Origin

His full name is Chenoah Liu Naani, as he is from the Naani Temple in the Lhoxa mountains. You won't find them on a map, since the Lhoxa mountains would be known as the Himalayas on Earth. He is a refugee from a lost mirror dimension that has collapsed on itself, and while Portal Corporation had discovered this dimension, they labeled it harmless and it was forgotten.

It wasn't until the dimension disappeared that the Ouroboros Menders took notice and reached through the fabric of time to rescue people they deemed retainers of knowledge from the dying world. Chenoah was among these lucky few, as he was as a renowned adept in his monastery, and had just been inducted to protect the knowledge of the temple.

Now in this new world, Chenoah has found peace with his destiny, and is grateful for the Menders and the heroes of Paragon City. He quickly found refuge under the banner of the Teen Phalanx, and uses his martial skills, apothecary techniques and profound attunement to the universe to assist his fellow heroes.

Monasticism

Though his dimension is gone, the fact that his enlightenment has held steadfast through his travels only strenghtens his spiritual and monastic resolve. Now, this interdimensional monk continues his education through study of all that surrounds him. No subject is taboo as he immerses himself in science, philosophy, culture, and magic. He focuses to ever broaden his horizons, but through his unwavering resolve stays quite grounded. Chenoah is, in essence, an unbiased observer.

Chenoah recognizes many of the traditions from his temple. These involve daily chants and mantras, and times of meditation. The Naani Temple does not worship a deity, but is committed to Yao, known to Primal eastern cultures as Tao or Do - simply "the Way". His beliefs do have ritual practices of offerings and sacrifice as a way of reminding that one should not become tethered to comforts. Chenoah may also take part in pilgrimages to 'walk the world', though his efforts through heroism keep him moving plenty enough. He also is not bound by celibacy, but due to his existential ways can be hard to settle down into a relationship that could bind his journeys. In contrast, friendships and human bonds are very much a part of his spiritual path, as they open many more doors than the obstacles they might present.

Martial Arts

The Naani temple had protected its secrets for thousands of years through the diligent training of the monks, and Chenoah is no exception. Like most Naani traditions, there are no names for the techniques, only a core philosophy of defense mechanisms for one to protect themselves and others. The body is presented as an ever present force, moving with the world to avoid destruction and eliminate threats. It is not uncommon for Chenoah to experience moments of clear serenity while in combat, as his body and mind resonate in harmony.

Herbalism

All monks find their place within the monastery, and Chenoah's has always been in the gardens and fields. He has a love for all things green, and is an expert at apothecary treatments. His herbalism can cure, purify and strengthen both body and mind. He finds nothing but pure joy in exploring the medicinal and rejuvenating properties of plants, especially in creating tonics, salves and essences. He has a fondness for wild flowers, and enjoys hot suns and cool rivers. If the monk is not on the job, he can most likely be found tending to the herbs in his garden.

Tenure

So far Chenoah's efforts in Paragon City are little to tell. As his security clearance grows and he involves himself in more heroic efforts, he will have many more daring tales.

Roleplay elements

Chenoah is a monk, but he does not belong to a religion or follow a deity. His monastery believed in discovering the limits of existentialism through empiricism and meditation, very similar to enlightenment. For roleplay, he will exhibit flares of buddhism, taoism and gregorian monk traits. Feel free to play with this, or even make assumptions about his monastic behavior.

His secondary powerset, Fire Aura, is treated explicitly as herbalism. his healing and control techniques are all results of tonics, salves and materia medica he creates through natural means. This is also true for inspirations and enhancements, and he treats crafting as 'tending to his herbs'.

Chen also exhibits plenty of modern behavior. This is primarily to make roleplay easier, but is easily understood as his ability to adapt to this new culture he calls home.

Trivia

Chenoah was originally a character on a text-based MUD, which had a Monk class that used herbs and martial arts combat. This makes Chenoah my oldest standing MMO character, and has seen iterations in many games, including EverQuest and EverQuest 2. This is his first foray into City of Heroes.

I decided not to name him 'Chenoah' as it was not descriptive enough. 'Chen the Monk' really delivers all you need to know about him in one easy digest. Also, I somewhat hold a superstition that characters named 'Chenoah' don't make it past level 15, as that has been the case with the previous incarnations. In short, this broke the Chenoah curse, as he's easily in his 40's.

I am considering introducing a Praetorian version of Chenoah, now that Street Justice has been announced.

Chenoah's City Info Tracker page can be found here.

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