Role: Paranormal Liaison, Coastal Surveillance Network (Cornwall Division)
Background:
In 1982, Gareth Dunning was a fisherman working off the Cornish coast when he slipped overboard during a storm. The water should have been black and churning—but instead, it was calm. Silent. And below him, something golden stared back. Vast. Luminous. It whispered his name in a voice that echoed behind his eyes. Before it could speak again, his crewmates hauled him out. They laughed it off. Gareth never did.
He didn’t speak of the experience for years. But when strange things started surfacing—fish with eyes on the wrong side, nets returned empty but soaked in salt that burned the skin—he quietly made contact with those who might believe him. The Institute listened. He’s been their man on the coast ever since.
Though not formally trained, Dunning’s firsthand experience and trust among the fishing community make him invaluable. Now in his sixties and semi-retired, he monitors quiet stretches of sea and dockside gossip, keeping the Institute informed of whispers, sightings, and things dredged up that should’ve stayed buried.
Skills:
- Deep knowledge of local maritime folklore and sea-based anomalies
- Well-connected within Cornwall’s fishing community; able to gather intel discreetly
- Maintains hand-drawn maps and tide logs tracking “unnatural regularities”
- Experienced in listening for submerged frequencies and oceanic acoustic patterns
He keeps a shortwave radio, a thermos of tea, and a salt-ringed copy of the Institute’s Field Binder beside his kitchen table.
Personality:
Wry, grounded, and salt-bitten by time. Gareth rarely speaks of his encounter, but it has shaped every moment since. He carries an easy charm and deep loyalty, especially toward those who’ve seen strange things and weren’t believed. He’s not a man of drama, but if he calls in an alert, the Institute listens.
Motive:
To ensure that what called his name never calls again—or, if it does, that someone is listening this time. Gareth doesn’t seek answers anymore. He seeks warning.
Faylinn Defence Group 