Background: Emma’s friends and family knew her and loved her as a kindhearted, sensitive, compassionate girl. The entire town was quite fond of her, and Emma loved everybody in the town right back. She had led a happy and peaceful life, having everything she could ask for and needing nothing. Until, that is, she fell in love with a man who had once taught her, and who had become one of her good friends over the years. Realizing that they could never be married because he had once been her teacher, she decided to leave her beloved home, with the hope of being able to forget everything she felt for him, and of being able to return home someday with a free, unburdened heart.

Emma has a knack for being able to look into people’s hearts and pick out the good in them, and by bringing that good out and making other people notice it, she unwittingly makes herself well-liked and trusted. She can also pick out the quality people, people who have a heart of gold, and her third (and final) knack is being able to match make (even though she didn’t match make herself very well).

<PS. It does sound rather soap operaish, doesn't it? *is ashamed of herself, but decides not to change anything anyway* >

Background: Dimitri's been around town for a long time. Mostly, he works for Sheriff Conners, but with Conners currently unavailable, Dim is the local law enforcement. Despite his Russian name, he has no trace of an accent. He's not the brightest candle in the room.

Knack: Dogged stick-to-it-ness.

Age: 18

Occupation: Drifter/Gambler

Descrition: Of medium hieght and small build. He has unkempt brown hair and brown eyes. His neatly trimmed beard is dark brown, almost to the point of being black. He wears nice clothes, such as you might see on a moderately well off shopowner in a larger city.

Knack: He's just lucky. Jack makes his living by gambling, but doesn't always win. His knack for luck seems to give him what he most needs, which sometimes is losing. Jack's been on a losing streak for several weeks when he wanders in to Hatrack.

Background: Originally from Tennizy, Jack is the second boy of three in his father's family. His older brother Ben has a talent for the family buisness and his younger brother is horribly doted on by his parents.

Jack decided to strike out on his own at the age of 14, and has been wandering since. He usually doesn't stay long in any given town, because his luck makes people think that he's cheating them. He suspects that there is also some place that he needs to be, so his knack won't let him settle down.

Jack chooses which direction to travel by closing his eyes, pointing his finger in front of him and spinning around. He travels in whatever direction he is pointing for a day, or until he runs into an obstacle.

He lost his horse, Spade, on a full house in Dekane and shortly afterwards was run out of town. He's been muttering about this ever since.

Jack has a rougish personality and a sense of humour that causes him to laugh about nearly everything. He is a good man, though, and usually doesn't take ALL of a person's money.

Name: Ahavah Painter

Age: Marrying age, but not old maid. What's that, around 17?

Description: She is 1/2 cherriky. Her skin is fairly dark, though her face isn't quite as wide as most indians. She has eyes that change between grey and violet, depending on her mood. Her hair is long and straight, with a silky black sheen. She is a good weight, not too thin. Nice muscles for a lady. Usually dresses and speaks exceptionally well.

Knack: she can speak to and understand plants and animals.

Background: She was originally from the area around Asheville, Appalachee. After the battle at tippy-canoe, she and her mother moved west of the Missippi. Her father, being a white man, had to stay in A'ville. Since she is a half-breed, she can live with whomever she chooses. A few years ago some trees let her know that her father was ill. She moved in with him to look after him. He was a lawyer, and made sure to give her a good education. Being an only child, he left everything to her. She's quite rich, now. She had planned to share her wealth with her mother, but on the way she learned (from a goose, her mother's totem) that she had passed on. Since Ahavah doesn't have to work, she has been travelling and painting ever since.

Anything else? She's a great gardener (seeing as her knack), but she can't see that as a profession. Once she gets a home, she'll no doubt have the biggest and most lush plants you ever laid eyes on.

Age: Looks to be in his mid-20s; but could be older...in those days, a Jew would have higher life expectancy (Better medicine and hygiene...that's how we all lived through the Black Plague.)

Appearance: Around 5'9 or 5'10, and slender, but stronger than he looks from getting a great deal of exercise. Long wavy black hair that he keeps tied back in a horsetail. Being Mediterranean, he's got an unusually large nose and dark skin, and he tries to keep his expression as neutral as possible. He always wears his hetritage - a Star Of David pendant with a minor hex built in for sensing long-term danger caused by plotting. Immediate danger is Israel's own problem.

Knack: Israel has a brocha (blessing) for staying unnoticed. Not invisible, really, but people simply overlook him, feel that his presence isn't important. Of course, doing something like punching a guy in the face or running around naked attracts attention, but if he's simply standing there, only the most aware people will take note of his presence.

Background: As far as anybody knows, Israel's simply a traveller from the East who wants to know what life's like in America. He's been wandering for a while, doing odd jobs and the like, but if things get desperate, he seems to be able to scrape up some spare cash.

There are two truths to his life. The first is that Israel is a former student of Rebbe Herman Ebenvitz, a wise man of the Jewish community of Hesriol in the Middle East. Rebbe Ebenvitz has the blessing, or maybe more of a curse, of being the current mapmaker of Hesriol. What mapmaker means, in this case, is that it his his duty to make a map of the world and the power of "knackery" in it. In his sight, the Hatrack community burns brightly, and the presence of this much power worries him. Israel has been sent to investigate what it is about this town, and whether the world must fear it.

The other truth is not half so pleasant, and it begins with the fact that Israel himself is not really a very pleasant man. The rest, for now, we'll leave up to mystery.

