Kindred of the East - Revision history

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2023-06-21T16:22:55Z

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1d4chan>Ow, My Sanity.: Checked the wiki and books, looks like "Hundred Clouds" is the actual term.

2023-06-06T09:54:22Z

Checked the wiki and books, looks like "Hundred Clouds" is the actual term.

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:54, 6 June 2023
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	Futher along the path still are the '''[[Bodhisattva]]s'''. Even the intrigues of Court unlife have lost their colour to these Kuei-jin, who have long discovered that these are distractions to the attainment of Enlightenment. Many of them retreat from the world almost entirely, to meditate on forlorn mountain hideaways about the vagarities of existence. As they stand on the cusp of attaining heaven, the power these enlightened beings radiate can often be overwhelming, even painful, for younger Kuei-jin, yet at the same time they are examples of what the lowest disciple can eventually attain.		Futher along the path still are the '''[[Bodhisattva]]s'''. Even the intrigues of Court unlife have lost their colour to these Kuei-jin, who have long discovered that these are distractions to the attainment of Enlightenment. Many of them retreat from the world almost entirely, to meditate on forlorn mountain hideaways about the vagarities of existence. As they stand on the cusp of attaining heaven, the power these enlightened beings radiate can often be overwhelming, even painful, for younger Kuei-jin, yet at the same time they are examples of what the lowest disciple can eventually attain.

	The final step of the Dharmic journey is that of the '''[[Arhat]]'''. The Kuei-jin finally becomes Enlightened; the process often takes millennia, but when that moment clarity happens, the cares of the Mortal World falls away, and they enter the ~~Thousand~~ Clouds. Their kharmic debt was paid, and they are finally free from the Great Cycle.		The final step of the Dharmic journey is that of the '''[[Arhat]]'''. The Kuei-jin finally becomes Enlightened; the process often takes millennia, but when that moment clarity happens, the cares of the Mortal World falls away, and they enter the Hundred Clouds. Their kharmic debt was paid, and they are finally free from the Great Cycle.

	While the base Kindred of the East rulebook claims that there are no Arhats left in the waking world, the individual Dharma books that followed contradict this, and say that yes, there are still a few of these super-enlightened beings hanging around. While they're ''supposed'' to move on to Heaven (and many indeed do), the few mentioned stay in the Middle Kingdom by ''choice''. This is ''especially'' true of the Devil Tigers, whose Arhats are waiting for the Sixth Age to arrive... So that they can gank the Demon King when he even tries to ascend to the vacated throne of the August Personage.		While the base Kindred of the East rulebook claims that there are no Arhats left in the waking world, the individual Dharma books that followed contradict this, and say that yes, there are still a few of these super-enlightened beings hanging around. While they're ''supposed'' to move on to Heaven (and many indeed do), the few mentioned stay in the Middle Kingdom by ''choice''. This is ''especially'' true of the Devil Tigers, whose Arhats are waiting for the Sixth Age to arrive... So that they can gank the Demon King when he even tries to ascend to the vacated throne of the August Personage.
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	===Defunct Courts===		===Defunct Courts===
	* '''Five August Courts''': The predecessors to the Quincunx, founded in the wake of their ousting from Mount Meru by a group of Kuei-Jin known only as the Five Emperors. These groups became the bedrock of Kuei-Jin society during the Fourth Age, but gradually began to drift in purpose after the Five Emperors paid their debts and ascended to the ~~Thousand~~ Clouds. They collapsed some time after the Mongol invasions, which bought Cainites and other Western supernaturals to the Middle Kingdom alongside the mortal invaders; in the aftermath, the Quincunx was founded to pick up the slack.		* '''Five August Courts''': The predecessors to the Quincunx, founded in the wake of their ousting from Mount Meru by a group of Kuei-Jin known only as the Five Emperors. These groups became the bedrock of Kuei-Jin society during the Fourth Age, but gradually began to drift in purpose after the Five Emperors paid their debts and ascended to the Hundred Clouds. They collapsed some time after the Mongol invasions, which bought Cainites and other Western supernaturals to the Middle Kingdom alongside the mortal invaders; in the aftermath, the Quincunx was founded to pick up the slack.
	** '''Scarlet Phoenix Court''': Aspected South. They were like a hybrid of the Flesh and Golden Courts, colonising the jungles of the south and getting into bloody nightly battles with the demons, spirits, and ''shen'' already present there. The rest of the courts didn't much like them either, with the Court of the Yellow Emperor in particular pressuring them to [[meme\|RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!]] and openly warring with them when they refused. The SPC eventually fell after the twin pressures of the August Courts and the nightly battles drove its Ancestors into becoming ''akuma'', with the corruption spreading until the Quincunx flatly disowned and then wiped them out.		** '''Scarlet Phoenix Court''': Aspected South. They were like a hybrid of the Flesh and Golden Courts, colonising the jungles of the south and getting into bloody nightly battles with the demons, spirits, and ''shen'' already present there. The rest of the courts didn't much like them either, with the Court of the Yellow Emperor in particular pressuring them to [[meme\|RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!]] and openly warring with them when they refused. The SPC eventually fell after the twin pressures of the August Courts and the nightly battles drove its Ancestors into becoming ''akuma'', with the corruption spreading until the Quincunx flatly disowned and then wiped them out.
	** '''Black Tortoise Court''': Aspected North. These guys were relatively liberal and free-spirited, wandering around the Middle Kingdom and debating the nature of the Kuei-Jin state among themselves in-between hunting down Kuei-Jin heretics. They were one of the first Courts to encounter Cainites, with their reaction being politely describable as "Fuck you all," swiftly followed by getting into a long and bitter war with the Western vampires. Ultimately, they were done in by ''Akuma'' infestation within their ranks; the Court had few ways of detecting demonic corruption, which resulted in many members (knowingly or otherwise) feeding from corrupted Dragon Nests until they went the way of the [[White Howlers]].		** '''Black Tortoise Court''': Aspected North. These guys were relatively liberal and free-spirited, wandering around the Middle Kingdom and debating the nature of the Kuei-Jin state among themselves in-between hunting down Kuei-Jin heretics. They were one of the first Courts to encounter Cainites, with their reaction being politely describable as "Fuck you all," swiftly followed by getting into a long and bitter war with the Western vampires. Ultimately, they were done in by ''Akuma'' infestation within their ranks; the Court had few ways of detecting demonic corruption, which resulted in many members (knowingly or otherwise) feeding from corrupted Dragon Nests until they went the way of the [[White Howlers]].

