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Doctor Jax

Disease Empress
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
Online Availability
3PM CST - 9 PM CST
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Scifi, Urban Fantasy, Horror
THE STORY SO FAR


In the year 1898, Charles Green and his expedition embarked after their former lost expedition into the verdant hell of Siam's jungles in search of... something. On its outset, strange things began to happen, and there was little explanation for the goings on that overtook the small band. Early on in the expedition, one of their rifleman, possessing a black magic charm in the form of a golden, stillborn child, committed suicide in the night. It was evident that he had attempted to burn the charm, before ending his own life when this seemed impossible...

The expedition was called to a halt, the official reason being that it was far too wet and the marshes too deep to continue on foot. It is quite clear, though, that the rifleman's death shook the resolve of those involved. Now, a year later, new and old faces will gather to try again...

THE WORLD: 1899


There isn’t much different about the world. The year is 1899, England is still a juggernaut superpower and trade giant, and steam is the name of the game. Telegraph is the main means of communication across the sea, and letters are still delivered by hand. However, a dark undercurrent flows beneath the goings on of the world. Austria-Hungary and their Empire has already begun to besiege Western Russia, and tensions are high under the threat of war.

Machinery has come a long way. There are now diggers and all-terrain vehicles, tanks and boats made for near every eventuality. War breeds necessity, and it’s necessity to have good vehicles and equipment. Steamships and trains are the fastest modes of transport possible, with the fastest steamship able to go from London to New York in little under two days. However, everything runs on steam power, as the gas fields have long been abandoned after the great Egypto-Briton war, with Egypt coming out as the victor. Radio waves have just been considered as a form of communication. Much of the world remains undeveloped, though China has recently become an incredibly powerful trader. To the west, America remains a rugged, untested country full of backwater populists and Indian natives, a land of opportunity -- and savagery.

The only country in Asia besides China which has not become some form of colony is Siam, the Jewel of Southeast Asia. Boasting a king styled in Western fashions, Siam remains three parts wild to each part civilized. A small country with many ocean ports, it is heavy with jungles -- and perhaps untold riches. Particularly, the medical trade has become ever more interested in the rainforest and its wealth of plants, which are used more now than ever in different medicines. It is even rumored that there is a plant in that jungle that can even stave off the ravages of death…

ROLES & SHEET


At present, 7 positions are open on this expedition, and the sign-ups shall be open for 3 weeks after the date posted. The expedition organizer, Mr. Green, is looking for the following:

(1) Doctor: You are responsible for making the medical most of your pitiful least. As typical of these expeditions, men will be breaking fingers, slicing open thumbs, catching malaria, and complaining of certain diseases procured from the local women. It is your job to keep the crew healthy, even if all you have are toothpicks, gauze, and some whiskey. OPEN

(1) Navigator: Knowing where you are going is quite important on most expeditions. Those few which do not need a navigator hire one anyways. Your ability to navigate by compass or constellation makes you invaluable, and thus you can be assured that if there is a mutiny -- typically a healthy assumption -- you will most definitely be spared. TAKEN by @Ritual Lobotomy

(1) Chronicler: Many an adventurer has found they lose the vast majority of their evidence in boat crashes, thievery, and encounters with natives. As the chronicler, you ensure that evidence is captured in photographic or written form on every day of the journey. It is possible you may already be employed by a news agency, or that you are a freelancer salivating at that three thousand English pounds. TAKEN BY @Red Thunder

(1) Cook: Napoleon once said that an army marches on its stomach, and this cannot be more true in an expedition. Often, you will have to make do with what is in the chuck truck, as well as finding food that will please the vast majority of the crew on this trip. You may find culinary creativity will serve you well once the stores begin to run out and lemur becomes the prime dish on the menu. OPEN

(2) Rifleman: You are the main line of defense against many of the dangers in the jungle, be those tigers, angry natives, or even one of your own. Without you, the crew is exposed to the elements and vagaries of the jungle. You will probably make very, very many friends. Unfortunately, you may also be the path of least resistance where danger is involved. 1 OF 2 TAKEN BY @Kuno

(1) Botanist: You are the moneymaker of this trip. With your vast knowledge of plants, you will not only help the cook procure plants and fruits that will help shore up the stores you have to carry with you, you will also be expected to look for any medicinally important plants to collect and take back -- or anything unusual flora-wise. TAKEN BY @Nemopedia

(1) Guide : The hope is that where English sensibilities fail, your own savvy will prevail. Whereas the Navigator guides the expedition through maps, you guide the expedition through the real obstacles on the ground, like fording large rivers or recognizing the signs of dangerous tribesmen. After all, you can't expect a bunch of poffs to know the difference between a harmless ganda snake and a cobra. OPEN

