Allan Quatermain (Art by Michael Lockwood)
Allan Quatermain was a late 19th century professional hunter, explorer and guide. Son of an English missionary, he spent the majority of his life in Africa, where he encountered bizarre and supernatural phenomena on numerous occasions. Quatermain was a member of the British Paranormal Society, where his skills as a big game hunter and strategist proved to be invaluable.
History[]
Background[]
Allan Quatermain was born in England sometime around early 1830s, but spent his childhood in Africa, where his father was a Christian missionary. Disliking British climate and urban life in general, Quatermain spent the majority of his life in South Africa, in Durban. Quatermain was married twice, and had a son called Harry, who studied to become a doctor and tragically died young by contacting a mortal disease.
In the early 1880s Quatermain became acquainted with a couple of British gentlemen- Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good. Sir Henry asked Quatermain to assist him in the former’s quest for his brother, who disappeared in African wilderness while searching for King Solomon’s mines. Quatermain, who held certain knowledge about both the missing man and fabled mines, agreed after some consideration.
Adventures of the Fantastical[]
The meeting proved to be fateful for Quatermain. Not only the trio’s expedition was successful in finding both the mines and young Curtis alive, but a close friendship was formed between Allan, Sir Henry and Captain Good, who had a number of adventures afterwards. In their travels the Englishmen had encountered a slew of supernatural and fantastic creatures, many of which were long thought to be extinct and those that were deemed as "pseudoscience" ie folklore such as the melusine, undine, and Gungles. Additionally, Quatermain had a chance of experiencing his past lives with an application of a special drug- taduki.
During his last adventure at Zu-Vendi, Quatermain was seriously injured in a battle and, supposedly, died. In the reality, Quatermain faked his demise and his friends helped keeping the illusion up through the publication of the hunter’s heavily edited journals. Quatermain had disappeared from the public’s eyes for several next years. During this hiatus the hunter had become heavily addicted to opium, living on the memories of the past.
British Paranormal Society[]
It was at this low point of Quatermain’s life, when British Paranormal Society got interested in him and his potential as the organization’s valuable associate. Quatermain was found by the Society’s two newest agents- Mina Harker and Captain Nemo- in an opium den in Cairo. After taking Quatermain away and helping him to partly recover from the addiction, the Society used Allan’s hunting skills in hunting down and capturing Mister Edward Hyde in Paris.
Even after the successful exposure of the Society’s adversaries, Quatermain, who regained the taste for life and hunting again, chose to remain alongside his newly-found comrades, and fought the arch-criminal’s evil plans.
Personality[]
Quatermain is not particularly heroic in appearance, being described as being short of height, wiry and far from handsome. He doesn’t think high of himself in terms of behavior, too, as he usually doesn’t openly look for adventure or peril. For example, for several years he was in possession of the map, leading to King Solomon’s mines, but never tried to follow it, considering the whole idea a folly. He embarked on an adventure with Sir Henry and Captain Good only after the promise of a considerable financial reward, though the idea of finding young Curtis and Solomon’s potential treasure had eventually attracted the hunter as well.
Despite this, Quatermain proved himself to be a brave, restless and resourceful adventurer multiple times, keeping a cool head in otherwise dangerous or hopeless situations. Without his advices and ideas the expedition would surely perish, be it during its first encounter with Kukuanland’s natives, or before a major battle, where Quatermain scared the enemy army by pretending to summon a lunar eclipse. His son’s death seemed to have a major influence upon Quatermain, as loosing one of the few links, that connected him to England, pushed the old hunter to seek emotional relief in numerous adventures and travels across African continent.
Quatermain is well-known among South Africa’s native population, holding the title of “Makumazahn”, which means “Watcher-by-Night” in tswana tongue, and refers to his nocturnal lifestyle of a professional hunter and always being on guard. Despite holding typical for his times colonialist and racially insensitive views, Quatermain generally has a particularly positive view of African native population, admiring its bravery and freedom from the vices of civilization. One of Quatermain’s best friends and followers is a Zulu chief called Umslopogaas, with whom he had a number of adventures.