Liko Neng
Paradigm & Style
For Liko Neng, the sun always held infinite possibilities of life and energy. He knew from the start that the sun would hold the key to his life. As a child, he wanted to be the first astronaut to visit the sun. Of course, he grew out of that fanciful hope and turned his love of the solar center to science. Even then, however, Neng saw more fancy than truth when it came to the chemical and physical equations modern science held about the sun. And eventually, his fancy became reality. The equations he began to dream up started to work -- most of the time at least.
Despite his scientific education and raw genius, Neng never discounted the old beliefs of ch'i -- a primal force that underlaid all creation. His open-mindedness continues to account for his great tolerance for the beliefs of all peoples and mages (provided they aren't inhumane). This is one of the main reasons he would have never lasted in the Technocratic Union. And his interest in discovering the true nature of this energy led him to the 1000 Canes Society.
Now Neng is determined to channel the pure and abundant energy of sunlight into a fuel system that can purify and maintain the flows of ch'i throughout the world. He employs prisms and devices of his own improvement or base manufacture. He channels, contains, and studies ch'i and the effects the more physical elements can have upon it. It is difficult and arduous work -- but quite visionary and innovative. Neng recognizes the danger of Paradox can have to such advanced science, plaguing it with the disbelief of the uneducated Masses. But the man is so reclusive that Paradox has rarely found him and his work.
A key ingredient to Neng's research is the command over Forces he can wield. To his mind, Forces is merely advanced physics and chemistry. He channels, contains, refracts, and refines physical forces, especially light and color. To do this, he must have a specially designed and shaped prismatic lens. The lens itself is useless; it must be included in specific devices he designs for his labwork. But those devices are definitely useless without the prisms. For the most part, Neng's prismatic lens are bulky devices kept in his laboratory. However, he has designed and tested (though not yet used in a real situation) very portable versions of these devices...namely for self-defense. Neng requires the prismatic lens for Forces.
The core Sphere of his Craft's methodology, Matter is brother to Forces in its scientific and elemental context. It is just hyper-physics and super-chemistry. Neng postulates and theorizes, then experiments and applies through various devices, mechanical and electronic, than he devises. Some of this equipment is simply mundane items he jury-rigged and improved. Some of them he built from scratch. They range in size from the bulky and immoveable to the compact and portable. Indeed, Neng has a seperate device for most different sorts of rotes. Neng is enlightened enough that he does not actually need any devices to evoke Matter-based Effects. However, the idea of using no device to him is not impossible, only imprudent. Belief in technology is so great that rotes that could be considered coincidental would instantly become vulgar without the presence of the functional device. And Neng is too careful to invoke Paradox so foolishly. Thus, while devices are not necessary, he always has them handy for this Sphere. His wisdom enables him to take a device intended for one thing, however, and jury-rig it instantly to do another (although this could sometimes be construed as "fast-casting" and emergency tactics only).
Another vital component of Neng's advanced science is the study of Prime. Prime is the science by which he detects, examines, manipulates, channels, and contains ch'i itself. He hopes to find a way to improve "raw" ch'i by infusing it with "free" ch'i that has been put through a special process. This process would ultimately make the primal energy of the world "super-charged", able to self-maintain itself despite all threats (such as radio-active contamination). It is a very difficult goal Neng has ahead of himself. But he's making excellent progress. Unfortunately, his Prime work is dependant upon a measure of contained ch'i to begin with. Neng actually retains the original amount of ch'i he contained at his Awakening. Should he lose all of his stored ch'i energies, Neng would have to start from scratch somehow. It could be as simple as having a fellow member of the 1000 Canes Society prepare him a new container. Unfortunately, his Craft is rare. He could be in trouble were all of his stored energies were destroyed. This transfused, contained Quintessence is not necessary for his Prime rotes as he has come to better understand the natural flow of worldly energy.
Avatar
Swirling endlessly through Neng's mind, scientific equations and mathematical theories keep him constantly disconnected from the real world. Neng is lost in the highly advanced science that comes to him so naturally. The visions' numbers and elements apply to his research into advanced biology, chemistry, and physics. Neng dealt with this "inner genius" since he was a teenager. And he's not sure where the facts are guiding him. He only knows they're right. It's just a matter of figuring them out and applying them to the ways he wants and intends -- for the good of mankind.
Resonance
Dynamic (Accelerating)
Neng tries to stay on top of his fields of science. And he is! His advanced research is years beyond his time, dwarfing the achievements of Sleepers in his fields. As a result, surrounded by his work internally if not externally, this Awakened scientist comes off as...futuristic and ahead of his era. The difficulties of Social rolls to impress his genius are reduced by -3. However, he's such an obvious geek in these difficult fields that Social rolls to impress on others that he's "hip" and "cool" are at +3 difficulty.
This affects his "magick", too. Rotes designed to make his "weird science" come across to Sleepers as merely advanced science are rolled at -1 difficulty. But Effects that rely on "old buckets of bolts" (i.e., any mundane devices of commercial design) are rolled at +1 difficulty.
Static (Efficacious)
Neng is a highly innovative and productive young scientist. Although his theories are weird and his equations come out of thin air, they all work...usually. Still, his distracted veneer proves due to his sharp focus on his "important work". Neng unrelentingly studies, experiments, researches, and designs all sorts of scientific methods and devices. This has some if limited social value. Fellow scientists (including Awakened ones) will recognize the signs of a "true devotee"; first impressions with his colleagues are at -3 difficulty. On the other hand, he suffers a +3 difficulty to all Social rolls with those who realize how hopelessly determined he is to work on his projects. In other words, few people bother trying to reach him on social levels for very long!
Neng's Effects suffer a +1 difficulty whenever he's trying to cause the breakdown of any materials or machines. However, rotes employed to maintain or mend any materials or machines are rolled at -1 difficulty.
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