Description
Windspeed stands approximately 188 cm tall and weighs approximately 100 kg. His features and complexion are less pronounced than a pure Salish, thanks to his father's genes. He wears his thick black hair in a crew cut style, with a small ponytail down his back. He is well muscled and strongly built. He has a tattoo of a golden eagle on his back making his totem's mark obvious for all to see.
Windspeed is rather quiet since leaving his grandparents, in part due to his inexperience in the "shadows". When he does make his opinion known, he speaks with the confidence of someone who believes in what they are doing. He has no time for defilers of the land, or for urban predators attacking the weak. Unfortunately, he has a difficult time determining whom to trust outside of his tribe, leaving him susceptible to con-men and cheats.
Windspeed left his tribe shortly after having the same troubling dream
every second and third Monday of each month. Windspeed decided joining
a group was probably in his best interests; there is more safety in numbers.
He also felt that a group would come into contact with a larger variety
of obstacles, which might lead to the completion of his quest. He
decided to take the advice of his leaders and "let this river run its own
course."
Background
Windspeed was born Jacob Klein on February 28, 2039 in Seattle to Darrel and Falling Leaf Klein. Tragedy struck early in the boy's life; due to complications during child birth, Falling Leaf died shortly after delivery. Since Darrel was a clerk in the mayor's office in Seattle, he could not afford childcare. Having no relatives in the Seattle area, Jacob was sent to live with his maternal grandparents in a small town in the Salish Nation near Mt. Olympus called Crooked Path.
Jacob was raised in the Salish tradition by his grandparents, Joseph and Mary Brooks, learning their customs and beliefs. Jacob saw his father frequently; the city of Seattle makes up for low monetary compensation with vacation time. Darrel Klein supported his in-laws' rearing practices. Jacob performed well in school, and even better in athletic events. Unfortunately, tragedy was waiting for the child a second time.
During a trip to Seattle to visit his father when he was eleven, Darrel decided to take Jacob to his office place. While waiting for the bus, Jacob suddenly felt his father's grip on his shoulder tighten. A wave of panic flooded the boy, and looking up at his father ready to complain that his shoulder hurt, Jacob saw his father looking down the street with a look of dread on his face. Before Jacob could react, his father pushed him down the alley behind them. As Jacob's senses came to him, he looked up only to hear motorcycles and gunshots while seeing his father stumble back after being hit with a number of bullets. Motorcycles streaked down the street raining lead before and after them. Screaming, Jacob ran to his father's side. Not knowing what to do, he simply grabbed his father's hand and cried.
The following hours were a blur to Jacob. Lone Star arrived on the scene with several DocWagon ambulances. Someone pried Jacob from his father and put him in a Lone Star cruiser. As his hand was pulled away from his father's, his hand slipped his father's wedding ring off. He sat in the cruiser holding the ring in shock. After futile efforts to question him, Lone Star turned him over to Child Services to await the arrival of his grandparents.
Apparently, two go-gangs by the name of the Spikes and the Ancients had a run in on Route 5 that spilled over into city streets leaving several bystanders dead and many more injured. Lone Star was unable to apprehend any of the individuals involved, and the case was closed with no prosecutions.
It took several months for Jacob to recover from this episode. He began to have very disturbing dreams. He had the same dream every second and third Monday of every month. The dream started with Jacob and his fellow villagers standing at the base of Mt. Olympus as rains fell. The rains fell harder and harder, eventually flooding Crooked Path. Eventually the entire town was flooded, and the water began to rise toward the people on the mountain. The people began to climb the mountain, but they could not out climb the water. Before long, Jacob was the only one left. He would see an eagle soaring high in the air, and pray that he could become the eagle and fly away. He always woke up right when the eagle swooped in to save him before the water overtook him. He would wake up crying, and his grandparents would console him. Jacob was changing physically as well. He began to grow quickly, and he claimed to see "spirits". He woke nearly every night claiming to hear animals in his room. After a time the elders of Crooked Path recommended that Jacob see a tribal shaman. Three months after his father's murder, Jacob went to see a healer named John Black Bear.
Jacob stayed with John for several days. It became apparent that Jacob was a physical adept following the path of Eagle. He was blessed with acute senses, such as regular and astral sight, much like an eagle. These senses enabled Jacob to hear woodland noises as if they were right in the room with him. John believed Eagle felt Jacob needed acute senses after his father's murder so that he would be aware of impending danger long in advance. Jacob's dreams seemed to confirm John's beliefs, with the eagle soaring above and saving the boy. The dream also worried John; it was eerily similar to an old tribal tale, The Great Flood, where wise men dreamed of great floods. These wise men decided to build canoes and rope them together. The canoes then could be tied to mountains so that the people in the canoes would be safe from the floods. Many people laughed at the wise men, but others believed. They made canoes as the wise men instructed. When the rains came, only the people in the canoes were saved. John did not know the significance of the boy's dreams, but he did not ignore them. He sent word to Leaping Salmon, the Chief Shaman of the Salish Tribe.
