Name: Ben Lender
Height: 6’1
Weight: 187 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark brown near black.
Age: 30
Appearance: Ben looks rugged and well-worn. He typically has a beard when unable to shave. He wears heavy layers of clothing and is bare-chested. His back is also bare of any hair. He has symbols tattooed on the side of his face, marking him as a slave long ago. His hair is typically unstyled. He has a deep voice, like a smoker.
History:
Ben joined the military fresh out of high school. He served two terms before leaving and going to college to get his teaching degree. Nearly 5 years ago, the bombs dropped and changed the face of the earth. There was no recall, no demand to return to service. Taking shelter in an old stone winery, Ben waited there for almost five weeks.
After that, some 2 years ago, the plague hit. Killing most people and leaving others untouched. Nothing about the world remained the same. Ruled by gangs, slavers, and others, it was a game of survival now, and Ben had to put all his knowledge to the test. Even that was not enough, however, and eventually he was captured by the Red Claws. These slavers wasted no time in putting Ben to work with hard physical labor.
His face was tattooed to mark him as owned, and for another year Ben worked, and worked. He was whipped, abused, and even used sexually by some of the women in the camp. It was a nightmare he never thought would end. Chained, he dreaded his life until one day the Red Claws were attacked by a rival gang. Through chance, a guard was slain near him, and he quickly freed himself. Running further into the wasteland. He never found out what happened to the Red Claws or the gang that attacked them. But he continues to be ever mindful of his surroundings and tries not to take unnecessary risks.
Name: Ethan Hudson
Height: 6’2
Weight: 193 lbs.
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Dirty Blond
Age: 34
Appearance: Ethan is a well-built man, having a strong, muscular body. He has an overnight shadow on his jawline, which is squared. He keeps his hair roughly styled and short. He has a deep voice from his smoking and from his time in the service.
History:
Ethan’s earlier life was one of poverty and struggle. His father left before he was old enough to remember what he looked like. His mother was struggling and scammed her way through life. She applied for food assistance, housing assistance, energy assistance, medical assistance, and anything else she could manage to get. Even with all that, she simply could not pay her bills.
He had two sisters, both younger. They were difficult to get along with and died at the ages of 15 and 13 in a horrific car accident on their bikes. Being struck by an out-of-control truck as they rode side by side. There was no pain, the doctors would later say. They died on impact.
At this time, Ethan was 17, and this single event changed the direction of his entire life. His mother, unable to cope with the loss, turned to drugs and drink. She did whatever she could to get her next fix, and more than once Ethan had to stop some random man from beating the shit out of her. Which was a common affair.
Ethan struggled in high school, but he enjoyed lifting weights and running track. He had no interest in football or any other sport besides weightlifting. His grades were abysmal, and how he managed to pass school was anyone’s guess. During school, Ethan was withdrawn and stayed away from people and group activities. He had a few innocent relationships that led to more drama, but in the end the only person from school that had any meaning to him was his weightlifting coach.
At the age of 18, nearing 19, Ethan graduated high school, though his grades were low enough that getting into a decent college was out of the question. His mother was getting worse by the day and expected him to get a job and take care of her. He wanted none of it. A clean break from her and her broken home. With no other options, he turned to the United States Military and joined immediately.
It was the Army that took his coat. 13th Cavalry out of Fort Bliss, Texas. Ethan excelled in the service. He didn’t need to think about life or his broken mother. All his basic needs were taken care of, and most importantly, he found something he was good at. War!
Ethan served three tours of duty. During his third tour, he encountered a group that was largely unknown and not on his target list. They were trafficking young women across the borders. A type of slave trade.
Finding them, he had a choice. Take a large payout or turn them in and open fire. Strange as it was, Ethan took the payout. Believing that the strong rule over the weak, and the weak were subject to the strong. If these women were too weak to take care of themselves, they deserved their fate. This little arrangement would rapidly expand. Once Ethan was finished with his final tour of duty. This group of men called on him.
The task was simple: stand there and look intimidating while they conducted their business; if something went wrong, open fire. He did just that and eventually made real contacts in this underground trafficking ring.
Since that time, Ethan has been doing small jobs to earn money. From the outset, it would be difficult to tell that this man was a contract killer or stealing from others. He tends to appear friendly, if not a little too friendly. But when he snaps, it’s almost completely out of the blue. It’s chaotic and unpredictable.
