Tsiishch'ili Castillo

Tsiishch'ili Matthew Castillo, often referred to simply as The Vaquero or Castillo, was a Navajo-American army commando, and later a well-trained mercenary and bounty hunter following the Great Collapse. Castillo gained infamy after the Great Collapse and was iconic in his southwestern style, as well as his utilization of various firearms traditionally used by "cowboys". Trained to the highest extent in tactics and survival in the US Army Delta Force, Castillo went on to use his military experience in his mercenary work. Feared and renowned in the Phoenix Union, Seaboard later recruited him on the east coast. He went on to defeat many opponents, known for his cunning ability to track, deceive, and duel those he needed to. Because of this, he was matched by few.

A major antagonist in the Seaboard Element, Castillo served as the primary antagonist in Book 7.

Castillo was born in Shiprock, New Mexico, to a Navajo mother and Mexican father. In his early life, he went by Matthew Castillo, a combination of his westernized first name and father's last name. After he left the military, he began to refer to himself by his Native first name- Tsiishch'ili, or his Mexican last name, Castillo. Being raised in New Mexico, Castillo learned English, Spanish, and the Navajo language. Throughout his time in the military, he saw himself as Hispanic.

In the Army Delta Force, Castillo was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as many other small-scale battles and interventions in the world. He was proficient, but ultimately became unpredictable. He was honorably discharged at the age of 26. Between 2006 and 2020, it is not known what Castillo did, since he held no official occupation and was not in the public eye.

In 2023, Castillo was hired by Seaboard as a top mercenary. Due to the significant compensation- and thrill, he agreed. He went on to battle and even defeat many of Seaboard's top enemies, such as Brian Burnett, Paul Coleman, and various others. He was first assigned by Kyle Wald to capture Burnett alive and kill James Greenburg, however, Michael Sisk quickly outbid him. He was initially defeated by Burnett and lost his right hand, however, quickly sprung back. He was hired to hunt down Maria Burnett and her gang, including Savanna Voland and Bryanna Sandoval. He was mostly unsuccessful, and reassigned. Due to his failure, he formed a vendetta against the Burnett family.

Eventually, in a duel with Maria Burnett, he was killed.

## Early Life

Castillo was born on 18 March 1980, the oldest of his two siblings. He was raised in poverty in a small household to a Mexican father and Navajo mother in Shiprock in the Navajo Nation. Growing up, Castillo stayed fairly independent, and felt disconnected from both cultures he was brought up by. He went by Matthew as opposed to Tsciisch'ili, and distanced himself from cultures he viewed as odd. While a troublemaker in school, Castillo kept his grades up well. He graduated High School, but chose to join the Army instead of perusing further education. At some point, Castillo was transferred to the US Army's Delta Force.

While in the Army, Castillo began to accept his Navajo heritage more, feeling it was an important part of his life that he previously dismissed. In 2006, Castillo was honorably discharged. He lived in various places but returned to Shiprock, feeling called by his people. Castillo married a woman in the 2010s, and became a deputy in Shiprock.

## Sheriff of Shiprock

When the Jinanvirus began to spread, Castillo and others in the town believed it was necessary to make the area self-sufficient. He helped with this, including the drilling of wells and fortification of farms. These initiatives paid off when the Great Collapse began, and the community was able to maintain itself.

When the Sheriff of the community died after contracting the virus, Castillo stepped up to fill his place. He was respected in the area, much to his liking. Against the wishes of the town, Castillo occasionally let in travelers who weren't in the community or nation, allowing them to use their wells. This trend began to pick up until the community couldn't handle the drain. Castillo, while reluctant, blockaded the area and barred outside travelers from using any of their utilities without trade. Unknown to Castillo, a collective of people who overran Galisteo, New Mexico, relied on recourses from Shiprock. In an effort to intimidate them into giving water again, they sent an emissary who confronted Castillo. After the Sheriff refused to back down to the foreigner, a duel began in the street. Castillo killed the man, believing it would send a sign that they weren't docile.

