Boot Hill OOC

[Aesalon]

The year is 1887 (September), the location is Tombstone Arizona. Tombstone was a silver boomtown attracting prospectors, business people (legitimate or otherwise) and any number of other elements from all over the world. The RP will contain elements of the Western, Steampunk and Gothic Horror genres.

Relevant information:
-"Texas" John Slaughter is currently the sheriff of Tombstone. The local outlaws are still called "Cowboys" and they continue to be a general pain to legitimate businesses and lawmen alike.
-The Mines begin to flood in 1880 & 1881, many prospectors sell claims - by 1887 all have been bought (cheaply) by a European businessman. (Many of them have even resumed operation by this time.)
-One of the differences in this timeline is that the railroad was built through Tombstone in 1880. This has allowed the town to continue without the population decline common to ‘boomtowns’ of the time period. (Historically the mines beginning to flood started the population decline in Tombstone.)
-Only three mines (Named: "The Lucky Girl Mine" "Silverlode Mine" and "The South Pass Claim") continued normal operation independently by bringing in 'Engineers' to build pumps to keep the water at bay.

The twists...
#1: I will write as 'Narrator' who is telling the story a year later in 1888, this runs in conjunction with the in character narrative that everyone is writing and will be used as a tool to keep the general plot on course. (I may also run a standard character as well, but that will depend on how many we have who are interested.
#2: Steam & Clockwork / spring technology is greatly advanced (of course) but is still rare and often will draw unwanted attention from the masses. (Especially out in the frontier) Most ideas for this are acceptable, except manned flight is restricted. (Outside of actual technology of the day, such as hot air balloons for example)
#3: While the silver from the mines has continued to flow to the outside world, the last five years in Tombstone has seen a rash of strange events. Disappearances, mutilations (human & livestock) and a rash of bizarre rumors have steadily increased in Tombstone in the last five years or so - decent folk shutter windows and bolt doors at dusk. Blame has been placed on everyone from Apache rogues to outlaws to a rabid pack of wolves, even the vengeful spirits of the Clanton gang.

As for character possibilities: Anyone who would be in a frontier boomtown in the mid 1880's is acceptable. There will also be some members of a secret society that are there to investigate the strange happenings.
In your character submissions please include your physical appearance, personal belongings of note, and personality traits as well as a background synopsis.

A quick history of “The Order”

The Legend: The histories of the Order tell us that in 1407 a group of knights and men-at-arms struggled and fought with a pack of man-beasts who had terrorized a small central European barony. The survivors formed the society to watch and wait and protect the innocent against all such supernatural evil.

The Order today:
-The Order is EXTREMELY obscure – people who are not involved directly or do not come from the area in Hungary where the Barons are located would have no idea that such a society exists.
-The order remains, held together more as a social convention than from any feeling of duty.
-It is perceived an honor to be named to the Order and with that honor comes a title and land.
-The 42 Barons (Actually 38 Barons and 4 Baronesses) for the most part do little themselves at all. The goal for most of these is to garner glory and praise in hopes of building a stronger position for themselves. To this end, they will send Vassals after every rumor that reaches them.
-The Vassals (one for each of the Barons) are the chosen successors of the Barons, and as such, they are basically at their every whim.
-Vassals may be chosen from any race, sex or social group – the only requirement is that they are not related to the Baron who has chosen them. (Though a number of Barons have skirted this rule through alliances and naming each other’s children as Vassals.)
-Vassals are taught that other Vassals are competitors and generally do not trust each other.

[Digital Muse]

Name:Marina Espinosa Altamira de Magyary

Age: 28

Sex: Female

Appearance: Marina is a tall woman at nearly 5 feet 10 inches tall. Taller than most men in the late 1880’s. Her high Castillian heritage is evident in her pale olive skin and rich, dark hair and eyes. Her jawline and cheekbones are strong on a face that also sports a hawk-like, slender nose. She is not beautiful, but she is arresting. While attending to her patroness in Hungary, Marina dresses in the latest Paris fashions, but always in an unadorned black, so she never outshines the Baroness she serves. While on assignment, however, she is a chameleon and dresses in whatever role she has taken in order to complete the task she was sent on. Her success, and by extension, the success of the Baroness, depends on Marina’s seamlessly integrating into the role she has been given.

