Samson Noi

Akashic Brotherhood
Mishi of the Gam Lung
Advanced Adept of the Shi-Ren
Senior of the Jingtong Imperative
Agent of the Court of Shooting Stars

Description


~A smooth and good-looking young man, Samson embodies a rare exoticism and a shady, forbidden mystery. The dusky pigment of the muscular man's skin suggests a blend of the Oriental and possibly Latino. Who would guess that Samson finds his roots in the blood of Laos and Onandaga Indians? Samson keeps his head shaven. Combined with his austere poise and usually conservative dress, he could be (ex-?) military. However, Samson favors an eclectic range of dress. Blue jeans with numerous tears and a ragged black knit shirt aren't uncommon. But more often, he wears tomb-gray khakis and a silk button-up shirt in navy-blue or the color of ash. Boots are not common; Samson prefers simple black shoes. In spite of the simplicity of his dress, the garments are of high quality and "nambrand" expense. Regardless of his clothing, a sense of illegitimacy pervades Samson's presence. Perhaps it's just the chilly, ageless, and distant look in his brown eyes that keeps him aloof, like some criminal outcast. The fluidity of his approaching steps and the simplest gestures suggests that Samson is not the type of man to wait around for his turn. Cliché? Here are two more: every dog may have his day, but winners seize the moment.~

OOC: Appearance 3; Arcane 2; Notoriety

"You're right on time. Let's dance."

History


Parentage

Southeast Asia sprawled like a jungle of mystery and revolution to foreigners. Samuel Wakiza of the French Foreign Legion found Laos like this in the late 1950s. The Canadian native, an official member of the Onandaga Tribe, served the French in the acquisition of hardcore humint (human-gathered intelligence) in the region. In other words, he was a scout. And due to his traditional Native Amerind upbringing, he was a very good scout. He possessed all the skills necessary to survive the harsh, war-torn environment. To compliment them, Samuel even learned a variety of Laotian customs. He came to respect Laos quite a bit. He even trained in the martial art of We Kan Dao. Unfortunately, Samuel admitted that he did not know the layout of the land. So early on, he acquired a guide: Noi Thien. And Thien was a very good guide. The young woman was a revolutionary in full opposition of the Communism the North Vietnamese were trying to feed their neighboring nation.

Together, the pair ranged all over northern Laos. Samuel did his job and Thien did hers. But a year ticked by, and the two grew closer. Thien was impressed by and attracted to Samuel's stoic attitude and exotic origins and ways. Samuel felt the same pull to Thien. The two became lovers as well as comrades, and Thien got pregnant. Samuel stayed by her side while she carried the child, making sure she stayed healthy and safe. Finally, their child was born. Thien let Samuel name their son after himself, calling him Junior. Sadly, this love story wasn't destined to make it to Hollywood. Thien was captured not long after Junior was born. Before Samuel even knew it, his lover was shot and thrown in a mass grave with other revolutionaries. He didn't even recognize her anymore, covered in lime. The grave was left open, since the Communists intended to add to it in the near future. But he took Thien from that pit and gave her a proper burial. Then Samuel left his son in the care of the Foreign Legion's office in Vientiane. Against orders, the Onandaga returned to the jungle wearing war-paint and carrying a rifle and tomahawk. For a month, "Wakiza" as the Communists heard his name, waged a one-man guerilla war in the name of revenge and love.

Youth

If that wasn't Hollywood made real, what was? Written off as Foreign Legion covert ops, Samuel's exploits would never reach the public ear. He took his child back from the shocked arms of a secretary and went home to America. Samuel moved from Canada to the United States. He lived in Buffalo, New York, and raised his son in the old ways while letting the boy also attend public schooling and make friends like any youth. Samuel also passed We Kan Dao onto Junior, teaching Samuel that this was a good custom of his mother's people back in Laos. The Wakiza were not Buddhists, after all, so there wasn't much else for Samuel to teach his boy.

So for years, Samuel Jr. went through a fairly normal life. He ended up changing his nickname from "Junior" to "Sam". His martial arts studies with his father enabled him to establish a small niche of peace. His mixed heritage earned him a lot of grief from his young peers early on, but his fighting ability put an end to it by the age of ten. But by that age, Sam was having other issues on his mind. He was beginning to have…visions. They were dreams plaguing his waking days. Sam envisioned a forest unlike those he knew in deciduous New York State, when he went camping and hunting with his father. It was a jungle, like he'd seen in films and studied in school. And through the rainforest, atop a great mound, sat a golden temple of exquisite beauty and exotic allure. These visions more and more began to include Sam seeing himself there. He was walking up the temple steps. He was training in the martial arts in a great hall. Bald men of Asian descent surrounded the hall, observing and judging his performance.

So finally, when he about thirteen, Sam related these strange occurences to his father. Sam was shocked that his father wasn't so much as incredulous about him having visions as he was annoyed that Sam didn't trust his dad enough to tell him as soon as they started. But Sam knew his father would get over it soon. They talked it over for months. Nearly a year later, Sam's father decided to take the boy and go to Laos. It was time for Sam to visit his mother's country.

So in the summer of Sam's fourteenth year, he flew to Laos with his father. He got to see various cultural celebrations, enjoy Laotian cuisine, and see temple after temple. None of them matched his vision's incredible golden edifice. Finally, he was taken to the last temple on the list to see: the one where his mother was buried. Sam looked upon her grave with wonder. He was always curious to know what his mother was like, how they would have gotten along.

