Origin: Choosing the Path

Magic is Real.

We fly over oceans, hold the sum of all recorded knowledge in our hands, and speak with relatives halfway across the world without leaving our chairs. Magic isn't just flying on broomsticks or calling down fire from the Heavens. Magic is limited only by your Imagination, and your Will to make it manifest. There's a battle going on over the nature of Reality and Mankind itself. Pretend it isn't there, or get involved and forge the Future you envision.

Welcome to the Ascension War.

Moderator: ManWithDoor

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Aug 30, 2016 1:38 am

We pass through the present with our eyes blindfolded. We are permitted merely to sense and guess at what we are actually experiencing. Only later when the cloth is untied can we glance at the past and find out what we have experienced and what meaning it has. ― Milan Kundera

Some time ago ...

The scent of antiseptic and desperation permeates this place. Perhaps it always has. Maybe when this place was constructed all those years ago, it was built into the very tiles. Layers of paint get reapplied, beds get replaced, personnel move on, but the scent remains. Johns Hopkins Hospital has stood for over one hundred years, fighting a losing battle against Time itself. No matter the Age or technology, no one can withstand the touch of Entropy upon their souls, even if they would deny that truth. Deep within them, each inhabitant bows their head in acceptance that each moment might be their very last. Perhaps they have attempted to live the code of Drahma, cleansing their Karma for judgment. Perhaps they have instead polluted their souls with Desire, Fear, and Regret, pulling them away from the unity of Samadhi. Regardless, they will return to the Cosmic Wheel, to enter the cycle of reincarnation. There are no true beginnings or endings along the Wheel, but perhaps this is a beginning.
Image
Within the bowels of the institution, two men make their rounds. Dr. Hui Chen, or Wandering Path to those in the Brotherhood, leads the pair along the white corridors. Silence seems to follow their footsteps, as though the very air were giving them privacy from the chaos and bustle around them. The older doctor has grey speckles through his hair and a deeply lined face, but moves with strength and dexterity. Dr. Leng has seen him move with surprising speed and power in the Dojo, his deep reservoir of Chi more than making up for advances in age. He adjusts his small bifocals and consults the charts in his hand again, nodding to himself.

They move into a section of the ICU secretly called by the Staff, "Pun Station". Where all the patients have left is terrible jokes like, "Doctor doctor, I'm at death's door!" "Don't worry, we'll soon pull you through." He stops in front of an elderly Caucasian women. "Mrs. McCallister, it's Dr. Chen. Do you remember me from yesterday?" He has a gentle, clipped accent to his English. He takes out a stethoscope and checks her pulse gently. "I wanted to introduce you to Dr. Leng, one of our Residents. He'll be helping me out with my rounds." The woman's face is sallow and drawn with chronic pain. You've seen her chart before - Stage 4 colon cancer, just a matter of time before total organ failure. But she manages to perk up at the visitors, and for a moment at least her face is without pain as she smiles at the newcomer.

Welcome @Trogdor to the game! This occurs in your nebulous Residency days.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Trogdor
Emeritus Admin
Emeritus Admin
Posts: 27260
Title: The Burninator
User Class: Jedi Master

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by Trogdor » Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:00 am

Dr. Jonathan Leng walks purposefully down the corridor, his steps both quiet and reverent in these halls of healing where he has come to learn more of his chosen vocation. He's an Asian man of about thirty-five, clean shaven with an uncanny grace more suited to a dancer than a doctor. His white coat, the uniform of his profession, displays a visible sheen of newness that only time will soften, a quality the fledgling doctor is all too aware that he may share.

As he walks, Jon's thoughts linger on their previous patient, an elderly gentleman with a persistent infection in his lungs that had so far proven resistant to all treatment. He contemplates a variety of possible treatments along with the associated risks and rewards of each. But as he muses about antibiotics and other, more elaborate options, he can't help but consider the man thoughtfully leading him through their rounds.

He glances quickly to his left and considers the more experienced doctor. Jon had met Wandering Path, that is to say, Dr. Chen, at the dojo where they both practiced. Soon after Jon joined, the two had easily identified themselves as members of the Brotherhood. Skilled as they were in the art of Do, it was trivial to tell the difference between a fellow practitioner and someone following the simpler path of a less complicated martial art.

