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| James Bell; Marine Private | |
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| Topic Started: 10 Nov 2008, 03:27 AM (276 Views) | |
| Aztec Gold | 10 Nov 2008, 03:27 AM Post #1 |
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OOC Info Username: James Bell How did you find out about AG: Memorandum Have you read the rules and agree to abide by them? Yes Character Biography Given Name: James Surname: Bell Nickname: Jimmy, Bull Age: Twenty-nine Sex: Male Ethnicity: English Country of Birth: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England Current Whereabouts: Port Royal Occupation: Marine private Former Occupation(s): Hired thug Parents: Andrew and Bess Siblings: Martin, Thomas (deceased), Martha Children: None he'll directly acknowledge Avatar:  Description: Personality Though English-born, James Bell bears many traits commonly attributed to Scotsmen of distant relation. His name is chief amongst them, with his build, features, disposition, and temper following close behind. He places great store in the bonds of blood and name, and will come to the aid of any who are kin to him without question. That was the one thing his father placed the most importance upon and the four Bell children absorbed it completely. A man carrying the name Bell is to be treated as if he was a brother, whether he is a distant cousin or part of the more immediate family. In addition to his deep family pride, Bell regards a kinsman's word as sacrosanct. He will accept the statement of another Bell immediately as truth, even over the report of a fellow marine. Name is everything to him and he will do nothing to betray his own name. If there is one thing, aside from proud, that Bell can be accurately accused of, it's having a lack of morals. That's not to say he's a completely heartless rogue, however. His morals were shaped in large part by his father's example - which, while it wasn't necessarily the most shining one, carried a great deal of weight. Bell sees nothing wrong with whoring and makes regular visits to brothels. He has no qualms with using force in order to satisfy himself either, which has, in the past, resulted in his being banished from such establishments. On a rare few occasions, he has forced himself upon the female relatives of rival thugs or colliers. Bell considers himself entitled to take what he pleases without concern for ownership or price. His years as a hired thug cured him of any cares for such boundaries. People, especially women, are little better than objects in his view and he rarely troubles himself to respect the limits of personal space and property if he sees something he wants. His fellow marines – and, of course, kin – are the only exceptions. Despite his relative lack of morals, Bell is an honourable man is his own way. He can be counted on to keep his word if he gives it, no matter what. This was another of his father’s lessons, though Bell is better at holding to it than his brother Martin. Additionally, he is steadfastly loyal to whoever he considers to be his mates. He isn’t above lying or much else in order to protect those in his inner circle. Ironically, trust is sacred to him. He doesn’t trust easily but when he does, there aren’t any reservations about it. Nothing he does is half-way. One of his earliest lessons as a boy was to throw himself fully into every task – or risk a beating. Any job or chore left half-finished or poorly done earned him such punishment. Hand in hand with that is his innate dislike of being in charge. He absolutely hates being put in command and will push authority onto the most likely man after him, as long as it means he does not have to endure being "the leader". His place is at his leader's right hand and no higher. There is only one thing that, aside from a kinsman's word, that Bell considers truly beyond reproach and that is his own gut instinct. If he suspects something to be less than reliable or not quite what it seems, he will shy away from it until suitably backed up by other marines. He has learned not to dive headlong into an uncertain situation without reinforcements. Life as a thug is hard and often brutal, and helped teach Bell many things about survival against bad odds. He observes no niceties and follows no rules when fighting; he will just as quickly slit a man's throat as strike below the belt, and feel no remorse for either action. Bell is quick and dangerous with a knife, his favoured weapon, and it was in part due to his skill with a knife that he did not suffer a slit throat himself in his younger years. He has applied himself to learning how to fight ably with an unfixed bayonet as well, despite the relative ungainliness of the triangular blade. The Newcastleman has no love for cowardice and even less for turn-coats. He knew several in his home city and had helped put more than one into shallow graves. There was little tolerance for such men in the cutthroat underworld, a fact that Bell learned very early. His unflinching willingness to fight and do what he has to in order to win stems in part from the knowledge that hesitation and mercy are both considered weak - and nearly always cost a man his life. In his experience, men who change sides, regardless of the reasons, are effectively the enemy and he has been taught to fight stoutly against the enemy. The recent mutiny has reaffirmed that belief and served to harden Bell's already hard-edged outlook on life. If even his fellow marines can turn on each other, there is no use in offering the surviving traitors even the slightest bit of mercy. Bell himself showed no mercy during the fighting, and in fact had to be ordered to stand down by Captain Cartwright when the battle in the fort was over. Appearance At first glance, Bell looks deceptively innocent and youthful. He is an inch or two taller than the average man, with a trim, compact build that doesn't lend itself to the belief that he has much in the way of physical power. His face is, remarkably, mostly untouched by scars; except for his right cheek, flecked as it is with the tiny, pale scars of powder burns. His left ear is creased near the top as well, the gift from a sudden dagger slash in a street brawl. Apart from these two blemishes, however, Bell's face is unmarred. His blue eyes are ice-cold and only rarely seem thoughtful or gentle. The firm set of his jaw and mouth further