2600:4040:7E74:5500:7106:6F3C:CE76:8784: /* Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path? */

2023-05-24T23:14:52Z

Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:14, 24 May 2023
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	One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.		One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.

	And that's assuming White Wolf manages to restrain its tendency to handle touchy socio-political issues with the approximate care of dropping a thermonuclear warhead in a china shop, which [[Vampire:_The_Masquerade#~~Vampire_V~~\|their]] [[Mage:_The_Ascension#Dreamspeakers\|track]] [http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-classic-world-of-darkness/mage-the-ascension/57656-regarding-the-wu-keng record] both recent and otherwise does ''not'' support.		And that's assuming White Wolf manages to restrain its tendency to handle touchy socio-political issues with the approximate care of dropping a thermonuclear warhead in a china shop, which [[Vampire:_The_Masquerade#Fifth_Edition:_Vampire_V\|their]] [[Mage:_The_Ascension#Dreamspeakers\|track]] [http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-classic-world-of-darkness/mage-the-ascension/57656-regarding-the-wu-keng record] both recent and otherwise does ''not'' support.

	In the end, it's a whole lot of work for little to no guarantee of a pay-off, so the Kindred of the East line had been left untouched, rules-wise. That's not to say that the Kuei-jin aren't still around -- there have been references to them in many V5 books -- it's just that they're not going to be playable barring homebrews anytime soon.		In the end, it's a whole lot of work for little to no guarantee of a pay-off, so the Kindred of the East line had been left untouched, rules-wise. That's not to say that the Kuei-jin aren't still around -- there have been references to them in many V5 books -- it's just that they're not going to be playable barring homebrews anytime soon.

1d4chan>A Walrus: /* Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path? */

2023-05-10T02:34:57Z

Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:34, 10 May 2023
Line 309:		Line 309:

	==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==		==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==
	{{Topquote\|Go channel your Yin-Yang energies somewhere else, Grimaline Smith from Norfolk UK.\|Markus, [[Hunter: ~~the~~ Parenting]], talking to a Huge Fucking Weeb}}		{{Topquote\|Go channel your Yin-Yang energies somewhere else, Grimaline Smith from Norfolk UK.\|Markus, [[Hunter: The Parenting]], talking to a Huge Fucking Weeb}}
	One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.		One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.