Jon had been surprised to find that Wandering Path was also a doctor at Johns Hopkins, and of course, the two had started to talk shop. It seemed a natural step after that for Wandering Path to take the newer doctor under his wing. Nevertheless, despite the things that they had in common, and there were many, Jon couldn't help but consider the things that held them apart. For while they were both doctors and both members of the Akashic Brotherhood, Jon's hold on the traditional ways was tenuous at best. Oh, he still maintained his daily meditation and Do practice. Those were as comfortable to him as an old shoe. But he had left behind the asceticism of his earlier days, and he worried what that meant for his spiritual health.

He'd had a crisis of faith just prior to coming to the United States for his studies so many years ago, and had never quite resolved it. He still believed in the ways of the Akashic Brotherhood, though the strict teachings of asceticism practiced by the Kannagara seemed too narrow-minded for him. As he'd learned, there was a wide world outside of their temples, a world with wonders to behold and, more importantly, to experience. And he felt that the Brotherhood was missing the wisdom in those new ways by focusing so much on the old.

So for the past ten years and more, Jon had stood with one foot firmly in the old world that he'd grown up with, a world of meditation, prayer, and discipline, and one foot firmly in the new world that he'd come to know, a world of new experiences, modern amenities, and physical pleasures. He'd tried to find a balance between the two, but with only mixed success. Like the koans of his teachers back in Tibet, it seemed that the wisdom he sought was always near enough to see and hear, but never quite close enough to touch.

But now was not the time for reflection, he considers as they approach their next patient. Rounds was a time to focus on others and not himself. He smiles at the elderly woman in the bed before him with a look meant to seem friendly without being condescending or overly cheerful. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. McCallister" he says, offering the patient his hand and meeting her gaze. As he makes his greeting, Jon uses all the conventional senses at his disposal to provide a current diagnosis. As he'd learned in medical school, diagnosis begins the moment you catch sight of the patient. He observes her skin color, the state of her eyes, and her general demeanor; he listens for any sign of disturbed breathing or cough; he sniffs to take in the state of the room and to identify any peculiar odors; and his hand gauges the temperature and texture of her skin as he shakes her hand. He briefly considers using his extended senses, but decides that he needs to train his basic senses first before he resorts to more unconventional methods.
Alas, I'm personally trained in law and not medicine. So any medical professionals out there, please forgive the glaring errors I will no doubt make.

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:07 am

Mrs. McCallister weakly raises her hands and gives you a brief squeeze. "Well it's nice to see a new face. And a handsome one at that." A little twinkle still remains in her eyes, while the rest of her is wasting away. Your observations concur with what the chart says - she doesn't have much time left, and all modern medicine can provide is palliative care. "And no need for no cheerful words, neither." Her bony fingers curl tightly around a wooden crucifix on a silver necklace. "I've had a good life. Saw more than I deserved, loved, lost, even traveled some. Been blessed, and looking forward to what comes next." She nods to the older doctor. "Never made it to Asia, though. Dr. Chen has talked about it so vividly, I'd swear that I saw it too. Almost seemed real in my mind." She giggles, a surprisingly girly sound coming from the matron.

That might have been too much for her frame, as her laughter quickly turns to a groan, and she twists beneath the sheets for a few seconds, until she relaxes again. "Although if I'd been given a choice, I think I would've chosen just not waking up in the morning, like my little sister, Alice." She takes a few deep breaths, then meets your eyes again. "But enough about me, dear. Are you new? Why are you here?" A deeper question than perhaps she even understands.
Don't worry about it! I'm in the medical field (medical device R&D), which means I'm quite aware of how little I'll ever know. Which, honestly, is a good place to be. Prevents pride, makes research a desired tool in all circumstances rather than going by "common sense" that is so often full of crap.

That's pretty cool that you're trained in law. My senior instructor in swordfighting is a lawyer. Always interesting to get his views on government and jurisprudence. And me and one of my other friends get into political/law arguments all the time. Although we tend to then get super nerdy about it. I keep insisting Justice Scalia's viewpoint was an excellent example of Lawful Neutral (D&D style). The ideal of the Law being his job to uphold, and since morals and social attitudes are constantly shifting, they shouldn't be used to interpret the Constitutionality of a Law. ... even though I'm getting progressively more left leaning as I get older, and so I disagree with a bunch of his judgments, I can respect the hell out of his position. And seriously admire his intelligence, and love his sardonic sense of humor.

