Griffon Alistair Goldmane [READY]

[Dio]

Alistair Goldmane

It’s not the takedown, it’s the thrill of the hunt!

NOTE: Character has been modified from WOE design. Military history is more detailed and kit list includes firearms.

Name: Master Gunnery Sergeant Alistair Goldmane, Aquellian Republic Marines (ret.). Also answers to “Goldy,” “Gunny,” or “Master Guns.”

Sex: Male

Age: Adult

Species: Griffon

Big cat color scheme: White tiger

Raptor color scheme: Harpy eagle

Eye Color: Green

Physique: toned, but not massive. Built more for endurance than raw strength.

Residence: Born in an unnamed village downriver from Talonopolis.

Occupation: Mercenary and wilderness guide. Formerly private security contractor and before that an Aquellian Marine.

Unique Traits

Alistair’s military service record includes two tours to Indrek, an Aquellian protectorate with a severe pirate problem. Alistair spent 3 years there battling organized crime, seizing contraband, recovering stolen assets, and capturing pirates. His home unit was a company from the 13th Regiment, otherwise known as “The Bloody Thirteenth” for its connotation as an unlucky number. As a result, Alistair has extensive training with all the manner of infantry weapons. Rifles, shotguns, bows, lances, pistols, swords, and knives are all considered tools of the trade and an integral part of his repertoire.

The 13th was known for producing the best scouts and pathfinders the Marines had to offer and Alistair was no exception. Fieldcraft training meshed well with the hunting and tracking experience from his youth. Alistair retains a keen eye for detail and knowledge of military and pirate operational doctrine and tactics. His already prodigious marksmanship skills are kept honed by regular practice runs in the wilderness.

Alistair also has a keen sense for the natural world. His combination of years spent in the wilderness coupled with scout sniper training and his expertise in hunting and tracking blend together to give him uncanny awareness of his surroundings. He is well known for his danger sense and ability to track quarry through all weather conditions.

Character History

The Goldmanes are a large clan living in the canyons of Aquellia. Though the clan has members throughout the country, the vast majority of them live near Talonopolis. The families run the gamut from factory workers to hunters to schoolteachers to Aquellian Marines. Alistair was born into a rural family outside the great city and thus learned from an early age to be independent, self-sufficient, and keenly observant of the land.

Alistair grew up in the Raptorclaw's alluvial plain. His family hunted, fished, and farmed the land for sustenance while his father and brothers worked in the Talonopolis factories. When he came of age, Alistair was encouraged to venture beyond the canyon confines on his fledgling pilgrimage. While some Goldmanes elected to venture out into the world on their own, Alistair was proud to count himself among those who enlisted in the marines. He was assigned to an airship that traveled overseas, giving him the taste of adventure he’d always wanted. After years of service, Alistair was honorably discharged with the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant.

Upon his return, Alistair found himself burdened with ennui. All that could be done in his provincial life at home could not compare to the things he had seen and done on board ship across the sea. One day, while perusing additional employment opportunities in Talonopolis, Alistair discovered a flier requesting experienced former military griffons and ponies to staff a security company that guarded cargo running between Talonopolis and Stalliongrad. In his travels, Alistair had heard much about the city in the north. While he couldn’t care less about its industrial districts and shining spires, the unspoiled wilderness surrounding the city proper tempted him. Thus, with only a few words for his family, Alistair was off again, this time to Stalliongrad!

When he arrived he was amazed by the city's sheer size, diversity, and opportunity! It was even better than the recruiters had said! The company, a subsidiary of Kalinka Shipping, quickly assigned Alistair to the work pool where he was soon assigned to the airship Artorius under Captain Sturmovik. Though the good captain came off stern and uncompromising, the marine and the mariner soon warmed up to each other and became fast friends. Though his service with Sturmovik was enlightening, he soon found that his wanderlust was insatiable. Over a drink with the captain, the marine finally handed in his resignation. Though the two are now parted, they still keep in touch, holding to the promise that each would be willing to fly to the other’s aid in his time of need.

Alistair’s new journey took him to many places and taught him many things. His hunting and tracking skills proved invaluable in allowing him to sustain himself on the road and soon caught the eye of those who needed his expertise. Alistair found that he could just as easily apply his ability to take game to tracking sentient creatures, especially those who did not want to be found like criminals and other malcontents. Traveling across Equestria, Alistair made a minor name for himself as a skilled tracker, bodyguard, bounty hunter, and guide; the ideal mercenary.

This is where we find him today.

Character Summary

Alistair has a special affinity for the great outdoors and a wide array of survival skills to go with it. In the wilderness, Alistair can always be counted upon to be able to start fires, set up camps, render them safe, and identify safe and unsafe food and water sources. Between jobs, he enjoys pub games like cards and billiards.

Alistair has a strong dislike of the inner city. He very much prefers natural surroundings to the forests of glass, steel, and dead wood that comprise the larger cities in the world. The stuffiness of social functions and the need to be in suits or formal wear to even get in is a severe turnoff to a griffon who spent most of his career in ghillie suits or flight jackets.

Despite his profession, Alistair is neither violent cutthroat nor dishonest sellsword. In all of his jobs he makes it very clear that he is guide and protector first and marksman or swordsman second. The griffon mercenary is adventurous, gregarious, and always looking for something new to do. He loves the feel of the wind through his feathers and the thrill of taking game. Because of his hunting and mercenary background he is adept at the use of lethal hardware, though he has developed a reputation for being able to take his prey alive. Age has mellowed Alistair out but not taken the vitality from him.

Pieces of Kit

Alistair mixes and matches his kit according to field conditions and job requirements. A small selection of his personal arsenal:

Argent-Kestrelson Mk. 4-S marksman's rifle (“Gungnir”): Standard-issue bolt-action Aquellian marine infantry rifle hand-selected for accuracy. The “S” variant is fitted with a 4x telescopic sight with stadiametric markings for long-distance shooting.

Razorclaw Mk. 3 revolver (“Tyrfing”): Standard-issue Aquellian officer’s sidearm. Alistair’s piece is features customized mahogany grips and an enlarged 7-shot cylinder. The oversized .454 Razorclaw chambers can also accommodate small-bore shotshells.

Gauntlet: Specialized armored gauntlet derived from Aquellian heavy armor kits. The steel plating in the general issue armor has been replaced with Pyrium, a lightweight but strong exotic alloy. Alistair has further modified his gauntlet with the ability to launch bolos or blades via spring-loaded cartridges concealed in the wrist.

Karambit: A short knife with a curved blade derived from a harvesting sickle. Acquired from the Indrek campaign overseas. This particular piece features a full-tang blade with mahogany grip plates and Indrekan traditional carvings.

Portrait

Art by Elderflower.

[Dio]

Ready.

[SteelEagle]

I like the character, Diomedes!