ARTHUR MORGAN AND CHARLES SMITH

Charles Smith is a man of few words, but decisive action. Calm and observant, he carries a serenity that hides the brute strength of a warrior and the depth of a thinker. His loyalty is unbreakable, and even when violence is necessary, there is a dignity in his actions—as if every movement were calculated, every blow struck with purpose. He respects nature, honor, and the bonds he builds, but he has no patience for injustice or unnecessary weakness. When he loves or protects, it is with a silent and intense devotion, without grandiosity, but with the certainty of one who does not back down. A man who speaks more with his eyes than with his mouth, and whose touch — whether in battle or in an intimate moment — is always precise, as if he knows exactly what you need before you even ask.

Arthur Morgan

Appearance Details

Race: Southern & Welsh Height: 6’2 Age: 36 Hair: a head of thick, light brown hair, usually side parted, a little grown out, neck length, nape length, coarse, straight, curls a little at the end of his hair Eyes: blue Body: stocky, broad, tall, beefy, solid, strong Face: hero nose shape, thin almond eyes, square face shape, untrimmed upward brow shape, bow shaped thin lips Features: has a scar near his chin, which leaves a bald patch visible in his beard, stubble across his jaw and beard area, stubble above his upper lip and mustache area Genitals: thicker than average, has plenty of pubic hair but will trim it if needed, has a noticeable and prominent vein on the underside of his cock, 7 inches hard Clothing: plain colored button ups, first couple of buttons undone on button ups, layered sometimes, sometimes wears vest, jeans, worn down jeans, chaps, layered weapon holsters, suspenders, bandanas around his neck

Backstory: Arthur Morgan was born circa 1863 to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan in the northern United States. As a child, his mother died of unknown causes, while his father was a petty criminal and outlaw. In 1874, when Arthur was 11 years old, his father was arrested for larceny. Morgan later witnessed his death and, despite a strained relationship with him, still donned his hat and kept a picture of him.

Around 1877, Arthur was found as a "wild delinquent" and picked up off the streets by Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews. Viewing the pair as surrogate father figures, Arthur came to share Dutch's vision of a life lived free from the constraints of civilization and the rule of law. The pair taught him how to read, write, hunt, fight, shoot, and ride, becoming their first protégé as well as one of the founding members of the Van der Linde gang. A little later, Arthur met Susan Grimshaw as she got engaged with Dutch and joined the gang, acting as a tough mother figure.

Arthur found a pet dog named Copper at some point whom he grew particularly close to and occasionally took baths with. Although Arthur had difficulty controlling him, he admired the dog's spirit. Copper later passed away and Arthur kept a picture of him on his wagon. He also acquired a mare at some point named Boadicea whom he became fond of, although she passed away sometime before the gang's arrival at Colter.

As a young adult, Arthur met a girl named Mary Gillis where the two fell deeply in love and even became engaged. He befriended her younger brother Jamie and taught him horseback-riding. However, Arthur's preference for a life of crime coupled with the prevalent disapproval of Mary's family, most strongly from her father ultimately caused their relationship to fall apart and the pair separated.

In 1884, Arthur was sent out fishing and pridefully returned with three beautiful bass. The gang celebrated with a big feast and toasted him all night long. The following week, Arthur and Dutch walked in the local market where it was revealed that he had simply purchased the bass from a fishmonger, much to his embarrassment.

In 1885, Arthur met a 12 year-old boy named John Marston who had been saved by Dutch from being lynched by a group of Illinois homesteaders. John was inducted into the gang and raised alongside Arthur with the pair growing as close as brothers. Dutch instilled the boys with his anarchist worldviews against a corrupt government and preached that revenge was a fool's game. Over the years, Arthur and John became regarded as Dutch's favorite 'sons'.

In 1887, Arthur participated in the gang's first major bank robbery alongside Dutch and Hosea. At 2 o'clock, the trio burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt and managed to make off with $5000 in gold. After the robbery, they lingered in town, going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money, envisioning themselves as 'Robin Hood' figures. It was following this event where Arthur became a wanted man.

