Jarrod Ng
From Demiurge Games
Once a respectable CPA in an accounting firm within the Washington DC area, Jarrod Ng eventually fell prey to a Technocratic Conspiracy when he got entangled in a plot involving Robert Singleton. A practicing Wu Lung, Jarrod became embroiled in a plot when a scientist at a nearby Technocratic stronghold fled and came to him for sanctuary and safe passage west to see Mr. Singleton. The scientist in question was completely invisible, having used some sort of technology to cause light to bend around his form and eluding his captors in his altered state. Jarrod had gone to pray at his ancestor's shrine for consultation on the matter when a strike force invaded his house and forced him to flee. Jarrod found himself as chauffeur regardless and took his unseen charge cross country to the promise of sanctuary.
During his race westward, Jarrod learned that he had been painted as a meth dealer, with the break in of his home being conveyed as a drug bust. Jarrod's spirits began to fall as he realized his current predicament was caused by his beliefs in magic. After several days and nights driving, Jarrod and his passenger reached Singleton Manor and the scientist relayed information regarding Robert's company. The group effort went about attempting to cure the scientist's invisibility affliction leaving Jarrod's problems on hold.
During this time, Jarrod was confined to the manor for fear of someone recognizing him and turning him into the authorities and with the confinement came boredom. To alleviate his boredom Jarrod began arranging things in the house and the garden with his talent in Geomancy and the guidance of his Ancestors via a small shrine he had crafted in his room. Through his efforts, the Five Elemental Dragons took up residence in small shrines located around the compound, augmenting the manor's defenses further.
The scientist was cured and Jarrod was often overlooked again. He stayed silent, convincing himself that the man had taken him in and was feeding him and he should be thankful. His ancestor spirits had intervened on the man's behalf in the form of the guardian spirits, he chastised himself for allowing his own feelings of being ignored to cloud his emotions and doubt their judgment. He continued to aid where he could, often getting himself hurt in the process as he threw himself in the face of impending disaster since he was the senior mage of the group. Reality was unkind to him, the paradox backlash from crushing a Technocratic Killbot that had invaded the compound nearly disabled him, turning him blue in tone and nearly blinding him as his eyes maladjusted to the odd spectrum he absorbed and reflected. Jarrod was hospitalized after engaging a consumption bane that was feeding off an ancient artifact Robert had stumbled across. The young Wu Lung nearly died as all the vital fluids within his body as well as his will were simultaneously consumed while in contact with the evil spirit. Only through the intervention of the manor's various spirit guardians was the Bane destroyed and Jarrod left barely living. It was shortly after his return from the hospital that the wizard felt utterly betrayed by his host. Jarrod learned that for months things were kept hidden from him, a secret laboratory which housed various books, artefacts, and wards, a safe haven that everyone in the household knew about save him and that's when he snapped.
Within hours Jarrod Ng was gone, his ancestor shrine was left behind along with his veneration of the spirits, they had betrayed him as much as his former host. Let them stay with him, he can have them. Jarrod moved to Seattle and intergrated into the culture in China Town, working as a dim sum waiter during the day and helping the local immigrants with their taxes. His magic fell to the way-side, doing minor feng shui rituals and exorcisms for spare change.
Jarrod eventually opened his own import shop within Seattle, specializing in feng shui materials and chinese artwork and furniture. During his time there, he joined the local hermetic chantry in an attempt to stay in practice with his skills. The initiates in The Coven often used Jarrod as a buffer between themselves and their mentor, turning to him to try and fix their problems before they got in trouble for it. This involved him in the cleansing of Pier 70 for Brian Spencer, where he saw Julia Hardgrave. Finding Robert's girlfriend involved in things, Jarrod finished his business and went on a business trip, deciding to expand his shop a bit with other imported art goods.
On one of his trips to Spain, he was contacted to aid two neophyte mages sent from the US to free a master mage's granddaughter who had been kidnapped by a death cult. After meeting Guin and Eddie for the first time, Jarrod vowed the Etherite who had asked him for aid was going to owe him something large and expensive. After being guilted by his great aunt Tsai, Jarrod also built a second ancestor shrine and made them some rice since the white millionaire kept burning it, effectively ending his estrangement with the family. Rescuing the girl from the cult and defeating an air elemental, he bid the two mages goodbye and went back about his business.
Since then he has come under the guardianship of a Dryad node along with Eddie, defeating a dire ape spirit that was defiling the node and sucking it dry. Again.. Jarrod got beat up. After the battle he decided to homestead the land to protect it from further development. Eddie can come and go as he pleases to Jarrod's place, it's partly his too.
Then Guin and Eddie called him randomly, spouting off about demons and summons and bands and TV crews and Jarrod could only piece together random bits from what they were trying to communicate. Jarrod got what he could from the conversation and decided to hedge his bets, going along with what they planned but also leaving contingencies in place should the need arise. It turns out a pair of pain demons were trying to use Television and the power of Rock and Roll to summon Satan, or something to that effect. It didn't work, the world rejoiced, and Jarrod was once again... beat up.
Auntie Tsai came to him again, this time waking him up from a dead slumber to aid Robert. Jarrod learned that something terrible had happened to the millionaire, he was unconscious and something was eatting him.. the old woman didn't make things extremely clear at that point. That and she just dropped on him the guy was now his cousin... what? Jarrod was forced to mentally project himself to the other mage, but found him unresponsive. Gathering Julia to try with him, the two of them broke through and helped Robert fight off Obtchnok, an avatar of fear. What happened there? You guessed it! Battered Jarrod! Jarrod managed to cover his genuine concern for Robert under the veneer of forced family obligation.. though Julia knew better, she was a wench like that.
