Annabelle Marie Rivers
Annabelle is a woman in her prime. While not athletic, she is overall very healthy and has been her whole life. Anna makes a point to eat a varied diet, only drinks fresh clean water, has no outstanding bad habits such as smoking or drinking, takes regular walks in the country, and her marriage to an accomplished doctor means she rarely gets ill. In fact, Anna is one of the only people in Whitewash City to have been properly vaccinated, multiple times. Not only that but she has never spent time doing hard labor, sleeps a lot, and is often out of the sun even when outside. For these reasons and more, I have decided to give Anna a Guts score of 7.
On the other hand, Anna is not very gritty at all. It's not really that she grew up in a city, but more that she just doesn't have a very rough and tumble personality nor a tough demeanor. Anna is easily startled, worries a lot, gets queasy at the sight of blood, doesn't like getting dirty and though she has a brutally barbed tongue she tries to avoid arguments and confrontation. Living with a doctor has its benefits, but also made Anna a bit wimpy. While most Westerners just "deal with it" when they have a headache, can't sleep, or get a cramp, Anna is more likely to take some medicine or ask her husband for help relieving whatever ails her. For these reasons and more, I have decided to give Anna a Grit score of a measly 2.
Swinging back the other way though, Anna has a thoroughly innocent soul. She has always tried to show respect and courtesy to everyone, and genuinely wishes no ill towards almost anyone. She is somewhat impatient but generous and welcoming, always making friends everyone she goes. Anna is gentle, loves children, and gets great satisfaction from teaching others. She abhors violence for any reason, and doesn't even mentally consider the possibility of committing any crimes.
Anna views her faith as something that should be kept very quiet and private, but she goes to mass without fail, donates to the needy, and volunteers at church events when she can. Though hardly perfect, with her waspish remarks and slightly racist views, Anna is undeniably pure of heart. For these reasons and others, I have decided to give Anna a Grace score of 6.
Skill time. Reading over my descriptions of Anna thus far and a few ideas rolling around in my head, this part should be pretty easy.
- Anna is a piano teacher. That's her main profession and passion. However she hasn't practiced nearly as much as she probably should have lately. What with the move to Whitewash City, and leaving behind all her old students, and the small pool of new students available to her. Plus she has a new-found love of spending time in the country rather than in front of her piano, so her skills at both teaching and piano playing, while good, are rusty as of the opening to the Saga. So while at one point they would have been 3's, at the start of the Saga I've put 2 points each into the skills Piano Playing and Teaching. 11 left.
- Anna hates blood but wants to help people in need, so her husband, being a doctor and all, taught her competent first-aid abilities. She can't diagnose an illness or perform any surgery, but she can treat the symptoms or act as an assistant, and she's a steady hand at stitching up a wound. So 2 points into First Aid. 9 left.
- Anna is slowly teaching herself about the various flowers and herbs of the West, and she loves to press flowers. She is starting her own vegetable garden and has even picked up a few tricks about medicinal plants from Jonathan. So 2 points into Herbalism and 1 point into Gardening. 6 left.
- No amount of time in the Wild West could make Anna less of a girly girl. She just loves to dance, both the classical dances of the East Coast cities and the fun, spirited western dances she is learning now. So 2 points into Dancing. 4 left.
- All else aside Anna is basically a housewife at this particular moment in her life, and simply being an adult woman in the year 1878 implies a few realistic skills. So 1 point each into Cooking, Sewing, and Washing. 1 left.
- Anna sometimes goes over her husband's medical records and accounts, since she has a much more naturally organized mind than he does. Outside of work related matters she keeps tabs on their finances plus takes care of all the shopping for the two except for the medical supplies. So 1 last point into Recordkeeping, finishing up Anna's Skills.
A few things are technically Jonathan's but Anna has ready access to them. Anna would never touch them without asking but there are numerous medical equipment and supplies downstairs. The couple owns a wagon and a horse, which Jonathan uses to visit patients or pick up supplies and Anna uses to visit the countryside or friends. Though she doesn't know how to use any of them there are a working rifle and two pistols above the mantle. Aside from the things specifically listed here the couple has all the expected trappings of a well to do, young married couple in a small but growing Colorado city.
Aspects:
- The Wildflower and the Rose.
- A Westbound Breeze
- A Flower Amid the Thorns
- A Glint in the Night
- A Wasp Among the Petals.
Louis H. Tomes
Louis
has always been a running stallion refusing to slow down. From before
dawn 'till after the sun goes down, he is busy with one thing or
another. He has a true veal for life and boundless enthusiasm. Years
spent breaking in horses, pulling more than his own weight with the
ranch work, and riding across the land have left him fit, strong, and
robust. His reflexes are sharp, his vision keen, and it seems to others
like the man never runs out of energy.