A couple of weeks later, members from the gang in Galisteo traveled to Shiprock and snuck in during the night. Castillo, his wife, and his daughter were restrained, and Castillo's family was killed while he watched. He was stabbed and shot before being left in the house, which was set on fire. Castillo managed to escape the burning house with minor burns, taking a poncho that was a family heirloom. Many others in the community were assaulted, and their houses were raided and destroyed. Unable to continue as he had, Castillo left and was presumed dead.

Slowly, Castillo overcame his wounds, and regained his strength. In an abandoned house, Castillo found a revolver and rifle. He began to observe the gang that attacked him, finally tracking one gang to Jemez Springs. He attacked them relentlessly, unintentionally liberating the captives in the town. He then tracked two men who escaped, killing one and torturing the other until he told him where they operated. Castillo was found by Julian Otero, a man from Jemez who wished to help. Castillo was initially put-off, but decided he had a use for him.

At sunset the next day, Castillo began to fire down on the town from afar, in a motion which made them believe there were multiple attackers. When he made his way to the town center, he was able to take down many men, but was eventually cornered into a general store. Finally, the leader of the gang challenged Castillo, promising to end the fight with a simple, western-style standoff. Castillo agreed, and confronted the leader in the middle of the town. In the evening, the two went at it, and Julian Otero shot the gang leader in the head from afar, knowing Castillo was too slow of a shot. The two were able to shoot their way through the rest of them, until all of their enemies were dealt with. After this event, Castillo became a drifting mercenary.

## Introduction to Seaboard

After a year of gaining reputation as mercenary, bounty hunter, and hired gun, Castillo gained the attention of a Seaboard intelligence officer, Emily Renning. The officer, who was sent to the Four Corners region to find and capture Alexander Blackwood, a defected Seaboard administrator. While in Silverton, Colorado, Renning first heard of Castillo. After word was relayed to Castillo, he gave her an unexpected visit at her lodge room. After the initial distrust, the two worked out a deal and Renning subcontracted the hunt to Castillo.

Rather quickly, Castillo, with the help of Otero, tracked Blackwood to Centennial Airport outside of Denver. However, moments after arriving, Blackwood escaped. Castillo discovered he was en route to France. He and Julian proceeded to pose as his guards, The two smuggled themselves in the cargo hold of a transfer flight that led to Nantes, France.

Castillo and Julian went through a long string of events until they cornered Blackwood at a series of warehouses. After a brief fight, Blackwood was subdued. He told Castillo who he was working for, and what was on the hard drives he possessed. While Julian wanted to spare him, Castillo was opposed. He had him run, but still shot him. The two returned to Colorado, and Castillo copied the drive for one in his personal collection as a blackmail failsafe. Julian, angered by him killing Blackwood, left him and returned to New Mexico. Castillo presented proof of the finished deed to Renning, he was paid rather well in weapons and ammunition. Castillo was offered another offer, but rejected it, returning to Shiprock.

In Shiprock, he reconsidered, reaching out Renning, who was still in Silverton. He met with her again in 2019 after word spread of Kyle Wald (SP-S011) being involved with certain private and government affairs in the four corners region. Castillo was hired in exchange for a lump sum of preserved food, weapons, and ammunition, to gather more information on the matter. With ease, Castillo located Amanda DeLeon and her clan, who had been working as transporters for a well-protected corporate executive. By tracking her, he located and scouted out the corporate compound outside Colorado Springs. He surveyed the site, the guards and their shifts before calling in Blackwood's strike team.

The Strike Team, given advice by Castillo, made quick work of the compound despite their security measures. In the battle, Amanda DeLeon's clan was killed, as well as the executive and his troops. Castillo left before Colonel Russel was called in to execute the former oil tycoon.

