Name: Dakota Hendricks

Alias: The Performer

Age: 25

[hider=Appearance][img=http://oi57.tinypic.com/69guti.jpg][/hider]

Job: Outlaw

Bio: Dakota's past was a traumatic one. His father was a violent drunk, often coming home in a rage and beating Dakota or his mother. Because of this, Dakota learned to avoid his father early on. He would time his comings and goings from home to keep his father from seeing him. Eventually even this was not enough, as his father didn't have a set routine every day. Sometimes Dakota would time him wrong or assume he was leaving when he wasn't. These little blunders resulted in more beatings. He had to learn to sneak in the darkness to avoid the drunken man. He had to become a shadow.

At the age of 16, Dakota had had enough. He was sick and tired of creeping around in his own home, so he packed up the few possessions he had and left. He felt a little guilty for leaving his poor mother alone with her violent husband, but even if he stayed, what could he do? The man would just attack them both if he ever tried to stand up for her and as a young teen Dakota didn't have the strength to fight him off. So, he went on his way to make a living for himself with no money and just a loaf of bread and some apples to tide himself over until he found a job.

But no one would hire him. It was too risky to employ a runaway teenager, they said. They always gave him a small amount of cash out of pity and sent him away. After three weeks of the same result, Dakota decided he had to change his approach. He entered what he called the "actor" phase of his life. His first role was "The Orphan". Dakota would prowl the streets, a desolate, starving child with no family to care for him. He learned to pick out the people who would fall for his guise most easily. From them, he would get food, money, clothes, and the occasional place to spend the night. He spent a year doing this until he realized he could be putting his talents to better use and getting more out of his sympathetic victims.

Dakota's next role was "The Critic". He would roam the streets of the marketplace, holding his head high and carrying himself in a self-important manner. He would look over the vendors' merchandise with a scrutinizing eye and begin to question them about what they were selling, as though it were inadequate. While the vendors were distracted and flustered by his random criticism, he would snatch a few of their products and maybe some money whenever he ever had the opportunity.

Dakota traveled around and lived assuming different personas and aliases for the next three years, until a gang member took notice of what he was doing. The man approached him one day and offered to let him join the gang, saying they could use a fresh, young talent such as himself. Dakota happily obliged, thinking of how much more money he could get in a gang than by himself. Maybe he could finally save enough to get his own home and settle down. Maybe he could meet a girl. No woman in her right mind would even [i]think[/i] of marrying him the way he was now. He didn't want it to always be that way.

Maybe things were finally turning around.

At first, Dakota's admittance into the gang had seemed like a stroke of luck. He was making a lot of money at a rapid pace and even discussing putting an end to his days as an outlaw with one of the other members. The two quietly decided that this next robbery would be their last. However, their plans were snuffed out by an unexpected treachery by the rest of the gang. One of the more bloodthirsty members, Dwayne Robins, turned his gun on Dakota and his friend, shooting them both while the rest of The Prowlers pillaged the town. The two were abandoned by the gang to take the blame for the robbery and barely escaped with their lives. Dakota was furious at the betrayal. He put aside all thoughts of settling down and replaced them with vengeful plots against Dwayne and his crew. Now, he and his friend were traveling to Nevada in search of new blood for their gang.

Personality: Dakota has learned how to be very manipulative when he wants to be. He is able to con almost anyone into giving him what he wants, when he wants it. Among friends, however, he is a loyal companion: the type of person who always has his friend's back when they're in trouble. He has some trust issues because of his rocky past, so he has trouble getting very close with those who care about him though, often keeping to himself when something is bothering him. He tends to be in his head a lot; a deep thinker, but he can also be extremely talkative and witty when he wants to be. His outwardly friendly demeanor draws others to him and allows them to feel like they can trust him. A good thing for friends, but a terrible mistake for enemies.

Family/loved ones: Dakota left his family behind when he chose to walk the path of an outlaw

Weapons: Two colt pistols and a booey knife