Percival Van Scagg
From Brass Goggles
Name: Professor Percival Jeremiah Van Scagg
Age: Late 40s
Occupation: Adventurer-Explorer/Archaeologist/Gunsmith; Good with explosives; Sometime Inventor.
Appearance: Tallish (about 5 ft 11inches) Late 40's, slightly pudgy, salt n' pepper gray hair and beard, disquietingly-golden eyes, remnants of a 'rangy' musculature. Will probably get thinner as trip progresses.
Nationality: Originally Anglian; now resides mostly in Cornwall; has not travelled in a couple of years, but was once nearly nomadic, and has no set 'permanent' address.
Weapons of Choice: .30-Caliber semiauto pistol (nondescript, could be copy of a Bergmann detachable magazine pistol, resembles a Broomhandle Mauser; pistol-style blunderbuss with larger-than-normal bore;14-inch khukri; .50-caliber Machine Gun (Maxim-type canvas belt action with sling, and pistol and foregrips). Detachably pillar-mounted on sidecar of motorcycle, on homemade 'windmill' transit action alt-az mount).
Attire: Long Tan Leather trenchcoat of old-style 'motorist' type; relatively thin leather, lots of deep pockets, often containing parts, tools, knives, gadgets, and the occasional hideout firearm. 'aviator' cap & goggles/wide-brimmed fedora;dark brown leather waistcoat, 'duck' canvas shirt, many, many pockets in vest and on shirt; bell-bottomed 'Sailor's' trousers, left leg bound with net-like leather calf legging to keep trouser cuff from fouling mortorcycle chains and belts.
Rides a low-slung steam cycle (named 'Hildegarde') with so-called 'long-distance' boiler and fuel/firing setup, as well as larger-than-normal rear wheel. Has sidecar, fitted with remote-operable mount for Machine Gun (see above), and a touring-car-style folding convertible top. Isinglass sides for convertible top have long disappeared; replaced with oiltanned glove leather. Carries gunsmithing tools in sidecar. Has been known to set up on the fringes of a conflict and repair weapons for both sides on the spot 'for a nominal fee.' Also often carries some form of explosives somewhere about person, often gelignite bricks or a couple of sticks of dynamite.
Background: Born and Educated in Oxford, in the Anglian Kingdom. Acquired Phd in Archaeology after several years prospecting, scavenging, and stumbling on relics while travelling in the wastes. Found the tail setcion of an Airship and based his thesis on his conjectures about same. Thesis was published after a fashion, and often serves at college level all over the Isles as one of five seminal theoretical histories of Pre-Event mechanical-engineering history -- but he hates that fact (can think of many things he would not have written then, that he has found out the truth of by now). Fascinated by explosives and mechanics since early childhood, has served on many expeditions (both military and civilian) as an explosives technician and expert, and gunsmith; elements of the former Pyrotechnicians Guild (disbanded ten years ago and now defunct) and current Gunsmithing Guild tend to call him 'Rimfire' after his predilection for designing guns using that firing system, or rimfiring in addition to centerfiring in attempts to design 'universal' guns.
Finally grew to be fed up with University life, and left the Institution (Oxford). Was once wanted for Anglian 'escaped scientist' bounty; some bounty hunters still haven't heard that Anglia has 'washed their hands' of him, and is still required at times to 'be deadly' in order to escape their clutches. Fought on the Side of Cornwall for several years as a sort of travelling rebel agitator against Anglia, before 'settling down' in Cornwall's capitol for two years, teaching Archaeology to students who would eventually become 'specialized scavengers.' Recently fell out with the Cornwallian University President, quit his teaching job, and is currently 'Nomading' again, looking to join a Rig crew...
