WITS' Wonderful Works of Wittiness

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Hugh Van Halder
Age: 45
Race: Human
Description:

He stands at 6'2", a tower of years of built up muscle. He wears a dark earthen blue tunic over a white linen three button pullover shirt. He wears a pair of black shorts(under his pants) and a pair of dark gray hosen(medieval style pants). He'll wear a chain mail shirt and these pauldrons

additionally he'll wear leather knee and shin armor.
He wears a small gray hood and a bear fur cloak.

Weapons: He wields a large crude looking war hammer and a falchion. Additionally, he has one small crude throwing axe.

Biography: Hugh was once part of a great order of paladins. They had much land and ruled with wisdom. Their lands were prosperous and fertile. Many were jealous of their lands, but no one had the courage enough to take on the great and Noble order. Their paladins were fierce and formidable fighters. They all stood higher than 6' and were towers of muscle. They were truly terrifying men. But they were brought down under scandal. Fabricated accusations about them stealing their riches and enslaving other groups of people for labor. The scandals kept growing until they were set upon by every surrounding nation. They stood no chance. Many were killed, only a few escaped.

They have been long since forgotten, after being hunted for almost two decades, and killed off, until it was concluded that they were finally extinct. Hugh hid among tribes of barbarians to survive. The tribe was good to him, making him one of their own. He had built a life of simplicity. Some warring between other tribes would often end with them being brutalized and then integrated. Hugh had found love in a woman taken from one of the defeated tribes. He had a few sons and lived very happily with her, until they were set upon by a purge of the "savages".

Hugh's tribe was wiped out and he was orphaned once again. He had brutally killed all the "civilized" army he could, but it was too late. His tribe was all gone, along with his family.

He became a wanderer, and left to find life as a mercenary. In that life, he found an adventure awaiting him in a tavern. The tavern was filled with life, when he came in and joined up with a questing group. There he met a gypsy woman by the name of Sana. He got to know her going on this random little adventure with this party. It was all rather simple and jovial at first, until they were all taken captive by a lich. This lich tried to take Sana from them, and in that moment Hugh only felt desperation and rage.

He had slowly begun to realize that he had fallen in love with Sana, and that if he lost her nothing would change about his existence as a wandering mercenary, and he would simply keep losing people he deeply cared about. So he took a chance at love, and broke out of his cage in a fit of rage. He fought like a lion to get to Sana, finally winning out against the hordes of undead after his party came to his aid.

Since then, he's been a contented old soul, taking care of Sana and showing her his love for her, even though he has never said the words.

Demeanor/Attitude: Neutral Good. He mixes the bearing of a barbarian and a paladin. He fights like a barbarian and a demon, but talks and has the manners of a paladin. He has left being a paladin, and is more simple, contenting himself with the simple pleasures in life.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Wade
Race: Human
Age: 30
Class: Fighter
Description:
He stands at 5'8" and is more athletically built, if not for his slight beer belly. Otherwise the rest of him is well muscled. When not in his armor(the stuff he is wearing in the picture), he'll be wearing brown pants, with an earthen blue tunic(very much looking like a hoody), black leather boots, and a belt. Under that he wears a white linen shirt and small black shorts as undergarments.

Biography: He was born to a peasant family in a small plot of land owned by a simple lord. He had a normal peasant life for most of his teen years, until he was whisked away as a man-at-arms for a sudden war that no one really cared for except the lord, whom might lose his plot of land. Wade had grown up a very sheltered and inexperienced boy, not really keen to how the world worked or how brutal it could be. It wasn't long before they brutalized him into becoming a hardened man-at-arms, being an infantry man made him favor walking over horse back riding. As such, he doesn't ride, he runs.

Eventually Wade started taking up many different habits, all very distasteful, but all in the name of staying awake and alert or just being at ease. He was keen to smoke many different natural growing substances, such as marijuana and tobacco, never taking things that creatures created for the specific purpose of getting inebriated. Of course, he still drinks alcohol.

He's lost many friends over the years and been very bitter over it. He has taken a good share of beatings and wounds. His body is scarred and burned. If it were to be said, he has taken more mental wounds than anything else, having seen so much death since his early adulthood years. He's been part of genocides of people groups, mass slaughters. He's killed women and children. He was part of the purge of the savages, back in his early twenties. He remembers well the deaths of several different families during the purge, one in particular was at his hand alone.

After he made sergeant-at-arms, he was given a small plot of land. He left it in the care of his family, elevating their status, and taking himself off to adventuring. He hoped to one day bring many spoils home to them and retire from this life.

Skills:
He's excellent with bladed weapons, going for a standard loadout of a short sword and a round buckler. He's as proficient with a crossbow as anyone else. Normally you'll find him using anything as a weapon. Often he'll take damage, but because of his brashness, he tends to scare the more inexperienced attackers.

