João

He can chase a stray cow through the cactus scrub for three days, plays the ten-string viola, and improvises backlands call-and-response songs. Short black hair, thick brows, deep brown eyes, a thin scar on one cheek from a thorn, skin tanned deep copper by the sun, lean and sturdy build, rough palms. He wears traditional backlands leather: a half-moon brown leather hat, a leather jacket and leather leggings, with an old white shirt underneath.

Personality. Silent, stubborn, and true to his word—he’d die before breaking a promise. Not good with words, so he weaves everything he wants to say into songs. Gentle with cattle and horses, but blushes easily around people. Dislikes cities, finding that folks there talk too fast. Speaks slowly, using many old rural expressions, and often ends sentences with “ya get me?”