Joseph Chester - If you were wondering why you don't see many centered sheets, it's because they're hard to read. - Consistently getting the farm's name wrong in the second half of your sheet and the too-many traits makes me a sad panda. - Stumps is not one of the only colored men working on the farm. There is an entire barn for the colored workers, which probably outnumber the white ones. - The first half of his history doesn't make a lot of sense applied to the real-world scale of segregation, but I can forgive that for someone unfamiliar with US history. - Unless he's contracted the world's slowest-moving gangrene, his arm isn't scabby/gauze-y anymore, it's a fleshy stump. He's more likely to experience phantom pains than he is to still be treating an injury, even of that scale, after two years.
Thanks for the feedback. I took account of your criticisms and your suggestions in the revision of the character sheet and also updated Stump's history so that it makes just a little more sense. The revised character sheet of Stumps is in the characters tab.
Anyway, no need for the apologies. I'd rather have a GM who's willing to take time to make quality posts rather than a GM who rushes posts. It's rare to find a GM like you these days who's willing to reject character sheets and give valid reasoning for that rejection.
Appearance 5'11" with a set of baby blues and an intensely imposing stare. He is not overbuilt in his physique, but years of working as a farmhand have left him toned and strong. The ends of his hair lighten to a sandy blonde under the heat of the Florida sun, with a darker brown growing in at the root. He is typically handsome and keeps himself clean cut and neat - trimming his facial hair short and his hair combed just so. He doesn't mind getting dirty during work, because of this, most of his clothing is stained with splashes and mixtures of oils, dirt, and paint. He is not a man who smiles often, or shows much expression on his face, but when he does smile he has a good set of straight teeth - a constant surprise to him that even after so many brawls he has yet to lose a tooth.
Personality A private man who fiercely guards the details of his life before he left the family home, he appears to have a somewhat unpleasant personality at first, and is a man of very few words. He can be contemplative and meditative, and those that he works closest to know very little about him. They would describe him as being introspective but likely with a past riddled with more filth than a Louisiana Bayou.
He can come across as rude and blunt, and is the first to throw a punch when a punch needs to be thrown. When given space from others, he very much just gets on with it and will soften around those that are less demanding on him and give him the space to be his quiet and contemplative self. Despite what may be viewed as some shortcomings in personality - he has been able to build up a solid reputation for himself as being an honest and skilled craftsman. People trust that when Lawrence does a job, that job will be done the best it can be.
History Born one of five in 1907 to a Preacher and his wife in Shreveport, Louisiana, Lawrence spent his early years under the iron fist of his religious father. He had only one brother, and three sisters. As the middle child he would often feel excluded and overshadowed by his siblings. Still, he tried his hardest to catch the attention and earn the respect of his father. The only time he would seem to get that attention was when his father delighted in beating him, it was an honor that seemed to only be bestowed upon his first born son - as his youngest sibling, James, was the apple of his father's eye.
Lawrence could do nothing right, no matter how well he read out scripture in Church, how he could retell the biblical stories, and no matter how much he prayed and worshiped... It was never enough. The actions of his father eventually broke his faith in God and religion, not to mention that God had never answered his prayers either... By his mid teens he was already a truly rebellious, reckless and troubled young man. He would get into fist fights, go out and vandalise buildings in the town, and would be a general nuisance - conducting disorderly behaviour on a frequent basis. It was never anything too serious, but it was serious enough to get repeated punishments from his father, and still, he never fought back.
By far, the worst beating he ever received came when his father discovered that Lawrence had torn the inside pages out of a bible and replaced it with a stolen copy of Wuthering Heights. How was Lawrence to know that that very night his father would reach for that old dog-eared Bible to read his scripture - only to be confronted with passages of a novel instead. Such novels were forbidden in the Miller household, what was Lawrence to do? It hadn't been the first time he'd done such a thing. Reading was one of the few things that he actually, truly, enjoyed. It provided him a quiet space away from his home. He got to visit better places by thumbing through the pages of forbidden novels.
When he was 19, he walked in on his father fiddling his youngest sister, Dorothy. It was to be the first and only time he found the courage within himself to take a swing at his father - he reached for an empty bottle and landed the blow to the back of his fathers neck. The first and only time he would strike back at his father would just wind up being another instance in which the the Preacher overpowered and humiliated his son. His sister scolded him for coming to her defense - protecting their father. Unable to understand why she wanted to protect him, and shamed from losing to his father again, he took off that very same afternoon and never looked back. He stole a few pieces of jewellery, some dining silver, what little cash he could find - pawning everything but his mother's crucifix necklace in order to pay his way out of Shreveport.
