James Havel - Former Bureaucrat

[Maester1216]

Character Sheet

Archetype: Politician PC Anchor: Emily "Emms" RileyOdd Friendship. Drive: I Will Lead Them NPC Anchor: Arman KhoslaMy Bodyguard Issues: I Never Apologize     Strength Agility Wits Empathy 2 2 4 5 Close Combat 1 Mobility 2 Scout 0 Medicine 0 Endure 0 Ranged Combat 0 Survival 0 Manipulation 2 Force 0 Stealth 2 Tech 2 Leadership 3 TALENTS HEALTH   3. Unharmed   2. Bruised [ ] RecruiterYou can use Leadership instead of Manipulation when you speak for your cause. 1. Battered [ ]   0. Broken [ ]   Critical Injuries             Stress Experience Encumbrance       Weapons Bonus Damage Rounds Range Knife x3 +2 1 - -                               Armour Protection Penalty             James Havel James stands around 5'6" and weighs in at 154 lbs. His build tends towards the lissom, but the rigours of survival have made his muscles increasingly wiry. His black hair is cropped exceedingly close to his scalp, and he seems to have a permanent shadow of a goatee. His dark brown eyes have a cast to them that is by turns thoughtful and calculating. GEAR Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Slot 4 Bonus Knife x2         Knife - 1/2                                                                                                             Stored Items Location                     TINY ITEMS Hand-Crank Radio           Vehicle Maneuverability Damage Hull Armour Bullet-Proof Car +2 2 4 6

Edited 19 hours ago by Maester1216 (see edit history)

[Maester1216]

Personality

WIP

History

- James was born April 22nd, 1976 at the Porter Memorial Hospital in Denver. The middle of three children born to Dominic Havel - a former G.I - and Veora Havel-Lawson, James' family lived in Denver's North Capitol Hill neighbourhood. His early years weren't the easiest; Dominic's service in Vietnam had left more than just physical scars that made holding down work difficult for him, and a lack of education all but earmarked him for a life of low-paying, menial labour. The family got good at making do and stretching out resources in between paychecks and friends of Dom and Veora helped out whenever they could, but silent resentment swelled up inside James as he grew. Sure they weren't on the streets, but was scrapping by like this any better? And what kind of life would this leave him or his siblings? When it became clear his parents couldn't give him the answers he wanted to these questions, James decided to find them himself.

- Singularly focused on bettering his lot in life, James threw himself into his studies and student life - he was involved in student government throughout junior high and high school as well as serving on the debate team at Cedar High School, even while holding down a part-time job to pay for school and support his family. All this hard work paid off with a series of generous scholarships that allowed James to attend the Metropolitan State College of Denver; he finished his schooling in 2003 with a focus in Communications and Business Administration, which he quickly parlayed into a position at the office of the Clerk and Recorder. For seven years he worked in Denver's city government, making connections and building his influence; he could've been the city's Auditor, hell even Mayor given enough time.

- The Outbreak changed all that. Law and order are non-existent in Denver, just scattered bands of survivors with hordes of undead separating them. It falls to James to bring much needed order and stability to his little neck of the woods. In that, maybe he can finally be the man he knew he was destined to be...

Edited May 3 by Maester1216 (see edit history)

[Maester1216]

@Essence,

I've got the core stuff down, if you wanted to give it a look over.

Edited May 4 by Maester1216 (see edit history)

[Essence]

James strikes me as a person with a strong sense of purpose and an energy that definitely gives off 'self-made', or, well, 'self-made' in the making, being no stranger to hard work or time management. He comes from humble roots and has been a victim of the injustice of poverty for a significant part of his life, but resentment and emotional turmoil aside - does he possess a strong sense of 'justice' because of his family's experiences; or, really, is it a ideology of 'just us', and he's focused primarily on himself / those around him and getting them a better life or one step ahead of the game, the world be damned? Is his past a point of shame for him, in how he wants to separate himself from his father and family as much as he could for his own individual status, or is a point of pride for him - telling himself how far he's gotten and using that as a basis to build some sort of legacy in the future? Does he even care or thought about a generational legacy?

How has James' networking skills and influence earned him significant advantages as he was building his career or even at the start when he was graduating college. Were any of these advantages gained through borderline (or just straight up) unethical means - and if so, does James care? If he had aspirations to run for office or any sort of bureaucratic position, does (or did) he have a spouse given how much of a 'social' requirement it is in the government sphere, or was he confident that his own 'character' and charisma could get him those seats? Has he ever been the Clerk and Recorder by election, or was he always a member of staff? Why did he decide to take a more 'comptroller' route in breaking into government bureaucracy compared to other ways of getting into county legislature or executive positions?

During the first few weeks of the outbreak, how did James' networking majorly assist and help him regarding his survival. Did he have access and were placed into the Safe Zones in the Denver area? What happened in his point of view, if so? What were his opinions on the National Guard or key figures / commissioned officers and their leadership during that time?

Mechanically, things look pretty good! Only question I have is for his Drive, and it relates earlier to James' sense of Justice. Is it more of a 'I will lead them' in trying to make a society again, feeling like he's a good arbiter to handle disputes and to rebuild? Or is it more of a 'I will lead them', wanting to be top-dog in a world where dogs eat each other (and eaten also... well, by the dead)? Perhaps it's a bit of both, but I wanna get more of a sense of direction on James' ego in that aspect.

