Path of Paradox (Eastern)

The Path of Paradox (or Mayaparisataya) is a Path of Enlightenment common among the Ravnos of India. Since their war against the Kuei-jin had endured, the Ravnos had followed this path. A follower is also known as a Rakshasa.

An heretical side-branch of the path is found among the Western Ravnos.

Overview
The Path of Paradox pays a heavy debt to certain tenets of Hinduism and, some whisper, to the indecipherable codes upheld by the Cathayan vampires of the Orient. According to the Path of Paradox, Kindred are locked perpetually outside the illusory cycle of the universe (maya). Whereas most beings are reincarnated through samsara, a continual "entanglement" in the cycle of rebirth, Kindred have eluded that cycle. Every individual has his own purpose, or svadharma, according to the Path of Paradox, although vampires, excluded from the cycle, have lost theirs. In place of the dharma they once followed, each Kindred must now try to advance maya, hopefully understanding it in the process and finally penetrating the great illusions that shroud Ultimate Truth from their eyes, in order to find their new svadharma. An usual mean for this end is accepting two contradicting things as true and finding meaning in Paradox.

The Path of Paradox is arduous and demanding, since, to truly uphold the code, one must glean important grains of information from those with whom one conspires, in order to understand their svadharma better. Many of the Ravnos' deceptions are, in reality, complicated tests purveyed to cause the subject to reveal hidden aspects of himself. Thus, the Ravnos travel the world, ousted by ignorant Kindred who fail to realize the necessity of the Rakshasa's duties.

Ethics

 * Embrace only when absolutely necessary


 * Destroy other vampires, for they serve no purpose


 * Interpret the svadharma of others and aid them in their fulfillment of it


 * Erase karmic debt, dispel maya’s illusions and return to the samsara


 * Use deception to achieve your ends

Hierarchy of Sins
10 - Embracing a woman

9 - Embracing outside the jati

8 - Destroying another follower of the path

7 - Killing a mortal for sustenance

6 - Failing to destroy another vampire

5 - Killing a mortal for other reasons than survival

4 - Failure to aid another's svadharma

3 - Allowing one's sect affairs to precede one's dharrna

2 - Becoming blood bound

1 - Embracing needlessly or out of personal desire