For a good 5 years he traveled around - jumping from job to job. He discovered on his travels that putting his hands to work properly helped to drown out the noise and make him feel less anger and guilt. He eventually reached Cypress Hollow when he was 24. By then, he had built up some decent skills in craftsmanship and mending things. He wound up taking on some continuous work as a farmhand and handyman on the Tackett farm.
A truly strange place for him to wind up, but for some reason he stuck around. There always seemed to be a fence that needed a new coat of paint, an engine that needed to be fixed, or furniture to be built. He kept to himself mostly, putting himself to good use by Henry Tackett, who unlike so many others he had worked for - really didn't seem to mind how rough around the edges he could be.
Inventory Crucifix chain necklace. Several farm tools kept on a belt
Okay, i had a go at fixing up the sheet. Toned down the father, and toned down Lawrence, and changed his traits up a bit too. I hope this reads better!
Elijah is a tall, stocky, hairy man with the physique of someone who gained muscle without trying to show off, or perhaps from a lifetime of labour. He has thick dark hair which he combs back, bushy eyebrows, dark eyes and a prominent mustache. More often than not, Elijah has faint stubble around his jawline, perhaps even the beginnings of a beard if he cannot find a razor. His nose is ever-so-slightly crooked and the lines on his face appear to be from decades of frowning. His hands are calloused but their movements are delicate. His nails are kept short for surgery - he wears no wedding ring and there are no indications that he had ever worn one in the past. He has no piercings and no tattoos, but he does have a few scars on his left shoulder, abdomen and knuckles.
Personality
Elijah is world-weary. He has seen most of what he needed to see in order to mature, has suffered enough, and consequently has very little time for people who want to make his life harder than it has to be. He has learned how to fight and fight well, but his aggression is held back by his level-headedness and common sense. He knows how to pick his battles and is very aware of his limits. He carries himself with stoicism but thereโs a faint warmth to his personality that makes him a little more welcoming than the other farmhands. For Elijah, law and virtue are less of a necessity - you could do anything you like if you could get away with it without being caught. He still operates under his own strict set of morals though, quick to be disapproving or to congratulate people for doing what he saw as โthe right thingโ.
Elijah does not strike the average onlooker as an intellectual and he certainly doesnโt boast about his book smarts, but they exist nonetheless. When he has some free time, he can often be found reading or studying in his chambers. He appears to be used to multitasking and doesnโt sleep as much as your typical farmhand. Waking up early and working hard from the get-go seems to be ingrained into his psyche. He isnโt the most friendly man youโll get to meet but once you gain his respect heโs loyal, honest and has a โtough loveโ approach - he tries to be as amiable as possible with his patients from the very start, however, as it is his duty to look after them.
History
Elijah grew up on the Graham family ranch all the way out in Kansas. He was the eldest, followed closely by his two sisters - Mary and Jacklyn - and then finally a little brother called Joseph. As the soon-to-be head of the household, Elijah was raised on the farm with the intention of inheriting it. Unfortunately for his parents, his aspirations went beyond the borders of his fatherโs property. He wanted to follow his own American Dream and take on a high-salary job as a surgeon in one of the big cities, like New York or Chicago.
In order to get his diploma, Elijah had to balance his work on the farm and his revision for his exams at school. This meant long days and short rests, sometimes willing his trembling and blistered hands to write that last paragraph. This life suited him well; he was not so much of a family man but he barely had any friends due to his obligations to the farm, so it wasnโt as if he was wasting his free time mucking around with other boys his age. When he had the chance, Elijah went to the park or the library with the few friends he had left; a bookish irishman, like himself, called Eric and a gangly dark-haired youth named Colton. Time seemed to slip by too quickly for the three of them. Before they knew it, Colton had signed up for military service just a few years before the war and Elijah had his qualifications to study in Jacksonville, Florida.
Whilst he was in the city, he noticed the distinct poverty of marginalised people in the streets. His parents were conservative xenophobes who worsened with the war; Elijah had no reason to concern himself over the jews, queers and negroes who struggled to make a living in and out of the underbelly. Nevertheless, Elijah was an opportunist; he saw a gap in the market. He knew that it was immensely difficult to find a doctor who would be willing to treat homosexuals and people of colour; he knew it was even more difficult for any of these people to become a doctor in the first place. Instead of moving out to one of the bigger cities for work, he decided to start a small practitioner's office in one of the seedier parts of town and, using a small loan from the local bank, bought the cheapest equipment money could buy to set up shop there in Jacksonville. His prices were cheaper than most but his market was narrow; white people could not even tolerate stepping into his GP office for a check-up, meaning he worked almost exclusively on low-income families.
