Professor Walsingham (Adventurers)
Thomas Walsingham (b. 7 July 1876, d. 9 November 1961) a.k.a. Professor Thomas Reginald Walsingham, a.k.a. Professor, is an adventurer, scholar, and military figure from the United Kingdom. Driven to preserve important secrets he knew, he transcended mortal life in the 1960s by inventing a computer system that could scan and store his memories, and then represent that as part of a text-only interactive computer simulation. The magnetic tapes carrying Walsingham's mind and memory was discovered by the 21st century Adventurers in 2019. The Adventurers fed his data into a system at their headquarters, and were able to reconstitute Walsingham as a hologram. Walsingham now serves as an advisor to the Adventurers.
Contents
Biography
Early Life
Walsingham was born 7 July 1876 to Lord Raoul Walsingham and Lady Bethany (née Warwick) at the family property, a mansion called 'Portrance Manor' in Essex. Thomas was a descendant of Sir Francis Walsingham, famed spymaster to Queen Elizabeth I. Young Thomas attended the Bayshore School for Boys, which emphasized martial training, nautical sports, and studies of European languages. It was a notoriously challenging school, but the precocious Thomas excelled in all categories.
Upon graduation, Thomas entered the Royal Naval College at Greenwich.
In 1896, Thomas was commissioned at the rank of Lieutenant and posted to the HMS Majestic, a steam-powered battleship. Some of Thomas's earliest adventures came during shore leaves as the Majestic toured the Mediterranean Sea.
In 1903, Thomas solved the 'Mystery on Malta' when several of his crewmates were trapped inside of a labyrinthine dungeon while trying to rescue the beautiful French aristocrat, Chloé Lafaille, who had not returned after exploring inside with an interpreter. But the sailors weren a room meant to hold and kill would-be grave robbers. With ingenuity, Walsingham deduced the working of the mechanism, freed his men, and went on alone to explore deeper into the elaborate tomb and try to find Lafaille. After freeing Lafaille from another trap deeper in the dungeon, she tried to recruit the clearly capable Walsingham into the Order of Osiris of which she was a member, believing that the dungeon might contain an item the Order greatly desired that could change the world forever. Walsingham followed her and considered the offer, but when she desecrated the remains of a long-dead prince in frustration over not finding the Order's prize, he resisted, and battled her. During their fight, Lafaille was left clinging to the edge of a chasm; she pridefully spurned Walsingham's offer of help, and fell to her apparent doom.
Walsingham did not report on Lafaille's true fate for many years after, reporting at the time to authorities that he had tracked her to the edge of a precipice, and that she had probably fallen to her death.
The Classic Adventurers
Now that he knew paranormal activity was real, Thomas found his purpose in life. Thomas concluded his naval tour of duty and pivoted immediately into putting together a team of skilled individuals who would be well-suited for traveling the globe, learning about the unknown, and keeping civilization safe from malevolent forces. He approached the American inventor Aaron Baron as his main partner. They formed 'The Adventurers' and added other allies over time. Walsingham took on the code name "Mr. Adventure" and Baron, "Tank," for his revolutionary electro-mechanical body armor.
For the years 1904-07, Mr. Adventure and Tank were joined by the Huntsman (Armand de Smet), a Dutch marksman and outdoor survivalist of some repute, Mind's Eye, a Roma street thief and self-styled clairvoyant from London, and Anchorman (Cecille Deveaux), a mariner and experienced pistoleer from Algiers.
The Case of the Meddling in Mexico
Mr. Adventure took the team with him to investigate rumors that the Order of Osiris, disguised as a quasi-religious group called the Hermandad de Pastores, were becoming friendly with the President of Mexico in 1906. While there, the team encountered El Sombra, a masked vigilante who was trying to keep innocents safe from the thuggish militias propping up Presidente Diaz, while trying to expose corruption. The team did manage to embarrass Diaz's government, but the effects, El Sombra conceded, would be short-lived. News of corruption wasn't new, but Carlos Batres - the man under the mask - had faith that at least it would be kindling that would help the fire of revolution spread, once spark had been triggered.
The Quest for the Ogopogo
In the Canadian Okanagan country in 1907, while seeking the monstrous Ogopogo, the Huntsman was ambushed by a territorial sasquatch and killed, while Tank was badly injured fending off the attack. With Huntsman on the verge of death, locals pointed to a young woman named Addison Markeson who had a rumored miracle healing power, but lived on a small farming cooperative run by her parents' employer, Forrest McMillan. Her powers were kept secret by her community for fear that they would draw too much attention, and take her away from them, as she had been quite useful in the remote area where a doctor was maybe two days' journey at the best of times. When Aaron was brought to her, she placed her hands on his shoulders, and he began a miraculous recovery - though it greatly exerted Markeson. By morning, Aaron Baron was adequately recovered from his injuries to resume the adventure, but the Adventurers stayed on the McMillan farm for an extra day to be sure.
