Membership: Freedom Patriots

Race: Human

Height: 5’6

Weight: 160

Apparent Age: 60+

Archetype: Physical Adept: Circle Unknown (Assume the Worst)

Preferred Weapon: Sword Cane

Runner Song:

Bio: Good Old Joe they call him and for good reason this one time European runner that lived deep within the shadows of London Town working for no real reason other than the thrill of the job; he lived by the code of the European runner and would succeed where others would fail. Old Joe was and still is a model runner from Europe and one that many should aspire to become. He didn’t enter the world do to a need, a dream or vengeance; he entered the world to prove a point that you can be a kind hearted gentleman and still become one of the continents premier shadow criminals. Joe also earned the nickname Charity seeing that he would use the spoils of the craft to help support the local citizens in his domain where he oversaw as an Earl and as he would say numerous times “I am not a owner of Millburn Castle, No I am just a Custodian”  this noble actually cared for the people who lived in his town and worked in his Manor Home and he would do anything to make certain that life for them was as easy as it could be.

Seeing that he is of noble birth and having to remain in good standing with the Crown, when he would start he life in the shadows Joe knew that he needed to live by the code set forth by the European Founders and remain invisible to the camera’s eye and not allow himself to fall victim to the ease of murder as a single shot fired and he job was failed was an oath many of Europe’s finest lived by. Charity would enter the world long before the War of the Nobles and begin to set the groundwork for a whole new generation of Euro runners to walk in; though his footprints would be hard to follow as Joe wold become one of the most sought after runners of the ages and the void left behind after he migrated to America is still felt by those seeking to employ a shadow warrior.

Joe during the day worked as a Magistrate for England’s highest court system and was one Judge that many would seek to be presiding over their case as he had a heart and would follow the oath of his office and make certain that those presented before him received a fair and equal trial. This was how he learned about the shadows and the opportunity to help his people; The Most Honourable Joe would begin his double life the way most in Europe did and he would become partners with an already established runner and learn the ropes, where to go, who to talk to and where to purchase the tools of the trade; for Joe his mentor would be Jeeves and he would walk in this legends shadow for many years until Jeeves determined that he was ready to fly solo and for Joe he would take to the shadows like a duck to water and it would be a short apprenticeship before he would become a solo operator.

In the those days the money was flowing like a waterfall and the demand was high for solid operators with a deep sense of loyalty to the code and to the homeland; so a noble like Old Joe was an instant success with the clients seeking to employ a true British Runner. He would quickly rise through the ranks and begin to make more money in a single night than he would see in a year, even after he donated to the town and church. This gave Joe the idea to set up shelters and assistance programs for the people within his purview and as the charities grew so did Lord Millburn’s popularity, and as well so did the demand for him to take on riskier and riskier jobs.

With each subsequent successful operation he would rise higher on the totem pole and with the founders leaving the shadows and the arrest and exile of the great Crab; Joe would become the top dog of his age long before others would have a chance to excel and this would not make him many friends within the criminal world. He was also beginning to rub the other nobles the wrong way as his domain would become the newest hot spot in England and attract people from all walks of life to pick up and begin a new life in Millburn England; for Joe this was a blessing in disguise but also a curse that he would have to balance on a needle as he would have to jump carefully from side to side never wanting to get burned by the candle.

This balancing act was do to his ultimate popularity in both worlds and eventually something was going to break and Old Joe knew that when the house of cards did collapse he was going to go down in a blaze of glory as everything he worked for crumbled away and he was exposed as nothing more than a criminal and by the law of the land all runners where either exiled or hanged their wan’t much room for Joe to navigate once the wind would blow the cards away. Luckily for him this would not become an issue and the War of the Nobles and the rise of the Steel Legion would become his ultimate safe guard.

Once the War of the Nobles began Joe would ignore the chaos and continue to protect his town and people; he would use his private military to keep Millburn secure and he would sink hundreds of million pounds into the security and defence of Millburn thus rendering it untouchable from the other Nobles and even the elves of the Nog would find assaulting Millburn to be nigh impossible. Joe would join the Steel Legion as an investor and sit high on their board of directors and he would as well partake in the great battle that would make the Sentinels a legendary team in their own right. His love for England and his people would guide Joe throughout his life and this hasn’t changed today, though being a wanted felon by the Nog for his involvement in the battle and all the bridges he burned with the other nobles except for Kingsbury, Swanson, Oxford and Tutor he would be forced to evacuate England and come to America to keep his people safe from the constant onslaughts from the other nobles not connected to the Steel Legion and with his name on the top of the Hangman’s guild for his crimes Old Joe would eventually have no choice but leave his beloved England and begin a new life in the former colony of America.