Name: Zane
Age: 18
Knack: horse rider
Physical: dark blond hair, blue-green eyes, olive skin. Tall, medium build.
Personal: Zealous and often reckless, with a love for escape and the outdoors. Much admired by the younger ones.

Name: Arch
Age: 17
Knack: spark
Physical: russet hair, green eyes, freckled skin. Very tall, leanly built.
Personal: Easily angered and very rough. Never cruel to his family, however - his anger is used in defense only.

Name: Mace
Age: 17
Knack: bird-calls
Physical: platinum blond hair, light blue eyes, very pale skin. Medium hight, strongly built.
Personal: essentially congenial, even towards opponents. Fun-loving prank-puller, well liked by family and strangers alike.

Name: Troy
Age: 16
Knack: hunting
Physical: black hair, russet eyes, olive skin. Very tall, medium build.
Personal: aggressive and quite mad for the hunt; well attuned to his animal instincts. Loves the gun and the forest.

Name: Khan
Age: 15
Knack: douser, fisher
Physical: black hair, gold eyes, ash brown skin. Tall, lean build.
Personal: ominous manner; very secretive and grudge-holding. Somewhat soft-spoken, even with his brothers. Has the demeanor of water.

Name: Bret
Age: 14
Knack: brawling
Physical: black hair, black eyes, dark brown skin. Tall, very strongly built.
Personal: charismatic and prideful. Has a love for manual combat; good at charming girls as well as his way out of trouble.

Name: Luke
Age: 14
Knack: genius
Physical: dark brown hair, black eyes, pale skin. Medium height, lean build.
Personal: witty, if disdaining of others with less intellect. Sarcastic way of viewing every situation, very bright.

Name: Wolf
Age: 13
Knack: wolfbrother
Physical: black hair, gray eyes, mahogany skin. Extremely tall, strongly built.
Personal: remarkably gentle and unafraid of anything. Lives his own philosophy, quite sociable. Has a second life with the wolves.

Name: Drew
Age: 11
Knack: night sight
Physical: black hair, dark blue eyes, bronzed skin. Tall, lean build.
Personal: extreme ego, very unpredictable. A complete disregard for safety. Is afflicted by insomnia, and an obsession with the dark.

Name: Jake
Age: 10
Knack: gambling
Physical: black hair, light brown eyes, sunbrown skin. Medium height, medium build.
Personal: expert risk-taker; will do the dangerous very usefully, even if he doesn’t do it for the use. Believes he is the maker of his own fate.

Name: Seth
Age: 8
Knack: torch
Physical: brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin. Tall, lean build.
Personal: Introverted. Very insightful; good at seeing what others can’t. Tends to be depressive, but also very empathic towards his brothers.

Appearance: 5'6", Long brown hair slightly graying, dull brown eyes, a little plump, sun weathered skin, about 50 years old

Knack ?)She has knacks, however to reveal them would do her an injustice.

Name: Olsen Brown (And no, he doesn't like his surname - prefers to just be called Deputy Olsen)

Age: Early 20's.

Hair: Red.

Facial features: Still looks like a small boy with all the freckles.

Eyes: Brown.

Knack: None really. He can track rather well, but not good enough to be called a 'knack'.

Facial features: Some scars, hardened face.

Eyes: Black, I think.

Knack: Good at finding people.

Eyes: Blue

Knack: None right now.

Age: 8 or 9, he doesn't know

Hair: Black from dirtiness, untidy and long

Eyes: Brown

Face: Small face, usually grimy

Physical: very small, thin boy; dresses in raggedy clothes

Knack: You don't notice him unless your attention is drawn to him. A good knack for a pickpocket, which he is.

AGE: 25, though he looks five or six years older

APPEARANCE: Average height, thin, with close-cropped brown hair getting very sparse in front. Blue eyes and a thin beard, which is a mixed red-blonde rather than brown. Fairly bad posture and a permanent squint from hunching over a desk for the last ten years.

RELATIVES: Lorelei (wife), Emmi (daughter, age 5), large extended family in Denmark

HISTORY: Immigrated from Copenhagen four years ago by indenture contract with Erasmus Humble, a Philadelphia importer. Through hard work and thrift Kris paid off his contract years early, then headed west with his family. He’s worked a number of jobs with various people to pay his way, and has just arrived in Hatrack as a skinner with a mule team.

He’s quiet and works hard, and though he’s not averse to a drink or two with the other men, he dotes on his wife and daughter. He has a knack for learning languages quickly, though he’s not really aware of it, as most Danes are at least bilingual. He speaks Danish and English flawlessly, and is acquainted with German, French, and a handful of other languages. He also reads Latin and Classical Greek.

Lorelei is also a devoutly religious woman, overwhelmed by America in general and the rough frontier in particular. Emmi is at the age when everything is exciting, so she’s enjoying the adventure of moving from place to place. She has a gift for imitation that may or may not be a true knack, and which tends to get her into trouble.

Kris is a friendly sort, though somewhat shy initially. He’s prone to occasional fits of temper, and strives mightily to control them. He’s also dogged by a lack of patience, though again he tries to overcome this weakness. He seems to get along well with mules and jackasses, but horses hate him for some reason.

Oddly, he uses his daughter’s name as a surname, rather than his father’s, as is common in the Scandinavian countries. There’s a story there, but only he and Lorelei know it.

As noted before, he and his family have just arrived in Hatrack and he’s looking for work while deciding whether to stay or move on.

Age: 34

Description: Dark, hispanic look; long black hair usually in a bun and dark eyes; thin face, high cheekbones

Knack: Good at languages--she speaks Portuguese a bit, Spanish, Semmy-Noll and
English well, and a smattering of French. Learning Latin.

