[hider=Damien]
Real Name: Damien Strand
Alias: Nomad, Wendigo, or just Cowboy 
Age: 54
Gender: Male		
Metatype: Human
Specialization: Vehicle Rigger

[hider=Image]
[img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/84/45/42/844542136d397879b477cc4d0669f5e6.jpg[/img]
[/hider]

Appearance: Damien tends to stand out in UCAS territory due to his style of dress, always in his leather coat and usually wearing the his vest beneath it. Never having tried to blend in with the locals. He moves with a sense of determination, though he's got a limp that clearly favors his right leg. Despite his active life and exercise it's his age that's starting to show the most. His face is weathered and worn from long hours on the open road. His hair and beard both graying and the former receding, and if cyber eyes were able to convey emotion Damien's would show a man who's given up on believing in things.

He's a man used to being on the move, even if he's not open carrying his rifle he's still got it nearby along with most of his worldly possessions. In fact to see him removed from either of his vehicles for any length is something of an oddity to the point that his hands might start to twitch as if he were reaching for the handlebars of his Growler.

Personality: "What's the saying? Don't fuck with an old man in a young man's game. Yeah something like that." As a long standing member of the California Rangers Damien is, by all accounts, a cowboy. Individualistic by nature, he had to survive when backup was usually far out and never timely. Always having to make due, to squeeze every ounce of life from his rides, his drones, and his guns. He's a practical person, never paying much mind to complex ideals or philosophies. Instead he judges everything and everyone by the merit of their work. Which has lead him to have a generally unwelcoming look about him. Though in reality he can be quite welcoming if others can stand his gallows sense of humor. Even though he left the Rangers he's no deserter, as far as he's concerned Cal Free gave up on him, and so long as someone's got his back he's got theirs.

To him Running is just coming out retirement, the pay is still low and the work is still dangerous. He knows he's been out of the game for a while but he still believes he's got a responsibility to pass on his hard won wisdom. Like generally trying to use non-lethal weaponry when it comes to security and civilians, though he doesn't shy away from brutal efficiency in regards to gangers (especially Yakuza) and other dregs. Dregs, of course, being anyone without his sense of discipline. Over the years he's become far more careful in his actions, well aware that he's grown physically slower, so if there's going to be violence he'd rather be seeing it through the eyes of a drone or the scope of his rifle. Though he still hopes for the Johnson that asks him to assassinate a bottle of whiskey, that'll be the first job he ever considers doing for free.

Bio: The California Free State, one colossal fuck up after another. It's like something in the soul of California requires chaos, either in culture, government or in geology. So what does that say about the men who fight for her. The Cal Guard, The Desert Rats, the Rangers, the Vistas if you wanna count a bunch of Elf hatin' loons, and about a half dozen other rag tag militias. Hell if it wasn't for Hestaby we would have the lost the Northern Crescent years ago. It's like they say "Welcome to California. Now go home."

I ran in those shadows for four years, not much other work for a kid like me at the time. Oh sure I did some odd jobs at the Oil fields, maintaining equipment, trucks, the odd drone, but the only thing worse than being poor in Cal Free is being Meta. So I did whatever it took, mostly running guns or illegal tech. Occasionally we did some Humanitarian work and helped move the Meta's out of the State. It wasn't easy, we lost a lot people between Apache raiders, Local Go-Gangs, competing warlords, and of course Corp Security. So I went to the only place that actually seemed to be holding together, I went to China Lake and joined the Rangers it wasn't any safer but at least it seemed...Stable.

Like I said though California [i]needs[/i] chaos and stability [i]never[/i] lasts long.

When the Ring of Fire hit Japan we all thought the Japs would fall back to their own country, give us a chance to start putting the pieces back together. No one could have expected Saito, the Cal Guard was gunned down in LA and I was still under the knife, getting a Control rig installed, when the japs headed inland. By the time we'd lost the capital the Rangers had already taken horrendous losses and we turned to hit and run, out goal turned from beating the Japs back to just stopping their advance. Still I felt like I had something to be proud of for once, we fought the Japs on both fronts, while holding back the Tir, Aztlan and the Pueblo Corporate council. California was fractured as bedrock. But She endured.

She endured for 10 years, with the Japs halted at the Central Valley. 

And once again California turned mad.

With the destruction of the Monticello Dam in 2072 we earned our first victory over the Japs, it only cost 100,000 lives, trillions of dollars in damage, and thousands of acres of farmland. All the while the one's responsible, so called California loyalists, were more than willing to lynch meta's and...anyone really. It was a hard thing to admit that the Cal Free was doomed and eventually I realized that we didn't have any 'good guys' left fighting, we only had bad and worse guys. The Golden State was dead, we'd been fighting for the State of Confusion.

 I'd spent most of my life in the Rangers, I was poorer then when I'd signed on, worn down, looking through a shiny new pair of cybereyes, and even less sure what was going to happen tomorrow. So I decided I'd had enough fighting for the Cal Free, I still had contacts taking the smuggling run through the UTE and Sioux nations, I could get to UCAS maybe find some work, maybe find something stable. So here's to the Cal Free may the San Andrea's crack open and swallow her whole.

