P'o Natures
A Kuei-jin's p'o nature is a flaw in the character's personality - characteristics developed since the Kuei-jin's return to the land of living from death brought on by their p'o, a sort of inner demon. The p'o is an almost schizophrenic presence in the Kuei-jin's mind - castigating and criticizing the vampire, coaxing him or her into monstrous acts. Contents
Contents
The Addict
The Addict, like every Kuei-jin, knows the frustrating hunger for Chi and the pleasure of satisfying that hunger. The Addict sees no use in pursuing a dharma, or anything else in fact, only seeing sense in numbing the horror of being a walking corpse and the horrific memories of Yomi. The Addict hungers not only for chi, but for mind-stupefying drugs and alcohol too. As many drugs do not have a so strong effect on the undead, many vampires will try harder and harder with larger and larger amounts to become intoxicated.
Conditions for Takeover: Whenever the vampire is faced with depression, self-disgust, or any other emotional stress. When in Shadow soul, the vampire goes on a binge of feeding and drugs.
Introduced in Sunset Empires
The Ancient
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Artist
The Artist tore themself out of Yomi to finish an incomplete task - the completion of some vision of creativity they didn't complete in life. Nothing else matters to them but that work. It berates the kuei-jin's rational mind for doing any other tasks but that work, whether the task is making progress on their dharma or the pursuit of a mere momentary pleasure.
Conditions for Takeover: The Artist attempts to take over the Kuei-jin when their mind is distracted from the great work or whenever an opportunity to advance the great work arises. When in shadow soul, all the Artist focuses on is that piece of work, and will reject all other commitments greatly severing many of the Kuei-jin's operations.
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Bandit
While a Kuei-jin may have a specific role to fulfill or a particular reason to have returned from the dead, the Bandit is having none of it. This P'o sees no use in the Great Cycle, which, after all, is far removed from its night-to-night existence. Rather, it ignores the mandates of Heaven and Hell and seeks to drive the Kuei-jin to random acts of self-satisfied destruction. The Bandit's ultimate goal is to bring down the entire Great Cycle, perhaps out of resentment at being ordered back into the lands of the living, but in the meantime any target — and any representative of order - serves as a focus for the P'o's rage.
Conditions for Takeover: The Bandit can force a shadow nature roll whenever anyone seeks to order the Kuei-jin to do anything, or tries to put the character "in his proper place,"
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Barbarian
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Deceiver
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Demon
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Dog-cooker
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Sunset Empires
The Echo
The Echo escaped from Yomi just like any other Kuei-jin. But unlike others, it doesn't feel worthy to have gained a release denied to so many others. The Echo Kuei-jin retains a strong link to whatever hell used to hold it, it's goal being to break the Kuei-jin's soul and lure it back to hell, and it's weapon is the voices of those unescaped from Yomi still suffering, using their tortured words to torment the vampire.
Conditions for Takeover: The Echo triggers Shadow soul whenever the Kuei-jin is confronted with eviudence of loss and death - graveyards and cenotaphs are bad places for these vampires to be. When in Shadow soul, the vampire focuses obsessively on the suffering in Yomi and the unearned release he or she, and other Kuei-jin, enjoy, in hopes of shaming, scaring or depressing himself and his peers into a return to Yomi.
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Eunuch
The Eunuch found confirmation in Yomi that all endeavor is futile, everything that it may make up may end up as fodder for demons. Even after it's escape, it retains a sense of moral, intellectual and spiritual impotence - despair turned to the conviction that it should not create anything new. The Eunuch refuses to take up any enterprises eyond the basics of survival, instead devoting itself to appropriating the work of others for it's own ends.
Conditions for Takeover: The Eunuch can force it's Kuei-jin into shadow soul whenever they are faced with opportunities to lead others or when others are acutely dependent on him or her. When in shadow soul, the Kuei-jin abandons any original projects of their own and tries to become overseer, steward or director of other's efforts.
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Fool
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Legalist
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Monkey
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Sage
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Samurai
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Sunset Empires == The Slave==
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Kindred of the East Core Rulebook
The Vitalist
The Vitalist wants one thing - their mortal life. The vampire can't quite get to it though. Even extreme Yang imbalance only makes her something that's merely lifelike in some regards. The Vitalist strives to get as close to being a mortal as they can. It may cause the Kuei-jin to seek whatever life, aspire to be greater than their mortal life by finding a new place in mortal society or a greater place than the one they once had.
Conditions for Takeover: The Vitalist reaches for control when faced with a situation that reminds the Kuei-jin of his or her mortal life, particularly a situation that allows her to pursue a goal from her mortal life. When the Vitalist is in shadow soul, they turn away from everything in Kuei-jin in an effort to re-enter the mortal world.
Introduced in Blood and Silk
The Warrior
Conditions for Takeover:
Introduced in Blood and Silk
