Paulina Barnett

Mrs Paulina Barnett

The name of Paulina Barnett, the rival of the Pfeiffers, Tinnis, and Haimaires of Hull, has been several times honourably mentioned at the meetings of the Royal Geographical Society. In her journeys up the Brahmaputra, as far as the mountains of Thibet, across an unknown corner of New Holland, from Swan Bay to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Paulina Barnett had given proof of the qualities of a great traveller.

Jules Verne, The Fur Country

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Paulina is a tall and stout woman in her early forties. She has large light blue eyes, usually hidden behind large round eyeglasses, as she is near-sighted. Paulina has a long straight nose and a wide mouth, so often elongated in a charming smile. She has long hair, light brown but already touched with grey, usually arranged in braids.
In more formal settings and adequate weather, Paulina can be seen wearing an orange summer dress While travelling, though, she sticks to simpler fashions, such as a stuff fabric dress.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Paulina was the only daughter of a rich family from York, England. She was always a lively child full of innate curiosity, displaying from an early age an interest to the mysterious. Legends and stories of supernatural sites always filled her with excitement. While her peers would play in the garden or enjoy the popular romance novels, Paulina would stay late at night bent over an worn-out map or deciphering an ancient code.
The adults, of course, paid little attention to what they thought were just childish games. Being so obsessed with all things paranormal, Paulina fancied becoming a journalist, but her parents deemed that an unfitting career for a woman. (If only they knew the truth behind the memoirs of Frankenstein...) She fought and complained, but eventually had to accept her fate of eventually inheriting the family affairs and getting prepared for marriage.
Constantine Barnett was certainly not the worst thing that could have happened to her. The wedding was arranged from both families' sides, and the newly wedded knew little about each other. Mr Barnett had a very timid personality, and his health problems forced him to lead a more sedentary lifestyle. Yet he never scorned his wife's eccentric hobbies, supporting her whenever he could.
As time went on, Paulina had to take more and more responsibility on her shoulders, and she couldn't spend much time on her interests. The household was depending on her as Constantine's health declined. Being the mistress of a high society house and also maintaining the affairs of her parents was very difficult for the young and unprepared woman. Mr Barnett's housemaid, Madge, was very kind towards Paulina, offering all the help she could, supporting her through hard times, listening to her stories of magical continents and prehistoric ruins. The two grew very close as time went on, with Paulina regarding Madge as an older sister.
While the death of her husband was not at all unexpected, it still made Paulina quite sorrowful and confused. Her parents having passed away several years before, she was now alone. She was respected in society, she had a large fortune to her name and a good public image. Yet she wasn't content with herself. Through all her life, Pauline was never able to make her own decisions. She was forced into the lifestyle she had now, led astray from her childhood dreams of exploring. Her life didn't feel like her own.
She came to Madge during one of those moments of lament, grieving about all those adventures she dreamt of but never had. The maid's response was quite surprising.
"Well, what's stopping you now?"
This opened a new world of possibility for Paulina. She was so focused on the hardships of her life that she forgot what freedom she possessed now. And thus, a decision was made.
The family business sold, the reigns of the household passed over, and the last fifteen years have been nothing but a dashing hunt for supernatural locations. Devil's Bridge, Petra, Bermuda Triangle - you name it. Paulina would never trade this for anything else. Now, it was just her, the faithful Madge by her side, and the long road ahead.
Of course, this doesn't mean Paulina would spend all her time in travel. She would still return to England from time to time, to check on old friends and share the results of her explorations. During one such visit to London, Paulina discovered that a new Society for Arcane Sciences was recently founded. Naturally, she showed a lot of interest in the new organisation. She quickly made her acquaintance with the founders, Dr Henry Jekyll and Dr Robert Lanyon, offered financial help and promised to bring back valuable research for the Lodgers when she comes back from her new adventure.

Gender Identity

she/her

Education

Self-educated

Social

Speech

Yorkshire accent

Year of Birth

1843 AD 42 Years old

Birthplace

York, England

Current Residence

London, England

Eyes

Light blue

Hair

Light brown with touches of grey, braided

Height

178 cm