Affiliation: Vassal to Baroness Lujza Magyary of Csepel Island, Hungary.

Role/Job: Investigate rumors and bring glory to her patroness. Cover role: Independent prospector.

Personality: Prior to being ransomed to the Baroness, Marina was a vibrant, inquisitive child. She was sent to Csepel Island and the Baroness’ cold manor house at the age of 10. From that day forward she became a nearly silent, driven girl. Perhaps she decided to completely deliver herself to the duty of her own family inherent in such an exchange of children. Or she may have been coerced in some manner, no one knows. She rarely smiled or acted out as most children do from that time on. Marina can play a role, including laughing, flirting or even feigning drunkenness, but it is nothing more than an act. She is a dedicated and driven investigator and misses little. She doesn’t like competition or interference. She is direct when not playing a role and wastes no time getting what she wants.

Background: Marina’s family had been a part of The Order since its inception. They began ransoming other Order members’ children in order to control the line of Ascension and to keep the membership in the Order to the original founding noble families. Marina was the 3 of 6 children and the first girl. Since she was not in line for the family lands, title or money, her Father agreed to send her to the Baroness Magyary's manor after her 10th birthday. She was collected by a governess from Hungary the day after her birthday and while her mother wept, neither Marina or her Father did. The governess found the young Marina oddly quiet for the entire train and coach trip to her new home.

After an initial introduction to the Baroness and being given the rules of the manor house, Marina did not see the Baroness again other than dinner each night when they shared a table, but rarely conversation. The Baroness expected Marina to be silent unless directly addressed. She got what she expected. Guests of the Baroness all commented on Marina’s perfect manners and sweet nature which the Baroness was glad to take credit for and then dismiss. Any inquiries about the girl’s well-being was invariable addressed to the governess in an almost absent manner.

The Baroness did not take much interest in Marina until her 16th birthday. On that day, the Governess was dismissed and Baroness Lujza took over Marina’s formal training in the ways of The Order. She learned of the Order’s history, the families that make up the order, some of the cases and creatures confronted and their connection to the church. Marina learned to use weapons, to defend herself physically, to fence, learned languages, diplomacy, special codes the Order used all under the watchful eye of the Baroness herself. In addition, private tutors also were employed to give Marina as complete a classical education as was possible. Through it all, the Baroness was distant, cold and detached. While the Baroness was exacting, even after being separated from her family at such a young age, Marina never cried or failed in the tasks she was given.

Finally, on the eve of her 24th birthday, Baroness Lujza Magyary named Marina as her heir and solidified Marina’s place in The Order. Couriers were sent to each house to inform the other families of the announcement the next day. Over the course of the next few years, Marina was sent on several fact finding missions at the behest of the Baroness and the Order. She succeeded on one mission to garner information before any of the other vassals sent to investigate the cases of exsanguination of several entire villages. Marina reported her findings and was recalled to Hungary. Several sons of Austrian nobility were mysteriously found dead within a week and the attacks on villages abruptly ended. But, Marina had not been in on that mission.

Marina’s training continued until 3 months ago when she was called before the Baroness with a new rumor to follow up; this time in the United States. Something was mutilating people and animals and looked very suspicious to The Order. Marina was given less than a week to pack, given a bank promissory note for expenses and was sent on her way. In the time Marina spent traveling, she read the meager report of happenings in the wild town called Tombstone, studied enough books on mining and geology to pass in that role, buy a rig and join a caravan…or wagon train as they we called them here.

Special Skills:Marina speaks Spanish, Hungarian, English, French and German fluently. She can even mimic regional accents easily due to her extensive travels with and on behalf of the Baroness. She is knowledgeable about the major houses and personalities of the well-born of Europe. She only knows the families of The Order personally and those only peripherally, other than her own birth family from Spain; the Viscount of AltaMira. Marina is also an especially intelligent woman, able to study for a role with a single-minded determination. She is capable to melding into a role enough to fool casual investigation for some time.