SHEET
Code:
[size=7]CHARACTER NAME || ROLE[/size][imga=right]YOUR IMAGE (Victorian photographs/paintings preferred -- absolutely no cartoon or anime images)[/imga]
[size=4]Medical Report[/size]
[LIST]
[*]Age
[*]Sex 
[*]Height/Weight
[*]Country of Origin
[*]Distinguishing Features (In case of postmortem identification)
[/LIST]

[size=4]Curriculum Vitae[/size]
[b]Work History:[/b]
[b]Personal Statement:[/b]
[b]Notable Skills:[/b]
[b]Notable Accomplishments:[/b]

[size=4]Character Assessment[/size]
[b]Temperament/Personality:[/b] 
[b]Psychological Evaluation:[/b]
[b]Possible Agitators and Stressors:[/b]

RULES


  1. Iwaku TOS is to be upheld at all times. This includes all bluestar/redstar activity even within discord servers or ooc. This is not a starred RP, thus romantic encounters must fade to black.
  2. Courtesy is paramount. We're all here to have fun. Please respect fellow RPers. Should any sort of altercation be encountered, bring it to me first, and I will issue a verdict.
  3. As creator of this particular universe - what I say about its physics/workings is reality.
  4. Autohitting, godmodding, player killing, etc. is not acceptable.
  5. Posting speed is a minimum of one post every 3 weeks. I reserve the right to move other RPers should a character stall an interaction for over 3 weeks. I also reserve the right to kick those who do not answer attempted communications for over 5 weeks, and their character scrapped.
  6. Post length minimum is twelve sentences.
  7. RL comes first! If there are issues, please PM me if you cannot post. Even if you merely wish to leave, message me first.

 
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Tatyana Volkov || Chronicler
Medical Report
  • 25 yoa
  • Female
  • 5’4” / 125 lbs
  • St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Distinguishing Features (In case of postmortem identification) - Tatyana Volkov does not draw the eye by her size nor by her frame, her rather small curves obscured by the mismatched uniform of a guerrilla warrior, and decorated as formally as a civilian could manage. No, if she attracts the eye at all, it’s because she wears a haunted and ridged stare, the previously mischievous dark blue eyes staring ahead in grim determination to face whatever nightmare. She keeps her sandy colored hair handled three regular application of her hairbrush, though with less regularity than she once had. A small pad of paper is regularly in either her coat breast pocket beside a rugged if well cared for Colt revolver, with its accompanying pencil either in its opposing hand or shoved behind her ear. A cloth satchel hangs across her chest, carrying under its flap a large sketch pad as well as several extra writing pencils and a set of sketching charcoals.

Curriculum Vitae
History:
Born poor in a nation of poor economy, Tatyana was nevertheless raised on high ideals. Widowed, Mikael Volkov brought his daughter up alone within the intimate confines of the office of his newspaper, the Narodnaya Pravda. The “People’s Truth” was Mikael’s passion project, and keeping the Russian people informed of world politics was of utmost importance to him. Mikael would walk any distance, speak with any vagabond, or pay any price to learn the truth of a matter so as to then print it in the Pravda. Though his reach was small and his means of discovering the core of a story meager, he made every effort.

Ana inherited his passion tenfold. When she was old enough to sell the papers herself, the young girl would pace the white streets through the brown slush of melting snow, determined to both pull her weight for her father and to educate the masses. For some years, whispers had traveled from cellar to inn, discontent spreading with an abandon that Alexander II’s leniency on the freedom of the press only encouraged. By the time Tatyana entered the field of journalism under her father, talk had moved to the streets themselves, though still in whispers, and discontent had begun to spread more openly. Yet it still needed information as fire needed fuel, and the Pravda met that need.

As Mikael grew older, his bones less able to handle the chill of Russian winters, Tatyana took up the mantle of field reporter, attacking her duties with a ferocity that surprised even her zealous father. The smallest rumor of a story attracted her attention, and she followed its scent long past the point most might have found reason to stop. Other journalists, as well as her more regular interviewees, came to call her Gonchaya, the Hound, first in jest then out of respect, though her detractors called her Negodyay, saying that she was only a trouble making rogue. Nor did she mince words once she wrote her articles, and on more than once occasion the Pravda was issued fines for defamation. These became harder for Mikael to pay, and soon they were in deep debt. Tatyana tried to curtail her writing, knowing full well that she was rocking the boat far too much, yet her spirit was too hot, eager as she was to expose the wrongdoings of those in power, and Mikael was too gentle with his daughter to repress her fire. Journalist for the upstart sensationalist newspaper Narodnaya Pravda, “the People’s Truth”, Tatyana has investigated with a certain stubbornness many a story of corruption, both of political and commercial nature, and while she never uncovered any story so outlandish as to earn her the sharp ire of those in power, the Pravda has nevertheless been instrumental in stirring the coals of discontent within Russia.