Even though he was living in self imposed exile, he wold continue to rule his town and oversee the leadership of his children making sure Millburn would remain the sanctuary it has always been for the people and this would nearly get Old Joe captured numerous times, sometimes having a heart of gold is nothing more than a fools errand, but for Joe it is what keeps him going day in and day out. Now living in America Old Joe would have to begin his new life as a Yankee as he would say, but for a British Nobleman this was easier said than done as he couldn’t shake his accent and distinctive and preferred style of dress; one look at Old Joe and you can tell he is a Nobleman of class and distinction and just speaking to him and you can tell he is British and highly educated, sometimes it’s hard to shed a skin you spent a lifetime wearing and for Joe old habits die hard.

Also the other change that would come as a shock to Joe would be the runners not staying concealed and living in the limelight, this alone would trouble the man who made a carrier living in secrecy and not longing for or desiring the camera’s eye and would bring him great tension with the other native runners seeing he wanted a true shadow operation and they would just go all gun’s blazing and for a man who only killed on the actual battlefield this was a bitter pill to swallow and being English he would not hold his tongue when the damned Yankee runners would offend his sensibilities, professionalism and code of conduct; that would be till he partnered up with Mr. Fixer and the Forsaken a team living in the shadows and living true to the code of the European runner of being unknown and forgotten. He knew that their were killers in his fold but Old Joe also knew that Mr. Fixer would assign the jobs properly based on personal codes of conduct and not just throw him to the wolves.

Old Joe would as well learn that Lord Oxford and Lord Swanson would be in his presence and fellow teammates and for Mr. Fixer this was a perfect union seeing these men already lived by the code of Europe and would work well together also for Mr. Fixer it was easier to keep the nobles together and hope they would be successful and boy was he right. Though for Old Joe, this is when he would truly learn about the horrors of the UCAS (United Canadian American States) and the European Legion. Being part of the Steel Legion he knew somewhat about the European Legion as they would normally fight against their rise in England; though he didn’t know the full extent of their impact in the world and connection with the Sentinels number one enemy Free Bird till he spoke with Lord Oxford also known as Atari of the Freedom Patriots.

Old Joe would offer his aid to his old friend and the rest is history there as Old Joe would become a member of the Patriots on that day being sworn in by Atari and receiving a personal welcome call from General Kingsbury. Joe had once again found a purpose for his life and a war that this old soldier could understand and honourable fight in and a cause that is just in his eyes. For Old Joe being in America was like being a stranger in a strange land but the company of his fellow countrymen would ease the stress and allow him to fully embrace the new world and embrace it Old Joe would.

Over the course of time Joe would become the next hot item within the shadows and start demanding a high purse for his work as the employers loved his style, professionalism and that he was a true solder and not some uncouth street urchin that would normally screw the job up and try to steel from the employer. Joe on the other hand was the total opposite he was poised, calm and cool under pressure; he would take every job as serious as overseeing a courtroom and was able to adapt as needed to the ever changing aspect of a run. He would remain living by the code and oath he took many years earlier with Jeeves and he would not shed blood on the job unless he was fighting the enemy of the Patriots and the free world, as no man shall allow an agent of Free Bird, the UCAS or the European Legion to live. This is an oath many in the Freedom Patriots, Steel Legion and Sentinels swear and live by. Though for Joe he still had a longing within him and that was to help the poor and lucky for him he was in Seattle and the poor where in desperate need of his aid.

Long before the Tribe would set up shop in the Bowery Old Joe would take the citizens of the Bowery as his people and name the Bowery New Millburn (though only those close to Joe would know that he actually purchased the Bowery from the the UCAS; there are records of New Millburn on hard copy that have recently surfaced). Old Joe would also be the reason the Guardian street gang would become the defenders of the district and he would treat the Bowery or New Millburn as he did his domain in England and his heart would bleed every time he heard of a new tragedy to befall the people but with a stiff upper lip he would show true British grit and forge ahead sinking millions from his work as a runner into the district.

