Thread: The Perplex Parcel Pursuit Project (darkangel76 p Lotherio)

Aka - Steam Punk Pirates in the Victorian Age .... Characters Name Charlotte Granville darkangel76 Age 22 Gender female Race human AppearanceCommon Attire Standing at approximately 5'2, she is of slim build with pale skin, long dark hair and pale blue eyes. She tends to wear long-skirted dresses, with the front section often times shorter than the back much to the chagrin of her family since they find it improper, but she does it as a passive-aggressive form of rebellion thus showing off her ankles to those who happen to glance her way. She is fond of corsets and corset-style tops and, as a result, has several that she wears. More often than not, she lets her chest be exposed again to the chagrin of her family, the corset then giving her smaller bust a desirable-looking lift. Her family, being one of wealth, is a paranoid lot. They insist that she wear a weapons garter on her upper thighs and hidden beneath the skirts and petticoats she wears on a daily basis. In the holsters, she carries a set of knives, though she isn't very skilled at wielding them. However it makes her family feel better that she has them on her person though they'd prefer she carry a gun rather than the knives, but she refuses since she's even less skilled with those than she is the knives. Brief Background She is the only daughter of William and Lilly Granville. Coming from a family of wealth her father runs and manages a fleet of dirigibles that transports packages and other such mailings around the world, she has been sheltered from the harsher realities of the world. However, her parents also being realists, feel it necessary that a girl such as herself be as prepared as she can be thus being armed and having a personal escort to watch over her any time she ventures outside the safety of her home. Her escort is James and, unless she finds a way to 'ditch' him, is typically not too far away from wherever she decides to go. She doesn't like the fact that she has an escort and she often times feels like he 'watches' her and not in the fashion in which an escort should be watching over his charge. She's an accomplished pianist and rather skilled in drawing with pencils. Being from a family of wealth, her family saw to it that she was trained in such fineries as music and art. Personality She's overly compassionate and a bit naive about the ways of the world. Being sheltered, she longs to truly see the world as it is, however, she isn't very realistic in what the world entails. She's unfortunately romanticized much of everything and as such will have her eyes opened quite wide when she finally is able to seize the opportunity to see the world outside of being escorted and sheltered by her parents left and right. She's very impulsive and quick to speak. This can lead to problems, but it can also be very useful depending on the situation. She tends to wear her emotions on her sleeve and isn't afraid to state her opinions on things. Escort James he only goes by his first name, his last name is unknown. He is a quiet fellow, standing at approximately 6'5, muscular and with nearly black hair and dark eyes to match. He has been hired to be Charlotte's protector by her somewhat paranoid parents and, from afar, the man pines for his charge and will do his utmost to fulfill the obligations set before him by the girl's family. Family She is an only child. Her parents are William and Lilly Granville. They are a fairly well off family, her father running and managing a fleet of dirigibles that transport various packaged items and the like to people and destinations around the world. Initial Goal She wants her parents to release her from their hold over her life. More than anything, she wants to discover who she is as a person, as a woman. She wants to make her own choices and deal with whatever consequences those decisions bring upon her. In living her life away from her parents' as well as James' watchful eyes, she'd like to pursue her talents in music. Her wish to one day perform in the Main Concert Hall in the heart of the city for the upper crust of society. She'd also like to find genuine love and from someone who not just understands her but also wants her for who she is, not the family she comes from. Name Mathieu De La Motte aka Gentleman Luke aka Lucky Luke Lotherio Age 26 Gender Male Race Human Appearance Despite his background, Mathieu prefers the look of the sophisticated gentleman. Adorning the woolen, wavy blonde hair atop his head was commonly found a top hat with a few inches to spare, graced with a thin grey sash. His topcoat had tails to the backs of his knees, as he liked to believe the cut of the thread allowed him greater flexibility than the more stiffer jackets some men tended to wear. Deep breasted vest over a woolen shirt comfortably held a chain leading to presumably a pocket watch. Thin striped trousers were well cut down his legs, flaring over the ankle high riding boots he tended to favor for the out and about. His ensemble was complete with a gentlemans can. But therein lay his deception, there was no cane weapon hidden there no blade or single barrel ballistic. Rather a lady finger was at the end of the chain at his fest, hidden within the fold of what looked like an overtly large pocket watch and spring loaded, winding the watch armed the pin and pressing the latch to open the face fired whatever was loaded at his dearest victim. It was said when he so felt inclined to go about that gruesome business he would always tuck a kings face card into the grey sash of his top hat while changing out the knob of his cane, usually a golden rose, with that of a large ivory gambling die singular for dice die. He was a gentleman after all, such that those alone where warning enough for those who knew him. Thin mustache and soul patch are well groomed upon his face, under hazel eyes. Brief Background Mathieu De La Motte was nothing more than a rakish scoundrel who had won a small dirigible gambling over cards. Which, he in turn, used to raid other small dirigibles. Born Mathieu, he assumed the name Luke when taking to the skies. Before this, he was raised the son of a cooper but cared little for the art of barrel making such that it was his want to steal away from his fathers business to see the men in from sailing the skies when naval and pirate crews alike came to town. It was here he learned to gamble under the tutelage of Two Finger Pete, on account of the two