Relatives (if applicable): All dead

Written By: Maria Larner

Background: Maria was born in Florida of Spanish and Semmy-Noll ancestry; her grandfather was a Spanish trader, his wife a Semmy-Noll. Maria's grandmother taught her the Semmy-Noll language, her mother, a part Portuguese/ part Spanish woman, Portuguese and French. Maria was formally educated in the Crown Colonies but left because of conflicting views on slavery. She still has some money she inherited from her grandfather, who became a wealthy trader.

My birth name is JanaLynn. I will prefer people call me Miss Jana, and my reserve and obvious gentility will encourage the formality. Somehow it is accepted that I use no surname.
I was born in North America, but family and fortune sent me overseas, even as far as eastern Europe...and the Orient.
A series of very private and personal tragedies left me with funds and resources enough to flee my former life and head west. I have a great need to heal and forget, this need is so strong, I have traveled as a lone woman all this long way.

What I have seen so far of the Hatrack River area is very attractive. Perhaps I will stay. I would build a home called the Jade House.
I have many skills and talents, chief among which is dressmaking and tailoring, and fine needlework. I will perhaps set up a milliner's shop.

Description: Height, about 5'2". A typical Asian look: long black hair, dark brown eyes, comparitively yellow skin.

Knack: Music. She has perfect pitch, can pick up almost any tune immediately if not on her violin or flute than by singing.

Relatives: Mother and Father with two brothers living far away.

Background: Lived in Hong Kong, China for the vast majority of her life helping her father with a musical arts theater. Came over here about a year ago with her family and now lives with Maria Larner in her schoolhouse.

Age: ??? Appears to be in her late fifties, early sixties

Knack:No 'knack', but she has an extensive knowledge of her home's tribal magic.

Appearance Belia is a true Africaan. She is deep black with typical 'negress' appearance---wider nose, full pink lips, large necklaces & bracelets of colourful nature-provided trinkets such as bones, teeth, feathers, etc. Her salt-and-peppered hair is in neat dread-locks, usually worn wrapped high on her head with colourful linen scarves. Large bone and wooded beads decorate many of her dreads, and some are wrapped in decorated threads.

Occupation: She refers to herself as a Helper. Others might call her a diviner or sorcerer...she's been called a witch more than a few times.

Story: Belia remembers her home tribe in Africa, where she was heir to a very prestigous Spirit Leader line. It was foreordained that she would leave behind a successor and travel across the Great Waters to White-Man's Land. She would have to seek out the four children of Humanity and help to integrate the African people to the New World, combining the magic of the two races into a harmonious way of living for the black people here.

After becoming a woman, she was allowed to chose her own mate. After a year of searching and courtship, the mating was a success. She became pregnant almost immediately. She had three blissful years of normal mated life until her daughter had been weaned. At age 15, Belia was blessed by the village elders and fully initiated into the Council of the Wise. That night, she took the form of a rat and stowed aboard a slave ship.

She learned halting english on the journey, and the basic politics of life at sea and the slave-trade. She picked up what knowledge she could, then hopped a carriage north where she could find proper education. She was lucky enough to befriend an abolishonist woman named Belia, from whom she took her White-Man's name. Elder Belia taught the younger basics such as reading and writing, local plant lore, mathematics, Christianity, history, and the general workings of the White-Man's land. Her sister, Beatrice, taught younger Belia about cooking, sewing, hexery and white-magic.

At age 19, Belia and her Teachers rallied enough support to be able to be a part of a secret "underground railroad." By 20, Belia was headed south and systematically began freeing as many slaves as she could manage. This was a long process, as she generally had herself 'sold' to a slave holder and lived among the help, sowing seeds of freedom. Eventually the slaves would find their cachets and their courage and allow her to lead the northward. All the while, she looked for the four children of the prophecy.

Eventually Belia came to live with Ahavah's father, Thomas Lawyer. She could not convince any of the slaves to leave. Many of them were already free and stayed because they wanted to! Here, Belia found what she had been searching for for so many years. Now she's just trying to figure out what to do with this next phase of her life.

Age: 16

Knack: Wood/Cooking

Occupation: Journeyman Carpenter

Appearance: Rowdy is a creamy brown, only slightly darker than a mix. His liquid brown eyes nearly match his skin tone. His black hair is wiry and stays short on his head. He is massive---hulking, almost. An extremely strapping and muscular young man, his entire body seems almost perfectly proportioned. He works out constantly to maintain his look---something obviously not gotten by his farming or carpentry work. He takes pride in keeping his body in top working order, like a well-oiled machine.

The machine needs fuel, though, and Rowdy eats like a horse. It was quickly learnt that Rowdy had quite the knack with cooking, too. He catered all of Mr. Lawyer's businees meetings or parties and always makes holiday dinners. His food not only tastes good, but it looks almost better. He's a real gourmet. It's said he can even make a log taste like a filet, but with his two knacks that might not be exaggeration.

Story:Twin brother of Riley. They were born and raised on Thomas Lawyer's farm. He raised them up with an education and allowed Rowdy to prentice out when he came to Mr. Lawyer at age 7 and asked to be a carpenter like Jesus. While it was a miracle in and of itself to prentice out a black boy, Mr. Lawyer even fanangled it so that Rowdy could keep his residence on Lawyer's farm with his family. He also hired Rowdy out for odd-jobs, letting the boy keep all the money he earned.

