The Secretive Mysterious Jade Court

[devonapple]

I have written up the Penanggalan as an entity associated with the Jade Court, but not truly of it, like the Renfields of the Black Court.

Penanggalan (Flying Heads)
High Concept: Blood-sucking Flying Head
Aspects: I Leave My Body To Hunt At Night, Corrupter of Fertility

Powers
Blood Drinker [-1]
Feeding Dependency: Blood [+1] which will affect the following:
   Inhuman Recovery [-2]
   Inhuman Toughness [-2]
   Inhuman Speed [-2] I think this would have made them too nasty, based on tonight's playtest
The Catch [+2]
   Weapons made of copper coins wrapped in red silk thread
   Destroying or hiding its body
   Daylight (when in its night form)
Venomous Bite [-3]
Grasping Entrails [-1] Might +2 for Grappling
Flight [-1]

Optional Powers
   Channelling [-2] or Evocation [-3]
   Rituals [-2] or Thaumaturgy [-3]

Traits
Pretends to be a normal human by day. Separates from its body at night; must return to its body before sunrise or it will die. Sunlight will hurt it in its fiendish form. The fiendish energy which keeps it intact is inscribed along its neck in a series of indecipherable, soft red sigils, barely distinguishable from henna or tattoos. The Penanggalan, when detached from its host body, becomes sharp-featured, feral, with a long, prehensile tongue and venomous fangs. Its head sprouts oily black beetle wings that click when they fly, and their entrails twine and grapple beneath the head like like tentacles.

Refresh: -9 -7

Origin

I have two options for their genesis:

• Would-be sorcerers can make compacts with the Jade Court in exchange for magical power, but when one of them breaks the oath, they are horribly and painfully transformed into Penanggalan. Most are left to fend for themselves, but the Jade Court maintains a great deal of them for special missions. Aspect: I Broke My Oath to the Jade Court.
• When a Jade Court Vampire drinks the magical energy of a Wizard, Sorcerer, or Warlock, they sometimes summon a vengeful demonic intelligence into the corpse. These Penanggalan obey the Jade Court Vampires, for the most part. Spellcasters may occasionally volunteer for this, rather than suffer a worse fate, and such Penanggalan retain their original spellcasting abilities. Aspect: Grudging Servitor of the Jade Court.

Any thoughts?

[devonapple]

Another adaptation, created as mindless servitors to the Jade Court.

Jiang Shi (Hopping Zombies)

High Concept: Hopping Zombie
Aspects: Your Breath My Sustenance, Mindless Servitor

Powers
Claws [-1]
Supernatural Sense [-1] Breath using Alertness
Breath Drinker [-1] Similar to Emotional Vampire
Feeding Dependency [+1] which will affect the following:
   Inhuman Strength [-2]
   Inhuman Toughness [-2]
    Inhuman Recovery [-2]
The Catch (+2)
   Weapons made of copper coins wrapped in red silk thread
   Air magic confuses them
   Taoist Binding spells on yellow paper

Origins
When a Jade Court Vampire drains the magic from some spellcasters or minor talents, they can opt to put out the victim's eyes and replace the practitioner's soul with a spirit of hunger that derives sustenance from mortal breath. The resulting creature, a Jiang Shi, is a mindless, blind zombie which the Jade Court can control utterly, but unfortunately it must move around by hopping, as the rest of its body is almost completely overtaken with rigor mortis. It navigates by detecting air currents, especially to track down mortals and steal their breath. Holding one's breath is a good way to avoid detection, but it takes a discipline and fortitude to keep it up long enough for them to pass by. Some spellcasters have found out that they can confuse or even immobilize these creatures by disrupting the air around them. The Jade Court occasionally take advantage of this by sealing jiang shi in airtight boxes and deploying them as traps for the unwary.

Refresh: -6

[Nyarlathotep5150]

Something all of these builds seem to be forgetting is that according to Shiro, the Jades are big on honor and respect the records.

If their so close to the reds in mentality and physically why would they do this?

   Actually I just got passed that part rereading book 5 and all he said was that they where from China and Japan, that they where very secretive and that they honored the accords... That is the only information given about them in the series.
   He didn't say that they where big on honor (though considering east Asian culture a strong argument could be made that they should), and the Red, White and Black Courts ALL honor the accords, so theres no problem with the Jade being just as underhanded as them (in a legal system rabidly opposed to the idea of any "Spirit of the law", its not considered dishonoring to use the Law to your own benefit... Infact that is the sole reason the accords exist.)

[Ochosi]

A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:

If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.

[devonapple]

Sounds like one could use Incite Emotion as a platform, and opt to inflict consequences in line with the particular imbalance: Harvest Yin versus Harvest Yang, perhaps. Could definitely add a psychological component to the mystery.

[sinker]

A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:

If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.

I love you! 

[ralexs1991]

A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:

If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.

so freaking epic!!!!

[jadecourtflunky]

I have my own ideas on the subject, which are not based in any legend (cuz I'm to lazy to do research). Jade court would mainly be based around martial arts and grace, and not that malevolent at all: They have inhuman/supernatural recovery and inhuman/supernatural speed. Their catch would be damage through unarmed combat. They would also have a natural aversion to weapons. They then have their own special, secret martial art that focuses on their inhuman speed. They also mastered many other martial arts. They are made through a test of ritual unarmed combat. If they pass the test, they are given a jade armband that a spirit is inhabiting, and they gain the powers. They feed through combat. They are cured by losing in true ritual unarmed combat against a non-jade court vamp. What do you think?

[admiralducksauce]

What do you think?

I think it kind of sounds like something from Axe Cop.

[jadecourtflunky]

I forgot to mention: The energy they get from fighting is the energy the other fighter expends, but only on phsyical attacks (no stealing spells energy here). The spirit devours most of it to fuel the powers, but then takes a bit for substenance. So, if a fight gets particularly pitched, they could potentially get more power on their speed or recovery. Also, the rituals are very difficult to set up and to compete, and it is VERY hard to beat a jade court vamp in full-on ritual combat. These guys are the best martial artists in the world.

[devonapple]

Also, the rituals are very difficult to set up and to compete, and it is VERY hard to beat a jade court vamp in full-on ritual combat.

Which means that it is very hard for them to feed, then, right?

[jadecourtflunky]

They dont need the rituals to feed. They can just fight for that. No need for all the ceremony. A drunken bar brawl will do just fine (though most of them wouldn't do that.)

[devonapple]

They are cured by losing in true ritual unarmed combat against a non-jade court vamp.

I can see these holding their own against other Vamp Courts because they would feed off of the energy their enemies put into putting them down - sort of an exponential response to aggression.

I can also see some pathos here: a mortal challenger falls for a Jade Court vamp, and is forced to fight against her in order to win her soul and make her mortal again. But why would it work that way, spiritually? (other than the obvious "because I said so").  I can see them being tested by this "symbiont" type of demonic spirit in the armband, but I can't see why they would be bothered to ever let their vampiric host go.

[jadecourtflunky]

Its mostly because the spirits don't want a host that is weak. They want a host that is strong enough to hold their own, and if their host gets defeated in hand-to-hand (their strongest area) the spirit believes they are weak and lets go. Also, who really understands the nevernever? It could be for any number of reasons. The ritual combat bit also may allow for the winner to take up the armband.

[Sanctaphrax]

Well, I like that take on JCVs. Although I'd call them something different so as not to conflict with real eastern vampire legends. The cure condition seems appropriate to me because it's so kung-fu-movie-ish.

@devonapple: have you considered adding those characters to one of the character/monster compilation threads?