Difference between revisions of "Edmund Rappen"
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In 1920 he retired from public life and tried to live like any normal retired person but the itch to be free and ride into the wilderness remained. His spirit unbroken, his body aging Ed began to ride through the wild alone, learning many of the old ways of living and the history of the placed he visited. His life dragged on until 1931 when he was caught in Gloucterbury. The British did not have any solid reason to imprison him, but they found it better for themselves to get rid of Ed Rappen altogether. While officially banished from Guffingford and a hefty reward of £ 2000 on his head, Ed somehow managed to escape into the wilderness of [[Freestate Neu-Bayern]] again but his aging body stopped him from being on the move until his death. Two months after his escape Ed left Guffingford permanently. In an interview with the Hoogenbosch Berig newspaper a few years later he said: | In 1920 he retired from public life and tried to live like any normal retired person but the itch to be free and ride into the wilderness remained. His spirit unbroken, his body aging Ed began to ride through the wild alone, learning many of the old ways of living and the history of the placed he visited. His life dragged on until 1931 when he was caught in Gloucterbury. The British did not have any solid reason to imprison him, but they found it better for themselves to get rid of Ed Rappen altogether. While officially banished from Guffingford and a hefty reward of £ 2000 on his head, Ed somehow managed to escape into the wilderness of [[Freestate Neu-Bayern]] again but his aging body stopped him from being on the move until his death. Two months after his escape Ed left Guffingford permanently. In an interview with the Hoogenbosch Berig newspaper a few years later he said: | ||
| − | ''"...I could've hid forever over there. No one would've seen or found me. I could have lived in wealth equal to a king. But my body said no to me | + | ''"...I could've hid forever over there. No one would've seen or found me over there, it was really the perfect hideout. |
| + | I could have lived in wealth equal to a king or emperor. But my body said no to me and I had to obey. It's a bitter irony to see how my body always cooperated with killing, but gathering the wealth I acquired during my life is taken away not by the hand of a competitor or someone who betrayed me, but my own body. Perhaps that is my punishment, to live in poverty while I could've been rich..."'' | ||
Ed Rappen moved back to Switzerland in 1932 where he married Eva Lökholm. When word reached him about the death of his friend Xaviero Guerra, his health turned into a downward spiral and depressions overtook him. Ed lived a peaceful but sad life until he died in 1944. | Ed Rappen moved back to Switzerland in 1932 where he married Eva Lökholm. When word reached him about the death of his friend Xaviero Guerra, his health turned into a downward spiral and depressions overtook him. Ed lived a peaceful but sad life until he died in 1944. | ||
[[Category:Guffingford]] [[Category:Characters]] | [[Category:Guffingford]] [[Category:Characters]] | ||
Revision as of 14:13, 23 January 2006
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Ed Rappen is by far the most admired of all Guffingfordian bandits that rode around in the west of the nation. Feared by his enemies, respected by his friends (even the British appreciated his presence to some degree) he waged war on Luambo in The Luambo Wars and was a key person in the many raids in the last weeks before the conflict broke out. He did not have any scrupules, and killed a Luambo women as easily as one of their outstanding warriors. Hit by bullets too many times to count - he said about himself that only God could directly kill him.
Born in Bern, Switzerland somewhere around Spring 1866 his family at some point decided in 1870 they wanted to move away from Europe and ended up in Freestate Neu-Bayern. There the Rappen family was confronted with looting men pouring down the lush hills from Zarbia and at an early age he was confronted with death and killing. This situation dragged on and on until he and some of his earliest fellow bandits robbed the recently established Hoogenbosch-Redmound Banking Company in Hoogenbosch and immediately a search warrant was spread to get him. Soon after he met his life long friend Xaviero Guerra. Both went on a rampage, mainly concentrating around Redmound. Dead or alive many rich British citizens wanted to see him rot in the deepest dungueon of Brittenborough, but Ed Rappen managed to escape to the relative safety of the no man's land between Kaiser Wilhelms Land and the Knootian colonies. There he remained until the heat was gone, and returned to Neu-Bayern only to find out his parents already left for Switzerland again, ashamed for their son.
This enraged Ed Rappen, but he dealt with his anger. He promised himself if he couldn't impress his parents, then he'd impress everybody else on this land. And that's what he did. His role in various gangs remain questionable, but his role in the Luambo War shines like a star. A gifted commander, a trustworthy man and honest - and ruthless and without mercy to his enemies. After the Independence from Knootoss he continued to ride his horse along with his friends over the western plains and hills (the City Watch called them his partners in crime) to pillage Luambo settlements; but his days of honour passed in 1902.
In 1920 he retired from public life and tried to live like any normal retired person but the itch to be free and ride into the wilderness remained. His spirit unbroken, his body aging Ed began to ride through the wild alone, learning many of the old ways of living and the history of the placed he visited. His life dragged on until 1931 when he was caught in Gloucterbury. The British did not have any solid reason to imprison him, but they found it better for themselves to get rid of Ed Rappen altogether. While officially banished from Guffingford and a hefty reward of £ 2000 on his head, Ed somehow managed to escape into the wilderness of Freestate Neu-Bayern again but his aging body stopped him from being on the move until his death. Two months after his escape Ed left Guffingford permanently. In an interview with the Hoogenbosch Berig newspaper a few years later he said:
"...I could've hid forever over there. No one would've seen or found me over there, it was really the perfect hideout. I could have lived in wealth equal to a king or emperor. But my body said no to me and I had to obey. It's a bitter irony to see how my body always cooperated with killing, but gathering the wealth I acquired during my life is taken away not by the hand of a competitor or someone who betrayed me, but my own body. Perhaps that is my punishment, to live in poverty while I could've been rich..."
Ed Rappen moved back to Switzerland in 1932 where he married Eva Lökholm. When word reached him about the death of his friend Xaviero Guerra, his health turned into a downward spiral and depressions overtook him. Ed lived a peaceful but sad life until he died in 1944.
