Art by Jason Felix
Nian Shun (not his original name) is an immortal who lives in Lantau who for centuries has sought a way to relieve the nature of Suffering and to reach perfect balance of the Tao. He is one of the Reborn, one of the rarest supernatural entities known in popular myth as "mummies".
Biography[]
Nian Shun was an early follower of Lao-Tzu and sought for the perfect balance of the Tao. Though it always eluded him. The reason – the nature of suffering. No matter what he did to seek to accept the existence of pain and sorrow, Nian Shun could not help but cry at the sight of anyone so afflicted. Even hardened criminals tortured and executed moved him to tears.
He would inflict pain and hardship upon himself in order to become immune to it in others. But this method failed. So he took to avoiding the sight of suffering and pain by wandering the Middle Kingdom's most isolated and desolate places. This only brought knowledge that others outside his immediate awareness were also in pain and suffering. Since then he has been trying to do everything within his means to alleviate pain so he studied the human body and the ways of healing.
This brought him to the attention of Lung Li, a traveling alchemist and self-created immortal. Lung Li saw that Nian Shun had a tremendous amount of Chi and had the potential to be Awakened. Lung Li offered to take Nian Shun as his apprentice, to teach him in the ways of making potions and elixirs in order to effect true healing of body and mind.
Nian Shun was an eager and rapid learner and Lung Li gave him a choice: he could attempt to awaken the sleeping Enlightened One that was within Nian Shun and thus make him a worker of True Magick, or he could gift Shun with the means for immortality. Nian Shun pondered this choice over a course of two years.
He finally decided that immortality would lead him closer to his goal of alleviating suffering. Nian believed in the Great Wheel of Ages and reasoned that as the Great Wheel turned from cycle to cycle things would get worse and worse and so would suffering increase. He wanted to be there at each turn and do whatever he could to east that pain for as many innocents as possible.
Lung Li helped Nian Shun prepare and then imbibe the powerful elixir of extended life and was there when Nian Shun was transformed into one of the Immortals. Nian Shun has never ceased his wanderings since. He still studies new ways to easy the pain of mortals but he has come to the realization that his search is a never ending futile one. He masks his thoughts of failure and to keep from inflicting his internal pain on others he meets. He cultivates an outwardly lighthearted facade. His laughter masks his inner sorrow and his humor lifts his often bitter observations.
Nian Shun lives near the Po Lin Monastery and waits. The Turn of the Wheel as happened and the Age of Sorrows has begun, he hopes he will find the answer to his lifelong quest or else he will give into despair and imbibe his latest magical creation, the Elixir of Blissful Oblivion.
Appearance[]
Nian Shun resembles a mendicant monk, with a bald head and a wispy white beard. His bright, youthful eyes and ready smile give his face an ageless expression, which makes it difficult to guess how old (or young) he truly is.
Character Sheet[]
Nian Shun, Unhindered Ages
Nature: Caregiver
Demeanor: Jester
First Life: 550 - 500 BCE
Apparent Age: 50s
Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 4
Talents: Acting 2, Alertness 3, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Dodge 2, Empathy 5
SKills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts (Origami) 5, Meditation 4, Survival 3
Knowledges: Cosmology (Chinese) 4, Enigmas 4, Linguistics 4, Medicine (Holistic) 5, Occult 4, Science 3
Hekau Paths: Alchemy 7, Amulets 4, Necromancy 3, Ren-Hekau (Families) 4, Ushabti (Jade / Origami) 4
Backgrounds: Journal 4, Mentor 3
Virtues: Memory 5, Integrity 5, Joy 2
Willpower: 9
Humanity: 9
Chi (Sekhem): 6
Ba: 6
Ka: 4
References[]
- WOD: World of Darkness: Hong Kong, p. 121-122