Only 13 years old at the time, and an orphan, Markeson hung on Mr. Adventure's every word as he recounted some of his journeys. She pleaded with the Adventurers to take her with them, for her community guarded her and her powers too greedily, and she wanted to learn and see the world. Walsingham appreciated her nascent intellect and wanted to take her on as a protégé, but was persuaded by Tank that such a young girl should not be taken from her kin, even if she wished it. Yet at the conclusion of the adventure, and only after having already traveled hundreds of miles away from Okanagan country, they discovered a stow-away on their cart: Addison. Upon reaching Spokane, Mr. Adventure sent a telegram indicating that he would either arrange to have Addison returned immediately, or else compensate MacMillan if he would permit Walsingham to take on custody of Addison. MacMillan telegrammed back that he would prefer the money.
The Curse of the Prussian Castle
Later in 1907, Mr. Adventure led Mind's Eye, Anchorman, Tank, and Addison to Wevelringen, a principality affiliated to Prussia. Arriving via Austria, the Adventurers were going to follow up on rumors of a haunted gothic castle that could not be demolished, for its evil spirits repelled any who came near. Others who ventured inside were never seen again. During this journey, Mr. Adventure and Mind's Eye found that Anchorman's attentions to Addison were inappropriate, as he could almost be her grandfather. Addison was commanded to be in sight of Walsingham at all times, to her chagrin, as she wanted more freedom to explore. There was a harsh argument between Mr. Adventure and Anchorman about the latter's conduct. Morale on the team hit a low point.
At the castle, the early explorations found it to be empty, and visually intimidating, but haunted by little more than bats. Feeling certain the rumors were just local folk tales, the team prepared to make camp inside the castle their first night, and commit to further explorations in the morning. In the middle of the night, Mind's Eye woke to a terrifying dream that they would all soon be slain in the castle. Mind's eye could not be assuaged that it was little more than a dream, and she demanded the team take it as a premonition and prepare. Mr. Adventure took Anchorman and patrolled by lantern light, but found nothing. Anchorman then unexpectedly stabbed Mr. Adventure in the back, and ran off, apparently leaving him for dead.
Later in the morning, Tank, Mind's Eye, and Addison went in search of them, finding Mr. Adventure on the verge of death. Addison exerted herself to heal him, leaving both of them vulnerable. Tank suggested they leave immediately, but Mind's Eye felt they should ascertain what had happened to Anchorman, first. Mr. Adventure, though weakened, agreed that they must leave no man behind - that perhaps Anchorman was being affected by the castle's 'curse'.
As they delved deeper into the castle, they were beset by a gang of hoodlums who brandished makeshift spears, rusted swords, and could be deadly to the unprepared - but were easily dispatched by the experienced Adventurers. The faces under the mask were of emaciated villagers, taken by madness - apparently those who disappeared in the castle remained to guard it as mindless servants. As the team pressed on to uncover the source of the mystery, they found an ancient sarcophagus of obsidian, with wall murals showing that this was the burial place of Uzahul, a powerful enchanter in black magic traditions. Even in death, his sarcophagus had been imbued with a powerful enthralling spell placed upon it that could turn the minds of those who drew too close - a way of ensuring his legacy endured. Realizing the peril they were all in, Mr Adventure ordered Tank to destroy the sarcophagus with explosives, but was warned by Mind's Eye that an inscription on the sarcophagus indicated a terrible curse would befall he who destroyed it, and his successors. Mr. Adventure took Tank's grenade and assumed the risk to himself, having no fear of the curse.
The spell upon the villagers was lifted. The Adventurers helped the survivors of the castle back to their homes, and there, in a tavern, Tank encountered Anchorman. Anchorman tried to say he was overtaken by the spell, but given that no others had escaped back to the village who had been charmed by the sarcophagus, Tank knew it to be a lie. The argument between Anchorman and Mr. Adventure over Addison had caused Anchorman to try to murder his comrade, and then flee before the others found out, hoping they, too, would flee and reunite with him in the village. For his crimes, Anchorman was hurled by Tank into a wall of sturdy oak timbers which broke a considerable number of his bones, and was left behind in Prussia.
Walsingham found what happened to Deveaux regrettable, but spent no more concern upon him. The team left for the Americas once again.
The Case of the Lost Colony
In late 1907, Walsingham was sent a telegram from British intelligence that the Order of Osiris was believed to be systematically exploring Spanish ruins in Central America, from Panama up to Mexico. They were showing particular interest in churches and cathedrals, but there was one lost Spanish colony that they were having difficulty finding, as it had been reclaimed by the jungle over the centuries.