1d4chan>A Walrus: /* Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path? */

2023-05-09T17:15:33Z

Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:15, 9 May 2023
Line 309:		Line 309:

	==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==		==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==
	{{Topquote\|Go channel your Yin-Yang energies somewhere else, Grimaline Smith from Norfolk UK.\|Markus, [[Hunter the Parenting]], talking to a Huge Fucking Weeb}}		{{Topquote\|Go channel your Yin-Yang energies somewhere else, Grimaline Smith from Norfolk UK.\|Markus, [[Hunter: the Parenting]], talking to a Huge Fucking Weeb}}
	One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.		One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.

1d4chan>A Walrus: /* Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path? */

2023-05-09T17:15:24Z

Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:15, 9 May 2023
Line 309:		Line 309:

	==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==		==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==
			{{Topquote\|Go channel your Yin-Yang energies somewhere else, Grimaline Smith from Norfolk UK.\|Markus, [[Hunter the Parenting]], talking to a Huge Fucking Weeb}}
	One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.		One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.

1d4chan>Ow, My Sanity.: /* Let's Talk Politics: The Kuei-jin Courts */

2022-10-25T17:08:16Z

Let's Talk Politics: The Kuei-jin Courts

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:08, 25 October 2022
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	===Regional Courts===		===Regional Courts===
	* '''Golden''': Descendants of the Scarlet Phoenix Court and based in the countries that make up Indochina and a good chunk of Southeast Asia, the Golden Court isn't so much one Court as it is a loose grouping of disparate domains, united under powerful ''penangallan''-queens. The court is [[Black Furies\|violently matriarchal]], with the ''penangallan'' and their attendants ruling the roost; while men are allowed in the Court, questioning a female three times will see them exiled (if they're lucky) or very painfully executed (if they're unlucky). Home to shitloads of Devil Tigers, and known to be much more diverse than the others, with influence from Chinese, Indian, Polynesian, and many other cultures. Aspected South.		* '''Golden''': Descendants of the Scarlet Phoenix Court and based in the countries that make up Indochina and a good chunk of Southeast Asia, the Golden Court isn't so much one Court as it is a loose grouping of disparate domains, united under powerful ''penangallan''-queens. The court is [[Black Furies\|violently matriarchal]], with the ''penangallan'' and their attendants ruling the roost; while men are allowed in the Court, questioning a female three times will see them exiled (if they're lucky) or very painfully executed (if they're unlucky). Home to shitloads of Devil Tigers, and known to be much more diverse than the others, with influence from Chinese, Indian, Polynesian, and many other cultures. Aspected South.
	** ''Very'' unpopular with [[Werewolf: ~~the Apocalypse~~\|~~the Same-bito~~]] courtesy of the Golden Court's past taste for their kinfolk's flesh and chi. The big five Courts also don't like them very much due to the way they buck tradition, the way they killed Blood Court members sent to reign them in, and the fact they have one of the highest rates of members (key and otherwise) becoming ''akuma'' in the Middle Kingdom - this is mostly their own fault, [[derp\|since only the Penangallan-queens are ever tested for taint]]. Unsurprisingly, this leaves them on the knife-edge between being true Devil Tigers and falling to the akuma entirely.		** ''Very'' unpopular with the Same-bito (Asian [[Werewolf:_The_Apocalypse\|Rokea]]) courtesy of the Golden Court's past taste for their kinfolk's flesh and chi. The big five Courts also don't like them very much due to the way they buck tradition, the way they killed Blood Court members sent to reign them in, and the fact they have one of the highest rates of members (key and otherwise) becoming ''akuma'' in the Middle Kingdom - this is mostly their own fault, [[derp\|since only the Penangallan-queens are ever tested for taint]]. Unsurprisingly, this leaves them on the knife-edge between being true Devil Tigers and falling to the akuma entirely.
	* '''Golden Lions''': Based in Singapore, the Golden Lion Court is made up of expatriate male Kuei-jin from the Golden Court, and other outcasts from the matriarchy. Since most of them were kicked out of the Golden Court after becoming too powerful for the Penangallans' liking, they're [[Ventrue]]-tier paranoid schemers with an obsession about order and control; ''wu'' are taught to obey their leader no matter the circumstances, and there's an abundance of Scarlet Screens in the city. Though they really want to secede from their on-again off-again abusive girlfriends in the Golden Courts, they're located bang in the middle of their territory, so any attempt at fleeing [[FATAL\|would go badly]]. ~~Unsurprisingly~~, the ~~Way~~ of ~~the Resplendent Crane is the biggest Dharma here~~.		* '''Golden Lions''': Based in Singapore, the Golden Lion Court is made up of expatriate male Kuei-jin from the Golden Court, and other outcasts from the matriarchy. Since most of them were kicked out of the Golden Court after becoming too powerful for the Penangallans' liking, they're [[Ventrue]]-tier paranoid schemers with an obsession about order and control; ''wu'' are taught to obey their leader no matter the circumstances, and there's an abundance of Scarlet Screens in the city. Unsurprisingly, the Way of the Resplendent Crane is the biggest Dharma here.
