Benjamin Fowler

[Ben Fowler]

| ~ • ~ | Character Basics | ~ • ~ |

.:Name:. Benjamin Fowler
.:Nick Name:. Ben
.:Rank:. Middle Class
.:Age:. 30 (b. 1784)

| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |

.:Physical Appearance:. Ben has dark brown, nearly black hair that he wears cropped short. God blessed him with a good symmetrical face and square jawline, and he possesses eyes with a horse-like quality--dark and quietly intelligent. Like his father, Ben has a captivating air when he speaks and tends to be broadly emotive and prone to gesticulating. He has a burn scar on his leg from being grazed by a bullet and a jagged scar on his chest from a splinter that was kind enough to hit him coming down and not up. Most recently, he's acquired several scars across his body from a cannon exploding near him. Overall, he's not the most impressive specimen to look at, and he's about as easy to pick out in a crowd as one hound from the middle of the pack.

He typically wear's the standard lieutenant's frock, though it's not in the best condition. A few of the buttons are scratched, the uniform has been darned in several places, and there are a few stains in the white lining not that they're visible. His dress coat is in better condition, though Ben is frequently tugging down on the sleeves to hide that it's a bit short. The gold trim along the waistcoat is dull, and one of the buttons on the pocket flap perpetually looks ready to fall off. His stockings are worn thin at the heels, and his shoes, while clean, have a scratch in the leather that refuses to come out. He takes as good of care of his uniform as possible, and he can't afford to replace it.

.:Height:. 6ft
.:Portrayed by:. Ioan Gruffudd

| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |

.:Personality:. Prone to a nervous disposition, Fowler doesn’t strike many as a capable leader at first glance. Higher authority often gives him anxiety, but he possesses an internal sense of assuredness away from the prying eyes of his superiors. In high society, he can usually be spotted as the quietest wallflower having never really learned to dance or float through large crowds.

Where he shines is as an orator. Ben loves stories and literature. He can give dramatic readings of even the driest works and in another life should have become an actor. He’s capable of mimicking voices and has a keen understanding of how to craft characters people can get invested in. Ben lives for adventure and excitement and can’t help but get excited for battle. He comes into his own as being thoughtful and resourceful and carrying honor close to his heart. As a leader, he’s dependable and cares for those under his command like a mother goose.

Even as a boy, Ben showed promise and aptitude for naval tactics and seamanship. He never cowered during a fight and enjoys leading from the front. He has the makings to be a fine fighting captain and well liked for his personable nature and willingness to praise and maintain discipline. His temper never rises above a simmer. As someone who likes being left to his own devices, Ben tends to give his subordinates freedom to make their own decisions so long as orders are followed. Micromanaging has never been his style.

Ben thinks poorly of himself and tends to be self-depreciating. He struggles to see himself as deserving of his good fortune despite his competence and skill at his job. It’s hard for him not to see himself as an outsider even though he logically knows that he has every right to be where he’s at. Time and friendship taught him to keep his mouth shut every time he wants to apologize for existing. He internalizes criticism more than praise, and does everything he can to be good enough to avoid being berated.

.:Skills:. seamanship, public speaking as a great irony to a man who is otherwise nervous around people, swordsmanship, acting, storytelling, mathematics
.:Weaknesses:. ignorant of proper etiquette in polite society despite being a gentleman, socially anxious, horseback riding, low self esteem, dancing, penmanship though this is more recent due to nerve damage in his dominant hand, gambling, creating his own entertainment at the expense of others

| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |

.:Birthplace:. Worcestershire, England
.:Family:. George Fowler (father)
.:Occupation:. Navy Lieutenant

.:History:. Ben was born in a small village in Worcestershire to the local parson and his wife. It was a sleepy place that seemed immune to time since the 1400s. Ben's father, George Fowler, was a favorite of Squire Percy's, the richest man in the area, for his skill as an orator. Ben had a younger brother who died when Ben was five, and after a couple of years, it seemed that God didn't want him to have another sibling.

