Byrd Man

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

@Byrd ManI'd love to participate in this, but I'm stuck between several character ideas: A beat cop, new to the force, who has wide-eyed aspirations and laughable hope for the world; A woman who's been jailed several times for prostitution, but has finally wizened up, and decided to start working on the management end of that whole thing (i.e. she runs an escort service/whorehouse); A woman who lives among the political machine, with no official position, but who finds ways to influence it nonetheless, through 'romantic' entanglements. Which would be best for this RP?

@aviendha

I'm fine with the second and third one just because the first one is kinda similar to one of my characters. Plus, I'd like to see a lady.

Name: Morris Cohen

Age: 43

Ethnicity: German Jew

Occupation/Place in the Combination: Ward Boss of the Jewish West Side

Personal History: Having emigrated to America as a child, Morris was raised in Central's 'Uptown' West Side. He had an ordinary upbringing in the German Jewish community, attending synagogue regularly. Morris was always a sociable fellow, and belonged to numerous clubs and organizations, fundraising among the German Jewish community for sponsoring a group of 'poor Russians' to immigrate to Ottoman Palestine and settle an agricultural commune there. Morris is especially talented at persuasion, quoting from the Torah and Talmud to convince others to give money. Although the commune folds two years after it's founding due to continued ideological grievances between the anarchist and the social democratic factions of the commune, Morris counts it as a personal success. Leaving the dry goods store to his brother, Abraham, Morris takes up politics as his profession, integrating himself into the Combination. Morris is successful with courting the German Jewish vote, handily winning their votes for the Combination. With the growing trend of new Russian immigrants arriving from the Pale, Morris has had to start to adapt, but so far his strategies have proven effective. The only other politics these greenhorns know about is socialism, but that's such a joke that nobody is ever going to listen to that except for a few bozos, right? Besides, all Morris has to do is play up his faithfulness to the new Orthodox crowds, convince a couple factory owners to let them have Saturday off instead of Sunday, and they love him!

@Sypherkhode822

Approved! Everyone who has been approved, you can post your sheets in the characters tab.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Also, @Dinh AaronMk, you should peep the Bread-Winners as a counterpoint to the American Labor movement from one of America's privledged sons. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bread-Winners

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Hell yeah. Approved, fam.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

What a quitter!

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Nice. You're approved. Welcome aboard.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Well then post a sheet, bruh. We've moved on past the interest check.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

@BingTheWing @Ruby @Ulstermann @Sypherkhode822 @Dinh AaronMk

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Character Sheet

Name: Officer Daniel Shea

Age: 25

Ethnicity: Irish (1st generation American migrant)

Occupation/Place in the Combination: Police officer

Personal History:

Danny Shea is the son of Captain Thomas Shea, an Irish immigrant who has used his political skills to rise in the Central City PD and amass great influence inside the Combination. Danny is the middle child of the family, his brother Joseph is an assistant district attorney while youngest son Matthew is away at college. Despite being from a family of wealth and influence, Danny has steadfastly held to the determination to be his own man and make his own path separate from his father. He lives across town from the Shea house in the city's westside in a neighborhood filled with new German, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants.

He patrols the westside twelve hours a day, six days a week, and is faced with the harsh realities of urban life. As a member of the police department, he is unwillingly part of the city's political machine. He considers himself nonpartisan, but still is forced to donate a portion of his pay to the Combination and take part in partisan acts for the sake of keeping his job and pleasing his father. He wants to rise and become a detective, but only on his own merits and not because of who his father is or what he could do for the machine.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Character Sheet

Name: Robert Thomas Stockton

Age: 59

Ethnicity: American (British descent)

Occupation/Place in the Combination: United States Senator/Advisor

Personal History:

The story of Bob Stockton is the story of American success. Born in 1817, Stockton's father was a veteran of the War of 1812 who moved west to seek his fortune. The state was still a territory when the Stockton family arrived in the small town of Center and set out as cattle farmers. The Stockton's made a modest living and Bob was prepared to learn the trade from his father when the Panic of 1837 changed everything. The depression ruined the elder Stockton's farm and business prospects. Heavily in debt and depressed, he took his own life. At twenty years old, Bob became the man of the house. The burden of supporting his mother and six brothers and sisters fell upon him.

Bob worked three jobs -- as a saloon floor sweeper, house painter, and general store clerk -- all while reading law at the offices of William "Bill" Patterson, a prominent local attorney. It was there that Bob met Bill's son A.J., an apprentice reading law as well. The two young men formed a fast friendship based on their mutual outlooks on life and fierce ambition. In 1840, Bob and A.J. passed the state bar and started Stockton & Patterson Attorneys at Law. The practice thrived in both criminal and civil cases. A.J. thrived in criminal court, representing the lowest class the city had, while Bob showed his talent as a representative of the growing special interests in the renamed Central City. The men were soon making money hand over fist and establishing connections from every facet of urban life.

In 1852, A.J. and Bob used their connections to get into the political game. Mayor Anthony Scott, the long-serving political boss of the city, was toppled by the two upstarts who used a coalition of poor ethnic voters and wealthy American businessmen to toss Scott and his city council cronies out of office and replace them with men loyal to A.J. and Bob. The Patterson Combination was born. The machine's power grew out from Central City and took over the statehouse. While A.J. preferred to work behind the scenes, Bob liked the spotlight and used the Combination's power to his advantage. In 1860, Bob ran and won a seat in Congress by capturing 99% of the vote in his district. He served for ten years, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, before he saw a greater prize. In 1870, the Combination controlled state legislature elected Bob to the US Senate. The man who had once worked eighteen hour days to provide for his family was now one of the most powerful men in the state and the entire West.

Now, Bob is ending his first term in the US Senate and is coming home to stand for reelection. As A.J.'s closest lieutenant, he helps the Combination plan its moves for the upcoming election season that will be hotly contested by reform candidates in both the city and the state. Michael Wood, the state's current governor, ha made his intention known that he wishes to take Bob's seat in the Senate. In addition, presidential politics may be coming into play as the party convention comes to Central City to elect a president. For a man who has achieved so much, Bob sees a path to the White House could be easily within his grasp if he can play his cards just right.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

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OOC is up