Gear: While in Tombstone, Marina has taken the role of an independent prospector, an unusual role for a woman. She has chosen to wear an odd mixture of clothes, including men's jodhpurs, a short frock coat, riding boots, a bowler hat with a pheasant feather tucked into the band and a pair of Colt Navy revolvers in twin holsters on her hips. She also carries a haversack with clothes, food, a compass, maps, and a journal. She also carries a Winchester, a couple of canteens, along with a tent, bedroll and prospecting tools tied behind her saddle on a mule she purchased in Illinois and rode to the Dakota territories in the company of a supply train.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Name
Jharna Danveer

Age
Twenty-Four

Sex:
Female

Appearance

Spoiler:

Jharna is a bit on the smaller side, standing at only about five feet and four inches. Her figure is a slight pear shape, but she is very fit from all of the running and crouching she does. Her skin is naturally a light tan with golden undertones. She has a few scars here and there, especially along her back and the backs of her thighs from her childhood.

Her eyes are large and almond shaped with dark brown irises with dark brows softly arching above them. Her nose is long and prominent but straight. Her face is oval shaped with high cheekbones, and her lips have a well defined bow with average fullness. This native Indian's coffee coloured hair extends straight down to her lower back.

As far as clothing goes, she simply wears whatever the job requires. Baron Lorand prefers that she dress like a lady in his presence. This means long, full skirts with bustles, corsets, intricate hairstyles and the like.

Generally, when she's stealing or fighting, she dresses in head-to-toe black, form fitting blouses and slacks along with comfortable boots. Her hair will be worn in a braid wrapped around the crown of her head on these missions as well.

Regardless of her attire, she always keeps sturdy pins secured in her hair either for picking locks or as small weapons.

Affiliation: Vassal to Baron Lorand Antal of the Order

Cover Role: Assistant Entrepreneur of a National Jewelry Making Firm

Personality
If one was to describe Jharna using one word, it would be "adaptable." As a young child, she had to learn to be whatever a situation commanded of her to survive. It aided her well for a long time. However, Jharna isn't solely a survivor. She cares deeply for the Baron that took her under his wing, and she cares about the fates of those affected by things they can't explain. In that way, she has a bit of a bleeding heart. Much of her earnings go toward helping those affected by supernatural phenomena. Despite her seeming bleeding heart, she isn't afraid to do what needs to be done if she feels it’s right.


Skills/ Abilities/ Powers
Jharna is especially agile, flexible, and light on her feet. It enables her to quickly and quietly maneuver herself into positions where she'll remain unnoticed. Stealth is her main talent that she has honed for most of her life. She's also a fantastic pick-pocket, and she excels in safe cracking and disarming alarms. She once boasted that she could steal anything as long as she could find a way to transport it, but her skills as a thief are now mostly used to find and stop supernatural disasters without a lot of civilian knowledge.

She has considerable skill with daggers, both throwing and hand-to-hand, and Baron Lorand taught her fencing. Her speed enables her to escape wounds or capture by those larger than her so long as she doesn't get cornered, and her endurance enables her to outmaneuver her human opponents until they tire and she can take them out. She's also very good with a pair of tonfa.

She is fluent in English, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, and Spanish though she always retains a bit of her native Hindi accent. She has considerable knowledge of cultures both among humans and the supernatural.

Equipment
Daggers (with Silver Tips) for Throwing and Close Combat
Lock Picks
Log Book (for her cover)
Pocket Watch with Hidden Compartment (given to her by Baron Lorand)
Tonfa
Trench Coat (with many pockets for storing and hiding things)

History/ Bio
Jharna doesn’t know who her original family was. All she was ever told was that she was found in a basket at the doorstep of an orphanage as an infant. She was raised there for five years before they had to give her away, for the orphanage was just too overcrowded. She found her way into another family of children, but this was a lot different from living at the orphanage.

In the orphanage, she’d had little chores like keeping her bed made and cleaning up after herself. However, this new family put her to work. At any given time, there were fifteen to thirty other children of various ages headed by one man they called “Father,” and they spent their days begging on the streets. They collected as much money as possible in whatever ways they could, by lying and cheating mostly, and Jharna quickly became an expert in the art.

