Maid of Marvels
Lurking with Intent
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2001
- Posts
- 5,184
Discovery of gold on Bonanza Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River on 17 August 1896, by George and Kate Carmack and their Tagish First Nation friends Dawson Charlie and Skookum Jim, marked the beginning of what is often considered the world's greatest gold rush. The Klondike Gold Rush only lasted until 1899, but its legacy changed the Yukon forever.
"Neither law nor order prevailed, honest persons had no protection from the gang of rascals who plied their nefarious trade," wrote mounted police officer Sam Steele, describing the scene at the base of the treacherous Chilkoot Pass the following spring when over 100,000 men and women arrived in the Yukon. "Might was right; murder, robbery, and petty theft were common occurences."
Avalanches, drownings, typhoid, spinal meningitis and scurvy claimed many lives. Of the tens of thousands who actually made it to the Bonanza, only a handful found fortunes.
Fascination with the discovery of gold lives on in the imagination of every person possessing the spirit of adventure.
Join us in the fictional town of Carmack, located at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. With an influx of over 40,000 people a month, the "town" was more a city -- with an opera house, theaters and at its heart the building where most of our story will take place: a gambling house/saloon/hotel called the Aurora Borealis.
Looking for prospectors, Mounties (they moved into the Yukon Territory in 1894), gamblers, percentage girls, entrepreneurs (the mark-up was a 600% profit!). You name it and you can probably play it.
We would like to see a nice combination of veteran writers and newcomers as well. No part is too large or too small. Please post your characters here for consideration.
There are, of course, some main characters in the play which have been claimed in advance. I will post a list of the players as they reveal themselves.
Lou Service (Maid of Marvels): Owner of the Aurora Borealis, Lou also owns a sawmill and has six mining properties with sixteen men working each claim.
Tad Meriwether (Graybread): 18 year old run away farm boy from Pennsylvania. 6’ 1”, 220 lbs of lean muscle, and broad shoulders. Blue eyes, sandy blonde hair, and the beginnings of a beard. English descent.
Shy, keeping to himself most of the time. Not well educated, but only because he’s not had the chance. Intelligent and a quick learner. Will do anything to earn his way. Helped his father and two younger brothers work the farm, but longed for adventure. Managed to save up $5.00, packed all his belongings, ran away in the middle of the night, and headed for the Yukon.
Anna DeSilva (Messalina): Not suited to life as one of the 'girls', Miss Lou had been more than understanding and took Anna under her wing, offering a job as chambermaid. She had quickly proven her worth when the cook had fallen ill and now she ran the kitchen as well as overseeing the housekeeping and the staff Miss Lou employed 'behind the scenes'.
Tonsillitis Jones (Tonsillitis): A small person with an unusual tendency toward cleanliness, Tonsillitis has long, scraggly hair a hoarse voice. He comes into Carmack perty regular, and frequents the Aurora, but is never seen with any of Lou's "girls". Tonsillitis' claim is just upriver from Lars Linquist, a quiet Swede who never says or does much. He never takes credit or asks for it.
Crazy George (bullshot): 30 year old prospector, 5’ 10”, Dark Hair, Brown eyes. Crazy George has a claim up in the hills about two days out of town, nobody really knows where it is except for George. Although in actual fact his claim is a real mine he only ever brings into town fools gold in any real quantities, but he always seems to have enough fragments of real gold to purchase his supplies and spend a few days at the Aurora Borealis. The amount of fools gold he brings into town earned him the name of Crazy George as he claims its real. Every five or six weeks he appears in town with his mules saddle bags filled with fools gold, he stays for his few days then sets off for the hills again. He’s not really crazy but lets people think he is to protect his claim.
Frenchie Silverheels (Miss Behavin'): She was born Abigail Holbrook (shudder) but Frenchie sounds très chic, n'est pas?
Lusty, busty and très jolie, Frenchie left her past behind and created a whole new life for herself in the Yukon. Straight from Paris (Okay, Paris, Texas--but who's quibbling?), she's one of Miss Lou's best girls, stashing the cash while keeping herself in eau de cologne and designer dresses from Paree.
Leon Numb (NickisSora): At a young age had an ear for music; the most beautiful tunes were in his head but he couldn't read music at all. Currently, he plays piano elsewhere for tips and pay, staying at the local rooming houses. A dreamer, he can't help wondering if there is some one out there for every one.
Doc Plimsoll (chris2c4u): Doc Plimsoll's the name, healin's his game. For as long as he's in town.
Jedediah Jackson (BigDonGStone): Born and raised on Lookout Mountain in Georgia, just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, he made his way cross country starting at the age of 14, trying a little bit of everything on both sides of the law; even ran with "Red Bill" Wheeler for a time in Montgomery, Texas. At 22 he hooked up with Phineas Cheney. Phineas had been a Regulator assigned to stop the banditti in Ogle County, Illinois.
