James Overbrook

Born in 1498, James Overbook spent his youth in his native Ustley. When his father died, Overbrook had to give up formal education and become an apprentice weaver at the young age of 8 years old. He later changed apprenticeships and learned the trade of barrelmaking.
By his twenties, he had become active in politics—at least so far as to call for a change in the standing Barlovian government. So active in fact that local police issued a warrant and reward! In 1521, he married his wife, Danielle, and the very next day set sail from Ustron for Saldonia, most likely to avoid imprisonment. The Overbrooks settled in Foxbluff, Muscadawick, across the lake from the city of Hesperia. There, Overbrook set up shop as a barrelmaker.
In 1529, Overbrook abandoned his barrelmaking to form a partnership with a Hesperia attorney. The men set up the Overbrook Detective Agency, which provided both simple protection and investigation services to its clients. Overbrook was quick to catch on to the opportunity the railroads presented someone in his line of work. Functioning as a private company, the ODA was not bounded by the strictures of jurisdiction. This fact appealed to the railroads and, in 1534, the ODA signed a contract with six railroad companies to protect their lines. The ODA soon gained a reputation as a dogged pursuer of criminals, more than willing to chase an outlaw across the length of the country.
Eventually, the reputation of the ODA spread. In 1542, the Barlovian government approached Overbrook, seeking to employ the agency to investigate mysterious and paranormal events. Eventually, the government's business with ODA pushed aside all other potential clients, so Overbrook passed control of the detective agency on to his son, Charles. He assumed control of the newly-created "Bureau of Mysteries" and was given the authority to enjoin local law enforcement agents in the course of the Bureau's investigations, with one catch: Bureau detectives could not reveal the true nature of their mission. While Overbrook understood and supported this stipulation, it did place him and his detectives in something of a quandary. How could they impress the support of lawmen without exposing their true goals? As a result, more often than not, Bureau detectives tend to work without the assistance of the law. This suits the local sheriffs and marshals just fine, as most of them think of the agents of the Bureau as upstart tinhorns.
Category:Inhabitants of Saldonia
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Born in 1498
Category:Men
Category:Members of the Overbrook Detective Agency
Category:Members of the Bureau of Mysteries
Category:Secret Agents
Category:Inhabitants of Saldonia
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Born in 1498
Category:Men
Category:Members of the Overbrook Detective Agency
Category:Members of the Bureau of Mysteries
Category:Secret Agents