.... aaaaaaand back to the Game. At this rate, the OOC randomness will be longer than the actual post.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Trogdor
Emeritus Admin
Emeritus Admin
Posts: 27260
Title: The Burninator
User Class: Jedi Master

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by Trogdor » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:15 am

The young resident looks sympathetically at Mrs. McCallister as the poor woman asks her poignant question. It was important, he knows, to maintain a clinical detachment from her situation. Yet he was still human, and the sight of her suffering couldn't help but move him. More than that, he was impressed by how calm and introspective his patient could be at a time like this. She was also, intentionally or not, proving to be more than a little bit insightful.

Why was he here? It was a broad question he'd spent no small amount of time pondering in the temple, and in the years since he left. To find himself? That was terribly selfish. To heal the sick? True, though awfully glib. It was more than that, really. Much more. To serve mankind as best he could? That was closer to the reality of the situation. To lead mankind nearer to true enlightenment? That might be even better. To help others by example and by direct action to live better lives and gain insight into their own inner selves. Better still.

"I'm one of the new residents," he replies safely in his melodious British accent. "I'm training to be an emergency room doctor." That much was true, though she clearly meant more than just that.

"For years I've wanted to help people," he adds, opening up perhaps more than he should. "I studied some alternative medicine in Asia, acupressure, herbalism, and the like, before coming to the States for my education. I wanted to make a bigger difference than I could with my earlier limited training." He pauses and looks deep into his patient's eyes. "I see so much suffering in the world and I want to do everything I can to stop it."

And there was the problem with the Kannagara in a nutshell. How were they helping the world? With all their naval-gazing, they were only helping themselves. It was certainly important to follow the path of spiritual enlightenment; he couldn't deny that. But it was equally important to help others follow that same path. Too often the Kannagara focused on the former to the detriment of the latter. Oh, they recruited, of course, but even that was focused inward not outward. Their martial arts and meditation training in the larger world was more to find future members of the Kannagara rather than to help bring the general public closer to enlightenment. That was why Jon had left them, and that was why he couldn't go back. He knew that now. After all his soul searching, he finally knew.

Then curiosity gets the better of him. Mrs McCallister seemed calm and well-collected here at the end of her life. What would her aura say about her? The doctor-mage focuses his mind and meets the woman's eye, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. Then he begins to unlock his vision so that he might see the mystical aura that surrounds the dying woman and reflects her inner self.
Okay, let's take this system out for a spin!

Jon will attempt to see Mrs. McCallister's Aura. That seems a safe enough start.
The focus will be eye contact. He'll delay an extra turn to try and reduce the difficulty.
Arete Roll: 6, 8, 9 (three successes?)
Per + Awareness Roll: 4, 7, 8, 10, 10 (Not sure if his uncanny insight specialty for his Perception will up the successes)
Both rolls are on Roll20
Not sure if he needs a separate PEr + Aware check, but I made it anyway.
I think Scalia may have started off Lawful Neutral. But in his later years he had as much of an agenda as anyone else (consciously or subconsciously). His later opinions showed a willingness to bend his interpretations to meet his agenda. But he was undeniably a great legal mind.

Interesting fact: my uncle was good friends with Scalia. They'd gone to high school together. My mom even went to her sophomore prom with Scalia.

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Aug 31, 2016 11:38 pm

Rather than the rest of the world fading away, it is as though the world comes into clearer relief. Details are sharper, the air is crisper, every detail standing out. Jon opens himself up to the universe as it really is, rather than what his physical body can perceive on its own. Her aura is weak, fading steadily along with her connection to this life. But it is primarily a placid blue, strong and clear and at peace. The tides of her aura are calm, and tranquil. Faint, small streams of gold form a steady connection originating from her chest, emanating along her arms to the symbol of faith in her hands. It seems to give her sustenance in her last days.

As above, so below. Her aura shows the deeper truth of her personality, the integrity of what she has spoken matching her internal state. What energy she has left is without strife, not resisting what is. A quiet, but real faith flows in harmony with that peace.

Mrs. McCallister is unaware of what you are experiencing, and just continues the conversation while you gaze at her. "Well that's wonderful of you, dear. This world can always use more helpers, working to build up people. I hope you have a lot of years ahead of you. Just be careful not to get too frustrated. You'll have whatever time you have, and then it's over." Her impish smile returns. "I guess that's one nice thing about death. I knew I only had so much time to live, and then I get to rest. Now it's almost over. Marvelous, really. It's like a gift I never knew I should look forward to." The irony is not lost on the two Magi. Even the most modestly talented Akashic can be expected to live decades longer than normal, much more if he achieved mastery.
Interesting. In previous editions, it was Prime that saw auras. Now it's Mind and Spirit. That's fine. Mind 1 coincidental effect would be Difficulty 4, I'll reduce that to 3 since you're taking your sweet time, so 3 successes indeed. I'll say complimenting it with Awareness is useful, and the Uncanny Insight specialty applies. So for a standard Difficulty 6 would be ... 6 bloody Successes! Damn. You learn all the things.