			** Though they really want to secede from their on-again off-again abusive girlfriends in the Golden Courts, they're located bang in the middle of their territory, so any attempt at fleeing [[FATAL\|would go badly]]. The Golden Courts themselves generally consider the Golden Lions a bunch of overconfident, but amusing fools, as they know they're more than capable of crushing any uprising that occurs; the Golden Lions themselves are unaware of this, and are consequentially becoming ever-more paranoid as they build toward their intended secession.
	* '''Green''': Based in the Korean peninsula, the Kuei-jin of the Green Courts are known mostly for their necromancy and their trade in Jade. Caught between the Quincunx in China and the Uji in Japan, the Green Court has learned to lie low and play both sides against each other, to its own benefit. They run what's basically the Underground Railroad of the East, known as the Parallel Path - a network of safehouses where a Kuei-Jin can be sheltered then sent on somewhere else when they need to disappear from sight (in exchange for Jade and other favours, of course).		* '''Green''': Based in the Korean peninsula, the Kuei-jin of the Green Courts are known mostly for their necromancy and their trade in Jade. Caught between the Quincunx in China and the Uji in Japan, the Green Court has learned to lie low and play both sides against each other, to its own benefit. They run what's basically the Underground Railroad of the East, known as the Parallel Path - a network of safehouses where a Kuei-Jin can be sheltered then sent on somewhere else when they need to disappear from sight (in exchange for Jade and other favours, of course).
	** Their big secret is that their Jade reserves are near-depleted, with most of their Dragon Nests running completely dry of the stone. Making matters worse, their only way to get it is finding new Dragon Nests, most of which are in the hands of shapeshifters from [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]] due to being Caerns; surprisingly enough, they do ''not'' very much like the idea of Kuei-jin raiding their sacred sites for Jade and are more than willing to send intruders back in several pieces.		** Their big secret is that their Jade reserves are near-depleted, with most of their Dragon Nests running completely dry of the stone. Making matters worse, their only way to get it is finding new Dragon Nests, most of which are in the hands of shapeshifters from [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]] due to being Caerns; surprisingly enough, they do ''not'' very much like the idea of Kuei-jin raiding their sacred sites for Jade and are more than willing to send intruders back in several pieces.
	* '''Uji''': Based in Japan, the ''gaki'' of Japan are currently experiencing a period of turmoil, with two of its most powerful houses pitted against each other as the country itself rushes headlong into modernity and Western influence. Matters are complicated by the deteriorating health of the reservoirs of Chi running through the country, a consequence of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.		* '''Uji''': Based in Japan, the ''gaki'' of Japan are currently experiencing a period of turmoil, with two of its most powerful houses pitted against each other as the country itself rushes headlong into modernity and Western influence. Matters are complicated by the deteriorating health of the reservoirs of Chi running through the country, a consequence of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
	* '''Infinite Thunders''': Based in Sri Lanka, the ''Bijali'' is only given cursory acceptance by the Quincunx due to the prevalence of the heretical Flames of the Rising Phoenix Dharma in their ranks. Located at the crossroads of trade and culture, the Court makes its own way philosophically, integrating elements of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic practices into their own. Despite their similar origins and diversity to the Golden Courts, they do ''not'' get along due to the ''akuma'' infesting the latter's ranks; the way that the IT Court heavily prefers stability and debate over intrigue and internal violence probably doesn't help. The court had, for the longest time, had a cold war with the native [[Ravnos]] of India, which exploded into the conflict that led to the [[Week of Nightmares]].		* '''Infinite Thunders''': Based in Sri Lanka, the ''Bijali'' is only given cursory acceptance by the Quincunx due to the prevalence of the heretical Flames of the Rising Phoenix Dharma in their ranks. Located at the crossroads of trade and culture, the Court makes its own way philosophically, integrating elements of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic practices into their own. Despite their similar origins and diversity to the Golden Courts, they do ''not'' get along due to the ''akuma'' infesting the latter's ranks; the way that the IT Court heavily prefers stability and debate over intrigue and internal violence probably doesn't help. The court had, for the longest time, had a cold war with the native [[Ravnos]] of India, which exploded into the conflict that led to the [[Week of Nightmares]].
	* '''New Promise Mandarinate''': Based in San Francisco in California, this was founded in the wake of the Great Leap Outward, to take the fight to the Cainites on their home turf. The ''wu'' shown in the comics of the Dharma books have moved here as of 2002.		* '''New Promise Mandarinate''': Based in San Francisco in California, this was founded in the wake of the Great Leap Outward, to take the fight to the Cainites on their home turf. Unfortunately for them, things didn't quite go as planned; while the New Promise Mandarinate still has a foothold in the Americas, they've taken a fairly hefty beating and are currently re-considering their strategies against the Cainites. The ''wu'' shown in the comics of the Dharma books have moved here as of 2002.

