Hengeyokai

Hengeyokai, from the Japanese for "changing phantom", is a term referring to any shapeshifter, or Fera, in Far Eastern and Southeast Asia, particularly those races who are members of the Beast Courts. The Hengeyokai share similar basic concepts with their western brethern, such as Gifts and auspices, but have also developed their own unique cultural views that reflect these ideas.

Races of the Hengeyokai
These Fera tend to be most frequently recognized as offical members of the Beast Courts.


 * Hakken - The Garou of Japan, who uphold the philosophies of bushido.
 * Khan - The weretigers, who make of the majority of Bastet in the Beast Courts.
 * Kitsune - The werefoxes, who consider themselves exclusively the property of the lands of Asia.
 * Kumo - The werespiders, who unlike their cousins the Ananasi have fallen into the thrall of the Wyrm.
 * Nagah - The wereserpents, who gather where any will take them.
 * Nezumi - The Ratkin, or wererats, of Asia, who are running a Low War against humanity.
 * Same-Bito - Weresharks, who consider themselves far more refined than their cousins the Rokea.
 * Tengu - Similar to the Corax, the wereravens of the Far East serve as the scouts and heralds of the Beast Courts.
 * Zhong Lung - Distant cousins of the Mokolé, the weredragons believe themselves to be the great decendents of the Ebon Dragon and the Scarlet Queen.

Auspices of the Hengeyokai
Like the other Fera races, the Hengeyokai use have auspices to determine the dominant traits of and tasks that a Fera can accomplish. However, theirs are not tied into the moon cycles that many of their western counterparts use. Rather, their roles are assigned to each member of a war party upon its formation. It is traditional and considered lucky to assign each party member a different auspice for the purpose of balance. The names and traits of each auspice are:


 * Lantern - The coordinator and guide of the part, who makes sure all parts work together. Roughly equivilent to the western auspice of the Philodox.
 * Fist - The primary fighting expert, and usually the best warrior. Roughly equivlent to an Ahroun.
 * Mirror - Speaker and link to the spirit world. Roughly equivilent to a Theurge.
 * Leaf - Scout and spy, and master of silence. Roughly equivilent to a Ragabash.
 * Pillar - The moral and physical support of the war party, who can help any party member at any time. Roughly equivilent to a Galliard.

The Wheel of Ages
Much like the kuei-jin (and to a lesser extent, the wraiths), the Hengeyokai view history as being divided into major periods in time. The Hengeyokai believe that the Emerald Mother set forth twelve periods in time; however, some fatalistic Fera (namely the Stargazers) think that the wheel may break in the sixth age and bring about armageddon. The game is set in the Fifth Age, the Age of Shadows. The known six ages are:


 * Age of the Dawning - The First Age, in which the world was created.
 * Age of the Ten Thousand Things - The Second Age, when the worlds between flesh and spirit began to divide themselves.
 * Age of Legends - The Third Age, the high point (so far) of Hengeyokai existance.
 * Age of Testing - The Fourth Age, when war came upon the Beast Courts and its power began to wane.
 * Age of Shadows - The Fifth Age, and current age.
 * Age of Sorrows - The Sixth Age, yet to come, and yet not predicted to be a happy time.