Xiao

The Xiao are a bloodline (or perhaps a pair of bloodlines) of the Daeva. They feed upon their vessels' emotions to quell their own damaged psyches. The Xiao originated in eastern Asia, but in the modern nights they can be found anywhere.

The Xiao were originally mentioned only as a name with no description in the Daeva profile in the VTR: Vampire: The Requiem Rulebook . In Bloodlines: The Chosen, the Xiao were fully developed as two highly distinct variants on the same theme ("Predators who drain their victims of their emotions as well as their blood"). Although the developers' initial intent was that one of the two Xiao presented there would be the "true" Xiao, the two versions of the bloodline are deliberately distinguished from one another so that they can coexist in the same setting. Both versions of the bloodline share the in-clan Disciplines of their parent clan (Celerity, Majesty and Vigor); additionally, each of the two Xiao bloodlines has its own unique Discipline.

California Xiao

The California Xiao can be traced back to the vampire Xiao Jun Jie, who emigrated from Asia to California during the latter half of the 19th century. Xiao established a bloodline that doubled as a self-serving cult around himself, and most of his descendants remain in that cult to this night. His line suffers from his sociopathic detachment in addition to the normal Daeva clan weakness. The California Xiao practice the Discipline of Kingjan, which allows them a taste of their vessels' emotions at a cost of their victims' emotional stability.

Tianpàn Xiao

This eponymous line is descended from Xiao Tianpàn, a Chinese Daeva who transformed himself into the first of his line at the dawn of the 19th century in an attempt to escape the ravages of the Beast. These Xiao suffer from a constantly shifting barrage of emotions (and consequently suffer penalties to their Composure) in addition to the standard Daeva clan weakness. The Tianpàn Xiao practice the Discipline of Xinyao, which allows them to briefly quell and stoke emotions in the hearts of Kindred and kine, but only at the cost of a greater and more terrible emotional release in the future.