Name:  Fielding Saltzman		Player: EHG
Nature: perfectionist	 	 	Demeanor: visionary
Tradition: Akashic Brotherhood		Faction: Li-Hai*
Essence: Pattern		  	Concept: Seeker of Balance

Physical		Social			Mental		
Strength 2		Charisma     2		Perception   3
Dexterity 3		Manipulation 2		Intelligence 4 
Stamina 3		Appearance   2  	Wits	     3

Talents:  
Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 1 (well, he knows a bit of Kung Fu/Wu Shu- the 'soft' aspects/style of martial arts), Dodge 2,  Expression (non-fiction writing and a bit of poetry) 2 

Skills: 
 Crafts (calligraphy) 2,  Meditation 2,  Melee (staff/sword) 2, Stealth 2, Technology 1

Knowledges: 
Academics 2, Computers 3, Cosmology 1, Enigmas 3,  Investigation (research) 2, Linguistics (Chinese, ciphers) 2, Occult (East Asian mythology) 1, Science 1

Backgrounds: Avatar 3,  Dream 2, Arcane 2, Library (digital/Lady Ai's books-after she went missing, he took care of some of her texts)1, 

Spheres: Mind 2, Correspondence 1, Prime 2, Entropy 1

Resonance: Static (ordered) 1

Willpower: 6

Arete: 2

merits: concentration +1, lighting calculator +1
flaws: defective sense: sight -1, derangement:Shy/high functioning Autism -1

Foci:
Correspondence: Lady Ai taught Fielding how to "see" should his glasses get knocked off in a fight or broken, so needless to say, if Fielding needs to do any type of "seeing", he has to take off his glasses. Dangerous, yes, but provided someone can watch his back, it is quite effective.

Entropy: Not as much decay, as much as the cycle of Yin and Yang in the world. For technically quantification, Fielding has his well loved, and severely modified, laptop with I-ching program and number crunching capabilities. However, for more meditative insights to the Cycle, Fielding has an old copy of the I-Ching given to him by Lady Ai. It is no store copy, but rather a bound book with one of those fabric covered covers and no dates of publication etc. However, it is wonderfully indexed and annotated. Written in English, but with some Chinese handwriting around the edges. Lots of charts and graphs.

Mind: Meditation, koans, riddles, puzzles etc. Fielding can strengthen his mind or he can slightly influence the emotions of others, mostly to be calm. Fielding has to concentrate for this, a deep breath, a moment of tranquility plucked from the chaotic seas of every day life, a flower. Something that would reflect the emotion needed. However, the afore mentioned mental guard mostly involves a repetitive action, something Fielding is very good at.

Prime: Er, qi. Fielding is fascinated by the concept of qi and isn't too shabby at manipulating the qi in his body, in objects and sensing it wherever he goes. There even seem to be many types of qi. While Fielding needs something to focus on to do qi manipulation, it is quite automatic for him. A clear goal and mental set and his staff flares to life with qi, ready to fell enemies and restore balance to the world.

Appearance/mannerisms:
Fielding is of average to short height (about five feet, six inches) and is quite skinny, though he's stronger than he looks. He has pale slightly acned skin which makes him look younger than eighteen. He has silky, slightly wavy brown-black hair that makes him look like he just rolled out of bed and ran out of time to groom fully. He wears thick black glasses that are a tad too big and distract from his clear brown eyes. Fielding isn't Asian but there is a very vague look to him that makes people second guess that he might hail from that area, though it isn't then as much appearance as much as it might be a bit of his avatar's past incarnations shining though or an aura.  However, push come to shove, Fielding is just another suburban white boy.
Fielding's attire is usually jeans, a t-shirt, soft sneakers, socks and a pale khaki jacket that goes down to his knees. Fielding also wears a stone colored jade pendant (a "pi"- a round carving with a hole in the middle) but it is tucked into his shirt. He is usually seen carrying a well loved backpack that has a weird lotus symbol on it, which contains his laptop along with his copy of the I-ching, paper, pencils, and anything else he needs (and seaweed crackers). 
While his voice has inflection, he's no robot, he can sometimes fall into a pattern of sounding like exercises from a ESL book. Fielding is amazingly polite, though perhaps this is because it is just easier and it's what he's been taught to do. He also has little sense for tones of voice or sarcasm- which means that idioms and expressions usually fly right over his head. He's naive, not stupid. Not by a long shot. Fielding is very intelligent, perceptive and prone to moments of insight, though nobody really listens.
But Fielding can get easily frustrated, emotionally and socially, he's much younger than his eighteen years in this respect. But he doesn't throw tantrums as much as he gets incredibly 'freaked out' and has to withdraw from the situation to assess it, backing away a bit and doing breathing exercises, which is no strange event- well, it is for the people watching. Due to this behavior, Fielding prefers schedules, careful contemplation and study, and is quite good at zoning in on one activity and being almost impossible to disturb in this state. Fielding also comes off as a plain ascetic person, his clothes  are simple and utilitarian, but he also seems a bit spacey and off on his own agenda, despite what others might want to do.
In his spare time, Fielding works on his computer, watches television (mostly news and documentaries, some cartoons), works on his calligraphy, writes little essays, reads whatever he can get his hands on (Fielding absolutely loves books), and practices Tai Chi. His training was less breaking boards and taking names and more focused on inner peace, philosophy and improving social skills. In order to be One with the Way, one has to be one with themselves first. However, no one is perfect.  Fielding likes things neat and logical, he doesn't like certain smells or fabric (synthetic odors or smells bother him to no end, he loathes aerosol sprays and won't go near lycra and the sort.) Hence, Fielding tends to wear natural fabrics like linen, wool, denim, etc.- nothing stretchy or too tight or fitted, so everything is usually too big on him. Fielding also hates gum chewing, tapping pencils, other people's twitches and loud noise.
Fielding would be in college but he is such a tough cookie that getting him to do anything he's not interested in would be a battle, living with a roommate would be impossible and the social situations and dealing with the lack of strict schedule wouldn't exactly be a beneficial thing to do. Fielding is planning to take a few courses over the internet and probably has a few AP credits stashed away- of course, if travel abroad to the Middle Kingdom is needed, then Fielding is always free to do so.