The turnout was surprising. Instead of struggling to make a living, his target customers shilled out a decent amount to finally have a qualified doctor look at their wounds, bumps, rashes and infections that they had previously left to heal or fester. Whilst it did mean that Elijah was overworked and had some pretty nauseating patients to tackle, he found his cool shell of prejudice was beginning to slowly crack and falter. He began to see his patients not as exploitable profit, but as people - people who were immensely grateful for what he has done. Before Eli knew it he had a full address book of friends and found himself frequenting many bars and theatres reserved for coloured people. He similarly got his knuckles bloody a fair few times, both defending himself from those who felt he did not belong and giving a couple of shiners to anybody stupid enough to try and torment his patients. As the years passed he acquired enough money to buy proper gear - then another course for becoming a surgeon - then a house in the countryside.
It was around this time, after Elijah had settled into his new home and fell back into his old country roots of agriculture, that he received a telegram from one of his sisters. It was Jacklyn; she said it was an emergency and that she was travelling to Florida to ask for an irredeemable favour. When she did arrive, it was with a little girl in tow. According to Jacklyn, her husband had died during World War One and she was unable to feed both herself and her little girl, Alice, whilst simultaneously keeping a roof over their heads. She promised Elijah that as soon as she was able she would return to pick up the child. Elijah unquestionably agreed to look after his niece.
Elijah had never given romance much thought; the concept was foreign and unrealistic for him. Marriage, and even children, were practically inconceivable - and yet here he was, suddenly burdened with a ten year old girl and next to no prior experience. The first few months were exceedingly tough. Luckily he was able to get in touch with a few of the families he treated in the past for some life-saving tips. However, since Alice needed a stable education he could not afford to return to Jacksonville so he sold his old office, setting up a makeshift GP office out of his shed and taking commission requests in the surrounding villages.
From then on Elijah did his best to be a father figure for the little girl. He attended all of her pantomimes and talent shows, helped her with her homework and even taught her a thing or two about medicine as she grew up. When she decided that she wanted to try her hand at singing and acting, Elijah begrudgingly paid the fees and called in a few favours from his friends in the city. Whilst she was off learning some valuable life lessons, Elijah had the free time to work on his house a little - he started a proper vegetable garden and made himself a patio. Appointments were slow and often had him out on the trains every week but he usually took bookings for patients to visit his house as well to pad out his income. When the Great Depression hit, money was getting harder and harder to come by. He needed a steady and reliable source of income and somewhere to stay with his niece so he could save more money by avoiding all of the supplementary costs of living in his own property. He found a nearby farm, fairly isolated from the rest of the town, and offered his services as a doctor for bed, board, and a bit of cash.
Speech Color
Teal/Gray | #6096a4
Traits
Doctor - You have extensive experience in more advanced medical operations. +3 Craftsman - You can build appliances, furniture, and small walls. +1 Quick-Thinking - You can make use of improvised weapons, such as bottles, broomsticks, and fire. +3 Imposing - You are good at intimidating others, due to size or some other factor. +2 Learned - You are literate and have a relatively advanced education, in comparison to the common man. +3
Hot-Headed - It is sometimes difficult for you to think clearly.-2 Abrasive - You are rude, and generally disliked for it. -1 Slow - You cannot move quickly. -2 Loud - Your movements are particularly noticeable. -1 Heavy Eater - You need more food than most. -1 Queer - You are homosexual, which is likely kept a secret. -1
Alice fits the mould for American-Irish to an almost satirical degree. Her genetics from across the pond basically dominate her appearance, from the tightly curled carrot-orange hair cut so short on the sides that it's unruliness spills out over the top to the very composition of her physique; wide, childbearing hips are the final remnants of a curviness that struggles valiantly against the hollowing skinniness that gripped most of the populace during the 30s. Her breasts have shrunken under famine whilst the pooch in her belly tightened, as if her body was flattening itself under the strain. Her skin is speckled with many freckles all over, particularly on the face and shoulders. She is perpetually sunburnt. Her hands are still soft from the city life she left behind but beware the lumps of muscle on her arms and legs, for she wears them as marks of a different nature of toil.
In terms of attire, Aliceโs old life is scandalously reflected in the way she dresses herself. Her skirts are hemmed just a little higher than they ought to be and she covets makeup whenever she has the cash to spare. This reflects on the way she paints her face; starting with the pencil thin brows and working her way through green eyeshadow, powder, blush, and raspberry red lipstick. Of course, as the laborious effects of her new occupation take hold, Alice shall swap this for simply focusing on lining her eyes and brows to avoid looking like she is melting in the heat - but the lipstick never budges. It remains a symbol of what she has been.
Personality
All first impressions that Alice gives off through her appearance scream โHollywood Has-Beenโ, but you couldnโt be further from the truth. When it comes down to it, Alice is a seeker of experiences; a pioneer, she yearns for the new and the exciting in this world. Sheโs a thrillseeker first and a bar-singer second. Her sharp tongue and witty comments are more than enough to get her in trouble; it doesnโt help matters that sheโs as stubborn as a mule and doesnโt hold back when she gets mad. Often restless and always fidgety, Alice has a boundless amount of energy that spills into her everyday life and fuels her moments of irrationality, those famous โfuck-it-letโs-give-this-a-shotโ ideas that every young adult has been guilty of before.
