Scorpion Eater

The Scorpion Eater is one of the heretical Dharma of the Kuei-Jin. It was developed by  Kuei-jin who had to feed on tainted Chi to survive. Their original founder was a Devil-Tiger named Jade Scorpion, who witnessed the atomic attack on Nagasaki and was bathed in the Tainted Chi that spilled forward. Seeing that the Kuei-jin had failed, he lost all hope and pleaded to the Yama Kings to allow him to survive. The demon lords granted him this request, provided that he would not oppose their reign.

They cannot use regular Shintai and instead use the Bile Shintai. The Scorpion Eaters solely rely on their P'o, barely staying above the level of Chih-mei and unable to advance further.

The Quincunx considers all of them Akuma, even if they are not wholly slave of the Yama Kings.

Scorpion Eater Doctrine

The Scorpion Eaters are the children of modern developments that are seen as omens of the Sixth Age; rapid industrialization, lacking respect of tradition and growing disillusion with the bleak state of affairs in the world. Most Scorpion Eaters have become disillusioned with the concept of the Wheel of Ages, pointing at the pointlessness of struggling against the turn of ages. Neither the August Personage In Jade nor the Demon Emperor will ultimately last. The answer to this struggle is carving out a niche where they will survive the turning of Ages and can watch as everything collapses around them. To this end, they adapt to the growing chi corruption and even encourage it, seeing it as a way to weed out the orthodox Kuei-jin that hunt and despise them.

The philosophy of the Scorpion Eaters is a very strong contrast to other Dharmas. While every other Dharma allows for enlightenment and escape from the state as an undead, the Scorpion Eaters have no such aspirations. All that matters for them is to survive the next moment. Wisdom, virtue and introspection are a waste of time to them. The only thing that matters is surviving and doing whatever they want, often mimicking the lifestyle of gangster movies of Hong Kong. As a result, they are spiritually void, as empty as a mirror-cast reflection.

The Scorpion Eater "Dharma" can't support spiritual advancement. It not only doesn't account for enlightenment, it denies the very possibility of it. At the very core of the Scorpion ethos are despair and disillusionment, a resignation to the brutal realities of the coming Sixth Age and the desire to survive it as scavengers. Fear, weakness and selfishness are what ultimately lay beneath the devil-may-care bravado of Scorpion Eaters. Sadly, the Dharma's glamorous lifestyle and superficial attitude seduces many young Kuei-jin, especially those who have taken the Second breath in the last decade. As nihilism and hedonism overtake more young mortals and lead many to early deaths from overindulgence and violence, so too do the ranks of the Scorpion Eaters swell. By embracing the very essence of the modern age and rejecting the "antiquated and foolish traditions" that sustained Kuei-jin society for centuries, the Eaters are a walking affront to all right-thinking, hungry dead.

Scorpion Eater Training

The Scorpion Eaters are experiencing a steady growth in numbers, especially over the last few years. Many are Kuei-jin faced with despair or succumbing permanently to the chih-mei state; when their only options are facing the sub or being destroyed, they eagerly choose instead to join the Scorpion Eaters. As a whole, this Dharma isn't big on Ritual. They consider such things childish and a relic of the ancestors' superstitious ways. The only rites are those that create a new Scorpion Eater and those that can taint Dragon nests.

Scorpion interaction is primarily based on mutual benefit. Once a Scorpion has exhausted the use of an ally, that "friendship" usually ends right then and there. Sometimes desperate loneliness brings together those unwilling to face the bleak nights by themselves, in codependent and sometimes abusive relationships. Scorpions will gather temporarily to trade knowledge of Disciplines and the rare rite. Qualities such as empathy and affection are in short supply among the Scorpion Eaters, as they can be used against them by their fellows.

Scorpion Eater Weakness

The Scorpion Eaters willingly blind themselves to their souls' peril. While they aren't actually akuma, their survival depends largely on the goodwill of the Yama Kings. Curiously, despite having turned away from enlightenment, the Scorpion Eaters found stability by embracing their P'o rather than trying to control it. The fact they haven't permanently succumbed to it leads some ancestors to believe the Yama Kings are spreading the Dharma, or perhaps that one or more akuma founded the movement, hoping to ensnare the weak-minded. Regardless, the Kuei-jin increasingly hate this affront to the August Personage and contribute solely to the agendas of the Yama Kings.

A side effect of their consumption of Tainted Chi is that many Scorpion Eaters display demonic features even without having their Demon Shintai activated. Some see this as a badge of honor, signs of adaptation to the reality of the Sixth Age, while others fear these marks as exposure towards their enemies.

Auspicious Omens and Symbols for the Scorpion Eaters

Scorpion Eaters pay little heed to omens and auspicious signs. Naturally, their symbol is the scorpion, which often finds its way into their tattoos and jewelry. A Scorpion Eaters' Demon Shintai characteristics are often marked by a scorpion-like appearance. Among Scorpion society, these are often worn with a perverse sense of pride; symbols of the Kuei-jin's survival instincts.

The Dharma's other great symbol is technology. They favor any high-tech gadget or toy – the smaller, more expensive and sophisticated, the better – and many like leaving "calling cards" in their wake.

Affiliations of the Scorpion Eaters

Scorpion Eaters generally congregate in gangs and shun any affiliations with old terms and concepts. They exist like their favorite "gangster", but their idea of what this life entails is a product of Hong Kong and Hollywood movies.

The Tenets of the Scorpion Eaters

Scorpion Eaters are not fond of rules. Most of the doctrines of their Dharma are self-explanatory and seen as common sense. The only law almost universally followed by the Scorpions is to not interfere with the Yama Kings or their servants; if they can be said to hold anything sacred, this would be it, as this law is the key to their very survival during the Sixth Age.

1. Survive, regardless of the costs
2. Embrace Change, for it is the nature of all things
3. Turn your back on Heaven, for Heaven had turned its back on you
4. Show no one mercy and expect none in return.
5. Forget the past
6. Serve no one, but respect the strong.
7. Defend what's yours; to do otherwise is showing weakness.
8. Spread corruption wherever you can. Force everyone to adapt to your standards.

References

• KOTE: Heresies of the Way, p. 113-127