@RumikoOhara Question: While you said everyone is familiar with certain skills, you also said to rank them on how "respected" our characters are with them. Does this potentially mean that we can put the skills you listed in your post to show that our character happens to be one of the more skilled people at something everyone knows?
If you want to be a better Horseman you can be, maybe you're one of the best singers in town or fisherman. I know the last two skills might not seem all that important but singers were always welcome in the old west or at gatherings in general and a good Fisherman well fish are food after all
Sorry I should have added that any skill even the Trooper skills like lance, whip, club, bow...... Any Skill, I can even see doubling up if someone wants
Name: Jain Petra Roe Age: 22 Description: Height: 5'10" Weight: 145 Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Red History: My name is Jain Røe which my mom said meant Clearing in Norwegian or Farmer...maybe it meant both after all its been nearly 15 years since my mom told me anything. They say the old world is gone but how can it be while I can remember what it was like? No, it will disappear with mine and my Girl Friends children who will be born into this new world knowing only this reality and the past found only in pictures and books.
If my opening statement wasn't clear enough then I'll make sure you know right up front that my parents died in the first days of the end of the old world and I was found by the Band and took into the creche that they'd formed to take care of children just like me. The first 6 months I was like all the other 10 and unders caught up in trying to act like the world would go back to the way it was; the way I wanted. But then one day our teacher was trying to get us to do the simple work and we just wanted to play and it dawned on me how hard all the adults of the Band worked to keep us protected and fed.
Lucky for me I made my decision to earn my keep 7 months before the Council passed the Work measures which stated all children not under apprenticeship would be immediately placed in critically needed professions like Baker, Tanner, Weaver or Farming; I was working with Mr. Brightside the Gunsmith who kept me because he is a Ginger hair like me and so were his family whom he'd lost.
I studied under him till I was 14 and my skills at hunting surpassed my gunsmithing skills in critical necessity; you see I have a talent at stalking which I can't explain as my family wasn't the hunting types.
It was while training as a Trooper I discovered I had a talent at stalking and was moved to the Scouts where I trained under Mr. Raintree the head of the Scouts.
Well it's the Scout's Life for me it seems and when I get ready to settle down and do my part as a mother I will become a Mule Breeder then maybe a Captain's Hat and a Company of my own.
Skills: Hunter Skilled in stalking game or people Jain is able to track her prey over the roughest terrain and move through the forest in silence leaving so little trace that her mentor needs to bring his best to follow her. Archery Long distance running If the old world still existed Jain would have possibly been an Olympic Marathon runner Other: This is Danny my mount.
"You guys should smile more! I mean, it's practically the end of the world and we might be the only settlement alive but come on, that doesn't mean we have to mope around!"
Name: James Ryder Blaise
Age: 21
Description: James has sandy blond hair and gray eyes. He has a lean athletic type of build, it being reminiscent to a runner than a fighter. However, this certainly doesn't mean that he's weaker than average. Taming panicked horses takes a particular amount of strength after all. He stands at a height of 5'9. He's usually seen wearing various button up shirts, pants and sneakers.
History: Honestly? James doesn't remember much about where he was from or much about the old times. He vaguely remembers a ranch and a bunch of farm animals. He even remembers a horse by the name of Klaus, a white maned stallion, which he used to spend time with. There were also his grandparents who smiled and cooked, taught his sister and himself about a lot of things. He vaguely remember saying goodbye to his sister daily because she goes to school.
Fifteen years ago, the Blaise family boarded a plane for America. It was a leisure trip for family time. They bid farewell to the grandparents and to the animals. It was meant to be only a month-long trip. Within the month, unexpected things began to happen. The hotel they stayed in was secure for a while. His parents would mount scavenging patrols with other survivors. The hotel fell after three months thanks to a troop of bandits who thought it would be a big score. The Blaise family managed to escape the terror of the bandits and continued on.
A year passed and his mother succumbed to he illness and was promptly buried. James was being taught by her older sister, Valerie, to read more advanced books. His father worked hard to feed his children and taught them how to survive. All this was a little too much for the young James Ryder Blaise, seven years old, but he took the advice in stride. His father always taught him that there was no way they were going back to hoping that the old world would come back. However, it became apparent that his sister would be the one who would have more trouble making the transition as James was young back then - too young and practically didn't remember much about it. Two years later, his father perished after being cornered by a bunch of zombies. James and Valeria had escaped unscathed thanks to their smaller frames which they used to squeeze through the blockade; unfortunately leaving their own father to die. He had wished them luck.
Valerie, aged fifteen, took charge. The two prove to be resilient and with time, they became a dynamic duo. Life proved to be hard on the both of them. After all, a teen and a pre-teen couldn't possibly survive very long in a world like that. They got into their own tight spots but with Valerie's quick thinking and James's quickness, they got out safely. All the while, both of them collected educational books for Valerie to teach her brother. They would often camp out in schools. Living with only the two of them forced them to gain skills they would otherwise learn when older. They had to grow up quickly after all. Despite all this happening to them, the two never failed to be jolly and optimistic while still being realistic. It would prove them no good if they just brought themselves down with their attitudes and they probably wouldn't survive if they kept being pessimistic. Valerie, at first, kept up appearances around her brother - acting happy for his sake. However, she soon grew to actually be happy thanks to her brother's constant energy.
