Freelance Traveller

profiled by Mark Urbin

Sir Jace Pedersen
Mixed race Human
Homeworld TL D; Class A Starport; Ag Ni Ri

Str 12; Dex 15; Con 11; Int 16; Wis 15; Chr 15; Edu 18; Soc 16 (Knight)

6th level character: 4th Level Noble/2nd Level Academic
Age: 33, Cr 35,000 Stamina: 23 Lifeblood: 11

Feats

Armor Proficiency (Light); Weapon Proficiency (Marksman); Weapon Proficiency (Swordsman); Trust Fund; Connections (Noble); Vessel/Grav; Run; Natural Born Leader; Skill Focus (K/History); Pseudo-Eidetic Memory; Mental Discipline

Skills

Vessel/Grav - 2; Innuendo - 4; T/Computer - 8; Survival - 2; K/Homeworld - 0; K/Rim Politics - 6; Gather Info - 4; Ride - 3; Liaison - 4; Decipher Script - 2; Intimidate - 6; P/Hunter - 9; K/History - 5; Leader - 7; Read Language - 2; Hide - 2; Move Silently - 4; Sense Motive - 5; Swim - 2

Bonuses

Attack: +2; Fortitude: +1; Reflex: +2; Will: +4

Gear

• A good solid 7mm hunting rifle with an optical scope.
• A 12mm magnum revolver, engraved with the Arms of his family and the Knightly order he belongs to. A bit of an oddity today, but sort of thing a Noble with a sense of history, and who spends a lot of time in the brush, would carry.
• A sturdy pump action shotgun.
• A well used rapier (noble foil)
• A well used machete (blade)
• A TL D handcomp and a lot of data crystals loaded with RoM history.
• An Imperial Army surplus flack jacket. Sometimes history can be found in dangerous places.
• Several sets of sturdy field clothes
• A couple of formal outfits.
• Inertial locator
• IR/LI goggles

History

Sir Jace is the 4th child of Count Pedersen, who holds an Imperial fief in the Rim. Raised in luxury, with older siblings to inherit the titles and run the estates, he was able to indulge in his two passions, hunting and history. His induction into one of the major Imperial Knightly orders was a manner of tradition for non-titled children of Nobles. Sir Jace actually takes his duties as a Knight of the Imperium rather seriously.

His family can trace their noble title back to a Terran Confederation Naval officer assigned as an administrator during the early days of the Rule of Man. Over the centuries, that officer's descendents have intermarried many times with the local Vilani population.

That aspect of his family's history has always fascinated Sir Jace. After earning his B.A. in Archaeology, he continued his studies. His focus narrowed on the events leading to the rise of the Rule of Man. School, even graduate school, was more fun than work. He spent his vacations tracking down RoM ruins. The fact that many of these sites had excellent hunting was an added feature.

After successfully defending his thesis work and receiving his Ph.D., Sir Jace stayed on at the University. The skills he built up hunting, in addition to his academic skills, made him a valuable asset to field expeditions in less civilized areas.

After working as an assistant on several expeditions, Sir Jace organized his field expedition. It was quite successful. The papers he and his graduate students wrote were well received by the Academic Community. That netted him a Foundation Fellowship Award.

Sir Jace used that award to arrange a permanent field position with the University. He is now a Professor at Large. He has an Administrative Assistant and a couple of graduate students back at the University that he sends reports to. Between his stipend from the University, and interest from investments set up by his father, he has a budget of Cr 3,200 a month to roam the Rim area looking for historical clues and good hunting spots.

Jace can be found wandering the Rim area, often too close to the war front for other's comfort, happily living at a level well below his station in life. He can be found in a studio apartment, located near a University, doing research, or living out of a tent or cabin in the wilderness, digging for artifacts and hunting for dinner.

He does keep the formal suit or two in his luggage. He and his family are well known in Imperial noble circles in the Rim, and he may be found as a guest at a Baron's mansion. He could be there merely as a guest, or he could be organizing a hunting expedition, or convincing the Baron to fund an academic field research expedition, headed by Jace of course.