However, as she aged, people became less empathetic and less susceptible to her wiles. Father became angry with each day that she earned less and less, punishing her for her failures time and again. Jharna knew she was only a couple of years shy of being placed in a brothel if she couldn’t make her money on the streets, so she found a different way: theft. The first couple of times, she was caught, but with tricks and diversions, she learned clever ways around a person’s attention. Lifting a coin purse or a wallet became easy money, and she out earned most of her fellows, and she earned enough to stay out of the Courtesan Houses.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t unattractive, and the pressure was on to earn enough that even the highest bidder for her virginity couldn’t outshine her skill as a pickpocket. She began stealing more than just purses, going to shops for jewelry and the like. At thirteen, she was boosting things that even Father couldn’t have anticipated hiring men to grab. This didn’t deter him. Deciding he could have the best of both worlds, Jharna was auctioned off at the age of fourteen when she would be expected to run robbery jobs as well as work in the brothels, but she wasn’t having it. A week after a stranger forced himself on her for a smaller fee than she could earn stealing, she found a gun and killed the man who had played “Father” in her life for eleven years. Then she ran, away from the slums, away from her past.

Jharna continued her jobs independently, keeping enough to live comfortably and using the rest to help children in similar positions in which she’d been involved. She infiltrated the middle classes, finding “honest” work as servants among the richest of Brits, learning their ways and subtly stealing things they wouldn’t notice were missing for a while if ever. She was always smart about it, but one day, karma caught up with her – so it seemed.

A Baron from Hungary was visiting the English family for whom she worked, and he had brought beautiful, expensive items with him that were kept in his quarters. While she was cleaning one evening at the humble age of seventeen, she snuck into the Baron’s room while dinner was being served. Very quietly and carefully, she began rifling through his drawers for something she could take to sell on the Black Market.

Then she heard it – or rather, felt it. Something was in the room with her. She spun around in time to see a pair of hateful eyes peering down at her. Something was off about the man to whom they belonged. His skin was ashy, and his eyes were clouded beyond sight, yet she knew he could see her. It’s voice didn’t move directly with the lips uttering the words, and the sounds were like the scraping of gravel. It reached for her, but the malignance of the gesture had her reeling away, muttering a mantra to repel what she thought may have been a Vetala.

Jharna didn’t scream, and she didn’t cry. She just spoke the words over and over until the power of her words and her conviction had it trapped in a corner. Unfortunately, she knew if she moved, she would break the force of her mantra and it would go after her. Instead, she simply waited and wove her words against the monster until the Baron came to his quarters.

He assessed the situation in an instant and immediately began to speak final rites until the corpse fell to the floor, the evil spirit ejected from it. She tried to flee at that point, but he caught hold of her, asking her how she knew to wield such a powerful mantra. She confessed she’d learned it on the streets. When asked what she was doing in his room, she claimed she’d been dusting, but he obviously didn’t believe her. Even so, he released her.

The next day, she waited to be told she was fired or to be beaten by the head servant for her indiscretion, but the moment never came. Instead, he approached her himself and requested she come work for him. Her skills as a thief – for he had noticed she’d filched a medallion right from his pocket during their encounter – and the power of her mantra had impressed him. He felt she had real potential.

Initially, she declined, for she didn’t trust most men, but in time, he earned her trust, and she went with him to Hungary where he trained her to be a great investigator of supernatural evils as well as a proper lady with a proper education.

It wasn’t until after her first successful mission at the age of twenty-one that she was granted the title of Vassal under the Baron. This outraged a lot of the Order, for it wasn’t unknown that she’d originally grown up in the slums of India when he should have taken one of the other children of the Order as his Vassal, but Baron Lorand could have cared less. He didn’t feel that any were as worthy as Jharna, and being outspoken as he was, he made that very clear to any who tried to make some dispute to the Indian’s claim.

[Gadreille]

Name: William Robinson
Age: 40
Sex: Male

Appearance:

Spoiler:

William Robinson looks his age, with striking blue eyes and dull brown hair. When travelling backwoods he often sports a full grown beard, but will shave it off while in the luxury of a town. He's about six foot, weighing in 180 lbs. He wears a brown coat over a white shirt and black vest, with grey trousers and brown boots. His favorite hat used to be white in color, now it's a sort of faded tan.