It was a state she left her country in when she answered a advert from a Mr. Greene to earn a large sum by chronicling his journey in Siam. An easy enough job, Ana thought, she traveled south, thinking to save her father’s paper, and never imagining that her efforts would be in vain.

Every act of the expedition seemed cursed, doomed to fail, and though Ana returned home after a mere few months of travel from a grisly and untimely end of Mr. Greene’s expedition, she could not seem to escape its effects. Nightmares and hallucinations plagued her, leaving her sleepless in her memory of the journey.

The political clime of Russia did not help her mental state: her father had died in debtor’s prison, victim to Ana’s early outcries against the Czar’s government. Furious, Ana had joined the bourgeoning Bolsheviks, and spent the subsequent year after Siam spreading the will of the people through her now underground Pravda.

But Mr. Greene was determined to complete his expedition, and Ana, having received news and indeed a request to return, began having repeated nightmares and urgings to return. And the golden weight she bore felt perhaps the lighter when she looked south.

So south she went, having sent her acceptance of Mr. Greene’s query, hoping to perhaps be rid of her demon and gain some peace.
Personal Statement: “Passion is as it does. If feelings breed no action, what good is the feeling?”
Notable Skills: Tatyana is articulate and elaborate in her writing, and has been known to sway others with her passionate words. She is similarly skilled in her sketching, being able to draw a scene of note and reasonable detail within a quarter hour. Though knowledgeable in working a camera, she is unpracticed, as the cost of owning and maintaining one is prohibitively expensive for her.
Notable Accomplishments: Journalist for the upstart sensationalist newspaper Narodnaya Pravda, “the People’s Truth”, Tatyana has investigated with a certain stubbornness many a story of corruption, both of political and commercial nature, and while she never uncovered any story so outlandish as to earn her the sharp ire of those in power, the Pravda has nevertheless been instrumental in stirring the coals of discontent within Russia. Most recently, Tatyana reported on a new technological development from an eccentric Serbian who was summering in St. Petersburg. She has since Siam been instrumental in spreading Bolshevik propaganda.

Character Assessment
Temperament/Personality: Tatyana wears her heart on her sleeve, preferring straightforward honesty over any level of subterfuge. Unafraid to speak her mind, she can be unfeelingly and sometimes brutally tactless, concerned more with what is said rather than how it’s said. This overbearing trait has had two opposing consequences: on the one hand, it has served her career as a journalist well, garnering her a begrudging respect from her male counterparts; on the other hand, when not acting in her capacity as a journalist, her mouth has often gotten her into trouble on a societal level, and the financial trouble her father’s newspaper is in can in large part be attributed to the fines he has regularly had to pay on her behalf for speaking ill of the Tsar and his family. Yet she is also persistent to a fault, and the idea of letting someone get away with something in secret is completely foreign to her. Though she finds it difficult to control her tongue, Tatyana means well, and the knowledge of the trouble she’s caused her father has planted a regret that she can’t quite shake.
Psychological Evaluation: Ms. Volkov is for the most part of steady mind and level temperament. She seems able to handle stress with ease, being able to skillfully maneuver a conversation in a direction she prefers with individuals who might otherwise be hostile.
Yet she displays three issues of concern: first, she can be exceedingly passionate, and while this is itself no bad thing, it has led to lapses in judgement; second, she craves some form of control over her own life, and while she is dexterous of mind and emotion enough to manage small instances of capitulation, she begins to grow anxious whenever such events are prolonged; last, she is rather defensive toward any mention of ill toward her father, and even the mere suggestion that he may go to debtors prison for their accrued fines leads her to spot off in anger and frustration, followed soon after by depression and guilt.
Possible Agitators: The year after the expedition has taken a severe toll on Tatyana’s psyche. Plagued by nightmares, she is easily triggered by negative reference to homeland, affiliated party, or father. She wears a gold chain around her neck that bears a charm of some kind that she keeps hidden carefully in her clothing, and she resents any and all reference to it.
 
