Huijin (Hway-jeen)

“...beings of unimaginable grace and might, stride the lands to the east...command the power of the Celestial Dragons...Supreme Beings...”

manuscript fragments attributed to the Dasheng, Tong Zhao-zi

Career

Qualifications

There are no qualifications to pursue this career outside of the natural ability to channel raw, elemental qi.

Career Progression

Though the Huijin have been walking the empire for the greater part of two centuries, they are still too few and fragmented to truly be considered a true career like the Madoshi or the Kamunushi. Therefore, they have no official career path in which to progress. The progression they follow is that of the continued mastery of their own magic.

Payment & Reimbursement

Huijin are largely distrusted by society at large, and they often find it difficult to procure work that might allow them to practice their natural talents. If they can't find an individual or group desperate enough to risk hiring them as they are, oftentimes they are forced to pretend to be something they're not. Whether a martial occupation or one of the other mystical occupations, in order to procure enough money to eat or sleep in a bed for the day.

Other Benefits

Due to the fact this occupation hasn't garnered a lot of trust with the general population, they don't get a lot of social credit, fame, or any other recognition regardless of the deeds an individual may perform. That being said, the greatest benefit Huijin have over any other occupation is the sheer power and dynamic potential of their magic.

Perception

Purpose

The Huijin, as an occupation, serve little purpose within overall imperial society. For them, it's what they do as individuals which benefit or impair society as a whole. Many of the Huijin become enamored with, intoxicated, with their own power and call themselves the Shousu or the Shengzhu, the Holy Lords. They use their power entirely for personal gain and lord over others. Most attempt to lay low and live within society without giving themselves away. Some few attempt to change public perception of the Huijin through noble deed and heroic acts.

Social Status

The social status of the Huijin is largely negative. Any social status the elementalists have larely comes due to ancestry and family status.

History

For most of Imperial History, the only known beings which could wield the raw qi of the Five Elements were the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress. As far as imperial histories were concerned, none before, or since had been able to effectively wield the wild, destructive energies. Then the Broom Star, the comet, fell to earth, creating much of what is now known as the Burning Star Gulf in a fiery calamity. Though, through the power of their Imperial Majesties, the loss of life was kept to a minimum, many ancient coastal cities were destroyed and lands were lost to the burning star as the seas rushed in. 
It wasn't long after that the first of what would come to be called the Huijin would come into their power in spectacular fashion. Radiating elemental qi for many li in all directions and causing unnatural upheavals everywhere they went. Indeed, it was discovered after that the young one's entire village of Rakuyo, in the northern area of the Land of Ten Thousand Rivers, had been swallowed by the earth, itself, around the estimated time of their awakening. In the end, unable to control their power, it was decided that they were far too dangerous and destructive to the world around them and they were sent on to their next incarnation.
Since that time, over the last two centuries, more and more of the Huijin have been born. Many of them come into their power in the same, traumatic way as the first. Of those, most are human and unused to handling such potent magics. Those of other races, more used to dealing with qi from their birth, have an easier time of things and their awakenings are rarely so messy. As a result, many of the xian races are more inclined to hold a neutral stance toward the Huijin, as opposed to the largely adverse viewpoint of humans and shuoren. 
Comets have long been thought to presage tumultuous events. Therefore, anything which could be thought to be associated with such a harbinger would be distrusted, at the very least. Unfortunately, with the more recent events happening within the empire, mistrust, paranoia, and outright hostiility, against the Huijin are on the rise. As the Huijin are coming to be seen, more and more, as harbingers of doom, themselves.

Operations

Tools

The only tools Huijin even sometimes use are the Fulu so often used by the other mystical classes. Only greatly experienced Huijin may use them, however, as most of the magic they use is cast on the fly.

Workplace

The workplace of a Huijin can be, or look like, nearly anything since it's often their living space. It can be anything from a messy rowhouse in the poorer sections of a city to a cluttered workshop or a neat office space-cum-library along the lines of a Madoshi scholar.

