Catalina Escareno
Name Catalina Maria Inez Escareno
Position Troubleshooter
Character Information
| Alias(es) | La Gata, Maria Bellaflores | |
| Bio Link | https://wiki.simcentral.org/books/the-good-the-bad-and-the-desperate/page/catalina-escareno | |
| Gender | Female | |
| Profession | Con Artist / Outlaw | |
| Birthdate | May 9, 1857 | |
| Age | 20 | |
| Ethnicity | Mestizo | |
| Nationality | Mexican | |
| Religious Affiliation | None - She worships independence, power, and money |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'6" | |
| Weight | 135 Lbs | |
| Hair | Dark Brown and wavy | |
| Eyes | Brown | |
| Physical Description | Cat is possessed of a striking, dark beauty that serves as an essential tool in her arsenal. Her complexion is a warm olive tone, contrasting sharply with her dark, thick eyebrows and the intense shade of her hair, which is usually worn down in wild, lustrous waves. Her most captivating features are her lips, full and often painted a deep, dangerous red, and her eyes, which carry a cold, assessing intelligence that rarely softens. Though she appears curvaceous and alluring, her body is deceptively taut and athletic, built for hard riding and sudden, violent action. She favors dark, form-fitting leather—vests, trousers, and heavy belts—that emphasize her figure while also providing protection and freedom of movement. She wears her wealth not in jewelry, but in the quality of her gear: fine leather, well-oiled boots, and the prominent, perfectly maintained gun and holster cinched low on her hip. |
Connections
| Father | Miguel “El Titiritero” Escareno | |
| Mother | Elena | |
| Enemies | Marshall Julian Castillo | |
| Sexuality | Heterosexual |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Catalina carries herself with the quiet confidence of a predator who knows she is both desired and dangerous. Her movements are economical, never wasted, granting her a deceptive speed that belies her attractive form. Cat's signature mannerism is the way she regards the world: her eyes are always assessing value and risk. She doesn't look at a person; she looks at what they possess, what they conceal, and how easily they can be manipulated or eliminated. She is quick-witted and rarely caught flat-footed, capable of delivering a cutting retort or spinning a plausible lie with lightning speed. She uses her charm as a weapon, employing smiles only as tactical maneuvers to gain advantage or mask her true, ruthless intentions. When she speaks, she uses an almost musical, alluring Mexican accent that she often leverages to disarm and distract. Her tone, however, is invariably cold and clipped, devoid of genuine warmth. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Her true capabilities reveal themselves in moments of crisis. Her hands, though often manicured, are steady and lethal. She can draw her gun with lightning speed, a blurred motion that makes her one of the quickest draws on the border. When fighting hand-to-hand, she relies on her surprising speed and quick wit, often using an opponent’s momentum against them as she isn’t strong enough to seriously combat many tough opponents with strength alone. |
Personal History
| Birthplace | Mexican Border | |
| History | The Legacy of the Puppeteer (1857–1873) Catalina's origins were in the harsh, lawless expanse of the borderlands between Mexico and the States. Her father, Miguel “El Titiritero” (The Puppeteer) Escareno, was an outlaw obsessed with gold and the manipulation required to acquire it. Miguel didn't raise his daughter for love; he trained her as an asset, teaching her to shoot straight, ride hard, and fight dirty alongside the men. More valuable than the combat skills, however, was his lesson in cynicism: Catalina learned early how to observe and understand men, meticulously cataloging their appetites and weaknesses. He also passed on his love for gold. Her mother, Elena, offered fleeting moments of stability. Elena taught her how to manage the camp's supplies and logistics, a skill that proved vital when Elena succumbed to a desert fever in 1871. At the age of fourteen, Catalina stepped fully into the logistical vacuum, becoming the crucial, invisible pillar that sustained the gang. She managed their resources, tracked their movements, and held the knowledge of every man's routine—a role that gave her unique power and insight. The Strike of La Gata (1873) The fragile structure of the gang collapsed in 1873. Her father’s escalating paranoia and the greed of his lieutenants culminated in a bloody ambush. Catalina watched helplessly as Jose "El Toro" Morales and the men she had managed murdered Miguel. Jose immediately asserted his dominance, keeping the sixteen-year-old Catalina as a prisoner. For several humiliating weeks, she endured this degradation, but her mind was not broken. She was calculating, using the time as a necessary transaction to ensure her ultimate survival. Like a cat playing possum, she waited, using her intimate knowledge of the camp and the men’s routine to plot her escape. In the dead of night, Catalina moved with the silent, predatory grace that would earn her the nickname "La Gata." She systematically eliminated the men who had betrayed her father and imprisoned her, ensuring Jose was the final, coldly executed casualty. Her actions were not fueled by pure vengeance, but by a simple, profound desire for self-preservation and total freedom. She took the gang's sizable gold reserve and the best horse, disappearing into the dust. The massacre defined her. Catalina understood that loyalty was a liability and that survival demanded she rely solely on her own cunning. She chose to become a vagabond, funding her life through her wits and a willingness to sell her gun to the highest bidder. She left the borderlands, driven by the need to find something truly worth living for—a prize grand enough to ensure she would never again be beholden to anyone. |
Mechanics
| Traits | Smarts - 4d12 Quickness - 3d12 Mien - 4d8 Deftness - 4d8 Cognition - 3d10 + 2 Nimbleness - 2d12 Vigor - 3d8 Spirit - 2d8 Strength - 2d6 Knowledge - 2d6 |
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| Aptitudes | Deftness Aptitudes Filchin - 1 Shootin' Pistol - 4 Shootin’ Rifle - 1 Nimbleness Aptitudes Climbin' - 1 Dodge - 1 Fightin' Knife - 1 Horse Ridin' - 1 Sneak - 1 Quickness Aptitudes Quick Draw - 4 Cognition Aptitudes Scrutinize - 1 Search - 1 Knowledge Aptitudes Disguise - 1 Languages English - 1 Area Knowledge: Borderlands - 2 Mien Aptitudes Performin' Singing - 1 Persuasion - 5 Tale-Tellin' - 3 Smarts Aptitudes Bluff - 3 Streetwise - 1 Spirit Aptitudes Guts - 1 |
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| Hindrances | Enemy (–2) Someone wants you dead, imprisoned, or ruined. Cost depends on power level and persistence: Yearnin’ (-3 Wants to remain totally independent and alone) Outlaw (-3 Wanted on the border between the States and Mexico |
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| Edges | Belongin's (2 - $1,000) Keen - (3 - Notice details others miss. +2 to Cognition, Search, Trackin', and Scrutinize rolls for raw observation (hearing, seeing, smelling, etc.). Purty (1 Attractive. +2 to Persuasion and other situations where good looks help) Renown 4 Famous reputation. May be good or bad notoriety. Cost reflects how widespread fame is. Veteran o' the Weird West (0 points) Free Edge! Your character has survived supernatural encounters before. Starts with 1 point of Grit automatically. Can only be taken at character creation. |
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| Size | 6 | |
| Pace | 12 | |
| Wind | 16 | |
| Grit | 1 |
Equipment
| Dinero | 400.15 | |
| Weapons | Colt Peacemaker DA (2) .41 Derringer (2) Bowie Knives (2) 1873 Winchester |