Wudaoshi (woo-dow-shee)

"There are those who spend their lives attempting to achieve equilibrium, both within themselves and in the world around them. They seek this balance through the eradication of threats to that equilibrium, both internal and external. Through hunting down and exterminating rogue ghosts, demons, and monsters they believe they might exterminate their own, inner demons and monsters which are preventing them from finding their balance. Leading them to harmony within by achieving some form of harmony without. While this undeniably helps society by removing external threats to order and peace, these beings cut off all ties with family and society in pursuit of their personal harmony. The Supreme Being does not bend to selfish will, and cultivates his family and home life. Putting these two things before any other. Thus, achieving harmony both within and without."

Sage, Tong Zhao-zi

Career

Qualifications

Much like with the Martial Artist or the Anchin, the Wudaoshi is often trained from a young age in their chosen profession. While the Modaoshi tend to focus more on existential elements (i.e. magical spells and elixirs) to bring them closer to the ultimate goal of the Daoist path, wudaoshi focus on the internal factors to realize their goals. Through often-brutal physical training they harden their bodies so that they may more effectively ignore external stimuli. Through internal training, they learn to focus their wills. Broadening their minds while hardening them against any external threat and allowing them to harness their own, internal Qi.
This training often translates onto the battlefield as well, allowing them to resist physical discomforts or mental attacks that would fell a lesser warrior. As well, more experienced wudaoshi have the ability to cast spells which aid them on their Way. These spells are often used to crippling effect against their chosen foes.

Career Progression

The ultimate goal of the Wudaoshi, like with many Taoists, is the perfection of the self which they call the Taoist Self. They divide their self-cultivation into four ranks: the suren, which describes both everyday people and those just stepping onto the path of cultivation; the xianren, describing those who have the ability to perceive the Tao, and is often used to in relation to spiritually aware beings like Xiao or Yosei; the shengren, refers to those who have learned to abide by the principles of the Tao; finally, the zhenren, refers to those who understand the origins of the universe and all life within the Tao.

Payment & Reimbursement

While many Wudaoshi do not accept any bounties or other actual payment for the services they may incidentally provide, they will accept donations of food, shelter, or money. Especially when they are in the lower rankings.

Other Benefits

Much like with the martial artist, much of the benefits of this occupation come in the form of personal ability and a rise in social status among the general populace.

Perception

Purpose

This profession fulfills a dual purpose of sage and "demon" hunter. Wudaoshi consider themselves to be servants of the Dao Itself. Rather than personifying it the way that others do, however, they consider the Dao to be a natural, balancing force in the universe. As servants of the Dao, they feel that, along with themselves, they must work to bring the world around them into balance in order to achieve Xian; immortality and ultimate unity with the Dao. As such, the wudaoshi cut all familial and social ties and choose a specific Way to bring about this harmony and ruthlessly hunt down and exterminate anything that might upset the harmony and natural balance of the world.

Social Status

Most of the Wudaoshi that imperial society encounters are those who ply their trade of "demon" hunting within the field. Very few average citizens even know about the Taoist sages at the top of the profession, much less have actually encountered one. Therefore, due to the proclivity of younger Wudaoshi to hunt malevolent beings in their quest for self-improvement, they tend to receive warm welcome and even obsequiousness from the common folk that they encounter.

