Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts

Hengeyokai: Ways of the Beast Courts is a sourcebook for Mind's Eye Theatre on the Beast Courts of Asia.

Summary[]

This is Not Your Land, Gai-jin...

For centuries, the hengeyokai - the secretive shapeshifters of the East - have resisted the incursions of the Western world. Tales of goblin spiders, mischievous fox-women, chattering ravens and mighty dragons abound from India's rivers to the islands of Japan. But as the West and its creatures invade the sacred homelands, the hengeyokai watch the Wheel of Ages grind ever closer toward an Age of Darkness.

Your Ways Are Not Our Ways

Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts contains all the material you need to create stories of the East and its strange creatures. Here is a complete view of the shapeshifters that populate these lands - their beliefs, their ways, their powers. Also included is a Changing Breed book for the Kitsune fox-shifters, and tribal information and Gifts for the Garou Stargazers who recently returned to their Eastern homelands.

Contents[]

Prelude: The Leaf's Tale[]

Chapter One: By Way of Introduction[]

Presents a quick guide to what is in this book.

Chapter Two: Lands of the Emerald Mother[]

Offers a look at the world view of the hengeyokai, providing insights and information on the cosmology, history, culture and practices of the Asian shapeshifters.

Lexicon

Chapter Three: Children of the Emerald Mother[]

The Beast Courts presents information on the major types of hengeyokai as well as the newest addition to the ranks of the Middle Kingdom, the Stargazers.

Hakken Lexicon
Hakken Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Dream of a Thousand Cranes
  - Fair Path
  - Storm Winds Slash
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Dark of Night
  - Living Treasure
- Advanced Gifts
  - Divine Wind
Khan Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Catfeet
  - Crushing the Centipede
  - Gift of the Cricket
  - Heart of Fury
  - Razor Claws
  - Sense of the Prey
  - Sense the Truth
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Devour the Unclean
  - Paws of the Raging Spirit-Tiger
  - Punishment from the Moon
- Advanced Gifts
  - Heaven Thunder Hammer
Kumo Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Fangs of Madness
  - Nimbleness
  - Shadow Step
  - Replenishment of the Flesh
  - Spittle of Corrosion
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Hideous Bite
  - Snare of Beauty
  - Web Tremors
- Advanced Gifts
  - Elder Wisdom
Nagah Gifts
- Beginning Gifts
  - Eyes of the Dragon Kings
  - Scent of Running Water
  - Sense of the Prey
  - Veil of the Wani
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Blessings of Kali
  - Breath of Sweet Amrita
  - Gaze of the Serpent
  - River Mother's Blessing
- Advanced Gifts
  - Breath of the Dragon Lords
  - Call the Flood
Nagah Rites
- Basic
  - Rite of the River's Blessing (Accord)
Nezumi Gifts
- Beginning Gifts
  - Cloak of Darkest Night
  - Hunter in Crowds
  - Raiding the Umbral Hoard
  - Resist Toxin
  - Secrets of the Tunnels
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Gnaw
  - Keening of Swarm Panic
- Advanced Gifts
  - Snake Bites Itself
Nezumi Rites
- Intermediate
  - Rite of Plague Genesis (Mystic)
Same-Bito Lexicon
Same-Bito Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Blood Scent
  - Shou of Zhong Lung
  - Sight Without Sight
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Bite of the Destroyer
  - Iron Jaws
  - Tsunami Form
  - Voracious Hunger
- Advanced Gifts
  - Teanoi's Rage
Stargazer Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Balance
  - Falling Touch
  - Inner Strength
  - Sense Wyrm
  - Surface Attunement
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Clarity
  - Merciful Blow
  - Preternatural Awareness
  - Strike the Air
- Advanced Gifts
  - Circular Attack
  - Wisdom of the Seer
Tengu Gifts
- Beginning Gifts
  - Courtly Speech
  - Crane's Wisdom
  - Shoulder Cracker
  - Slicing Feathers
  - Sweet Words
  - Voice of the Mimic
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Airt Sense
  - Bloody Feather
  - Bloody Feather Storm
  - Yoshitsune's Sword
- Advanced Gifts
  - Deceptive Demise
  - Thieving Talons of the Magpie
Tengu Rites
- Basic
  - Rite of the Fetish Egg (Mystic)
Forms of the Dream
Zhong Lung Lexicon
Zhong Lung Gifts
- Beginning Gifts
  - Breaking the Tomorrow Wall
  - Chi'ih Ming
  - Clap of Thunder
  - Dragon's Milk
  - Shou
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Anger of the Wani
  - The Dragon's Tongue
  - Harmony of the Soul
  - Send the Dream
- Advanced Gifts
  - Sleep of Si Wang Mu
  - Thousand Secret Faces

