APPEARANCE

The first thing you notice about Cooger are his eyes. More oriental than occidental - a glittering gold. Only then does the rest of his physique hit home - the fang-like teeth, excessive hair on his limbs and taut musculature. If there was ever a true cross between the mountain lion and a human, it is Cooger. He looks dangerous. Cooger stands a compact five feet six inches tall, but weighs in excess of two hundred pounds. He tends to crouch a lot and rarely enjoys standing upright for great lengths of time. His overmuscled and haired forearms and calves make it difficult to wear long-sleeved clothing, so his old patrol jacket has had its arms torn off at the shoulder. The rest of his clothes are sewn from the pelts of the animals he has caught during his banishment, making him look even more uncivilized.

Cooger lives on the egde of the wilderness and is rarely not in danger. He carries weapons with him wherever he goes - his sabre, a short hunting bow, a large knife, a spiked fighting gauntlet and hunting bolas. Apart from those weapons, he leads a wandering lifestyle and carries what little personal possession and other items he has in a large duffel bag, from one camp-site to another.

BACKGROUND

The three children sit around the embers of the fire, watching for the first signs of dawn. Throughout the night they had heard many strange things in the mountains and in the sky above the town, it was all part of their childhood, learning to be independent.

" My brother says he's seen him, when they were on patrol in the mountains. He says he's ten feet tall and covered with fur. He's got long claws and only growls. He says he saw him bring down a fully grown Yakz, with just his claws!" The kids wide eyes search around for someone to deny him his story.

" Don't be a fool. He's nothing special. My father told me all about him. He's a mutant just like you Davd, and he used to be a patrolman. He killed some traders and the villagers threw him out. My father says he should have been killed, it cost the town a lot to get the traders to come back through this way - anyway, my father reckons he's dead now. No-one could survive in the mountains for twelve winters, not even a mutant."

The child called Davd looks up through amphibian eyes. " His name is Cooger. I'm older than you both and I can remember when he was thrown out. I was only a few cycles old but I can just remember his face. He was so sad, so … disappointed? I think he's out there somewhere and well, I'm happy that when we join the patrol, he'll be watching for us."

Cooger wasn't born in the valley, but arrived here as a baby when a woman from the trading caravan gave birth prematurely whilst they were stopping over. The traders were unwilling to wait until the child and the mother were ready to travel so they left her to fend for herself with the 'flower people'. Even as an infant, Cooger's mutations were apparent, as was his abrasive nature. He was forever getting into fights with other kids in the valley and gained a reputation as a bit of a bully and a hothead.

When Cooger was nine, his mother succumbed to the Winter Plague and he was left in the hands of the townspeople. They looked after him as well as they could, but his natural affinity with open spaces and brittle temper made him a real handful. It was only when the town's militia leader [insert name] decided to take him in hand and channel some of that aggression that he began to settle down.

By the time Cooger was a teenager he had become a regular member of the towns militia and cycled between the outpost and the mounted patrols, although he much prefered the outposts as he had a chance to roam out into the mountains and the plains and explore. At that time, Cooger was made more aware of the special nature of his mutations - it was the first time he really came into contact with Badders and Dabbers and other mutants and realized how close he was to an animal. It scared him to the core, as he had always considered himself 'human' but now he wasn't too sure. As he got older, and puberty ended, his mutations reached their pinnacle, as he put on yet more muscle and hair and grew tougher and more animalistic.

However, his life was turned upside down shortly before he turned twenty when he got into a maddened brawl with some traders over an insult and a wild accusation involving his mutation. Cooger knew that the prosperity of the people of the town would be at risk if he fought with the traders so he ran away from the fight, up into the hills and hid there. The next day, after the traders had left he was making his way back down to the town when he found their caravan mauled and slaughtered. Cooger tried to save the traders but he couldn't, and foolishly believing that they might get better help in the village he carried them back the village. Drenched in the blood of the men and women he was arguing with the day before, he suddenly realized what this appeared like and panicked, but he was captured by the militia and tried for the murder of the traders.

Cooger was banished from the village with only the belongings he could carry. No-one spoke to him as he left the town and headed up into the mountains. Cooger was in a state of emotional turmoil - his only family had turned him away, believing him to be the animal he appeared to be. They thought he had slaughtered the traders, but he was innocent. Yet in his heart he knew that there was nothing he could do - he had broken their trust and they would never welcome him again.

Cooger swore not to desert the town though, as they were all he ever had. He decided to live in the mountains, where his mutations helped him to survive, and to protect the town until such a time came that he could do something, anything to win their trust again. Many scouts have been saved from the huge mountain predators by the strange wailing of the 'mountain man'. Many times during the cold season, the hunters have found animals with wounds that made them easy prey - animals that lived higher into the peaks than they could climb.

Cooger sits and waits. He knows that the mutie bands are getting nearer and he knows that the traders have not been through here for a season. It has been over twelve cycles since he was banished. Maybe soon he will get his chance?

PERSONALITY

Cooger has lived away from civilization for a long time, and he was never the best communicator to start with! Some people think of him as uncouth, others as rude and others as a human animal. He is quick to anger and dislikes being made to stay in one place for too long.

Cooger is also extremely loyal and truly loves the town despite the punishment they placed upon him and the lack of trust that they showed. There are many times he has risked his life to save townspeople and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Despite his loyalty, he is no fool and he knows that time does not dim the memory of the townspeople. For any person who claims to have been saved by the 'Mountain Man' there are three that think it is a reason to go into the hills and hunt him down. He will not be welcome if he goes back down to the village, but it is a risk he is willing to take at the right time.

Cooger is therefore suspicious of new people, not knowing whether they think of him as a legend or a killer. He tends to skirt the edges of situations, never getting too involved, always watching for danger. When he does work out who is on his side, he can become a loyal and devoted friend. Indeed, there are a number of men living in the town now that were friends of Cooger's when he was young and he looks out for them in particular