Alice has a very dramatised way of living. She tries to include as many people as possible into the show, regardless of colour or sexuality - in the greasy underbelly of a cosmopolitan wonderland, anything goes so long as you look pretty. She gesticulates, jokes around, twirls, dances and skips her way through life. She is a very empathetic and perceptive individual but this reflects on the severity of her moods - when she is happy, she is elated. When she is sad, she can be flat-out despondent. Fear is paralysing and rage is all-encompassing. Her irrationality is in constant conflict with steady undercurrents of common sense and quiet wariness that a sharp mind and a solid upbringing has given her, which she owes primarily to her uncle. She has developed a ruthless survival instinct during her years alone in the big city that, when provoked, will spur her into doing whatever it takes to live - even if she must deal with the consequences later.
History
Alice cannot remember a time when she wasnโt on the road. Her earliest memories were brief and indistinct. Her mother was estranged from the family for (briefly) dating a negro; she hastily married Aliceโs father, who was a white middle class automobile salesman, and gave birth en route to their new home in Alabama. Mr. Hallark was conscripted into the war when Alice was 4 and died when she was 6. Her mother couldnโt afford childcare so after school Alice wandered to the small hotel where Ms. Hallark-Graham worked each day. She remembered doing her homework and sleeping in the lobby until it got dark, or singing along to the gramophone by the reception desk. When Alice reached 10 years old, the inheritance that her father left had started to run dry. Her mother became desperate. She helped her daughter pack her belongings into a suitcase and they took a very long train ride to Florida.
Once they arrived, it was an even longer walk to an isolated country house in the plains to meet a man that Alice had never met before. According to her mother, the man was her uncle; a travelling doctor who worked in the surrounding area. His name was Elijah Graham. Unbenownst to the little Alice, her mother had made arrangements for her to remain with Elijah until their living conditions could stabilise enough to start living as a proper family again. She departed shortly after leaving Alice in her uncleโs care, and Alice has never seen nor heard from her since.
Naturally, the first month or so of living with her uncle left Alice distraught for days, almost weeks on end. She wanted to go home - even though Elijah had worn himself out by repeatedly telling her that her old home had to be sold off and that this new and unfamiliar land was where she would be living for the foreseeable future. She had to make new friends at school and adjust to living in the countryside. She climbed many trees - and fell out of them. She watched, curiously, from the living room as her uncle brought the sick and the wounded into his office for treatment. As she grew older, Alice was in charge with cleaning and maintenance of equipment - she learned very basic first aid by watching her uncle perform. He taught her after school. With his salary, Alice was able to go to the shops and visit the funfair; she was granted a semi-normal childhood for a couple of years as she started to settle in.
During school holidays, they did not take vacations to different parts of the country; Elijah took Alice out on long-distance calls where his skills were needed as a sort of road trip. During these travels, particularly to large cities where doctors are always in short supply for minority groups, Alice was introduced to the sleazy American middle class - flapper girls, speakeasies, automobiles and movie stars as far as the eye can see. She was perhaps a few years too young to truly understand its dangers, but was enraptured by the glamour. It became something akin to an obsession; she idolised Josephine Baker, Bessie Smith, and Louis Armstrong. For Alice, it did not matter that they were โcolouredโ. She adored the way they carried themselves on stage and the allure of their voices. She also had the opportunity to see many smaller performances live, as being a doctor for the oppressed gave Elijah many favours that he liked to cash in when he had the chance.
This all backfired when, at the meagre age of 17, Alice absolutely insisted on following their salacious footsteps. She was still too naive to understand what it all truly meant but she was relentless in her protests until Elijah, furious and exasperated, got into contact with a man called Fred Olson to sort out a short, 3-week trial period in Jacksonville. Olson was a small-time agent for performers, specialising in singers and actors, and he owed Eli a fair amount for helping his wife with a series of birth complications after her first baby was a stillborn. Elijah forked out a significant sum of money, made Alice swear on the bible that she will follow Olsonโs every word (with the exception of using her common sense) and sent the girl on her merry way to learn about life the hard way. What he was not expecting was a telegram from Olson that simply said โI wasnโt expecting that,โ and several days later a flyer posted through his letter box with Aliceโs name and face plastered all over it. He had never heard of the establishment but he had his utmost faith in Olsonโs ability to protect the girl whilst she was in the big city.