Riley Freeman child of spirit

Age: 16

Knack: Music/basketry. She doesn't consider music one, but it's been her knack since a babe hitting on pots. She can play just about any instrument, and if she can't, why, just give her a month or two. Also, Ahavah idly showed her some Cherriky basketry one, and Riley picked it up like a natural. Her baskets have already far surpassed Ahavah's. They're always watertight (unless loose-weave) and last longer than some houses.

Occupation: Though she's a black female, she's got her heart set on being a Preacher.

Appearance: Twin sister of Rowdy. Her skin is deep coal black, with a sprinkle of somehow darker freckles over her nose. Her right nostril is pierced, usually holding a small gold cross (her most prized posession). Her tight and wiry hair mimic's her brother's---short and only slightly poofier on the head. Riley's bright emerald eyes are her most striking feature. She is nearly as tall as her brother, though much skinnier. She looks tiny beside him, but her muscles are small and tight and quite noticeable. She's obviously a hard-working woman.

Story: Riley helped general upkeep on Mr. Lawyer's farm, in exchange for her lessons and total access to his extensive library. She yearns to preach the Words of Truth, though she believes that to be what her heart tells her is true, not any particular doctrine. Consequently, she believes many different things from different religions. She is still voraciously studying any spiritual text she could get to. Riley will often get into spirited debates on any subject, not caring whether she's speaking to a white or a preacher. She's perfectly happy to 'illuminate' their closed minds if they try to put her in her place. It's suspected that her mouth is the cause of the failed hangings---not Belia's sorcery.

Age: 13

Knack: It appears to be successful ventures. The girl is a business-whiz-kid.

Occupation: Entrepeneur?

Appearance: Love has long light brown hair that usually hangs wildly down her back. Her eyes are intelligent and sparkly brown. She usually tries to dress older and above her station.

Story: She is sister to Treasure. Their mother, Ruth, died just after their births. Her last words to her husband were "Love and treasure them." Hense, their names, and their father gave them their mother's name in her honour.

After Ruth's death, Jacob steadily turned to drink. He lost his once-thriving Fishery and began to gamble up any semblance of savings. Soon, their home was a barren mockery of what it had once been.

Love became increasingly frustrated with their lot, and resolved to live the life pictures told her that her mother had once had. She started hiring her services out as a secretary and paid close attention to her financial situation. She began hiring out Treasure's services as well, and a plump nest-egg began.

Treasure Ruth child of heart

Age: 13

Knack: He gives the best massages ever.

Appearance: He's shorter than his sister, as adolescence is only just now catching up with him. His dark brown hair is wavy and comes just to his shoulders. He has beautiful blue eyes that seem to look into one's very soul, and often look on the brink of tears.

Story: At age 9 their father died of the drunken liver disease. Love was determined not to be put into an orphanage, so she somehow paid to have the body taken care of and continued on as if Jacob still lived with them. All the town knew of his drunken history, so she was well able to convince them that he was bed-ridden and sickly. This also had the effect of making anyone in town more willing to hire the Ruth children.

A daydreamer, Trey was never good at the oddjobs he was hired out to do. He preferred to paint or draw, which is how he first met Ahavah. He finally confessed their secret to her, and she promptly took them into the family. They were 10 years old.

Caro has purchased a pottery shop in town with her money from the sale of the farm. She's a hard worker, and managed to hang on to most of her cash while working her way to Hatrack by taking on odd jobs. She learned her trade from the mother of the man she was set to marry. She's happy to make anything you desire, from picklin' pots to tableware. People always say food tastes better when served up in Caro's pottery.

Honey travels with a man named Rider. Rider has been pressed into service for Honey due to the fact that she knows a scandelous secret about him. She hides her "genteel" poverty by using him as a man servant.

Knack: Chelsea can sing. She knows a couple songs, but she mostly likes to make up songs herself. She doesn't sing in front of others often, but shares a musical closeness with animals. It's almost as if they can understand her when she sings to them.

Relatives: Mother- dead. Brother- dead. Father- out west, looking to strike it rich.

Hair: Chestnut brown

Eyes: Brown

Face: Small mustache, tanned complexion.

Physical: Muscular and stocky. Has turtle shells all over him, and clothes made of a variety of reptile skins, etc.

Knack: He's good with reptiles, especially turtles. When he's hungry, he can get a turtle to come to him, and otherwise, he tries to help them. The big shell on his back is from a wounded alligator snapper he tried to save. He can tell gators and snakes to come or go and get them to attack some one, though he wouldn't do that, 'cause a fighting-mad gator is just as likely to bite him. Most he can do with lizards is tell them to scram. {OOC} I was afraid his knack might be a bit over the top, but he won't have opportunity in Hatrack to work on anything in Hatrack except turtles. And probably only to get stew meat. {OOC}

History: Born in the bayou to Cajun aristocracy. Disowned by his parents when he married his poor Irish wife, and worked in the swamp driving off gators and snakes for river boatmen for money. His wife died giving birth to their child, Marie. They fled the area when a snake killed one of the riverboatmen where Jean was working and he was accused of setting the snake on the victim. Jean suspects his great-grandfather, a Red, passed down a bit of a Red knack and that's how come he has his own odd one.

Name: Marie Tortue
Age: 8

Hair: Red

Eyes: Blue

Face: Petite, thin features with almond-shaped eyes.

Physical: small and thin, with a sky blue cotton dress.

Knack: None, but she sure can cook up a good gumbo.