Affiliation:
Ex-Confederate Sailor, served aboard C.S.S. Chicora and H.L. Hunley

Role/Job:
handyman, gun-for-hire

Personality:
To the point, somewhat sarcastic
somewhat of a drunk
claustrophobic and fear of deep water

Background:
1862: Signed up for the confederate navy at 18, served aboard the C.S.S. Chicora
1863: Volunteered to be one of the crewmembers for the H.L. Hunley, a confederate submarine
1863 (Aug 21): one of four survivors of Hunley Sinking accident
1863 (December): Deserted the confederate navy after mental breakdown, triggered by another near accident aboard the CSS Chicora
Early 1864: tried working as a handyman, constantly on the run
Late 1864: found work in an "underground" research facility (steampunkish technologies) building "unconventional" weaponry, which they dubbed The Machinists
Late 1865: U.S. Government infiltrated The Machinists, demanding their work be turned over to the U.S. Military, so scientists & crew destroyed the information, stole what weaponry they could, and abandoned the Illinois based facility
1865-1887: With the war over, William no longer needed to be on the run from confederate officers. However, being one of the men who sabotaged the secret facility, the U.S. government put a bounty on his head. Unable to make roots, he spent the next twenty years of his life moving from place to place, sticking to remote areas. From time to time he'd make contact with some of The Machinists (who have been continuing their underground technological advancements), but these meetings are few and far between, and the deeper he got in his whiskey bottle, the less important it seemed to become. Now he only bothers when he needs materials he can't find himself.

Special Skills:
sailing
understanding naval and landbased warfare
utilizing conventional weaponry
building and utilizing "Unconventional" weaponry
surviving off the land

Gear:
Horse, saddle & saddlebags
1 bolt-action rifle with bayonet and scope (modified)
1 pump-action shotgun
2 revolvers (one modified)
2 mechanical wrist guns each with hidden ejectable knife, kept concealed
a few mandatory tools

[Whisper of the Heart]

Name

• Maribel Silgraft

Birth

• April 17th, 1868 (age 19)

Sex

• Female

Background

• Maribel is the daughter of Vincent Silgraft, an engineer hired to work the steam-powered machinery for the mines. Before their arrival at Tombstone, Maribel and her father lived in Providence, Rhode Island where her father worked in the Corliss Steam Engine Company as an engineer while working on his own engine models. She had been adopted by Vincent after his immigration into America from England.
  
  For most of her childhood Maribel was in charge of looking over the household in her father’s stead, occasionally running errands for him when he was busy working at the factory. As she grew older, her interest in machinery increased and her father saw fit to bring home unused parts for her to tamper with. Eventually she began assisting her father in his own projects, tinkering with the finer details of his engine designs.
  
  They moved to Tombstone on the recommendation of an old friend, who had acquired independent management of the Silverlode Mine and was looking to continue operations by using pumps to keep it from flooding. Her father saw the chance to put his engine to practice, and seized it. Now, she spends most of her time aiding her father in his work and is known as quite a “fix-it-all” around town. Because of her father’s connection to the silver mines, she is well acknowledged among the miners and the businessmen exploiting them.

Appearance

• Maribel has a gentle face with wide cheekbones and a round chin. Her deep-set eyes are a bright green color and her eyebrows are full and softly angled. Blonde curls fall past her shoulders and lie at her breast in a braid. She stands at an average of five feet and six inches and is often seen wearing thick-soled boots, slacks adorned with a simple utility belt, plain shirts (second-hand from her father,) and a heavy-duty jacket to protect her from the hot steam of the machinery she works with.

Personality

• Maribel is curious and intuitive when it comes to life outside of the industrial world. She’s keen on assisting people and often does when she’s not working with her father, from helping others run errands or looking after children when their parents are otherwise engaged. She believes that by understanding people in this way she can learn what they need to live a simpler life, and thus would be able to manufacture technological concepts for devices that could facilitate everyday needs. She is friendly and sympathetic, impulsive and stubborn, and at times detached from reality when working with her inventions.

Equipment

• Various leather utility belts that can be attached to different areas of the body depending on the type of work she has to do. Her most used belt is attached at the hip and includes common tools (see tools below,) and a special removable pouch to keep the lens from pair of magnifying goggles from scratching.
  
  
• A large backpack full of junk and spare parts recovered from unusable machinery.
  
  
• The tools that she carries around in her belt are screwdrivers (three pairs,) a retractable measuring ruler, a pressure gauge, spare replacement gears, a pocket flashlight, a small lubricating oil dispenser and a portable hammer. Other items that she carries include a modified pocket knife and several pieces of cloth to use for wiping oil from her hands.

[Syrena]

Still working on bits and parts of this. However, since the IC is up, I thought I should put some character information up, too.