The reality was decidedly less glamorous than Alice had anticipated. She was, by Hollywoodโs standards, a decidedly ugly character against the blonde pristine beauties on the silver screen. Her mass of freckles and unruly hair brought in the customers in the same way a dwarf brought in spectators at a freak show. It was her voice that kept them; a little rough on the edges but it gave Alice the charm and favour that she needed to survive in this ruthless business. As her โcareerโ started to pick up she became distinctly aware of the cat-calling and general harassment that was much more prominent in the city. There were no laws in place for these sorts of situations; were it not for her backup singers, Molly and Pip, it is likely that Alice would have found herself in a much worse situation than the minor slip-ups that she fell into during her first few weeks. These two women were much older than she was, decidedly past their prime and vehemently jealous of her opportunities. They mistreated Alice and toyed with her gullibleness but ultimately protected the kid as she made her first wobbling steps into show business.
Alice lasted in Jacksonville for around two years. She lost out on some vital education but brought in a steady (albeit pitiful) income, which was more than her classmates back home could boast about. Whilst she was there she witnessed the highs and lows of city life, tasted prohibited alcohol, lost her virginity and got into an embarrassing number of dive-bar brawls by being an unfortunate passer-by. The experience wrenched Alice from her fairly clueless country life into the gritty reality of the world and whilst it sobered her and gave her an indispensable gut instinct, it couldnโt penetrate the bubble of optimism that Alice had steadfastly grew up with. The moment the stock market crashed, Olson laid off almost a third of his clients - Alice included - as he buckled down to weather out the storm. Despondent at the sudden interruption of her โbig breakโ, Alice scurried back home to Elijah. Her uncle had visited regularly during those two years but it did not make Aliceโs return any less emotional for the young lady. She put her dress and heels away, kept the makeup on her vanity desk and tried to settle back into the routine - but the routine was once again turned on its head as the initial waves of the Great Depression hit with horrifying accuracy. With Elijahโs wallet starting to tighten, the duo decided that their discounted rates and commission fees could not sustain them alone and the stress was overbearing; they made haste to the Tackett farm nearby to offer their services, Elijah as a doctor and Alice as a โnurseโ - though the latter was primarily grouped in with all the other cleaning staff in the farmhouse. In this isolated ranch, it was their intention to avoid the worst of the stock market scare and return in the aftershocks to profit from them.
Speech Color
Mint | #93f9cf
Traits
Medic - You can perform basic first-aid to a certain degree of skill. +2 Agile - You are quick and light on your feet. +1 Quick-Thinking - You can make use of improvised weapons, such as bottles, broomsticks, and fire. +3 Observant - You are better at noticing traps, as well as your enemies' weaknesses. +1 Showman - You are a performer, skilled with impressions and disguises. +1 Quiet - You make little noise, and are adept at sneaking around. +2
Weak - You are not physically strong. -1 Frail - You have little stamina. -2 Skittish - You frighten easily, and have trouble keeping your cool in stressful situations. -2 Proud - You are unused to harsh living conditions or menial labor, and unwilling to perform degrading tasks. -2
10 - 7 = 3
Inventory
Alice owns a fairly large lockbox, to which she wears the key around her waist every day (because who in their right mind would shove their wandering hands into her blouse?) and keeps hidden away in the back of her suitcase under her bed. Within are mementos - photographs, drawings, letters, flyers from everything good that has happened to her so far. When she is having a bad day, she takes the lockbox out from its hiding spot and rifles through its contents. Make-up kits - in plentiful amounts, with varying degrees of quality. Formalwear - flapper girl dresses and all their accessories, alongside two somber gowns. Quite dusty. A pocket knife - You never know! A diary - This is kept separate from her lockbox and under her pillow. Hip flask of moonshine - You never know!
'Sup! Posting a CS as well. I'll admit its fucking challenging making a racist murderer an at least somewhat endearing and sympathetic character. Apologies if the bio is a tad too long.
Speaking of which, the "The Affair"-hider in the bio is a bit more of an in-depth look at a specific, character-defining event in Kenny's life that explains why he is who he is. It's something I could've reserved for IC, but IDK, it's always hard to me to judge what is better left explained and was is better left unfolded IC.
Another thing, I suppose; I have no idea if 30's medical science was capable or not of explaining Ray's condition and death cause, but I'm rolling with it for now until corrected, in which case I'll adjust accordingly.
I have a question as well; does this RP have a Discord? I just find it easier to discuss things through said app (or similar apps) than the forums. But hey, I'm willing to adapt.