The lad grew up reading scripture, and his father insisted on teaching him Latin and Greek. It was a happy existence, and Ben had a particular friend in Squire Percy's youngest son who was a year Ben's senior. There, he heard stories about the military and why it was rare for anyone to see the squire's older sons. They were off in the army or navy, and at the age of ten, little Ben dreamed of exploring the world and visiting distant lands like a Spanish conquistador.

Squire Percy contacted the captain of a navy ship to have Ben's name put down on the muster, and when Ben was thirteen, he finally went to sea aboard the Hippolyta, a third rate ship captained by a close friend of Squire Percy's. It was a hard transition for the young teenager, but he put his work in and showed enthusiasm for his studies.

In March 1797, he transferred to Daedalus under the new command of Henry Lidgbird Ball. Daedalus and Hornet sailed south along the coast of Africa where Ben saw his first action in the capture of the American ship Rebecca. Though terrified at first, he didn’t lose his sense as badly as some boys when they first saw combat. Over the course of the next few months off the coast of Senegal, the young midshipman proved to be a quick study in seamanship. He also took a liking to a sloth another sailor had brought on board. The slow and quiet creature turned into a regular study companion, and Ben, like the other crew members, saw the sloth as a sign of good luck for the ship.

He was present at the capture of the French frigate Prudente off the coast of South Africa. During the action, he showed his promise as a commander having been given command over a few guns. They sailed the captured ship to Table Bay where Ben was given permission to go ashore and explore for a few days while the ship restocked and underwent minor repairs. She then continued on to the East Indies cruising the waters around Indonesia. With the end of the French Revolutionary Wars, Daedalus returned to Britain. Without connections, Ben struggled to find a new ship to join and returned to his home in Worcestershire.

When war broke out again, Ben was lucky to join HMS Sirius under the command of William Prowse. After his time sailing to the East Indies and back, blockade duty around Brest was dull. However, Ben was happy to be at sea again. There, he also met Henry Crawford, the son of a wealthy landowner in Derbyshire, and the two became fast friends. In 1805, Sirius took part in the Battle of Finisterre and later acted as a signal ship at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Sirius then went on to sail to the Meditteranean. At Gibraltar, Ben took his lieutenant’s exam and failed by a small margin. Ten months later, he was able to retake the exam and passed. However, a lack of openings meant that Ben remained a midshipman.

It wasn’t until 1807 when he finally received his commission and transferred to Mercury as a junior lieutenant under the command of Captain James Alexander Gordon. Ben saw action against a Spanish convoy off the coast of Cadiz. The small group of British frigates were able to capture several ships. More ships were destroyed or ran aground. In late 1808, Sirius was sent into the Adriatic under Henry Duncan. There, she aided in the attack of two Italian towns and captured several ships. Ben saw his final action with Sirius against the French schooner Pugliese in 1810.

The ship then returned to England and was paid off. Under the recommendation of Captain Gordon, Ben soon found himself as a lieutenant on HMS Cerberus who was cruising the Mediterranean and Adriatic. On June 28, 1810, Cerberus and HMS Amphion attacked a convoy off the coast of Trieste.

When a cannon exploded near Ben in the heat of battle, the prognosis initially didn't look good. He had to be transferred to a hospital on shore where the physician, Dr. Harris, had to perform radical and experimental surgery to save his life. Between removing the pieces of the cannon that had ended up inside of him, he'd badly punctured his hand. The explosion broke multiple ribs, and on multiple occasions, the lieutenant came close to dying. At the doctor's recommendation, he returned home to England to recuperate. His friend, Henry, sent him a letter of introduction to his cousin, Alexander Crawford with a request to introduce Ben to the members of the ton.

Begrudgingly, Alexander agreed only because he couldn't turn down a request from the newly gazetted Captain Crawford. Ben also received news from his prize agent that the investments were doing well, and he was now a handsomely wealthy man. Despite his low place on the social hierarchy, he made up for it with money. Alexander agreed to host him at his residence in Mayfair during the season and rent a cottage called Knoll House in Derbyshire to him so he'd have a place to live while he continued his recovery and waited to be assigned to a new ship.

| ~ • ~ | Member Info | ~ • ~ |

.:Name or Online Alias:. Alishahr
.:Your Pronouns:. sh/her
.:Are you 18+:. yes
.:How Did You Find Us:. already here

[The Writer]