Wan Zhu

Wan Zhu
Gender	Female
Embraced	1974 CE
Clan	Tremere
Generation	7th
Sire	Oliver Thrace
Allegiance	New Promise Mandarinate

Wan Zhu is one of the few Kindred of native Chinese origin. She once resided with her sire, Oliver Thrace, in the chantry located in the Sai Wan Western District.

Biography

Born in Gangdong, Wan Zhu left China at the time of the Cultural Revolution, knowing that – as an intellectual – she would not survive the cataclysmic change in her homeland. She escaped to Hong Kong, where she accepted a service as curator of the Museum of Chinese Historical Relics in Wanchai.

She attracted the attention of a distinct and gray "gweilo" who regularly visited the museum always before it closed at dusk. More and more frequently, Wan Zhu enabled him to stay there after closing the doors. Her genuine interest in Chinese culture won his respect, and she shared much of her esoteric knowledge with him.

One night he called on urgent business, saying he had acquired a rare jade artifact and wanted her to verify its authenticity before donating it to the museum. That night, in Wan Zhu's office, Oliver Thrace Embraced her and unlife began in clan Tremere. He also blood bound her secretly, despite the ban of his clan against the practice.

Wan Zhu was the eyes of Thrace in Kuei-jin community. She learned a lot about the Cathayans vampires and their society of "passage" for brief periods of time. Noting that her master is cursed with the damnation, she found herself caught between his resentment (and his authoritarian treatment) and their forced loyalty by blood bond.

She had hoped Thrace would flee with the other Kin-jin when China took over. She continues to do his will, but she plots to get rid of him some way to stop his cruel control over her. Zhu Wan resided in the Tremere chantry with her master and planned to find out.

Wan Zu fled Hong Kong once Thrace left and reached San Francisco, with several stolen grimoires from the Hong Kong chantry. She stayed in hiding until the blood bond had weaned and then contacted the leaders of the New Promise Mandarinate. In exchange for protection, she would offer her thaumaturgical insight. Despite concerns from some traditionalists, the leadership accepted her offer. Currently, her main work is finding a countermeasure against the wards placed by the Camarilla Tremere.

Appearance

Wan Zhu is an elegant, mature woman whose eyes gleam with intelligence. She normally dresses in fairly traditional Chinese clothing and carries herself with an air of quiet dignity. She's learned to stay silent most of the time, speaking only when she needs to but listening carefully to everything going on around her. She typically wears her long hair bound up.

Character Sheet

Wan Zhu, The Gracious Gem
Clan	Tremere
Sire	Oliver Thrace
Nature	Traditionalist
Demeanor	Conformist
Generation	7th
Embrace	1974 CE
Apparent Age	30
Physical	Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Social	Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4
Mental	Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 3
Talents	Alertness 3, Brawl 1, Dodge 2, Empathy 3, Leadership 1
Skills	Craft (brush-painting) 3, Drive 2, Etiquette 3, Instruction 3 Performance (lectures) 2, Repair 3
Knowledges	Bureaucracy 2, Computer 2, History (Chinese) 5 Investigation (archaeological) 4 Linguistics 3, Occult (Chinese cosmology) 4 Science (archeology) 4
Disciplines	Auspex 3, Fortitude 2, Presence 2, Thaumaturgy 4
Thaumaturgical Paths	Path of Blood 2, Elemental Mastery 1, Movement of the Mind 1
Thaumaturgical Rituals	Defense of the Sacred Haven, Communicate with Kindred Sire, Encrypt Missive, Expedient Paperwork, Learning the Mind Enslumbered, Purge the Inner Demon, Sanguineous Phial, the Scribe, Wake with Evening's Freshness, Craft Bloodstone, Ward Versus Ghouls, Ward Versus Cathayans, Bone of Lies, Scry
Backgrounds	Resources 2
Virtues	Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 3
Morality	Humanity 7
Willpower	6

References

• WOD: World of Darkness: Hong Kong, p. 80
• KOTE: San Francisco by Night, p. 88-89