Name Kenneth "Kenny" Blankenship
Age 27
Appearance Short and wiry, Kenny might be described as something akin to a weasel if it wasn't for his crippled right leg rendering him unable to move any more graceful than a drunkard with a limp. Many are the comments made by the fellow man that Kenny has had to hear about his knock-kneed gait - especially considering how he received it - and even more plentiful are the amused glances women give him. Unfortunately, Kenneth never was a looker to begin with. His nose, crooked from being broken more than a few times, is too large for his small face and his bleak grey eyes convey little else than despondency and disinterest. Kenny's chestnut hair is short but naturally thick and impossible to groom, something Kenny never bothered with anyway. By contrast his facial hair is nonexistent. Yet, for all his faults, plenty are those who would readily admit Kenneth has one of the most infectious smiles and accompanying laughter one could imagine. A strange juxtaposition which is endearing enough for some.
Personality Kenny is something of a shell. Superficially, he's commonly perceived as being callous, withdrawn, unlikable and dishonest - none of which is wrong, yet none of which is entirely accurate either. Kenny is something of a lost soul, someone so dissident yet lethargic that even the slightly-above-averagely perceptive person can pick up on the fact that Kenny is not necessarily as much of a dickhead as he comes across, but more-so a result of unfortunate circumstance and - perhaps - not truly a lost cause. Kenny can be witty and gregarious when he wants to, though he usually relegates himself to making snide remarks and hurtful comments; a way to keep people at bay.
Kenny is someone who desperately needs attention in the form of confirmation and affirmation. After living a life largely met with neglect and/or contempt, Kenny wants to be liked, yet is unyielding when it comes to letting people inside of his abrasive shell. Kenny is the kind of guy more likely to respond to affection or empathy with a biting "go fuck yourself" than acceptance, despite thoroughly wanting such attention. Moreover, Kenny harbors deep feelings regarding Negroes in specific. He was taught they were worth less as a young child, a belief cemented by a profound betrayal that left him scarred for life.
Speaking of the devil, the consequences of said betrayal has left Kenny severely emotionally distressed. He'll wake up in the middle of the night screaming or crying, usually unable to remember his dreams yet always able to tell what they were about regardless. His past has left him utterly unwilling to commit violent acts, and he detests the thought of killing (though he wouldn't admit it). The murders he has committed has haunted him for years, and he has so far been unable to find remedy. Somewhere deep down inside, Kenny has a fiery need for making amends and doing something with his life, but he has yet to find a catalyst.
History Born in 1907 to Robert Blankenship and his wife Margaret, Kenneth is the youngest of the couple's six sons and a local of Cypress Hollow. Robert was as the owner of Head On Inn a well-known and respected member of Cypress Hollow's community. Offering food, beverages and lodging, the Head On Inn was one of the more popular establishments in town. With their older brothers already helping out with running the inn, there was little reason for young Kenny and his youngest brother, Raymond, to do the same. Instead the two would from a very young age be allowed to follow their uncle Harold into the surrounding forests and swamps. Harold was a hunter and trapper and would often sell his game to his brother Robert for a discount. When Kenny was ten things would change dramatically, however. The four eldest sons of the family where all drafted into the War. Less than a year later three of them were gone. Edward died fighting, David died from pneumonia and Henry simply went MIA, presumably killed. Meanwhile Kenny's father suffered a heart attack and followed his sons into the afterlife, and when Thomas, the only surviving brother, came back from Europe he was not the brother that had left.
According to Robert's wishes, before he past, the eldest son Thomas assumed ownership when he returned. Left embittered and despondent from the horrors of war, Thomas did little good to Head On Inn. Kenny and Ray were hounded hard, having to help out with washing, serving, cooking and cleaning around the inn as well as receiving regular beatings from the older sibling while their hapless mother mainly spent her time softly weeping. Eventually uncle Harold had enough of Thomas misgivings. Although he could do little about the inn, Harold managed to talk enough sense (after beating him and putting a rifle to his temple, according to some) into Thomas to be able to take Kenny and Ray away. With Harold as their new guardian, the two kids entered adolescence somewhat hopeful.
Kenny spent the better part of his early teens following his uncle around, learning how to navigate the surroundings of Cypress Hollow by heart as well as how to live weeks-on-end in wilderness, using the local flora and fauna to your advantage. School suffered, but Kenny could care less. The runty little kid had, unlike Ray, never been a popular figure amongst the other kids anyway. Unfortunately the death's in the Blankenship family was not over yet, and in 1923 Harold was killed by a Negro. He had assaulted Harold in a botched robbery, ending up stabbing the man to death (years later, Kenny would hear that Harold was the one attacking the Negro, though whether Kenny could allow himself to believe this is another story). At the time, Ray was of legal age and worked at the local saw mill. He managed to take over custody of Kenny after Harold's death - a task no doubt made easier by the fact that Thomas had been sent to prison for extortion while their mother Margaret was an emotional wreck. Together with Kenny, Ray took over Harold's business. While Ray was the true talent at hunting, Kenny proved to be more than apt at trapping animals as well as constructing various shelters and watch towers throughout the country side, to the extent that he would get hired by other locals to build or fix whatever they needed. They had a good couple of years until the summer of 1926, when Kenny managed to fall for a Negro.
