Freelance Traveller

Fooz Murphy

profiled by Angus McDonald

Senior Fooz Murphy (Retired) has the honor to be the personal bodyguard and pilot of His Excellency, the Sieur Ongka Gverthan, senior trade representative of the Lorean Hegemony. He was first recruited as a bodyguard by the Lorean Hegemony whilst enjoying a return to his homeworld of Llueng.

His main qualifications were his distinguished service with the Star Legion Marines, the good opinion of his last CO, and his standing as a respected member of the Travellers' Aid Society.

Senior Murphy is a short, slightly built, middle-aged, male Human. His coloring is dark, with swarthy skin, darkened under alien skies, and short greying curls. Despite his small build, his intense expressions and hawklike nose guarantee that he is in no way soft or a pushover. Some point to his natural looks (even asleep he looks mean), whilst others are more swayed by the 16 years he spent serving in the Legions. He blames his wife.

Fooz fell into being a pilot. His service as a Marine gave him an interest in racing grav vehicles, and when he mustered out to become a man of leisure he spent some time in several amateur circuits, ending up a pretty decent pilot. When his wife decided to visit her relatives in the Rukadukaz Republic, they decided to work part of the way, and Fooz took the required piloting and astrogation exams to qualify as a starship pilot. When they returned home they decided to settle down on Llueng for a while, nag their daughters about grandchildren, and work out what to do next.

The Lorean Hegemony happened to be looking to recruit suitable ex-Marines for security duty with several trade delegations that were due to leave for extended tours in the Third Imperium and the Two Thousand Worlds. Fooz's old CO recommended him and a background check showed he was both suitably experienced and well suited to the role. The offer was made for both him and his wife to accompany the trade delegation to the Third Imperium (his TAS membership, and his wife's unwillingness to shave her head, decided which one he'd go on).

The trade delegations are considered vital to the Lorean Hegemony, which like all Julian Protectorate member states must make its own way economically. The Hairy Friend, a large (800dton) and surprisingly well armed yacht is the main ship, escorted by the fleet escort Kiloisha Nightmares. Sieur Ongka Gverthan is a Vargr ex-trader turned diplomat, who delights in having Fooz retell stories of his time in the Legions, especially the more bloodthirsty ones. Originally he had another pilot and Fooz was just his bodyguard, but when the original pilot (a Vargr) resigned due to poor morale (he hated the 3I), Gverthan simply gave Fooz two hats to wear.

Fooz often calls his wife "old iron-sights" because of her naively simple view of the universe. She calls him "snap-crackle-pop" because of the complaints his joints make when he gets up every morning. They have been married for 27 years, and have two daughters back on Llueng, both happily married to (in their opinion) nice, but boring, young men. Fooz's wife, Margarite, a plump and matronly mixed-Vilani female, serves as the Hairy Friend's cook, nursemaid and den-mother. Fooz is not sure if he divorced his wife, which one of them would be asked to leave the trade delegation ...

STATS

Race: Solomani
Homeworld: Llueng (2736) / Lorean / Amdukan
UWP: A9B9741F (the pop. is diff to HIWG figures)
Speaks: Galanglic, Irilitok
Reads: Galanglic, Irilitok

Wealth: Cr179,500

Member TAS

Classes: Rogue-2, Marine-6, Traveller-2, Professional-1
Level: 11 (XP: 55,000)

MCUF 2

STR: 9 -1
DEX: 13 +1
CON: 13 +1
INT: 14 +2
EDU: 19 +4
WIS: 15 +2
CHA: 12 +1
SOC: 10 +0

Note: Age (middle-age) effects have already been taken into account.

COMBAT:

Stamina: 64
Lifeblood: 13
Initiative: +1
Fortitude Saves: +6
Reflex Saves: +8
Will Saves: +11

AC/AR: 11/6 DEX + Combat Env Suit + Chameleon
AC/AR: 9/8 DEX + Combat Armour

SKILLS: (totals include ranks + attributes + other mods)

Appraise +4, Balance +1, Bluff +6, Bribery +5, Climb -1, Demolitions +5, Driving +5, Gambling +4, Gather Information +3, Gunnery +0 (no feat), Hide +3, Innuendo +4, Intimidate +7, Jump -1, K/Homeworld +5, K/Interstellar Law +6, Leader +10, Liaison +7, Pilot +14, P/Administration +5, Ride +1, Search +5, Sense Motive +11, Spot +14, Swim -1, T/Astrogation +7, T/Computer +8, Use Alien Devices +4

Having Jack-of-all-Trades gives him the following skills:

Combat Engineering +3, Craft (any) +3, Disguise +2, Entertain (any) +2, Forgery +3, Forward Observer +3, Listen +5, Move Silently +2, Navigation +5, Recruiting +5, Survival +3, T/Electronics +5, T/Mechanical +5, T/Medical +5, Trader +3

FEATS:

Alertness, Armor Proficiency (Light, Medium, Vac Suit), Brawling, Command Presence, Connections: Marines, Dumb Luck, High Morale, Interrogation, Jack-of-all-Trades x2 (gives +1), Professional Specialty: Pilot, Second Wind, Spot Trouble, Tactics I, Vessel/Grav, Vessel/Starships, Weapon Focus (Claw-Glove) (replaces Cutlass for Star Legion Marines), Weapon Proficiency (Combat Rifleman, Marksman, Swordsman)

EQUIPMENT:

Claw-glove, Blade, Auto Pistol, Snub Pistol, ACR, Vac Suit (TL 14), Combat Env Suit + Chameleon (TL 14), Combat Armour (TL 12), Protectorate License for all weapons & armour above as a bodyguard, Protectorate Starpilot License, Protectorate Drivers License, Combination Mask, Hand Computer, Inertial Locator, Long Range Communicator, Light Intensifier Goggles, Grav Belt