Awakening & Mentorship

While in the cemetery, a priest emerged from the temple and greeted the Wakiza. He introduced himself as Marakuom. Sam stood stock-still with shock. He knew this priest. At least, he knew his face. But it felt like he knew the man, too. And the bald, robe-clad Buddhist monk seemed to recognize Sam in return. Sam's father looked between the two, knowing some silent exchange was taking place. Sam didn't have to have anything explained to him. Marakuom seemed to know that time, through visions, already spoke to young Sam. The boy turned to his father and stated that he wanted to stay at this temple awhile. His father knew that this was the place of his visions. Though at first he was argumentative, Sam's solemn, calm, and intent voice made his father a true believer. They spent one last day together, enjoying the quiet fortitude of a strong father-son relationship. Then his father returned to America. Sam stayed behind with Marakuom, his mother's gravepost, and an envisioned future becoming reality.

Marakuom explained to Sam that he, too, had visions of the boy training in their halls. He led Sam into the temple, which the youth found to be sadly in poor condition. The paint was flecking off the walls, some columns collapsed, barring certain halls altogether. But the important areas were still open to Marakuom and eleven other priests, as well as the new addition of Sam. Though Sam didn't think the temple matched his visions at all, a profound sense of déjà vu pervaded. Apparently, the priests felt the same way, for they welcomed his arrival. He didn't argue even when Marakuom pointed out that lifestyle was poor, and provided only the minimum necessities to exist. The old monk also noted that training at the temple would be rigorous and difficult. There would be little time for "fun", Marakuom warned. But Sam felt ready to become a man and he accepted whatever tasks would be laid before him.

And as Marakuom promised, the training in which Sam engaged was very strenuous and tested his every limitation. The boy's martial arts were put to the test, and he was beaten soundly. They expected Sam to learn from failures. He did. The boy was expected to meditate alone, without food or water, for two days, in the hot sun. His teachers wanted him to learn greater discipline and focus. He did. The priests made him walk across hot coals. They wanted him to understand internal fortitude even in the face of extreme pain. He did. Marakuom overloaded Sam's brain with information about the human body and its potential, about pressure points and anatomy, and of the mysterious ch'i. He wanted Sam to learn as much as he could, to expand his consciousness and become wise and intelligent. And he did.

For a full year, Sam dove head-first into this unique lifestyle. His life in America was forgotten as he embraced this exotic training. Of course, at this time, Sam didn't realize that the monks were teaching him the rudiments of Do through accelerated We Kan Dao forms and techniques. His new meditation postures and regimen were also designed to help his personal ch'i -- that untapped potential of the human essence -- develop faster. And Sam proved his destiny to Awaken in their path, as the boy picked up on all of the elements quickly. He became stronger and faster than most teens his age. Of course, he had the benefit of masterful instructors who did not waste time with making a student sweep floors for a decade just to prove loyalty and discipline. Marakuom already knew Sam had the required fervor to excel and open his eyes to the Hidden World.

As the priests hoped perhaps, the accelerated training did in fact begin to tap Sam's untouched potential. His visions returned and this time with a completely new element. Though Sam still witnessed the jungle, in which he now lived, he saw a black panther stalking through its midst. Sam followed the panther into the flora, and came across clearings. In these lost glades, he saw moments of time, of the past and future, flash before his eyes. He witnessed his father and what he knew must have been his mother, fleeing the enemy. He saw his father turn upon the enemy after his mother was gone. Gunfights and bloody melees crippled Sam's young mind with shrieks of agony and death. The visions hit Sam more and more often, until everyday when he meditated he would start with a shout or even scream. Eyes wide, he feared returning to that quiet reflection in the temple's sacred halls. Yet despite his disturbance, none of the priests bothered him. He suffered them alone, except when Marakuom asked about their nature.

Eventually, Sam's visions began to alter subtly. Instead of his father, the face blurred. Finally, Sam realized he was the madman warrior savaging enemy after enemy. Sam saw himself crushing, shooting, stabbing, hanging, detonating, and breaking dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of people. And finally, in the middle of that summer, his visions reached a peak. He saw himself following the panther out into the jungle. There he met villains and a vicious, wild battle ensued. Guns blazed, swords swung, blood splattered. And when it was done, all of his enemies were dead. And so was he. He fought to the death, collapsed to his knees, and then onto his face. Despite this end, Sam felt only a sensation of intense joy and liberation, like he fulfilled his life. A sense of completion and elation overwhelmed the fear and pain, and Sam opened his eyes. He found himself in the jungle for real. The sounds of the rainforest -- birds and insects -- were silent. He looked up at the sun as it peeked through the canopy, and felt blood trickling down his face and arms. Sam gave a great shout, for he felt it all more acutely than he ever had. This was life!

Sam ran home to the Theraban with this newfound awareness. And to his Awakened eyes, he viewed the temple in a new fashion. Where the edifice once crumbled, all was fine and new. Where ancient stone faded, sharp gold glittered in rays of the sun striking through the canopy of the rainforest. Marakuom greeted the young man with a tranquil smile. No words needed to be exchanged: Sam realized his mentor knew. Immediately, Sam was schooled in what just happened. He learned that he Awakened, that his eyes were now open to the mysteries of the universe. The panther that led Sam through his visions was like a spirit-guide, an Avatar of the universal unconsciousness. Sam readily accepted this, for his father spoke of visionquests long ago, and the parts that the gods played in people's lives.