Name: Chris Lamere

Age: 18

Description: "Red" skin and long red hair. His eyes are brown, and he often ties his hair back. He has a tangled beard.

Knack: Woodsmanry. He can convince living plants to grow parts of their wood back, or for peices of wood to fall off.

Relatives: His mother was a cherikee indian, and his father was a irish woodsman. his father left his mother, and his mother died shortly after chris was born. His father had wanted her to call him chris, and that she did.

Background: Chris was born across the mizzisipi river, and was raised their. He learned to listen to the greensong, although it has become fainter as he's gone eastward. He has survived several times because of the greensong (treespirit), and the greensong thanks him for growing back trees he's taken wood from.

Occupation: Journeyman woodsman (what other kind is there?).

Age: 17

Description: Abe is a tall young man. He is well built. Strong but not cut. (He doesn’t have washboard abs is what I mean.) He has sandy blond hair and deep blue eyes. He has an air about him like an energetic pup. His body movements are swift and sure. He is exactly 6’0”

Knack: Ability to befriend any dog easily.

Relatives: George Kanine, (father) owns a pet store in New York. Mary Kanine, (mother) lives with George. No brothers or sisters.

Written by: AbeLinclon

Background-

Abe grew up in New York so he has the New York Accent. He worked with his dad in his Pet shop until he was 16. Feeling he wanted his own store he thought he could make business out west. He plans to open a pet store somewhere out there. He left his parents who were kind and generous to him and left for the West. He brought two dogs with him, Max and Molly. He planed to breed them when he gets out west. They are Yellow Labs. He also has a litter of puppies with him though because he bred before the trip and Molly had puppies.
OOC- I hope this was okay Do you have a pet shop in Hatrack?-OOC

Name: Aidan Swift
Age:17
Knack: Singing...her grandfather told her once that she could charm tears from the heavens if she wanted to, just by singing.

Description: Fairly average in height--5 foot 6 inches, give or take; she has a slender but muscular build. Aidan has elbow-length deep brown, curly hair, but when the sun hits it just right, the red highlights set a fiery halo atop her head. Her eyes are a mix of blue and green, but seem to flicker between the two colors when Aidan feels strong emotions.
She is quick to laugh and smile, but because of her Irish ancestry on her mother's side, has a fiery temper as well. Luckily for her, her father was blessed with an abudance of patience, so both qualities are found in Aidan.
Aidan has a love for the outdoors and nature in general. With her knack, she befriends animals easily, and often finds herself spending more time with them than she does with any human being.
She is willing, able student, and loves to read. If she isn't playing with the local dogs or out romping with the horses, she most likely to be found perched up in a tree with a book. Her other love is music, and she is often caught dancing to the beat of her own drum.
With all her energy and zest for life, you'd think she'd be very outgoing...but she's not. Often shy and quiet in new company, she speaks softly when spoken to, and rarely strikes up conversation, though she carries it rather well. She is very, VERY shy when it comes to singing, and though she loves it, Aidan often finds it hard to perform in front of others, because she's seen the effect it has on people.
Last of all, Aidan is caring. Her shoulder is always there for someone to cry on, and she constantly puts others before herself (though she denies it). Truly, her name fits her; it means "fiery one," and she brings a light and warmth to her loved ones, and a scortching, scathing retort to her enemies...of which there are very few.

I'm kind of at a loss as to introducing Aidan into town society. Any ideas?

Name: Jessup "Jess" Thrift, so named because his family has always been astonishingly cheap. Oops. I mean thrifty. He prefers to be known as Walker or Jess Walker since no one knows his parents and he's a wanderer. He and his brother chose this name shortly after they left home.

Age: He is eleven years old, but only he knows this. He looks more like a nine year old and doesn't disabuse people of this notion.

Gender: Male

Title: Wanderer and general street urchin.

Knack: Has a knack for wandering, though none know it. He can fit in so well that no one really sees him and since they don't see him he has a tendency to pop up in places where he normally wouldn't be wanted, and he can get anywhere. He is also good at getting people to give him food.

Pets: A small black-and-blue-gray cat and a large dog of the same coloration. They both seem to share his talent for blending in... and being offered food. Cat name: Wraith (Domestic short hair/mutt). Dog name: Shadow (Labrador Retriever/Chase-a-Pick Bay Retriever).

Physical Appearance: Jessup is short, only about four feet tall, with dirty blond hair cut so short it looks pale blond. He has blue eyes that watch everything, sharp ears that hear everything, and a demeanor that reveals nothing. He is bright, and when he speaks he speaks in a strangely educated voice. He has permanently tan skin and always wears blue or black, plus a blue baseball cap. (Note: 1, if the hat doesn't fit I'll change it, but I don't know. Any advice?)

Personality: Jessup is close-mouthed and has an excellent poker face. He absorbs everything around him, but it takes rather a lot for him to regurgitate it. When he does speak he thinks before talking, but either insults horribly or is as far from it as possible. When you manage to get him going (verbally) on a subject he's interested in it's very hard to get him to shut up. Honest though and utterly loyal to the few friends he now has. (the cat and dog) Note on honesty: Always honest, but he has no problem with ommisions, such as: 'I don't have any money', he ommited the key words 'on me'). He also enjoys reading and writing stories.

Political Ideas: Jessup believes strongly in equal rights (part of coming from such a poor-oops such a thrifty family) and has a tendency to dislike the rich till they prove themselves. He also sees no differencs in people due to race, religion, creed, gender, or anything else. He doesn't have time for it and he's probably be dead if he did.