Chapter Four: Ways of the Middle Kingdom[]

Details some rules not covered in other chapters as well as a listing of Gifts, Rites, Merits and Flaws and other useful information.

Merits and Flaws
- Perfect Protocol (1 Trait Merit)
- Auspicious Birth (2 Trait Merit)
- Rival Clan (1 Trait Flaw)
- Angry Ancestor (2 Trait Flaw)
- Inauspicious Birth (2 Trait Flaw)
Common Gifts
- Basic Gifts
  - Blaze Talons
  - Courtly Speech
  - Create Element
  - Mindspeak
  - Sense Imbalance
- Intermediate Gifts
  - Exorcism
  - Part the Wall
  - Waking Dream of Unity
Common Rites
- Rites of Accord
  - Basic
    - Rite of Feeding the Ghosts
    - Rite of the Second Face
- Death Rites
  - Basic
    - Journey's End
- Mystic Rites
  - Intermediate
    - Rite of the Harmonious Journey
    - Rite of the Spirit Tattoo
  - Advanced
    - Rite of Goblin Chrysalis
- Punishment Rites
  - Intermediate
    - Rite of the Quiet Burial
  - Advanced
    - Rite of Hell Made Flesh
- Renown Rites
  - Basic
    - Rite of the Opened Way

Totems
- Bear
- Dog
- Hare
- Mongoose
- Narukami, Lord of Thunder
- Ox
- Prince Inari
- Teanoi
- Tiger
The Tapestry
- Stork Spirits - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Screaming-Spear - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Crab Soldier - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Cloud Butterfly - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Tiger Spirit - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Goblin Tribesman
- Sample Spirit: Ancestor Spirit - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Hungry Ghost - Stats
- Sample Spirit: Ten Scorpion Devils - Stats

Chapter Five: Nine Tails (Kitsune)[]

Provides complete information on the werefoxes, who have their own particular way of looking at the world and their fellow shapeshifters.

Lexicon
Backgrounds
- Batsu
- Clan
- Go-en
- Sempai
Jyu-ho: Kitsune Magic
- Breed Gifts
  - Kojin
    - Basic
      - Jam Technology
      - Persuasion
      - Seduction
      - Silver Tongue
      - Smell of Man
      - Staredown
    - Intermediate
      - Disquiet
      - Reshape Object
      - Spirit Ward
      - Tongues
    - Advanced
      - Assimilation
      - Call to Allies
  - Roko
    - Basic
      - Burrow
      - Cricket Leap
      - Heightened Senses
      - Scent of Sight
      - Sense Imbalance
      - Ten Chi
    - Intermediate
      - Blind
      - Carrion Clothes
      - Catfeet
      - Forest Lord
      - Name the Spirit
    - Advanced
      - Elemental Gift
      - Song of the Great Beast
  - Shinju
    - Basic
      - Call to Duty
      - Flow to Aura
      - Imperial Authority
      - Past Whispers
      - Scent of the True Form
      - Sense Wyrm
    - Intermediate
      - Distant Whispers
      - Eyes of the Cat
      - Roll Over
      - Scent of Beyond
      - Wisdom of the Ancient Ways
    - Advanced
      - Imperial Obligation
      - Marionette
- Path Gifts
  - Doshi
    - Basic
      - Blessing the Blade
      - Blood Omen
      - Breath of Yu-Chiang
      - Command Spirit
      - Exorcism
      - Ghost Speech
      - Name the Spirit
      - Sense Magic
      - Sense Wyrm
      - Spirit Speech
      - Sight From Beyond
    - Intermediate
      - By the Light of the Moon
      - Feral Lobotomy
      - Grasp the Beyond
      - The Malleable Spirit
      - Pulse of the Invisible
      - Spirit Drain
      - Spirit Ward
      - Seal of Inari
      - Swarm of Servants
  - Eji
    - Basic
      - Bolt
      - Enduring Warrior
      - Falling Touch
      - Razor Claws
      - Resist Paun
      - Sense Hostility
      - Sense of the Prey
      - Spirit of the Fray
    - Intermediate
      - Call of the Dead
      - Element Meld
      - Song of Fear
      - Sorcerous Bite
      - Weak Arm
    - Advanced
      - Dragon Ally
      - Fire Immunity
  - Gukutsushi
    - Blur of the Milky Eye
    - Clear the Mind
    - Distant Whispers
    - Dreamspeak
    - Ebisu's Fingers
    - Fan-Shadow Robe
    - Moon-Fan-Face-Shadow
    - Mother's Touch
    - Open Seal
    - Silver Tongue
    - Shadow-Fan-Flowers
    - Taking the Forgotten
    - Whelp Body
      - Advanced
        Madness
        
