Donghai Ping

Donghai Ping (Gillihís 5, 1689 - undetermined) was a grandmaster alchemist in the Paytern Hill Ward of Trynser City. An Igonian gnome, Master Ping was the employer of several people including Juan Silvio-Vagle (1741 - ) and Yesenia Silvio-Vagle (1742 - ). A wealthy man, he was married to his much younger wife Donghai Xiang with whom he had a son, Donghai Chang.
== Background ==
Donghai Ping (personal name Ping, family name Donghai) was born to Donghai Nuan and her husband Master Donghai Jing on Gillihís 5, 1689, a year known for the Galderon Restoration of 1689. Nuan later gave birth to Ping's sister Juan and brother Chang who died in 1715 (Ping's son Chang is named after his late brother). The family lived in Fulmando, Millisymph. Master Jing was known as a quiet but wise scholar who dabbled in alchemy while Nuan was known as a gracious hostess.
Ping, Xiang, and Chang moved from Fulmando, Millisymph, to Trynser City, Empire of Trynser, in 1739, but their reasons are generally unknown. The 12th volume of Lexie’s Secret Little Room, first seen in 1742, claims, among other things, that Lexie bore the girl Mojarósa with Ping.
From 1741 - 1742, the Donghais had Juan's dependents Fuylu de Fulmando and Heva de Fulmando living with them. Fuylu served as the housekeeper and secondarily cook, and Heva served as cook and secondarily as housekeeper. The brother and sister moved out in early 1742. Beginning on Heris 9, 1742, the live-in household staff consisted of the married couple Cornelius and Hilaria Grey.
== Career ==
Grandmaster Ping showed a natural talent for alchemy, and became an apprentice under then Master Alchemist Ocshan el Alquimista. Like his master, he was a member of Los alquimistas del ratón morado (The Alchemists of the Purple Mouse) of Fulmando. He was friends with fellow apprentice Karian the Glum who later became guildmaster.
During the Trynser-Zazimar War, he was instrumental in Project Lace Engine, a then secret project to provide Millisymph with demon dust and cannons to help it maintain its neutrality during the war. When Ocshan el Alquimista, then Guildmaster of Los alquimistas del ratón morado, died in late 1738, Ping was considered as his replacement. However, the position went to Grandmaster Karian the Glum, who like Ping had been an apprentice under Ocshan.
Ping switched back to producing demon dust in Trynser City once the Empire of Trynser lifted the exclusive monopoly on the manufacture of demon dust long held by the Mordh'Dhagai. While still working as an alchemist, his primary focus was manufacturing the dust. As such, he was associated with, but not technically a member of, the Imperial Corps of Mages. He was recognized as a Grandmaster of the Alchemists of the Rainbow Quartz. He was sometimes a guest teacher/lecturer at various academic institutions including St. Bassard's School and Home for Disadvantaged Youth. It was during this duty that he was slightly injured in a fight between Princess Alarra Gormann and Scorpia Lee when Scorpia dropped Alarra on him.
== Personal description ==
Ping was a male Igonian gnome, skin type ii (pale skin) with black hair and beard and black eyes. He stood 1 ft 8 in (51 cm) tall, and at 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg) was somewhat overweight. He was a highly regarded academic and even more highly regarded as an alchemist. He was attentive to things he was interested in, particularly alchemy, chemistry, academic pursuits and people's life stories, but significantly less so in other areas where he could even be regarded as incurious. Those who knew him well knew to speak to him face to face for otherwise he had a hard time picking up what people said. He seemed open to accepting various races and lifeforms except horses. He was often seem eating, and when not eating a meal often snacked on raisins although sometimes he substituted jellybeans which he insisted he bought "for alchemical purposes."
When in public, he dressed appropriate to his station as a Grandmaster (steampunk style), often wearing a top hat, fine slacks and shoes, dress coat, and a vest with a golden pocket watch on a chain. He tended to dress somewhat well, although somewhat more practically, when overseeing demon dust production. While in his private achemical lab, however, he dressed practically.
Category:Alchemical
Category:Citadel's Shadow II
Category:St. Bassard
Category:Non-Player Characters
Category:Delctra's Cauldron Borough Residents