  • According to Plan
Reactions: Red Thunder
THOMAS "TOM" O'REILLY|| NAVIGATOR

Medical Report
  • 30
  • Male
  • 6ft/198lbs
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Distinguishing Features (In case of postmortem identification)
    Thomas is a sturdy and tall young man of firm muscular build that gives away a man of heavy labor and a dedicated soldier. At the first glance, other than his physical fitness, he is recognizable by his unruly chestnut hair that reaches down his neck, as well as his simply maintained facial hairs and overall rugged, almost careless looks, and masculine facial features. Deeper into the recognition, one would meet eye to eye with a nicely detailed dagger tattooed along his forearm. Another specific feature one would able to recognize him by is a deep, long scar at the left side of his neck, as well as the bullet wound scar in his lower left abdomen. His teeth are well maintained and healthy, providing another way of identification would all else fail.

Curriculum Vitae
Work History: Growing up an orphan inside a humble and crowded church orphanage served as a catalyst for the fast growing up and fast leaving the church believes behind him. As soon as he was remotely able to dress and feed himself, he was sent out on his own, traveling and surviving by doing small jobs for those willing to pay him for it. He quickly developed diverse handy skills making him Jack of all trades, but it also came with developing a stubborn and rather brawly personality that often got him in trouble. Seeing a potential in the boy, the captain of the steamboat transporting the elite of British society took him in as his apprentice, patiently teaching him maintenance tricks and briefly dabbing into the skill of navigation and venturing as well as reading and writing, once he's seen the boy's interest about many diverse naval topics.

Developing a rather close relationship with the man, Thomas was deeply struck with anger and grief once the old man succumbed to cholera after being bedridden during his final days. After the steamboat came under a new management, Thomas was stripped of his duty. At the age of seventeen, once again thrown onto the street, he enlisted in the Army. The weight and the responsibility military life carried, served to cement the growing nihilistic vision of the world he had. After years of doing his country's bidings and putting his diverse skills including the navigation through the hostile and wild areas and terrains, and with the war once more appearing on the horizon, Thomas sought for a needed mental rest from the chaos. Money offered for a simple jungle exploration quest seemed too good to pass on. Too good to be true perhaps, but the dangers of the unknown hardly ever affected anything he'd put his mind to.

Personal Statement: "You either have faith, or you see the truth."

Notable Skills: Navigation, repairs, unlike many men his age and background he knows how to read and write, tactical offense, sailing, good swimmer, skilled in hand to hand combat with or without the weapon, firearm usage.

Notable Accomplishments: As a soldier of thirteen years, Thomas has a significant number of successful missions led and completed whether in a group or alone, as he was mostly eager to join in the fights on the bloodiest of battlegrounds, skillfully tackling the challenges at hand without many questions to ask.

Character Assessment
Temperament/Personality: Thomas is not the easiest person to get along with. Even though he is fully cooperative and responsive to his group's needs, individual personal issues of people are none of his concern. Even though he does not lack empathy in his mind, he is hiding any signs of it like snake would its legs, as he maintains unswayed and firm image of a stubborn, business-oriented person with no time for sappy bonding. As argumentative, sarcastic and cynical as he is, he has a tendency to throw people off at the first glance as unapproachable, cold and stubborn. He has a hard time trusting people and their deeds, but those able to win his trust and consideration do so fully, thus making a betrayal ever so harder for Thomas to forgive.

Psychological Evaluation: Thomas approaches any issue at hand completely calm and collected, even if he is personally disturbed by it. He believes showing no weakness saves him a lot of nerves and thus any emotion weighting down on his mind is mostly him combusting instead. Regardless of his heavy past and a lot of heavy things witnessed through his military career, Thomas is of sound and stable mind, able to make a decision that is the best for the group in the most stressful of situations.

Possible Agitators and Stressors: He is a light sleeper, and every sound out place could cause him to react. One would think that by now he'd get used to it, but he never made himself become a fan of a heavy firearm use or a loud gunfire. Other than that, he is not a fan of tight spaces and even though he manages to keep his cool for the most part, passing through dark and narrow spaces is certainly where his calm and collected state of mind is challenged the most. Being prone to brawl, agitating him verbally is quite easy, even though turning it to a physical brawl takes a wrong word, wrong time and certainly the wrong place.
 
  • Sweet
Reactions: Ritual Lobotomy
Note sure if this is the right area to post.. Is this still open?
 
Note sure if this is the right area to post.. Is this still open?

Yes! I should have given a more concrete date... It closes March 13th!
 