And Sam discovered that his father's early wisdom aided him greatly now. Under his teachers' observing eyes, he picked up more advanced forms of meditation and martial arts. Though still sheathed in We Kan Dao, Sam knew there was only the Way: Do. All so simple, yet hard to grasp. For even the Awakened mind Sam knew he had a long Path to walk. But his father's guidance into spiritual beliefs years ago especially helped Sam accept with little objection the lessons Marakuom offered. Sam boasted an open mind and readiness to believe even the more fantastic realities of this Hidden World. Through all those esoteric forms, Sam began to develop and tame his outstanding talents. Watching the panther of his visions move, he adopted some of that fluidity into his Do. With his senses stimulated, meditation, mantra, and rituals of pain became perfectly clear. Still, Marakuom informed young Sam that all of these things were just the how's of the Way. Sam needed to understand the why's.

So Sam listened as Marakuom told him all about the Akashic Brotherhood, the Council of Traditions, and the Ascension War. But more specifically, Sam learned that Theraban was one of the original temples and learning sites of the Gam Lung. A sect most Akashics frowned on, Marakuom explained that the Gam Lung would infiltrate the criminal underworld. A few became devoted members of corrupt enterprises, and a few bad seeds ruined the reputation for the whole sect. But the actual sect was interestede in true harmony and balance, not some false claim of balance where even the slightest sin was repressed and rewarded only with punishment. Too much good was just as bad as too much evil -- too much anything was undesireable and disharmonious! So the Gam Lung used their influences among criminals to keep extreme villains out of society. At the same time, they led these criminals so that the forces of darkness weren't wholly crushed. Through moderation of the self and the world beyond, Marakuom lectured, the Gam Lung played a vital role. Sam reconciled it all quickly, too. Justice and harmony? It sounded like a hero's life. A life that Sim already suspected he knew how it would end. Thus, Sam relieved Marakuom by voicing his interest in continued studies at Theraban.

For the next few years, Sam proved a very reliable and attentive student. The youth honed his natural talents through focus on the true essence of his forms rather than just the techniques. Sam could feel how the ch'i of the world and himself moved through Do, in all of Do's many capacities. Sam showed great promise as a student of the Gam Lung. Marakuom seemed to feel proud. When other Gam Lung visited the Theraban, Sam met them. He even sparred them occasionally. Though he often lost against more experienced opponents, Sam always stayed focused on himself.

Finally, around the age of twenty, Sam was ready for graduation from that apprenticeship program. The monks all tested him in the fields of martial arts -- with and without weapons, meditation, knowledge, and discipline. He passed all of these examinations by their expectations. Then Marakuom administrated a moral test. He asked one question: "If all you had to do to establish true harmony and peace upon the world was to sacrifice the life of one innocent child, would you do it?" The query did not shock Sam, for his tutelage at the Theraban included Buddhist elements that he agreed with philosophically if not religiously. Sam answered, "No. One evil and imbalanced act would negate all efforts. The sacrifice would be in vain and my own conscience tattered -- plagued for life by an act of cold-blooded murder of an innocent." And with that reply, Sam proved that he understood the counter-balancing duties of the Gam Lung correctly. He was pronounced ready for the real world and real missions for the sect. And Sam couldn't feel more ready!

Early Years

Thus began Sam's first mission in service to the Gam Lung. The sect was not as sheerly monasteric as Sam thought, as Marakuom told Sam his first mission would be based on information gathered from contacts in the cities. These contacts made regular pilgrimmages to Theraban. And then Sam made a pilgrimmage to Vientiane. There the informants suggested he could find a drug lord named Siggy Pakat whose greedy ambitions were growing out of control. So the Gam Lung took action, dispatching Sam to infiltrate the Pakat organization and determine just what Siggy was up to.

The young man traveled to the capitol. Using Theraban's contacts, Sam learned that Siggy Pakat often patronized an underground pitfighting ring in the area. Although most of the competitors practiced muay lao (kickboxing), Sam fit right in with his less-aggressive style. Cheers and jeers filled Sam's nights as he took punches and kicks. And he returned them with sharp precision, throwing his opponents around the dirt ring like ragdolls. He went under the alias of Champa Kham, and it was an apt name. For a long year, Sam fought and bled in Vientiane's fighting pits. Many times, at least twice a month, Sam saw Siggy in the crowd, waging bets. Eventually, the odds favored Sam. His Awakened skill propelled him to many championships. Siggy approached Sam one night, complimenting his skills. And he offered Sam a job working for him as a "security consultant". Sam agreed after a "night of consideration".

Afterwards, Siggy took Sam out of the city proper to a palatial estate. There the young man met all of his "fellow consultants". He also received a tour of the place and the Pakat's expanding opium fields. Heroin was Pakat's trade. Of course, all of this was under stern warning that if Sam ever ratted to the police, they'd kill him before he could blink. But Sam blended right in, becoming another dutiful and mindless-seeming lieutenant. He was well-paid and kept the money stashed for the inevitable rainy days to come. Of course, Sam actually took advantage of his position. When not under watch, he peeked into files and vaults. He scoped out the breadth of the Pakat operation and the extent of Siggy's ambition. And they were just as the Gam Lung feared. Siggy hoped to lead the Southeast Asian heroin market into a new era of global wealth and corruption. He had to be stopped.