[Maester1216]

- While James would never wish poverty and scarcity on anyone, he does take a certain amount of pride in coming from nothing to a position in Denver's city government. Before the Outbreak he had never really given much thought to his legacy - more concerned as he was with city politics and the like - but since the Outbreak thoughts of just what he'll end up leaving behind for people is coming more and more into focus. In that his sense of 'Justice' is rather classically Platonic; in other words, a just person is someone who contributes to society according to their unique abilities and receives what is proportionate to their contribution, irrespective of things like race, creed, gender, or politics. They are in the right place, always striving to do their best, and reciprocating what they receive in a fair and equitable manner.

- Life amongst the lower classes taught James that the harder things are, the more people need each other to get by... and the more likely it seems they are to disagree. James knows how to get people together, to settle disputes, to find compromises, and to generally grease the rusty wheels of conflicting agendas so they turn in unison once more. Couple that with a knack for making good first impressions, and the network followed suite. This opened a lot of doors for James that helped him get his initial position with the Office of the Clerk and Recorder, and also helped him facilitate a lot of the duties required of his position (a little quid pro quo helped there to, especially with regards to deeds and property foreclosure).

- He never married, or even seriously considered a relationship at this juncture - a few flings here and there, but James is very career-focused and confident in his people skills. He was only ever a member of staff before the Outbreak, wanting to bide his time and make sure he was ready for the position before putting his name forward. Truthfully though, James simply wanted to bide his time and make sure he was ready before putting his name forward for Clerk and Recorder. That's why becoming Mayor was so far down the line in his life's plan; he wanted to familiarize himself as best he could with Denver's government before making a go at becoming the Mayor, a plan that would've seen him through to at least the mid 2010's.

- Thanks to his connections James was one of the first people admitted into Safe Zone Hotel after it opened. Quick to offer his aid to military officials he began liaising between civilians and military leadership in the Safe Zone, a job that only got harder and harder as the Army and National Guard started coming to blows. Even still James couldn't deny sharing many sentiments with the National Guard troops, finding the Army command at Hotel more interested in ending the crisis rather than saving lives. The Sunset Protocol all but confirmed that, and James holds Major General Hayes personally responsible for the deaths of so many civilians. It may come to pass that Lieutenant Colonel Ramirez can count on James, should they cross paths...

- I'd say James is very much "I will lead them." He's willing to stand up, take responsibility and make decisions, get things done and live with the outcomes. He's devoted to those under his protection and to his own principles - and convinced of his ability to persuade others towards those principles - but he confuses this vision with absolute truth sometimes, which can lead him to offer it where it's not welcome or to try and eliminate other visions he sees as false or competition. He wants to lead and do right by fellow survivors, but is often too my-way-or-the-highway about it.

Edited 16 hours ago by Maester1216 (see edit history)

[Maester1216]

Opinions of the Group

Fleur LeBlanc: James places great value on Fleur's technical aptitudes, recognizing that she'll be integral to the restoration and maintenance of things essential to the group's survival - weapons, vehicles, generators, and everything in between. Moreover ingenuity like Fleur's could be the difference between life and undeath in the wilds, so her counsel is quite valued. Even still, James struggles to trust her completely; pragmatism's keeping her with the group, but what if another opportunity comes knocking? For now best to keep her close by for everyone sake, but this will be something to think on in the future.

Deano Alexander: James can't help but be cautious of Deano, though he keeps these feelings to himself for the most part given Deano's valuable skill set. James hasn't had the best experiences with soldiers over the years; his dad was a bundle of nerves with a hair-trigger temper who lost the better part of himself in the jungles of Vietnam, and the Army forces that occupied Denver ended up doing infinitely more harm than good. Deano wasn't part of that sure, but how far has the apple actual fallen from the tree here? God knows what could happen if someone like that took charge. James'll hope for the best that he's proven wrong, but also expect the worst and do what's necessary for the good of the Group.

Hyori Lee: Doctor Lee has more or less earned James' confidence and trust, thanks to her medical knowledge but also her humanity which has remained undimmed by the horrors that have assailed the group. He believes that she can keep the group honest, keep them from becoming little better than bandits or psychopaths exploiting the chaos for their own benefits. In a world like this, humanity such as Hyori commands is an exceedingly valuable (and increasingly rare) commodity. Given that, and her skills as a doctor, James holds her counsel in high regard and endeavours to keep her well-stocked.

Sheperd Sierra: Sheperd is something of an odd-ball that James hasn't fully wrapped his head around. His philosophy still requires some dissecting, and even it's still iffy whether or not this is just a damaged man who just so happens to be in his element right now. Conflict between the two over the direction the group should go seems like a real possibility, but nevertheless steps can be taken to delay such a confrontation. Whatever the case may be James is cordial as ever with Sheperd, recognizing his value to the Group as a survivalist and scout.

Emily Riley (Anchor): James has a soft-spot for Emily, recognizing that she's clearly had a rough life and empathizing with her. In a lot of ways he sees a great deal of himself in this young woman - perhaps even a different life if he'd let himself be beaten down by the world around him. If there's a chance he can help Emily with the new trajectory of her life he'll do everything in his power to help, offering mentorship and insight amongst other resources. Beyond all that he values her abilities as a runner, trusting her behind the wheel of his car at times.