History: Jessup was born in a small town near the Chase-a-pick (unless it's the Bay of Saint Olaf like on the maps at the front of the books) and there learned his stance on equal rights, and on money (spend as little as possible). In his wanderings Jessup has actually accumulated what could almost be called a fortune, but since he's true to his family name he never spends it unless it's life and death. He is one of the younger children of a large family and because it was a tradition in his family for the children to take care of themselves as soon as possible, he left home when he was seven with his twelve year old older brother, and with their parent's blessing and good wishes. His brother vanished in a small Pennsylvania town and Jessup never saw him again. He doesn't know what happened to him, but he fears the worst. He lost his brother at age eight and a half and found his pets/friends at nine.

When he was ten he somehow ended up injured and in Camelot, in the Crown Colonies. An old smith specializing in weapons took him in, got him medical attention, then essentially took him on as a prentice.

All was going well and Jessup was well trained in weaponsmithing when a slave in the neighborhood shot and killed a white man. This was seen, and when the gun used was investigated it turned out that Jessup's friend had made it. They made a case that he had given the gun to the slave and he was convicted and sentenced to death. Before he died he gave Jessup a gift:

A small, well made pistol and dagger that were the first he had ever made, with the addition of engravings saying: 'From Issac Maverick, to Jessup Walker, my greatest and last prentice'. With this he gave Jessup a leather gunbelt with a holster for the pistol, a sheathe for the dagger, and the emblem of a sword and an anvil on the buckle, which was Issac's sign/emblem. After Issac died Jessup ran back to America, and a year later ended up at Hatrack R. This gift is hidden away with Jessup's money.

(Note: Issac's last name was changed to Maverick from Winchester on Black Shep's suggestion. I have a story for the name too. He worked on the frontier at a ranch, and there taught himself smithing by watching the smith there. Maverick was his nickname from his friends there, and he took it as his own. (also becasue he taught himself smithing.))

Languages: Qil, Dwarvish, Erinakans Dialect of True Felinar, Spanish, German, Latin, Neo-Latin, Italian, French, Russian, Greek, Ancient Greek, Franco-American, Slovakian, Cechen, basically every language known to this earth, plus several others. (Note: I'll use online translators to simulate comprehension of these languages. The others are fictional.)

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Title: Journeyman Jeweler, also has limited ability with other varieties of metalwork, but he can make any metal into a work of art, particularly rings and necklaces. He did not change his name to Jeweler or anything like that because he wanted his brother to be able to find him easily, or at least that's what he told himself. It was really in his brother's memory.

Knack: A knack for jewelery and to a lesser degree, metalwork, he can find metal and gems just laying around, he can shape and join them like no other, and his jewelry rarely irrepairably breaks.

Pets: A peregrine falcon he found as a young boy, it was injured and one of his sisters with a knack with animals helped him heal and train it. It's called Meteor.

Physical Appearance: James is absolutely huge. He stands seven feet tall and is big, with little fat. His hands have abnormally long, deft fingers, and are rather large. His skin, hair, and eyes make his race indeterminate, and people often get into arguments about what color they are. He and his family reached a general consensus that they are all astatic (don't ask him what that means, because he won't tell you. I will though: it means 'not static or stable'). No one knows what race he is either. They even have trouble with hair length. He also has the ability to focus so utterly on one task that he can finish it in a superhuman time span, but after this he has to sleep for a very long time.

Personality: James is friendly, honest, and outgoing. He is always ready to laugh, but is a bit uncomfortable with romance, though he is fine with everything social so long as he doesn't think about it. He writes regularly to his family and is very well read. He also likes to write and tell stories, a habit he shares with his brother.

Political Ideas: Equality for all (a good idea, since he'd probably end up subjugated if anyone could decide what he was); and unity, between types of men, between man and nature, between nature and machines, between everything/one.

History: James was born in a small town near the Chase-a-pick (unless it's the Bay of Saint Olaf like on the maps at the front of the books) and growing up as a middle child in a big family, had no lack of friends. His closest was Jessup Thrift, and when he left home at age twelve, he brought his 7-year old brother with him. Whne he lost Jessup in Pennsylvania he was aghast and immediately wrote home to his parents, but unfortunately Jessup didn't write well enough or trust anyone enough for them to write for him, so neither the family or James know he's alive. Not too long after he lost his brother James was prenticed and started to learn several types of metalworking, but everyone he started to learn from either ended up deciding he wasn't white and threw him out or ended up being forced to throw him out by other people with weapons who thought he wasn't White, until he finally learned jewelry from a jeweler in Philadelphia. He has been wandering ever since he became a Journeyman and has quite a lot of money from his craft. He has never stopped searching for Jessup. His master rleased him early because he was a nice guy, James was better than him and he was a bit embarrased about it, and a mob was coming for the reading, writing, black jeweler and his master helped him escape (the master was an abolitionist)

Languages: Ancient Toungue (Traydan), Elvish, Mer, Erinakans Dialect of True Felinar, Spanish, German, Latin, Neo-Latin, Italian, French, Russian, Greek, Ancient Greek, Franco-American, Slovakian, Cechen, basically every language known to this earth, plus several others. (Note: I'll use online translators to simulate comprehension of these languages. The others are fictional.)

(Note: I'm going to have him show up sometime so he and Jessup can have a big, happy reunion, but not yet.)