Though New Millburn would prove to be a tough cookie to crack though Old Joe would never truly give up on the dream of breathing new life into the people; the district would see countless bombardments from the UCAS and Free Bird, this would keep the fire in his heart burning and even though all seemed lost after the Vandals nearly wiped out the Guardians Joe would see a second chance in the arrival of the Tribe and the direction of Cowboy and Edison.

Well we all know that Edison is Lord Swanson and this would allow Joe to sink money into New Millburn while living like a true noble from the outside looking in. Rumours surround some of the supposedly abandoned sections of the Bowery and that it might actually be Lord Millburn’s new home among his people and the locals report seeing a man cloaked in darkness patrolling the streets hunting the Vandals and Black Dragon’s that have decided to rape the town for all it’s worth. If this is Lord Millburn we might never know but all rumours have some bit of truth to them and for Old Joe I wouldn’t put it past this old Sentinel to take to the streets to avenge the Guardians personally.

Lord Millburn’s vast wealth comes from his old world money, his enterprises in England that are still in operation, his membership of the Steel Legion being a Board Member and the many successful shadow operations here in the States though e have none to report on as Old Joe is just that good nobody ever see’s this man work. Many are thankful that he holds a code that doesn’t include killing innocents and those just doing there job such as security and police officers. He then sinks his money into New Millburn and works directly with Rex as his hand to stabilise the Bowery and restore order to the people and for Lord Millburn the cost is of no concern seeing according to Shadow Beat his average salary for a job is a hefty 25 million or more and the employers are willing to pay his fee knowing that Old Joe will set it right; he than takes a large portion of his earnings and dumps it back into New and Old Millburn.

Since the arrival of the Hand in England Lord Millburn is not all that happy about them being their, but I guess this old Sentinel holds true to the code as he hasn’t raised an alarm seeing that Tudor Yates and Herschel Horowitz are as well Sentinels and as of late they have lived true to the code and have not brought Hand Law to England. Lord Millburn might still have a date with the gallows back in England if he was to return, though the Steel Legion and the new King are working on removing his name from Decanters book. This has not stopped Lord Millburn from returning to make certain that his will is still being followed and that his sons are not oppressing the people or have given up on the programs he set forth many years earlier; and with his trips being random his children never know when Father will be home and they don’t want to make Lord Millburn angry. As it is said when Lord Millburn gets angry, people disappear never to be seen again (Kind of like General Kingsbury, it must be a British thing).

In closing Old Joe is a good egg, just don’t get on his bade side or be an enemy of the orders he belong otherwise you will get more than chipper smile you might see the business end of his blade. If Lord Millburn is a Kingsman it’s unknown, but I would seriously consider that to be the case as his ties to England are tight and he is the ultimate professional and master swordsman. If you are looking to receive help or aid you can find many aid stations in the Bowery that he has set up and just don’t think about assaulting them unless you want to commit suicide by Lord Millburn. He holds the rank of Supreme General of the Steel Legion and his a four star General within the Ghost Division seeing that he has never left the Sentinels and is a close personal friend of the Crimson Ghost and Roadrunner, Lord Millburn is as well a four star General of the Freedom Patriots and card caring member of the Rough Riders. So be careful he might be a man of honour and man of principal but he is as well as dangerous as a pit viper, so don’t mistake his trade mark smile and pleasant demeanour for weakness as Old Joe is the true emphasis of strength, resolve, fortitude and grit; he has been walking through hell for generations and he keeps on going.

How you feel about Old Joe is up to you the reader to decide and if you agree with his politics and actions, but he has spent a lifetime and beyond helping the poor and miss-fortunate and hasn’t once acted like a spoiled snob one would expect from a nobleman. He knows the hangman awaits him back home but he still spits in the eye of the establishment and returns to England to perform his required duties as an Earl and as Old Millburn grows and his upcoming wedding to his second wife he will become a Duke and seeing that he hasn’t signed the treaty of nobles just like Prince Grimm, he has friends in high places and for Old Joe signing the treaty allows the nobles that are trying to hang him to win and seize control of Old Millburn and guarantee that even the King would not be able to have his name removed from the President of the Hangman’s Guilds book; Joe would rather hang then bow down to those traitors and for that I respect this runner as he a true gentleman and what all men should aspire to become.

Page Written By: Howard Argyle (London Times)