Qiu Mu Shintai (Coil of the East) The “Dragon tears” are one of the most mysterious and r espected powers of the Asian Undead. They are said to have been developed by sages who dwelt in the monasteries or as hermits in the countryside. Even today, the greatest center of learning for this Coil is the Monastery Monastery of the Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas, millennial vampires who share their knowledge with apt students and their advice with Court leaders. Like the Demon Shintai, it has acquired a following in many countries and courts, and the “Tears” (a common name for those who practice this art) are often welcomed as sages and prophets in many courts. They are also formidable healers or castigators of undead souls, and are equally revered and feared for these abilities. Many detractors of the Tears are fearful of their abilities to pear into their spirits, and their secrets… secrets… Students of Qiu Mu spend countless hours in deep meditation in order to develop their sensitivity to all senses, including their dormant Dragon Tear. These meditations reach the extremes of sensory depravation in underground coffins to sensory overload in the middle of warfare or funhouses. They seek, above all things, to reach that point of silence beyond the noise, and of noise beyond the silence. More than any other Coil, the Vampire must open himself up to all his perceptions, and to his dreams. Upon reaching the first Tier, the Tear begins dreaming in his day sleeps. These dreams are often prophetic or revelatory and can often solve difficulties facing the vampire. It is partly because of these dreams that Tears always seem to know something others don’t, and are often at the right place at the right time. This is the most fundamental power of Qiu Mu, and one the Tears rely on he avily. Each additional additional Tear grants the vampires greater and greater senses to explore their surroundings. Ultimately they reach the point where they can see and diagnose souls, heal them, or even commit diablerie upon them. Naturally, these abilities make the Tears highly suspect, and dozens of rumors ci rculate rculate concerning their supposed soul stealing abilities. In many courts where the propaganda is strongest, practitioners of Qiu Mu are hunted on sight. In others, the Coil is taught to special priestly castes within the court, and is usually received with great honor (having the power in a caste also allows non-practitioners to monitor its use). The truth of the matter is that the Dragon Tears are neither good nor bad, but rather can be anything they choose. A good many Demons actually enjoy the benefits of the Qiu Mu, both for its prophetic abilities and its diablerie potential. One of the most famous Tears is the Bodhisattva of Chungking, who is said to be over be over o ver two thousand years old— old —of waking unlife. He awaits petitioners in his temple, granting advice and healing those he considers worthy, worthy, while slaking his most ancient of thirsts on the souls of those he doesn’t…
System: Each Tier of Qiu Mu grants the vampire +1 on all visual perception rolls. This is due to the fact that the Tear is a sensory organ (eventually an eye). Each Tier also grants the character 1
die per story that can be used to extract information from prophetic and cryptic dreams. So a Vampire with the third coil would gain a permanent +3 on all visual perception rolls and have three chance dice that can be used at different moments to decipher knowledge, symbols, or just determine auspicious events. This is the breakdown of Tiers: Tier 1:
The character develops a small diamond-like protrusion on his “third eye”. This confers to him: •Prophetic Dreams: Dreams : the character always dreams during the day, and sometimes can draw knowledge from them. He gets 1 die/level of Qiu Mu/story. These dice are rolled as chance dice, or on a difficulty from 8-10 (ST discretion). •Heightened Visual Sense: Sense : Each Tier adds 1 die to all visual perception based rolls. Tier 2:
At this stage, the Tear turns into an extra, smaller
eye. •Read the Soul: Soul : the Tears can read and diagnose a soul much as a physician can recognize an ailment. The character can access a subject’s aura, Virtues and Vices, Humanity level, wil lpower and derangements. Again, this is a permanent feature of the Qiu Mu. Tier 3:
At this stage, the eye grows into a normal size.
• Affect the Hun: Hun: The Tear is now sensitive enough to the emanations of others to actually influence them. The character must meditate on the target, rolling Presence + Empathy + Qiu Mu – Target’s Resolve + Composure (for resisting targets). Each success allows the character to affect the target in one of these ways: calm him from frenzy, ignore his derangement for one night, and regain willpower from resisting his vice/or cannot regain it from Vices for one day (the subject is empowered to act at it best). • Affect the P’o: As with Affect the Hun the character may now influence the darker emanations of others. The character must meditate on the target and make a Presence + Intimidation + Qiu Mu – Target’s Resolve + Composure. Each success su ccess allows the character to affect the target in one of these ways: induce frenzy (can be resisted), exacerbate a derangement (mild becomes severe) for one night, or suffer the Daeva clan weakness for a night (the subject is empowered to act at his worst). Tier 4: At this stage, the eye grows slightly larger than the original eyes.
•Purify the Mind: The Tear can now completely undo the traumas in the emanations. The character must meditate on the target and make a Manipulation + Empathy + Qiu Mu – Target’s Resolve + Composure Composure (for resisting targets). targets). Each su ccess undoes the severity of a derangement by one notch (se vere becomes mild, mild becomes cured). •Poison the Mind: The Tear can now corrupt the emanations of others with traumas. The character must meditate on the target and make a Manipulation + Intimidation + Qiu Mu – Target’s Resolve + Composure. Each success increases the s e-
verity of derangements derangements or creates a new one, permanently. pe rmanently. The Tear can choose which derangement they inflict and in which direction they progress. Tier 5:
At this highest of stages, the Tear grows yet again, but the pupil changes into a reptilian slit. This is the Eye of the Dragon. •Spirit Sight: Sight : with this power, the Elder Tear can pear into the spirit worlds, and interact with them (how much is up to ST). Much like the other powers, this is always active and available to the Tear. However, his mastery of the Tear is such that he can focus, thereby ignoring certain abilities (he could focus solely on one aspect of Read the Soul, for example, or turn them all off). Many elders refuse to do this because of the intense revelations they undergo seeing the combined spirits of the world as one whole, and go off for walks in the wilderness to enjoy these visions… •Mend the Soul: Soul : The Master Dragon may change the inner core of the being upon whom he concentrates. To initiate the effect, the Dragon must spend a Willpower point. For resisting subjects, he must then roll his intelligence + empathy + Qiu Mu – target’s Resolve + composure. composure . Success tears the soul out of the target and into the Dragon’ s eye (or mental landscape). Here, the Dragon may make permanent changes to the character’s traits, including healing derangements, increasing willpower, changing Virtues and Vices and (at ST discretion!) restore some lost humanity, each change at the cost of one willpower. The bodies of targets undergoing healing remain unmoving, and must be ordered to move to safety and feed should the need arise •Devour the Soul: Soul : Alternatively, the Master Dragon may decide to harm the target. In this case, he rolls to acquire the target as per Mend the Soul (use Occult instead of empathy). Once trapped, he may roll his Qiu Mu + Intelligence + occult vs the target’s target’s Resolve Resolve + Composure. Should the target ever acquire five more successes than the Dragon, he escapes. For every success the Dragon acquires, he may cause a derangement, remove a permanent dot of Willpower or Humanity. Should the humanity run out, the Dragon diablerizes the victim. Those that have been devoured remain present for as many weeks as was their Blood Potency was, and can be used as slaves.