Equipment: He carries a shortsword, a round buckler shield, and a light crossbow. He doesn't carry very many bolts for the crossbow. He has his armor, plate, and a rucksack, filled with the assortment of necessities for travel. He also has a pipe with tobacco and another more powerful leaf(which he has a good amount of).

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Otis Yates
Age: 25
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 178 lbs
Description:
Biography: He is originally from Lansing, Michigan, growing up working. He started work as a warehouse laborer at 16, up until joining the army at 19. He went in as an infantryman with an airborne contract, thinking that it would be highspeed or fun. After getting through training and going to his unit, he was soon disillusioned and became a bit of a sham artist, becoming rather averse to working for the army.

He's been deployed once to Afghanistan while he was with 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg being his first duty station. He spent nine months in country. He never saw combat, as there wasn't much going on in country at the time of his deployment. Regardless, he became a very experienced soldier, remaining at the rank of specialist.

He's been at the rank of specialist for four years now and he doesn't seem concerned in the slightest about moving up on the ladder. He's never been one to care about the rank structure, and has been a particularly rebellious soldier. He just doesn't like pricks and pricks seem to gather in the Army. The worst part about pricks in the army is they ranking up faster than anyone else, and that leaves Otis very indifferent to authority at times. The words "fuck you, sergeant" have been heard on occasion from him.

You will rarely see him spend more than an hour on any detail. He's gotten good at escaping from work details.

Possessions: Two duffle bags and a rucksack, crammed with everything he has been issued by the army plus hygiene items and entertainment items. He also has a civilian bag filled with civilian clothes and an extra pair of shoes, a laptop, phone charger, and a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Other: He listens to loud metal, alternative, and Dropkick Murphys.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Cleon Mantis
Age: 23
Gender: male
Appearance: His uniform is faded from years of use and not getting a newone, as he hates spending the money on the military.

Position: Marine machinegunner, corporal.

Personality: Very laid back almost all of the time. It's rare to see him overly emotional. He has a very monotone voice and likes to talk in a new age hippy sounding way (copious use of the words "man", "vibes", and anything else that sounds less than intelligent). It's not often you see him, as he is an expert sham artist and manages to fly under the radar enough to avoid hundreds of work details. He can be found in different areas, with his uniform out of regulation and his hands in his pockets. All of that aside, he is anything but irresponsible, and is a very capable marine in the field and in combat. So calm, people have accused him of substance abuse on many occasions. He likes to be called the "Rooster". His favorite song is Rooster by Alice In Chains.

Notable skills: He can out ruck any marine any day of the week. He can carry the heaviest of loadouts, and is a squad machinegunner. He is very good at avoiding work and trouble. Very cool and calm under pressure. The last combat mission be was on he could be seen smiling as he fired his machine gun into terrorists and rebels, so we know he loves his job as machine gunner.

History: He grew up working under his father, who was anot engine mechanic. He grew under his father's tutelage, and his father wanted him to become a great engineer, but Cleon had smaller ambitions in mind. He wanted to find a steady job that would give him plenty of travel and a reasonable pay check. So he chose the Marine Corp. His father hasn't forgiven him since. His mother is the only one who talks to him, plus his siblings.

Most of his siblings were more educated than him and more academically inclined. He wanted more action and travel. Of course he didn't realize all the bothersome work details he would be in store for.
Cleon has served for four years now and shows no ambitions of leaving or moving up higher as he does enjoy doing his job, unless it involves a work detail.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Cyrek Krusek
Title: Welder, mechanic, hull repair.
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Stands at 5'8".
Facial:
Armor: When the situation calls for armor, he'll wear a plate cuirass
Clothing: His usual attire is everything picture along with a leather jacket that protects him from sparks while working on the ship.

Weapons

Miscellaneous items: Welding goggles, all sorts of tools which he keeps in a tool box, all for repairing the ship and any appliances.

Biography: He was raised by the owner of a scrapyard, his mother. He only had a mother, as he had been born out of wedlock, and had never met his father. As far as he was aware, his father was a one night stand his mother had and he knew little of him.

Cyrek was raised by his mother and her siblings. His uncle was a great influence in his life, teaching him all he knew about mechanics. He became mostly fascinated with welding, as there was a lot of welding to do in the scrapyards. He took up repairing the body of vehicles and aircraft as it involved the most welding. The jobs he did always looked rather ugly but worked well.

The scrapyards wasn't all that legal, in reality. They stole vehicles and aircarft, and tore them apart and started selling them for the parts. That was how the business always worked. The problem with illegal activities like this was they get the attention of either the law or other gangs. In this case, it was the other gangs. They ended up stealing the wrong crafts and got into a turf war with a drug running gang.

His long time girlfriend, who was a stripper(not exactly the best choice in women), ended up leaving him when the turf war started. She started a relationship with the son of the boss of the drug running gang.