        Violation
  - Kataribe
    - Basic
      - Beast Speech
      - Centipede's Beckoning
      - Distractions
      - Fable
      - Lore
      - Mindspeak
      - Tongues
      - Truth of Gaia
    - Intermediate
      - Kuei Dance
      - Seek
      - Silence
      - Uzume Sings
      - Shadows By the Firelight
    - Advanced
      - Assimilation
      - Fabric of the Mind
- General Gifts
  - Basic
    - Chi Sense
    - Ishin Denshin
    - Moon Dance
    - Scent of Running Water
    - Sense Magic
    - Spirit Speech
  - Intermediate
    - Ghost Speech
    - Puppeteer's Secret
    - Shadow-Fan-Flowers
  - Advanced
    - Possession
Ju-Fu Gifts
- Basic
  - Attraction
  - Element Child
  - Eyes of the Wall
  - Labyrinth
  - Lantern
  - Paper Speech
  - Silver Sigil
  - Umekochi's Mouth
- Intermediate
  - Banishment
  - Beast Shape
  - Paper Beast
  - Walk
- Advanced
  - Kidnap
  - Paper Flesh
Rites
- Basic
  - Rite of the Opening of the Eyes (Mystic)
- Advanced
  - Rite of the Crossroads (Mystic)

Appendix: Antagonists[]

Details the bakemono, Kuei-jin and other wicked creatures that the hengeyokai encounter in the jungles and back alleys of the East, from the islands of Japan and the South Seas to the crowded streets of India and Pakistan.

Bakemono Powers
- Armor
- Biting Plague
- Centipede's Kiss
- Fleshflow
- Hellish Beauty
- Razor Tattoos
- Spirit Eye
- Thousand Jaws
Banes
- Bhuta - Stats
- Face Jackets - Stats
- Mukade - Stats
- Water Ghosts - Stats
- Yomi Blood Guards - Stats
Kuei-jin

Background[]

Characters[]

Suzuko - Nezumi, Courtier
Kazujiro - Kumo
Akio - Tengu, Lantern, Leaf's Noble Sacrifice sentai
Hannae - Kitsune, Mirror, Leaf's Noble Sacrifice sentai
Makoto - Khan, Fist, Leaf's Noble Sacrifice sentai
Johnny Dai - Stargazer, Leaf's Noble Sacrifice sentai
Hisoka - Kumo
Chikako - Kumo
Pan-Lung Hideyo - Zhong Lung, elder of the Court of Mountain Snow
Keoki Walks-the-Righteous-Path - Khan poet
Spring Blossom - Unknown Hengeyokai
Mei Ling "Slayer of Demons" - Unknown Hengeyokai
Birth of Monsoons - Zhong Lung
The Steel Leaf Mizuki Flies-Before-the-Wind, East Wind and Fire Talon to the High Mountain Sentai - Tengu
Gajyra - Seneschal of the slumbering Dragon King of Umi
Denjiro of the Thousand Songs - Kitsune Kataribe
Ayame - Kitsune
Bai Mianxi
Miyoko of the Honeyed Tongue - Kitsune Kataribe
Burrs-in-the-Ears, "Fire-Splits-the-Sky - Kitsune, First Doshi, Past
Prince Inari
Fur-Gone-Gray - Kitsune Gukutsushi

Terminology[]

