Chi

**Chi** is a mystical concept first brought about in the continent of Haless. The term, whose earliest recorded usage was found by chroniclers in an ancient Oni scroll within Heiyukcheng, has come to mean a variety of different things to various cultures. Though some of these cultures, namely followers of High Philosophy, Lefthand Path, and Righteous Path have differing practices and interpretations, there is one such concept they have in common. Vitality. Spread through Harimar's conquests, the idea of chi representing vitality, or one's own life-force, became widespread throughout these religions if not already a part. Those in Haless have traditionally believed that your breath is in fact a visualization of chi flowing throughout your body. It should be noted that these beliefs do differ from followers of the Mystic Accord.

## In Culture

*"Chi may not be magic, as much as all chi may be magical. Chi may be magic, as much as magic may be chi. Chi may be your soul, as much as chi may be everything else. Concern yourself not with what chi is, but what it makes you."*
―Tarphenday of the Chromatic Coat, Dialogue of Chi
### High Philosophy

To followers of High Philosophy, chi, or "atma" to them, is essential in maintaining the balance of one's life. Evidenced in the book *Chi and the Caste System (Fuzhao Maa, Khaek Panya, Prati Devavati, et al,* Shamakhad Library*,* 1537), even among these followers the view on chi tends to differ among the different castes within Rahen. For those in the lower castes there is a stronger focus on simple healthy living and exercising, maintaining a healthy body creates a healthy chi. The further you go up the societal ladder of Rahen the more complex the techniques go for maintaining one's chi. The scholars, for example, believe that a healthy brain is what leads to a balanced chi, to a degree that extensive documentation has been found regarding precise calculations and geometry to maximize the balance of rock gardens on their chi.

The primary importance of balancing chi to these followers is the impact that it has on one's personality. One's own chi, svayatma, while healthy will lead to positive traits and a more productive person, the opposite is also true. Negative chi can lead to one becoming a criminal, or worse. Many mental illnesses are attributed to this negative chi. There is a firm belief that one's chi, whether negative or positive, is fully under the control of the individual and their sole responsibility to balance.

Beyond the chi of one self, there is the chi of the world and the chi of existence. The chi of the world, called visvatma, finds itself in the many elements that make the world move, and the balance of those elements. It is believed that the High Temples aid in balancing the world's chi, and if the temples are neglected, ruined, or derelict, they will slowly offset the balance of the world's chi, leading to natural disasters like monsoons, volcanic eruptions, dust storms, etc.

Chi of existence, or tamatma, is the chi one can find within the very fibers of reality. The chi that represents and is maintained by strong central authorities, like historically the Raj. If this chi starts becoming unbalanced, turmoil, rebellion, disaster, and poor fortune occurs. They attribute the many pitfalls that faced Harimar and Jaher results of them unbalancing this chi, and though Harimar took care to ensure this chi was restored Jaher did not, causing the collapse of his empire.

### Righteous Path

Unlike the High Philosophy, the Righteous Path believes chi to be far more metaphysical than spiritual. Whilst at its core it is still one's vitality, a person's focus is not on "balancing" their chi but refining and growing it. Within the Righteous Path there is a primary divide of both usage and attainment of chi between the Xianjie monks and the more rural regions of Haless Proper.

To Xianjie monks, chi can be harnessed and cultivated by martial arts and meditation. This chi can then be used as more than merely a tool to them, but an extension of one's will. Among the many disciplines and schools of Xianjie monks, therein comes a multitude of techniques to represent this extension. Some focus on fighting to hone their chi into a physical point, allowing them to express it in a more physical manner such as The Way of the Dancing breeze which is renowned for deflecting bullets. In contrast to this physical style, there is The School of Deep Fog which combines their chi with a unique tobacco, creating illusions. Many of these less physical arts focus instead on meditation, cultivating one's overall chi and honing it mentally. They believe this allows one's thoughts to open up to the wider world, leading to enlightenment. Ultimately, the monks believe that to truly become a Xianjie master you must have reached a level of both physical and mental enlightenment.

According to folklore, once a monk has achieved the highest level of enlightenment they go out to live in isolation atop the various misty mountain peaks, remaining there except in times of need. Many young apprentices, and even sage monks, make pilgrimages to pay homage to enlightened monks and ask them for guidance and advice on their own path.

In regards to the more rural beliefs around chi, it is still believed that one can cultivate it, but this takes many different roots. Due to the uncentralized nature and folkish origins of Righteous Path, it is difficult to detail every single belief. One highly popular belief is that simply doing your job with diligence, as a farmer or more, can aid in your chi growth, and doing so makes your vitality stronger. Others believe rituals, dancing, festivals, and even taking care of one's family are the best ways to help one's chi prosper.

Despite the differences on why and how one cultivates chi, the techniques to preserve it remain fairly universal among the Righteous Path. Chronicler Aleyissa Wu notes several beliefs such as staying indoors at night stops your chi from escaping in the form of breath and burying the dead deeper than needed helps retain their chi. The belief is that one's chi does not fade with death, but if you are dead and not properly buried then you risk your chi escaping and becoming the clouds in the sky. In this case you will return as a restless spirit, unable to rest at ease. On the other hand, being buried properly will result in a calm and protective spirit, who safeguards their descendants from malevolent ones.

### Lefthand Path

Widely considered the most antagonistic of the various Halessi beliefs, the Lefthand Path does not care for self cultivation with exception of the oni, instead focusing on self-desires, practices, and magics. Chi belongs to the strong, and it is only nature that the strong will take the chi of the weak. There is no goal of harmony in this faith, only strengthening oneself by taking from another.

Not simply being a vital force to them, chi is also raw power. How one's chi is taken differs from group to group, but the most prominent chi stealers are the Jiangshi, who learnt from secrets the Oni had left behind during their retreat from Yanshen. They drain the lifeforce, the chi, of their victims directly, resulting in their victims dying from this lack of vitality, and if the Righteous Path is to be believed, preventing them from returning as a spirit.

In a notable difference from their human brethren who are fully chi stealers, the Oni are said to already be born with a great abundance of chi. While practicing chi stealing, as all Left Hand Path adherents do, they also meditate and are capable of self cultivating their chi from within their temples. A method unique to them is the act of ritualistically consuming a person, consuming their chi that way. Both they and the other adherents also take to the practice of draining spirits for this chi.

### Mystic Accord

Differentiating from the other three major groups of Haless, Mystic Accord Chi is a spiritual energy born from the spirit realm instead of a vital force. This energy permeates and drowns the land in this spiritual energy, allowing one to make use of it. Every person still retains their own chi, for every person has a spirit. Once dead they believe this spiritual energy should be freed, allowed to wander and return to the spirit realm if so desired, and if not it will either become part of the energy that covers the world or return in the form of an ancestor spirit.

All spirits are believed to be made out of this energy, this chi, especially the Great Spirits who are tremendous sources of it. It is unknown if spirits are caused by chi becoming concentrated in particular areas, or if they have always been around, but regardless the adherents of the Mystic Accord worship these Great Spirits.

In practice, Mystic Accord believes this spiritual energy can be used in a multitude of ways. The Shrine Maidens of Yinquan for example, make use of this spiritual energy in dances and rituals, either to use magic or to please the Huli Jing, the spirits they worship.

## Black Damestear

Black Damestear, or Korashi, has had numerous experiments conducted in terms of its relation with chi. The general consensus reached is that Black Damestear is able to nullify chi when it is used to express magic, such as nullifying a chi blast or the enhancement of one's body using chi. It, however, can not nullify chi techniques such as enhancing reflexes through controlled breathing and the such.