Cal Johnston [+]

Name: Cal Johnston.

Nickname: The Guerilla.

Age: 28.

Appearance: Cal stands around 5'8" and weighs about 140lbs. He is Caucasian, lightly tanned with dirty blonde hair, he keeps it short but with a medium length beard, and dark blue eyes.

Outfit: Cal wears a dark brown hide vest over a black shirt accompanied by a similar colored wide-brim hat. Other than that is his light tan pants with boots.

Occupation(s): Hunter/Trapper and Guide when he ain't busy.

Biography: Cal was born in the small town of Serenity on the very edge of the wilds. It was a damn dangerous place to live at times, not the irony was lost on is founders nor the people living there, but the townsfolk kept the bandits and outlaws at bay with some well placed rounds often enough for everyone to live decently enough. There was little in the way of technology to be had unlike in the big cities so Cal adopted the survivalist mindset of his family and friends preferring simpler means of living out in the country. The farms around the town were successful enough that the town didn't starve constantly but hunting was often used as means to fill up hungry bellies and so Cal's father took to it often having a fair bit of success later bringing his son with him who started to learn all about it. Sure he was crap at it when he started but eventually the young man learned how to shoot a rifle with the best of them feeling most comfortable behind the sights of his father's rifle then his own afterwards. Hunting and later trapping became something of a passion and he felt it was perfect fit taking patience as well as know-how which appealed to him and as he grew up he started moving between a few of the other fringe towns working around them as well.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows because coping with the danger of wildlife can't always prepare you for other people. Cal had his lesson when a marauding gang started harassing Serenity far more persistently than normal and having grown up well he had no intention of backing down from the ruffians. His gumption got the best of him and with his patience pushed to the wayside he ended up with a bullet in his side and memories of the rather hardened bandits laughter. It took time to recover and in that time the ruffians managed to overpower the local Sheriffs effectively taking the town for they're own which hardly sat well with the townsfolk. Cal took it upon himself to put together a few dedicated people who began to use the tricks they learned hunting against the bandits. Setting nasty surprises in the form of traps and ambushes to whittle away at the self-proclaimed "owners" of the town who quickly found themselves losing men left and right. The man who shot Cal found a knife in his throat eventually and his boss bit a bullet shortly after from his lackey's gun, the young guerilla kept the pistol as a memoir and as a very effective defense tool.

Since then he has gained more of a reputation for his hunting and trapping than his guerilla attacks on persistent ruffians moving around for more and bigger game also becoming something of a guide for anyone who catches him in town or camp and offers a reasonable price for his service.

Equipment: Survival supplies, a couple portable traps(around 4), an 1874 Sharps Rifle(Ammo-12 rounds) with an optional scope, one Bowie knife and a couple hunting knives in various straps, lastly his Volcanic Repeating Pistol(Ammo-16 rounds) which he liberated from a bandit.

Skills and Flaws:

Hawkeye: The man has exceptional shooting skills particularly at longer ranges where his target won't even know what hit them or from where.

Patience of a Saint: Taking a nasty shot can leave an impression on someone and in Cal's case it only made him realize rushing into something was rarely a good solution.

Survivalist: Spending days or longer to get his prey outside of any civilization has left the man with a know-how when it comes to hard living.

Not dull but far from smart: Cal has practical knowledge for his lifestyle but he never had the best education or really very much at all.

Silent but Deadly: Despite working around as he does the hunter doesn't find much use for small talk though he will speak if necessary.

Busy hands busy mind: He can't stand sitting around doing nothing so he will find something to keep himself occupied which could be any manner of menial and often small tasks just to stay busy, which has often led to the annoyance of travelling companions.

I thought we might be missing the not entirely civilized hunter who likes his knives and traps.

Finally finished. There ya go!

*******

Name: Simon Graves

Nickname: The Sandstalker

Age: 28

Appearance: Simon is half-Caucasian and half-Apache. He has russet skin and long raven black hair, yet he has light blue eyes, which almost blend in with his sclera. Though part Apache, he is actually of average height, only 5'8" tall. He's quite slender, despite his broad shoulders, weighing only 130 lbs. Though slender in physique, he possesses enough muscle to give him deceptive strength. He possesses a scar over his left eye, a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek, and numerous other scars, ranging from blade wounds to bullet wounds, and some burns, scattered about his torso. He's clean shaven with a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and squared jaw; his features are, otherwise, angular.

Outfit: Simon wears a long black trenchcoat, cowboy boots, slacks, wide-brimmed hat, and a white cotton shirt. He wears an ordinary belt, a gun belt that slings across his left hip, and a sheath for his knife on his right hip.

Occupation(s): Bounty Hunter / Assassin

Biography

The History of the Sandstalker [+]

Simon was orphaned as a child and was found by a poor family. He was raised like one of their own for some time. When he was eight years old, the town he lived in was raided by a group of bandits who called themselves "Jackal's Crypt." They murdered and looted just about everyone, taking the women and children to sell as slaves to stronger gangs or to the powerhouses of the cities as "Indentured Servants." Simon was one of those children. After the traumatizing event of watching everyone he loved die, friends and family alike, Simon became an antisocial child. He and the other children were tossed into separate cages from the women and teenage girls. The conditions were poor and sickness grew rampant during the long weeks of travel. Most children died of starvation, thirst, and exhaustion; the women and teenage girls fared slightly better, though their fates were far worse in comparison. Simon, though a young child, became feral rather quickly and cannibalized the dead children, and the surviving children followed suit. The gang grew amused by the boy's practical senses, far from being disgusted by the boy's desperate attempt at survival.

