(Caapren, Tot Maney Roans Bact ENAPTER FW: MANY ROADS BALK ‘As cranes trail off in light, silents Wolves snarl over theif brood on Our wars, sleeplés here and, to right A relentless Heaven and Earthy powerless — Du Fu, “Overnight at the Riverside Tower” Ever singe the:fall of Mounit Meru, the shinniig citadel of che Ten Thotisand Immortals, che Wan Kuei have struggled to find meaning. Grand Athat Xue, wisest ofall the Hungry Dead, laid down the foundations of the Road Back atthestwilight of the Third Age. His wisdom is remembered inthe Fivefold Way and the five orthodox Dharmas. ‘The Fiverow Way Xue's first And greatest teaching to the Wan Kui is the Fivefold Way. Thisisacoresetof beliefs sometimes called the Great Principle — thartheoretigally guides all the Hungry Dead of the Middle Kingdom. In the,Five August Courts, every vampire learns the Fivefold Way as part of their training as hin, just aft emerging from the cannibalistic chih-met stage. Intetpretations vary widely from court to court and from teacher toteacher, but Xue's teachings form the underpinning of the court structure itself; only ancestors looking tobetemoved do not atleast pay lip service to the Great/Principle. Storytellers may wish f0 refer to Kindred of the East, pp. 38-41, for a discussion of these same beliefs in the Fifth Age. Co. PRINCIPLE you ra: for it isthe un- Spence tigc mabye Way oF Lineage © Heed wel those who have come bere, anctrespect ose wiho come after, for they are all part ofthe truth. (a¥ OF FNTEGRITY ain your mor and enti all thought, rd deed, oe eee hae the éfitire Understaid Jour duties to your brethren, to the Ces of the universe and to youself, and do all 19 puliber. Practice comeciness in all you do, forthe Grea “Cyule,imianeweryaapect, havttsoum nature, and that ature must be followed.In the Age ofBeautiful Sadness, the Great Principle the court, hierarchy and flavors Wan. talgia. Ancestorsandmandarins cite the Way of Origin and try to recreate the times when the Ten .d Inimortals were demigodseriling great ingdomsnOFEourse,sthe Wari Xian were their wn ‘millefiniaago, andithis lesson too is part of the ‘Way of Origin hose vampires who adypeate alwith- drawal frosiaortal affairssay that the fall of Mount Mera clearly means that rulings kings is inappropdate. The other eleménts of the Great Prifeiple all serve) to reinforce the system of the Five August Courts and, the power of the mandarins and ancestors who rule them. The young must respect the old; the young have aduty to the court; the young must act honorably —and toe the line. Mandarins have all the same obligations in theory, but they need only pay lip service to the prin- ciple of respecting the young — a perfect recipe for building tension. The nightly realities are less polarized, of course. Many Wan Kuei spend only abit of theirtime at court and thereby avoid a great deal of the frustration of the manda- rins’ games. The institution of the wu helps a great deal because it gives the young allies they can trust. There are also mandarins who know that disciples and jina have their worth and deserve a (respectful) voice at court. Nevertheless, the tensions in the courts are starting to have their effect — the Court of the Azure Dragon is slowly collapsing into Nihonjin and mainland factions, and the other courts are not that far behind. The Drarmas Xue's second great contribution to the Wan Kuei was thedevelopmentof the five Dharmas. These philosophies have become well-worn paths along the Road Back, ways for some of the Ten Thousand Demons to redeem them- selvesbefore heaven. Without the teachings ofa Dharma, a Wan Kuei is bound to live as a savage, cannibalistic wretch and retum screaming to Yomi. The Hungry Dead owe their very survival to Xue and his teachings, or so the ancestors say. Herenjca: Duagmas Of course, the truth is not quite so simple. There are a number of vampires who exist without following one of the five Dharmas attributed to Xue. They follow other paths, which the ancestors of the Five August Courts brand as heresies. The so-called heretics, of