The Thrift family is a hodgepodge of different races, and very few of them know their race. Early on when they settled in America they developed the habit of living inside hills and mountains. They'd build a house into a hill, and then they'd build additions as needed back into the hill. The Thrifts keep the name Thrift for the most part, since few others use it and it serves as a useful identifier. Those who do change their last names often make it something like, say, Carpenter-Thrift, and their children are always raised as Thrifts until they are trained in a trade.

The Thrift ancestral home from the front looks like a small, simple house with nothing to distinguish it. If you look at it from the side, however you see that it is built into a hill, and when you go inside, you discover that the house continues into the hill and connects to hundreds of other similar openings. Each hill will have several Thrift homes built on/into it and they are all of varying size, but so long as they spread slowly in distance they are all connected. Some few are not connected to the network of tunnels and rooms, like James Walkers store/house simply because they were too far, but every one of these quickly forms its own underground network and is eventually joined to the central network when the family expands far enough.

The branch of Thrifts to which James and Jessup belong are a rather large portion, and are very mixed in race because the mother is half Black/half super-mix similar to a Thrift and their father is half Red/half Thrift. The family has a penchant for knacks relating to earth and fire, water, or plants and animals.

The Thrifts also have a sort of trademark hat. I'm not good at describing things, so I'll use what'll make it understood by everyone. One of them invented the baseball hat and they all liked it. Many of them wear them and they often put emblems and insignia meaningful to them on them. They're called thrifts caps in places where the Thrifts live and are pretty popular in those places.

Cawehtabs: A Thrift/Thrift-oid cave house/shop/inn/whatever. Comes from Latin Caveo: hole/pit and tabernus: booth, hut, cottage, hove, small shop, inn, tavern.

It has been abbreviated and shorted and mispronounced and spelled over the years to become what it is. (Note: Latin 'v'=english 'w')

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Title: Herbalist for humans and animals.

Knack: Doesn't really have a knack herself, but can sort of give other people a knack with a certain animal, make it so that animal can understand more commands from that person than a normal one, without training, though this only works with the right person and animal for each other and if she is physically in contact with both man and beast. She is the sister who helped James heal Meteor and she bonded those two. (Note: Her knack/not-knack doesn't work on herself)

Pets: She's good at befriending animals enough to help them if they're injured and animals usually like her, but she has no pets of her own.

Physical Appearance: She looks petite from a distance and if there's nothing to compare her with and she gives the impression of being petite, but she is 5'11 and pretty strong. Unlike her brothers, with their short and whatever-it-is hair, her hair is long and pale blond, she has eyes that vary from blue to green to gray depending on what she's wearing, and her skin is pale in the winter and as dark as it is possible to be and still look white in the summer. The two primary detractions from her appearance she has are her crooked (though clean and white) teeth and cracked, chapped lips (caused by a habit of breathing through her mouth and picking at them, habits shared by Jess)

Personality: Catie seems a bit shy at first, and likes to think she's shy, but she is naturally ebuillent, vivacious, and outgoing. She has the demeanor and humor are that of a young girl, cheery and moderately hyper. When she's angry, however, she tends to explode.

Political Ideas: She doesn't care much about politics, but does believe in equality like the rest of her family.

History: She was born in the same place as Jess and James, though six years before James, and grew up there. She learned her knowledge of herbs from her grandmother, her knowledge of animals from her cousin (who learned it from his great-aunt), and got her personality from her uncle. She lived happily at home for most of her life, but decided to move to Hatrack when she decided to marry a Spanish-American orphan who had been adopted into her family when his parents died when he was 11 and she half a year older.

Languages: Spanish, Several Red tongues, Italian, miniscul knowledge of Latin, tried and failed miseraly to learn French. HAs small vocab.

(Note: Her description may seem a bit messed up and cliched, but she's based on my sister in everything except for the changing skin and size, which is attributed to weather and her family's super-mix (skin) and my liking for tall people (height). I won't use her for a while (unless my overly prolific writing gets the better of me) but I wanted to create her now. I'll create her husband later)

Name: Joshua Thrift-Ustacoe (Note on name: United STAtes Corps Of Engineers)

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Title: Engineer/architect, former captain in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. (Specialty: Earthworks, trenches, and tunnels)

Knack: He can take a look at an engineering problem or project and instantly see the solution.

Pets: None. He does, however, own a horse named Hadrian.

Physical Appearance: Tall, but not extraordinarily so, just 6'3, with dark black skin, gray eyes, and buzzcut black hair. He is thickly muscled from helping to build the things he designed as a US Army Engineer and from war.

Personality: Calm and collected, even in stressful situations, Joshua only loses control when one of his family or friends is in danger and he can do nothing about it, or at other, similar times when he is helpless. Then he has a tendency to pace, throw things, hit things, and fidget. He has a very dry sense of humor. When he sets his mind to something, little can stop him,

Political Ideas: Believes in equality, freedom, democracy, rule of law, and all people united as one (nation).

History: A sibling of James, Jess, and Catie, he was born in the same place, but left at a moderately young age to go to West Point Military Academy, which he was able to do because his white-looking grandfather got him addmitance and so they thought he was white. By the time he was there it was too late for them to do anything about it. He scored highly in everything and became an engineer, serving honorably until he lost his right pinky and ring fingers, which the racist elements of the Army used as an excuse to honorably discharge him. Since then he has decided to move to Hatrack with his friend, Juan Hoja-Thrift (Jon Blade-Thrift, unless the free online translator I used was wrong), hoping to get a job as an engineer, or failing that, a guard, cop, or whatever word is used.

Languages: Some Spanish, French, Latin.

[This message has been edited by Walker (edited August 08, 2005).]

