Post by Shane Lawson on Mar 18, 2008 2:48:58 GMT -5
Name: Elliot Masters
Occupation: Mining Mogul
Age: 44, Born September 5th 1836
Appearance: 6'1" Tall with light brown eyes and brown hair, Master carries and dresses himself with class and a taste of arrogance. He maintains a neatly trimmed mustache
and goatee and is usually dressed in his fine white shirts, frock and hat. And of course he speaks with a thick Australian Accent
Belongings:
Twin Colt Model 1851 Navy .38 Colt Conversion Revolvers
Masters Ranch
Ambrosia Club
Mining Interest
Any distinguishing features: None
Place of Birth: Western Australia
Family:
Father Alan Masters
Mother Martha Jones Masters
Brief Personal History: The son of British Colonist who arrived in Western Australia in 1829 much of Masters early life is believed to have been quite harsh. With much of Western Australia being unfit for agricultural purposes life was a struggle for all of the early settlers there. Nevertheless the Masters family survived long enough to eventually settle a small farm and at that point Alan and Martha Masters decided to start their family. Born in 1836 young Elliot spent much of his young life working on the families farm, from an early age he learned the use of a firearm to protect the few farm animals the family had to their name. However by the time he turned 18 he'd begun to grow tired of the rugged life that him and his family had lived for as long as he could imagine, dreaming instead of the stories from the Australian Gold Rush of 1851. Soon he began planning his escape from the outback, hoping to strike it rich in New South Wales. But this was not meant to be, after a night of drinking and raising general hell in the port town of Fremantle, Elliot stabbed a drunk British Army Officer after an argument and barely escaped with his life. A reward was quickly posted for Elliot Masters which ensured he'd swing from the gallows if caught. Without even saying good bye to his family, Elliot and his best friend George Hooper stowed away on a ship bound for America.
After a long voyage the pair arrived in San Francisco with no money or knowledge of this strange new world. To survive they soon turned to petty crime, stealing food, robbing and whatever else they could get away with before eventually finding work in California mines, mining gold for others. If anything the work he was doing now was worse then it had been on his families farm! Nevertheless Masters vowed to realize his dream of riches. Over the next four years the pair worked a number of jobs, mining, shop-keeping, working cattle and yes even a couple jobs working on farms all over California to survive and save enough money to make their own go at prospecting. By this point both men had started carrying revolvers, and showing off their skills with the weapons. As well as getting
involved in bar brawls and spending late nights gambling. Lady Luck would finally smile on them the next year in 1859 with the Pike's Peak Gold Rush and along with one hundred thousand other fortune-hunters they head to Colorado in hopes of making it big. From this point onward Masters and Hooper make a modest living from panning gold, but are unable to strike any major claims during their time in Colorado but the small taste of riches they'd already found pushed Masters onward. Between 1859 and 1864 the pair drift from one place another in pursuit of rumors of gold and silver. Their success was considerable but could've been more if it werent for the fact that Masters was forced to sell a deed to a claim he'd made on a Colorado Silver Vein after a gambling dispute resulted in him killing a man in a saloon. This was quite common for the two men, as they were forced to flee various towns after their brawls or worse. Nevertheless the pair were living it up wherever they ended up by wearing fancy clothes, talking big and spending big money at the saloons, brothels and gambling houses throughout the boomtown frontier.
However they would finally strike big during the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1874. Ending up in Deadwood, located in the Dakota Territory. Between 1874 and 1876 the two men finally made their riches in the lawless town, making the acquaintances of the likes of Wild Bill Hickok, Al Swearengen and others. On August 2nd of 1876 in the Nuttal & Mann's Saloon Masters was present when Hickock was murdered by Jack McCal. Just Ten days later a smallpox epidemic sweeps through Deadwood, leading Masters and Hooper that it be best if they escaped with their riches before they were lying dead with the others. Taking their modest fortunate and three men who'd worked for them and headed towards the Arizona Territory hoping to make it even richer in the untamed and lawless lands. Following rumors of silver they arrive in Lost Haven Arizona, days after its after its founding in 1877. Masters and his group make camp in the gowning tent city and soon begin prospecting for silver veins in the surrounding hills, in time they make a couple rich strikes and through poker games they acquire other mining interests and before long they establish a miniature mining empire in and around the area. Within months Masters had established a firm grip upon the town of Lost Haven, with the City Marshal in his pocket and a band of outlaws and killers on his payroll to enforce his will, there are few who'd even think of crossing Elliot at this point.
While his Miners and hired guns would have their fun on Paradise street, Elliot established the Ambrosia Club on Fremont & Sixth street. The Ambrosia Club would become the centerpiece
of his empire, featuring the best liquor in town, gambling, hostesses, antique furniture and hard wood fixtures and paneling. While in town this is usually where Masters and his crew can be found while he's also established a ranch six miles outside of town near some of his mining operations. Currently Masters is the dominate power in the area, with the money to back it up and armed men to protect those interest. At this time he 'employees' some two dozen armed men to do his dirty work while within Lost Haven he extorts some of the gambling houses and brothels or has under the table deals with them. Currently he's seeking to expand his empire and cement his control over Lost Haven
Personality: Arrogant and ruthless, Masters will protect him and his interest at all cost to prevent him from returning to the bottom of the food chain ever again. He has no problems with killing or having people killed to take care of business, and will take advantage of anyone who lets him. In almost every way he believes he's superior to others, be it in looks, skill with a revolver or riding. His hatred for blacks stems from his hate of the Aborigines from his home country, though that doesn't stop him from using blacks as cheap servants.
Other important notes: His trusty servent George 'Hoop' Hooper is his right hand man, and possibly the only person he trusts..
