Don Sturdy (DAWN STUR-dee)

An American Adventurer

Donald Sturdy (a.k.a. Don)

Born into a family steeped in exploration, Don Sturdy was the nephew of famed explorer Frank Sturdy and the son of a field physician. From an early age, he was exposed to the harsh realities of the world: illness, conflict, natural disaster—but also the thrill of the unknown. Raised partly in New York and partly on the move, Don became fluent in multiple languages and adept in field medicine, survival tactics, and navigation by the time most boys his age were learning arithmetic. Through his teens and early twenties, he traveled across Africa, South America, and the South Pacific, working alongside anthropologists, archaeologists, and journalists. Although many of his stories were sensationalized for mass publication, Don maintained detailed journals that portrayed a deeper thinker—a young man torn between the awe of natural discovery and the brutality of colonial exploitation. Before joining the League, Don had already pulled back from public adventuring. He worked as a regional coordinator for an early conservation group and quietly funded expeditions to return sacred cultural items to their communities of origin. His intellect, reliability, and grounded ethics made him a natural pick for international operations requiring both diplomacy and grit.

League Member Note
Dates Active in League: 1929-1971
Don joined the League in 1929, shortly after his involvement in exposing a smuggling ring operating out of a British colony in Africa. Though initially viewed as "just another explorer," Don’s deep understanding of indigenous customs and languages quickly proved indispensable on League missions involving cultural entanglements, supernatural artifacts, or remote terrain. He became known for being the steady center in the field—rarely the loudest voice, but always the one most likely to bring the team home. On one mission involving an ancient geomagnetic temple in the Andes, Don was credited with diffusing a metaphysical anomaly simply by recognizing the site’s true ceremonial function. His calm leadership under pressure became legendary among his peers. In his final years with the League, Don served as liaison for non-European operations and was instrumental in shaping the League's non-interventionist principles in postcolonial nations. He left in 1941 to focus on conservation and intercultural diplomacy, though he maintained correspondence with several members for decades.
****END NOTE****

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Don remained in excellent health throughout his life. Years of fieldwork gave him a strong, lean build, with excellent cardiovascular endurance and robust immune health. Even into his later years, he could hike a mountain faster than men half his age.

Facial Features

Square-jawed and sun-touched, Don bore a weather-worn face that made him seem older than his years. A slight scar above his left brow—a remnant of a leopard encounter in India—lent him a rugged charm.

Special abilities

While not "superhuman," Don possessed extraordinary field intuition, near-eidetic spatial memory, and an uncanny ability to read microexpressions—traits that made him vital in high-stakes diplomatic and survival situations.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Son of a military medic and cousin to explorer Frank Sturdy, Don was born into the world of high-risk fieldwork. He attended no formal university but was a voracious autodidact. His early notebooks included observations later cited by professional geologists and botanists.

Sexuality

Heterosexual but celibate during League years; focused more on companionship and mission than romance.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Don was driven by a quiet sense of stewardship—for knowledge, for cultures, and for the natural world. He believed deeply that those with power had the responsibility to protect, not exploit.

Likes & Dislikes

Loved: well-worn maps, thunderous rain on tent canvas, and honest conversation.
Disliked: bureaucracy, ivory towers, and those who treated indigenous communities as novelties.

Virtues & Personality perks

Honest, resilient, self-educating, and loyal to a fault. Don often acted as a mentor to younger League members and took genuine pleasure in teaching practical survival or observational skills.

Vices & Personality flaws

At times, Don could be emotionally distant or overly stoic. He rarely asked for help and carried burdens alone, even when the team would have stood with him. He also had little patience for arrogance or armchair theorists.

Representation & Legacy

In the League's archives, Don is remembered not as the flashiest member—but as one of the most universally respected. His journals are still referenced in fieldwork training, and a humanitarian award was posthumously named in his honor.

Social

Social Aptitude

Though quiet in crowds, Don excelled in one-on-one interaction. He was fluent in five languages and conversant in at least ten, and had an uncanny knack for putting strangers at ease, even in tense situations.

Speech

Direct, descriptive, and unpretentious. Don spoke like he wrote in his field notes: efficient, quietly poetic, and grounded in the moment.

Species

Duine

Realm

The Mortal Realm

Date of Birth

June 4, 1906

Date of Death

August 22, 1971

Life

1906 CE 1971 CE 65 years old

Circumstances of Death

Natural causes (heart failure) after decades as a researcher and conservationist in Africa.

Birthplace

Fairview, New York, USA

Place of Death

Pretoria, South Africa

Children

Sex

Male

Sexuality

Heterosexual

Eyes

Green-Hazel

Hair

Sandy brown (sun-bleached to light blond in later years)

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tanned, ruddy complexion

Height

6’0”

Weight

178 lbs

Quotes & Catchphrases

A man’s only as lost as his sense of direction.

Aligned Organization

The League

Character Prototype

Capricorn
Grounded, dependable, ambitious..