--

Spoiler:

Name: Scarlett Marie Shepard
Nickname: --
Alias: --

Age: 18
Date of Birth: July 16, 1869
Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Height: 5’1”
Weight: 90lbs
Appearance: There isn’t much to Scarlett Marie. She’s tiny—just barely over five feet—and there isn’t much flesh on her bones. What little fat and muscle Scarlett Marie has keeps her from looking like a walking skeleton.

She isn’t particularly beautiful; although, something about her face is momentarily striking. Her facial features are sharp and almost exotic. Unfortunately, Scarlett Marie hasn’t grown into her face. Momentary beauty quickly fades into awkwardness.

Her eyes are her best asset. Scarlett Marie’s irises are light silver. Her eyebrows arch softly over her eyes. Ultimately, her eyes make her stand out in a crowd. Her hair isn’t too bad either. Soft and sandy brown, Scarlet Marie likes to wear her hair on top of her head. But she isn’t opposed to letting her hair hang at her shoulders.

Occupation: Prostitute at the Bird Cage Theater
Previous Occupation: --

Equipment: Scarlett Marie didn’t make it to Tombstone with much. And what little she does have isn’t of much note.

Her father’s pistol, a .44 Smith & Wesson, is most worthy of note. Although, Scarlett Marie isn’t very familiar with the pistol and simply carries it around for show. She also houses a horse with one of the ranch hands that is sweet on her.

Upon her arrival in town, Scarlett Marie acquired three dresses. Though, the dresses are nothing a proper lady would wear.

Personality: She takes comfort in routine. Especially lazy mornings spent half-asleep with a cup of hot coffee. Her evenings, though, aren’t anywhere near routine or ordinary. Most evenings are spontaneously chaotic. Scarlett Marie’s temper changes during the day, too. Grumpy and cynical during the morning. Charming and sweet tempered during the evening.

Biography: --

[Knifey Keith]

This is a work in progress, please bare with me.


Name: Ivan Doroshenko

Age: 34

Background: Ivan was born and raised a proud Chernomoriya Cossack (Black Sea Cossack), though spending much of his early life in the Ukraine, Ivan would not remain there for long. His family and their neighbours entering a losing battle with Tartar tribes, much of their resources were expended in a futile attempt to hold their ground. Upon reaching the age of 14, Ivan was already a skilled rider, boxer, wrestler and was beginning to become competent in swordsmanship. With his family and several others, Ivan embarked on several merchant ventures as apart of a several hundred strong clan across the Ukraine, Poland and even as far as Germany. His clan becoming reputed as bandits, often engaging in armed conflict with Gypsies, Turks and the local authorities. In his early adulthood Ivan had become an accomplished soldier, praised for his already impressive abilities as a horseman and unarmed fighter, Ivan had become exceptionally skilled as a knife fighter, swordsman and had even gained some competency with firearms.

At the age of 19, Ivan saw and participated in his first Pogrom on a Shtetl in Poland. The brutal and senseless violence of the attack on the local Jews reminded him too much of the same hateful violence that his own family had endured from the Tartars. Though still maintaining a great prejudice against Jews, Ivan had come to see his peoples extreme intolerance against Jews in a different light- Seeing no honour or decency in attacking defenceless civilians. Many men of Ivan's family and clan had come to the same conclusion, reforming their reckless and chaotic life as brigands… Many decided to return home and go crawling back to perhaps their greatest enemy: The Russian Empire. There at least Ivan and his kin would be able to make money doing what they did best- Fight… But with a misguided hope that their swords and guns would be directed at worthy, more deserving foes.



Personality: Ivan is a man fuelled by greed. His love of money and material wealth consumes him, however he is lacking in the skills suited to a more conventional approach to this goal. Therefore Ivan uses the skills he has in order to make a lucrative living. Ivan loves to fight and enthusiastically applies his Shashka to any fight he can. Ivan has a love for martial arts, weapons, meat and vodka; which essentially sum up his hobbies and interests. Ivan is also a big fan of busty, strong and dominant women. Ivan is outwardly known for his bravery and love of combat, some even go as far as to call him unnecessarily brutal. Ivan is ferociously loyal to his people, family, friends and employers… Making him an ideal employee or ally.

