China (WOD)

China is the center of the Middle Kingdom, one of the greatest nations in Asia and home to various Shen. The relationships with their western counterparts are often stressed and many of the natives value their ancient traditions very high and react from conservative to outright hostile to any attempts to change their climate.

Kindred of the East
China is the spiritual heart of the Quincunx. Cathayan civilization first developed along the banks of the sacred rivers; the great texts and teachings regarding the Kuei-jin's nature have their source here as well. Kuei-jin of pure Chinese origin, regardless of the Age in which they took the Second Breath, know the special position China historically occupies in the Middle Kingdom. The original center of the Five August Courts of the Fourth Age, it is now divided into five Courts, with each centered around an important mortal city: Beijing, which is the home of the Blood Court and acts as the center of Kuei-jin jurisdiction and the authority of the Five August Ancestors, Shanghai, which is home of the Flesh Court, which is locked into perpetual battle with akuma and foreigners since the end of World War II, Hong Kong, which housed the Flame Court and now desperately tries to secure the city for the Quincunx after centuries of Kin-jin rule and is the gateway for the Great Leap Outward, Chongquing, which houses the Bone Court and is dedicated to preserving the rites and ways of the elder Kuei-jin and the Wan Xian, and Changan, which houses the Jade Court that acts as a spiritual center for the Quincunx.

The Kuei-jin within China mostly have superior attitudes towards their brethren in other Asian countries, seeing themselves as their parents whom they owe respect and obedience. This creates various fractures between them and other Courts, who are unwilling to part from their own traditions and Dragon Nests in order to satisfy the Quincunx vanity.

Vampire: The Masquerade
Few Cainites manage to gain a foothold in this hostile land, but it is possible for those who are silent and respectful. The Giovanni have a branch family called the della Passaglia that originated in China and who are among the few Kindred that are tolerated by the Blood Court within Beijing. Ravnos enclaves exist sporadically, as the Deceivers travel too much to be pinned down and exterminated by concerned Kuei-jin. Remnants of the Salubri, in the form of the Wu Zao, hound the local Kuei-jin, who remember their traitorous ancestor Zao-lat as a failed student of their own great philosopher Xue, and the Assamites are rumored to possess strongholds in the lands of the Uihgurs. Broods of Lasombra have dwelled within China since 1300 B.C and have remained mainly unmolested by the natives, although in modern times, many of the neonates of these broods have joined in with the Sabbat. It is known that the Tremere underwent several attempts to build a chantry there to study the strange powers of the Kuei-jin, a project that was thrown back with the Week of Nightmares and Thrace’s defection.

Until 1998, the Camarilla possessed a beachhead in the form of Hong Kong, which was under the control of Robert Pedder and contained the sole Tremere chantry on Chinese territory. By now, the city has wandered from English hands back to Chinese and one of the first things that the Kuei-jin did was killing any Kin-jin that they found. Survivors either hid themselves well or made bargains with the Asians.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse
China is fairly in the hands of the Hengeyokai, a federation of various Changing Breeds that came together after the War of Shame, and the chief lair of the Zhong Lung. Western Garou are rare, especially since the Stargazers defected to the Beast Courts. The only tribe with noteworthy presence is the Boli Zouhisze, a branch of the Glass Walkers with a strong presence in Hong Kong and other urbanized areas. Exiled members of the Garou Nation sometimes wander around China, sometimes allying themselves with the Beast Courts. The Kumo werespiders have many of their lairs there, preying on mortal misery and the results of industrialization. Some Pentex divisions also try to gain a foothold in the growing Chinese economy but are by now mostly repelled.

Mage: The Ascension
The Chinese mages, regardless of craft, commonly believe that they first appeared in the Second Age. The Metaphysic Trinity is still revered among Eastern mages as Tiger (Dynamism), Phoenix (Stasis) and Dragon (Entropy). The Akashic Brotherhood originates in China (well, Tibet anyways) and have many strongholds remaining there, although Communism has weakened their hold over their Nodes. The Wu Lung – or Dragon Wizards- are an autonomous craft that regard themselves as servants and speakers of humanity to the Celestial Bureaucracy. From them, the Dalou’laoshi came, a society dedicated to science which are the Technocracy’s allies in the East. Their modern influence continues to grow steadily. Both sides battled each other for many centuries over control over the mortal beliefs, while the Akashics espoused Buddhism and self-knowledge, the Dragon Wizards and the Five Metal Dragons espoused Legalism and Confucianism, resulting in the destruction of the Shaolin Temple in 1735. In modern times and its stifling paradigma, both sides are forced into teeth-gnashing cooperation, but they are getting along surprisingly well after a while. Some of the Wu Lung who were opposed to the alliance instead joined the Order of Hermes, creating House Hong Lei.