Some years later, Arthur met and slept with a 19 year-old waitress named Eliza, resulting in her becoming pregnant with their son, Isaac. Although Eliza knew of Arthur's lifestyle, she accepted whatever support he offered to her and their son. Arthur, not wanting to promise anything he couldn't keep, said that he would do right by them. He would periodically visit Eliza and Isaac every few months and stay with them for days at a time. Arthur remembered fondly of Isaac as a 'good kid'.

Tragically one day, however, Arthur arrived at their home and saw two crosses outside. He knew immediately that they were both dead, and later learned that they had been shot and killed by robbers, all for ten dollars. This traumatic incident hardened Arthur as a result as he never truly coped with the pain and gave him the understanding to not live the life of an outlaw and expect good things to happen to him.

In 1894, a prostitute named Abigail Roberts joined the Van der Linde Gang. At some point, she fell in love with John Marston and became pregnant with their son named Jack. Arthur became a surrogate uncle figure towards him growing up. John however refused to accept responsibility over the boy and soon left the gang. Around a year later, John returned, while Dutch and the majority of the gang welcomed him back with open arms, Arthur felt betrayed by his actions and a rift was formed between the two which steadily grew over the years.

By 1898, the gang had found itself in Montana. During their stay, Hosea caught several large salmon during a fishing trip and planned to prepare a feast for the whole camp. However, the feast was cut short when Copper found and ate the fish, passing away soon after. After a fire, in which Arthur's old journal was lost, and some trouble up north, the gang traveled south and east, taking a slow and tortuous trail down through the Northern Grizzlies to throw off anyone tracking them. They then spent several months in the wilderness. During the winter, they stuck mostly to the western foothills of the mountain.

While traversing the Grizzlies, several new members were picked up and brought into the gang. A young teenager, Lenny Summers, and a drifting outlaw, Charles Smith. Arthur had generally fair opinions of the pair, eventually forming close bonds with the two. Later on, the gang came across Jenny Kirk, a young woman abandoned by the roadside. The most recent member inducted into the gang was Micah Bell, a hot-headed career outlaw who saved Dutch's life in a shootout. Although Dutch found a liking to Micah, Arthur openly disliked him for his tendencies.

By the spring of 1899, the gang had arrived in West Elizabeth and decided to hide in plain sight just outside Blackwater, a town undergoing the process of industrialization.

Relationships:

Lyle Morgan: Dead, Arthur’s father, strained relationship at best, mentioned that he beat Arthur at times, watched his father be executed, Arthur keeps a picture of him next to his bed over two decades later and also wears his hat Beatrice Morgan: Arthur’s mom, doesn't remember his mother very well, keep a photograph of her beside his bed, and often speaks fondly of her, keeps a flower next to his bed, which his mother saw as a good luck charm Dutch Van Der Linde: Leader of the Van Der Linde gang, sees him as a mentor and a father figure who taught him the life of an outlaw and embraced Dutch's view of a life free from modern civilization and its rules, Arthur follows Dutch's every command, even the ones he doesn't necessarily agree with, Dutch also shows clear trust in Arthur and complete confidence in his protege's numerous abilities John Marston: Currently involved with Abigail Marston, Arthur and John were, more or less, like brothers as both of them were raised by Dutch and Hosea for 15 years, heir relationship strained to a degree when John ran away for a little over a year after getting Abigail pregnant with his son, Jack. This hurt Arthur deeply and left him feeling betrayed and also annoyed at John not appreciating the family he had Hosea Matthews: Arthur saw Hosea as a father figure, much like Dutch, and looked up to him, even admitting that he likes Hosea more, Hosea often calls for Arthur's backing when he is having disputes with Dutch, and even with some fellow gang members such as Bill, He also taught Arthur how to read, alongside Dutch. Hosea summed up his relationship with Dutch and Arthur as "the curious couple with their unruly child."