			===Defunct Courts===
			* '''Five August Courts''': The predecessors to the Quincunx, founded in the wake of their ousting from Mount Meru by a group of Kuei-Jin known only as the Five Emperors. These groups became the bedrock of Kuei-Jin society during the Fourth Age, but gradually began to drift in purpose after the Five Emperors paid their debts and ascended to the Thousand Clouds. They collapsed some time after the Mongol invasions, which bought Cainites and other Western supernaturals to the Middle Kingdom alongside the mortal invaders; in the aftermath, the Quincunx was founded to pick up the slack.
			** '''Scarlet Phoenix Court''': Aspected South. They were like a hybrid of the Flesh and Golden Courts, colonising the jungles of the south and getting into bloody nightly battles with the demons, spirits, and ''shen'' already present there. The rest of the courts didn't much like them either, with the Court of the Yellow Emperor in particular pressuring them to [[meme\|RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!]] and openly warring with them when they refused. The SPC eventually fell after the twin pressures of the August Courts and the nightly battles drove its Ancestors into becoming ''akuma'', with the corruption spreading until the Quincunx flatly disowned and then wiped them out.
			** '''Black Tortoise Court''': Aspected North. These guys were relatively liberal and free-spirited, wandering around the Middle Kingdom and debating the nature of the Kuei-Jin state among themselves in-between hunting down Kuei-Jin heretics. They were one of the first Courts to encounter Cainites, with their reaction being politely describable as "Fuck you all," swiftly followed by getting into a long and bitter war with the Western vampires. Ultimately, they were done in by ''Akuma'' infestation within their ranks; the Court had few ways of detecting demonic corruption, which resulted in many members (knowingly or otherwise) feeding from corrupted Dragon Nests until they went the way of the [[White Howlers]].
			** '''White Tiger Court''': Aspected West. Fell apart when their Empress wandered off to Tibet in search of holy sites and artifacts, only to vanish without a trace.
			** '''Court of the Azure Dragon''': Aspected East. Formerly based in Korea and Japan, they eventually broke up into small bands under different warlords as the two countries' history progressed, laying the ground for the Green and ''Uji'' Courts. The newborn Quincunx, already pissed at their isolation and increasingly divergent practices, promptly disowned them and deemed all surviving members of the Court to be ''akuma''.
			** '''Court of the Yellow Emperor''': Aspected Centre. The precursors to the Jade Court, with much of the same practices, they claimed official dominion over the other members of the Five August Courts. In practice, the other Courts managed to get away with paying lip service to them outside of a few noticeable punch-ups, like that time they went to war with the Scarlet Phoenix Court and inadvertently caused the foundation of the Shih demon-hunters. They collapsed some time in-between the Sui and Song Dynasties, broken by civil war between their ''wu''; a few ran off to become the Jade Court and help found the Quincunx.

