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-Sentinel- · 10-06-2012, 07:18 PM

Name: Solomon Tark
Age: 36
Career: Licensed bounty hunter (Arbitrator — Regulator)

Description and background:

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Appearance: 6'3'' and well-built, Solomon is quite a striking figure. Of mixed heritage, he has brown skin, a narrow face, an aquiline nose and thin lips. His black hair is shoulder-length and tied into a loose ponytail in casual disregard for Adeptus Arbites regulations. Most of his body is covered with battle scars and swirling black tattoos. Solomon dresses in a bulletproof black duster, fingerless gloves and high boots, an outfit he views as both intimidating and stylish. He carries himself with a kind of lazy confidence that suggests boredom, but it would be a mistake to try to catch him off-guard: few things escape his watchful black eyes.

Though he looks dour and takes a shameless pleasure in making people nervous, he appreciates the finer things in life such as strong booze, lho-sticks, gambling and women. He is a man of faith, yet does not let this stop him from indulging in a little sin once in a while: spending a night in a tavern or pleasure house will not bring down the Imperium, but letting traitors and heretics run amok certainly will.

Background: The orphaned son of two condemned heretics, Solomon Tark was raised from infancy by the Ecclesiarchy, who taught him that only a lifetime in the service of the Emperor could wash him of his parents' corruption. He accepted this fate without question, but it soon became clear that he was not destined to wear the cloth: while his zeal and determination were noteworthy, he obviously lacked the kind of patience, discipline and spiritual leanings for a clerical career. At the age of twelve, he was handed over to the Adeptus Arbites, where it was believed he could better serve the Emperor.

Early during his training, Solomon proved to be quite a competent fighter, but some of his superiors found him to be excessively trigger-happy and not much of a team worker. His eagerness to atone for his parents' crimes led him to reckless acts during missions. This earned him an ill-deserved reputation as an ambitious glory-seeker, as well as a perfectly deserved one as a loose bolter. The Lord Marshal in particular disliked Solomon's early history in the Ecclesiarchy, fearing that his split loyalty might one day be a source of trouble. He even came to suspect the young man of monitoring the Adeptus Arbites for the clergy. This was of course false, but from this point on, he made sure Solomon always ended up with the most dangerous assignments in faraway sectors. Only his quick wits and impressive physical resilience allowed him to survive the next few years, to the Lord Marshal's increasing irritation.

Solomon was no idiot, but it took him a while to understand the situation - the concept of loyalty was so deeply ingrained in him that he had trouble believing his commander would try to get him killed. When he did figure it out, he resolved to simply keep doing his job, since the most dangerous missions were often also the most important ones. But after one too many brush with death in the same month, he respectfully applied for a bounty hunter's license. This surprised the Lord Marshal, as bounty hunters licensed by the Adeptus Arbites usually operated alone, on the fringes of the organization — hardly the kind of position a spy or informant would choose. Not one to look at a gift Grox in the mouth, the Lord Marshal granted him the license. Solomon took well to this career move: the pay was better (if less regular), but he especially loved his newfound freedom and the thrill of the hunt: no more routine, no more pointless drills, no more paperwork... just him, his trusted autogun and his quarry. Some within the Adeptus Arbites criticized him for just killing his targets without interrogation, but none could fault his efficiency, resourcefulness and determination.

After providing assistance with a thorny problem on Saphiris Secundus, the bounty hunter was made an acolyte to Lady Inquisitor Kadis Valle, ending his period of relative independence. To him, this made little difference; but even if it had bothered him, it was not as if he had any choice in the matter. Whoever gives him orders, his loyalty to the Imperium remains unswerving.

Stats and equipment:

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Advances:

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