Name: Matthew Slater
Age (18-60): 28
Gender: Male
Body build: Muscular, but not overly so
Starting point: Airship Station
Nationality (cannot be Norvanian or Itacian): Libennian
Mechanical proficiency (1-5): 5
Historical proficiency (1-5): 1
Stealth proficiency (1-5): 1
Hand-to-hand combat proficiency (1-5): 4
Weapon combat proficiency (1-5): 5
Piloting proficiency (1-5): 5
Boating proficiency (1-5): 1
Education: Airship vocational school, fathers workshop
Spoken languages (1-3): Libennian
Other important info: Has had a love for swashbuckling tales of adventure since a young age, avid reader
Background:
Matt is a true example of a self made man. Born the only child of a hard working pair of airship mechanics, he didn't have a particularly well-endowed childhood, but he was raised well and is really good at appreciating what he has. Though they were often out working late at night, his parents worked hard to care for their son, and his father spent many an evening treating young Matt to adventurous bed-time stories. The pair of "big boys" as his mother always called them, happened to fall in love with a tale about a young boy who fights off a mutinous crew of pirates - led by one well known cook - to secure long-buried treasure of a one Captain Flint. So profound was Matt's love of the book that to this day he carries with him a small copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island in his breast pocket. Matt also gained an interest in machinery from his childhood.
As he grew older, Matt wanted to spend his days as a sailor on schooner, but life decided to give him a different role. Steam-powered vessels coming into prominence, and an incentive for his parents to bring their child into their branch of work, made for a quick course to an Airship Tech Vocational School. Upset at first, he accepted his fate, considering airships a kind of flying sailboat. Being a bright, and relatively strong, boy, Matt quickly excelled as a Gearhead, a Pilot, and in combat against all sorts of possible dangers to an airship.
Finishing school at the age of 18, he became the mechanic, and later captain, of a mailship - the A.S. Homing Pidgeon. Here is were fortune hit him. During a simple mailrun to the other side of Libennia, a storm led Captain Slater off course into swamps of Belgit, where he came across a stranded fellow. The rescue operation was long and dangerous, but turned out to be well worth it. The man in question happened to be a diplomat sent by Libennia to try and recruit help from Belgit, who was presumed killed by Noverian spies for a while now. The reward for the diplomats rescue made Matt, at age 24, richer then he had ever imagined possible as a child.
After giving half the money to his parents so they can age in comfort, Matt spent the rest of his share on a small, comfortable, state-of the art airship he dubbed the Hispaniola. It is almost as maneuverable as standard heavier-than-air aircraft, capable of high altitude flight, and heavily re-in-forced. Utilizing the Hispaniola Matt became a businessman, and kindly provided almost anyone with services ranging from transport, to Noverian Air Blockade Runs. Unfortunately Lady luck wasn't kind enough to stay with him, and though his first few jobs were successful, Matt's low-fare business fell into a slump due to rising airship fuel prices and new methods of transportation such as automobiles.
The past year and a half without work has left Matt in shambles. Debt is swallowing his business fast and pride prevents him from borrowing of the money he gave to his parents. He's spent the past two days in Lucida, at the airship station, with his beloved Hispaniola impounded, and the bank threatening to take it away if he doesn't make his next payment. That's when he comes across one of the flyers. “special expedition to the other side of the world – riches beyond your wildest dreams!” It looks like a way to keep his Hispaniola and to live through swashbuckling adventure just like that in Treasure Island.