the impression of stony alertness, for Bell doesn't make a habit of smiling. In fact, his brow is usually furrowed just slightly in a wary frown. With his blond hair constantly drawn back into a tight queue, his appearance takes on an almost severe impression. The Newcastleman doesn't present a welcoming air but he doesn't care to, either. The illusion of youthful innocence vanishes quickly if one is to view Bell's torso. A mess of scars slash willy-nilly across his chest, ribs, and back, all remnants from savage back-alley fights. There is a particularly nasty scar just under his left armpit, earned after a tavern brawl turned sour with the arrival of militiamen. His hands are no less well-used. Aside from powder burns and the thick callouses on his thumbs, his knuckles are much abused and across the back of his left wrist is the thin, pale line left by a broken bottle edge. Bell is fiercely proud of all these markings, as they prove he can take a slash or shot - or several - and still get up afterward. His posture has become rigid and martially correct when so required, but his stride and bearing both hint strongly at his aggressive nature. Bell carries himself much like one who expects people to give way immediately to him, and woe to whoever doesn't. His red coat is often enough to open a path for him in crowded places, but when he is without it, he relies on his natural belligerence to do the job for him. When he walks, the swagger is unmistakable. For a man long used to presenting the appearance of unflappability, Bell has little difficulty seeming fully in control of himself and his immediate surroundings. No man can honestly accuse him of being timid, certainly. He would not have it that way and his bearing reflects such a deep confidence. Like the other marines, Bell wears the red coat and white shirt, waistcoat, and breeches that are the hallmarks of their station. His twin crossbelts are constantly sparkling white and his gaiters seem always to be freshly cleaned. Too, his coat is scrubbed daily and such care shows. James takes particular care with his kit, being of the strong opinion and experience that well-cared for kit will not let him down at a bad moment. He takes the most care of his musket, often breaking it down as often as three times a week to clean it thoroughly. His weapons are mostly those expected of a marine to carry, those being the flintlock musket and bayonet. Bell carries a slim-bladed knife in his cartridge box as well, and inside his right gaiter is a short dagger that he's carried and used for years. Strengths & Weaknesses: Strengths ~ Hardiness - James Bell is tough. There's no two ways around it. He can take a hit and keep on moving without apparent effect. ~ Reliable - In a pinch, he can be counted on to step up and make decisions. Too, he is completely dependable if his mates end up in a bind, no matter what that bind ends up being. ~ Loyal - When it comes down to it, Bell is dead loyal. His mates and his kin can be assured of his loyalty in all things once they've earned it and he's never let them down. ~ Tenacity - Bell is not a man who gives up easily. He will see a task through to the end, no matter what. In a fight, he's the one who keeps at it until knocked out or dragged away. ~ Efficient - When set onto a task or errand, Bell gets the job done in the surest and swiftest way he can find. His work is never shoddy either. ~ Stoic - Bell does not complain. Pain, hardship, hunger, and discontent are all borne without so much as a whimper. He feels it to be womanish to complain about trifling difficulties and can bear even harsh conditions with remarkable forbearance. Weaknesses ~ Aggressive - His tendency towards aggression makes him few friends amongst the townspeople. There are plenty of marines who dislike his belligerence as well. ~ Morals - His lack of most moral boundaries doesn't endear him to his superiors at all. Attempts to teach him to be more Christian have all failed miserably. ~ Grudges - Bell is notorious for holding grudges. Insults or attacks made against him, his kin, or his mates are enough to earn long-running bad feeling with him. He has an extremely difficult time with the notion of "forgive and forget". ~ Restraint - Namely, Bell has none. When stirred into violence, he will employ every means he can think of in order to win. More than once, he has been carried bodily away from taverns and other places, to avoid complete disaster. ~ Brutal - Hand in hand with his lack of restraint is his tendency toward brutality. Bell sees nothing wrong with resorting to savagery if pushed, which stands starkly at odds with his position as an upholder of law and good order. History: The Bells of Newcastle-upon-Tyne had, originally, come from Dumfriesshire, just across the Scottish Border. It was there that the core values and beliefs were formed that James, Martin, and Thomas Bell would come to be taught. The Scottish Bells were, for generations, rogues and raiders - part of a larger collection of Border folk who were called reivers - and made their living in this way well into the seventeenth century. Several men, as their livelihood gradually faded, eventually made their way over the Border into England. Bell's grandfather was the first English-born Bell of this group of emigrants. The Newcastle Bells had become well-established in their residences by the time of James's birth - and also in their reputations. He and his brother Martin were born less than a year apart and grew up together as if they had been twins. Their father, Andrew, was known as a notorious strong-man for a local coaching stable and he began teaching his sons the rough ways of life on the wrong side of the law when they were big enough to suitably hold pistols. The births of Thomas and Martha gave their father more opportunities to pass along his knowledge and add to the pool of available henchmen, and he did his best to shape up all four children as younger versions of himself. It wasn't long before the three Bell brothers were roaming the city streets by themselves, completely unafraid of trouble from adults. Wherever one was, the other two were not far away, a fact that many opportunistic thieves learnt to their disadvantage. Andrew Bell's staunch beliefs in the importance of defence of family and name were just as devoutly held by his children, who absorbed all of his lessons like human sponges. Even