He eventually worked his way north staking a goodly amount of money. Only problem was, he enjoyed the action too much. His reputation proceeded him into Canada. He worked for the NWMP for a period of time but found them to be too civil for his taste. Outlaws need to fear the law.
Constable Kenneth Stewart Fraser (OnHarry): Formerly Corporal Fraser but due to a slight disagreement, he was demoted to Constable, over some trifling matter.
He is not exceptional looking when viewed from a distance, as he is very well proportioned, and though well over six foot he doesn't look big until you stand beside him and realize he has arms and a chest like a gorilla. He has a clean shaven face that is somewhat square and a peculiar way about his mouth that makes him look like he is smirking.
Very few that have encountered him once wish for a repeat of the experience, however. Though he can be jovial on occasion, he is a by the book type, and a constant irritant to Lou as he is equally insistant on fulfilling his other duties that of customs and excise inspector, and revenue collector for the government.
Amanda Mathews (icu1978): Sarah had been living with her parents when she received word that her granny had passed away leaving her a boarding house in Carmack. Packing her bags, she made her way to her new future; one that made her the independent, smiling but fiery owner of a large establishment.
August Dukes (Karnelman): A gamblin' man, he found his way north after being banned from half the towns west of the Mississippi.
Isaiah "Fletch" Fletcher (MaiusImperium): Isaiah Fletcher or ‘Fletch’ as he is commonly known in the Aurora is the barkeep and business partner of Lou Service. Fletch was part of the mining community from the early beginning, after spending a year digging around in dirt holes and constantly fending off foot rot and scurvy he had earned enough money to buy stakes in a few modest mines on the confluence.
They had pooled their money and gone into business together, Fletch owns a fifty percent stake in the bar and helps Lou run things. Lou is the face of the business, the architect, Fletch is the grubbier engineer who puts Lou’s ideas into action. As the barkeep at the Aurora he is an attentive listener as well as an enforcer, he keeps the bar ticking along, makes sure the girls are safe and keeps the nasty riff-raff out.
Rebecca Rae Jordan (TinyDuchess): You gotta keep on moving. That's what her daddy had always said, you just gotta keep on moving until you find what you're looking for, till you find your destiny. Destiny was always his excuse when he packed the family up and dragged them off to some new locale. He was a wanderer at heart, always searching for adventure. When she was a girl, Rebecca had loved him for it and had shared willingly in his quest. But after a while, all that moving around gets to a girl. Her daddy had never been able to settle, he was a shiftless dreamer. They never had much more than what they could fit into a wagon. When Rebecca turned eighteen she had had enough. Wanting more out of life, she left her family behind in search of her own destiny. Turns out the town of Carmack and a little place called the Aurora Borealis was her destiny.
"Neither law nor order prevailed, honest persons had no protection from the gang of rascals who plied their nefarious trade," wrote mounted police officer Sam Steele, describing the scene at the base of the treacherous Chilkoot Pass the following spring when over 100,000 men and women arrived in the Yukon. "Might was right; murder, robbery, and petty theft were common occurences."
Avalanches, drownings, typhoid, spinal meningitis and scurvy claimed many lives. Of the tens of thousands who actually made it to the Bonanza, only a handful found fortunes.
Fascination with the discovery of gold lives on in the imagination of every person possessing the spirit of adventure.
******
Join us in the fictional town of Carmack, located at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. With an influx of over 40,000 people a month, the "town" was more a city -- with an opera house, theaters and at its heart the building where most of our story will take place: a gambling house/saloon/hotel called the Aurora Borealis.
Looking for prospectors, Mounties (they moved into the Yukon Territory in 1894), gamblers, percentage girls, entrepreneurs (the mark-up was a 600% profit!). You name it and you can probably play it.
We would like to see a nice combination of veteran writers and newcomers as well. No part is too large or too small. Please post your characters here for consideration.
There are, of course, some main characters in the play which have been claimed in advance. I will post a list of the players as they reveal themselves.
Looking Forward
Maid
Maid
THE PLAYERS (so far):
Lou Service (Maid of Marvels): Owner of the Aurora Borealis, Lou also owns a sawmill and has six mining properties with sixteen men working each claim.
Tad Meriwether (Graybread): 18 year old run away farm boy from Pennsylvania. 6’ 1”, 220 lbs of lean muscle, and broad shoulders. Blue eyes, sandy blonde hair, and the beginnings of a beard. English descent.
Shy, keeping to himself most of the time. Not well educated, but only because he’s not had the chance. Intelligent and a quick learner. Will do anything to earn his way. Helped his father and two younger brothers work the farm, but longed for adventure. Managed to save up $5.00, packed all his belongings, ran away in the middle of the night, and headed for the Yukon.
Anna DeSilva (Messalina): Not suited to life as one of the 'girls', Miss Lou had been more than understanding and took Anna under her wing, offering a job as chambermaid. She had quickly proven her worth when the cook had fallen ill and now she ran the kitchen as well as overseeing the housekeeping and the staff Miss Lou employed 'behind the scenes'.