Though
Louis doesn't hesitate to drink and is a mild smoker, he overall eats
very well and exercises a vast amount. He's starting to feel the weight
of years creeping into the corners of his eyes, but for now it has yet
to hinder him. Louis is healthy as a wild mustang and I have decided to
give him a Guts score of 6.
Louis
was born and raised in a city, but
he's a real man of the Wild West. He sets his shoulders and puts up
with whatever the world throws at him. His hands are calloused, his jaw
always covered in stubble, and he never, ever backs down from a
challenge. Louis clawed his way to success with his ranching and neither
man nor nature will ever take that away from him. He's well known to
have a friendly smile and joking nature, but there's steel beneath that
exterior.
Louis
is a fighter, a gambler. He knows the risks and is willing to take them anyways. He is filled with a stubborn pride and strong
bonds of loyalty. He believes every man should solve his own problems,
whether that be thieving bandits or a broken spur. He is always armed,
day and night, and though he never brags or boasts about it, Louis
actually has killed three men thus far in his life. I have decided to
give Louis a Grit score of 7.
That
said, Louis isn't a very good example of God's Grace. He is very nice
and friendly, but rarely kind. He's full of compliments for people that
please him but undeniably arrogant. He doesn't hesitate to help
those in need but he expects them to pay him back as a matter of course. Nothing he does is open-handed charity.
He has a raged temper when provoked, and is not above taking advantage
of the foolish or ignorant if Louis believes they deserve it.
Louis
is overall hard to upset but once he is it takes a lot for him to
forgive. He is totally tolerant of violence if he thinks the situation
calls for it, and in regards to business he can be rather cutthroat.
Though he treats his specific woman surprisingly well, Louis is actually both somewhat sexist and unashamedly racist. All this has led me to give Louis a Grace score of
only 2. He is not a "bad" man. Really he is not, but
the Grace of God just doesn't shine through him on a regular basis.
Skills:
- Louis has made his mark on the quality of his horse-breeding and horse ranching. Considering he is completely self-taught, it's remarkable how gifted Louis is when it comes to horses and to business. So a solid 3 points each into Animal Husbandry and Horse-Ridding, 2 into Lassoing, and 1 into Recordkeeping. 6 left.
- Louis likes to hunt, and knows his way around revolvers, once even surviving a lethal duel. Not only that, but he is ready and able to protect his herds and land from predators, four legged or two. So 2 points into Long Arms and 1 into Small Arms. 3 left.
- Louis is an amateur artist and harmonica player. He carries a sketchbook around with him on trips, and often plays the harmonica when resting on his ranch. He is self taught in both, and slowly working on improving. So 1 point each into Harmonica Playing and Drawing. 1 left.
- Louis has always been a scrapper. He knows his way around a fistfight. 1 point into Fisticuffs.
Possessions:
Louis owns, operates, and
lives on a successful horse ranch. As such, he is in possession of or
can easily acquire everything related to the land, the animals, the
buildings, and more. Louis is not rich, per say, but he has everything
he needs to get by without ever depending on others. He owns several
guns, numerous tools, farm supplies, and business material. As he is the
co-owner of a tack and saddle shop, he can easily get related items at
little cost.
Louis
likes to dress nicely, being especially fond of his one hat. He personally rarely spend much time indoors, let alone interior decorating, but his ranch
home is spacious and well kept thanks to his long time girlfriend. He
keeps a silver inlaid harmonica with him at most times, as well as a
quality knife with a stag antler handle. He knows how to read
but is not particularly fond of books, owning only a few. He is
very proud of this one large, gorgeous painting of his ranch pastures he
has hung in his main living
room.
Louis'
personal horse is a large black stallion named Thunder that nobody else
is allowed to ride. There are several dogs around the ranch, and while
they all listen to Louis' commands he doesn't actually consider them to
be his personally. Louis actually loathes the sounds of chickens, so
while there are chickens on the ranch, they are few in number, confined to a coop fa from the house, and lack any roosters. There are a smattering of other animals as relevant to life and work on the ranch. Louis has a bag of silver coins
only he and his girlfriend know of buried in a clever place.
Aspects:
- Wild Galloping Stallion
- A Merry Tune on the Wind
- Forever A Self-Made Man
- Barely Breaking Even
- Tranquil as the Thunderstorm
Samuel Matters
The years have not been kind to Samuel. His joints ache, his
eyes are blurry, and he just can't seem to stop coughing. All those years spent
in the mines wore him down, grinding his body one day at a time. His hair used
to be blonde, but now it's mostly all grey. He quit now, but back then he drank
too much and smoked too often. Salted jerky and hardtack bring little joy to a
delicate digestion, but that's just about all Samuel eats lately.
