John Sterling

[Illu]

Human Stuff,

Name: John Sterling
Gender: Male

Appearance:
John has one of those familiar faces that looks a little bit like everyone. It makes him blend in well with a crowd, and he’s easily forgotten afterwards. He has a fairly square face with hazel eyes and no particularly stand-out features. 'Average height, dark hair' is about as specific you're going to get.

As of late he sports a kind of perpetually-stressed appearance, which is starting to age him prematurely as foretold by the lines developing around his eyes. It doesn't help that he rarely bothers with daily shaving any more and he has a bit of a look of rough keep about him, although the same could be said about any man this side of the mountains. He's probably about 5'11 (at that he's measured) and has a weird habit of walking dead silently and always standing dead straight.

Just about the only thing atypical about him is his wardrobe. One look and you can tell he's one of them city folk. Although his fashion sense would described as casual by city standards, it's entirely too smart for the bush. Alough he has a total of only one 'good' suit, it's still one more than most men around the High Country have. His clothing needs a good ironing and is worn somewhat rumpled, but he tries to keep himself looking as neat and clean as he can despite the dust that tends to build up on the bottom of his trousers. If you've got good eyes, you'll spot the subtle lump of a concealed pistol, something he still carries with him mostly out of habit.

Personality:
Illu feels lazy, so you get point form. I'll rewrite this in paragraph form at some point.

• Protective • Calm / patient / slow to anger (usually) • Loyal / dependable • Good at reading people • Good leader • Courageous / Selfless • Hard working • Caring • Alturistic enough • Friendly •

• Settles into routine easily / creature of habit • Strict / firm, but not unreasonable • Flat sense of humor •

• Hypocritical • Not that outgoing • Guarded / secretive • Cheerless • Lacks personal goals and motivation • No ambition • Tries to do too much by himself • Introverted • Pessimistic • Puts up a front • Black and white way of seeing things • Disillusioned • Low self worth making him prone to overcompensate • Crabby when his brain's not swimming in nicotine •

History:
John was born and raised in a rural property in the middle of nowhere. Big sprawling land, about twenty six miles to the nearest hint of civilisation and dotted with horses, sheep, and the occasional chicken cunning enough to get out of the coop. Other than that, there wasn’t much to note about John’s childhood. He lived in a large family, his two older brothers helping around the place while their father was off droving. It was a hard life, isolated and lonely, but they managed.

He was married off when he was just a teenager to an equally young, pretty girl named Abigail Woods. Neither of them knew what they were doing, but typical of the young, thought they had it all figured out. But there's only one job for a man in the bush and that's droving, and if John was certain of anything it was that he didn't want Gail to suffer the same harsh, solitary life as his mother had. They sold a few cattle, packed up and moved to Sydney with barely a penny to their name to start a new life.

John knew two things: guns and horses, so ending up in the mounted police was a lucky break for him. At least there he could put his skills to some use. He and his wife lived a cosy little life together for a few years until one night involving a drunk hansom cab driver who crashed his carriage. Abigail was killed. She was eight months pregnant.

Restless, devestated and angry, and finding himself unable to function in life and at his job, John left everything behind and moved with no clear idea of where he wanted to go. He moved consantly for a while, living off the both money he'd saved up and what he was given from the life insurance, but the realisation finally hit he couldn't keep it up forever. So, somehow or another he ended up in a High Country pub rostered on to move cattle through the mountains. The irony that he's ended up exactly what he didn't want to be isn't lost on him.

Extra Comments:
This'll be John v.3.0. So far he's been a corrupt American cop in Mafia-Era 1920s St. Louis, and a Brit in a supernatural London who got in a spot of bother with some werewolves. Welcome to the the world of 1900's Australia, John. He's also traditionally been 'played by' Matthew Settle, but that's more of an aside.

Occupation: Cattleman primarily, although he wont turn down anything else if it's offered.




Animal Stuff,
Name: 'Darl'. No one knows her real name, but it's the only thing John seems to call her.
Gender: Mare
Age: 5
Species: Horse
Breed: Australian Stock Horse



Appearance:
A medium sized, handsome sooty mare with plenty of scope, a bright look in her eye and a spring her step. She's had it harder than she's used to these past days and it may show up in her condition from time to time, but she always bounces back.

Personality:
Darl pretty much lives up to her nickname. She's an astoundingly pilable mare and what you'd call the perfect lady. John's pretty sure if he left her untied at night, he'd wake up in the morning to find her in the exact spot he'd left her. It's probably not far from the truth. If he had to name a fault it's that she can get a bit exciteable around stallions, but she's a good mare and a hard worker, which is all you could ask for.

History:
Darl was owned by a wealthy ex-squatter on the outskirts of Sydney. She was part of a yearling foal crop when herself, the other horses and the rest of her owners property were seized by the police for a Government infraction. John was part of the raid. She was bundled up, held in storage for a few weeks and before she could be sent to to nearest auction, John picked her up cheap. Since he quit the police force and had to give up his assigned mount, she's become his only mode of transport. Her experience with cattle is exactly zilch, but being a Stock Horse, she's starting to pick it up just by insinct alone and assistance by her rider.

Extra Comments: Blame Rae