Anneliese Becker
Anneliese Becker is a Medic, Ranch Hand, and Herbalist in Saint's Crossing.
History
Early Life
On August 10th 1902, Anneliese Becker hopped off the train in Saint Denis. The city reminded her of home, something she hasn't left until now. She's set out on a new adventure, a fresh start.
Anneliese Jane Becker was born in an ordinary family in the hustle & bustle of Chicago. Her father was a factory manufacturer in the Chicago Loop, primarily working to assist in the production of the typewriter. Her mother had an established business and profession in garment making, as well as decorating or repairing clothing, which became profitable as time went on and word of her work spread throughout the city.
Annie’s childhood was an untroubled one. She was well educated in Chicago, and took interest in new inventions or wonders that would be sold in the Downtown markets or during special events in the city. As a teenager, she was amazed by the 1893 World’s Fair, and looked forward to the technical innovations of the future. She found particular interest in the world’s first ever Ferris Wheel, and the “moving walkway” along the lake, and enjoyed the introduction of the tasty flavor packed gum “Juicy Fruit”.
Her father would take her out when he could to survey the natural landscapes outside of the city, and painted these landscapes when he could in his spare time. Annie eagerly awaited each adventure to explore the outdoors, and was eager to see what the world had to offer. She completed her education in Chicago, her English teacher noting in one report of “having a particular character of virtue and astute notetaking ability”, which is something that carries on well into her young adult years.
After her education was completed, her father fell ill of severe influenza, and passed away quickly after the initial diagnosis. This changed Annie’s perspective on life in more ways than one, and gave her a strong understanding of some of life’s toughest lessons at a young age. A few years after, she packed her bags and headed to Saint Denis to begin a new life. Her ambition, to bring the appreciation of nature into others lives by becoming an herbalist.
Life in Saint’s Crossing
Humble Beginnings
Once Annie arrived in Saint Denis off the train, she set out to find a room in the city and to meet some friends. Unfortunately, once entering the lobby of each hotel and inquired about the price, she found she could not afford any room in the city. Even the horse salesman insisted on paying a pretty penny for a source of transportation. For the first few nights, she rested in a shack outside of the city and focused on collecting herbs to sell where she could.
One evening, she overheard a local resident speaking about the prices of Rhodes Hotel Rooms being fairly cheap in comparison to Saint Denis. So without horse or work, Annie decided to set out and walk to Rhodes. It took her about half a day, with some exploring sprinkled in. She eventually arrived in Rhodes, got cleaned up in a bath, and relaxed on the porch.
While roaming in Rhodes looking for work, she ran into her first friend in the Crossing, Elich. While on wagon and after watching Annie pace back on fourth throughout Rhodes, he decided to bring her out to scout the Crossing and find animal carcasses to store in his hunting wagon. He told her all about his story, his found family, the importance of found family along with other things she should know about the Crossing. He insisted that she stop by the camp in Rhodes if she’s ever looking for company or would like to have a chat. They travelled up to Cumberland Forest and explored the Heartlands while hunting and gathering. Annie explains she’d like to focus on herbology, with Elich insisting that she meet Peregrine when possible. They also briefly spoke about Annie’s past, and most specifically why she decided to move to the Crossing. After a brief explanation, Elich asked “Surely its not only to run away from grief, is it?”, with little to no reply from Annie.
Elich showed Annie for the first time the sights of The Heartlands. The Bottle Tree, the sights & views, as well as the Cumberland Forest. After fending off a pack of wolves in Cumberland Forest, hunting a few animals & turkeys, they headed off to Valentine to sell what they’ve earned. Unbeknownst to Annie, Elich would then hand over the earnings from the trip to purchase her very own first horse. She decided to go with a Buttermilk colored Kentucky Saddler, named Hope, jokingly stating “boy oh boy do I need it”.
Annie met many folks while residing in Rhodes and writing away in her herbology journal. Peregrine had a brief discussion with Annie the day after they were introduced in Valentine by Elich about herbology and tonic making. She took up Elich’s offer to chat around a campfire, which resulted in meeting certain law and criminals characters. One day while sending a telegram to a friend, Annie had an unfortunate run in with a robber in Rhodes. Before the robber could finish doing the deed, Elianna Rivers entered the telegram station and said “I think we can call this a loss. Why don’t you run off, yeah?” to the Robber, to which he then scurried away. Annie spoke with Elianna afterwards and found out she was a former deputy and was currently a medic for the Department of Health. Many questions were tossed between the two, eventually leading to a follow-up “coffee chat” in Blackwater. Between this interaction, her desire for connection and friends, the grief following the death of her father, along with a desire for tonic making and to learn more about medicine, Annie was convinced to apply to the Department of Health.
During this waiting period between application and interview, Annie wrote daily to her mother in Chicago, focused on creating a record of herbs in her Gathering Notes, and began to find ways of generating enough cash to afford a room in Rhodes. She took a lot of time out to explore and introduce herself to the Crossing. She hunted and fished in her spare time before hearing back from the SCDH. She also met a few more folks she'd consider dear friends during this time in the Crossing, such as Fiona Beauchamp, Clarabelle Kelly, and Nika Mercer all by happenstance.
Where We're Going, We Dont Need.. Rhodes..
Character
Personality
Anneliese is an attentive and explorative lady. She has a strong ambition to meet people and explore new ways of living. Her exploration does not only pertain to the wilderness, as she is eager to learn more about others, culture, and the places around her; for better or worse.
Annie values her downtime in peaceful settings, and has multiple hobbies outside of flower picking. She enjoys reading Adventure Fiction Novels and Biographies, writing to her mother and in her journal, embarking on short daytime hiking trips, and exploring new technology or inventions. She is open to expand her horizons, and is inclined to be persuaded into things if it means she can keep company and get to know others.
Apperance
Annie has coffee-colored hair tied up in a neat bun, usually wearing button down shirts with cutaway collars, brown pants and suspenders. She can be found with a simple brown hat, satchel bag over her shoulder and a water flask dangling off her hip. She may also be found wearing a brown winter jacket if the weather is cold or wet enough.
On duty, she wears a dull blue shirt with black pants, boots, suspenders, and hat. Hints of red can be seen throughout the uniform in her bandana and dyed twine on the hat to symbolize the medical department.
Relationships
⊛ Boyfriend: Daniel Waters
⊛ Best Friend: Clarabelle Kelly
⊛ Close Friends: Nika Mercer, Fiona Beauchamp, Peter Rockwell, Ned Fuller
⊛ Affiliations: [Kerrigan's Ranch], [Crossing Department of Health],
Trivia
⊛ Annie's favorite color is Yellow.
⊛ Annie often writes to her mother in Chicago, and keeps records on the latest drama or events in Saint Denis.
⊛ "Shake, shake, shake!" is a saying that comes from tonic testing & creation between Annie & Daniel.