## Work in the Northeast

After the job, Castillo began to expand his gang and his range of jobs, occasionally picking up Seaboard contracts as they paid him well for his work. Following the Second Battle of Harrisburg, Castillo and his gang departed to the Northeast in hopes to grow their profits and influence. Castillo tried to sway away from militant Seaboard jobs, remaining neutral in their political affairs. He took a few small jobs for members of the rail clan in 2022. In early 2023, upcoming mercenary Marco Perez had Castillo referred to him, though not by name. Perez and his sister met with Castillo alone late at night, the siblings requesting that Castillo eliminate Brian Burnett. Having first heard of him, Castillo doubted the Perez siblings' ability to provide enough payment that made the dangerous mission worthwhile, as Burnett was a rather hot target for him.

While considering the mission, Castillo traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, and Seaboard intel gave him all the information on Burnett they knew. He took a double-bounty, hoping to be paid by both Perez and Seaboard officials. Catching wind that Burnett and his crew were in Quebec, Castillo took advantage of the moment. He correctly assumed that Burnett would lead his crew through the forests, knowing he'd choose the most difficult path in hopes Seaboard troops wouldn't pursue. Castillo and a team of Seaboard Marines ambushed them, but were ultimately defeated after the emergence of Amber Thompson and a metal machine. Castillo was wounded and fled with his men.

Castillo returned to Shiprock, New Mexico, to recover, with only a fraction of the promised payment as he only helped track Burnett and didn't eliminate him.

## Contracts after Recovery

In Summer 2024, Castillo became active with Seaboard again. He received a request from Kyle Wald, anonymously, promising certain rewards. A two-sided request, one was killing Abel Clark, the other trapping Brian Burnett and capturing him alive so that Wald could speak to and reason with him. Castillo ran Clark off the road late one night, but before killing him, received a call by none other than General Russel. He ordered Castillo to stop immediately, as Seaboard had plans with Clark. Instead, Castillo was paid off.

For Burnett, Castillo infiltrated the Nine Mile Point nuclear station following a brief Seaboard test, luring Burnett and two of his Sergeants, Leonardo Evans and Bryanna Sandoval, into the building. A quick battle broke out after Sergeant Sandoval came to help Burnett. Paul Coleman unexpectedly appeared, who had been searching for Burnett as well. His arrival, along with a stab-wound from Sandoval, caused Castillo to flee. Though he was angered by this offset, he didn't let it stop his quest for Burnett- which he began to doubt whether was possible. At the same time, Castillo was contracted anonymously by Kyle Wald to assassinate former Appalachian Marine Abel Clark. Seconds before killing the crippled Appalachian elite, Castillo was called by a Seaboard official who demanded that Castillo cease his intervention in plans he was unaware of.

Castillo trailed the Appalachian Lieutenant's team, finding out he had plans to infiltrate a Seaboard prison. Believing it to be a perfect way to capture him alive, fellow Seaboard-affiliated mercenary Garr found out, and wished to assist Castillo. Castillo only agreed as he believed involving his own gang members, who were not associated with Seaboard, may lead to further complications. The two used the entry of Burnett's SAACC team to infiltrate the New York prison under their Operation Brass Predator. After the team was split up and beaten down, Castillo, with the help of Joshua Carpenter, was able to separate Burnett from the others. The two fought against Burnett, attempting to subdue him. While nearly successful, Burnett managed to wound Garr and sever Castillo's right hand, leading them to flee. Castillo survived, but abandoned any contracts he had that involved Burnett's survival. He formed a vendetta against Burnett and swore that he would defeat and kill the Marine.

## Growth and Separation in Seaboard Circles

Matthew Castillo's gang, Los Salvajes, began to grow as he recruited more members. Despite his failures, Seaboard engineers granted him a prosthetic hand that was custom-fitted for him. Castillo took a while to adapt to it, but soon found it almost just as agile as his real limb, although he leaned more heavily on his left from then on. Castillo would always keep this faux hand covered by a leather glove to conceal its true nature.