FINLEY ELLIS || BOTANIST
Medical Report
  • 23
  • Male
  • 5’10 / 170
  • Cardiff, Wales, the kingdom of England
  • Distinguishing Features (In case of postmortem identification) -
    A bright young ginger man of slight and average build. With flaming red hair and bright blue eyes Finley sticks out like a sore thumb along with his pale skin that is incredibly unfit for the sun. A little (a lot) out of training it is clear from his physical shape that Finley grew up fine and in high society where he wasn’t expected to do anything else but the basics. His bright eyes and unblemished skin and face also suggests that the male has stayed cooped up inside for his studies more than that he ever was out. All in all, he is an unremarkable and very average young Irish and Welsh mixed gentleman that seems to have randomly decided to enlist into a dangerous expedition.

Curriculum Vitae
Work History: An upper-middle class gentleman of Irish and Welsh descent from Cardiff a harbour fort near the sea. It was always believed that Finley would go into the same business as his family, being grown and located into such a central point of business. However, Finley hated the sea and the waters and much prefered to stay on land instead. While there were still plenty of opportunities left, seeing as none of his family members had to risk taking the sea, Finley also dreamt of going away. Such the young man chose for a career and path away from his family and into an unknown field.

He started his studies young. From asking the servants to keep a plot of land for him to grow his herbs to setting off into university for the greenhouses in another town. However, with his mother’s interference he was always under their control and influence. Expeditions he didn’t get to make a lot, samples he studied were often second-handed to him from his seniors and teachers. Finley barely got any first-hand experience. This changed when he was notified of an expedition far away. One of his professors had pulled Finley to the side to whisper the news before it was made official, knowing that the ginger was jumping for a breakthrough alike. Before his parents could even gain air of the plan Finley had signed himself up, made it to the final selection and was chosen. The Ellis boy was to sail out, whether they liked it or not.


Personal Statement: “I think this is it? I mean, I’m pretty sure it is! I think? No, sorry, I mean it is...” (a/n: “Question everything.”)

Notable Skills:In theory Finley is a greatly accomplished botanist, but it is left to be seen how he fares outside when the skills needs to be called into practise. As a trained botanist Finley knows how to preserve plants and flowers and how to ‘read’ them for any signs of what they might be and what they might do. Having spend most days pouring himself out over papers and sketches Finley has committed a large amount of flora and their names to memory.

A very random skill that has nothing to do with him being a botanist is an immediate instinct of knowing what flavours will pair up nicely, or how they will pair, by mere imagination and smell.


Notable Accomplishments: Helped and edited papers on methods of plant preservation. Invited and contributed as an illustrator for educational books. Started a distilled drink business with university friends, helped out in the allied fraternity tavern as a distiller, but also as a known mixer of crazy concoctions.

Character Assessment
Temperament/Personality: Easy going and at times a little meek. While from good birth Finley feels incredibly out of place with society, preferring to bide his time and observe so that he may know what to expect. Despite this Finley is no coward or a doormat. With great determination and stubbornness the male will push himself to cross boundaries and resolve to keep and stay safe. In short, a friendly and genteel young lad that just needs to explore the world a little more.

Psychological Evaluation: There is no denying that Finley lacks confidence and experience in life. Used to the constant badgering and interference in his life Finley has made few choices in life by himself which makes him at times incredibly indecisive. Along with a tendency to doubt his own capabilities the male also has a tendency to second-guess himself which results into quiet argumentative monologues with himself. However, if he forgets himself for a while there is a hidden determination and finesse sleeping within that is bursting to come out.

Possible Agitators and Stressors: Being a ginger gives him a certain disadvantage against the sun. His skin that is unable to tan or to protect him from the sun being the first of the many disadvantages he is at. Being generally unused to the roughness of expeditions and sleeping in a tent Finley will need time to adjust himself to his new adventure and the lifestyle that comes with it.
 
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PETER O’KEEFE || RIFLEMAN


Medical Report

  • Age: 28
  • Sex: Male
  • Height/Weight: 5'9/170 lbs
  • Country of Origin: Galway, Ireland
  • Distinguishing Features: Peter has perpetually ruddy cheeks, giving him the look of someone always out in the cold. His eyes burn an unearthly green from a rugged face. There are a few faded yet noticeable whiplash marks criss-crossing his back--courtesy of a stout, Catholic upbringing. In his pocket, he always carries a copy of the Bible, which is written completely in latin. Not that Peter minds--he's illiterate anyways. Simply its presence is the one thing that comforts him.


