Editing Kindred of the East (section)

==Before we begin: About Chi and the Duality of the Soul==
A ''lot'' of the design choices behind Kindred of the East rely on being familiar with the concepts of '''Chi''' and the '''Hun''' and '''P'o''' parts of the soul, which are all grounded in real-world classical Chinese philosphy, so it's better we get that out of the way before discussing the Kuei-Jin proper.

===The Chi Virtues===
''Chi'' is the energy that infuses everything.  Being ''un''living beings, Kuei-jin don't have Chi naturally, and have to gain it from the living, initially via feeding on the flesh, then blood.  There are a myriad variety of Chi, but Kuei-jin mainly deal with the '''Yin''' and '''Yang''' chi.  Yin chi is usually cold and stagnant-seeming, while Yang chi is warm and vibrant. Having too much of the former makes one look like a shambling corpse; too much of the latter and the Kuei-jin will seem a little ''too'' alive, to the point where they can sire (or bear, for the ladies) mortal children.  

The Yin Virtue represents attunement to darker, more negative energies. Kuei-jin who willingly take in Yin Chi more aloof, calm, and cynical, and they're generally more creepy to mortals (unless said mortal is into the morbid, which in case, they're attractive instead). Yin-attuned Kuei-jin are more resistant to the Fire soul status (aka Frenzy), plus gain '''Ghostsight''', which allows them to see Spirits from the Ying World, and the structural weakness of ''anything''. Ghostsight can also be used to detect any illness or injury suffered by another person, though the Kuei-jin needs to be medically-trained to recognize and treat such damage. 

On the flipside, the Yang Virtue shows attunement to the active spark that makes things ''live'', even mostly unliving beings like the Kuei-jin. Vampires attuned to Yang seem ''more'' human, being vibrant and vivacious, and love walking among the Middle Kingdom's mortals. Yang-attuned vampires can resist Wave soul (Panic) status better, and  Heal injuries of others via expending blood and Chi, and gain '''Lifesight''', which lets them detect living things in the area. Lifesight also allows a Kuei-jin to read the feelings of people around him, and home in to those who have strong passions. Finally it allows the Kuei-jin to detect beings that pass or make their home in the Yang World (or Middle Umbra), like the ''Garou''.  

Preferring one type of Chi over the other influeces a Kuei-jin's vulnerability, by the way.  Yin-leaning Kuei-jin are vulnerable to the traditional wooden staking (as they are more "dead"), while Yan-leaning Kuei-jin are more vulnerable to getting shanked by anything made of Metal (because they are more "alive").

The more enlightened a Kuei-jin becomes, the more proficient they become in drawing chi from other sources, with many eventually able to get chi from breath or ambiently from the environment itself.

===The Soul Virtues===
Kuei-jin are somewhat aware that the soul is made up of two parts: '''Hun''', which is the "higher" soul, and '''P'o''', the "lower" soul.  Vampires who have high Hun are honorable and people of temperance; conversely, those with high P'o are wild, unruly, and savage.

Hun measures a Kuei-jin's rational side, her use of abstract thinking and aesthetics, as well as their empathy for mortals and overall resolve. It's like Conscience, but not quite, more related instead to one's honor and devotion to duty.  Those who have high Hun are seen more as thoughtful and spiritual, and can better harness the power of their P'o when evoking Demon Arts, keeping control instead of being consumed by their Demon.  They have sharp senses, and can even speak to Spirits, if they can detect them to begin with. 

P'o on the other hand represents the animalistic side of the Kuei-jin.  It is what influences a vampire's hunger, as well as sometimes turns something trivial into causing mindless rage.  Many seek to tame their P'o; others, like the Devil Tigers, cultivate their Demons, seeing it as crucial to their kharmic duties as Heaven's Devils.  The greatest sages say that enlightment can only be fully reached once the P'o is accepted and assimilated as a part of one's being.  

Compared to ''Hun'', there's a '''lot''' to be said about ''P'o''. Most obviously, it's partly the ''cause'' of the Kuei-jin "condition", as during their mortal lives, more often than not, a Kuei-jin had been in thrall of their baser emotions.  When they finally died (likely suddenly, violently, or both), the p'o part of the mortal's soul ''dropped straight into Hell''... Then clawed its way back out to its body, usually around two months after death.

Mastering channeling one's P'o obviously has its uses. The Kuei-jin may ''willingly'' unleash a [[Rip and Tear|Berserk rage in themself]], which means they no longer suffer wound penalties, and gain access to potent Demon Chi. Demon Chi is not "true" chi, but nonetheless used to fuel the Demon Shintai techniques, as well as temporarily move faster, increase Strength, or do more damage.  And because Kuei-jin have no "natural" fangs, they need to expend Demon chi to grow fangs, and even more to create a fully-fanged maw.  

Finally a Kuei-jin may draw from their P'o to break free of magical mind control, but on a success might instead force their '''Shadow Nature''' to the forefront.  Unlike the mindless Beast of the Cainites, the Shadow of a Kuei-jin is a distinct personality embodying their repressed weaknesses and self-destructive urges.