History/Awakening:
Fielding was born and raised in suburbia by loving, well-meaning, but strangely distant parents.  But considering that Fielding was a bit of a loner anyway, he probably didn't notice. Well, loner would be the wrong word. While not formally diagnosed, Fielding demonstrated mild versions of autistic behaviors- he easily zoned out, didn't seem to interested in playing with other children, and focused intently on his main interests- puzzles and patterns. Maybe that's why his parents didn't notice- it was probably nice to have a kid you could just give books or puzzles to and have quiet time to yourself. Plus, Fielding was quite intelligent and despite some social issues, maybe he was just a late bloomer.
While Fielding can function in society, he prefers schedules, doing what he wants to do and pursuing his little projects- which basically means curled up in a corner with his computer. A bit obsessive, Fielding prefers that things be just right... that things fall into predictable patterns. And like most autistics, Fielding soon discovered computers and the puzzles that had to offer. 
Fielding entered elementary school, excelled due to his mathematical abilities and, though he is quiet, when asked to write his thoughts, Fielding can compose an essay or piece of writing much higher than expected for someone at his age- though perhaps due to his Avatar stirring, a little to close to the Taoist poetry of yore for the comfort of his teachers. 
Unfortunately, there were no schools for the gifted or any programs in place so Fielding went through the motions of school.  Excluded from the other children, Fielding didn't really seem to care, though many days he would come home and retreat into his room crying or come home late from being ambushed by his peers and getting into fights. Frustrated by a world that he didn't understand, and people that didn't understand him, Fielding became quite a scrapper, and the slightest provocation caused him to fly off the handle. So most people left him alone, well, most of the time, sooner or later people resorted to just giving him dirty looks and steering clear of 'the weirdo'. Fielding was happy -it was just him, his computer, his books and his puzzles.
Hard to explain what the things he started to see around Junior High were really... he just saw them...how this was connected to that, how one thing balanced out another, and so on. Already known for his unusual behavior, no one really picked up on Fielding's Patterns. Heck, what busy parent wouldn't want such a neat and orderly child? Since Fielding was never seen as a problem, he could entertain himself, did well in school, didn't bother anyone, no one noticed. 
Well, except when you have an Avatar stirring.
Perhaps the quirky people are more liable to Awakening, more aware of things on a totally different level. Perhaps Fielding Awoke and didn't notice...besides, there really isn't magic ala the Sorcerer's Apprentice...there's just...well, Fielding can't really explain it, though granted, if you let him talk for as long as he wanted about it, he probably wouldn't shut up.
When Fielding was in ninth grade, someone did notice. Like something out of a movie, an "old master"...er, Mistress, known only as "Lady Ai" moved in, tracing Fielding's aura or what have you. Approaching the kid was near impossible, well, except through the Internet and mysteriously leaving books and metaphysical puzzles around. Eventually, she was able to get close to the bizarre young man, inform him of his ties to the Brotherhood and past incarnations.
The Akashic way of life instantly clicked with Fielding- most likely due to the focus on contemplation and self-focus.  A philosophy, clear right ways and wrong ways, the idea of order and balance appealed to him.  Intelligent and perceptive, Fielding would immerse himself in books on all sorts of things, trying to learn as much as he could so he could help realign things and help the world. An initially sheltered interior young man blossomed into someone focused on the outside. A semi-autistic baffled by the chaos of the world and how it worked found solace in people who would help him find a solid base and sort out what went where. While the Akashics are quite mystical and vague, as opposed to other more rigid Traditions (and the Shi-Ren faction), there is enough room for Fielding to move philosophically but enough material and guidance to help him cope with the chaotic world.
Of course, ironically, what Fielding really needs is to balance himself, while being amazingly cerebral is nice, Fielding also needs to focus on his emotional and physical needs. In fact, he's really the one out of whack but because he's been like that all his life, is he really going to notice?
In the wake of the avatar storm, Lady Ai has been MIA leaving Fielding adrift with an idea where he's going but not much. He still has some of her books; most written in Chinese which Fielding is trying his darndest to decode (but most are encrypted with Mind magics beyond Fielding's comprehension.) Fielding still sticks to his routines.
 Apparently some of her training has definitely made Fielding a more balanced person, he is more open, and willing to deal with people (and mind to understand what people are thinking vaguely and therefore not risking confusing facial expressions certainly helps.) 
Of course, we live in interesting times and it is just another one of Fielding's steps on the path of enlightenment that he should fall in with a group of other magi in the area.
Just don't touch the computer...

