Ji Xiu

**Ji Xiu** (吉修, Jí xiū) was the younger brother of Ge Chen and a Prince of the Ventrue Clan like him.

## Appearance

He had the same colour hair and eyes as his father and older brother.

His father had his eyes blindfolded out of respect after his death and although his body was kept naked out of sight, it bore two crosses (which in Vampire Sphere are forms of magical wards) through it. His body was held in place by chains.

## Personality

he was fiercely protective of his older brother, and although a young child was already noticeably different. While he knew of the Clan procession, he had no plans to go after Ge Chen's leadership title. Yet, he was still very much a child and had a childish manner of looking at the world. He took a dislike to Clain without a thought simple by Ge Chen saying that he was his rival and dreamed of living happily ever after with his brother.

He was normally a calm and mature child, so it became apparent over time when his persona suddenly change that there was something wrong, though he himself never noticed. Yet to the end and his final moments, he still loved his brother.

After activating his power during the Assamite part of Ge Chen's journey, Ji Xiu begins to have the ability to "talk" to his brother from inside him. He continues to watch over the best interests of his brother. This version of Ji Xiu that speaks to Ge Chen, however, is merely based on the memories of whom the younger brother was in life and Ji Xiu is not truly "alive".

## Abitilies

As a potential candidate for the leadership of the Ventrue Clan, he would have been a Vampire of notable power as he grew older. Ge Chen noted that he was already a talented Fencer at a young age.

He was able to resist the disease of Rotting Bracelet, Xue Yan, and even almost brake out of it. If he had wanted to, he could have easily ripped his brother apart at any moment while he was infected. The High Priest of the Followers of Set noted that he was surprised he was able to resist the disease as it had been years since anyone was able to do so.

When Ge Chen feels the burden of being leader later post-Forbidden Sphere, he notes that his brother was strong in every aspect and should have been leader of the Camarilla instead of him.

After his death, be became a shard of Osiris, with its energy merging with his body. as a shard it was free to be absorbed by another. The body itself didn't fade or die and grew as though he was alive. Though as noted by their father, Ji Xiu was dead and therefore it wasn't Ge Chen's brother, nor their father's son. The act of activating the shards abilities allowed Ji Xiu to enhance Ge Chen's senses, becoming his ears and eyes.

The Shard allows the memories of his brother to come together from the Shard GeChen swallows, and though Ji Xiu is dead the memories allow a impression of him to continue to exist inside of Ge Chen. This is the voice of Ji Xiu that talks to Ge Chen.

## History

### The Death of a young Prince

While attempting to escape Fencing Class, he was approached by the High Priest of the Followers of Set. Unknown to himself and everyone, he used the Rotting Bracelet on the young Prince. During the encounter he mocked Ji Xiu, as one day either he or Ge Chen would have to die as only one of them could become the Clan Leader. Ji Xiu stands firm as the man attempts to touch him physically and states he cannot invoke a conflict between his brother and himself with mere words.

Soon it became apparent that his temper was changing for the worst and he became overprotective of his brother to the point of anger. However, nobody thought anything of it until the day he snuck out. He was approached by some men who tried to get money out of him. From that moment onwards, he would go out every night to hunt, he had become like a devil.

When he was confronted by his father, he found himself having to answer for his crimes. However, the one who carried out the sentence of death was Ge Chen. Since there was no cure for the illness and no way they could afford the possibility that he could inherit the Clans leadership, their father had stated since it was going to be their destiny anyway, Ge Chen had to do this.

His death greatly effected his brother Ge Chen.

### Existence after Death

After his death, his body remained alive. Furthermore it continued to grow instead of degrading, by the time of the battle at Forbidden Sphere it had reached maturity. But though the body was alive, he was not Ji Xiu but a empty shell and it was suggested he was a Shard of Osiris. Ge Chen discovered its location after consulting the Corpse Hand, noting one of the shards was oddly underground.

Ge Chen was offered the empty shell, as he picked him up, Ji Xiu's spirit reached out to him and stated he is happy to become one with his brother, so that Ge Chen could make use of him as a Trump card hen he needed him most.

### Ravnos Clan

Turns out that by swallowing Ji Xiu's body the memory of his consciousness was transfered into Ge Chen's body. Through him Ge Chen can see the memory imprints of Osiris, and the two can interact.

Ji Xiu tries to warn him not to sleep when the Ravnos Clan's illusion reaches them but fails.

## Trivia

* Ji Xiu's body being passed into Ge Chen is likely a nod to the popular technique of Diablerie from Vampire: the Masquerade, of which Vampire Sphere has drawn many of its inspirations from. It is a technique in VtM wherein one vampire drains the blood of another and in the process, their soul is drained from them. It has often been used as a popular story telling technique, though is used to gain power in VtM quickly, it leaves both souls fully capable of controlling the same body.

## References

1. ↑  **Chapter 63**
2. ↑  **Chapter 48**
3. ↑  **Chapter 94**
4. ↑ **Chapter 100**