jeff.html

Investigator's name: Jeff Paynter

Sex: Male
Age:39
Occupation: Bodyguard
Nationality: American
Born: Arkham

Background:

Born into one of Arkhams poorer families, Jeff is the oldest of 8 children. Although a bright child, his formative years were spent mainly on the streets, avoiding both school and home. By the age of 14 Jeff was consistently in trouble with the law. He was also smart enough to realise that he was bound for prison unless he got out of his environment soon. Tired of constantly looking after his siblings while his mother spent most of her time either drinking or entertaining various Uncles, Jeff ran away. Finally reaching the docks he was able to stow away on a merchant shop and although discovered shortly after it left port he was allowed to stay on board providing he was prepared to work for his keep. Jeff was to spend the next 16 years in the merchant navy. The life suited him, allowing him a chance to escape from his upbringing in the US and also an opportunity to experience a huge diversity of people and cultures around Asia and the Indies. On board he was an able worker and became a well liked and trusted member of the crew. Ashore he could always be relied upon to find a good time and picked up a large selection of regular acquaintances in various ports. He also managed to acquire an equally impressive collection of Tattoos and a long scar running down the right side of his face. Jeff claims this to be a reminder of the only bar fight he ever lost.

By the time he reached his late 30,s it was becoming obvious to him that his life was rapidly taking him nowhere. With no possibility of getting a vessel of his own and no desire to continue as a mariner without out he decided to get a job on land at the first opportunity.

After spending some time drifting he eventually get a job in a New Orleans warehouse and begin to settle down, even picking up a woman along the way. The relationship was a short lived one which ended soon after Jeff discovered his lover was also involved in some form of strange cult. Having seen his fair share of bizarre worship carried amongst some of the more degenerate crew members during his time at sea Jeff refused to get involved and attempted to persuade her to do the same. However the group did not approve of his interference and after a run in with a couple of local heavies he decided to move on. Drifting slowly North Jeff found himself drawn back to Arkham and finally returned home over 25 years after his initial departure. As his mother was long since dead he had no link with his family and little inclination to trace them, instead he rented some cheap lodgings and managed to find a job acting as a doorman at one of the illegal drinking dens in the city. It paid well and there was minimum of trouble. Very few patrons were keen to take him on in a fight, with his stocky build and over average height. In the rare cases when young lad wanted to prove himself Jeff was usually able to talk the boy out of a fight, if that failed a few well aimed blows or a headbutt usually did the trick. A few months after he started working the doors he was approached by a local businessman about the job of bodyguard. Seeing it as a way of the streets he readily agreed. The money was good and the job was easy. After a few months he moved into better rooms and even managed to save enough to buy a motorbike. Unfortunately the everything ended abruptly shortly after that. Returning his boss home in the evening Jeff was told his services would not be needed for the rest of the night and he should go home and wait for a call in the morning. When no call came by the following afternoon he became worried and returned to his bosses apartment. Letting himself in with his own keys he a bizarre sight. It seemed that his boss had just been lifted from where he had been sitting, right out of the building, leaving his clothes behind in a perfect parody of the human form who had once occupiedthem. In spite of extensive investigations, Jeff boss was never found. Once again Jeff Paynter was looking for work.