Though Ivan is merciless and savage in battle, he is a man of honour and compassion; taking great respect and empathy for struggling families, family businesses and honest working people. He has a strong communal spirit and though his love for fighting is well known, he takes no joy in hurting troubled or desperate people… Despite his current occupation. Though regardless of any morality or ethics Ivan may possess, he is extremely racist against Jews, Gypsies, Blacks, Germans and also holds a small degree of mistrust for Muslims.

Appearance: Ivan stands 6.4" tall, he is broad shouldered and quite muscular. He has pale skin, black hair and blue eyes; his head mostly shaved with the exception of a slightly thick lock of hair at his shaved head, Ivan also has a long, thick moustache. He wears quintessentially Cossack clothing such as long tunics, heavy boots and fur coats.

Skills/Abilities: Ivan has the typical skill set for a Cossack; he is an adept horseman, skilled unarmed combatant and knife fighter, deft with a rifle and a master swordsman. Ivan also speaks fluent Ukranian, Balachka and reasonably good English.

As a result of his brutal and hard working life, Ivan is exceptionally strong and resilient, he possesses great stamina and good reflexes.

Equipment: Aside from his fists, Ivan's weapons include a long, finely crafted steel Shashka, a steel Kindjal and during his time in America has managed to acquire an 1873 Winchester Repeating Rifle (Which he is still getting the hang of.)

[Aesalon]

Name: Jonathan McKenna
Age: 33

Background:
Jonathan was military by birth; his father was a decorated officer and veteran of a dozen battles in the Mexican war – one uncle lost a leg in that same war – another uncle was killed fighting pirates along the Ivory Coast. At the age of 10, he watched his two older brothers march to war in order to preserve the Union. As he grew he excelled in his classes, not due to any love of learning, but because his father had secured for him a commission to West Point. He graduated 15th in his class in 1871 and was immediately dispatched to Fort Stanton in the New Mexico Territory.
McKenna acquitted his duties with distinction and was promoted with regularity and reached the rank of Major by 1877. In 1878 the tensions of the area boiled over and the conflict called the Lincoln County War erupted. After this conflict was resolved, Jonathan felt strongly that his commanding officer had acted more with personal interest than the interest of the United States and would testify as such in his court marshall hearing. The charges were quickly dropped and McKenna resigned his commission upon recommendation of a number of senior officers who felt that he may be labeled a ‘malcontent’.
After leaving the military, Jonathan lost himself in an alcoholic stupor, eventually losing everything – two years later, homeless and penniless on the streets of Saint Louis, he was on the verge of suicide. At this time, by mere chance, he ran into a former West Point cadet named Miles Gray who had been a class behind him. Gray had only served two years after the Academy and since had been in the employ of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Gray recruited Jonathan on the spot based solely on his West Point record and a promise to leave the bottle behind. McKenna jumped at this second chance at purpose.
The next 6 years saw Jonathan make steady advancement with his employer, and by the age of 33 he has become one of the most trusted field agents in the Pinkerton’s employ. It was no surprise to him when the US Department of Justice retained the services of the Pinkerton Agency as an adjunct police force that Jonathan was named as a Marshall to the Southwestern Territories that he had been familiar with in his military career.
The ‘Territorial Law Department of the Southwest’ was the least funded and most shoddily manned of areas under the Pinkerton’s purvey. Only 6 trained agents were spread across all of Arizona and New Mexico, so when young Davison Reeves failed to return from investigating some trouble with the silver trains running out of Tombstone, only McKenna was within a 5 day ride of the frontier town. Almost relieved to be away from the stifling office in Tucson, Jonathan McKenna rode for Tombstone.

Personality:
Jonathan McKenna is often thought of as having no personality – mostly due to his desire to think through things before acting. He rarely smiles and does not relate well to others. While almost always polite, McKenna is very task-focused which causes him to come across as bluff and unfriendly.

Appearance:
McKenna stands roughly 5 foot 9 inches, with the slight build common to a cavalryman. His hair is black, slightly graying at the temples and cropped short, his mustache fashioned in the Souvarov style is also black, with touches of gray. Usually Jonathan is found to be wearing a jacket, shirt and bowtie and is rarely seen without his Pinkerton Badge and bowler hat.