Abyss, Aetherial Realm, Age of the Dawning, Age of Legends, Age of Shadows, Age of Sorrow, Age of Ten Thousand Things, Age of Testing, Bakemono, Beast Courts of the Emerald Mother, Boli Zousizhe, Burning Lotus Court, The Cave of Centipedes, Centipede, centipedes, Cherry Phoenix Court, Chi, The Court, Court of Ancestors, Court of Mountain Snow, Court Organization: Regent, General, Seer, Historian, Courtiers; Crinos, Demon Lands, Desert of Visions, Dragon Line, Dragon Nest, The Emerald Mother, Epiphs, Erebus, Fifth Age, Fist, The Forbidden Lands, Gai'nan, Gaki, The Gardens of the First Age, Glory, The Goblin Jungle, Hakken: Ashigaru, Bushido, Chushin, Clan, Daimyo, Glabro, Hispo, Mon, Naru-kami, Rite of Seppuku, Shintoku; Hengeyokai, High Mountain Sentai, High War, Hirayanu, Homid (Breed), Homid (Form), Hsien, Khan: Feline, Sukto, Chatro; Kinfolk, Kin-jin, Kitsune: Abomination, Batsu, Bunyip, Byakko, Chie, Curse, Doshi (Sorcerers), Eji (Warriors), Genko, Ghost, Go-en, Gukutsushi (Dreamweavers), Hitogata, Inari, Ju-Fu, Juko, Jyu-ho, Kagayaki, Kanji, Kataribe (Bards), Kitsune-go, Kojin, Koto, Kuko, Kyubi, Laws of Heaven, Nine-Tails, Nogitsune, Nu-Isha, Origami, Paths, The Prince Inari, Roko, Sambuhenge, Sempai, Shakko, Shinju, The Silver Lady, Tamamono, Toku, Yojutsu, The White-Faced One; Kitsune Camp: Inari's Messengers; Kitsune Rank: Yakan, Kiko, Koryo, Reiko, Tenko; Kuei, Kuei-Jin, Kumo: Marawa's Brood, Children of Nareau. Blessed of Rati, Queen Ananasa, Arachnos, Lilian, Aghora, Thousand Fang; Lantern, Leaf, Leaf's Noble Sacrifice, Lord Spider's Web, Low War, Lupus (Breed), Lupus (Form), The Mandates, Marawa, Metis, Middle Kingdom, Minister of Heaven, Mirror, Mirror Lands, The Mountain of Heaven, Mountain sentai, Nagah: Ananta, Azhi Dahaka, Kali Dahaka, Balaram, Ahi, Vasuki, Silkaram, Wani; Namebreakers, Nareau, Nezumi: Seers, Tunnel Runners, Skulkers, Warriors, Rodens; Okuma, Pillar, Rank: Wood, Iron, Steel, Gold, Silver, Jade; Rati, The Realm of Fighting Spirits, Rite of the Great Burden, Same-Bito: Code of Mizuchi, Habatsu, Irono, Kabina, Kagesame, Karui, Karvu, Koshoku, Mizuchi, Rongo, Tangaroa, Teanoi, Tiandi, Tsufu, Warui, Watasami; San Yuan, Scarlet Talon, Sentai, Sept of the Snow Leopard, Shen, Sixth Age, Spectre, Spirit Courts, Splendid Pinnacle Court, Stargazers, Sunset People, Susanowo, Talon, The Tapestry, The Temple of the Ancestors, Tengu: Gray Clouds Temple, Corvid; The Tiger Lands, Tribal Homelands, Tsuki-yomi, Umi, Virtue, The Wall, Wangtong (Bone Gnawers), Wan Xian, War of Shame, Wave sentai, Wheel of Ages, Wind, Wisdom, Yama Kings, Yang World, Yin World, Yomi, Yomi World, Zhong Lung: Aiyi, Archid, Chi'lung, Ching-tu, Chuming, Draco, Ebon Dragon, Kiao, Kiao-Lung, K'iulung, Lung, Nam Hsia, P'an-lung, Pei Tung, Sai Chau, Scarlet Queen, Tung Chun, Ying-lung, Rite of Nanfeng, Rite of Xifeng, Rite of Dongfeng, Rite of Beifeng, The Rite of Renewal;

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