Kuei-Jin

The Kuei-Jin are the dominant undead creatures of eastern Asia, creatures that feed on the energies of the universe itself to keep them alive while they pursue the redemption and enlightenment that they hope will free them from their condition. Although they are often referred to as the "vampires of the east" by European and American supernatural creatures, they are not true vampires in spite of feeding on blood and energy, and have entirely different powers and philosophies from other types of undead.

There is no overarching term for these creatures in Asia; rather, they are referred to by regional names that reflect their different types and the cultures in which they appear, such as wan kuei or guo ren in China, ketsuki in Japan, or asuratizayya in India. Most names for them are variations on the idea of the hungry dead; regardless of which one they use, they usually consider the Western name "Kuei-Jin", a portmanteau of Chinese and Japanese constructed by foreigners with no linguistic knowledge, to be offensive, or at the very least ignorant.

Wan Kuei Dharma

The Wan Kuei are the most numerous and powerful group of Kuei-Jin, with roots in Chinese philosophy and folklore. They divide themselves into separate dharmas, each representing a different path that its adherents attempt to walk in the hopes of escaping their cursed existence on earth an ascending to a more enlightened state.

Bone Flowers	Devil-Tigers	Resplendent Cranes	Thousand Whispers	Thrashing Dragons

Wan Kuei Dharma Sects

The Wan Kuei, apart from their commonalities in dharmas, also organize themselves into sects, each of which has a profound affect on their powers and philosophies. Unlike the sects of western vampires, who choose to organize themselves for purely political reasons, the sects of the Kuei-Jin can actively change their members' skills and supernatural talents.

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August Sagacious Devils	Black Iron Talons	Brilliant Coals

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Bunraku	Dancing Peacocks	Distinguished Sinner-Punishers	Eight Lotus Blooms	Electric Money Wicked Ones	Empty Hands	Empty Thrones
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Exalted Jade Masks	Fishhooks	Laughing Rainbows	Liberators of the Wheel	Passion Bloodflowers	Righteous Earth-Prison Smiting Fists	Scarlet Centipedes
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Searing Wind	Ten Seasons	Thousand Embers of Righteousness	Thousand-Faced Thunders	Travelers of the Great Earth	Two-Li Roads	Yellow Moons

Yi Jiaotu Dharma

Often referred to derisively as heretics or misguided monsters, the Yi Jiaotu dharmas are Kuei-Jin who seek alternative paths of enlightenment, often in the process utterly rejecting the Wan Kuei dharmas or even considering them villains. They are fewer in number, but powerfully dedicated to the ideals of their dharma.

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Cerulean Veils	Godlings	Rising Phoenixes	Scorpion Eaters	Seekers of the Inward Way	Ten Thousand Screams

Yi Jiaotu Dharma Sects

Similarly, there are two heretical sects in which the Yi Jiaotu Kuei-Jin may claim membership. Unlike the Wan Kuei, the Yi Jiaotu more often choose not to align themselves with either sect, although this often makes their lives more perilous.

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Aks	Danh Tu

Pi Zhizhe

The Pi Zhizhe are those Kuei-Jin who have fallen under the sway of evil spiritual powers, becoming horrifically inhuman creatures who feast on humanity and hope for the destruction of everything that might prevent them from doing so. They are avoided and opposed wherever encountered by other Kuei-Jin, but their numbers have been slowly growing in recent nights, enough to begin causing serious concern about the future of the war between the two groups.

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Akuma	Chih-Mei

The World Beyond

Kuei-Jin are intensely territorial and as a result tend to drive away or even kill any other foreign supernatural being that enters their homelands (with the exception of other local beings, such as the Hengeyokai). They are responsible for the extremely scattered and secretive societies of shapeshifters and werewolves in Asia, most of whom they have eradicated, believing them to be evil creatures that threaten the balance of the world; even lesser-known supernatural creatures may have difficulty encountering them without being considered a potential threat.

As a result, most supernatural communities outside of Asia know very little about the Kuei-Jin, with lesser members unlikely to even know that they exist if they haven't met one in person. Most knowledge that is available is incomplete at best and incorrect at worst, and often duplicates western prejudices against Asian peoples and religions. Since Kuei-Jin seldom leave Asia, this is unlikely to change any time soon, although recent incursions into the Americas suggest that this may be slowly changing.