Once risen, a Kuei-Jin is a chih-mei (Chinese: 魑魅; pinyin: chīmèi; lit.: evil spirit; demon) (IPA: /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ meɪ̯⁵¹/), a barely sentient creature dominated by its hunger for chi and forced to live on flesh. When chih-mei rise, Kuei-Jin of the various courts capture them, calm them through the level 4 ritual Restoring the Dharmic Balance and civilize them, reawakening their higher consciousness (Hun) and turning them into productive undead under their chosen Dharma.
Not all chih-mei are discovered. Some linger on without ever awakening their Hun, fleeing into seclusive areas, while others lurk hidden near mortal society. Others fall into the snares of the Yama Kings and become vehicles of their will. It is rumored that several greater chih-mei, who were part of the original Wan Xian that were not willing to seek reacceptance through a Dharma or service as an akuma, are lying dormant in the Himalayas.
References[]
- KOTE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p.77
- WOD: Blood and Silk, p.14