Anthony M. Steiner

[Anthony M. Steiner]

The Details

~Full Name: Anthony M. Steiner
~Nickname/Alias: Marcus
~Gender: Male
~Age: 26
~Sexuality: Straight
~Affiliation: Freelancer
~Occupation: Hunter/Tracker

At First Glance

~Appearance: At 5'8 and change, Anthony isn't exactly tall; but he is lean and very athletic. Years of hunting and tracking in the forests of what is left of the New England states, and staying one step ahead of pursuers when he himself was being hunted on the streets of New Jersey has kept his body taut with lean but packed muscle. Physically reminiscent of a freerunner or WW2 GI, his thin nature belies a strength and endurance to rival that of the very animals he hunts. Relying on his speed, agility, and abstract thinking to get him out of a tight spot, Anthony does his best to keep his bulk down but his physical strength and fortitude is apparent to all that have worked with him.

Favoring earth tone colors and ruggedly built clothing. Anthony prefers his faded black cargo pants, old world USGI issue boots, and a well made patchwork coat made of strips of light brown fire hose canvas. One would think that he would be able to blend easily with a crowd, but his face is not one easily forgotten (if not easy to describe.) With cheekbones and angles that suggest a smattering of American Indian in his blood, the rest of his face screams from the Mountain tops, "I am all that is Germanic!" He keeps his light brown hair shortly cropped but only for utility purposes (though it looks like someone cut it with sheep shears) that he keeps covered under a green strip of cloth that he wears as a head wrap. His eyes may be what stands out the most though, being hazel in color and piercing in nature. Among the various scrapes and cuts, he also bears a triangular scar on his right shoulder blade, from a brand he "earned" during a short stay in Greenland.

Under The Skin

~Likes: At least five.

• Archery
  
• Bushcraft
  
• Thinking outside the box
  
• Family and close friends
  
• Staying mobile

~Dislikes: At least five.

• Injustice
  
• Disloyalty
  
• Raiders
  
• Crowded places
  
• Areas that don't provide concealment
  
• Not knowing where the exits are or knowing that they are blocked
  
• Asphalt and concrete, kind of hard to find (much less follow) tracks after they hit hard top

~Strengths: At least five.

• Abstract in both thought and movement, providing a large advantage in guerrilla warfare and ambush tactics
  
• Agile and enduring from years of E&E'ing thru ruined cities
  
• Years of having to rely on his bow for both protection and hunting, he has become adept in making arrowheads out of what others would toss a scrap
  
• Growing up in the ruined cities of what was once New Jersey, and having spent most of his late adolescence and early adulthood in the Appalachian mountain range has taught how to climb/scale/shimmy surfaces that would appear impassable (or at the very least "suicidal" to attempt) without the use of rope
  
• Being an adept hunter and tracker for most of his life, Anthony's senses of smell and sound have been honed to an acute level
  
• Incorruptible loyalty to any that prove deserving
  
• Quite and stealthy, from a life of hunting prey, be it animal or any man that deserves it

~Flaws: At least five.

• Going hand in hand with his favored style of combat (ambush, hit & run, stealth), stand up fights of brute strength and savage firepower he is found outside of his element
  
• Having an overdeveloped sense of justice, Anthony can not walk away or turn an eye from someone being wronged
  
• Quick to judge the integrity of others, he has a habit of burning bridges before they're even built
  
• Unsympathetic and cold towards those he finds disloyal
  
• Though sometimes seen as devoid of human emotion, he might as well wear his prejudices and judgments like a badge for all to see. If he dislikes you, you're going to know it
  
• Doesn't believe in politics or sugar coating anything for anyone. Blunt, honest and quick to the point (though not without some nose rubbing sarcasm went applicable), some find him a thoroughly unlike-able ass
  
• He is loyal to an absolute fault. If you have earned his trust, you will have it for life. this also makes him somewhat easy to betray by those he considers close

~Fears: At least two.

• Failing those who count on him
  
• Green landers and Greenland in general

Personality: A firm believer in the phrase "Improvise, adapt, overcome", Anthony is near constantly scanning the surrounding area for ways to up his chances.

The Past

~Family Members:
Father: Marcus Steiner
Mother: Evelyn Steiner
Brother: Paul Steiner
Sister: Allison Steiner

~History: Anthony was born and raised to adolescence in a small community that earned a meek existence in the tunnels that ran underneath New Jersey. Being the second child of 3 children, he was never really accepted as the stronger nor the one in need, but he accepted this with a strange sense of pride. He would earn his keep. Ain't nothing wrong with that. So he helped his parents and family by making regular excursions topside hunting and scavenging, much to his mother's dismay. The rule was, "You never go topside by yourself." The surface was a never ending free for all of raiders, hunters, rag tag gangs, and would be tyrants. It was a vicious place where one was never safe. These "good times" ended rather suddenly though, when his mother was taken from him during the cholera pandemic of 2041 that was sweeping the inner cities. Having lost his wife, his father Marcus decided it was time to cut his losses and leave the city with his children and make his way to the Northern Apps.