This resulted in bloodshed on both sides, Cyrek losing his family to the scrapyard being burned and blown up. Cyrek ended up killing the boss, the boss's son, his ex-girlfriend, and burned everything they worked for to the ground. In the end, there were no winners in the turf war. Everyone had lost everything, and Cyrek could only start over.

He finally found his way into a position on James Renault's crew, taking up being a mechanic again. He mostly works as hull repair or any exterior or frame repairs that are needed.

Extra: You'll usually find him rappelling down the side of the airship, repairing cracks and replacing parts of the hull. Sometimes, he just enjoys the view. He can also be found welding on the interior of the ship, keeping the integrity of the frame intact.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Name: Cyrus Pendleton
Age: 45
Nationality: American, English and German descent.
Profession: Bounty hunter, quick-draw, ranch hand, cattle rustler, and sometimes farmer.
Appearance/Clothing:

Picture

He's 6'1". He's very strongly built, and can take a good beating. His hair is light brown, with hints of gray. His eyes are blue. He has a lot of hair covering his body(who the fuck "man scaped" in the old west? Nobody. That's who. Yes, I know that means hairy women, too).
He wears corduroy work pants, with suspenders. He'll wear either a dark blue or a dirty stained white pullover three button shirt. He usually wears red long underwear(onesie) underneath everything, if the weather permits. He wears two gun belts if the need arises(because he has two pistols). He wears black leather boots that go up just below his knees. He wears the same kind of hat in the picture. He'll sometimes wear a blue wool vest and/or a large black trench coat(weather dependent). He wears a earthen gray thin cloth scarf(it looks like a shemagh).

Combat skills: A fairly good marksman with the rifle. He can hit a man or beast at 100 yards with his Winchester rifle. He excels in close quarters with his pistols and can outdraw a lot of people. He can pistol shoot and horseback ride at the same time, able to be at a full gallop and still hit a target at 20 yards. He can street brawl and can use a lot of inordinate objects to his advantage. Usually when hand to hand fighting, or knife fighting, he'll take hits just to land better hits. He can go punch for punch with anybody. He lacks finesse in any fighting style.

General Skills: Horseback riding, hunting, trapping, tracking(learned from guerrilla war fighting during the civil war and bounty hunting and from when he was a sheriff), fire making, a little bit of bushcraft, and he can go a good distance on his own two feet with a rucksack.

Languages: English. Can read latin and english.

Weapons: Winchester rifle chambered in .44-40 winchester. A single action colt army, chambered in .44-40 winchester. A colt model 1871-72 open top, chambered in .44 Henry rimfire. Bowie knife.

Possessions: Clothes. A draft mustang. A few hundred cartridges dispersed between his saddle bags and rucksack. About 60 rounds between his cartridge belts for his two handguns. Each cartridge belt has 40 loops for 40 rounds. He uses the same rounds from his pistol for his rifle, so the one belt for his colt single action army and his rifle. He lets his other handgun hang from his saddle, using it for when he is riding and firing(not all that often). He also has an assortment of items for living on the trail. He has a small pipe, but he'll usually roll a cigarette. He has plenty of tobacco.

Personality: He usually comes across as a very content man, but troubled from his old life. He can be bitter at times and often has flashbacks from the horrors he's witnessed and the losses he's had. He is generally more of a gentle giant, but he has a fiery temper. He's wise from years of experience and will beat anyone over the head with his wisdom, as he's tired of losing people. He is something of a Christian man, but being on the move doesn't always make one out to be devout.

History: He was raised in Missouri, growing up on a farm. He mostly just worked the soil and grew edibles with his family. He started dating a girl when he was a 20 year old man. She became the center of his world. She finally bared a child for him, but it being out of wedlock. His family nearly ostracized him, but he went ahead and married her. When the civil war came, him and his family were first unconcerned, but they took up sympathy with the Confederacy. Cyrus's father was part of the Missouri State Guard, and got killed in the first year of the war.

Cyrus didn't follow his father's footsteps, instead, journeying to Tennessee and joining up with the Army of Tennessee in 1862. His wife had agreed to it after much coaxing. He became a cavalryman and learned to be a very good one. He knew and lost many friends during the war and invested a lot into the war of secession.

He ended up fighting at the Battle of Bentonville and was one of the 90,000 surrendered by Johnston to Sherman. He was bitter and disillusioned after the war ended, but he was content going back to his wife and child. However, he returned home to a vacant plot of land, except for two graves. His wife and child had died months before the surrender, killed by some band of the numerous units of Redlegers and Jayhawkers.