But Sam had no delusions about his abilities. His job was to alert the Gam Lung and let them handle it. He only needed to obtain a few more specific bits of information from Siggy himself. Unfortunately, in the course of his snooping, Sam was caught red-handed. Siggy's nineteen year old daughter, Nalé, discovered Sam searching files. Instead of tattling to her father, she merely confronted Sam, wanting to know for what police agency he worked. Sam told her the truth: none, but that he was investigating her father's criminal activities for a "special interests" group. And Nalé revealed her own loyalties: she hated her father and wanted his business to collapse. So began an alliance between Sam and Nalé.

Though that shortened an otherwise lengthy duration, Sam's job wasn't easy or pleasant. He didn't indulge in most of the vices his "fellow consultants" did. He spent much of his free time practicing Do and meditating. And it proved wise. Not only did Sam have to hone and demonstrate skill with (sub)machine guns and pistols, he was often required to manhandle people. That was why Siggy hired him, after all. Sam clobbered a number of wanna-be assassins wielding knives or small arms. Rival drug lords sent most of these cutthroats. Fortunately, Sam always seemed to end up in the right place at the right time, whenever danger threatened the Pakat. Sam even saved Nalé from an assassination attempt once. Not long after, their relationship exploded into something much more intimate.

One of Sam's hardest tasks during this time, however, came in the form of a fellow Akashic Brother. The young disciple snuck onto the estate, looking to become a hero by single-handedly shutting down the Pakat business. But Sam had forseen this Vajrapani's coming through an enigmatic vision. A falcon soared over the jungle of his daydreams, while he as the panther stalked. Sam interpreted this omen correctly, as the approach of a "noble" warrior. As the Vajrapani snuck into the mansion, he found himself unexpectedly confronted with another Doist. Sam was clearly a "villain" to oppose this bold (reckless) assault (suicide) on an infamous drug lord. The two Akashics clashed first with steel. Swords slashed at one another in the palatial ball room. After Sam disarmed his opponent, he put away his own blade to prove his honor. But the fight continued and the Doists soundly trounced each other. Ultimately, however, Sam defeated the Vajrapani. The beaten Akashic glared as Sam ordered him to depart and mind his own business from then on. The young Akashic did flee and never returned. Sam speculated on many reasons, but ultimately he realized that he just dug his heels into his Gam Lung beliefs. This, Sam kinew, was testament to his own dedication and willpower. Will, in fact, decided the outcome of that duel.

This strengthening of beliefs not long later accompanied an unbidden waking vision. He replayed the brawl in his mind. But then the reflection was replaced with the symbolic imagery of a panther stalking a falcon. The raptor took wing just as the cat prepared to pounce. However, the panther defied nature by leaping high into the air. He knocked the bird down, stunning it long enough to pin it under a strong paw. It was a paw that chose mercy, but it was the victorious hand nonetheless. The will to go that extra mile was clear to Sam, enlightening him further about the Hidden World.

Sadly, this moment of lucidity did not last. On the last day that he earned Siggy's confidence and heard his employer's vile plans for expansion and child labor, he made preparations to leave. Nalé threw herself into his arms, begging him to take her, too. How could he resist a sensible request from his lover? About a year after his employment, Sam fled the estate and made for the Vientiane airport with Nalé. Sam intended to leave the country before doubling back to Theraban. However, Siggy became almost immediately aware of his daughter's absence. Perhaps the drug lord thought the pair betrayed him, or maybe the idea that they were eloping incensed him to an egotistical rage. He sent his men to the Vientiane airport to capture the two, since the airport seemed the most logical place to look.

The loyal "security consultants" caught up to Sam and Nalé as they prepared to board their flight. They tried command and force the two to coopeate. The pair outright refused. When guns were pulled, Sam tried to disarm the three thugs with lightning-fast reactions. Shots went off before he could nail them all. Bullets meant for Sam struck Nalé instead, as she threw herself in the way. A commandeered weapon in hand, Sam dropped the three as they realized they shot their boss's daughter. As airport security rushed forward, Sam despaired. He didn't even have time to say good-bye to Nalé. But he saw her expire with a final breath. With a shout of fury, the Gam Lung fled. With the aid of his mantra and focus, he outran and eluded his police pursuers. He vanished back into the city for a month, while police heat died down.

Then the past revisted the present. Pakat presumed Sam made a dash for the border and was across oceans by now. But the outraged Sam had other plans. Taking from memories, of visions of his father's past, Sam decided to avenge his lover. He donned war-paint, took up his sword and a SMG, and went on the war-path. He stalked through the Pakat estate, murdering every bodyguard in his path. Finally, he cornered Siggy himself in the man's office. Siggy demanded to know Sam's true loyalties. But Sam uttered only one word -- balance -- before he assassinated the drug lord. While Sam protected that man for almost a year before that moment, poor Siggy did not receive the quick death that his thugs afforded Nalé. Sam cut the drug lord to pieces…nice and slow. He strong the crippled man upside down over his own office desk. He let the villain bleed out dry. Sam exsanguinated Siggy Pakat as punishment for stripping away his first love and a beautiful, strong young woman.