Provided Services

Huijin will often take on any job or perform any service which does not ask too many questions.

Dangers & Hazards

Perhaps the greatest hazard which the Huijin face are themselves. While most of the other classes may burn themselves out trying to cast magic beyond their capabilities, the Huijin are the only ones have a chance to take that turn of phrase quite literally. There is no small number of Huijin who have been physically engulfed in the very elements they wish to channel by grasping for power their bodies and minds are not capable of handling. The other hazard is the chance of them losing control of the elements they attempt to handle, even if the power level is still well within their grasp. These are the events which often lead to the destruction of public property or entire villages being wiped off the map.
Needless to say, this is not one of those happenings which endears the Huijin to the general public.

Alternative Names

Shousu, Shinsai (calamity, pejorative pun), Kaso (fire-rat, pejorative), Shengzhu, Nguoi sao choi (elven), Hyeseongin (dwarven)

Type

Arcane

Demand

No demand

Legality

While not illegal, per se, the incidents which tend to happen around them have certainly drawn the attention of the legal authorities within the empire.

Huijin Level Progression

The Huijin are the elemental casters of the empire. While still beholden to the Tao through the Five Elements, the Huijin use their raw, elemental energy to create dynamic and powerful, magical effects. Huijin gain the following at Lesser First Rank:


Health Points: +4 Health Points.
Face: +0
Arts: Huijin gain one point and are adept in the Kotodama and Rites Arts. Huijin also gain one point in each of the following Arts: Bluff, Coerce, and Meditate.