Also, I find the Scalia connection hilarious in a "It's A Small World" kind of way. Head. Blown.
Image
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Trogdor
Emeritus Admin
Emeritus Admin
Posts: 27260
Title: The Burninator
User Class: Jedi Master

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by Trogdor » Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:16 pm

Jon smiles when he sees Mrs. McCallister's Aura. The woman was truly serene and accepting of her situation and her fate. Few enough could say that, even back at the temple. She had, whether intentionally or not, reached a level of enlightenment that many would envy. That spoke well for the future of her spirit.

"You have an admirable way of looking at the world," the resident observes. "I've studied religion and philosophy in both the East and the West, and you've come to a point of understanding that not all reach. You appreciate that we're all just travelers in this world, some for a short time; some for a long time. But even the longest journey must eventually come to an end." That much was true, even for a mage. "I wish there was more we could do for you on your journey, but I'm glad that you've come to peace with your situation."

"Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?" Jon could see that, even with her serene outlook, Mrs McCallister was still beset with some pain. And if there was little else they could do, pain management was within their ability.
FYI, I'm away for the long weekend starting tomorrow, and I doubt I'll be near a computer.

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Sep 06, 2016 4:53 pm

Mrs. McCallister listens intently as you speak. "That's sweet of you, dear. I don't want any more meds than I already have. They take the edge off well enough, but I still want my wits about me. Still want to be able to think, until the end." She pauses, looking at your companion. "Dr. Chen, would you mind giving me one of those blessings of yours? Not really sure what you're saying, but they always make me feel a lot better."

Your senior companion looks around briefly, closing the curtains for privacy. "Certainly." He moves to the side of the bed, and places his hands gently on her head. His accent disappears as he changes to a very formal tone in Mandarin Chinese. You feel him aligning his Chi, that order and strength channeling from his hands into the elderly woman. Oddly enough, rather than calling upon a Chinese god or a Bodhisattva, he calls upon her own Christ deity to bring her peace, and take her home to Him soon. A benediction unto a peaceful death, rather than a restoration to life. He finishes after a minute, removing his hands. "I hope that helped, Mrs. McCallister. I'll make sure to come by again tomorrow." You feel his own Chi has become disordered and knotted.

He exits the curtains before she can respond, his steps a touch faster than normal. He goes into a corner, then leans heavily upon it. You can see his self-control falter briefly as his hands shake, eyes close, and he breathes deeply. After a minute he opens up his eyes again, and nods to you. He continues in Mandarin, knowing no one else in the area is likely to understand it. "Laying on of hands is not one of my usual practices. But it is a form established in her own worship, and so I adapt. But I pay a price doing so - I have to take her pain unto myself." You see him centering himself, slowly bringing order to the chaos of his bodily energies. "I do honestly hope the Christ-Buddha, if he exists, blesses her afterlife. She is a good soul. I doubt I will see her soul again in my lifetime, regardless. I suspect she may achieve Nirvana before I do, escaping the Cycle of Suffering and Rebirth."
I've always liked in a lot of stories how magic should have a price, or that exceeding certain barriers has an inherent cost. Mage has its own system of making mages pay for magic, mainly by Paradox. So you can consider this Paradox, or a price willingly paid for using magic in a way outside of his normal Paradigm. Both work. I just like the story of it.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Trogdor
Emeritus Admin
Emeritus Admin
Posts: 27260
Title: The Burninator
User Class: Jedi Master

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by Trogdor » Wed Sep 07, 2016 3:27 pm

Jon departs with Dr. Chen, giving a smile and a nod to Mrs. McCallister by way of goodbye. He has a good guess as to what just happened, but says nothing until Dr. Chen has had a moment to recover.

"I think He will," the resident answers in a low tone, pitched to carry to Dr. Chen alone. "I saw her aura and she was as serene as some of my instructors back at the Temple of the Sapphire Dragon. I can only hope to achieve such serenity when my time comes."

"On occasion I've used acupressure as a focus to relieve pain," he continues. "Most people can accept it, even if they don't entirely understand it. But I must agree that using a focus fully accepted by the target is far superior, even if the cost is greater."