	==Disciplines==		==Disciplines==

1d4chan>Ow, My Sanity.: /* Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path? */

2022-10-25T16:12:50Z

Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:12, 25 October 2022
Line 301:		Line 301:
	==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==		==Why no 20th Anniverary Edition or V5, WW/Onyx Path?==

	One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. ~~The problematic~~ way ~~that~~ it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then ~~adding~~ Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- ~~did~~ not ~~help matters any~~.		One of the main stumbling blocks that even the creative team had found about updating or streamlining Kindred of the East is the sheer amount of '''Orientalism''' prevalent in the lore and even the ruleset. While acceptable in the late 90's, the way it dealt with Asian cultures in general -- being terribly essentialist by mashing everything into a mulch, then haphazardly blending in Kung-fu and Wuxia for flavor -- would result in endless amounts of controversy, several internet shitstorms, and at least one firing or forced resignation of everyone involved with it.

			And that's assuming White Wolf manages to restrain its tendency to handle touchy socio-political issues with the approximate care of dropping a thermonuclear warhead in a china shop, which [[Vampire:_The_Masquerade#Vampire_V\|their]] [[Mage:_The_Ascension#Dreamspeakers\|track]] [http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-classic-world-of-darkness/mage-the-ascension/57656-regarding-the-wu-keng record] both recent and otherwise does ''not'' support.

	In the end, it's a whole lot of work for little to no guarantee of a pay-off, so the Kindred of the East line had been left untouched, rules-wise. That's not to say that the Kuei-jin aren't still around -- there have been references to them in many V5 books -- it's just that they're not going to be playable barring homebrews anytime soon.		In the end, it's a whole lot of work for little to no guarantee of a pay-off, so the Kindred of the East line had been left untouched, rules-wise. That's not to say that the Kuei-jin aren't still around -- there have been references to them in many V5 books -- it's just that they're not going to be playable barring homebrews anytime soon.

