Gang (Jade Empire)

Gang is a minor villain in the video game Jade Empire. He's a member of the Lotus Assassins who operates in the Assassins' headquarters as a trainer. He appears as a prominent character in the third chapter.

Background
Gang hasn't had a laudable history during his time as a Lotus Assassin. Regarded to be mediocre and lacking in leadership qualities, he's been assigned to indoctrinating acolytes in the Assassins' headquarters, the mausoleum originally built for Emperor Sun Hai. He answered to the Master Assassin Shin who arrived at the same time but catapulted through the ranks rapidly. Gang and his acolytes were in charge of overseeing the creation of spirit shards, crystallized essences of human souls used in animating golems. Gang was also charged with having his trainers to train Shin's personal entourage.

Gang absolutely hated his superior Shin who constantly sabotaged Gang's efforts to please Grand Inquisitor Jia. Shin has personally documented many of Gang's failures and kept him from ascending by taking credit for any achievements of Gang and his acolytes. Any trainer of Gang who showed too much skill for the liking of Shin's entourage would be killed by a fully trained Lotus Assassin loyal to Shin. Having no choice but to begrudgingly serve Shin, Gang waited to find a promising recruit who could kill Shin for him.

Dealings with the last Spirit Monk
When the last Spirit Monk infiltrates the Lotus Assassins' headquarters to learn more about the Assassins' operations as an acolyte, they're assigned under Master Gang's direction. Gang is first seen berated by Master Shin for falling behind in the completion of the latest golem battalion. The creation of a special spirit shard meant for a Jade Golem, a commander of these battalions, has been delayed, for the shard was shattered by Shin's followers while Gang's acolytes were training. The shattered shard released a group of ghosts to halt the shards' production, and three acolytes and eight slaves of Gang have been killed by the ghosts. Giving Gang a a threat of informing Grand Inquisitor Jia of this setback, Shin departs and Gang meets the Spirit Monk. At first Gang is dismissive of his new acolyte, sending them to fight the ghosts and expecting them to die until a full Assassin arrives to deal with them. Much to his amazement, however, the Spirit Monk dispatches the ghosts.

The indoctrination of acolytes normally includes a period of deprivation in a cell to destroy their identities, but anticipating that his new acolyte is powerful and clever enough to get rid of Shin, Gang offers to skip the deprivation in exchange for two tasks. One is to create a spirit shard for the unfinished Jade Golem that is scheduled to be completed that night. The other task is to assassinate Shin in a disgracing way that doesn't implicate Gang. By sniffing around the mausoleum, the Spirit Monk comes up with a plan that Gang approves.

Knowing that Shin usually leaves the inner chambers just to inspect the new slave shipments arriving in the Hall of Induction, the Spirit Monk empties the Hall and the Golem Press room of any witnesses and prevents the slave shipment from entering the mausoleum. When the unsuspecting Shin arrives in the Hall, he's fought and killed by the Spirit Monk. His body is then taken to the Golem Press and crushed in the press, making it appear that he was killed by a moment of carelessness. Gang arrives to make sure everything has gone according to the plan. Pleased with the results, he makes his exit from the room. If a clay golem is conveniently placed to hang from a crane above Gang's path, it can be dropped on him, resulting in his death.

If Gang isn't killed at this point, and both of the tasks he assigned his new acolyte with are completed, he takes them to the inner chambers to participate in the ritual in which the Jade Golem is completed, hopeful to finally gain status in Grand Inquisitor Jia's eyes. Unfortunately for Gang, his acolyte has created the spirit shard from the chaotic spirit of the ancient Horselord Zeng Sai. When the shard is inserted, the Jade Golem and all of the Clay Golems linked to it go berserk and start killing off the Assassins everywhere in the mausoleum and attacking its very foundations. When the Jade Golem collapses, the incensed Grand Inquisitor Jia arrives, much to Gang's nervousness. Recognizing the Spirit Monk as the student of the Glorious Strategist, Jia directs Gang as well Executioner Zogu and two uncorrupted Jade Golems to kill the infiltrator. They are all killed, however. If Gang was killed earlier in the Golem Press room, Executioner Zogu takes the Spirit Monk to the inner chambers instead.

Personality
Gang is not very liked amidst the Lotus Assassins, for he's considered average at best. He thoroughly loathes the fact that he has to serve under Master Shin who purposefully prevents him from ascending. Noted to be cowardly, Gang is content to send his subordinates to probable death and hasn't the backbone to defy Shin openly. While devising a way to assassinate Shin, Gang wants to be sure that he cannot be implicated. He also refuses to assist the last Spirit Monk against Shin's Attendants. He does appreciate the Spirit Monk for their competence, promising to reward them for assisting him in gaining status, but he uses them as his attack dog without realizing that he's their pawn. Despite being a Lotus Assassin, Gang isn't particularly cunning. He leaves it up to the Spirit Monk to find a way to assassinate Shin and never considers the possibility of his newest acolyte — who's more skilled than average — being an infiltrator or that they could kill him by dropping a clay golem on him. He also never properly inspects the spirit shard he assigns the Spirit Monk to create, realizing too late that it's corrupt.

Abilities
Considered thoroughly average for a Lotus Assassin, Gang hasn't demonstrated enough leadership qualities to ascend beyond the rank of a trainer. He fights with the Viper martial style as well as a set of two axes.