Martha, their sister, was a formidable girl and her brothers learned quickly that she was her own force to be reckoned with. When all four were about in the city together, they were dangerous indeed. Employment for James and Martin began in their early teens, as courier-boys for the Blackett family's colliery business. Andrew Bell's reputation had earned them that job, but the brothers were soon forming their own reputations. On Thomas' twelfth birthday, he was hired by the Blacketts as well. James and Martin gradually worked their way up in the lower hierarchy to become enforcers of Blacketts' business endeavours, alongside a goodly number of older men and like-aged boys. The brothers were fierce and aggressive, and earned their share of lumps and cuts in the course of doing Blacketts' dirty work. It hardly mattered to them that their "profession" was in no way legal - their father called it the modern form of reiving and they too viewed it that way. By his seventeenth birthday, James was particularly renowned as a quick and brutal - and most importantly, successful - thug. His brother Martin was no less well-known, though he was not quite as direct as James. Their escapades helped in part to secure affairs for the Wylam colliery, and of course to create competition from rival collieries, who had their own gangs to send out. Such circumstances never lend themselves to happy ends. Their younger brother Thomas, newly given authority as a strong-man like his elder brothers, met with a bloody demise late one evening, during a particularly bitter feud between rival gangs. Neither James nor Martin were present to protect their brother and they did not take his loss well. The wreaking of revenge that followed Thomas' death culminated in a spree of appalling actions that compelled the City's council to summon the militia. James Bell was shortly arrested, due in no small part to his wild conduct, and sentenced almost immediately to the gallows. His brother Martin had managed to escape capture, but resorted to an unusual method to save his brother. He found and, with some difficulty, sent out a recruiting sergeant to the city gaol. It was a stroke of good fortune that King George's War was in full flame and the need for men to fight was great. James, grudgingly, agreed to take King's shilling - his preference would've been to hang, unrepentant and proud as he was - and was taken immediately away. For the twenty year-old Bell, life in the King's service was a complete turn-round from the lifestyle he had been enjoying. At least Martin was with him, having been obliged to enlist first in order to convince James to do the same. Their regiment, Wolfe's, saw action at Fontenoy and later in Scotland at Falkirk and Culloden. The nature of combat in the Army was vastly different to what he was used to, but Bell found it just as much to his liking - especially when battles got into close quarters. Despite the hard discipline and demands of the Army, he grew to like the constrained lifestyle - and the impunity that being a red-coat allowed him. Men of the law didn't bother soldiers, which granted Bell the unique opportunity to resume his previous activities with a new confidence, which he did once the regiment returned to England. Soon, however, both Bells learned of their impending movement to the Navy with a company of their fellows, to serve as marines. For Bell, it was an unwelcome interruption to the mostly-ordered empire he had been building within the regiment. How was he to maintain his comfortable existence if he was at sea? Soon enough, however, he discovered that conditions aboard ships were very ripe for his notions of "business". Sailors quickly learned that he was not to be trifled with and many grew to grudgingly acknowledge him as an equal in under-the-table dealings. His fellow marines recognised him not only as a man not to cross, but also someone very desirable to have fighting next to them. The passage of several years led them to Jamaica, where they supplemented the marine battalion garrisoned in Port Royal. For some months, life on the island was relatively uneventful, consisting of regular cruises at sea, patrol duties in town and at the fort, and daily drills on the parade ground. The quiet pace was disrupted by the arrival of the East India Company, which created a great stir amongst the marine garrison. Bell, who was beginning to wonder if he would become soft with so little to do, was interested by the prospect of poor relations and rivalry. Tensions simmered with the occasional flare-up for some months - though, naturally, the Bells didn't leave much evidence of their own undertakings against the East India Company's marines - until the resignation of their captain and the subsequent schemes of his replacement brought the garrison's resentment boiling over into mutiny. Both Bells remained steadfastly loyal to the Crown, with James Bell taking particular exception to the mutineers' action. He and his squad were stranded in the fort when the fighting broke out and it fell to them to defend the fort's officers. Bell applied all his energy and ferocity to resistance, such was his furious indignation at the boldness of treachery. He had to be physically restrained when the fighting finally ended, for he had been ignoring all cries for quarter and only a forceful order from then-Lieutenant Cartwright had resulted in his subduing. The eventual banishment to their ships didn't sit well with Bell, not the least because of the gloomy mood of his corporal. Several men of his squad had been killed, which sent Corporal Jones into a sullen depression that not even Bell could shake him out of. Much against his will, Bell found himself in charge of his remaining squad-mates. Leadership positions are like the plague to him but, with no one else fit or keen to take over for Jones, he steps in to fill the void. Like many others aboard Dauntless, Bell looks forward to the return of Corporal McIntyre, now that the Irishman has survived his court-martial - though for Bell, the knowledge that McIntyre was a deserter from the Army lessens his eagerness to some degree. He wishes the Irishman to return more for the authority and leadership that McIntyre possesses. Sample/Past Roleplay: Pass. Answer here if you give permission for a link to exist on the website to your bio: Yes |
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7:47 AM Feb 9