With some measure of vindication under his belt, Sam returned to the Theraban. He reported the results of his discoveries and actions to Marakuom. Then he drifted off into meditation for a week. Sam reflected on the performance of his mission. But his mind kept returning to that profound sense of loss all the vengeful blood in the world could not drown. Nalé's death created a void in Sam that no revenge could fill. Marakuom sympathized and offered the small comfort that heartbreak would not go away with mere meditation. Only time mended such injury. Sam knew that to be true. His patience with life was soon renewed. Sam had plenty of time before destiny called him to his final breath.

Only a couple weeks later, old Marakuom presented Sam with a new mission. Following up the information Sam provided about the Pakat organization, he was to travel to America. A town in Arkansas, boasting a sizeable Laotian-American population, apparently networked for the Pakat. So Sam packed his few meager possessions and returned to the USA for the first time in nine years. He was to discover the extent of the heroin network that stemmed from Pakat. He adopted a new alias of Louie Xam and moved to the town of Fort Smith. Sam blended right into the Laotian-American community and soon discovered dens of gambling and common vice. However, they weren't major players at all. None of them even moved "H". But Sam nevertheless obtained a solid lead while privately investigating. He ingratiated himself well enough with the local criminals that he got the name of a heroin player in Little Rock, the state capitol.

Meanwhile, Sam did not just explore the town's seedy underbelly. He was referred to a master of the Brotherhood, Doro Khan, who lived reclusively out of town. Doro was not a member of the Gam Lung, so Sam had to disguise his true identity to even his new teacher. But at least this way, Sam figured, while he was so far from the Theraban, he could still continue to train in Do and develop his preternatural abilities. And Sam didn't want Doro harmed either, so the anonymity protected the middle-aged Akashic Brother, too. Sam kept Doro ignorant of his illicit activities. Since Doro's dwelling was a real hermit's retreat in the mountains, far from Fort Smith or Little Rock, Sam felt fairly safe when he visited his teacher.

Even when Sam moved to Little Rock did he continue to train under Doro Khan. However, this larger city proved a more involved task than Sam first thought. It took the Gam Lung a good year to earn the trust of the Asian-American community's underworld. All the while, he lived off the income he earned working for Siggy Pakat (which was quite a lucrative detail). Unfortunately, Sam's probe poked where it really wasn't wanted. The term "Syndicate" began to fly under Sam's nose as he pumped contacts for information. He mentioned the term by telephone to Marakuom. And he was advised to immediately get out!

Before Sam knew it, this Syndicate was onto him. Their agents apparently were found among gangsters and police alike. Both swarmed after the young Gam Lung. With fierce determination, he fought his way past poignant pursuit and eluded the rest for awhile. His luck ran out, however, as a group of thugs managed to ambush and incapacitate him with tazers. Sam was dragged out of his car and to a secret gangland hideout. The street thugs were replaced with mysterious suits. They did not appreciate his meddling and demanded to know his true loyalties. Sam refused to reply. So they began to ask him…hard. A variety of low-tech torture methods combined with psychological interrogation techniques whittled at the gagged and bound Akashic. Bones were broken, skin flayed, drugs pumped into his system. And through it all, Sam maintained his self-control. He focused on the center of his being. He didn't worry about his body or anything else: they were going to take it all anyway.

Finally, after a particularly vicious round of electroshock torture, Sam fell comatose. Days passed with his tormentors, and more days passed with only their brief checks on his status. Oblivious to the world, Sam languished in silent suffering and pain-torn visions. In one such dream, hazed all in red, Sam was back in the jungle. Again, he followed the black panther deeper into the woods. As he walked, he felt the jungle's sweltering heat and the sharp sting of nettles. But then as he looked again, he found himself walking along a huge road paved with burning-hot coals. When Sam viewed his body, there were no nettles but only needles planted in the pain centers of his body. Sam soon realized what it all meant: pain was pain regardless of its source, when it came to the human body. He didn't need hot coals or acupuncture or reed-flogging to channel the ch'i of his own form.

And with this epiphany, Sam woke up. He channeled his own ch'i, body mending broken bones, closing open wounds, and re-fusing damaged nerves. Then Sam summoned all that extra adrenaline, snapping the cords that bound him. He removed the gag and ambushed his guards with vicious assaults. The Doist found himself in some odd corporate structure's basement. The tower sat on a popular nightclub in town. But the furious Gam Lung didn't care where he was. He fought his way out of that place by fist, knife, and gun. Sam was back on the streets and on the run. The outraged Syndicate in turn put out a city-wide manhunt. Police and gangsters once more were gunning for the Gam Lung. But Sam suspected this Syndicate was a branch of the Technocracy, the "enemy" in the Ascension War, according to his original tutelage. Sam's fury at his torture was stunted as he suspected that his pursuers were just pawns of the Technocracy, ignorant of the Hidden World. To avoid the war-path he took in Vientiane and unnecessary bloodshed, Sam did his best to just slip out of Little Rock.