Norma Hines was a waitress at the Oiled Spleen, a weirdly named pub on the outskirts of Cypress Hollow which ever so slightly managed to make a turnover, mainly due to the demise of Head On Inn. The place was sparsely visited and with a crumbling interior, yet the prices were cheap and it was one of few places where a black female could gain employment. And so it was here that Kenny met Norma. She was hardly the first Negress that Kenny had met, but she was the first woman - black or white - that treated Kenny with respect. Not respect in the sense that a black woman would treat a white male, but because she didn't act that way. Whether black or white, Norma didn't seem to care. She was hardly a looker, but she was genuinely nice to those she felt deserved it, and Kenny was one of them. Granted, this got her beat up more than once by unhappy patrons, and Kenny respected her all the more for it. Hell, he knew he would never dare stand up to the guys she did, and yet there she was. Norma clearly wasn't the most intelligent girl, but she had heart. Judge then how elated Kenny was when Norma, though surprised, accepted to go out with Kenny in secrecy for a while.
Peace never lasts however, as many as said, and before long people found out about the affair. Unfortunately for Kenny, it was Norma's people who found out. One night as he was making his way home to his and Ray's hunting lodge outside of town, Norma's father and two of her uncles as well as Norma herself cornered him on the roadside. The three men asked Kenny whether he "was the whitey who raped Norma". Stunned by accusation, Kenny vehemently denied yet Norma herself persisted that he'd done it. At the time Kenny was dumbfounded, though he would later figure that she said what she did so as to not get targeted herself. Either way, Kenny tried to run away. One of Norma's uncle aimed his shotgun at Kenny and fired, blasting him in the knee. After falling headfirst into the silent creek on his left, the man with the shotgun closed in on Kenny and fired at his head. The shot merely grazed Kenny, but he flung his head into the water and played dead. The three men and Norma thought they had killed him and left.
Somehow, Kenny successfully dragged himself to the hunting lodge where Ray was sleeping, and his brother managed to take him to a doctor. Months went by, and although Kenny's leg healed well enough that he could stand on it, he would never be able to run (or walk swiftly for that matter) again. Ashamed of the reason he'd been attacked, as well as almost being killed by blacks, Kenny refused to give up the identities of his assailants, even though half the town knew the truth. Instead, Kenny decided to take matters into his own hands. The Hines family had hastily skipped town after the attack, and Kenny and Ray spent the better part of three months tracking them down.
A cold winter morning in 1928, the Blankenship brothers kicked down the door to the dorm house in Tulsa where the Hines stayed. Rifles in hand, they entered the place looking for Norma. Kenny had intended to let her live and ask questions, but someone - Kenny never figured out exactly who - managed to get hold of a gun and a bloody gun battle ensued. When the smoke cleared, four people were dead; Norma's parents, one of her uncles, and her little sister. Norma herself had been hiding beneath a bed but came out screaming, howling curses in-between tears at Kenny as he levelled his rifle at her and pulled the trigger. In total, six people where killed that day as Norma turned out to be pregnant at the time, Kenny possibly being the father. Local authorities protected the Blankenship brothers and no one was ever tried for the murders, the official statement being that the one surviving uncle (the same who had previously shot Kenny) was the culprit. He ran away and is yet to be found.
Following the events of 27-28, Kenny fell into a depression. He left Cypress Hollow for a few years, working on various construction crews in the south. Although Kenny was a thankful victim due to his short stature, comical gait and repressed demeanor, his talents did not go unnoticed. He was even hired to lead comparably large construction projects, the height of his career being the architect as well as principal foreman of the Cedar Springs town hall (another small town some 60 miles west of Cypress Hollow). Yet for all his success in his career, Kenny was never destined to go anywhere beyond that. He drank away his money, spending his days either alone and self-loathing or with prostitutes, constantly trying to keep his mind off the guilt he felt for what he'd done to Norma. It wasn't until 1932 he decided to return to Cypress Hollow. His brother had written, asking him to come home and help out with the business as Ray himself was suffering from a head injury sustained in a fight, causing him migraines and short term memory loss.
Kenny decided to return to his hometown, at least temporarily, and help Ray. Although Kenny managed to quit drinking, the two brothers didn't exactly make for a productive partnership any longer, and business declined for a few months after Kenny's arrival until Ray one morning never woke up. The medical examiner later explained that Ray suffered from a blood clot in his brain, and that this was likely the cause of his previous symptoms as well as his death. Kenny was devastated by the loss of his brother. Unwilling to continue their business venture, Kenny closed it down. He spent the next six months doing some transient work for the surrounding community, becoming something of a local original and spectacle with his silly walk, quiet demeanor and absurdly efficient handiwork. In 1933, after providing some repairs to property owned by Henry Tackett, the farmer decided to offer Kenny employment indefinitely.