"May I ask whether you find it better to focus your efforts on the mind or the body when relieving pain? I know techniques to use both, but I was wondering if your experience showed one to be superior to the other."

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:57 pm

Dr. Chen takes a moment to compose himself out of sight of other doctors and patients. Best not to have anyone asking any awkward questions. After he recovers, he responds slowly, choosing his words carefully. "For a rush job, I suppose it doesn't matter much. Patching up a wound so you can keep running doesn't leave much time to ponder what would be the most efficient method." Evidently there are some stories he hasn't shared yet from his past. "But for building a relationship, finding the closest compatible foci has always seemed to hold inherent wisdom to me. For my own self, I embrace meditation, tea ceremonies, or the peaceful movements of Do. For ritual work, incense, music, and relevant iconography guide my path. None of those include either laying on of hands or prayer. But it is what she needed, and my comfort is not a concern. Her faith and well-being were."

He glances at the ceiling, how face crinkling in thought. "Pain is of the mind, an interpretation of discord within the self. If catharsis is all that is needed, focusing on the mind if preferred. If there is a systemic cause, of course, it needs to be treated." He turns his head to you. "What about yourself? Monastic life tends to be insular and rigid, with only certain viewpoints and practices taught or encouraged. How has your Enlightenment progressed since you left that Path? What new philosophies or practices have you embraced since then?"
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Trogdor
Emeritus Admin
Emeritus Admin
Posts: 27260
Title: The Burninator
User Class: Jedi Master

Origin: Choosing the Path

Post by Trogdor » Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:51 pm

Jon pauses when asked this question and gets a faraway look on his face as he silently reviews the last decade and a half of his life. "I blush to disclose," he says at last, a note of sadness in his voice, "that I've turned rather far away from the initial teachings I learned in the Temple of the Sapphire Dragon."

"Oh, I've kept up with my meditations and my daily practice of Do. Those are so ingrained as to be a part of me now. But I've turned quite definitively away from the more restrictive requirements that once ruled my life. I've eaten meat and drunk alcohol; I've watched television and movies; I've regained control of my own finances; and I've definitely not lived a life of celibacy. Life at university and beyond has been both enjoyable and educational for me."

"What's particularly strange is that after years at the temple, I don't feel as if these changes have harmed my forward journey. I find myself more at peace rather than less so. It's as if by embracing my humanity I've come to understand it better. And though it may shock those who initially taught me, I don't think I can go back to the old ways."

"In the end, I've changed from an inward focus to an outward one. I feel a strong desire to help those in need, and in doing so learn more about myself. 'Doing well by doing good,' as the saying goes. That's one reason I've gone into medicine. There is so much suffering in the world, and I know I can make a difference. It frankly seems selfish for me to stay in the temple and gaze at my navel when I could do so much in the world at large. I wonder sometimes if the Kannagara are wise to isolate themselves so much from the modern world. They maintain a kind of purity, it's true. But in doing so, they may have lost sight of the very humanity that they seek to perfect."

Jon almost imperceptibly shrugs his shoulders and tilts his head to the side as he proceeds to answer Dr. Chen's question. "So you ask what philosophies and practices I've embraced since my departure from the temple? I'd have to say my new philosophy is to accept the modern world, not shun it; to find the path to enlightenment through life as it is, not life as it was. We've all been given the gift of existence, an existence full of pleasures, temptations, and failings. I've come to realise that we must embrace the world, both the good and the bad, for what it is, and not live with our heads buried in the sands of the past. We should enjoy the good and combat the bad, and thereby advance upon the wheel of life."

"As to practices, like I said, I still maintain my daily meditation, and I engage in at least an hour of Do practice each day. But beyond that, I try and concentrate myself more outwardly than inwardly. I try and focus on helping my fellow man and in doing so learn more about myself and my path to enlightenment. In college I was in a service fraternity and spent my off hours helping the community. I also taught classes in martial arts. In medical school I volunteered with an ambulance corps and taught meditation to my fellow students. Now, I devote time to a local clinic in Cherry Hill, and engage in other charity work. I find great contentment in these practices."

"Still, I can't help but feel at least partly adrift," the resident adds with a wistful tone in his voice. "I've slowly come to the realization that I no longer feel a part of the Kannagara. And I'm not sure where that leaves me - adrift, I suppose, making my own way in the world. It's difficult to leave your support network behind you and go it alone, as it were."

Post Reply