Curriculum Vitae


History: Peter never knew his father. Like most Irish bastards, he was raised at one of the many nunneries dotting the landscape. His in particular--Our Lady of Mercy--was almost overrun with fatherless children and disgraced, single mothers. In the sea of faces that flooded the nunnery, it was hard for any individual to stand out. But Peter certainly made his mark throughout those hallowed halls. Unlike the other children there, his mother willingly gave him up. She was a rich Englishwoman, albeit a promiscuous one. A wild affair with an Irish sailor resulted in a pregnancy, and rather than be the scandal of her family, she decided to get rid of the boy before it was too late. Peter was an unwanted child, and he knew it; his childhood was filled with troublesome behavior and wild fights, as if he wanted to beat out his fury on the grounds themselves. At age sixteen, he finally ran away from the convent and picked up a job loading shipments at the dockyards. They paid him miserably for it, so he began supplementing his income with illegal boxing matches at the warehouse after hours. He was an instant hit. But after a fateful fight with the son of a British noble, the boxing matches were broken up, and he was tried and convicted.

Surprisingly, his mother was the one to bail him out. By now she was guilt-ridden and unhappy, having been trapped in a miserable marriage and having no other child but him. Determined to make him successful, she pulled some strings and got him signed onto an army expedition headed for Africa. He was twenty, but still new to the world. He had never been anywhere but Galway. So it was with wide-eyed expectations that Peter was thrust into the heart of the wild. Initially, he was sign-on simply to protect cargo, but as they reached further into the depths of Congo, disease and tribal attacks made their numbers dwindle. After their main rifleman fell ill, Peter was hastily used as his replacement, and the small entourage quickly recognized his skill. It then occurred to Peter that he could potentially make a career for this. So he signed on for another one, and another one, and ever more projects, until the jungles and plains of the world began to blur together. Personally, he has no stomach for what he’s doing, especially helping out the English empire. But he’s come to realize that perhaps this is simply just what he does best. His last job was spent helping out an expedition into the northern reaches of Australia. An unfortunate incident left them stranded in the desert. They were rescued soon enough, but the event did absolutely nothing but fuel his unease for the job.

His bad luck followed him into Siam. Employed by the ambitious American Mr. Green, Peter found his mission cut short with the explosive news of his fellow rifleman's suicide. His taste for adventure and coin shriveled up, and he returned once more to Ireland, more determined than ever to retire from his line of work. There was no home for him to be welcomed to. Having been a man of travel for so long, he hadn't bothered investing his hefty paychecks into anything worthwhile, least of all a proper home. It was by chance that he reconnected with a young lady named Delia, who he used to be sweet on when he was younger. The young woman was found to be in dire financial straits, and being in a compromising physical state herself, Delia was hardly in a position to do arduous work. Peter--rather frankly--proposed a solution. Wed in simple taste, they settled together in a comfortable home in Dublin, where Peter could find more sustainable work.

He was not expecting to receive an invitation from Mr. Greene soon after. The letter was torn up promptly after being read to him, and Delia, much to her credit, tried in vain to sway him to reconsider turning down such a proposition. After some time, the stubborn Irishman finally relented and agreed to Mr. Greene's request, but only with the intentions of this being his final contract.

Work History:

Peter spent a year being trained in the army before sent to his first detail, a small unit in England. Then, he spent a year in the Congo before being sent to India for six months, his last Army mission. Becoming a gun-for-hire, he took on and off jobs in the countries of Congo, India, and Nigeria for a few years before returning home to Ireland. After his mother died, he fulfilled an extended contract in Australia, before moving on to the inconclusive expedition in Siam.

Personal Statement: "Life's a fickle one, I tell you. Best to enjoy it to the fullest 'fore the bastard slips away."

Notable Skills:

  • A quick thinker and strategist. Takes curveballs to his plans in a stride.
  • Has decent skills with all firearms, although he’s more of a pistol man himself
  • Has been in and out of fights--staged and on the street--most of his youth, so is quite capable of fisticuffs if the need arises.
  • Light of foot and limber. Good for ambushes and scouting ahead.
  • Has general knowledge of different biomes and civilizations.

Notable Accomplishments: Refer to History and Work History


Character Assessment

Temperament/Personality: His background deeply rooted in Catholicism, Peter possesses a superstitious nature. His job requires him to be cautious, but superstition has made him look for danger in the smallest of things. He wouldn’t consider himself paranoid, simply vigilant; a single cloud in the sky could mean rain, and when he’s set his mind to it that it’s dangerous to go out, it’s almost impossible to dislodge him from his position. He has a high regard for human life, and while he may dislike Englishmen and their reckless expeditions, he’d sooner cut off his arm than see one of them get hurt on his watch. Not to say he won’t complain the whole journey through.

Outside of dangerous conditions, Peter is quite an outgoing man. Endowed with an easy countenance and generous spirit, Peter is able to interact and associate with people from all walks of life, even some of the more prickly characters.