Accordingly, Kenny moved out to the Tackett farm. In the past year, Kenny has been a jack-of-all-trades handyman at the Tackett farm, used for construction, repairs and sourcing food as well as teaching willing (or ordered) farmhands how to do said things.
* Kenny is a handyman's handyman. He's well-known for his uncanny ability when it comes to construction, whether he's waterproofing a shed, creating a garden or doing plumbing. ** Kenny is very familiar with the creeks, swamps, caves etcetera of the area as well as the flora and, more so, fauna in them. I figured it'd probably cost an extra point.
* Kevin never fought in the war, but he suffers from similar PTSD-related symptoms described above.
In total: 10 - 15 = -5 points
Inventory Various tools and materials corresponding to his trade and task at the Tackett farm. Everything from hammers, nails, screwdrivers and pliers to mechanist squares, spirit levels and building materials are to be found in Kenny's shed on the Tackett property. As for what Kenny's carrying on his person, it's usually a standard tool belt with assorted tools along with suspenders and a sturdy shirt.
Now, there is this trait called and described as "Churchgoing - You are of the righteous sort who might hesitate to kill". Kenny is, as mentioned above, very much hesitant to killing, but it doesn't have anything to do with religion. Should I pick this trait or may I simply assume it doesn't matter that much considering Kenny's well into the minus scores anyway, heh.
Just a quick note about The Affair. In 1920s Florida there wouldn't be any need for local authorities to cover it up. The fact three black men had assaulted a white man, even if there was an accusation of rape involved, would automatically confer a death penalty on the black men.
The real challenge would be to stop the local population from lynching the three before they managed to get taken into police custody. Even then the three would likely find themselves in serious danger of falling down stairs, tripping over and accidentally smashing their facers into the floor and waking in the middle of the night to find their ribs had spontaneously broken while they slept during their stay in jail awaiting sentencing.
Most black men around this time would've just moved their entire family out of the area as soon as they discovered Norma's relations with a white boy, rather than confronting him. In fact, they'd probably have moved out of town after she'd stood up to a disgruntled customer for the first time, to avoid the inevitable firebombing of their home the day after.
Now, there is this trait called and described as "Churchgoing - You are of the righteous sort who might hesitate to kill". Kenny is, as mentioned above, very much hesitant to killing, but it doesn't have anything to do with religion. Should I pick this trait or may I simply assume it doesn't matter that much considering Kenny's well into the minus scores anyway, heh.
The trait is entirely to do with the unwillingness to kill, and nothing to do with religion. The name is just for flavour.
We already had this discussion in depth over on Discord, when people were asking whether a character who would be willing to kill for religious reasons should have the trait or not.
Just a quick note about The Affair. In 1920s Florida there wouldn't be any need for local authorities to cover it up. The fact three black men had assaulted a white man, even if there was an accusation of rape involved, would automatically confer a death penalty on the black men.
The real challenge would be to stop the local population from lynching the three before they managed to get taken into police custody. Even then the three would likely find themselves in serious danger of falling down stairs, tripping over and accidentally smashing their facers into the floor and waking in the middle of the night to find their ribs had spontaneously broken while they slept during their stay in jail awaiting sentencing.
Most black men around this time would've just moved their entire family out of the area as soon as they discovered Norma's relations with a white boy, rather than confronting him. In fact, they'd probably have moved out of town after she'd stood up to a disgruntled customer for the first time, to avoid the inevitable firebombing of their home the day after.
<Snipped quote by cider> The trait is entirely to do with the unwillingness to kill, and nothing to do with religion. The name is just for flavour.
We already had this discussion in depth over on Discord, when people were asking whether a character who would be willing to kill for religious reasons should have the trait or not.
Can't claim I know all too much about the era (not even American, after all). In any case, what you say sounds reasonable. Kenny, however, was ashamed of almost "allowing" himself to be killed by blacks as well as having an affair with a black woman to begin with and thus didn't let anyone know (this is in the bio, but maybe it's not clear enough?). There were rumours to the point of it being an open secret however, and I can see why Norma and her family might've probably skipped town after the attack. Thus I've now rewritten that part of the bio to have Kenny and Ray track them down elsewhere instead. Thanks for the points!
@cider Sheet's good, but you have too many traits. Shave off a few and Kenny will be accepted.
OP didn't say anything about it so I didn't consider that. I can see now that you've said about max 10 on the last page though.
I figure "Crippled" might cover the "Slow" trait, so I've removed the latter along with "Abrasive" and "Fisherman", which knocks down the total to 10.
