James Palmer



"It's simple: I'm the tall bastard with the Boltoks, Rick is the one with a sheet of metal over his face and Tom is the one who is blinding us all with that fucking flashlight"

- James, describing himself, Rick Furzeland and Tom 'Torch' Burch

James Palmer is a happy-go-lucky gunslinger part-time medic and marauderer, who participated in some of the first fights of the Marauderers.

Appearance
Indiscrete is not the word best used to describe Palmer. Towering over most of his fellow Marauderers, and often the loudest in any situation, James often sticks out like a sore thumb. Mark prefers to use the standard COG armor, with the original modifications that Furzeland made to strengthen the armour when he, Palmer and Burch unwittingly deserted the COG. The only part of his gear that may be completely unique to him is the specially made belt that circles his waist and crosses his chest. This belt is specifically designed to hold multiples of Palmer's favourite weapon: The Boltok pistol. He will often wield two of these pistols at the same time. His choice in weapon appeals greatly to him, as it allows him to move faster, and he feels less encumbered without multiple heavier weapons pushing on his back.

Personality
James is often the foil for Rick's Di-polar nice guy / suspicious nature, and Burch's anxiety. Most of his time is spent cheering up the two of them, and anyone else who needs a small natural pick me up. He attempts not to brood on the sad state of affairs that the human race is currently going through, seeing it as unnecessary and unhelpful pessimism. He also is the one who tries his hardest to irritate / calm down Rick, who can change completely on the battlefield. He has a variety of methods for doing this, including painting faces on Rick's visor, and deliberately inducing banter between the two. Both of which generally help Rick to calm down. His antics also help to stifle Burch's nerves, who feels that the way he acts reminds him of when life wasn't so hard. Palmer also has a habit of nicknaming different things that he encounters. Examples include the nicknames for his two friends, Cyclops for Rick (on account of the slit in his visor that he sees through) and Torch or Beacon for Burch (due to the powerful shoulder mounted flashlight that he always carries and utilises). He also names the different aspects of the Locust Horde, such as naming the Kryll as the Air Pirhanas.

Background
Palmer grew up with Burch and Furzeland in a small rural town, and joined the COG army at around 20 years old with his two old friends. He was the son of the towns doctor, and so he had a fairly decent knowledge of medical techniques. This eventually justified his position as medic, should the need arise.