Psychological Evaluation: Although he'll never admit to it, Peter suffers greatly from loneliness. He hates being by himself for great periods of time, and is quick to latch onto others when the opportunity arises. Due to his own troubled beginnings, some part of him is always worried that the people he grows close to will someday leave and never return. This is partly why he continually travels the world, never staying in one place too long, never knowing another person long enough to love them. He is a worrier by nature, and has an almost nervous energy about him and in his interactions with people. Whether he likes you a lot or likes you little matters not--he frets over the safety of others, which causes him great stress.

Possible Agitators: Recklessness and arrogance are never good things to have on an expedition. Individually, both are detrimental to safety, but put those two together, and you’ve got yourself a fine Englishman. In the eight years he’s spent touting those pompous people around, he’s never seen more idiotic, stupid, and impulsive actions in his life. If members of his party insist on not listening and doing things he knows is dangerous, you will feel the wrath of him a thousandfold. Due to his vigilance--and sometimes fury--he hasn’t had anyone die while with him...yet.

He's also angered by blatant blasphemy and mockery of Christianity. You can call him any number of Irish slurs and get no reaction from him. In fact, he may even simply laugh at some of them. At worst, he'll get irritated and tell you to piss off. But take the Lord's name in vain? Now you're asking for a fight.
 
Alexandra Smith || GUIDE
Medical Report
  • 26
  • Female
  • 5'5 / 140lbs
  • Siam
  • Several Sak Yant tattoos on her back and on her left chest at heart height, offering her protection and good fortune in battle as well as ward off disease and protection from the ten sides of the universe

Curriculum Vitae
Work History: Alexandra Smith, also known as Alex, Al or Daeng (red) was born one starry night as the first and only child of Jack Barnaby Smith, an American soldier who used to serve at the Asiatic Squadron, forcefully drafted as he had a significant debt to pay to some porfessional poker player or another. On his first chance, Jack had desserted his unit and had fled to whatever place he could find refuge at. Eventually he made his way to Siam and settled down, making a living through various odd jobs, guiding expeditions and smuggling. That's where he got married to a Thai woman and had Alexandra.

The girl grew up as more of a boy than a girl both out of necessity and because her father had really wanted a son. Instead of learning how to embroider or keep a homestead, Alexandra was learning how to use a gun and survive in the wild of Siam. She had to if she wanted to stay alive and have somewhat a normal life. Her mother passed away when she was twelve years old and having to live with only her father on a rundown vessel that served as a house and a smuggling vessel, only added to Alexandra's already rebelious nature.

Over the years, Alexandra learned the ins and outs of the Siam less appealing side and grew a skin so tough that few things could ever possibly break her. She started working with her father and, when he eventually was claimed by malaria, at the age of 20 she found herself a full fledged smuggler with a good network which she expanded over the following years, making friends and enemies from Westerners to native tribes deep in the jungle.

However, when a certain fool offered a very very hefty reward for a guide, Alexandra decided it was worth the risk. She wanted to expand. She had no one left to keep her in Siam and the smuggling business was enough to keep her afloat but not exactly enough to get her anywhere and boi! did she want to get places and carve a bigger place for her in the world.

Personal Statement: "You better grow a spine or you'll be toothpicks before the day even ends."

Notable Skills:
  • Navigation
  • Knowledge on people, useful and dangerous flora and fauna of Siam jungles
  • Survival techniques
  • Ingenuity and improvisation
  • Basic Muai Thai
  • Impressive knife and decent gun skills
  • Knoledge on smuggling routes

Notable Accomplishments: Just surviving on her own the way she did is an accomplishment, but for more specific milestones, she established her hidden smuggling headquarters at the age of 21. She had a couple of run-ins with the local authorities that she managed to escape sucessfully either by making daring escapes or by cashing out on favors here and there. She recently landed a life debt with one of the jungle tribes for saving the chief's teen son.

Character Assessment
Temperament/Personality: Alexandra is patient, sarcastic and ingenius. She also has a sneaky, calculated risk taking side in her that goes hand to hand with her no-bullshit policy. She is blunt and brutally honest if it doesn't place her in any immediate risk of losing her life or a limb. Though not a huge believer of the supernatural, she does believe in the power of the Sak Yant and she makes a point in keeping her tattoos recharged. She is not exactly a religious person and she tends to follow Buddhism instead of Christianity when she needs some spiritual guidance and/or help.

Psychological Evaluation: While Alex might appear as one of those can't-tie-me-down types, she really wishes she could have a family once more. It doesn't even have to be more than one person, but after spending so many years watching her back and distrusting people right from the bat, she yearns for that one person that she can relax, allow close to her heart and be herself without any restraints. However that natural distrust of people has been ingrained so deep into her fiber that it is very hard for her to see the good in people that stick around her for more than a casual everyday interaction and never seen again.

