Wasteland Deadeye

I'm using my semi-retired SWTOR character John (J'ohhn) to model some iconics for Space Opera X. For those curious, the actual outfit and get-up is the following:

- Inscrutable Pursuer's Facemask

- Remnant Underworld Consular's Robe

- Nefarious Bandit's Gloves (hides bracers, so it doesn't matter what you use)

- Stalker's Belt

- Steadfast Master's Leggings

- Remnant Resurrected Smuggler's Boots

- BL-28 Sniper Rifle

It's admittedly a strange one; a robed and hooded sniper character who looks more at home deep in the deserts of Tatooine than in the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence, but that's exactly why I love the concept for Space Opera X.

The WASTELAND DEADEYE is not an iconic character, but rather a very specific archetype that you might find in Space Opera X. A colonist, or perhaps a spacer who's "gone native" and now lives with colonists or other planetary natives, the deadeye lives in a place with probably a rather harsh climate, poor access to advanced technology, and low population density. He's the iconic rugged individualist who sympathizes with other rugged individualists on his planet, and has little patience for the greater spacefaring galaxy and its problems.

His accoutrements will be an eclectic mixture of once top-of-the-line technology that has been scavenged or preserved from days gone by (or even generations gone by, in some cases) and home-made, or local made at least, items that are more humble and easily obtained without access to galactic trade lanes. As shown, he's got an old soldier's faceplate and a few other pieces, including war surplus naval boots and a radium long-arm that's not exactly an antique, but which is an older style, with rudwood polished smooth from many years of handling, oiling, and cleaning. It's well-used, but well-cared for. He's also got local rough woolen robes to protect from the harsh environment; wind-blown sand, grit and dust being a likely everyday hazard.

Here he's shown going into town to do some shopping. "Town" being a rather modest place in this instance, but likely the largest population center he's going to  prefer to be a part of.

Although he might have an older transport of some kind, as shown below, he's even more likely to have a local beast of burden to ride on, such as the image below that, of him seated on a four-legged thoat template reptomammal that's native to his planet of choice.

You may think that this archetype isn't very suited for adventure, but you'd be wrong. The wasteland deadeye knows the backcountry of his planet very well, and is most likely highly skilled in outdoorscraft, hunting, lo-fi navigation, and the location of hidden and secret areas. He may even have come here specifically for that; many wasteland deadeyes are former spacers who have "retired" at a young age to take up a career in archaeology, animal husbandry, or even treasure hunting. Given the many sources on most colonial worlds of odd, unusual, and dangerous wildlife, ruins, aliens, bandits, space-faring pirates, or space-faring people in general who are harassing or hassling the locals (on purpose or otherwise) the wasteland deadeye is going to be someone who's good graces you can court to your benefit, or who you can annoy, and find yourself on the wrong end of a long-distance sniper shot. The Deadeye is not the stereotype of the hapless and helpless villager or farmer, but rather a strong, capable and competent expert on his planet who may well have a chip on his shoulder about outsiders and their intentions. 

Some are just tough and adventurous locals or natives of their planets, but some have adopted their new homeland after serving some time in a spacefaring navy, merchant marine, or other similar career. Never expect the wasteland deadeye to be a naïve, simple country fellow; they tend to be shrewd, cunning, intelligent, better educated and informed than you'd expect, often more well-traveled in their past than you'd think—but they turned their backs on that life for a reason, and now live as hunters, homesteaders, marshals or sheriffs of small towns, or other such pursuits. Some even become wandering privatized law enforcement; bounty hunters, essentially, ridding small communities of the troublesome who prey on them as a way of making a modest, solitary living.

Wasteland Deadeyes tend to be loners much of the time, although they're friendly enough with the people that they consider part of their "community"—however they define that—and those who are friendly or useful to the community. They tend to be men of higher than average integrity, honor and bravery. The latter by dint of their chosen way of life, but the former two is often what leads them to it in the first place. Although often found alone, they also frequently have the company of several domesticated animals; either those that they raise for food or fur or whatever other resource they provide, but more congenially, companions and working animals such as guard calots or thoats for riding. They may also have some bots or two on their premises or with them, sometimes with eccentric personalities due to clutter as they are often fairly old, and the deadeyes infrequently bother with defragging or restaging their robo-brains. Don't ever think that just because a wasteland deadeye is "alone" that he really truly is. 

Here's a few more images and details about one example of this archetype. Partly because I realized I didn't have any images with the gun out, although I talked about it.

A homestead where this guy occasionally stops by to keep an eye on a widow and her family. This particular example of the archetype doesn't have a home per se; he's more of a wanderer with a wagon or space-faring Airstream that a four-legged thoat pulls. He also has a speeder that he can get around with more quickly. He has a broad area of his "territory" that he patrols regularly, as a semi-official marshal of the area. Most of the other homesteaders recognize his authority and good intentions, but he doesn't actually have an official position, because the area in which he lives doesn't actually have an official government to assign one to him. Sounds like paradise to me.

Although this marshal has been here patrolling this territory for over five years now, he's not actually a native. Here he is near the wreck of the ship that brought him here and left him here, looking for items to scavenge for his own convenience, or to sell to someone else. Because it went down in a vast, uncharted area of sand dunes, nobody has yet discovered its location or scavenged it more thoroughly, so he still returns to it from time to time to find things. He actually uses it for shelter during the worst part of the season, and has placed a short-range claim beacon in the area asserting that it is his and that anyone who takes anything from it will be considered a thief and dealt with accordingly. 

I'm actually on the lookout to generate a world for this guy to live on, because as I've been working on him, I've gradually started to crystalize some worldbuilding in my head. Although I'm using Tatooine to stand in for it in the images, there are a number of things about Tatooine that I don't like for this world. Tatooine is a great spot for image screenshots, though, because the lighting is so good there compared to many of the alternatives. I imagine a less desolate place in general, although still dominated by deserts; a 20-30% surface water world, with cooler rather than hotter temperatures. Not in astronomical terms; still within the range of livable conditions for people, but with cold winters and mild summers. I don't think anything in my current Space Opera X catalog quite fits.