The Cult of Ecstasy has also some sects in China, particularly the K’an Lu. Other crafts are the despised Wu Keng, who originate as the ancient Chinese shamans and who were forced to turn to the Yama Kings during the Chou Dynasty.

Wraith: The Oblivion
In the Underworld, Quin Shihuangdi, the first Emperor of China, now better known as Yu Huang, still rules over the dead of his former realm with an iron fist. His Immortal Guard of terracotta soldiers has suppressed any uprising in the Yellow Springs and stretched its influence to other Asian underworlds. Only Han Chinese wraiths are considered citizens by the Imperial Bureaucrats, while all others are considered as resources to be meliorated or soulforged. Wraiths are dependent on their family within the Shadowlands to survive, resulting in long dynasties of wraith families that sometimes seek to aid their living counterparts in exchange for prayers (which generate Pathos).

The Yellow Springs and the Stygian Empire were at war since the occupation of Macau and only an uneasy truce between Yu Huang, Charon and the Ivory Queen settled the affair, although contempt of the west runs still strong in the Imperial Ministries. The last try to invade the Dark Kingdom of Iron, however, was thwarted by the Sixth Maelstrom, resulting in a near annihilation of the Imperial Army and the dissolution of much of the Shadowlands infrastructure.

Changeling: The Dreaming
Western Changelings seldom come to China, this land lies secure in the hands of the Shinma, who protect their holdings against incursions from the waigoren. The Shinma part China into various Provinces that are supposed to rely on another. China is home to the Hunan Province, which contains various port towns in the East and South, with the capital being in Hong Kong ( in order to better supervise the influx of foreign supernaturals), the Jilin province, which covers the Eastern coastline of China and both Koreas, which resides currently in Seoul, the Beijing Province, which focuses solely on Beijing, the Xinjiang Province, which contains most of western China, the Quinghai Province, who are centered around the Himalayas and thus suffers from the influx of military forces to Tibet, the Sichuan Province, which is located in central China and suffers from the effects of the Three Gorges Dam. As the Shinma maintain themselves via prayers and ceremonies, Communistic activities against these traditions possess the potential to severely weaken them.

Hunter: The Reckoning
The Shih originated in China during the Xia dynasty and later during the Shang dynasty as the Celestial Army, who opposed the supernatural corruption of mortals and fought against those who did not follow their nature, but indulged in their base desire. The Celestial Army fell after a joined effort of the Kuei-jin, and the modern Shih are vagabonds and avengers, who try to keep fighting their fight for justice and balance, although many succumb to the lure of vengeance. Others are Strike Force Zero, a hunter organization dedicated on exterminating all non-humans within the Middle Kingdom, China included.

Mummy: The Resurrection
China, as well as the whole Middle Kingdom, has its own population of Immortals, the Wu T’ian, who are tasked with preparing the Middle Kingdom for the Sixth Age and are clad in taoistic notions of the world around them. The Amenti respect the boundaries of their realms of influence and such stay out of China. Some of the old Shemsu-Heru were seen in Hong Kong, but most acted covert, instead seeking to understand the secrets of the Eastern Immortals that were beyond the reach of Horus.

Demon: The Fallen
During the reign of the Shang Dynasty, Belial, Archduke of the Crimson Legion, was resummoned into the world. Belial's reliquary was mobile (unlike the other archdukes) and his small idol was secreted in and out of many cities, as he followed the flow of the Dragon Lines to locate Lucifer in order to avenge himself on him. Other Earthbound soon carved their own cults into the chaos, especially during the Warring States Era. Two rival sects, controlled by the Rabisu Abromalgia and the Neberu Kaoru-Shinji, exerted the most control during these era. In 250 BCE, a blind monk called Yin-kui and his followers managed to weaken the native Earthbound, but under Qin Shihuangdi, (who was a secret Thrall of Kaoru-Shinji) all knowledge of him and his exposions was destroyed. Buddhism and Taoism resulted in a steady decline of worshippers for the Dread Kings, until nearly all Earthbound slumbered or had relocated to more faithful regions.