course, feel their beliefs are entirely justified. Many argue that their belief systems can coexist with the traditional Dharmas and emphasize their continued adherence to the Fivefold Way. They often argue that their “heresies” are but further extrapolations from ‘Xue's own teachings and, hence, legitimate. Others 1000 & Si return the August Courts’ scorn and se8\Xue'Steach- litgsas flawed or even foolishe"Theyisrgue that their! ‘Way is Better than thetGfthodoxy. ‘The era of Blood & Sitka mOMERE OF lerance for the Tet stringent of theieretics. Thoseho embrace the Fivefold Way are technically Weleome inythe August (Counts, even if their beliefs are unorchodox. These her- ‘etics €an and do hold prominent pasitions in some gourts and attract followers. They alf operate at a disadyantage, however. A heretic must prove her loyalty aad worth again and again, and when things turn soug,she is invati- ably blamed. Wise heretics accumulate favors owed to them, keep theireyes open for betrayal andalwayshavean escape route planned. Heresy ju Brier Atthe end of the Fourth Age, the following heretical Dharmas are most prominent. Their beliefs and practices are largely as they are in the Fifth Age (see Kindred of the East Companion, pp. 47-59), but their members find it easier to move into China and other orthodox areas. Note that the Spirit of the Living Earth Dharma does not come into being until the 17th century. © The Face of the Gods: The Divine Faces believe that the Wan Kuei are just as blessed as the Wan Xian were, elevated demigods instead of debased demons. They strive to further their own divinity, seeking perfection in all acts and actively encouraging mortal worship. The Dharmais most numerous in India buthas isolated follow- ers across the Middle Kingdom. They are the heretics ‘most likely to be persecuted because of their rejection of many elements of the Fivefold Way. © The Flame of the Rising Phoenix: RisihigiPhoe- nixes maintain a very strong identification with, their mortal lives. Their ideal isto become not only livingaigaim (like Thrashing Dragons) but to reintegrate perfeetly with their past mortal existencessTheVoftenmasquerade as human, maintain families and doggedlypursue what -ver unfinished business brought them out of Yomi. The! Rising Phoenix is very popular in India buchasdherents across the Middle Kingdom. They generally interact well, with other Wan Kuei, mostlysbeeause.theysleave'the unliving to their own affaigg * The Tempest of Inward Focus: Tempests believe! inarigid balance in all things and are the nomadsof the ‘Wan Kuet. Unlike the Thousand Whispers, whosnove from false life to false life, Tempests maintain/their own identity but subject it to contrasting influences. They ‘make fine warriors but then indulge in passionate love or quiet contemplation to balance themselves. Tempests are spread thinly across the Middle Kingdom, always moving ftom place to place and experience to experi- cence. They have few outrightenemies butalmastno sure allies either.RES em ea 10 Scr ontea Teen) Virtue Pair Max: The m Seat fale OAs Osa 10 rt ie iv 14 i 18 ee Narre Seanecerert Meera Max Chi/Turn i 1 use the diffe Pree Ser eres disciple crease en i fa Tony ee POT cayan acces Be ove eee gd ces aces between bonuses Virtue pairs (Yin and Yang, Hun and P'o) Trait Max: The maximum value for any one of thi operates erent ae Age: The minimum age for a mpire to advance t Duarwye Mecuanjes “The spirivuabprogress 6Fthe Wan Rutei during the FRoifth Age is more gradual than Omithe storm-wracked: eve of theAge of Sorrow. Yet.the greatdivide between those who haveachieved transhuman enlightenmentby spending more thf human lifetimeon the Road Back of Yin or Yang Re cue ores ei att ore ey ace Renee ety and those who have not is, less.evident than in the closing days‘of the Fitth Ages Use the Dharma Chart above instead of the one on'p. 54 of Kindred of the East. ‘As'the Fourth Age draws to a close and the Fifth Age begins, Storytellers should phase in the modern Dhiarma chart gradually, using the guidelines on page 107.