First, Walsingham visited Virginia on the advice of Aaron Baron to recruit the help of Otis Barnaby, an American inventor who had been trying to improve upon the Wright Brother's flying machine design. Baron believed that the emerging practice of aerial reconnaissance might be of use in locating the lost colony. Barnaby wasn't interested in interrupting his development workflow, nor giving up any of his valuable equipment for an overseas adventure. Leaving disappointed, the Adventurers spotted a man using a sort of motorized glider come in for a landing. The pilot - a young man named Randy Waverly - introduced himself to the Adventurers as Barnaby's test pilot. Walsingham tried to ask if Waverly could persuade Barnaby to give up a machine. Waverly pointed to an older protoype paramotor glider rig and indicated Barnaby would probably sell it for a fair price. Barnaby agreed, not realizing that the Adventurers had also persuaded Waverly to quit his job as a test pilot to become an Adventurer called the Aviator.
Once in central America, Walsingham's contacts in British intelligence updated an area of focus in Mexico that seemed to be of interest to the Order of Osiris's agents. El Sombra was once again recruited to help on the search in his home country.
The Adventurers were first to the lost colony's stone chapel, but before long the Order of Osiris, backed by Mexican militia, encircled the old colony site and bade the Adventurers to surrender. Tank held them at bay with some explosives, but knew he could not hold them back forever. Addison suggested that there strong presence there confirmed that the Order of Osiris wanted something that was in the chapel, and the Adventurers must find it first. Mind's Eye used her abilities to locate the hidden treasure. Underneath a stone tablet, they found a golden disc, gilded in Mayan style, with inscriptions denoting heavenly bodies of the cosmos. The Adventurers needed to get the disc away from the Osirians so it could be studied. Waverly suggested that if the team created a diversion, he could take the disc with him in the motor glider. Mind's Eye spoke against this, saying they hadn't known Randy long enough to be sure he wouldn't just escape, but El Sombra believed Mind's Eye was merely projecting her own experience as a thief onto Waverly unfairly. Indeed, Mr. Adventure felt that Waverly deserved to earn a chance to earn that trust - and, at any rate, if he were to steal the disc, it would be better in his hands than in the Order of Osiris's. Mind's Eye objected to the course of action, saying she could not see beyond it, which might mean they were doomed to fail and be killed. Tank accused her of using her so-called clairvoyance to try to win the argument against entrusting the disc to Waverly.
The distraction began. Mr. Adventure fled into the thick jungle at the north end of the ruined colony, holding a decoy under his jacket so that the Osirians would follow him thinking he was trying to sneak away with the prize. Tank began bombarding some of the Osirian encampments, and Waverly powered up his motor in the ensuing noise. El Sombra watched the west side of the colony ruins, while Mind's Eye stalked the east, each trying to lure the militia into zones Tank had identified as areas he could bombard when given the signal. El Sombra was able to flawlessly eliminate a bunch of militia with this trap; however, Mind's Eye, seized by the fear of knowing this was the moment of her death, signalled too late, and was shot just as she sent up her flare. Her killers were taken out by Tank a moment later.
Waverly took flight, and headed north, whooping loudly as he went so that the Osirians would realize they'd been had, and chase him. The surviving Adventurers headed into the jungle north of the ruins, and joined Mr. Adventure in the, while the encircling Osirians decided not to enter the colony - probably fearing more traps. In truth, Tank had little ordnance left and the prospects of winning a ground battle against the assembled Osirian forces were quite small, so the team was relieved when the Osirians headed north in pursuit of Waverly's motorized glider. In the early morning, when it seemed safe, Tank went to recover the body of Mind's Eye, and they gave her a respectful burial at the jungle's edge.
Days later, the Adventurers - sneaking through the Mexican jungle with El Sombra's guidance - reached their rendezvous point, and found Waverly waiting for them at a dockside town where the steamship the Adventurers chartered in Virginia was moored. Not wasting a moment, though rueful to have lost Mind's Eye, the team headed back to the United States. Mr. Adventure arranged for Addison to take some training with a group of Nursing Sisters in England so that she could heal minor wounds without the toll her healing powers took upon her. Waverly stayed with Walsingham at his home, while Aaron Baron returned to New Jersey to check in on his business interests. El Sombra continued the fight to keep the innocent safe from marauding militias in Mexico.
The Cretoan Adventure
In 1912, the Adventurers began a tour of the Aegean islands to seek out rumors of ancient mystical objects and matters of legend. On this tour, they visited Cretoa and assisted a village there in locating and defeating a genuine minotaur that had been stealing and murdering livestock and people for years. The Adventurers hauled the minotaur carcass to the village afterward. In commemoration of this event, grateful villagers struck a special medallion from some of the minotaur's hoarded gold and gave one each to the Adventurers. The medallions each depicted a Nereid - ancient water spirits, or so the locals said.
In 2020, the medallion once belonging to El Sombra became instrumental in the 21st Century Adventurers gaining entry to the Nereid kingdom, in a subterranean ocean below Cretoa.
