Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva are Wan Kuei who stand at the penultimate step to Enlightenment. Many retreat from mortal and unliving society almost entirely for hundreds of years, as they seek that final breakthrough they need to enter the Thousand Clouds. In that time they had travelled the different Spirit Worlds in search of their answers, and as such are much more familiar with the ways through these as well as the denizens that dwell there-in.
When encountered, a Bodhisattva will often be outwardly serene and tranquil, but radiate a sense of constrained power. Younger Kuei-jin often find their presence overpowering and painful, and even Ancestors will find them intimidating, though their insight and wisdom is always welcome.
Meta
At Dharma 9, a Wan Kuei Bodhisattva is supposedly the equivalent of a Kindred Methuselah. Despite this, there's no way to accurately compare the two as far as power levels go, as unlike the Methuselah (like Baba Yaga, Mithras, and Keminitri), there have been no statted Bodhisattva in any of the Kindred of the East books. Not helped in the least with how everything (stat increases, Discipline increases, Skill increases) seems to be much more expensive points-wise for Kuei-jin in general...
The train of thought (for stat-crunchers in particular) seems to be that while Bodhisattvas might not be the physical powerhouses that many Methuselah are portrayed (Thaumaturgy aside), they have a much more varied bag of tricks available to them.
Named Bodhisattvas
- Eight Thunders Master: Devil Tiger, and the only Bodhisattva actually named in the original Week of Nightmares fiction that accompanied the Time of Thin Blood supplement. The Iron Chrysanthemum called the Bodhisattva a "she", but in every book after was called a "he" instead. His Final Death was a big blow to the Sagacious Devils sect, plus the Mao dynasty lost one of its most vocal defenders. Likely used Black Wind and Demon Shintai for maximum Rip and Tear.
- Black Earth Boy: Thrashing Dragon of the Laughing Rainbows sect, and the Arhat Thousand Crane Mother's favorite student, he was said to be a master of Yang Prana and Jade Shintai. Known for using a jade-studded warclub when going into battle. His fate after the Week of Nightmares is a matter of fierce debate, and many Thrashing Dragons journey to the Infinite Thunders Court to investigate this.
- Rising Majestically to the Western Sun: A Resplendent Crane, known for literally walking West to learn as much as she could of the world, and returning to China from the other direction around the early Ming Dynasty. She journeyed to the Infinite Thunders court to confront Zapathasura out of a sense of duty. By process of elimination, likely the one who used Storm Shintai and Tapestry, and covered the battleground in Bangladesh with both a regular storm and a Yin-powered Chi Rift to pin the Antediluvian in place and protect the combatants from the Sun.
- No-Shadow Raven: Devil Tiger, and high-standing member of the Sagacious Devils. No-Shadow Raven is unusual in that she doesn't let her high position in the Dharma get in the way of working with much more less-enlightened peers. As a Sagacious Devil, she's much more in tune with modern trends and technology, but even she has to admit that she's behind a decade or two. Infamous for nicking several barrels of chemical weaponry from the Vietnamese.
| Rank in the Old World of Darkness | |
|---|---|
| Vampires: | Neonate - Ancillae - Elders - Methuselah - Antediluvian |
| Werewolves: | Cliath - Fostern - Adren - Elder - Legend |
| Mages: | Initiate - Apprentice - Disciple - Adept - Master |
| Mages (Technocracy): | Citizen - Minor Agent/Employee - Enlightened/Agent/Operative - Expert/Supervisor - Master |
| Changelings: | |
| Kuei-Jin: | Disciple - Jina - Mandarin - Ancestor - Bodhisattva - Arhat |
| Wraiths: | Legionnaires - Centurions - Marshal - Regent - Overlord - Anacreon |
| Mummies: | |
| Promethians: | |
| Demons: | |