metal fingers he had one side to be a firearm, the other a pairing knife, when he opened them up. Others insist that Pete also used the fingers to count cards but this is, as of yet, unproven and there are no traces of Pete that he has gone into hiding or has died a natural death of open heart wound following a certain game of poker his two metal fingers may have lead to this demise. Sometimes it is known that Lucky Luke sails the winds in the company of the lady pirates Anne and Isabelle, such the sweat talker that he is, but this could well be rumor alone. He has killed few in his tasks and generally preys on the weaker ships, those unarmed or unable to defend themselves that he need not violence. Rather, his true lot is just to better himself through cheating, lying, stealing and, now, pirating. He has recently had run ins with the Packard family, whom delivers parcels the world over, offering their own packing service. Through this union, he has taken a job on the rival Granville family which Luke tends to make good on to increase he renown, or at least, receive a good stipend for his services rendered. Personality Why make threats when a well place lie could achieve the same ends, at less risk of life no doubt. His face is more showmanship than truth. He would have the world believe he is a pirate of the worst sort but only that such a reputation makes achieving his personal goals that much more the easier. The real pirates known this about him. Truly his first and foremost concern is survival of the self. He is warm to the ladies, thinking himself full of more prowess in this domain than he has right to claim perhaps. He like the duality of being Mathieu and Luke, Mathieu when he an just be normal and Luke when dastardly intentions are warranted. Talkative would be an understatement, he would certainly rather talk himself out of any situation rather than be in the real situation. Known as a dealmaker, he will offer anything he thinks someone would want, whether or not he really has what theyre asking for. Even though he tends to speak in deceptions, he is still well versed enough that his bolsters have that ring of knowledgeable truth to him that has saved his life more than once. Family He is estranged of his parents and sometimes prefers to give those the lie he is an Orphan. His father still is a cooper and his mother still tends the home. One sister, she is said to have had an advantageous marriage to a merchants son and has gone on to see the world with him. A brother has joined the navy and been granted a pension following the loss of his leg on a naval expedition against pirates. Mathieu is in contact with his brother from time to time only that he me joke about how ignorant the navy is that they cannot catch a pirate as wiley as him even under their own noses. Initial Goal Mathieus Initial Goal is the completion of the mission assigned him by the Packard family, lest he fail and other such pirates come to claim any rewards for returning him. This aside, his true personal aim is the accumulation of wealth that he may truly live better than his family did. He just doesnt know when to say when though as concerns wealth, but he has yet to live so well as his father. His appearance is belying his reality, the ship won or cheated in a game of cards, his clothes only one of a few outfits that he cares for meticulously. A good break may mend his lying and cheating ways, but he may not be so apt to see a good, honest offer through his own self delusions and lies. That said, onto our two starting nations. For real world references, Id compare Granville to France nice architecture if a little on the heavy side and Packard to Britain more glass building with the Independent coming in closer to Slavic. Granvilles Nation probably uses a cleaner fuel and has bigger power plants, where they can provide power to more of their cities with a few of these plants, where as the Independent nation probably employs more smaller scale steam generators and a good number of the houses and buildings are not powered by steam but rather gas lit even. To the independents, steam generators are a luxury more than anything else, certainly its in the homes of the wealthy, but everyone is in the dark and they burn more coal, making it even darker as for atmosphere Sweeney Todd actual Victorian Britain compared to ideal Victorian Britain represented by Granvilles nation. Some quick fluff. Jaro is the nation where the Granvilles live and operate, the capital city is Viznay. It is a port city on the western coast of whatever continent this takes place. Shipyards dominate the harbor while the wealthy homes are on the ring of hills that line the city proper. There is a haze of industry that settles over the city by night, but the evening winds blow it all out to sea and each morning it dawns bright and clear. Capire is the nation home of the Packards, its capital Tratsia is on the river Portare, which leads to the southern sea, a smaller ocean, only separated from the western coast of the continent by the stretch of land known as Pontos, held by the semi-island nation of Cordal, whose capital rests on a larger island off the peninsula Pontos, but there is a small grouping is islands further that they belongs to this nation as well. The focal city where Mathieu will eventually be taking Charlotte is Porto Seguro, on an island chain closer to those islands of Jaro, between nations figuratively and literally. Just some names, they can be interchanged as needed. The continent has railways connecting the major cities and some smaller ones as well, the larger cities may have their own transit either electrical in the case of Jaro and Capire, powered by coal like steam generator plants, or true steam as is the case with Cordals cities. Horses are still common, but some steam powered vehicles are not unknown in the larger cities. Jaro is more capable of seaworthiness, having large steam powered fleets where Capire is moving into the realm of armored steam power vehicles. Capire has similar vehicles, but more traditional than steam powered. Each is expanding into the realms of airships, but this is new, the dirigible being the most common airship, but Capire may have real airships true hulls, non collapsible structures, for balloons, not just inflatable like most balloons. These first posts are thematic and character background, reserved for editing but directly from PMs just to have all this information in one place ... 1st pose to follow...