HOOK, GRAHAM ETHAN

GRAHAM ETHAN HOOK.

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beginning.
Graham was the youngest son of three to a pair of traders from the Outlands. As a child, he never learned the term stability as his family traveled in search of business, hopping from town to town hoping to sell their wares. The only consistency in his life was the presence of his older brothers, Gene and Nelson, who raised him more than his parents ever did. While his parents were busy trying to sell, Gene taught Graham important skills needed to survive in the Outlands. From the time he was nine, he was an adept pickpocket and could hold his own in a brawl, given his opponent was of a similar size. Nelson, on the other hand, taught his younger brother skills such as reading and writing, skills highly valued in the trading business.

While Graham was a talented little thief, he found he was more interested in the books that came through his parents’ inventory. The worlds in these books fascinated, telling stories of places that Graham would never see and people Graham would never meet. While the fiction was entertaining, he found a passion in history books. He became obsessed with the past, the Homeland War and the world before the creation of Utopia. These stories would often inspire young children to make their mark on history, to be remembered in the pages of a book but Graham began to desire the opposite. He wanted to be the one to record history, he wanted to make certain that the people and places of today wouldn’t be forgotten by people tomorrow.

For his eleventh birthday, the only present Graham received was a large, leather-bound notebook and a set of pens and he was thrilled. From the point on, he was constantly asking people for interviews. He was enthralled with the life stories of those patient enough to share, which he wrote down in his notebook. At the end of each year, he made sure to fill the notebook and on his birthday, he received another journal to fill. Eventually, he became known as ‘The Little Historian’ at his parents’ frequent trading spots and this was a title he was rather proud of.

middle.
When Graham was fourteen, Gene and Nelson separated from the family. They left under the pretense of starting their own trading business, with much approval from their father but Graham knew that it was a lie. He had overheard Gene discussing the merits of joining the thieves’ guild and how it fit his skill set. Nelson had been drawn toward the rebellion, as an educated young man he felt oppressed with the limit opportunity in the Outlands.

As his brother prepared to leave, Graham made pleads to both of them. The pleas alternated between trying to convince them to stay and trying to convince them to take him along, he didn’t care which brother he went with as long as he wasn’t alone with his parents. His brothers ultimately chose to ignore his pleas and insisted that Graham stay with their parents until he was at least sixteen and full grown. Reluctantly, Graham followed his brothers’ instructions and stayed behind as he watched them leave.

For four more years, Graham travelled with his parents with little contact from his brother. Besides the occasional vague letter, it was as if they never existed. During this time, the family business started to struggle and Graham started to turn away from his story collections and to his alternative skills. While his parents tried to gain an honest living, Graham collected pocket money by picking money out of people’s pockets. For entertainment, he was stealing alcohol wherever he could find it and was constantly getting into fights with the local boys. It wasn’t uncommon for him to return that night with a black eye and a split lip.

end.
Since his parents had little energy to stop his rebellious streak, Graham had to break it himself. The wake-up call came shortly after his seventeenth birthday. He got exceedingly drunk and picked a fight with the wrong people, it nearly ended with him being beaten to death. That morning, he woke up on the side of the road with a majority of his body covered in bruises, his forehead bleeding profusely, a broken nose and a missing tooth. That was the moment when Graham realized he was doing something wrong. He apologized to his parents for his behavior, started to pick up work around the trading posts, and once again returned to his interviews.

At eighteen, Graham finally found the confidence he needed to become independent from his parents. He started as a small trader, collecting items he found and tried to turn it around for a profit. It was simple enough since Graham was only focused on supporting himself and he didn’t need much. He also found that story-telling became one of his most powerful assets. In a world devoid of hope, people were more than willing to pay for a drink and maybe a small meal to hear stories from a time when there was hope. That was how Graham was able to survive.

And still, each year on November 3rd, Graham goes in search of a brand new notebook to fill with the history of the Outlands. Though, over time his attentions started to turn toward Utopia and while he may be recording the history of the Outlands, he wondered about life above. And you know the good old saying, curiosity kills the cat.

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When people meet Graham, their first impression is that he is a charmer. When he speaks, he seems to know the exact words necessary to achieve his goal. He sounds intelligent and educated despite his meager beginnings. Even his appearance screams intelligence as he tries to keep himself as tidy as possible in the Outlands and he is constantly carrying one of his notebooks. A majority of people only see this side but anger Graham enough and they learn that he can go from scholar to brute at the drop of a hat. With the temper of a bull, put enough alcohol into him and he will start a fight with the next poor man who gives him a dirty look.

Graham also likes to pretend that he has a strong moral code. He says he doesn’t steal, that is unless he is without money or food. He says he cannot be swayed of his beliefs but he is easily bribed, especially with fresh food such as fruit or meat. He claims to have an impartial view of the world but he lets his emotions get the best of him time and time again. Graham loves to pretend he is a good man and clings to that belief because there is little else to cling to in the Outlands. It is a constant battle with himself to maintain the balance between his head, his heart, and his stomach.

Finally, Graham has a curiosity streak. He can be described as nosy, prying, and meddling by the people he meets. As a child, he would only seek interview with family friends and business associates of his parents. Now on his own, Graham is known for approaching random travelers and asking for their life story. More than a few times, this has ended badly for him. In recent times, Graham’s attention has been shifting away from personal stories to the events happening between the above and below. Maybe, in time, Graham will have some real history to write.

MALE.

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