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Rank	Attacks	Abilties
First Lesser	1	Dynamic Casting, Elemental Affinity
First Greater	1	-
Second Lesser	1	Elemental Consumption
Second Greater	1	-
Third Lesser	1	-
Third Greater	2	-
Fourth Lesser	2	Elemental Affinity Aspect
Fourth Greater	2	-
Fifth Lesser	2	Elemental Protection
Fifth Greater	2	-
Sixth Lesser	2	-
Sixth Greater	2	-
		Dynamic Casting: starting at Lesser First Rank, the Huijin, like the other mystical occupations, may cast magic on the fly through Dynamic Casting without a prepared spell. Using the rules for Dynamic Casting, the Huijin may create magical effects by devising the spell they want to cast then spending Qi Points from their Qi Pool to boost or create effects such as Range, Duration, Area, Targets, or Damage. Due to the unpredictable nature of their magic and the elemental Qi they wield, the likelihood of a catastrophic failure when using their magic increases. When using Dynamic Magic to cast a spell, the Huijin's Unlucky Numbers are 4 & 3.
		Elemental Affinity: The Huijin has the power of raw, elemental Qi coursing through their veins. At Lesser First Rank, they choose an Element they are attuned to from Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire. The element that is picked is the source of the Huijin's magic. Damage and Area of Effect Properties cost one less Qi Point when casting spells using the chosen Element. Casting elemental spells that Correspond to the chosen Element cost 1 extra Qi Point up to Sixth Rank. Any spells beyond Sixth Rank cost 3 extra Qi Points to cast. They are unable to cast any spells of the Opposing Elements. With a Passive Vigilance check, Huijin are able to sense any source of their chosen Element within 30 ft.
		Wood - Water produces wood and wood produces fire; metal destroys wood and wood destroys earth. Wood is associated with strength and flexibility, as well as, warmth, generosity, co-operation, and idealism. The Huijin may manipulate plant life to a limited extent at no Qi Point cost. This could include accelerating the growth of moss to create a moss bed or shaping the branches of trees to provide cover from the elements. Within wooded environments, they gain an Adept rank in Woodcraft.
		Boken: At Lesser Fourth Rank, the Huijin gains an Adept rank in a Combat Art dealing with wooden weapons. As well, they may spend a point of Qi to shape any sufficiently straight piece of wood into a blade which does slashing damage.
		Fire - Wood produces fire and fire produces earth; but water destroys fire and fire destroys metal. Fire is associated with dynamism, spontaneity, warmth, enthusiasm, and creativity. The Huijin aligned to fire are usually very charismatic individuals. They gain Adept ranks in the Social Arts: Bluff and Sway.
		Burning Passion: At Lesser Fourth Rank, the Huijin may spend a point of Qi to make their aura burn hot enough to set things alight. For 2 Rounds, anybody coming into arm's length takes automatic Burning damage equal to the caster's Kotodama rating and anything combustible they have on their person is set alight.
		Earth - Fire produces earth and earth produces metal; wood destroys earth and earth destroys water. Earth is associated with patience, thoughtfulness, practicality, nurturing, harmony, and stability. The Huijin gain an Adept rank in the Matsuri Art: Meditate. As well, within environments closely associated with their Element, such as mountains or caverns, they gain an Adept rank in Woodcraft.
		Supernal Stability: At Lesser Fourth Rank, the Huijin may spend a point of Qi to grant them a nearly supernatural stability, akin to the Kobito ability to Root themselves to the bare earth. Outside of exceptionally powerful attacks, the Huijin cannot be knocked from their feet. When used in an area the caster Controls, this ability grants the caster and their allies stability of spirit. So long as they are within the Controlled area, they gain a +4 bonus to resist effects which destabilize the mind or spirit such as Chill, Bewitch, etc.
		Metal - Earth produces metal and metal produces water; fire destroys metal and metal destroys wood. Metal is associated with firmness, rigidity, persistence, strength, determination, self-reliance, resilience, and intelligence. The Huijin associated with Metal gains an Adept rank in a Scholar Art of their choice, as well as, an extra language. As well, they gain an Adept rank in a single Combat Art dealing with metal weapons.
		Weigh Down: At Lesser Fourth Rank, when the Huijin makes a successful attack with a metal weapon, as a free action, they may spend a point of Qi and gain a limited control over the Metal Qi of their opponent's equipment. In essence, the metal they wield becomes burdensome. Their Fleetness reduces by half and they gain negative modifiers to their attack rolls and Passive Defense equal to the caster's Kotodama rating for the next 2 Rounds.
		Water - Metal produces water and water produces wood; earth destroys water and water destroys fire. Water is associated with both intelligence and wisdom, with flexibility, softness, and pliancy. The Huijin gain an Adept rank in the Exploration Art: Vigilance. As well as an automatic Passive Vigilance check to see through illusion magic.
		Be Like Water: To demonstrate their "fluidity of thought and form," starting at Lesser Fourth Rank, Huijin may spend a point of Qi to gain a temporary +4 to Passive Defense. As well, when within an area they Control, they may move through space occupied by enemies without provoking opportunity attacks.
		Elemental Consumption: Starting at Lesser Second Rank, so long as the Huijin is within 10' of a source of their Element, they may draw out its Qi to regain their own. The amount of Qi taken depends upon the size of the source:
		Size	Qi Points
		Torch/Dagger	2
		Campfire	3
		Bonfire	5
		Suit of Armor	8
		Boulder	10
		Tree	20
		Field	30
		Drawing out Qi in this way kills or destroys the source, and utterly destroys whatever spirit, or spirits, may have been inhabiting it. Of course, the Huijin can only hold so much Qi and can never go above their maximum Pool. This is a relatively quick and very dirty way for the desperate caster to regain some Qi Points. Note that consuming Qi from a worked item such as Metal Qi from a dagger or Wood Qi from a chair nets 2 fewer Qi Points than a raw item of similar size.
		Elemental Protection: Due to the Elemental Qi running through their veins, starting at Lesser Fifth Rank, they gain a resistance to the damage type of their Element. The damage from attacks aligned to their Element are reduced by a number of points equal to their Kotodama rating.