This time, Sam was successful in evading the police and crimelords. He took a new alias, got new fake Ids, and shaved his head bald like it was back in Theraban. His own Awakened mystique helped keep police sketches and photographs vague and useless. Sam fled the city and Arkansas at large, traveling west. He purposely avoided Doro Khan. Unfortunately, the Syndicate did its homework. They managed to isolate all superstitionists in the region and sent a killer out to Doro's home, as he was the most likely associate and hiding place for Sam. Thankfully, the experienced Akashic sensed the impending danger and fled. Sam later discovered that Doro went back to San Francisco, California. Sam visited his mentor there, learning that the Syndicate firebombed the poor man's house that was built by hand. Sam tried to apologize, but his refusal to tell Doro his true identity earned him nothing but a cold shoulder. Doro Khan just turned Sam away since he wouldn't come clean. Sam sighed, but it he could not change that.

Later Years

It was time, Sam decided, to take a break. He reported to Marakuom, then informed his old master that he needed some time alone. It was granted without issue, so Sam went home to Buffalo. There he found his father living well still. Sam was welcomed in a tight hug and the two caught up on the past decade. Sam beamed under his father's obvious pride. He learned his dad was working as a translator for a publishing company. Sam's mature attitude and physically perfect body prompted applause from his father. Sam obviously got taken care of properly at Theraban. Of course, Sam could not relate his true nature even to his father -- the Rule of Shade was upheld inviolately. So Sam just said that he was a security consultant for overseas corporations. But Sam also mentioned his desire for a change in venue -- perhaps becoming a "private detective". Sam was tired of losing close friends in the line of his Gam Lung duties. Sam's father gladly helped his son. He helped the young man obtain his GED to begin. Then Sam also attended a junior college, seeking an Associate's degree in criminology.

While Sam strived for a higher education, he continued always to practice his Do. And the visions still came almost daily. Over the next year or two, Sam gradually realized that the jungle through which the panther led was familiar. Was he traveling in his visions in a circle? Sam believed that he was! Time was relative, but it was also circular. All that was recycled again renewed and reused, the same but different. That accounted for the strange sense of déjà vu he so often felt. Sam knew he could use his penchant for visions and time to see the past as well as the future. He deciced this was the key to finding and following his true calling to the Akashic Brotherhood.

And with that conclusion, his Avatar began to lead him again in a merry circle. But this time, the panther guided Sam's attention up to the starry heavens beyond the jungle's canopy. Every star twinkled brightly. Sam knew then on that he was called to the Gam Lung to study other Avatars. The hunger for wisdom that the panther represented started to feel satisfied in Sam's heart, lifting some of the weight. He knew this was right. Perhaps, he wondered, he should combine his inherent temporal talents with this Avatar-related destiny? Sam decided to consult with his elders at Theraban.

So Sam contacted the golden temple. However, his excitement was muted. Saddening news was reported: Marakuom succumbed to a Paradox-generated disease months past. Sam lost his first mentor, and once more didn't get the chance to say good-bye. Vat Van, another elder of the temple, sorrowfully stepped forward to replace Marakuom as Sam's representative. Swallowing tears, Sam related his recent epiphanies. Van responded with approval and suggested that Sam return to Theraban as soon as possible.

After that conversation, Sam dove back into the final semester of his college. He graduated on the honor roll with his criminology degree. Sam said his farewells to his father, who knew his son was ready to move on with his life again. By plane, Sam traveled back to Laos and his temple. There he met Vat Van and the other monks. He visited Marakuom's grave. And to prepare for his tasks ahead, Sam was given full access to the Akashic Record in its physical and psychic attributes. Sam needed to memorize as much of it as he could, especially the descriptions and natures of Avatars. Of course, to compliment these studies, Sam honed his Do and meditations further. A solid two years later, his head filled with new knowledge, Sam was ready. He was ready for new missions, with new agendas and themes. It was his task to seek out spiritual corruption in his fellow Akashic Brothers, regardless of sect. He was charged with discovering which Avatars were spoiled and needed to be discharged from ever emerging in the Tradition again. To this end, Sam was to interview the Akashic Brothers encountered in his specific missions. He was to learn of their Avatars, compare their descriptions to the Akashic Record, and learn who belonged and who was a traitor or corrupter in the past and possible future.

Thus, the twenty eight year old Gam Lung was assigned to Hong Kong. In his sect's fashion, Sam settled right down into the underworld scene. His mean, no-shit attitude on the street soon afforded him a place in a small tong, the Red Sickle Circuit. They were involved in gambling, prostitution, and money-laundering. By working with this gang, Sam helped to keep the conflict between the tongs and police balanced. Meanwhile, Sam looked into the local chapter of the Akashic Brotherhood. The Gam Lung were concerned that the Hong Kong Akashic Brethren might be adopting negative Western mannerisms, becoming rude, crass, and selfish. The sect periodically checked on their Brethren in this fashion. Through the front of a kung fu school that Akashic Master Ching Won ran, Sam introduced himself. He used his street alias of Noy Fang. He posed as a "rabble-rousing punk" Akashic Brother in search of "redemption". Appealing to Ching-sifu's moral vanity, he was soon accepted into the Yellow Cranes (Chantry).