It was during the following years that Anthony's inherent knack for hunting became obvious to those who traveled with his group. Able to spot and follow tracks from ideal conditions to hellish rain storms, he was always the first picked for scouting and hunting parties. Often teaching a thing or two to his far older and more seasoned companions. But the simpleness of even this life was quickly fading. The remnants of the US military had taken to in fighting and warring with each other, often enlisting able bodied men and women by force. The traveling community of hunters and scavengers decided it was time to leave the not just the area, but the country itself, after a rather violent skirmish with a company of soldiers who thought that these individuals would bend to their will as easy as the rest. It didn't end well for the soldiers, but now the word was out and rumors abound about a large group of nomads in the Appalachian Mountains that not only resisted the "Army" but had them running with their tails between their legs. Light, small scale, fighting became a full blown resistance and all out war between the commoners and the two Army factions. Having there presence and descriptions become common knowledge, the group found itself on the receiving end of both of the Armies' hate. Having come across a coastal town in Pennsylvania, that acted as an Atlantic sea board trading village, the nomadic group headed back that way in hopes of a way off the mainland.

Luck seemed to be with them, as a large portion of the town's population had a similar idea. Having most of them being descendants of Irish origin, they were putting together a small fleet of fishing vessels to island hop from the US coast to Ireland. Having heard of the new comers thru hearsay and rumors, the soon to be fleeing immigrants warmly accepted them and added them to their ranks.

The trip was anything but easy. Soon after launch, a violent flu swept thru the small fleet. Of 138 crewmen and passengers, 27 died outright. 3 others soon joined them from a mix of the outbreak and pneumonia. Marcus Steiner, father of 3 and husband of the late Evelyn Steiner, died at age 46. Unbeknown to the youngest sibling, Allison, the body of Anthony's father was re-purposed along with the other dead to be used as chum and/or bait for fishing.

Roughly 2 weeks later, the crew made it to the South Western shores of Greenland. Fresh with food, but out of water, all able bodied men and women broke into teams and prepared to scout come first light. That very night though, they discovered why the township they found sat empty and abandoned. In the flick of a moment, violence and carnage came upon them from every direction. Men, women and even some children poured out of the shadows and forest like a blood stained hurricane. Savage, brutal, mindless in their fury, the native's surprise raid swept thru the campsite with little trouble. So many died in the first minutes of confusion, and fear surged thru the survivors like lightning. Pulling his machete out of the back of a man's head, Anthony threw on his pack and ran with his sister back to the shore. Hoping against hope that they would make it back to the boats sitting in the harbor. 56 more were lost that night and out of 7 vessels of various size, only 2 made it out of the carnage. Anthony never knew what happened to his older brother, and judging by the viciousness of the island nation's natives, he chose not to think about it.

The stop at Iceland was a short and guarded one, fearing the welcoming they had received a week before in that half frozen hell hole. Only one life raft was spared to go to the port and trade for fresh pots for distilling sea water. Though Anthony volunteered, the ship's captain pulled the rank card and ordered him to stay with the ship. 2 days of haggling later, the 2 ships took towards Ireland. "That God damned land of leprechauns better be worth it," could be commonly heard coming from the captain's cabin.

But alas, not a day out from land, a storm blew in North West and both of the already struggling ships soon began to take water. 3 fruitless hours of fighting the inevitable, Anthony's captain ordered all hands to abandon the "Barking 'Mad' Otter". Anthony, his sister, and 4 crewman he barely knew dodged, drug, and slid their way into one of the life boats. Time seemed to blur together. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like life times, the storm surged on. Rocking and battering the little fiberglass boat with the rage of an angry god. Anthony sat near the back, holding a sobbing 14 year old Allison while she prayed thru the night, when suddenly the cheap vinyl roof was finally pulled from the frame of the 6 man boat. His last memory of his sister was of her looking into his eyes with crushing horror as Anthony was bucked out of the raft and into the cold blackness of the night sea.

He didn't remember ever making it onto land, but he awoke on top of a jutting group of black rocks protruding from the shallow bit of water he found himself surrounded by. His first thoughts were for his sister, and he pulled his bruised body up and waded to the shore. He had luckily strapped his bail-out-bag and bow, over his life jacket, and proceeded to search the immediate coast for any signs of his boat. Come early afternoon, he caught a break. Catching sight of a 9 foot orange life boat, with no top covering, he picked up his pace. But the closer he got, the more apprehensive he became. By the time he arrived to the washed up raft, the signs of a forced struggle had become apparent. The grooves cut into the sand, by drug feet. The spots pounded flat from a body hitting the soft earth. The unmistakable brownish crimson that stained the sand in spots around the boat. The body of one of the crewmen, the back of his skull crushed inward, was a big give away too. And THERE it was. Size 6 women's shoe prints, walking between a set of 12 men's work boots and a set of 9... maybe 9.5 smooth soled shoes (or maybe sandals). He followed his sisters tracks thru the sand, up the beach, and onto the grass bordering a two lane highway. After less than a single kilometer though, he loses the trail. Attempt after attempt, the hard top erases the tracks. So he finds himself an alien in a foreign land that has already proven to be no less hostile than what his family had sacrificed everything to escape.

Miscellaneous

~Inventory:
Starter List: Blanket, Water bottle, knife, small wet stone, tinder box and flint
Group-Specific List: Scrap built bow x4 arrows, machete

~Anything else?
Notable quotes:
"Greenland? You don't want try for Greenland old man. They'll rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're really lucky, they'll do it in that order." -drops two coins into his empty pint glass and heads for the door...