In the following months, John allayed the boy's fears, and began to teach him the legends of Eagle. After some time, Jacob began to recover some of his old self. He learned under John, and began to walk the path of Eagle. He also returned to school. He quickly became the best athlete in Crooked Path, excelling in both wrestling and track. He was so fast that his teammates began to call him "Windspeed." His skills increased to the point where he was competing in the S-S School Tournaments in both wrestling and track.
As the boy's senses became more acute, Jacob's grandfather began taking him on hunting trips with him. Due to the proximity of Mt. Olympus, the town of Crooked Path had quite a few tourists. Joseph Brooks was the premier guide and tracker in the area and ran a fairly profitable hunting lodge. When combined with Joseph's skills and knowledge of the area, Jacob's senses provided an incredible asset in hunting. The boy was the equivalent of a bloodhound; he could pick up a scent and follow it for days. Jacob enjoyed these days; tracking a buck through the wilderness, moving as softly and as quickly as the wind. It was during one trip that Jacob discovered another gift from Eagle.
While leading a group of Seattle businessmen hunting for deer, Jacob was moving ahead of the group searching for scents. He was about to continue walking, when he felt pressure on his shoulder and was overcome with a sense of urgency. He was totally confused, and did not move. In the next instant, he heard a rifle fire and strike a tree directly ahead of his intended path. Jacob did not doubt that Eagle warned him much the same as his father had warned him several years earlier. When Jacob described this experience to John, John explained that some adepts have a "sixth sense" that keeps them from impending danger. They both agreed this must be another gift from Eagle.
As his high school graduation approached, Jacob's dream began to change. Instead of waking up when the eagle saved him, Jacob became the eagle and soared to great heights. From high in the sky, Jacob could see that all of the land was covered in water. On the horizon, just within the reaches of Jacob's keen sight, he could see the source of the unnatural storm far from the borders of his nation. Alone and unaided, he began to fly toward the source of the storm knowing that he must stop it. It was at this point that he would awake.
After telling John about the recent changes to his dreams, John made arrangements to take the young man to meet with Jane Fire Storm, an aide to Leaping Salmon. The two traveled to meet with Jane. John told Jacob to simply explain his dream in detail, including what he felt during the dream. Jane made Jacob feel at ease while he told his story, encouraging him to tell the tale completely. Jacob found himself explaining his emotions during the dream for the first time. When he was finished, Jane asked him what he thought the meaning of the dream was. After a moment, Jacob responded that he was not sure, but that he was sure that he needed to leave the Salish Nation to discover the true meaning. Jane nodded slowly and said that his story had been known to her for several years. Apparently she was John's contact several years earlier. She said that it did not appear that this dream was intended to be a sign for the Salish tribe as a whole, but rather that it was meant to be taken as a personal sign. It was her opinion that this was a message from Jacob's totem, and that Jacob should "let this river run it's course, and see where it leads."
After the meeting with Jane Fire Storm, Jacob felt a sense of relief. He had always felt he would have to leave his home, and now he had his elders blessing. Jane had warned him not to tell many people about his dreams, although she did not explain why. His grandparents were not happy, but they honored his wishes. Jacob began to plan his departure. He decided to leave for Seattle three weeks after graduation. He still knew quite a few people in his old neighborhood, so he would have some form of safety net -- and Seattle would be an excellent spot to meet the sort of people he thought he would need to find his answers.
About one week before his graduation, his grandfather asked him if he could help guide a tourist. He agreed (he was going to need more cash, after all), and met a woman by the name of Sukie Redflower. Sukie claimed to be a "displaced" Salish mage who wanted to get in contact with her roots. She felt a few days in the mountains "roughing it" would do the trick.
Jacob was in awe. Here was a flamboyant, attractive woman with more confidence than most of the Salish border troopers he had met. She talked a mile a minute and completely overwhelmed the quiet young man. Jacob found himself watching her constantly and thought she caught him a number of times. If she did notice, she did not mention it. She asked Jacob about himself, and what he was going to do "when he grew up". He told her about his plans to move to Seattle; he never mentioned his dreams, just a desire to see the world. She seemed very interested, and offered to meet up with Jacob when he was in Seattle, since she herself lived in Bellevue. Jacob said he would love to meet up with her. When he asked what she did for a living, Sukie quickly changed the topic saying, "I work with arcane, magic-like drek, ya know?".
Jacob's grandfather was not as taken with Sukie as his grandson. She seemed to know a little too much about the land to be a tourist. She also seemed to be looking for something specific, rather than "taking it all in". He told Jacob to watch out for this woman. Jacob ignored his grandfathers words and dismissed them as little more than overprotection.