Tonsillitis Jones (Tonsillitis): A small person with an unusual tendency toward cleanliness, Tonsillitis has long, scraggly hair a hoarse voice. He comes into Carmack perty regular, and frequents the Aurora, but is never seen with any of Lou's "girls". Tonsillitis' claim is just upriver from Lars Linquist, a quiet Swede who never says or does much. He never takes credit or asks for it.
Crazy George (bullshot): 30 year old prospector, 5’ 10”, Dark Hair, Brown eyes. Crazy George has a claim up in the hills about two days out of town, nobody really knows where it is except for George. Although in actual fact his claim is a real mine he only ever brings into town fools gold in any real quantities, but he always seems to have enough fragments of real gold to purchase his supplies and spend a few days at the Aurora Borealis. The amount of fools gold he brings into town earned him the name of Crazy George as he claims its real. Every five or six weeks he appears in town with his mules saddle bags filled with fools gold, he stays for his few days then sets off for the hills again. He’s not really crazy but lets people think he is to protect his claim.
Frenchie Silverheels (Miss Behavin'): She was born Abigail Holbrook (shudder) but Frenchie sounds très chic, n'est pas?
Lusty, busty and très jolie, Frenchie left her past behind and created a whole new life for herself in the Yukon. Straight from Paris (Okay, Paris, Texas--but who's quibbling?), she's one of Miss Lou's best girls, stashing the cash while keeping herself in eau de cologne and designer dresses from Paree.
Leon Numb (NickisSora): At a young age had an ear for music; the most beautiful tunes were in his head but he couldn't read music at all. Currently, he plays piano elsewhere for tips and pay, staying at the local rooming houses. A dreamer, he can't help wondering if there is some one out there for every one.
Doc Plimsoll (chris2c4u): Doc Plimsoll's the name, healin's his game. For as long as he's in town.
Jedediah Jackson (BigDonGStone): Born and raised on Lookout Mountain in Georgia, just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, he made his way cross country starting at the age of 14, trying a little bit of everything on both sides of the law; even ran with "Red Bill" Wheeler for a time in Montgomery, Texas. At 22 he hooked up with Phineas Cheney. Phineas had been a Regulator assigned to stop the banditti in Ogle County, Illinois.
He eventually worked his way north staking a goodly amount of money. Only problem was, he enjoyed the action too much. His reputation proceeded him into Canada. He worked for the NWMP for a period of time but found them to be too civil for his taste. Outlaws need to fear the law.
Constable Kenneth Stewart Fraser (OnHarry): Formerly Corporal Fraser but due to a slight disagreement, he was demoted to Constable, over some trifling matter.
He is not exceptional looking when viewed from a distance, as he is very well proportioned, and though well over six foot he doesn't look big until you stand beside him and realize he has arms and a chest like a gorilla. He has a clean shaven face that is somewhat square and a peculiar way about his mouth that makes him look like he is smirking.
Very few that have encountered him once wish for a repeat of the experience, however. Though he can be jovial on occasion, he is a by the book type, and a constant irritant to Lou as he is equally insistant on fulfilling his other duties that of customs and excise inspector, and revenue collector for the government.
Amanda Mathews (icu1978): Sarah had been living with her parents when she received word that her granny had passed away leaving her a boarding house in Carmack. Packing her bags, she made her way to her new future; one that made her the independent, smiling but fiery owner of a large establishment.
August Dukes (Karnelman): A gamblin' man, he found his way north after being banned from half the towns west of the Mississippi.
Isaiah "Fletch" Fletcher (MaiusImperium): Isaiah Fletcher or ‘Fletch’ as he is commonly known in the Aurora is the barkeep and business partner of Lou Service. Fletch was part of the mining community from the early beginning, after spending a year digging around in dirt holes and constantly fending off foot rot and scurvy he had earned enough money to buy stakes in a few modest mines on the confluence.
They had pooled their money and gone into business together, Fletch owns a fifty percent stake in the bar and helps Lou run things. Lou is the face of the business, the architect, Fletch is the grubbier engineer who puts Lou’s ideas into action. As the barkeep at the Aurora he is an attentive listener as well as an enforcer, he keeps the bar ticking along, makes sure the girls are safe and keeps the nasty riff-raff out.
Rebecca Rae Jordan (TinyDuchess): You gotta keep on moving. That's what her daddy had always said, you just gotta keep on moving until you find what you're looking for, till you find your destiny. Destiny was always his excuse when he packed the family up and dragged them off to some new locale. He was a wanderer at heart, always searching for adventure. When she was a girl, Rebecca had loved him for it and had shared willingly in his quest. But after a while, all that moving around gets to a girl. Her daddy had never been able to settle, he was a shiftless dreamer. They never had much more than what they could fit into a wagon. When Rebecca turned eighteen she had had enough. Wanting more out of life, she left her family behind in search of her own destiny. Turns out the town of Carmack and a little place called the Aurora Borealis was her destiny.
******
And so we begin... again
And so we begin... again
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