Gunther Darro

Lead Questor

Background

Gunther is a member of the elite Protectorate Guard, a para-military wing of the Combined States of America with duties that include the investigation and supression of disidents, especially political and religious ones. Gunther is a tough and thoughtful man who enjoys his work but hates the bureacracy he must rely on to get things done. Like all good citizens of the CSA, he goes to church twice a week and says his prayers, but—truth be told—doesn't think about religion much beyond that. Gunther is unmarried, like most Protectorate Guards, and has little time for friends or serious relationships. Well educated, but also a big man, Gunther relies on himself. Catching the bad guy, after weeks or months of careful work, is what makes life worth living.

Quest

Lately, there has been a lot of dissent within the CSA. There have been protests for the first time in a hundred years. Rumors and thin information about radical, unorthodox churches have begun ciculating inside the Guard. There's even some talk about an organized militia of violent dissenters. But no one seems able to do anything...all the offices seems paralyzed: the government, usually so quick to make use of its very heavy hand, takes minor actions only. Gunther's colleagues pursue their own small investigations, and can't get the sentances they ask for.

A week ago, Gunther finally got a new assignment: find a man named "Guero," undoubtedly one name among many. Who is this man? Some kind of rebel, or religious sect leader...or somehow connected to them. Gunther is given scant information to go on, and can't seem to find the superior who issued him the assignment. Guero is listed as dangerous; as a heretic. But why is he so important? Behind him, there must be answers; what is happening in the CSA? And who is responsible?

Traits

Aptitude	Talent	Skill
Conversation	3	1
Guts	4	1
Guns	2	2
Logic	6	1

Conversation is the ability to talk to people: to get them to trust you, to give you information, to do what you say.
Guts is your instincts, your toughness, your ability to survive on the street; to always stay strong, and not give in to the world.
Guns is how much fight you have in you and your skill to pull it off, whether it's in a brawl, a raid, or a red hot fire-fight.
Logic is your smarts; your intellect. It's how well you can assess a situation and piece together clues—to get at the truth.

Strength: Although quite capable of being frightening when he needs to be, Gunther has always had a way with people in distress—his collegues always kid him about it. If he bursts into some apartment block looking for a pick-pocket, he can always soothe the thug's mother; always get her to talk, and tell him what he needs to know.

Weakness: Connected with his strength, Gunther has this thing for little kids, and always tries to avoid assignments involving any. He can never question parents properly when their kids are around, can never question the kids at all. After he took down some drug-dealers once, he actually carried their crying kid, covered in blood, out of the building himself instead of letting it to the Guard orderlies. Some times he wonders if he's got the guts for this job.

Weakness: Gunther has a decidedly skepitcal view of his immediate superiors. His recent cryptic orders haven't helped, but he's always had two opinions about those who supposedly know better than him. More than once, he's gone into a hot rage against someone important...it's probably why he's been shifted around so often (though he's too valuable to get rid of). If only bureacracy weren't so thick; or the orders made more sense...

Resources

Humanity: In this game, virtue is called humanity, and it is the hardest thing to find. Humanity is putting aside one's own desires, one's orders, and the orthodoxy of society to do what is decent; what helps other people directly, in the here-and-now. More basically, it is action that allows some bond to be made; some connection from one person to another. Note that Gunther considers his inability to hurt children a weakness, and so it is a weakness. During the course of the game, its status might be changed, and Guntehr given a new weakness, if appropriate. Of course, Gunther doesn't start with any humanity: he works for the State.

Truth: Wisdom is called truth, though is nearly the same. However, instead of religious knowledge, truth embodies two main concepts: first, truth about how the world really works; who the rebels are, who the government is, and why things happen as they do. Second is a deeper understanding of humanity: what people think and feel, why, and what morality really is; what is it—and what should it be—to be human?

Mysteries

The final mystery of the game, the grail, is the truth of what is going on in the CSA: who is behind the disturbances and why. Tied to that is the man named Guero. None of these things may themselves be personal mysteries to Gunther; they're just too big. Other mysteries may of course tie into them.

Gunther's first mystery concerns his immediate orders: who gave them to him, and why was he provided with so little? Guero must be important, but nothing in his file indicates how. While government secrecy is boundless, why was Gunther—who has need—not told more? What don't they want him to know? Or what do they themselves not know? 8 points to this mystery.

Additionally, Gunther got his current position suddenly, and after an argument with a superior at his last position. He should have gotten demoted and sent off to Alaska. But instead he ended up in a big city, and a good mid-level position. Who assigned him here and why? Did some old colleague of his manage to pull his way through the ranks, and decide to pay back some favor he owed Gunther? 4 pts.

Lastly, a few months ago Gunther investigated a prostitution ring that turned out mostly to be involved in disseminating banned books—nothing big, just old stuff that no one really cares about. But after getting all the evidence he needed, he never got the final order to shut the place down...an no one else did either. As far as he knows, the place still exists, unharmed. Was it bureacratic oversight? Gunther hates an unclosed case. 3 pts.