Awakening note:
Fielding did not Awaken by seeing the Akashic paradigm, though granted, Fieldings's tendencies and his Avatar probably had something to do with him being drawn to that paradigm. Fielding is intelligent and introspective and insatiably curious. He could have easily become a Virtual Adept, Hermetic or an Orphan with a really bizarre paradigm. But luckily, he was found by Lady Ai, which made a good difference. Looking back on Fielding's history reveals escapes from being shoved in lockers (prime energy channeled or perhaps entropy to push the lock unhinging), an ability to take a licking and dish one out despite the fact that's he's a skinny unathletic person and an uncanny knowledge of and penchant for Eastern thought- despite being stuck in the Midwest.

Faction/Paradigm notes:
Fielding is a member of the Li-Hai, a group of Akashics descended from the Mohist philosophy of utilitarianism and peace. Conversely, it might be the only group that would accept someone like Fielding, both for his unusual personality and the fact that he is a Westerner (though the Li-Hai really have no problem with Westerners).  While most Li-Hai follow the teachings of Master Mo, most of Lady Ai's paradigm and therefore Fielding's are "syncretic"- blending Taoism, a bit of Buddhism and pretty much, whatever the hell works.
So yes, while Fielding is Li-Hai, he very very faintly vaguely resembles a Neo-Confucian (though don't tell the other Li-Hai, but chances are they probably won't care).  Besides, the Shi-Ren are Legalists (not Confucians), they would drive someone like Fielding nuts, Fielding might like rules... but only his own rules...and his parents. Besides, the Li-Hai make sense, if it works, do it, if it's silly, don't. 
Fielding goes a bit beyond this and could be best characterized as a huge fan of Datong, everyone should be equal and educated, that everyone should be like one family and most importantly (and probably the part most appealing and central to Fielding's beliefs) blending the best and the past- computers and ying/yang, binary and I-Ching, meditation and quantifying, vegetarianism and multi-vitamins, ancient ritual and modern lifestyles. It's Duality that will work for all!
Needless to say, Fielding, for all the crud he's gone through with people, is surprisingly hopeful. Maybe he's seen what wonders he's experienced with the Akashics and wants to share with others. Why can't they just see things his way, the world would be so much better...

The Li-Hai are also noted as being pacifists and the Akashics always ready to jump in and stop a fight. So while, yeah, swords are pretty cool, Fielding wields a cudgel or a staff- which can not only beat the shit out of things if charged up (and it looks pretty damn impressive too) but can be stuck between to combatants or used to trip people up. As bitchin' as a sword is, nothing beats a well handled staff. 

Due to the disappearance of Lady Ai, Fielding has yet to visit the Kannagara in one of their monasteries for additional training, so technically, Fielding shouldn't really be in a sect... but hey, things happen. Besides, it would have been one hell of a plane ride...

Sphere notes (outlook/use):
One of Fielding's weaknesses would be his terrible eyesight. While Fielding would lean to learning Correspondence because he's interested in connections, Fielding would be at a tremendous disadvantage if his glasses were knocked off during a fight. Initiate level Correspondence lets Fielding detect things around him and should he get handicapped, he's covered.