Thus, they took the boy in as one of their own, nicknaming him "Graves" after they put him to the task of disposing of the bodies; which he did by personally digging twenty-seven graves with his bare hands. After trading off the surviving children and women, all of whom were haunted and gaunt by the cruel experience of Jackal's Crypt, the band returned to their headquarters out in the middle of nowhere with Simon in tow. Simon started out as their personal servant, performing odd jobs and tasks. When he did something wrong, he was punished in a brutal fashion. As he grew older and more defiant, they nurtured this growing rage the only way they knew how: more abuse and humiliation. When Simon was 12 years old, he killed a man for the first time. A member of Jackal's Crypt who continued unwanted advances on the youth, which then turned to force. When the man fell asleep, Simon slit the bandit's throat after scalping him, carrying it to the other members of Jackal's Crypt. Unlike most gangsters, who would have killed the youth, they respected him. Simon was then taught many skills, such as how to shoot a gun using live people for target practice and knife-fighting against other members (which usually resulted in death).

At the age of 16, Simon defected from Jackal's Crypt, seeing it as a perverse way of life. Merely wasted talent. Simon traveled the barren wastes of the planet, eventually succumbing to dehydration and exhaustion. He was rescued by a tribe of folk who preferred a simpler life, away from the big cities and small towns. They were a nomadic group of people, who used the "Old Ways" to live. When brought back to perfect health, they taught Simon how to survive in the barren wasteland. He lived with the group for five years before leaving.

Now, he lives as both a contract killer and a bounty hunter, using his talents as a means to survive. A life full of risks, with much to gain.

Equipment
Long Barrel Colt .44 Revolver, with a custom 7-round cylinder -- Ammo x21
Combat Knives x6 (one in each boot, one in each sleeve, one behind his back, and one on his right hip)
10-feet of Rope
Garrote Wire

Skills and Flaws
Marksman: Simon is skilled in the use of guns and has much potential in their uses. He is able to manipulate his own breathing to keep his shots accurate, perhaps with pinpoint precision. Though he is capable of using a myriad of firearms, his preferred gun is the revolver; however, he is willing to settle down with a rifle if he needs to kill his target from a great distance. In addition to this, he is an excellent knife thrower.
Flaw: Simon does not possess the capacity to be "compassionate" or "sympathetic." He is a sociopath and is unwilling to budge over an issue, even if someone begins a tear-filled speech about how the children are the future. He's a cold-hearted killer, following calculations and logic to achieve his goal; everything outside of his objective is inconsequential, at best.

Knife Fighting: Simon grew up learning how to fight in hand-to-hand, to the point of fighting with knives. He seems to have a knack for gauging his enemies and striking in just the right place, knowing how to adjust the knife's angle and where to gut the bastard that thought challenging him was a smart idea. It is a rare talent to effectively fight with knives and win. His skill with knife fighting coincides with his skill for marksmanship, allowing him to be even more dextrous, throwing even the most unbalanced knives with deadly precision. Though not quite a skill, just a show of his dexterity, Simon can perform many tricks with his knives, some of which are dangerous and should never be imitated by amateurs.
Flaw: Simon does not possess any technological skills that are outside of the range of guns. If it doesn't go boom or bang, it is beyond his expertise and he is more than willing to pay someone else to handle the technological aspects of his bounties or contracts.

Stealth: Simon's most frightening attribute is his natural state of being silent. For every breath and every step he takes, not a sound can be heard. His bloodlust is masked by cold calculation and hollow determination. Simon is a natural hunter and he can follow his prey, even using techniques to mirror their walk and to synchronize the steps into a single sound. It is an uncanny talent and with the shadows as his ally, Simon can easily get the drop on just about any unsuspecting target.
Flaw: Simon is damned good at what he does. If a job requires him to kill everyone on the train, he will kill everyone on that train, even his own partners if they begin to grow a conscience. As a whole, he's too good at his job, to the point he would follow any and all prerequisites to a T. However, if he is told not to kill everyone on the train, only Mary Joseph Christ, then he will kill only her with little to no casualties.

Tracking: Simon is good at tracking his targets, making him exceptionally perceptive and intimidating. He can notice even the most slight scuff mark or indentation and can analyze which direction it would lead. He is also able at reading people who may know the target and can intimidate them for information. Coincidentally, this skill also helped him survive the harsh desert world, allowing him to find some sort of game or source of water. All in all, this is Simon's most versatile skill.
Flaw: Ultimately, Simon is a loner. He does not play well with others and if he's forced into such a situation, he will find some way to make them useful enough to not be a burden. He does not actually care about their lives and his only goal is to survive. If he leads a team of 10 into a heist or bounty, they have the option to either do as he says or they can be his meatshields; under his command, they will have a use one way or the other, and if they die, they did more at that moment than when they signed up with him--- catching a barrage of bullets and lessening their load of ammo.

@Alan Hawke I got my man chasing a wanted criminal, Abner Hogan, In search of a missing woman and the chance of vengeance. Perhaps Johnson could be after Hogan as well?

@Alan Hawke I am, if nothing else, filled with ideas of varying quality.

<Snipped quote by Nevix>

Considering how this is going, do you mind if I play Abner just so this can be more interesting for the pair of you? I mean if you want to, that's fine too.

I'm headed to bed guys, g'night all

@Alan Hawke By the time we get into the actual plot? This'll be small potatoes, hombre~