But his tong activities upset the Gam Lung after a few months. The gang leader, Eddy Sin, was growing too vicious for Sam's patience. Eddy started pushing drugs and would purposely get women doped up so he could rape them with ease. For the first time in his life, Sam committed cold-blooded murder. Revenge didn't motivate the Gam Lung at all this time. He simply slit the villain's throat and dumped his body in Kowloon Harbor. The rest of the tong wasn't sure what happened. But since quiet Sam seemed so cool and responsible, they made him the new captain of the Red Sickle Circuit.

Still, the act disturbed Sam to his core. He reflected in private for days. Finally, his self-directed horror was evident at the Yellow Cranes. Ching-sifu inquired what was wrong and Sam admitted to killing Eddy. The confession worked to Sam's benefit, however. He was able to garner sympathy from the other dozen or so Akashic Brothers at the chantry. The genuinity of his sentiments helped to fool his Brethren. For the next few years, Sam befriended all of these other Doists. As he got to know them, one-by-one he got them each to discuss their own Avatars as they understood them. The process took about five years. With the maintaining of tong ties and his Akashic training there, this process was achieved very gradually. But Sam didn't feel like he was in any rush. The nature of his true task in Hong Kong was more relaxed than the duties of some Gam Lung.

And of all the Akashic Brothers that Sam met and befriended there, only one described an Avatar of questionable origin. The woman described her essence as manifesting like mathematical fractals. Though it seemed like an Avatar better suited for a technomancer, Sam realized that the scientific precision of the martial arts is what attracted this practitioner to the Brotherhood. Analyzing her Avatar's past with the Akashic Record, Sam learned that her Avatar once did manifest solely in technomancers. He thought she made a wonderful Doist now, but he was not the judge of Avatars. It was just his job to scout them out. Sam prepared to report back to Theraban, and he first had to close all his dealings with the tongs.

Before he left Hong Kong, Ching-sifu confronted Sam. He was told that in five years he made almost no moral progress. Sam didn't sever his ties to the tongs or cease his criminal activity. This was a matter of great concern to the chantry. Sam apologized profusely, then relieved Ching-sifu momentarily by announcing that he cut off his tong ties. Sam decided mentally that it was definitely time to go. Unfortunately, the Master picked that thought right out of Sam's head. The immediate suspicion was compounded as Ching-sifu recalled all the interest Sam had in everyone's Avatars. Fortunately for Sam, the Yellow Cranes was an honorable institution. They would let him leave without question under one condition. Sam had to fight and defeat the chantry's chosen champion, Hsu Bua An.

Tough break: Sam already knew that the very experienced combatant could kick his butt. An was tough as nails. But he accepted the challenge, even knowing by foresight that he would probably lose. Perhaps his oracular knowledge was making Sam too fatalistic, for An beat him unconscious after a solid ten minute bout. Ching-sifu then used his own meditations to invade Sam's mind. The Master broke through Sam's mental barriers and learned all there was to know about Sam. Then the Master delicately removed all of Sam's memories pertaining to their Avatars. When Sam woke up, he received a stern lecture about the "evil" of the Gam Lung.

And then they just let him go. Sam left Hong Kong immediately. He fled back to Theraban. With Vat Van's help, however, Sam learned how to extend his recollective abilities from a third party perspective to his own past. Thus was he able to recover his memories Ching-sifu took away from his mind but not time itself. Sam basically relearned the information on their Avatars. So the mission ultimately proved a success. Of course, his pride was still wounded after losing that duel.

After Hong Kong, the Gam Lung assigned Sam to New Delhi, India. There he took the alias of Lampal Samupasa. Compared to his previous missions, this one was much safer. He joined a large temple of hermit monks -- all Akashic Brothers -- that an old Master called Suryadas led. The temple emphasized virtues of compassion and love for living things. Sam spent several years here due to the larger population of the Awakened. The Gam Lung were concerned that these Brethren were becoming too passive and too soft. Same lived a life as a panhandler here. It was not because he needed to, but because it was a priestly action many of his Brethren initiated.

While in New Delhi, Sam experienced extremes of poverty and pain. A gang of street thugs who liked to pick on beggars assaulted him once, a few years into his stay. The first time, Sam defended himself adequately and sent the youths packing. But they returned the next night armed with clubs. This time Sam recognized that he wasn't in the right role to resist. He let them beat him sorely. Suryadas found and retrieved his battered and unconscious body back to the temple. As he recovered, Sam found himself drawn back into the visions of the Seeking. He followed the panther through the jungle to clearings. In the glades, Sam foresaw the prices he would pay and the rewards he would reap. Every visit to a glade found him in a different part of the world, ventured all over the globe. In fact, Sam recognized that every clearing was the same glade. Everywhere was the same place. Every moment was the same self-determined Path.

Recent Years

Finally, in 1996, Sam left New Delhi. He didn't make the same mistakes he made in Hong Kong. After reporting his findings to Theraban, Vat Van announced that he had a new mission for Sam already. He was to go to Los Angeles and track down an Akashic Brother thought to be turned villain for abuse of power. Termed barrabi in Western Traditions' parlance, the Gam Lung didn't want some mercenary rogue bringing the traitor's head before the Council of Traditions. The issue needed to be resolved internally, and Sam was the man for the job. The villain's name was Song Il Chek, originally out of Pyonyang, North Korea. And he was known to exploit his powers to command the unAwakened to his every whim. He was no better than a Technocrat in this regard. Sam's goal was to capture Chek and bring him before the Gam Lung for judgement.

