JU
By Jenny Parr (j.l.parr@bradford.uk.ac)
Description
The Ju are generally regarded to have inherited the cunning, treachery, manipulation and total untrustworthiness of their parent clan -- the Tremere. The most recent of the Hibakusha clans, the Ju were first noted around the 15th century as the dreaded blood clan wished to examine the new western clan that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Nothing that was already known about Thaurmaturgical paths was discovered but the Tremere captured (and subsequently diabolised) was working on rituals involving mirrors and their effects on obfuscation. The new Ju clan carried on this research and thus the discipline of Wu Wei was born. As the Ju can prove that Wu Wei was their creation they hold its secrets very tightly and refuse to teach it to any outsiders.The history of the Ju has been filled with treachery and betrayal of other clans as several have found to their cost. The major black mark on the history of the Ju is the war with clan Mora, a Hibakusha clan, mainly of Siberia, whose parent clan was the Malkavian antitribu clan of the Sabbat: All of clan Mora were highly precognative. In moments of stress they would fall into a trance where they would see part of the future. Always a small clan, the Mora kept themselves away from the war with the West until their founder had a vision which revealed that the coming Gehenna would be caused by the Ju. As could be expected, the Ju were not too pleased with the proclamation that they would be responsible for the Last Battle and started a full scale war on the members of clan Mora, determined to wipe them out. As expected from a clan that could see into the future, the Mora had prepared for this great war but they knew that they would lose. Instead they concentrated on crippling the Ju so that the other clans would be strong enough to defeat them before all was lost. They performed the most powerful ritual for 300 years as they sought to stop the Ju from increasing their ranks with childer or ghouls. The ritual was only just complete when the Ju broke through the Siberian defenses and slaughtered the Mora gathered there. But it was a bitter victory.
Stereotypes
Camarilla: "A good enemy -- one that is divided and helpless before our might, they will soon tremble when they hear our name"Sabbat: "Possible allies perhaps?"Tremere: "Useful to have alive and to do our research for us, then we can capture some more and have fun torturing the information we want out of them"Lasombra: "They may be our lost brothers in arms. We may spare them to rule at our side when the Last Battle is fought"Salubri: "The inheritors of the Sazan, but unlike their precursors they have no spirit. They are weak and we shall crush both them and their Tremere enemies"Kyuketsuki: "A pitiful excuse for a clan. They still believe in the Shinma. Maybe they also believe in Father Christmas, Susano o and the horrible bugbears under the bed."Sanatan: "They are still up to something"Kuei: "Ignorant tiger puppies who think they can conquer the world; well they'll soon find how weak they are against us"
Nickname
Origins
Appearance
Oriental. Most shave the tops of their heads as a sign of their power. Most sport old Chinese plaited hair and moustaches as they were mostly sired during the 19th century.
Haven
Many Ju have places in the ruling party of China (they saw that Communism was coming very early) and most live in the basement of party headquarters in the major towns.
Clan Disciplines
Weaknesses
The Ju are unable to create progeny or ghouls due to a curse set upon them by the now extinct Clan Mora (a Russian clan). They also cast no reflection in mirrors although they do appear on film. This may be a sign that they are in some way related to the Lasombra clan of the Sabbat although they do not get on well with the Hibakusha clan derived from them -- the Kyuketsuki.
Backgrounds
The Ju were usually occultists before their embrace. None have been embraced since 1892. Mental attributes and knowledges are primary but at least three dots are needed in occult.
View Wu-wei discipline.