Cyberware: Cybereyes (Left eye is a retinal drone, and the right is equipped with vision magnification), Vehicle Control rig
Loadout:
	Weapons: Cavalier Arms Crockett EBR Sniper Rifle(with detachable imaging scope, Shock pad, and Bi-pod),
	Colt American 2066 heavy pistol, and a survival Knife.
	Armor: Armor Vest, Thermal resistant and Non-conductive.
	Vehicles: Yamaha Growler with Rigger interface and Toyota Gopher with Rigger interface and Heavy weapon
	mount (Currently empty), basic auto mechanic tool kit
	Drones: 2 Lockheed Optic-X's with Sensor Suite's. 1 MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone equipped with 2 AK-97's
	Bio: 4 Trauma patch's, and 3 long Haul slap patches, Medkit
	Misc: Climbing gear and Survival Kit
[/hider]			

[hider=Opinion of teammates:]
[u][b]Traction:[/b][/u] I'll admit didn't think much of the gal when we first met. Didn't look like much of a decker to me and I'd heard some rumors that made me weary. Then again the word Yakuza makes my skin crawl. But I ain't so proud I can't admit when I'm wrong. She knows her business, hell she knows the wireless world better then I ever will. Then again, back in my day we didn't have internal decks. Anyways, between all our guns and magic it'll be nice to have someone to watch my back in the Matrix. And who knows, a couple years, some training, a few trips outside, and she could easily be the only one to retire. Not to mention she's got to be smart enough to not get back into the life.

As far as Damien can tell Traction is the one closest to being a sort of prodigy, someone he can pass on his knowledge to. He hopes to show her a few tricks outside the matrix and inside a drone. At least then if she does betray him, he'll at least have the last laugh when his lesson saves her life.

[u][b]Yegor:[/b][/u] I know the look he's throwing me, seen it plenty back in Cal Free. He's heard what California is like for Meta's and I ain't gonna pretend some of the stories ain't true, he would have been condemned to Orktown back home. It's a damned shame too, boy would have made one hell of a Jackboot in the Rangers. He's got the skill to be sure, especially considering the lack of actual training. He's got the drive, could have let the world drown him but instead...well in his case he properly just told the world to fuck off. The only thing he's missing is some discipline to keep his mouth shut and maybe teach him to pack a little lighter. Well he might not trust me, not sure he ever will, but he'll learn that even a Cal breeder can have his back. Who knows with someone watching his back kid just might make a name for himself.

Damien generally returns Yegor's outward coldness, not talking to the Ork unless he feels the need, usually to offer a point of advice or crude joke. It seems like the simplest expression of respect. Not quite sure of the Orks receptiveness to his experience. Damien intends to make damn sure the Ork lives long enough to prove he's worth betting on.

[u][b]Cath:[/b][/u] I'll be honest, I've never trusted a clever tongue, rather take an insult than a flowery compliment, and the magic? Well, out in Cal Free it's the shamans everyone trusts, the one's listening to spirits and conjurin',  well not me. I've been through the Mojave, and the shit I saw there... well, lets just say I'd rather have a ball of flame to my face than having a spirit creepin' around. Still It's nice to talk to someone who remembers a...different time, was going to say simpler but that'd be a load a' shit. She thinks she better then me I'm sure, after all an Elf at my age is still in her prime, while I'm grey and senile. So long as she tries to act pleasant in conversation we get along, after all we're the only one's here that really understand how to age a good bottle of liquor.

Damien is torn when it comes to the Elf, he respects someone aged like himself but at the same time can't really judge her work. After all she doesn't really work, not that he'll say that to her face. He knows the value of diplomacy in the shadows, but considering the long standing kill-on-site order that the Japanese have on Rangers he's just not used to it being effective. The magic however just makes him uncomfortable and he regularly tries to steer clear of the topic in conversation. 

[u][b]Recluse:[/b][/u] Did I ever mention I don't trust magic, I did? Well good, sure they ain't bad, plenty of 'em do good work, there's just something about it that makes my skin crawl. This kid's got some talent behind that rifle to be certain, to heavy a caliber for me, hard to stay on the move, but it's nice to know anyone creeping up on me has a cross-hair creeping up on them. Could do with some time in the desert, that'd kick his stims or get him killed, try rolling over and hope the problem will go away with Apache's around and you're gonna end up a bloody smear behind trailing behind their bikes. I've used Longhaul plenty, huntin' raiders or pulling a long stretch under the hood, but overuse is risky business, and the Deepweed that'll ruin him.

To Damien Recluse looks like the Rangers, damn good at what he does but just worth the investment of his own time. He respects the skill but simply can't get behind the shortcomings. Maybe if he could leave the stims and take some initiative he could make a name for himself in the shadows. As it stands it looks like once the team moves on Recluse will simply fall through the cracks.

[u][b]Kali:[/b][/u] What in the ever lovin' hell? I seen ten shades of crazy back home, but never thought to [i]imagine[/i] this. And we fought a Jap Divison that called themselves 'the flesh eating mask', I ain't makin' that up. This though, gal should be twenty years dead with the way she goes off. See, this is why I don't trust magic, none of it, dries up sense like the fucking Mojave of sanity. There's no advice to give her, no helping, no standing within a ten foot radius as far as I'm concerned. Frankly I think I actually prefer her brain-dead on a BTL at least then I can get work done in peace. I mean come on, she rides a damn Suzuki, a fucking Jap bike! 

If Recluse is like looking at the Rangers, Kali is the fucking Cal Free personified. Mad, fractured, and bound to get people killed. Yet somehow, and despite numerous bets otherwise, she's still alive and still a thorn in Damien's side. As long as she keep to the BTL's and far away from Damien the two can at least suffer the others existence. The minute she tries arguing that Suzuki is a better bike than...well, anything but a scooter really, is the day he startes looking for a BTL that'll instill permanent brain damage.
[/hider]