Timeline

 * 4000 BCE - 2800 BCE: Thanatoic and Ecstatic cults arise in India. The Akashic Brotherhood takes form in China and Tibet. Babylonian priest-scientists discover principles of geometry and astronomy, harnessing the power of mathematics and the heavens to the human will. Druidic priests and practitioners of magic raise Stonehenge in accordance with the movements of celestial bodies.


 * 3000s BCE:China's civilization is at least this old. "Yellow Emperor" Huang Ti and Queen Lo Tsu found mystickal Chinese dynasties on geometry and astrology.


 * 2100 BCE: China's near-mythical Xia dynasty is founded around this time.


 * 1766 BCE - 1112 BCE: The Shang dynasty in China. They leave the first evidence of a written language.


 * 1523 BCE: The first application of artificial creation, later dubbed HIT Mark I. Examples include Talos, the bronze giant; Daedalus' mechanical minotaur, and the terracotta army of Ch'in Shih-huang-ti.


 * 1480 BCE - 1489 BCE: Thothmes III ("Born of Thoth") and his queen Hatshepsut summon the masons of Babylon, Hebrew architects, priests of Isis and Osiris, and a thousand-odd mysticks from the wilderness (including some strange people from a land later called Cathay (China)). Together, the two rulers craft a fellowship of sacred Artisans and a priesthood of healers and diviners, as well as laying forth the nine Cornerstones to Creation. The two lodges become known as the Reed of Thoth and the Cupbearers of Isis.


 * 11th century BCE - 256 BCE: The Zhou Dynasty is the high point of ancient China.


 * 1000 BCE: The Chou dynasty outlaws all Wu. The Wu-Keng enter the Sam Chin Ak, which binds them into Infernal service for the next three thousand years. Beginning of the Iron Age in Europe and the Far East.


 * 771 BCE: Barbarians allied with rebel lords sack the capital of China. The capital is later moved to Luoyang, and the kingdom falls into a decline.


 * 604 BCE - ???: Lao-Tse inspires Taoist alchemy and Arts, perhaps influenced by the Akashic Brotherhood.


 * 560 BCE - 200 BCE Golden Age of Chinese Science. Kung Fu-tse, Lu Pan. Chinese paradigm based on celestial order.


 * 260 BCE: Shin-Huang-Ti, First Emperor of China, and patron of the Dalou'laoshi, is born.


 * 256 BCE: End of the Zhou Dynasty.  The "First Chinese Empire" arises, led by Emperor Cheng.


 * 241 BCE: Mo-Tzu dies.


 * 221 BCE: With the coming of Qin Shuhuang, the first Emperor to unify China, Fu Xia unites the Wu Lung.They begin persecuting peasant wizards, inadvertently angering the Akashic Brotherhood.


 * 220 BCE: The "Wu-Keng"'s otherworldly masters transform them into women to escape imprisonment. As punishment, they order all Wu-Keng to disguise themselves as women for the remainder of their servitude.


 * 210 BCE: Shin-Huang-Ti, First Emperor of China, and patron of the Dalou'laoshi, dies.


 * 200 BCE: A famous legalist work is written by Prince Han Fei Tzu, warning a ruler not to let private affairs get in the way of statecraft.


 * 200 BCE: Dalou'laoshi founded.


 * 160 BCE-100 BCE: The Burning Tiger War. A three-way conflict between the Akashic Brotherhood, the Wu Lung, and the Dalou'laoshi. Akashics defeat the Demon Wizard Tau-tse.


 * 100 BCEEstablishment of silk routes leads Taftâni to contact with Wu Lung wizards from China.


 * 43: China re-invades Vietnam, overturning the independent kingdom set up by Trung Trac.


 * 220: China's Han government collapses, but its structure establishes the pattern China will follow at least the next 1,700 years.


 * 265-420: China's Jin dynasty.


 * 5th century:While the Roman Empire descends into decadence and disrepair, China (cWOD)ced civilization in the world.


 * 581-617: China's Wu dynasty is in power.


 * 617 The Shaolin Temple is attacked and destroyed. It is later rebuilt.


 * 618 China's Tang dynasty comes to power.


 * 904: China's Tang dynasty falls. The Chi'n Ta enjoy a fragile peace until the Mongol invasion of the 1270s.


 * 939:Ngo Quyen defeats the armies of China's crumbling Tang dynasty, leaving Vietnam free of Chinese rule for the first time in nearly a thousand years.