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Title: Cavalryman/Fencer, former Lieutenant in the US Army Cavalry

Knack: Has a knack for swords, especially from horseback.

Pets: His horses, Blade (Juan's horse, fast, aggressive, ornery), Hilt (Extra horse sometimes used to carry packs), and Sheathe (Normally ridden by Catie, calm and protective of her riders, but very fast), plus Pack, his packhorse.

Physical Appearance: About 6'4, with long limbs and strong, lithe muscles. He moves with a fencer's grace and speed. He has medium-colored skin, black eyes, and black hair.

Personality: Much like his wife, Catie, Juan is ebuillent, outgoing, and very boyish. He smiles a lot and is always ready with a (bad) joke or a (worse) pun.

Political Ideas: Very few political ideas, but he believes strongly in the sovereignty of other nations and free and open immigration.

History: He was born in America shortly after his parents arrived from Spain, and lived near the Thrifts on the Chesapeake until he was eleven, when his parents died and he was adopted by the Thrifts. He went to West Point at the same time as Joshua, since Joshua started a year late, and they became very close friends, while he and Catie grew even closer, fell in love, and eventually got married (after he graduated). Juan became a cavalryman when he graduated, which allowed him to utilize his swordsmanship and equestrian abilities, both of which were great (And the swordsmanship gave him his name.) He was dishonorably discharged at the same time as Joshua because he protested their unjust treatment towards his friend, and they were only too happy to get rid of the Spaniard. H is traveling to Hatrack with Joshua for the same reasons, though he wants to teach his blade and equestrian capabilities in addition to being a guard or deputy or cop or sherrif or whatever.

Languages: Some Spanish, French, Latin.

Name: Jean Thrift

Nicknames/Aliases: Janie Thrift (parents), Jean of Arc (or Jean de Arc, siblings), Gene Dearc (alias used to join the army)

Age: 18

Gender:Female

Title: Soldier/Strategist, former Sergeant in the US Army (Infantry)

Knack: A knack for planning, her plans, 90% of the time succeed against all odds (or with the odds) and the other ten percent the plans fail in the same way.

Pets: A horse named Great Alex, and a red-tailed hawk called Comet.

Physical Appearance: About five feet tall amd stocky, Jean is incredibly stron (for a man or a woman) with exceedingly short (for a woman) dirty blond hair, brown eyes, darkly tanned skin (somewhere between Red and Black) She has excellent senses and is highly intelligent, but she isn't the most attractive of women.

Clothing/Gear: A green, military uniform-style suit of clothes, plus a state-of-the-art rifle usually on a strap over her shoulder; as well as a six-shot Maverick revolver; and a large, slightly wedge-shaped knife.

Personality: A soldier to the core, Jean has a dirty sense of humor, little patience with civilians, and a tendency towards brawling. (On a side note, she has a soldier's opinion on minor thieving: if she does it it's 'foraging'. This mostly applies to food and similar things though)

Political Ideas: Enjoys war, contrary to all sanity, but prefers brawling, where deaths are fewer and the fights fairer (fewer dishonorable men involved (namely, no governments get involved in brawls)) Holds same general beliefs as siblings.

History: Born 2 years before James, she was always fascinated with war. She began to plan how to enlist in the regular army at a young age and did so at 14 1/2, under the name of Gene Dearc, a young, courageous, strong, honorable man. She was never badly wounded enough to need medical attention, which was good, considering what the doctors would have found. She recieved a honorable discharge after serving for about 3 1/2 years, at which point she fell victim to a random act of downsizing.

(I'll go w/ out using her for a while, because she'd just be too many, or at least she will be (temporarily) when I get Juan, Josh, and Catie going.

Languages: French, learned because she was so enamored of Joan of Arc. A little Spanish from Juan and his family. (Note: I'll use online translators to simulate comprehension of these languages.)

[This message has been edited by Walker (edited April 19, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Walker (edited August 08, 2005).]

Age:17

Description: Claire's eyes are dark brown. She has honey colored hair that almost reaches her waist. She has a very fair complexion(one of those people that can't tan, only burn). Claire is slim and walks gracefully... most of the time. She loves children and enjoys playing with them.

Knack:Music

Relatives:none that I know of at the moment

Background:Claire is originally from England, but thankfully her knack being music, most folks thought that Claire was only a very talented musician. Claire lost her parents at an early age and was raised by a wealthy patron. Her benafactor sent her to the best music schools money could offer, but six months ago he died in a tragic fire. Claire desided to travel to America to teach music. She would like to run a small music store in town to sell music, instruments, and lessons. Claire is usually friendly, but may be slightly shy around members of the opposite gender who are around her age.

Age: Appears to be about 20 or so.

Appearance: Unkept sandy blond hair, with a tint of red when dry. Freckles all over his face, but consentrated around his eyes, which are vibrant and green.

1. Create a fully fleshed out profile complete with history, physical description, knack, etc.

2. Provide a minimal profile (if at all) and let the rest come out during the writing.

I think either one is acceptable. (We certainly didn't feel like we needed to canonize it into the rules.) Both have their advantages and drawbacks.

Personally I tended to follow #2. I generally had a rough idea what my characters were like, but I found that it actually aided my writing to leave the details sketchy in the beginning.

Amos was my first character and he changed dramatically during the first few weeks of writing him. And then, he changed even more when I wanted to interact with the lead villian. It turned out that Amos was the estranged father of the infamous Jack.

It actually makes it much more challenging to write with someone who's character is not as clearly known.

Just my $0.02 worth.