After two days, Sukie asked for a little time on her own to reflect and commune with nature. The two men agreed knowing that the area was not dangerous and that Jacob could track Sukie if she got lost. She agreed not to go too far and was off. She returned four hours later and wanted to return to the village immediately. When pressed as to why, she stated she was paying them to guide, not to ask questions. The trip back went on in silence. When they reached the lodge, Sukie paid the rest of her bill and left. When Jacob returned to his room, he found a card with a Seattle LTG and "Sukie" written on it. Whatever her reason for a quick departure, she still meant to make good on her offer.
When the day for departure came, Jacob gathered his belongings, said his good-byes, and caught a bus for Seattle. He had rented an apartment in his old neighborhood and had a job lined up with a neighbor's relative working at the docks loading and unloading cargo. When he got there, he left a message on Sukie's answering machine asking if she would like to meet sometime. After about a month, she returned his call and told him to meet her at a coffee shop in Bellevue for lunch.
When he got there, she attacked him with questions. She seemed to know that he was not just looking to get out and see the world. Jacob was reluctant to tell her, saying that he had his reasons. She continued to press him relentlessly, rubbing his leg and telling him it was O.K. to tell her. He finally told her about his dreams, and why he left. After his story, Sukie burst out laughing, saying leave it to the stupid tree-huggers to send out a kid chasing silly dreams.
This torqued Jacob off something fierce, and he got up without saying a word. He was halfway down the street when Sukie caught up with him. She apologized, and said if he really wanted to find some answers to his dreams he should look somewhere other than the docks. She said magical talent was rare, and Jacob could meet some interesting people in interesting places if he joined up with her. She claimed to know some serious movers and shakers in and around Seattle that could really set Jacob on the path to his answers. After more pestering, Jacob agreed. Sukie said that he was going to need a handle of some sort; Jacob recalled his high school nickname "Windspeed". Sukie did not think it fit, considering she was faster than he was. Since nothing else seemed to fit, she agreed.
It seemed that Sukie was more than just a "displaced" mage. If Jacob had to use one word to describe her, it would be "mercenary." After a couple of weeks with her, they received several offers from individuals for all kinds of work. Some seemed to be in the gray area of the law, others seemed to be absolutely criminal. Sukie listened to all of them, regardless of legality, and bargained the hell out of them. She threw Jacob in the mix as well, saying where else could someone get both a mage and a physical adept. This seemed to be a very effective combination. Sukie always kept some of Jacob's cut, saying this was her consulting/bargaining charge.
The days with Sukie really opened Jacob's eyes. There seemed to be a never ending list of illegal offers, and Sukie had no problem accepting if the price was right. She would always rationalize to Jacob, saying it was not really stealing, that their Johnson was merely reclaiming his stolen merchandise. After about a eight months of this, Jacob had had enough. He had been involved in some very questionable activities, and he was no closer to his answers. When he told Sukie that he wanted to part ways, she did not seem that displeased. She said it was his life to ruin, and that he knew how to get in touch with her if he changed his mind.
One good thing that came of his time with Sukie is that he did meet some people in Seattle. He leveraged these contacts into new jobs that agreed with his conscience. He began to use a fixer by the name of Cutter. Cutter was an Amerindian, and seemed to understand Jacob's wants. It was Cutter that set Jacob up with his current team.
Current Day
Jacob currently rents an apartment in Tacoma. He works with the same team almost exclusively; he may not be personal friends with them, but they are professional. He does not know what kind of people they were in the past, but none of them seems as amoral as Sukie yet. He is still somewhat naive and uncomfortable in the shadows, but he is learning more about how the world works while honing his skills. He still is searching for his answers.
Hooks
Some obvious hooks for jobs/runs:
These are people that Jacob seeks for companionship, information, or help on a regular basis. Many are mentioned earlier in the background section. Refer to the above section for a more thorough description. All other contacts must be considered on a case by case basis.
Salish Tribe: As a member of the Salish Tribe, Jacob can call on 2d6 members at any time.
Soars in the Sky (Level 2): A human female Salish eagle shaman talismonger living in Seattle. Soars in the Sky has taken a liking to Jacob; she thinks of him a something of a protégé.
Cutter: An orc male Amerindian fixer. He never talks about what tribe he is from, but he seems to have ties with Cascade Ork. He knows what kind of jobs Jacob is looking for and does not want to risk losing a magical client by sending him on an illegal/evil run.
Sukie Redflower: An elf female Salish mage living in Bellevue. She used to "manage" Jacob. They have not spoken since they have gone their separate ways. Jacob still has a crush on her, and she knows it.
Bruce Conway: A human male bartender at a bar called "The Whip" in Auburn. The Whip is on the Salish border, and attracts players from the Salish lands and Seattle. Bruce sees and hear most of the things going on.
Vizard: A troll male Mohican sorcerer. He and Jacob have worked with each other in the past successfully.
Karas: A human male bartender at a bar called "Neon Sunsets"
in Everett. Much like the Whip, Neon Sunsets butts up against Salish
lands and caters to a variety of clientele.