In L.A., he changed his name to Sammy Noy. Instead of involving himself in gangs, Sam became a professional pitfighter in illegal gladiatorial rings. For a few months, he maintained this identity while searching the city for leads. Other chi'n ta in Little Korea and Little Tokyo hinted at Chek's presence. But the barrabi remained elusive awhile longer. A sighting in a Buddhist temple in Chinatown finally cued to Sam to his quarry. The monks heard him say that he was going out to the desert to meditate.

So Sam went out to the Mojave Desert in search of Chek. After a week of scouring Death Valley, where even his Awakened abilities of survival were tested, he found Chek waiting as if it were some Spaghetti Western showdown. A long, Paradox-strewn duel ensued. Sam sustained numerous injuries but ultimately prevailed. However, Chek refused to be taken alive, and forced Sam to fight to the death. Sam buried Chek in the desert, then voyaged to North Korea. He met Chek's original teachers in Pyonyang. They were aware and ashamed of Chek's barrabi status. They cooperated readily with Sam's request for details about the fallen Song Il Chek's Avatar.

After this six month ordeal of hunting Song Il Chek, Sam was assigned to Kyoto, Japan. Taking his cues from his successes in L.A., Sam once more became an (illegal) pitfighter. He went by the alias of Manji Samu. Sam joined a chantry not unlike the Yellow Cranes back in Hong Kong. However, he found these Japanese Akashic Brothers to be much more inscrutable. It took him much longer to get any of them to openly speak of themselves. But it gave him plenty of time to reflect on his new Gam Lung style. Pitfighting seemed to suit him well. Plus it gave him enough nudge into the local underworld without having to get his hands too dirty. Sam was even in Kyoto long enough to get a steady girlfriend. Nagrai Rina was a nice enough girl, but she wasn't interested in a more serious relationship. Sam began to realize, however, that he was, after so many years. So when his job was done in Japan, he and Rina parted ways without ill feelings.

Right after completion of his Kyoto mission in 2004, Sam was assigned to Kansas City, Missouri. A cabal of chi'n ta in the Court of Shooting Stars, the Reito, claimed to be Brethren of Akasha. Yet no masters heard of Nekoko or her associates. It was Sam's job to determine their true loyalties. Changing his name again, this time Samson Noi, he moved to the city's Little Asia district. Sam joined the Court while returning to his favorite profession. Sam started pitfighting at the ABC arena. Through his Arts, Sam easily maintained apparent youth and vigor. He soon found the local chi'n ta to be as inscrutable as the Kyoto group. Sam soon figured that this mission would take awhile. But he was in no rush. Time was on his side.

West Side Bungalo (Sanctum)


~By way of a suburban highway and over grassy, tree-littered hills, one comes across a good neighborhood in the West Side zone of Little Asia. Homes of all sizes, mostly for good middle-class families, frame the road. At the top of one hill, there is a small playground for children instead on the right. To the left is a small house of antique design. Cobbled stonework represent the one story home's frame, and a solid and slanted roof keeps the place dry. A small chimney pipe extends from the right end. A green lawn surrounds the home, fenced off with black lattice from the rest of the world. A paved walkway leads to the home's solitary door in the front. Small privacy windows stand like sentinels next to the door, and around the granite-colored structure. Samson's home often seems quiet, even uninhabited. But within, the Akashic pursues his crafts avidly. Through the front door, one views the modern kitchenette as it stands side-by-side with the den. Seating is spartan but comfortable-looking, and face a bookcase and a small fireplace. A small wooden table serves for eating between the gray tiled floor and crimson carpeted floor of the kitchenette and den. The bathroom hosts similar tiles and the linen closet. It also retains full plumbing, with commode, sink, and a full square bathtub. The bedroom adjacent to the bathroom is a simple affair, with crimson carpet, a walk-in closet, rosewood dresser, and a warm, cotton-sheathed king-sized bed. Throughout the entire house, effigies of a panther's fierce feline face are carved into every bare stone. But most vital of all to this bungalo is a room Samson converted into a training hall. The chamber boasts a teak floor and vinyl mats. A rack to the far end contains a variety of traditional martial arts weapons. To the right swings a heavy canvas punching bag that's seen plenty of use -- even stained with blood. Laotian letters, framed individually, and set high above the circumference of the room, encourage the nine virtues of a true warrior. To the left hangs a burlap wall hanging with Native American pictography, describing an ancient hero, Hiawatha, on the back of a great eagle, soaring through the skies. Perhaps that is what Samson hopes to one day do, too.~

OOC: Arcane 1

Weakness
Yin is Yang


Samson, like the Gam Lung, see the world as a place of shadow. Neither light nor darkness dominates. The problem comes in when Samson, like the Gam Lung, view themselves as regulators between good and evil, light and dark. Samson exploits both sides of the coin in an attempt to bring balance. The problem is, no man can be good and evil by intent. There may be such a thing as "necessary evil", but evil is not good. Good is not evil. Yin is not Yang. He needs to learn that to get further along the Way.

Likelihood of Corruption


Average.

As Gam Lung, Samson works hand-in-hand with a community of vice. That doesn't mean he buys into it all. In fact, it's quite the opposite: he polices it. However, that hardly makes him immune to its temptations or more supernatural pitfalls.

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