The Path

The Path
Date 2082-01-21 GM OrionsRequiem Location Outside the Seattle Metroplex Status Threat Level: Medium
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Vati	Vati
Samsara	Vati

Summary

Samsara receives a strange map attached to her car and goes to seek whoever gave it to her.

Intro

Samsara wakes up after a night out on a run and finds that a mysterious piece of paper has been placed on her windshield. Bringing the paper to Ghaz and the soycaff boy, she learns that a troll asked the kid to put the map to her windshield, since he was told to give it "To the toughest person around". Calling up Kenneth Murphey, Samsara gets a ride towards Tarislar so she can leave from the southern side of the Metroplex. She bids Kenneth goodbye and begins making her way out of her childhood home sneakily, but runs into Jacqueline Grant, an elf whose family moved into Tarislar a few months ago. Samsara is slightly caught off guard by a nice elf and gives her real name, which triggers a memory about a child that ran away that's been spreading through the elf community for a few years.

Eventually excusing herself, Samsara heads out of the Metroplex and towards the woods.

The Path

Samsara follows the map and finds a path worn down into the woods. As she begins to walk down the path, she feels somewhat at peace, and assenses to find that the area is bright and there is an Aspected Background count towards Buddhists. Along the way, she dodges a rock thrown at her from the forest and catches it, finding a map affixed to the bottom with tape. She finds the continuation of the first map on this map and begins to follow it, eventually finding herself at a small clearing with a pond. As she considers her past, and the criminal that she has become, as well as the good that she has done on the behalf of the Skraacha, a small bird lands on her shoulder and seems to find some sort of peace in the ork poser's company.

Samsara takes the time to have a break, take a drink of water, and regard this path. Eventually she finds another map in a bottle at the bottom of the lake. She dives into the lake and sinks due to her heavy bones and picks up the bottle, wading out of the lake and unfurling the map. Heading back along this path with a new bird friend. Samsara begins to remember her time under the knife of Renraku, and the augments that they implanted in her. She also remembers the night she awakened, listening to CrimeTime and other Underground music, she begins to hear the music outside her mind and finds another clearing, this one occupied by a hulking troll.

The Hermit

Samsara greets the troll who is a Buddhist Martial Artist named Vati. Vati has been living with cancer for the last thirty years, and spent time away from the metroplex to get closer to enlighten and acceptance of himself. Sensing the same sort of struggles within Samsara he once dealt with himself, Vati offers to take the young adept in as a student, offering to teach her Hapsum-Do. In return she agrees to visit with Vati, meditate with him, have tea with him, and spar with him. After accepting, Vati asks Samsara to spar with him.

There is a brief sparring match where Samsara sees Vati's skill and Vati sees Samsara's potential and the two take some time to meditate before parting ways.

Aftermath

Samsara returned to the Metroplex, with new friends and a new teacher.

Rewards

• IG2
• 2 CDP
• Sensei (Unarmed Combat) (5 RVP)
• Vati - C2/L4 Hermit (5 RVP)
• Optional Contact: Jacqueline Grant - C1/L1 Bartender

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Samsara

Woah. That was... wow. Fate works in mysterious ways I guess. Still getting over meeting Vati, this was quite the day - I'm really grateful that he reached out, having someone to teach me this Buddhism stuff is going to go a long way. He seems like he could use the company too, so I'm happy to come visit as much as I can. That place was really peaceful, and I could defenitly do some real meditation there. Going through Tarislar was... weird though. I mean, Jacqueline was cool and we're gonna grab coffee sometime, but... I don't know, I just haven't been back there in years, and knowing my family is still around and maybe even looking for me made me feel pretty... bleh. I guess I should reach out to them, I just don't what I'd even say - "sorry I stole the car and broke your hearts?" I don't even know how they'd feel seeing me after all this time, not to mention with tusks and wires and drek... frag, something to consider for future me to think about I guess, for now I'm just going to try to enjoy the serenity.