Song of the Shadow

Virtue: Yin
With a nose-ring, I guided the wind.

With a whip I made it smile.

The dust it stirred smelled of lotus-flowers.

I wept and made it burn.

- The Midnight Jewel

The Song of the Shadow
There is life, there is death and there is the bridge between the two. Xue recognized this truth when he romanced a ghost from the forests of Hing Fang. To be with her, he entered the Yin World. He was not welcome there, however; at length the Ebon Dragon breathed on him, and Xue turned to dust.

"Would you swirl in my air forever and a day?" asked the Dragon.

"If doing so would bring me closer to my love," Xue replied.

"We have no use for love," the Ebon One sneered. His snort whisked the dust into the air. Xue scattered to the five directions and settled like fine ash. Behind the Dragon, Xue's lover wiated, her eyes as cold as stones. Yet the ghost was not unmoved. A single tear slid down her cheek and spattered into the dust. Xue sprang full-formed from the spot of mud and the Dragon was enlightened.

The Midnight Jewel (an important Dharmic sutra, from which the name "Bone Flowers" comes) compares the spirit realm to a glittering web and the living world to the dew upon its strands. Drifting across that web like spiders, the followers of the Shadow Song Dharma taste the dew, pluck the strands and occasionally feed on unwary flies. Like the Dragon, the so-called "Bone Flowers" learn from the song of mortality. Wreathed in the dust of death and the wind of life, they dance slowly to the rhythms of both. Like autumn leaves, these Kuei-jin glide between the Jade Kingdom and the living world. Along the way, they comfort the grieving, sheperd the ghosts and punish disrespectful mortals. In the Middle Kingdom, there are plenty of all three.

Aware of their immortality, these Kuei-jin share a thirst for discovery. From libraries and mass media, they gather stories about the living world; from the spirits they collect memories and news. To bind the two together the vampires record their insights in works of art or scholarship. The Second Breath stimulates their curiosity, and the hunger to learn rivals the hunger to consume.

Learning seems to be the only passion these creatures have. In all other matters, Bone Flowers seem distant and precise. Every fact must be dissected for significance, and each event becomes a symbol for a much grander thing. This curiosity brings them into the company of other shen; there, they act as ambassadors, mystics and lorekeepers. With their talent for enigmas, such vampires understand the spirit paths as well; an elder makes an excellent guide to Yin and Yomi Worlds alike. During her instruction, the average Bone Flower visits both.

In life, these vampires tended to be melancholy. Not surprisingly, most commited suicide, neglected their families or never married. Art or academia took the place of love, and these souls often died unfulfiled. When they return, these Kuei-jin feel both longing and a void. The Scarlet Queen calls from across death's mists; the winds steal her words but the feeling remains. Perhaps the Bone Flowers find their Hundred Clouds in the Queen's embrace - in discovering the love they avoided for so long.

Song of the Shadow Training
Following Xue's legacy demands certain detachment. To stand at the doorway between life and death, one must grow immuned to the torments of both. Still, to rise from dust, one must feel the tears of living things. Some vampires take that literally, while others try to overcome the cold void.

Mandarins of the Shadow Song Dharma stress learning and meditation. All lessons come in symbolic terms, leaving the disciple to figure out the meanings. Most Bone Flowers prefer to be left alone, but gather in troupes to create grand artworks. These performances feature elaborate rites, haunting music and stylized dancing. Through these plays, the vampires try to capture insights and pass them on. Not surprisingly, few patrons understand, but the Bone Flowers keep trying.

Song of the Shadow Weakness
Bone Flowers are cold and dispassionate, flowing through the darkness like slient kites. White as corpses, skin stretched across their bones, they seem fragile, almost girlish. The winds of death wisk their voices away, and they speak in eunuch's whispers. There's something both abhorrent and beautiful in a Bone Flower's face and faraway gaze, and she never seems to care about anything that happens. The shadows' songs drown out mortal concerns.

While many vampires (and some mortals) find the bone-song bewitching, others are appalled. Most hengeyokai bristle when a Bone Flower draws near. Mortals run in one of two directions; either they fly away screaming or fall hopelessly in love. The Bone Flower never seems to care one way or the other.

As romantic as they may seem, Bone Flowers are known for their cruelty. Familiarity with the Hells and the fleeting nature of creation makes them callous to suffering of any kind. Where the Devil-Tigers teach through pain, the Flowers dismiss it. Like all things, agony is short-lived and therefore irrelevant.

Auspicious Omens and Symbols for The Song of the Shadow
Important signs to watch for and to keep around. Many followers of this Way integrate these symbols into their homes and temples. Bodhisattavas frequently manifest such phenomena - cold breezes, withering plants, etc. - whenever they appear. The following are Auspicious Omens and Symbols for The Song of the Shadow: Bones, cool springs of water, autumn leaves, theatre masks, chill breezes, withering plants, dead flowers, and funerals.

Affiliations of The Song of the Shadow
The elements connected to the Way. Most followers style their dress, behavoir and practices after the elements they revere, and they employ samples of these materials in their meditations and rites. The Affiliations of The Song of the Shadow are as follows: Metal, the color black, the number 4, and the west direction.

The Tenets of The Song of the Shadow
Each Way has eight tenets to guide its lessons and philosophy. To pursue one's purpose, one must follow these precepts as closely as possible. The following are the tenets of The Song of the Shadow.

1: Bathe in the breath of the Ebon Dragon, but hold fast to the Scarlet Queen's teardrop.

2: Behold the pillar of family and safeguard it against vandals and thieves.

3: Kiss the spirits in their houses and the ghosts in their shrouds. Both are lonley and adore the healing touch.

4: Gather what you can from the falling leaves of knowledge.

5: Pres the truth like fine paper and ink it with the visions you have seen.

6: Give freely of your knowledge, but wrap it up like a precious gift.

7: Look beyond the obvious and discern a deeper meaning.

8: Console the grieving and remind them to repsect the dead.

Rival Paths
These are the stereotypical views of the other Dharmas and the Kindred from the Bone Flower mindset.

Devil-Tiger: Choking on blood will not answer your questions.

Resplendent Cranes: Cold as ice, hard as iron and as brittle as glass.

Thousand Whispers: Deafened by all voices, you cannot hear the one which guides you.

Thrashing Dragon: Dance with me, little brother, but beware the edge of that pit.

Kindred: You speak of death? By all means, let me show it to you...