My other favorite real world PC is Eddie Chapman, aka Agent Zigzag. This thief, conman and serial philanderer managed to become one of the most successful double agents of WW2. His story is amazing and completely nuts.
Real World/Historical Figures that would make great PCs
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
After watching Doctor Who, I’d like to put in a word for Ada Lovelace (nee Byron), Mathematician who first noted that the punchcards created for Babbages Analytical device could go beyond mere number crunching to be used for complex symbolism as ‘computational devices’.
She hung out with Babbage, Faraday and Dickens, studied magnetism and mesmerism and had a desire to create a mathematical model for how the brain gives rise to thoughts and nerves to feelings ("a calculus of the nervous system")
She hung out with Babbage, Faraday and Dickens, studied magnetism and mesmerism and had a desire to create a mathematical model for how the brain gives rise to thoughts and nerves to feelings ("a calculus of the nervous system")
Ulfgeir
Hero
There's also Julia Child. Yes, that Julia Child, of "The French Chef" fame...
It is only slightly inaccurate to say that, before she got into cooking... she professionally scared sharks for the CIA.
(It was actually for the OSS, in WWII, but yes, she came up with some of the standard repellents used to keep sharks from detonating marine ordinance)
It is only slightly inaccurate to say that, before she got into cooking... she professionally scared sharks for the CIA.
(It was actually for the OSS, in WWII, but yes, she came up with some of the standard repellents used to keep sharks from detonating marine ordinance)
MonkeezOnFire
Adventurer
Ned Kelly is considered by some to be the Australian Robin Hood. He led a gang of bushrangers with the help of a vast network of sympathizers. He created a set of bullet proof armour scrounged together from farm ploughs to wear during shoot outs with police. Wearing heavy armour in an age of firearms is surely a PC thing to do.
Beleriphon
Totally Awesome Pirate Brain
Honestly,
Anybody that isn't already a fictional character from this website.
www.badassoftheweek.com
Anybody that isn't already a fictional character from this website.
Badass of the Week
www.badassoftheweek.com
Sacrosanct
Legend
Badass of the Week
www.badassoftheweek.com
Seriously. Anyone there
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
Nancy Wake, the White Mouse.
New Zealand born, she was the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of WWII, and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person. They code-named her ‘The White Mouse’ because of her ability to elude capture. When war broke out she was a young woman married to a wealthy Frenchman living a life of luxury in cosmopolitan Marseilles. She became a saboteur, organiser and Resistance fighter who led an army of 7,000 Maquis troops in guerrilla warfare to sabotage the Nazis.
New Zealand born, she was the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of WWII, and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person. They code-named her ‘The White Mouse’ because of her ability to elude capture. When war broke out she was a young woman married to a wealthy Frenchman living a life of luxury in cosmopolitan Marseilles. She became a saboteur, organiser and Resistance fighter who led an army of 7,000 Maquis troops in guerrilla warfare to sabotage the Nazis.
I'm currently part-way through Runciman's three volume history of the Crusades. One of the prominent Franks in the early period was Joscelin of Courtenay, who was captured in battle in 1122. Subsequently Baldwin II, trying to find out what happened by scouting the area of Joscelin's capture, was himself ambushed and captured while engaging in some falconry.
The fortress where the two were being held was in Armenia, and Joscelin had a good relationship with the Armenians. He had an Armenian peasant take a message to his friends, and as a result fifty Armenian allies entered the fortress disguised as merchants and monks seeking an audience with the governor. They then produced concealed weapons and took over the fortress. Joscelin left the fortress with two Armenians to seek help while Baldwin and the rest stayed on to try and hold it. Joscelin, who couldn't swim, escaped across the Euphrates river by floating on two inflated wineskins while being aided by the Armenians, who could swim. He then led an army back to the fortress to try and free Baldwin II.
Unfortunately for Joscelin and Baldwin, and fortunately for their captors, this didn't work out - Baldwin's defence of the captured fortress had failed and he'd been taken to a more secure fortress. Still, this is like an episode from a mediaeval/fantasy game, and characters like Joscelin and Baldwin would fit right in as PC warrior types.
The fortress where the two were being held was in Armenia, and Joscelin had a good relationship with the Armenians. He had an Armenian peasant take a message to his friends, and as a result fifty Armenian allies entered the fortress disguised as merchants and monks seeking an audience with the governor. They then produced concealed weapons and took over the fortress. Joscelin left the fortress with two Armenians to seek help while Baldwin and the rest stayed on to try and hold it. Joscelin, who couldn't swim, escaped across the Euphrates river by floating on two inflated wineskins while being aided by the Armenians, who could swim. He then led an army back to the fortress to try and free Baldwin II.
Unfortunately for Joscelin and Baldwin, and fortunately for their captors, this didn't work out - Baldwin's defence of the captured fortress had failed and he'd been taken to a more secure fortress. Still, this is like an episode from a mediaeval/fantasy game, and characters like Joscelin and Baldwin would fit right in as PC warrior types.
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