Editing Kindred of the East (section)

==Out of Hell, and the Road Back==
Unlike Cainites, Kuei-jin are "born" when a strong-willed soul manages to fight its way back from what is (in essence) Hell, and crawl back into its body.  In this regard, they are similar to the traditional "Revenant" of folklore.  Having died denying one facet or another of their lives before falling into despair, depravity, or sudden violence, these damned souls now find themselves in the living world once more.  Now they seek to find meaning to their new Unlives, repay their Kharmic debt, and either enter Heaven or exit the Great Cycle.

In the turbulence of the Modern age not many succeed, and as the Sixth Age approaches, there might not even ''be'' time to do so anymore.

===We All Start Somewhere===
All Kuei-jin start out as a ''chih-mei'', a feral thing in thrall of its ''P'o'' and with a bad case of munchies for human flesh (as this is the most readily-available source of Chi). Many Kuei-jin never get past this state, and their eventual fate is to either be used as undead guard dogs by the local Court, or destroyed by [[Hunter: The Reckoning|by Witch Hunters after they've eaten one villager too many]], shapeshifting [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse|Hengeyokai]], or other ''shen''.

In rare instances, a Kuei-jin breaks free of their animalistic state of their own accord, but most of the time a Court will seek out and collect chih-mei, to test and see if any would return to sapience (meaning their rational Hun manages to subdue the bestial P'o). Those that do proceed to the next step in their unlife's journey.

===New Meat for the Courts===
The newly self-aware Kuei-jin are not immediately absorbed into the Court that found them. Instead they are considered as ''hin'', or non-persons, and will remain so for the duration of their initial training (called ''re'').  As hin have no rights, they can be arbitrarily cut down if they even annoy more established Kuei-jin, so it's no wonder that many learn to be mindful of social etiquette and be ''very'' civil.

Hin will be trained rigorously, not just by an assigned ''sifu'' (teacher), but most of the Court members that can spare the time.  They are instructed on things that will aid them in navigating Kuei-jin society, from calligraphy, to martial arts, to the etiquette of the Unliving and that of the Spirit World.  Here they also learn their Disciplines and supernatural arts, as well as the manipulation of Chi.  They also learn to come to grips with their vampiric nature: sating their hunger, mastering their wave and fire natures, and avoiding the sun.  As their Shadow finally manifests, they are also trained on how to confront their inner Demon, and use its power, lest they be consumed by their P'o.

This is also the time where a Kuei-jin begins their path along a Dharma, the way to enlightment.  Representatives of each Dharma study the hin, then consult with each other to see which student fits which Dharma best.  

During this time the hin's every word and action is scrutinized by the community as a whole.  They may catch the eye of an established member of the Court, who may take them on as a student or petitioner, and in the process gets introduced to the politics of a Kuei-jin Court.  

Eventually every hin will experience a final "exam", essentially a big community party where they will have to prove themselves to the Court.  As there are ''also'' mortals among the gathered, the hin have to be able to conduct themselves with poise, courtesy, and subtlety.  At the same time, hin will also have to show expertise in their selected Disciplines, control over their wave and fire natures (frenzy), or their Chi.  One bad screw up, and a sign of displeasure from a Court Ancestor, will see a hin is swiftly escorted out of the proceedings, never to be seen again after.

Those that manage to survive this social gauntlet are formally welcomed by the Ancestor and Mandarins, and join the Court as disciples.  They are now considered full members of the community, with all the rights and social expectations that entail.  The Kuei-jin at this point will be assigned a "direction" based on the day the vampire arose to Second Breath, and inducted to a '''wu''' -- a group with (usually) four other vampires that will become a Kuei-jin's second family.   

In previous ages, the period lasted as long as twenty-four years; in the current age, the equivalent training is squeezed into about five.  As a result, masters normally don't have the patience to spare, and students who don't show the emotional and spiritual fortitude to survive the time to come are usually dealt with harshly and lethally.

===Unlife Debut===
Upon joining a ''wu'', the formally-accepted Kuei-jin enter the period normally called '''Koa'''.  Usually lasting the period of a human lifetime, this is when a Cathayan begins to explore his new nature as well as find his place in the world.  For many, the Koa is a time to indulge in sensual pleasures, and settle old scores among the living. For others, it's simply the first step on the long road to enlightenment.

To the shock of many Ancestors, new Kuei-jin usually spend this time making their marks on the society of unliving, putting their own ambition over the good of Kuei-jin society as a whole.  

Naturally, this is the point where many a new campaign for Kuei-jin start.