James Christian Buchanan

James Buchanan is a lean, muscular, rangy fellow, with uncut wavy dark brown hair, an unruly mustache, dark blue eyes, Caucasian, 6'1". He is dressed in a once-white linsey-woolsey shirt, dark grey woolen trousers, knee-high cavalry boots, a leather vest with many pockets, a grey tattered frock coat, and an unspeakably battered grey wide-brimmed hat. A couple of earrings are in his left ear. He is seldom without a canvas backpack of travelling gear, and a large buckskin rifle case. Pack contains: spare clothes, Bedroll, blanket, frying pan (spyder pan, has legs for fire), flint and steel, journal, pen & ink, ammo, cooking utensils, dried food, spare clothes, razor, soap, hand mirror, brush, first aid kit, bottle of strong spirits (never full for long), gun cleaning kit, canteen. The rifle case holds an impeccably maintained Martini-Henry. In his vest, and under it: 2 .45 calibre revolvers, loaded; compass: spyglass, fighting knife, some more ammo, hipflask, gold pocketwatch (courtesy the battlefield boutique) History, Skills, merits, and flaws: Buchanan is a displaced American, having fought in the US Civil War, as a corporal, winding up as company cook as he was wounded early on; he left the US in 1865 and has not returned, but is now travelling around the world, as a hired hand, a soldier, a scout, a great white hunter, whatever he can get. Unfortunately, his bad reputation has come along too....he is known to be of a mercenary frame of mind, and will kill anyone or anything if paid enough (and drunk enough), which has given him the sobriquet "Bloody Jim" Buchanan many years ago. He may well be trying to turn over a new leaf, though, as he doesn't enjoy killing. He is a deadly shot with the rifle, and nearly as good with the revolvers; he can also use the fighting knife with great skill. He excels at tracking and sneaking around, and surprisingly, cooking. He can ride a horse, including shooting accurately from horseback, dodge attacks, swim, and listen well. His eyesight is very keen, and he is observant. A tough and deadly bastard you don't want to cross. His flaws are: bad reputation, alcoholic, bad-tempered, overconfident, Yankee who fusses about being called a Yankee, as he fought for the South US, where Yankee is considered a swearword, thinks cooking is girly and roughly denies being able to cook. His merits are: loyal, unshakeable, ambidextrous, very good vision.