1d4chan>Ow, My Sanity.: /* Let's Talk Politics: The Kuei-jin Courts */

2022-07-23T08:27:37Z

Let's Talk Politics: The Kuei-jin Courts

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:27, 23 July 2022
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	===Regional Courts===		===Regional Courts===
	* '''Golden''': ~~Aspected South.~~ Descendants of the Scarlet Phoenix Court and based in the countries that make up Indochina and a good chunk of Southeast Asia, the Golden Court ~~is an aberration in that~~ it is ~~mostly~~ a ~~matriarchy~~, ~~with~~ powerful ''penangallan''-queens ruling the roost. ~~Bombastic~~, ~~vicous~~, and ~~cunning,~~ the ~~warrior~~-~~women~~ of the Golden Court ~~fight a constant battle against~~ the ''akuma'' ~~trying~~ to ~~infiltrate their ranks~~.		* '''Golden''': Descendants of the Scarlet Phoenix Court and based in the countries that make up Indochina and a good chunk of Southeast Asia, the Golden Court isn't so much one Court as it is a loose grouping of disparate domains, united under powerful ''penangallan''-queens. The court is [[Black Furies\|violently matriarchal]], with the ''penangallan'' and their attendants ruling the roost; while men are allowed in the Court, questioning a female three times will see them exiled (if they're lucky) or very painfully executed (if they're unlucky). Home to shitloads of Devil Tigers, and known to be much more diverse than the others, with influence from Chinese, Indian, Polynesian, and many other cultures. Aspected South.
	* '''Golden Lions''': Based in Singapore, the ~~so-called~~ Golden Lion Court is made up of expatriate male Kuei-jin from the Golden Court, and other outcasts from the matriarchy. ~~Kuei~~-~~jin~~ in the ~~Lion City are an orderly lot, especially when compared~~ to their ~~more chaotic and savage female counterparts~~ in the ~~mainland~~.		** ''Very'' unpopular with [[Werewolf: the Apocalypse\|the Same-bito]] courtesy of the Golden Court's past taste for their kinfolk's flesh and chi. The big five Courts also don't like them very much due to the way they buck tradition, the way they killed Blood Court members sent to reign them in, and the fact they have one of the highest rates of members (key and otherwise) becoming ''akuma'' in the Middle Kingdom - this is mostly their own fault, [[derp\|since only the Penangallan-queens are ever tested for taint]]. Unsurprisingly, this leaves them on the knife-edge between being true Devil Tigers and falling to the akuma entirely.
	* '''Green''': Based in the Korean peninsula, the Kuei-jin of the Green Courts are known mostly for their necromancy and their trade in Jade. Caught between the Quincunx in China and the Uji in Japan, the Green Court has learned to lie low and play both sides against each other, to its own benefit.		* '''Golden Lions''': Based in Singapore, the Golden Lion Court is made up of expatriate male Kuei-jin from the Golden Court, and other outcasts from the matriarchy. Since most of them were kicked out of the Golden Court after becoming too powerful for the Penangallans' liking, they're [[Ventrue]]-tier paranoid schemers with an obsession about order and control; ''wu'' are taught to obey their leader no matter the circumstances, and there's an abundance of Scarlet Screens in the city. Though they really want to secede from their on-again off-again abusive girlfriends in the Golden Courts, they're located bang in the middle of their territory, so any attempt at fleeing [[FATAL\|would go badly]]. Unsurprisingly, the Way of the Resplendent Crane is the biggest Dharma here.
	* '''Uji''': Based in Japan, the ''gaki'' of Japan are currently experiencing a period of turmoil, with two of its most powerful houses pitted against each other as the country itself rushes headlong into modernity and Western ~~nfluence~~. Matters are complicated by the deteriorating health of the reservoirs of Chi running through the country, a consequence of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.		* '''Green''': Based in the Korean peninsula, the Kuei-jin of the Green Courts are known mostly for their necromancy and their trade in Jade. Caught between the Quincunx in China and the Uji in Japan, the Green Court has learned to lie low and play both sides against each other, to its own benefit. They run what's basically the Underground Railroad of the East, known as the Parallel Path - a network of safehouses where a Kuei-Jin can be sheltered then sent on somewhere else when they need to disappear from sight (in exchange for Jade and other favours, of course).
	* '''Infinite Thunders''': Based in Sri Lanka, the ''Bijali'' is only given cursory acceptance by the Quincunx. Located at the crossroads of trade and culture, the Court makes its own way ~~philosphically~~. The court had, for the longest time, had a cold war with the native [[Ravnos]] of India, which exploded into the conflict that led to the [[Week of Nightmares]].		** Their big secret is that their Jade reserves are near-depleted, with most of their Dragon Nests running completely dry of the stone. Making matters worse, their only way to get it is finding new Dragon Nests, most of which are in the hands of shapeshifters from [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]] due to being Caerns; surprisingly enough, they do ''not'' very much like the idea of Kuei-jin raiding their sacred sites for Jade and are more than willing to send intruders back in several pieces.
			* '''Uji''': Based in Japan, the ''gaki'' of Japan are currently experiencing a period of turmoil, with two of its most powerful houses pitted against each other as the country itself rushes headlong into modernity and Western influence. Matters are complicated by the deteriorating health of the reservoirs of Chi running through the country, a consequence of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
			* '''Infinite Thunders''': Based in Sri Lanka, the ''Bijali'' is only given cursory acceptance by the Quincunx due to the prevalence of the heretical Flames of the Rising Phoenix Dharma in their ranks. Located at the crossroads of trade and culture, the Court makes its own way philosophically, integrating elements of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic practices into their own. Despite their similar origins and diversity to the Golden Courts, they do ''not'' get along due to the ''akuma'' infesting the latter's ranks; the way that the IT Court heavily prefers stability and debate over intrigue and internal violence probably doesn't help. The court had, for the longest time, had a cold war with the native [[Ravnos]] of India, which exploded into the conflict that led to the [[Week of Nightmares]].
	* '''New Promise Mandarinate''': Based in San Francisco in California, this was founded in the wake of the Great Leap Outward, to take the fight to the Cainites on their home turf. The ''wu'' shown in the comics of the Dharma books have moved here as of 2002.		* '''New Promise Mandarinate''': Based in San Francisco in California, this was founded in the wake of the Great Leap Outward, to take the fight to the Cainites on their home turf. The ''wu'' shown in the comics of the Dharma books have moved here as of 2002.