Appearance: Raphael has made his own attire, reinforcing it as and where it begins to get threadbare or he feels it needs more armor.
Profession: Scout/Scavenger
History: Raphael was born a military brat. His parents met in the service, and married. Military regulations meant that one parent was usually deployed and that he moved around a lot. Some people may begin to resent such a life. Rafe saw it as a series of adventures, and the opportunity to see something new.
This routine continued until shortly before the outbreak went public. Rafe was with his grandmother as both parents were among those activated to try and prevent the end of the world. Unfortunately, Raphael never saw his parents again. His mother could have survived; As she was aboard an aircraft carrier last he knew. Raphael was unable to dwell on his parents as he had his grandmother to look after.
Luckily they were in a small gated community outside Portland. The first few months were fairly easy. Rafe would make the occasional foray for the medicines his grandmother needed, or for something he wanted. It was on these ventures that Raphael developed his preference for stealth; A skill he further developed as he grew older. Sadly his grandmother passed while he was on a run. He returned to find the little community in shambles.
They had traded and worked with the group that would eventually found Lasthope, and so the youth sought them out and joined them. Even after moving he continued making scavenger runs; Even if it meant he’d have to sneak off on his own. This behavior most likely contributed to the work measures being enacted. Rafe however didn't stop even after the rule changed. If assigned to something he didn't want to do he would sneak off.
He would always return with something someone needed, or something the council desired. This offered him some protection from punishment, his exploits however drew the attention of Mr. Raintree. Rafe’s size made him a natural in Trooper training, his predilection to stealth and years of practice made him a natural for Scout training. A requirement was that he’d stop sneaking off alone.
After finishing his training Raphael disappeared into wilderness for days. He’d return usually with something the scavengers couldn't find locally, and if asked he’d admit to sneaking into Portland from time to time. Sometimes what he brought back was something strange. Of course the strangest thing he ever came back with was Athena.
Raphael raised the puppy, training it to respond to a combination of words and gestures. She became Raphael’s primary source of social interaction. Rafe gets a number of strange looks when he holds public conversations with the animal.
Skills:
Scavenger: Raphael has a knack for finding what he's looking for, almost as if he knows exactly where to find it.
Stealth: Rafe is infamous for his ability to just disappear without a trace; An ability he uses to assist in his scavenging.
Sewing: While he has received a number of compliments for his abilities in a scrap, Raphael has always been commended for his skill with a needle and thread. Especially for what he’s done regarding his own clothes and the dog's harness.
One of the first thing Raphael scavenged was this tool. The tip of the thick, 20” blade has been ground into a chisel like tip. Rafe uses the machete as a prybar, an axe and when necessary, a weapon. The plastic handle has since been replaced by leather wrapped wood. The machete is slung on his back.
Rafe’s preferred weapon of choice. He keeps his arrows in a drawstring close bag, this quiver hangs from his belt. He has two different arrow fletchings; The feathered fletchings he uses upon the living, the brightly colored varnished cloth fletchings he uses on the dead.
Raphael has a pair of knives he prefers to use when he’s too close for the bow. The roughly 5” blades are cleaned regularly to avoid contamination.
Rafe made this bag to carry his gear and what he’s salvaged. It has the typical double straps so it can be worn across the back, and it has a long strap that can be unrolled to allow its use to wear it like a totebag. The bag is made of a thick green canvas.
Raphael carries these pulleys so he can lift Athena to areas she can't climb to. He has also used this tool to clear rubble.
Rafe carries a trio of blankets tied to the bottom of his rucksack. Aside from the obvious use; He uses them to wrap breakable salvage and bits of cloth that catch his eye. To protect the blankets he has a length of oiled cloth he wraps around them to keep them dry.
Rafe keeps a sewing kit on him at all times. This kit, comprised of a number of needles and several feet of thread wrapped around a thin piece of cardboard, is what the scout uses to repair end upgrade his gear. In the direst of emergencies he can use this kiddo close wounds.
Athena is Raphael's constant companion, best friend and dog. She is a quiet dog, barking only when the situation calls for.
Athena wears a homemade harness similar to the image above. Rafe constructed it based on the tattered remains of one he discovered. The harness allows Raphael to hoist or lower Athena to another level where necessary. It has a number of small pockets and like Raphael’s clothes Athena's harness is also armored and upgraded when Rafe finds something that he thinks will improve it.