He went into a very bitter place after finding their deaths, never having been able to say goodbye, or anything. With that, he became a drifter, until he settled in a mining town in the Dakota territory. He stayed there a few years before becoming a deputy and then the sheriff, after the retirement of the old sheriff. He was a great sheriff, settling down and beginning a love affair with a single mother who had just moved there. Everything seemed peaceful, until his town was set upon by a gang of bandits. The bandits began harassing and stealing from anyone. They almost got control of the town, until Cyrus took on their leader in a duel and gunned him down in the streets. It seemed like everything would be alright, until the town was burned to the ground by the bandits.

His girlfriend was killed in the ensuing chaos and he left the town, not waiting to see whether or not the town recovered. He needed to leave and drift again. His mind was not right for settling down again.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Appearance: He stands at 5'8, muscled from years of being a fighter. His hair goes down to his shoulder, and is rough and course. His beard is lengthy and full grown, and goes to his chest. His hair color is brown and his eyes are blue. He has lots of gray hair, too. He is very hairy over most of his body. He wears an earthen blue tunic, with a white pullover three button shirt. His pants are dark gray and form fitting. He wears a pair of large black leather boots. He wears a plain dark brown waist belt. He wears a chainmail shirt and pauldrons. He also wears a large bear fur to cover him from the cold. He wears shin and knee guard armor.

Name: Sir Gudmund Tollak

Age: 35

Titles/Alias: Knight, Gudmund, or just Tollak

Race: Human

Rank: Knight, works with the dwarves.

Weapons: Cleaver falchion, large war hammer. He uses a round buckler shield with his falchion, and he just keeps it on his back. He has one small tomahawk.

Personality: He comes across as experienced and gruff. His demeanor makes him come across as a barbarian. Regardless he still has the honor of a knight. He is about as chivalrous as they come, though rough around the edges. He's a bit of a different knight, in the fact that his fighting style is similar to a barbarian, and is rougher than most. He keeps himself fit, often by wrestling and sword fighting with anyone available for at least two hours a day.

Bio: He was raised as a knight, throughout his life. He wasn't knighted until he was 25, so he spent about ten years as a squire. The lord he served under was very demanding of his squires and only wanted perfect knights, so it took Gudmund quite awhile to earn his knighthood. He still got sent to be a human envoy, a sort of warrior envoy, sent to keep the peace between humans and dwarves by means of offering them manpower. He has worked with the dwarven kind since he was 29, getting used to their ways of life, though he has spent almost all of his time speaking with higher ranking officials and training his body to keep in good physical shape, ready for any kind of fighting.

Him and the rest of the company of human knights tasked as garrison with the dwarves, will have to fight any enemy the dwarven kind come up against. They are under orders from their King to be of great use to the dwarves and cultivate good human and dwarf relations.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Stands at 6'5", and as muscled as Hugh Van Halder, only taller. His fur only extends to his waist.

Name: Gervas Hofler

Age: 65

Title/Alias/Nickname: Gervas the Damned

Race: Human

Class: Fighter, ex-paladin

Weapons: Crossbow, Arming Sword, and a Zweihander(he keeps the Zweihander on his mantle piece, and only takes it down for special occasions).

Armor: He wears a chain mail shirt. A chain mail coif. He wears plate pauldrons

Sometimes, he'll wear knee and calf protection, in the form of hard leather.
All of his armor will be covered with a fur that extends to his waist.

Skills: Very adept at swordmanship, from his simple arming sword, to his zweihander. He is most notable for his skill with a zweihander. He keeps the crossbow for killing pests, and is proficient with it at 50 yards(though, it's an easy weapon to master). He can fight with just about anything. He's a very skilled farmer and cook.

Personality: He is rather quick to dislike and very distrustful, but friendly towards those he knows and those he lets into his small circle of people. He likes the quiet, and tends to do things for others only when they benefit his own interests. He'll still take care of good friends whom pass through, but he mostly keeps to himself. He has a rather tentative relationship with his town, as they distrust him.

Possessions: He has a farm with a house, and all of the things needed to live and continue farming.

Other things about him: He has a wife and kids, whom he would do anything for. He smokes tobacco a lot.

Bio: Gervas was born to be a paladin. He accepted it, and trained hard from his youth onwards. He was never one to follow the conventional rules of being a paladin, and was particularly rebellious. Regardless, he became very good at fighting and killing. He's seen his share of warfare and killing. The order eventually made him a trainer.

Shortly before his order was under fire and scrutiny for scandal, Gervas left. He was quoted as saying, "I'm not a hero. I don't want to be here" the day before he left. When he left, he disappeared into the night, taking with him his armor, horse, and necessary weapons. With that, he abandoned being a paladin, and found a quaint little village to live and farm in. Eventually, he met a woman who became his world, and she bore children to him, and they continue to live happily and peacefully on his farm, if not for the neighbors bickering.

Gervas has faced many of his old enemies since leaving the order, having gained quite the reputation as a crusader and having angered many back in the day.

He became a mentor to his worst student, Hugh Van Halder, raising him up from when he first joined the order as a child.

Musical association/theme song: