Geraldine Keeler

Scientist and Skeptic

Description:

Traits

Corporeal Mental
Deftness 3d6 Cognition 3d10
Nimbleness 2d10 Knowledge 4d12
Strength 2d6 Mien 3d8
Quickness 5d8 Smarts 4d12
Vigor 3d6 Spirit 3d8

Aptitudes

Scrutinize 5d10
Search 5d10
Trackin’ 3d10
Shootin’: Pistols 5d6
Speed Load: 3d6
Academia: History 2d12
Academia: Occult 4d12
Area Knowledge: Home County 2d12
Disguise 1d12
Language: Latin 2d12
Language: French 2d12
Language: German 2d12
Medicine: General 4d12
Science: Engineering 5d12
Science: Chemistry 4d12
Leadership 2d8
Overawe 4d8
Persuasion 5d8
Tale Tellin’ 4d8
Climbin’ 2d10
Dodge 3d10
Fightin’: Brawlin’ 5d10
Horse Riding’ 2d10
Sneak 5d10
Swimmin’ 1d10
Quick Draw: 3d8
Bluff 2d12
Scroungin’ 3d12
Streetwise 2d12
Survival 2d12
Tinkerin’: 5d12
Guts 4d8

Hindrances & Edges

Hindrances Edges
Enemy 1 Arcane Background (Mad Scientist) 3
Loco 1 Dinero 5
Yearnin’ 1 Mechanically Inclined 1
Loco (phobia of Man in Black) 2 Friends in High Places 3
Loco (phobia of specters 5

Derived Traits

Pace: 10
Size: 6
Wind: 14
Grit: 6

Shootin’ Irons & Such

Weapon Shots Speed ROF Range Damage
Smith and Wesson Frontier 6 1 1 10 3d6

Hand-to-Hand Weapons

Weapon Defense Speed Damage
Fist 1 STR

Gear

Small Lab
Clockwork Everykey
Bulletproof Garment
Horse (Bunsen) with saddle and two saddlebags
Extra set of work shirt/trousers
Fancy dress and shoes
Bedroll
Canteen
Lantern and oil (5 gallons)
Matches (box of 100)
Standard watch
Smith and Wesson Frontier
Box of .44 bullets (50)
$266.00 remaining

Worst Nightmare

Geraldine is lost in her own house. It is shadowy and the rooms seem to open up indefinitely before her, but she can never find the way out. There’s a dark presence somewhere close by, but she never can catch a good look at what is stalking her. She finally comes across her laboratory, but she can’t even remember the most basic of tinkerin’ to help her escape. Meanwhile, the dark presence gets closer and closer …

Bio:

Geraldine Marie Keeler was born on July 8th, 1855 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the only child of Lydia and Arthur Keeler. The Keelers had moved to Chicago in 1852 from Baltimore, Maryland, lured by the promise of new opportunities. Arthur Keeler, a bookkeeper by trade, found a respectable living by working for a prominent law firm. Lydia Keeler made sure their small home was tidy and well organized, and keeping a firm eye on her daughter.

Once she was of age, her parents enrolled her at the Faulkner School for Girls. It wasn’t long before Geraldine’s teachers discovered her natural affinity for chemistry and engineering. One teacher in particular, Miss Josephine Coulter, took special interest in nurturing Geraldine’s interest. Miss Coulter, herself, was a talented scientist, and took every opportunity to work with her young protegee.

When Geraldine turned 12, her mother came down with typhoid fever. Her father immediately sent Geraldine to board at the Faulkner School while he took care of his wife. Tragically, Arthur also contracted the illness, and both of Geraldine’s parents died within the year. The sale of the family home and other assets was enough to keep Geraldine at school until she graduated.

A few months before graduation, a solicitor unexpectedly called upon the young woman. He bore a mysterious envelope from Babcock & Turner, a Carson City law firm. Much to Geraldine’s shock, the enclosed papers listed her as the last living descendant of George Howard Keeler, a previously unknown great-uncle who had passed away at the beginning of the year. George Keeler had lived in the small town of Paiute Springs, Nevada. Geraldine was now the inheritor of a house and a small parcel of land.

Although Miss Coulter tried to persuade her to remain in Chicago, Geraldine wanted a place of her very own, even if it was in the “uncivilized” Wild West. Upon graduation Geraldine gathered up the rest of her remaining stipend from her parents and her small amount of personal belongings and boarded the Union Blue train line.

After several trains and a carriage ride, Geraldine arrived in Paiute Springs in the early fall of 1874. It caused quite a stir in town when the young nineteen year-old woman arrived with papers claiming that she was now the owner of “Mad George’s” house on the outskirts of town. No one would talk directly to Geraldine about her great-uncle, although she did catch occasionally catch partial whispers when people thought she wasn’t near. Undeterred, she moved into her new home and began settling in.

Geraldine noticed several oddities right away, the most noticeable being the presence of a locked room at the back of the house. She searched everywhere, but could not find a key that fit the lock. Finally, in frustration, Geraldine sat down with some scrap pieces of metal and other bits. After a few weeks, she had tinkered a mechanical device that neatly unlocked the door for her.

Entering the room, Geraldine discovered a hidden laboratory, containing beakers, test tubes, burners, chemicals, and a small reference library. One the shelves were a few handwritten notebooks detailing George Keeler’s scientific work. Fascinated, Geraldine sat right down on the floor and began reading. As she turned through one book, a piece of paper fluttered out into her lap. The young woman picked it up. It was a blueprint for one of George’s gizmos …

Over the next two years, Geraldine follows in her great-uncle’s footsteps, dedicating herself to creating new and sometimes fantastical gizmos and devices. Her dream is to become as much of a household name as Smith and Robards. She does manage to sell a few gizmos here and there. Her success, especially because of her gender, has garnered the unfortunate attention of another inventor in Carson City. She and Mr. Erasmus Tefertiller simultaneously and independently came up with an idea for a particular device, but Geraldine filed the patent first. Tefertiller has never forgiven her for this and actively slanders her name, insisting that she’s a fraud. This infuriates Geraldine, who tries to show him up any chance she gets.

For the most part, the townfolk of Paiute Springs treat her well, although people just shake their heads at her propensity to wear men’s clothing (which Geraldine considers more practical for working in a lab). She has lunch every Sunday at the Prince Royal Arms, but otherwise spends a lot of time shut up in her house working on her newest experiment.

Geraldine Keeler

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