Luckily, at one occasion, they encountered a scavenger group from Lasthope. At first, Valerie (17) and James (11) were cautious and tried to intimidate the group into leaving them alone. After Larry Wenston convinced them that they were allies and that they could help, they brought the two back to Lasthope. The two were at awe with what they saw. A community of actual humans working together for a better future. They were both immediately treated for any injuries and, after, was trained to become Troopers. As a child, James would often be found with the Veterinarian, Jonathan Meyer, and learning all about it. As they both grew up, Valerie proved to be a wonder on the field. James, while useful on scavenging and hunting parties, showed great skill in being a veterinarian under Meyer's guidance. The town had decided that James would be part of reserved Troopers or Scouts and would focus mainly on learning under Jonathan Meyer.
Five years ago, Valerie perished thanks to the same illness that claimed their mother's life. James was shaken and they allowed him two days to recuperate from the loss. He only needed one. He was then tasked to mostly stay within grounds to help the aging Jonathan with his work. He would mostly be seen inside Lasthope, but can be ordered to go on a patrol. He's rather fond of reading books so he can usually be seen holding one. He's been looking for various titles which his sister used to speak fondly off and expresses interest on reading more about them. Because, come on, from what Valerie had said, Shadows of the Wind sounded like an amazing book and he couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, none of the scavenging parties have ever gotten their hands on a book like that. They were mostly simply for educational purposes instead of leisure. James made a point to look mainly for these when he's assigned to a scavenger patrol.
Profession: Veterinarian-in-Training / Scavenger
Skills:
Medicine - More focused on being a vet than a doctor for humans, he is learning the profession from the current veterinarian. He has shown particular skill in this profession and has a way with animals. He's admittedly a quick learner.
Runner - Young and nimble, he's a pretty good scavenger thanks to this. This also allows him to climb up tress pretty fast since he does this a lot as a child.
Adaptability: Put James in any situation and he'll be able to calmly think about what to do next. He doesn't panic as quickly as others.
Appearance: Raphael has made his own attire, reinforcing it as and where it begins to get threadbare or he feels it needs more armor.
History: Raphael was born a military brat. His parents met in the service, and married. Military regulations meant that one parent was usually deployed and that he moved around a lot. Some people may begin to resent such a life. Rafe saw it as a series of adventures, and the opportunity to see something new.
This routine continued until shortly before the outbreak went public. Rafe was with his grandmother as both parents were among those activated to try and prevent the end of the world. Unfortunately, Raphael never saw his parents again. His mother could have survived; As she was aboard an aircraft carrier last he knew. Raphael was unable to dwell on his parents as he had his grandmother to look after.
Luckily they were in a small gated community outside Portland. The first few months were fairly easy. Rafe would make the occasional foray for the medicines his grandmother needed, or for something he wanted. It was on these ventures that Raphael developed his preference for stealth; A skill he further developed as he grew older. Sadly his grandmother passed while he was on a run. He returned to find the little community in shambles.
They had traded and worked with the group that would eventually found Lasthope, and so the youth sought them out and joined them. Even after moving he continued making scavenger runs; Even if it meant he’d have to sneak off on his own. This behavior most likely contributed to the work measures being enacted. Rafe however didn't stop even after the rule changed. If assigned to something he didn't want to do he would sneak off.
He would always return with something someone needed, or something the council desired. This offered him some protection from punishment, his exploits however drew the attention of Mr. Raintree. Rafe’s size made him a natural in Trooper training, his predilection to stealth and years of practice made him a natural for Scout training. A requirement was that he’d stop sneaking off alone.
After finishing his training Raphael disappeared into wilderness for days. He’d return usually with something the scavengers couldn't find locally, and if asked he’d admit to sneaking into Portland from time to time. Sometimes what he brought back was something strange. Of course the strangest thing he ever came back with was Athena.
Raphael raised the puppy, training it to respond to a combination of words and gestures. She became Raphael’s primary source of social interaction. Rafe gets a number of strange looks when he holds public conversations with the animal.
Skills:
Scavenger: Raphael has a knack for finding what he's looking for, almost as if he knows exactly where to find it.
Stealth: Rafe is infamous for his ability to just disappear without a trace; An ability he uses to assist in his scavenging.
Sewing: While he has received a number of compliments for his abilities in a scrap, Raphael has always been commended for his skill with a needle and thread. Especially for what he’s done regarding his own clothes and the dog's harness.
Athena is Raphael's constant companion, best friend and dog. She is a quiet dog, barking only when the situation calls for.
Athena wears a homemade harness similar to the image above. Rafe constructed it based on the tattered remains of one he discovered. The harness allows Raphael to hoist or lower Athena to another level where necessary. It has a number of small pockets and like Raphael’s clothes Athena's harness is also armored and upgraded when Rafe finds something that he thinks will improve it.
First off sorry I disappeared but Monday I passed out and went to hospital; turns out I did have a concussion from the fall I took last week and the local hospital’s MRI wasn’t up to the detail my doctor wanted so I had to go to Denver to have the scan and then wait two days for my doctor and whoever he was working with to come to their decision.
I bruised my brain but just barely because they decided not to drill a hole in my head to fix it.
My mother was of course so fretful I wanted to ship her back to the UK so I could have some peace; love my mother but like her ilk she is programed to worry and annoy doctors. I’m tired so tired after all the strress and finally home even though my mother is insisting on staying with me for a few days...what joy.