History

Though the act of hunting and exorcising malevolent spirits, ghosts, demons, and monsters has existed throughout the history of the world, for much of that history it remained the purview of shamans and priests. Among the Wudaoshi, the first, true, hunter is a being called Zhong Kui.
Back during the Age of the Bushi, not long after the Imperial Bureaucracy was set up, Zhong Kui was a bureaucratic candidate. Though he was highly intelligent and mystically inclined, earning top ranks in the Imperial Examinations, due to his disfigured appearance, the title he'd earned was stripped from him under false accusations of cheating by a jealous noble. As a result, he committed suicide by repeatedly dashing his head against the gates to the old imperial city until his skull was crushed.
When he came to Enma, with his great intelligence, mystical ability, strength, and rage, the highest Judge of Hell saw great promise. He then names Zhong Kui the "King of Ghosts" and tasked him with hunting down, capturing, and maintaining order and balance among the wayward spirits. Though he took up the position resignedly, Zhong Kui did well, even excelled, in the position and brought to heel many wayward, and destructive, spirits. He plied his trade committedly and in quiet solitude for many centuries - until the coming of Guan Yu.
As a young child, Guan Yu was attacked, and nearly killed, by a rampaging spirit. Before it could make the killing blow, however, the spirit was caught and destroyed by Zhong Kui. So impressed was the young boy that he begged the old Ghost King to take him as his pupil. After several days of the boy stubbornly following him, Zhong Kui eventually relented and began training the boy to hunt wayward spirits. He trained Guan Yu on the internal techniques so the he could access his qi to aid in his the hunt. Taught him to sense the qi of the spirits around him, and taught him their ways, to make them easier to hunt. All the while, Zhong Kui also trained Guan Yu physically, the proper way to breathe and the proper physical condition to channel the qi. He even taught the boy to use a sword.
After the years of his training, while Guan Yu was travelling the world, he met, and saved, the man who would become his liege, Liu Bei. Liu Bei was the lord of the small state of Donggu and had many rivals, both within the Yang clans and outside of them. Guan Yu traveled with Liu Bei for many more years, becoming a qishi and even being granted his own province of Guixiao with Liu Bei's state, in which he established a school for training hunters. 
Having been impressed by the Taoist wizards which Lui Bei had administering his state, Guan Yu adopted and adapted many of the training exercises of the wizards and merged them with the teachings of Zhong Kui. These would ultimately lead to the various schools of the Wudaoshi. 
However, Guan Yu would be betrayed, none know by whom, and he would wind up hunting down his own family, and his dearest friend Lui Bei. Ultimately, he would wind up a broken man, executed for his crimes by the rival state of Feng. The school would splinter, with each of Guan Yu's students going their own way and teaching in their own styles with their own preferred prey. 
Eventually each, separate path, and way of hunting, would become codified into their own schools with a small, central core of common practice and learning. Whether that would be passed down from individual to individual or be taught to groups in small temples on the fringes of civilization, that central core of Zhong Kui's and Guan Yu's training would always be kept, as well as, their apparent reverence for Xuanwu who is known alternately as either the Sable Warrior or the Black Tortoise. These three are the patron spirits of the Wudaoshi.

Operations

Tools

There are no real standard tools of the Wudaoshi. They are up to both the individual and the path which the individual follows in their hunt. The tools employed by the Wudaoshi who hunts oni on the mountain fastness is going to be different to the one who hunts the Dark God's kaibutsu in the hinterlands.

Materials

This follows the same line as the question of tools, above. The exact materials required by the individual Wudaoshi are going to be different from one to the next. While there may be some broad categories, such as survival equipment, weapons, armor, etc., the exact needs are up to the hunters, themselves.

Workplace

While there is no exact workplace with any of the Wudaoshi, there is often general area in which they ply their trade. Oni will often be found in the mountains or swamps of the world, ghosts are often found within places strong with the energies of death and around humanoid creatures. Spirits are found in the wild places, while kaibutsu are very often on the furthest edges of imperial reach.

Provided Services

The Wudaoshi can provide exorcisms, if needed. However, their true value lies in hunting down and getting rid of problematic monsters.

Dangers & Hazards

The hazards the Wudaoshi face are much like those faced by any warrior occupation: bodily injury and death. However, facing off against inhuman creatures as they do, the types of injury and death to be found are varied and grisly. Everything from being mauled to death, to be eaten, or dragged into the hells is on the table when one chooses this occupation.

Alternative Names

Budoshi (Daiingo), Ngoduong hakjia (Xiao), Jeonsa (Kobito)

Type

Hunting

Demand

While the demand for their services can be high, this is a relatively small profession

Legality

They face the same legality questions as those of any other warrior class.

