Rafferty Gulch

Role

Sunken City Scavenger

Visual Description

Rafferty is a wiry young man, perpetually sun-burned and covered in salt spray. He has close-cropped, perpetually wet dark hair plastered to his scalp. His primary visual anchor is a beat-up, yellowed salvaged oxygen mask (one cracked lens), usually pushed up onto his forehead. He wears patched and faded blue canvas overalls over a bare chest, held up by mismatched straps. His feet are bare and calloused. A rusted, jury-rigged harpoon is always at his side, lashed to his leg with frayed rope.

Personality

Rafferty is intensely superstitious, believing the tides are controlled by ancient sea gods and that every piece of salvaged tech holds a trapped spirit. He’s reckless in his pursuit of valuable salvage, often diving into treacherous currents or abandoned structures. He's wild-eyed and talks to himself, particularly when underwater.

Catchphrases

• The sea claims what’s hers, sooner or later.
• Don't you look at me like that, you hear?
• That's bad luck, that is.

Strengths

• Expert free diver and navigator of underwater ruins
• Uncanny ability to find valuable salvage where others see only junk
• Fearless in the face of danger, driven by superstition and desperation

Flaws

• Easily spooked by perceived omens
• Prone to reckless behavior and taking unnecessary risks
• Terrible judge of character, trusts anyone who offers him a trinket or a kind word

Backstory

Rafferty grew up in a floating shantytown built on the ruins of a flooded coastal city. His parents were lost to a sudden tidal surge when he was young, leaving him to fend for himself by scavenging the drowned remains of the old world. He believes their spirits now reside in the depths, guiding his dives and warning him of danger. He's always searching for a lost artifact that he believes will bring them back.

How They Speak

Rafferty speaks with a rapid, slightly manic cadence, mixing slang with nautical jargon and references to sea spirits. He often talks to inanimate objects, especially salvaged tech, believing they have personalities. He has a habit of trailing off mid-sentence, lost in his own thoughts or distracted by some perceived omen.