRANA]

Okui Miyu
a. [flesh shintai, tapestry]
b. [ + tapestry]
c. [ ]

Old Man Spider
a. [FENG SHUI, FLESH SHINTAI, TAPESTRY, iron mountain, mibasham, yang prana]
b. [ + TAPESTRY, mibasham, yang prana]
c. [ + yang prana]

Piyau Piyang
a. [FLESH SHINTAI, IRON MOUNTAIN, KIAI, YANG PRANA, ghost-flame shintai, tapestry]
b. [ + YANG PRANA, ghost-flame shintai, tapestry]
c. [ + YANG PRANA, ghost-flame shintai]

Suro
a/b. [tapestry, yang prana]
c. [ + yang prana]

Note that in these most recent updates I've been equating Feng Shui - a minor discipline, non-clan to all Dharmas - into Auspex . Mytherceria would also be a good fit, and Auspex could either be dumped (in a quest to remove more commonly found Disciplines from the mix) or used for Tzu Wei, a Discipline found a couple of expansions down the track once we come to the Heretical Kuei-Jin.

cheers
Disco Stu
Prince of Melbourne, Australia

Very Sweet!!!
Keep up the good work!

"They call us Rootless Trees, Broken Masks, Hollow Reeds. We are chameleons living amongst the breathing masses, learning from our many lives like the centipede learns from its steps. Each step brings us closer to enlightenment, and each is forgotten when it is over.
To the Courts, we are agents of balance, correcting others when they become too decadent, too moral, too still or too restless. For this, they call us 'mysterious' and 'inscrutable' to our faces... behind closed doors, they say 'mad' and 'treacherous'. The others distrust our riddles and visions. They do not realise that our insight gives us the power to grasp the emptiness that dwells at the heart of all existence, to conquer death and life alike."

The last of the five Dharmas of the Quincunx sect are the enigmatic Thousand Whispers. They are probably the hardest to define, in roleplaying terms, as the other four seem to stand for something concrete whilst the Whispers sit in the middle, constantly changing perspective and identity. In VTES terms, I wanted to play up the 'mystical enlightenment' angle of this strange Dharma, so I gave them a range of effects that target Omens and Tenets. One of their key disciplines, Equilibrium, also affects Yin and Yang cards. In that way, they are perhaps the most Kuei-Jin of all the Kuei-Jin!

Cho Sen Ho
a. [INTERNALIZE, dragon tears, flesh shintai, jade shintai]
b. [ + INTERNALIZE, dragon tears ]
c. [ + INTERNALIZE]

Empty Cup
a. [jade shintai]
b/c. [ ]

Hakari
a. [EQUILIBRIUM, INTERNALIZE, feng shui, yang prana]
b/c. [ + EQUILIBRIUM, INTERNALIZE, yang prana]

Jotaro
a. [equilibrium, jade shintai]
b/c. [ + equilibrium]

Lun Meng
a. [EQUILIBRIUM, FENG SHUI, JADE SHINTAI, black wind]
b/c. [ + EQUILIBRIUM]

True Jade
a. [DRAGON TEARS, EQUILIBRIUM, INTERNALIZE, JADE SHINTAI, ghost-flame shintai, yin prana]
b. [ + DRAGON TEARS, EQUILIBRIUM, INTERNALIZE, ghost-flame shintai]
c. [ + EQUILIBRIUM, INTERNALIZE, ghost-flame shintai]

The Yin Chi and Yang Chi cards referenced on True Jade's text are common cards found in the set; think of them as equivalent to Orun and Aye, for Laibon.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'd envisioned the Thousand Whispers to wait until the second release (a 60-card mini-expansion, entitled Courts of the Quincunx). Dropping the core release down to four key Dharmas made it much easier to keep the crypt numbers from spiralling out of control, not to mention the Dharma-specific cards that go along with each new addition. Set 3, Shadow War, was intended to nicely fill out the Thousand Whispers crypt selection as well as introducing the Tempests, heretical warrior-priests who also use the Equilibrium discipline.

But, all that is a while off! I'm taking the opportunity to re-cut set designs to ensure the concepts are as integrated with mainstream VTES as possible. Look out for more stuff soon, and please keep feedback coming, particularly on Discipline selections and new mechanics (P'o, Tenet, etc.).

cheers
Disco Stu
Prince of Melbourne, Australia