Wudaoshi Level Progression

The Wudaoshi is the warrior-sage of the empire, utilizing both martial and mystical prowess to hunt monsters. Wudaoshi gain the following at Lesser First Rank:


Health Points: +5 Health Points.
Face: +2
Arts: Wudaoshi gain one point and are adept in one weapon Combat Art and a Scholar Art dealing with the prey of the player's choice. Wudaoshi also gain one point in each of the following Arts: Meditate, Athletics, and Vigilance.

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Rank	Attacks	Abilties
First Lesser	1	Hunter Lore: the Wudaoshi's skills count as Adept when making Woodcraft or Urbane checks to track their chosen quarry, or using Vigilance to spot them if disguised. Ritual Casting: utilizing their knowledge of the Tao and their skill with meditation, the Wudaoshi are able to utilize their Qi in a spellcasting discipline known as Internal Alchemy. They use this discipline to make often subtle changes to their own bodies using established visualization and meditative ritual spells. The casting roll for the Wudaoshi is Judgment + Meditation. Most of the Wudaoshi spells may only be cast as rituals and may not be used as either fulu or regular Alchemy. Some few may use objects as vehicles for the spell which will be detailed in their individual write-ups. The rest of the rules, such as DV, follow those of Ritual Casting.
First Greater	1	Ki (Qi) Sense: as the first step on their Way the Wudaoshi are trained to sense the unique energies of their prey, pick from one of the following ki sources: Akki – the energy of Diyu, the Countless Hells (akuma). Areki – the energy of the Storm Lord's twisted creatures (kaibutsu). Shinki – the energies of the Shinkai Spirit Courts (spirits, kami). Henki – the fluid energies of the shapechanging yokai, the Obake (kitsune, mujina, tanuki, kawauso, nekomata, bakeneko, jorogumo, dokkeabi, kumiho, etc). Oniki – though this can overlap with the energy of Diyu, oniki is the energy of the Oni-kind (ogres, trolls, hags and giants). Shiki – the energies of Yomi, the Land of Gloom (undead, ghosts, necromantic energies). Yoki – the energies of the more standard yokai (tsukumogami, kappa, fengli, tengu, nghê, inmyeonjo, etc.)
Second Lesser	1	Weapon Technique: beginning at Lesser Second Rank, and at every Lesser Rank up to Sixth, the Wudaoshi may pick a Weapon Technique from the lists of Martial Arts Weapons Techniques.
Second Greater	1	The Universe Provides: the Wudaoshi gain a +2 bonus on Woodcraft or Urbane rolls to find adequate food, water, and lodging in any environment, as well, their Lucky Numbers on these rolls are 7 or 8. It may not be particularly good, but the food will be filling, the water clean, and the lodging dry and relatively safe.
Third Lesser	1	Ascetic's Will: the Wudaoshi gain a +2 made to resist mental or emotional manipulation from either mundane or mystical means. Weapon Technique.
Third Greater	2	Extra Attack Phase: At the Greater Third Rank, the Wudaoshi gains an extra Combat Phase to be used for the Attack Action.
Fourth Lesser	2	Weapon Technique.
Fourth Greater	2	Sage's Insight:
Fifth Lesser	2	Weapon Technique.
Fifth Greater	2	-
Sixth Lesser	2	Weapon Technique.
Sixth Greater	2	Taoist Exorcism: the Wudaoshi may call upon the power of the Universe, itself, to exorcise a spirit possessing a person, place, or thing. First, the Wudaoshi rolls their Judgment + Rites in order to set up the ritual space. If successful, the exorcism may continue the rite. If a Lucky Number is rolled, the difficulty of the next task is reduced by -2. The Wudaoshi then rolls their Diligence + Kotodama versus the spirit's Balance Attribute. If successful, the Wudaoshi rolls for damage equal to their Diligence + the die. This damage is taken away from the spirit's Qi (hit points, in this instance). If the Wudaoshi fails their Kotodama roll, lose a number of Qi points equal to the spirit's Yang Attribute. If the Wudaoshi loses all of her Qi, she falls unconscious and the spirit stays. If the spirit loses all its Qi, then its grip on whatever it is possessing is weakened and it must flee its host.