Series Concept

Original 6/7/2005

Thomas Book

Adventure Serials

Character Quirks
Indiana Jones 1. Whip 2. Several past failed relationships (romantic and otherwise) 3. Well-Traveled 4. Well-connected (he's got friends in every town from here to the Sudan) 5. Generally well-liked 6. Tries to do the right thing 7. Unresolved issues with his father 8. Mother died when he was young 9. Likes to challenge authority 10. Noble calling 11. Speak much, read some, write less

Dean Corsoe 1. Merchant Mercenary 2. Doesn't trust anyone much 3. Several contacts, few friends 4. Respected for his accomplishments, but generally well liked 5. Almost no relations with his parents 6. Few personal, material or social ties to hold him in any one place. 7. Well-traveled 8. General Bullshitter 9. He believes in his percentage 10. Read much, speak little, write less.

Character Sketch
1. No relationship with his parents 2. Several contacts, few friends 3. Few personal, material or social ties to hold him in any one place for long 4. Read much, speak little, write more 5. Well-traveled 6. Unresolved issues with his Uncle Julian 7. Questing Nature 8. Shaolin Staff Fighting? 9. Loves kung-fu movies and Chinese food - learned most of his kung fu from the movies. 10. He has a Mailboxes Etc. account where he sends his completed journals while he's over seas. This way he knows that they're just waiting for him. He tries to get back to the account once in a while to pick up the journals and put them into safer storage. 11. He has another account at a coffee roastery where he stores his beans until he needs them. Inside the bean account, he has a passport and a few thousand dollars as an escape plan. 12. Always a back door. Always a plan 13. One journal for each 'quest', dig 14. Satchel of useful things 15. History of failed relationships with women, some success with men 17. Uncle Julian became a surrogate parent and big brother to Book when his parents died in one of the planes of 9/11. By this time, Book was in college for his Master's degree so it was just to give him some sense of connection.

The Adventures of Thomas Book in 1920's?

Titanic 1912 King tut 1927

Neo Victorian The world is still small There are still blank places on the map Steam Ships World War I 1890 - 1930 Period 1929 Stock market crash

This would make Uncle Julian an Occultist British Museum Royal Geographic Society

He can never seem to actually write his Dissertation to get his Ph.D. Every time he tries to get it done, something jumps up that he can't miss.

Uncle Julian has money the old fashioned way - he inherited it. Thomas' journals are mailed back to Julian for safe keeping. Julian has been all over the world several times and then, when Thomas turned 25, he came home and hasn't really left. He's poured himself into his research.

When was the Anenerbe founded? Thule Society?

Templar gold - scotland Curse of the Mummy - Egypt Machu Pichu - peru

Fountain pens? Communication mediums? Radio, telegraph, telegram Travel - Steamship, Dirigible, Rail, Linburg - 1927 Trans-Atlantic Submarine?

Allies Submarine Pilot - Capt. Roark (ret) Steamboat Pilot - Airplane Pilot - (Midwest Barnstormer) Professional Jewel thief (Ariana) Steam Engineer - Chloe

Movies: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Rocketman King Kong The Adventures of Jules Verne The Mummy (Part 1 and 2) Alan Quartermain (King Solomon's Mines)

Possessions
Canvas with leather strap

3 Journals (Current, Reference, Blank) - Thin journal, probably a modified size 2 Fountain Pen and 2 bottles of ink (in a wooden case) Envelopes and letter paper, sealing wax Mag glass Compass (military or otherwise) Match case Small Camera

Jewelry 1. Signet Ring 2. Necklace (Malachite (something egyptian))

Tattoos 1. Ankle band? (South American)

Childhood -

Uncle Julian was his guardian after his parents died in an accident. His uncle was an explorer (occultist) and traveled the ancient world extensively looking for bits of this and bits of that. He went to China, Japan, South America, all over Europe, and always drug young Thomas along with him.

At first Thomas was confused that they never seemed to stay put in one place, but then enjoyed the 'adventure' of always going from one place to another.

Summers were always spent traveling with Julian or finding him on some trip. During his Master's degree, the two started to split up but remained connected. Julian became more secretive about his research and the details of his trips and suggested that Thomas might enjoy some adventures of his own.

Thomas speaks Mandarin and Arabic with passing fluency.

Family & Friends
Mother, Emma, was British and Father, Maxwell.

Emma is sister to Julian Blackwell

Assisting Characters 1. Karl Gagen - Friar from VanHelsing. Inventor 2. Bridget X - Saphron from Serenity. Thief. 3. Adira - Anara from Serenity. Thief. Agent. Society member

Timeline from 1890 to 1939 (Invasion of Poland)

Thomas lives in New York in 1921, above a bookstore

Jade Dragon Shipping Company - front for the organization that killed his parents. Xian Yu, leader

Thomas played piano in a New Orleans Jazz club for a year, it's where he met Ms. Susan - a HooDoo woman.

Thomas is a big fan of Zorro and always wanted to have some version of the Fox's Lair of his very own. So he has something like the Phantom's lair under the bookstore as a trophy room and 'sanctuary'. The loft apartment above the bookstore is more for guests and lovers to see.