Still, there was a time when Samuel was a real bear of a
man. He arms were like tree trunks, his fists like sledgehammers. That might
fade, but never truly goes away; behind the wrinkles and liver-spots, Samuel is
still unexpectedly strong. Indeed Samuel might even now be healthy, were it not
for his cough. He doesn't know if it came from the dust of the coal-mine or the
smoke of a tavern, but Samuel knows deep down that he is sick. He is cursed
with a racking cough every day, and worse at night. Coarse, dry coughs, that
water or rest do nothing to ease. Those popping-jay doctors are useless and
overpriced, nothing they said or gave Samuel ever seems to work.
Samuel is a grey haired grizzly bear, but he's old. He
won't ever admit it to anyone, but he is afraid his cough will kill him at any moment. Samuel was going to have a 2
in Guts, but I decided his strong build and leathery body bumped his score up
to a 3.
As stated above, Samuel is damn tough. He has seen it all.
He has done it all. And he's lived through it all. Samuel is utterly fearless
in the face of danger, and has a glare to make a grown man's knees quiver. His
hands seem to be more scar tissue than skin now-a-days, and he just keeps
chugging along like a rusty old steam engine. Samuel can eat anything,
out-drink you all, and would walk through a blizzard just to prove he can.
He's seen his fair share of violence and suffering, and is
stoic in the face of pain or loss. He once spent over a eight months in the mountains without any other
human company, and he went day after day into the blackest parts of the
underground for years. Samuel might be old as dirt, but dirt's what true grit
is made of. Samuel has a Grit score of 8 and earned every point of it.
But there's more to Samuel than rawhide and rust. He had a
family once, two actually, and they are his deepest regrets. He wishes he could
see his children again, and apologize to their mothers for his mistakes. He
looks back on his life and feels ashamed of himself, and made a promise to God
that he would change his ways in the time he had left. He swore off the bottle
for good, and quit chewing tobacco. He still is a vaguely violent man but he's
not the bully he used to be, and stands up for the downtrodden whenever he
comes upon them.
Samuel spent many years searching for gold, gems, and coal
for greedy men, and it left him with a sour taste for wealth. Samuel is very altruistic
and believes everything in moderation. He used to be a criminal in several ways
but now he is a lawful man. Since he worked alongside them for many years,
Samuel is thoroughly non-racist towards blacks or Asians, something unusual for
the time-period. He likes kids and treats animals well, especially work animals
like mules or oxen. Samuel figures he has a lot to answer for when he passes,
but as of the start of the Saga has a Grace score of 4.
Skills:
- Samuel is retired now, but he spent a long time the mines and you don't just forget. Samuel has 3 points in the Mining skill. 12 left.
- Related to his mining expertise, Samuel was often present for or in charge of using explosives for both mining and military purposes. 2 points into Explosives. 10 left.
- Samuel, in his youth, actually went through a term of service in the army, though he didn'y actively participate in the Civil War. Still, he kept his knowledge of guns fresh in his mind long after, using it for good and bad over his life. Samuel has 2 points in Long Arms and 1 in Small Arms. 7 left.
- Samuel rubbed shoulders with a rough, hard crowd. It was basic necessity to be able to use both fists and knives. 2 points into Fisticuffs and 1 into both Knives and Wrestling. 3 left.
- Samuel is experienced in fixing machines and making everything from an improvised hammer to homemade nails. 1 point each into Blacksmithing and Machine Repair. 1 left.
- Samuel loves to
fish. It's one of his only hobbies. 1 point into Fishing.
Possessions: Samuel owns close to nothing. He has the worn
out old cloths on his back plus another full set, equally rumpled. He has a few simple tools,
an old fishing pole, a knife, and a dogeared Bible. That's just about it, aside
from two gold nuggets, one in each boot, that he palmed from his last mining
job.
Aspects:
- These Tired Eyes Have Seen it All
- Heart of Gold
- Greyhaired Grizzly
- Strip-mined Spirit
- Family Full of Ghosts
Samuel lives in a cheap boarding house on the edge of Whitewash City, keeping by on temporary manual labor jobs. His single room has a uncomfortable bed, a dresser with nothing in it, a cracked mirror, a rickety chair, and a small chest with all of Samuel's possessions in it.
Well, there they are. These three will be my example characters for the majority of this blog. I'll get around soon to showing a couple different condensed, non-explanatory layouts of character sheets.
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