Possible Agitators and Stressors: There are not a lot of things that can stress Alexandra. She is used in stressful situations and thus it is hard to lose her cool. Unless we're talking heights. She absolutely hates heights. And Posh snobs. Usually arrogance without the necessary backup to justify it is a sure way to get her annoyed. It will show as sass and snarky remarks or mocking and it will move to aggression if the behavior persists.

The lack of personal space or being snuck upon, especially if she is sleeping, are a certain knife up your throat and threats of physical harm depending on the severity of the 'offense'.
 
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Bertrum Jerome Tristan Hentschel Wingrave Pendleton || Doctor

Medical Report
  • Twenty-Nine
  • Male
  • Five feet and eleven inches/Eleven stone and nine pounds.
  • High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, Great Britain

Distinguishing Features (In case of postmortem identification)
A well built individual, Bertrum has the althetic frame of the ammetuer sports man. Well groomed, his blonde hair reaches just to the bottom of his ears at the sides and just above his blue eyes at the front and he is clean shaven as a matter of habit. His finger nails are kept well trimmed and thoroughly clean, to which end Bertrum often wears light leather gloves that match his outfit.

Outside of office hours he will often be found wearing a combination of his cricket whites with some slightly jauntyl trousers and a sports jacket. He often walks with the aid of a stick though there is no known reason for this other than fashion and more likely that not will have a pipe about his person.


Curriculum Vitae
Work History: Bertrum was born very much a member of the genteel class. Second in line for a hereditary peerage, he can count a Vice Admiral, a Law Lord and a Duke amongst his close blood relatives. While the Pendleton family estates are rather meagre compared to many of their relatives and peers, Bertrum was still educated in a manner befitting one of his station.

After attending Weatherby’s Preparatory school in Kensington he moved onto Eton college before winning a place at Cambridge to read medicine. This choice caused some raised eyebrows his family. Reading classics or perhaps law would have been a more conventional option for a young man such as Bertrum. On the whole though, this choice didn’t cause too much friction. As the second son of the family, Bertrum was expected to have a career and medicine was still a very respectable choice.

After graduating fourth in his class with a full Blue, the young Mister Pendleton rounded out his education with a nine month grand tour of European capitals. On his return to England he began a residency at a small but well regarded medical practice in Epsom, Surrey, a position secured for him by an uncle. While not a remarkably brilliant doctor, Bertrum proved to be perfectly competent practitioner of medicine and soon earned the respect of his colleagues. Most of his work came in the form of General Practice though he also had plenty of chances to exercise his surgical skills.

His idea of joining Mr Greene’s expedition to Siam took Bertrum’s friends and family quite by surprise. They hadn’t really thought him the type to go in for such things. When questioned by his employer about the choice, Bertrum’s reasoning was that he would rather like to see a little more of the world before settling down

Personal Statement: "How one comports oneself under pressure is the truest test of character."

Notable Skills: A doctor of good training and several years experience, Bertrum has a good overall knowledge of medicine as well as a plentiful experience in performing surgical procedures. Regardless he has a collection of journals to, in his own words, keep himself sharp.

Fluent in French, Italian and Latin.

A rather nasty swing bowl that was the bane of the Oxford University Cricket Club for some years.

Notable Accomplishments: Graduated fourth in his year from Cambridge as well as being awarded a full Blue for cricket and second team colours for the shooting club.

Character Assessment
Temperament/Personality: Quite, calm and steady. Bertrum has the understated, self assured confidence common amongst the upper classes and the amicable bedside manner of a physician. For the most part this makes him quite an agreeable individual to spend time with. He is not particularly fond of talking about himself at great length and he will steer conversations away from difficult subjects for the sake of keeping the peace. He is not a pushover though. He will stand up to those he feels are being rude and deliberately uncouth.

Psychological Evaluation:As would be expected of a medical man, Bertrum is not one to rush into things. He prefers to take a measured and methodical approach to problems, thinking on the evidence before committing himself to a course of action. This is not to say he is indecisive. When a path has been decided on, Bertrum is not one to welsh on it lightly.

Possible Agitators and Stressors: Having lived a life of comfort and privileged, expedition life will be quite a change for Dr Pendleton. In a similar vein he will likely be expected to perform medical procedures in conditions that would be considered somewhat less than ideal. Additionally, the expedition will almost certainly place the young doctor in close company with those whose personality he might find rather gratingly unrefined.
 
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