Equipment:
Upon arriving in Tombstone, McKenna only has his horse, 2 pistols (a Colt Single Action Army (Peacemaker) and a smaller single-shot that he wears in his boot.) a Civil War era Sharps rifle that he wears on his saddle. Also in the pocket of his jacket he carries his Federal badge (Marked with the Pinkerton motto: “We Never Sleep” and a few dollars in cash.

[Aesalon]

This is the placeholder for NPC Character descriptions to remember. (Now that this is done, feel free to discuss plot or whatever in this thread.)

[Digital Muse]

Are we going ahead with this?

[Aesalon]

Are we going ahead with this?

The Narrator intro is now up - begin the introduction post parade!

[Aesalon]

So It Begins - The setting: Tombstone, sundown - very near or inside the saloon called the "Last Stand". A lightning storm (bearing with it no promise of rain) adds to the tension and fear of the townsfolk as they quickly vacate the streets, either home to bolt the doors and shutter the windows, or to one of the many saloons and brothels in order to hide their fear behind social interaction.
-I would like everyone to end up either in or around the "Last Stand" by the end of a couple of posts at most - once we have everyone on hand the Narrator will speak again.

[Gadreille]

I just want you to know I still really really want to do this...if its ok though, may I jump in in a few weeks time? I'm very ill right now and need to focus on getting well.

[Aesalon]

I just want you to know I still really really want to do this...if its ok though, may I jump in in a few weeks time? I'm very ill right now and need to focus on getting well.

No worries, feel better!

[Kathryn Lacey]

I'm also still interested. I've just been very busy with work. Our location is closing, so I've had to work some long shifts with the rest of the staff to make sure it's ready for selling everything.

I'll be replying when I get the opportunity!

[Aesalon]

I'm also still interested. I've just been very busy with work. Our location is closing, so I've had to work some long shifts with the rest of the staff to make sure it's ready for selling everything.

I'll be replying when I get the opportunity!

Not a problem - this one is a slow starter anyway. Maybe that is the key! Since a lot of RP's start fast and burn out maybe the slow & steady start will pull us through!

[Digital Muse]

:pokes peoples:

[Kathryn Lacey]

I'm still in. Again, it's just been a really busy time at work and such, and I haven't had much time for myself lately. I don't even have time to read my book. =(

[Gadreille]

I'm also planning on doing this. My laptop SHOULD be here tomorrow. The medicine I'm taking SHOULD make me better. Ergo, I SHOULD be posting soon. Lets hope this week goes according to plan.

[Knifey Keith]

I'm also still in, I'm just sick as a dog right now and I've been working more hours lately.

So I'll do my best to complete my CS and get stuck in.

[Whisper of the Heart]

I am also still in! I'm waiting to join in after a couple of posts to get the hang of how I'm jumping in. >_<

[Syrena]

I still want to do this, too!

I've had a rough patch with things. But, my hope, is that everything will smooth out nicely this week, and I'll get a post written soon.

[Gadreille]

Laptop is home!

Goal for tonight is to watch Tombstone. Goal for tomorrow is to get my CS up and running. My goal for Thursday is to get my opening post up. IF these things are not done and I have not given a sufficient recent for my failure, BOTHER ME. I will find a way to deliver.

Edit: Tombstone has been rewatched, OOC and IC reread, and I can see we need some more old fashioned American gunslinging testosterone in these parts. Will make a character and post ASAP.

[Gadreille]

I am sorry that took so long. I wanted a much more detailed first post, but I'll just add his backstory as we go. If anyone has any questions for me, please let me know. I'll just let you know that William Robinson is sort of based off of a real person. There really was a sub called the Hunley, and it really did sink (three times), and three men survived the second sinking. William Robinson is one of those men.

I put a pretty prostitute in my post. Syrena, if you want that to be you, cool, if not, it's just some random one

[Aesalon]

*Slowly turns around to put away the nails meant for this RP's coffin*
Oh Joy!! Woot Woot!

[Gadreille]

Working with one foot in the grave but, NOT DEAD YET!

[Syrena]

I put a pretty prostitute in my post. Syrena, if you want that to be you, cool, if not, it's just some random one

Yes! That is so going to be me!

[Gadreille]

Let's keep these posts coming! C'mon Syrena, Keith, and Whisper!

[Syrena]

XD! I'm hoping to have mine up by the end of the day. Cross your fingers!

[Gadreille]

Hahaha!!! William has become prey! Nice post Syrena XD

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