Scholar
From HOTGT
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Background
None has a murkier past than an orphan. James was born, presumably, in 2485, and left at an Osiris orphanage not too long after. If there were any records of the parents, they were sealed beyond what James could ever hope to access. Not that he went out of his way to worry much about his missing parents; James managed to luck out and avoid most of the horror stories that have been told about orphanages throughout known history.
Of particular help to the child, the St. Ptah School for Boys was run by a very caring sect of Eastern Orthodox Christians that had incorporated a number of the Egyptian myths of Earth that Was into their canon. James was given the surname Heru, and treated with quite a bit more love and attention than might have been the case amongst a normal Alliance family unit. Though the orphanage was poor for the region, James grew up a fairly well-adjusted and bright lad, though with an interesting array of superstitions. He was particularly fond of Father Abel, a retired archaeologist that had become a father figure to him.
Despite being a bright child, James did not go out of his way to pursue scholastic opportunities outside the orphanage, which was why it was strange that he was selected, seemingly at random, for the Redfield-Deering scholarship and sent to a prestigious Londinum military academy in his 15th year. While he received the standard military education, he was not exactly certain why he was being channeled into so many covert operations courses. Being a good natured lad, however, he dutifully pursued the studies that his mysterious scholarship set before him.
In lieu of college, in 2503 James was given a military commission, a non-military cover identity, and passage on the Triskellion. His mandate was to investigate and infiltrate various leadership structures on the border worlds, and he learned all he could while spiriting away important documents. The reasons behind this became clearer and clearer as his mission progressed, and when the war started he was far from surprised. Gathering information became much more dangerous once the official war made him an official spy, and James had reached a point where he couldn't morally support gathering information that would endanger innocent lives.
At the end of the war, James had, technically, met every request his superiors had given him, and, flush with victory, he was honorably discharged rather than investigated. Taking his military stipend to school, James pursued his masters degree in anthropology. Over the last few years since graduating, he has been traveling the worlds. Notes for his book grow ever thicker; a comprehensive treatise on how the Alliance could have foreseen the inevitable war and how to peaceably prevent another.
Psychological Profile
James is a classic ENTP, always on the lookout for the next person, place, or thing to fit into his overarching world theory. The overwhelming extroversion coupled with his past tends to create a need to always be looking for the new contact, moving forward, discarding the old. As a probing individual, he's often more concerned with the moment than the long term, and may go off plan if something seems more immediately interesting. This isn't a willful abandonment, but a simple tendency to assume that there will always be more time; he has to concentrate to imagine time into discrete blocks that can be scheduled. His inherent rational mindset was hardened into a heavily pragmatic bent by his time in the war; without the luxury of time for contemplation, James will take the expedient option even if it isn't the most moral option.
Additionally, James has a number of unconscious superstitions due to his upbringing. If called on a superstition, James is forced to admit that such things have no logical basis, and will soldier on despite a nagging sense of disquiet (made all the worse by his own rational nature). Left to his own devices, James tends to follow Egyptian-style superstitions, with particular emphasis on animals and amulets. As far as animals are concerned, James is intensely aware of any animals in the area, especially black ones. He is constantly watching them to see if they deviate from their normal activities, taking strange behaviors to be omens, particularly if they seem to have mythical significance. Amulets tend to encompass many unconscious attributions to physical objects. James has a small handful of "lucky" items accumulated over the years that he doesn't feel right doing without. This is a liability for a covert operative, so he'll periodically "rip of the bandage" and destroy items to which he's become too attached, and then spend the next few days or weeks stressed out about the activities those items supported. Further, James is inclined to regard items on emotional terms; objects can be cursed, unlucky, capricious, or vicious. It's not uncommon to see James surreptitiously performing small rituals to "make friends" with a new piece of technology, or cursing at objects he's convinced are out to cause him grief.
Character Sheet
ATTRIBUTES
Agility d8
Strength d6
Vitality d6
Alertness d8
Intelligence d10
Willpower d6
ASSETS
Allure (minor): James has a proper military bearing and, more importantly, all of his teeth. He gains +2 steps to challenges that would benefit from being attractive.
Friends in High Places (minor): A number of rich rim-dwellers survived the war fortunes-intact partially due to James turning a blind eye. Additionally, his work is a bit fashionable amongst the scholarly patrons in the core worlds. James can spend a plot point once per session to try to call in a favor.
Highly Educated (minor): James has had entirely more schooling than is properly healthful for a young man. He gains +2 steps to challenges that would benefit from being able to recall a lot of book learning.
Military Rank (minor): Despite being a pretty poor spy, James still made it out of the militarily honorably. He gains +2 steps to Influence challenges when a military record would make a difference.
COMPLICATIONS
Amorous (minor): James grew up in a school for boys and went straight to a male-dominated military career. He's making up for lost time.
Superstitious (minor): You pick up a lot of things in a pseudo-traditional Egypto-Christian orphanage. A lot of them stick around even after an intense modern education.
SKILLS
- Covert d6
- Infiltrate d8
- Sabotage d8
- Discipline d4
- Influence d6
- Conversation d8
- Persuasion d8
- Seduction d10
- Knowledge d6
- Cultures d12
- History d10
- Linguist d2
- Melee Weapon Combat d2
- Perception d6
- Performance d2
- Planetary Vehicles d4
- Survival d4
- Guns d6
- Pistols d8
- Heavy Weapons d2
- Tech Engineering d2
- Unarmed Combat d2
| Heroes of the Great Tree Topics | ||
| Impossibilities | I-verse background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Phantapunk | Aeryn Background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Concrete & Crimson | World Background • Scoobies • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Keep Flying | The 'Verse • The Crew • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Polybius | The World • Investigators • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Labyrinth | The World • PCs • NPCs • House Rules | |
