coreal Posted May 9, 2023 Clone Share Posted May 9, 2023 Ben Tollman Rambling Pitmaster Biography Ben was raised by his mother, Karen, in town not too far off the coast in Georgia. He was a fair student, bright but unfocused in most cases, though he would have an occasional interest that would show a glimmer of hope, just enough that when he slacked off again it would disappoint his teachers. He got into sports, but wasn't dedicated enough to really be a standout, third string linebacker, utility infielder on the baseball team. A jock without the drive to be a starter, it was just expected of him so he did it. After high school graduation he bounced around a lot of bluntly cruddy jobs. Warehouse unloading trucks, driving a truck during onion harvest season up and down dusty fields, collecting carts at the Kroger. None of them would stick for very long, he just wasn't interested enough to be reliable. But he wasn't getting into trouble either, so he was getting a lot of second chances, as most people wouldn't even take those jobs to start with. Then he got a job chopping wood at the Slow Hog BBQ. Pitmaster there was getting on in years and needed someone to come in just a few hours and chop up hardwoods to the sizes he wanted. Lots of hard work, but lots of time to listen to the old pitmaster talk, about the fire, the smoke, the meat. It was one of those little projects that caught Ben's attention, it was half art, half science. The temperatures and times were all exact, and shifted on the fly as you wrestled with keeping the fire where you wanted it... and getting a good smoke from the fire, with the right heat. It all just drew him in and he went and became dependable. Well as dependable as he needed to be. The Slow Hog was only open four days a week, and they only smoked for three, so the job was good for him, three day break every week gave him time to go do things. So he learned, and tried his hand, and eventually was good enough the old pitmaster called him ready and went and retired. A few years in now, and he's got it down, but each smoke still has just enough variance to keep him working. Each stick of wood burns a little different. But his days off have him on his bike heading up the coast, down the coast, inland... just letting the wind blow the smoke off him and seeing where the roads go. Physical Description Dark hair, two day's stubble, and tight in the back so it doesn't sweat up his helmet. He's got a physical build, and the job is just enough labor to keep him from turning to flab like so many of his old classmates are just now starting to show. Attributes Psyche: Average Strength: Average Keep Fit: Average Self-Defense: Average Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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