 * 1000: The Wu-Keng are pleased to discover that female foot-bindings are not only increasingly common, but considered attractive.
 * 1010 The Ly dynasty reunites the nation of China.


 * 13th century:Kublai Khan attempts to annex Vietnam into the Yuan empire, but his troops are repelled. They manage to sweep through Laos with little difficulty. China's Tang dynasty falls. During the Mongol invasions, the Jnani avert disaster for the Akashayana by making contact with shamans who support the Mongols. The Shi-Ren are devastated as their lands are placed in the hands of Confucian administrators. Two Sleeper priests are sent in an attempt to secure an alliance with Prester John. They're followed by two members of the Messianic Voices. While the Sleeper priests end up in the court of Genghis Khan, the Singers apparently enter Prester John's kingdom. Before dismissing them, John tells them he will one day sing with their Chorus. China's invasions of Japan late this century causes rifts within the Akashic Brotherhood that have yet to heal by the end of the 20th century.


 * 1279:The Mongols invade China. In desperation, Akashic Brother Yu Lung makes a pact with the Yama Kings, and infects the Mongols with a virulent plague. When fellow Brothers are also sacrificed, his betrayal is revealed. After the Akashics help Mongol shamans find a cure, the Akashics are granted more freedom than either the Wu Lung or the Dalou'laoshi.


 * 1368: China reasserts itself with the first ruler of the Ming dynasty. The emperor is supported by the Shi-Ren and by Vajrapani guards.


 * 1433: Ming China's naval expeditions stop suddenly. The culture shifts to considering themselves the most advanced possible culture, incapable of learning anything from their foreign inferiors.


 * 1452: * Minor Tribunal held in the Gediz Caves. The Primi formally dedicate their Crays to Horizon. Primary Crays include the floating tip of Lyonesse (France); Stonehenge, Chalice Hill and Glastonbury Tor (Britain); Loch Neagh (Ireland); Nemi Lake and San Lorenzo in Lucina (Italy); the Dragons of Guilin China; Arches National Park (Utah, USA); Gediz Caves (Turkey); Artaxerxes' Court, the Canyon of Qu'Dali (Persia); and the Library of Alexandria.


 * 1644: China's weakened, corrupt Ming state falls to the Manchu Qing and their Wu Lung patrons.


 * 1700s:European imperialism in China leads to a backlash against the Celestial Chorus.


 * 1735: The battle between the Wu Lung and the Akashic Brotherhood culminates when the Shaolin aid a peasant rebellion against the Manchurian Chi'ing dynasty. The emperor asks Li Te-yu, the Thousand-Tiger Lord, to help storm the Shaolin Temple. The attack is successful, shattering the Akashics' power in China.


 * 1813: The Boli Zouhisze Chinese Glass Walkers) ally themselves with the British East India Company after a long period of suffering at the hands of Wyrmish forces that had taken power during the rise of the Manchus in China. The Boli Zouhisze will end up smuggling opium for the company.


 * 1851:The Taiping Rebellion in China.


 * 1895:Japan has a military victory against China, which strengthens the military's political power.


 * 1900c (cWOD): The Boxer Rebellions in China. The Wu Lung and Akashic Brotherhood cease fighting outright, as both sides support the Rebellion as a last-ditch effort to drive the Technocracy out of China.


 * 1911 (cWOD)-1951: Tibet has little contact with China or the rest of the world. By this year, most of China's provinces have seceded from the imperial government.


 * 1938:The alliance between China's communists and its nationalists breaks down, with the communists attaining the upper hand.


 * 1949:The Communists' popular support allows them to expel their rivals. Their takeover of China causes many Triad members to depart to Hong Kong and the United States of America.


 * 1965: Mao Zhedong attempts to regain power in China by starting the Cultural Revolution.


 * 1974:Excavations on Mount Li in northern China turn up 6000 life-size pottery figures of soldiers, horses and chariots. No two faces are alike. The army is a vast storehouse of early HIT Marks which Iteration X retains the option to reactivate at any point.

(Alternate History)
 * December 22, 2012: The supercomet Mirzaba heads directly for Earth, estimated to strike in the Chengdu province in China. A young Eduardo C. Amanguale, Yves Mercure, Niki Yemana and numerous other Sons of Ether witness the event from the People's Spaceflight Facility at Lop Nor. Doctor Bernhardt Mueller, its discoverer, is jubilant that he was, at least, correct.