Subject: Alfred Hook, Governor of Surna Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:15 am
Themesong:
Age: 47 Gender: Male Race: Human Birthplace: Imperia Skill: Persuasion, Bureaucracy
Biography: Born in the middle districts of Imperia to a coach driver and seamstress, Alfred was the second youngest of six children. As would be expected of a large family, much was scarce, and most that young Alfred ever had was already half ruined.
When he was nineteen, like most of his brothers, he joined the Talibarian Army. He led a successful career, reaching non-commissioned officer status within a few years. When he was twenty, he and his brothers were involved with several of the violent border clashes between Talibar and the belligerent Sidan Sel'juk clan. During this time, Alfred would outshine his comrades, showing resolve even under the worst conditions. The attacks sustained into the next year and Alfred turned twenty-one--When the now desperate clan would press into suicidal charges and bloody tactics, even by Sidan standards, turning the raids into bloodbaths for each side. During the bloodiest of these attacks, when the Clan had cut off nearly all supply routes and reinforcements, Alfred led his meager and outnumbered force against the larger Sidan shock force, fighting even as two of his brothers died around him. Alfred himself took an enchanted spear to the hip, and with the last healing mage having been killed, Alfred was forced to bear the pain until reinforcements came.
However, even when he was examined by the mages, they found that due to the enchanted nature of the spear, he could never recover fully from the wound. Indeed, for many years to come the injury would impede his movement,becoming even worse with age, eventually having to adopt a cane.
He returned to a grieving yet proud family, who welcomed him until he could recover.
It would be nearly a full year before he regained his full strength, though he started to become active again much sooner than that. He very quickly discovered he could not rejoin the military. Somewhat crestfallen, he joined his father's business as a Coach Driver.
It was during this relatively quiet year that Alfred would begin his first, yet meager, forays into the world of politics. He gained a small bit of renown with the bustling and hectic lower class politicians, eventually becoming their first choice when in need. He would eventually be offered an internship with the now infamous Hyrum Graff.
Alfred slowly became more accustomed and interested in the hectic pace of a politician's life. He seemed to have a natural knack for the task, and slowly became more affluent with the dynamic social circles inherent to the unique class. However, as he became more integrated, he also grew more and more horrified. Several times he had been approached with a lucrative offer to either subtly sway the opinion of other, more prominent politicians or to ignore a criminal's crimes. Most horrifying of all was that several other politicians seemed to be heavily involved in this corruption--and the worst of all, his employer, Hyrum Graff.
As Alfred gained more and more information, he was able to put together an extremely disturbing picture. He found that Graff seemed to be heavily involved in money laundering and concealing of crimes for several criminal organizations active in Imperia, including the Bloody Hand. Alfred also learned that, using favors with the Bloody Hand, Graff had lined up several of his political rivals and superiors for assassination, as well as a complex plan of corruption and manipulation that Graff would use to rise to their position.
Though horrified and thoroughly disgusted, Alfred kept quiet for many months until he could acquire a complete and infallible picture of the corruption he saw. When it came down to only a week before the numerous assassinations, Alfred made his move, approaching Council member Ricard Arkanian. The two struck fast, and within the span of a day, over fifteen low and middle level politicians had been arrested on several dozen corruption charges, their papers seized, and several of Imperia's best investigators following the new leads opened by their documents.
Such an astounding chain of events caused Alfred to burst into the public eye, and within a month after the scandal, he was elected to Hyrum Graff's previous position.
Since then, Alfred has fought for every piece of power he has legitimately, and has become known as, in the words of fellow politician Thomas Ackerson, "A bulldog for the weak and watchman against corruption." He is married, and has three children, two men and 1 daughter, from 17-29, the daughter being the youngest. Two years previous Alfred was elected to a lower Councilman position. He's become something of a Black Duck among the higher politicians, actively seeking prospective men and women to "Strengthen the Future".
Alfred has recently fought against the corruption of The Prophet and his near complete hold over the Emperor and the Council, and nearly lost his life three times because of it. He first became aware of this corruption when The Prophet came to the Council, stating his intentions to begin a cleansing and Holy Inquisition on Surna, claiming the corruption was started by the city's very own guard Captain. Alfred was horrified when every single Council member immediately gave his or her approval to the task, even with a lack of infallible evidence.
It became the scandal of the city when, Alfred, outraged, rose and began to argue with The Prophet, the conversation eventually turning vicious. Alfred left the Council Chambers in an uproar, and the next day fled the city after an assassination attempt on him and his family.
He then traveled to Surna, taking refuge with a friend's family. Though ashamed of hiding, he realized it was necessary to protect his family from the long reaching arm of the Prophet.
Deciding to investigate the city himself, he discovered that, while the city was violent and often chaotic, claims of true corruption were untrue. It was when witnessing a massacre by Order Paladins in the city square that he resolved he would hide no longer--He contacted the Captain of the City under siege, Thorn Razel. The two came to an agreement, and, using his still loyal contacts throughout the Empire, supplied Captain Razel with arms, food, armaments, and even a few surplus siege engines.
Alfred, just as he had many years previous, slowly built up his proof of the Prophet's crimes, building a pad from which to launch from when the time was right.
And, indeed, his preparation proved invaluable--No more than a day after the death of The Prophet beneath the Black Pyramid, those loyal to him stepped forward, mobilizing the Imperial Guard, arresting several hundreds of Priests, Politicians, and a dozen Councilmen.
Though the Emperor himself offered Alfred a place on the higher Council and his advisers board, he refused, delegating himself to a "smaller" role--the rebuilding and governing of Surna.
Now, with Surna free from another oppressive threat, Alfred intends to travel to Surna once more and help guide it to it's former glory.
Whether or not he can last a day without being murdered, we will see.
Clothes and Weapons: He wears a traditional, black "Imperial Coat". He carries a single revolver in his coat pocket. Alignment: Lawfull Good Favored Enemy: Corrupt Individuals Favored Weapon:Words Deity: No particular deity, though he pays respects to both Tyr and Waukeen. Current Tasks: Rebuild the Political and Economic infastructure of Surna : Ongoing Guide the actual reconstruction of Surna : Ongoing Purge any corruption in the guard and help rebuild it's influence : Ongoing
Picture: ,
Last edited by Pat on Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:06 pm; edited 3 times in total
Kain
Posts : 1427 Join date : 2009-03-24 Location : Somewhere Pat doesn't want me to be
Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:15 am
,