In 2025, he accepted a contract that detailed many people in the Burnett Family clan who were wanted dead. Only Maria Burnett, who he was paid to keep alive by another source, he intended to let survive. Castillo first kept hidden, collecting information on Burnett and discovering his plans of insurrection in the Appalachian government. Once Burnett's plans unfolded, he revealed them to the Appalachian government. He assisted them in their defense, and in the Harrisburg capitol, had a draw with Burnett. Castillo won and was reimbursed for Burnett's capture, although it was less than he intended.

In the aftermath of the attempted coup, Castillo hoped to locate the fleeing members of the Burnett family. He found Jack Burnett, taking his comrades Julian Otero, Leona Peshlakai, and new recruits Marco and Daniela Perez to confront him. After being duped by a sound recording, Julian Otero was killed by Jackson Burnett. Castillo quickly subdued the aging fighter and was able to get him to give up an access number to track the other family members. Castillo then had Los Salvajes affiliate Joshua Carpenter stage a diversion to wrench Kyle Wald away from the group. He saw Wald as a rather serious threat that he'd prefer to take on in a more controlled setting. Castillo and his gang, including Kevin Trujillo, cornered the targeted clan in the wooded forests of north Maryland. Unexpectedly, Kyle Wald returned, having caught on to Castillo's ruse. In an ensuing gunfight, Trujillo was killed, Marco Perez was injured, but not before Castillo killed Jayden Harris.

Once in southern territory, Seaboard commander Lyons Russel refused to pay Castillo for what he considered a failure. He reassigned Yun to the retreated targets, and then, Castillo went on to target the other half of the group still in Harrisburg. He grew weary of his alliances, especially as the Perez siblings, who attempted to cross Castillo in the past, fell out of contact. Castillo, with few remaining allies, kept Peshlakai close to him as they hoped to split up and systemically eliminate their targets. Castillo did this by capturing Zoe Brooks from the Krauss ranch, and in turn, Paul Coleman set out alone in order to engage with Castillo and save Brooks. To aggravate Coleman and lure him further, Castillo put him on a one-way phone call where he intended to rape Brooks. Peshlakai, much to Castillo's dismay, stopped Castillo. Knowing his alliances were thin, he conceded, but not without disapproval. He had Peshlakai leave to scope out the other targets before Coleman arrived. The two fought, though neither was killed. Coleman was able to escape by working together with Brooks, leaving the mercenary on his own without his car.

Castillo decided it was in his best interests to return to Hartford and reanalyze his approach. While there, Kyle Wald made an attempt to rescue Burnett. Though Wald wasn't entirely successful on his own, his escape team gave Castillo an opportunity- it rounded up multiple targets into one vulnerable place. Assassin Yun joined in on this hunt, but she was ahead of Castillo. By the time he arrived, the fleeing targets were out of range. Though he tried to fire on his targets, it was Yun who shot and killed Appalachian Sergeant Leonardo Evans with her more suitable weapon at range. Yun was not on a contractual basis, and thus, Castillo attempted to take the prize of Evans' death. This was not honored, especially amid shifting administrative power in Seaboard. At the same time, verbal confrontations between Abel Clark and Castillo meant a rift grew between the two.

## Equipment and Gear

* Uberti Model 1875 - a single action .357 revolver that was a favorite of Castillo, which he used until his death.
* Winchester 94 in .44 Magnum - A lever-action rifle that was used by Castillo until his death. A scoped rifle, he used it for mid to long range engagements and favored it for the stopping power of the .44 magnum.
* Smith & Wesson Model 29 - a .44 Magnum, six shot revolver. Castillo briefly used this pistol before losing it.
* Winchester Model 1892 - a .357 magnum lever action rifle used briefly before being lost after engaging Brian Burnett and Paul Coleman. Castillo later regained it, but favored his Model 94.
* Bersa Super Comanche - a single shot, break action pistol chambered for .410 and .45 colt. Was used as a cross-draw tertiary weapon.
* Mossberg 500 - A standard 12 gauge pump action shotgun that Castillo used in some engagements.
* Uberti Maverick - a two shot derringer pistol chambered for .357 magnum. Castillo kept the pistol in his boot as a concealed gun.