History TabletopGame / KindredOfTheEast

This book was the flagship project of Creator/WhiteWolf's ''Year of the Lotus'' event, which focused on the Asian side of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness. ''KOTE'' was intended as an offshoot of ''Vampire'' but the Kuei-Jin, as Eastern vampires are called, share only superficial similarities with the Cainite variety. Because it introduces several new mechanics and has its own {{Splat}}s, ''KOTE'' is often treated as a standalone game, though some knowledge of ''Vampire'' and ''TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion'' will help.

OurVampiresAreDifferent indeed. Kuei-Jin are humans who died violently and are sent to [[IronicHell Yomi]], from which they escape back into their bodies and must sustain on chi to survive. At first, they can only obtain it from human blood and/or flesh, but after centuries of spiritual enlightenment (comparable to Cainites' generations), they can draw chi from a person's breath or even directly from the earth itself. Like Western Vampires, Kuei-Jin are allergic to sunlight, vulnerable to staking, and subject to beastly frenzies of anger or fear. However, they can't embrace; all damned souls have to make their own way out of Hell. They also can't make Ghouls or blood bonds; their curse is theirs to bear alone. As former Wraiths, Kuei-Jin also have to contend with their Shadows and Oblivion (see TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion for details) and strive to Transcend the mortal plane.

!! In addition to the tropes of Vampire and Wraith, this game also provides examples of:

* AGodAmI: The Heretical (non-Quincunx) Dharma called the Face of the Gods believes that Kuei-jin are latent demigods whose journey ToHellAndBack awoke their powers. Unlike most examples, they aren't inherently jerks about it—while many who split off from the Quincunx are indeed quite vain and reckless, the Indian Godlings (ie, the people for whom it is a native philosophy) are extremely respectful of their cultists and [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire find actually feeding on them without permission distasteful]], preferring [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve prayer]] (an ability of theirs is to transmute the faith generated by worshipers' rituals into physical Chi, which they can eat).

* BackgroundMagicField: Chi flow in the world is treated like this, and Kuei-jin feed upon the Chi that conglomerates in mortals.
** Kuei-jin must pay attention to the Chi flow of their lair. Some of them are highly versed in feng-shui, and even [[CutLexLuthorACheck rent out their service to mortal architects (while passing as a mortal)]].
* BloodyMurder: The Blood Shintai discipline.
* BodyHorror: Kuei-jin rot instead of burn under sunlight, and this disfigurement can become permanent if it happens thoroughly.

* DeathByAThousandCuts: And there is a discipline with almost that exact name!

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Magical kungfu zombie philosophers!

* WeirdnessCensor: TheMasquerade isn't enforced as strongly, as {{Muggles}} in Asia are generally more superstitious and ask fewer questions.
** Oddly, ''Clanbook Lasombra'' mentions that Asian people are more prone to forming angry witch-hunting mobs.
*** It's easier to ignore a vampire just hanging out at a bar than it is a vampire actively trying to eat your family. While they may not deal with the average vampire, if the vamp crosses the line, they're pretty much screwed.

* NuclearNasty: The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki devastated the Chi flow of those cities, and no sane Kuei-Jin will enter said cities willingly. Unfortunately, there are insane Kuei-Jin, and they gain strange powers from the magical radioactive poisoning they contract there.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Emma-O was originally the god of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people Ainu people.]] After the Japanese colonized the island and wiped most of them out, he became a cruel and twisted Yama King, and [[TheFisherKing his once beautiful realm became the dark and icy hell of Kakuri.]]

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: As the ''Inquest Magazine'' review of the initial book release repeatedly pointed out, the title was a complete lie—the Kuei-jin aren't even real vampires (they're closer to {{Revenant Zombie}}s), let alone a branch of the Cainite Kindred, and on the rare occasions the actual Kindred even showed up in the book it was so they could be brutally dispatched by the Kuei-Jin.

* AffablyEvil: Devil-Tigers hold this as an ideal to achieve: they're utter monsters, yes, but they're ''regal'' monsters who punish the wicked rather than corrupt the innocent. Indeed, the intro comic to their Dharma book has one realizing betraying a lover just because he ''could'' was infinitely too petty for a Devil-Tiger, and this understanding advances his own powers (although he doesn't make restitution—indeed, he still keeps her soul as a paperweight).