[1938] Personalities: Clara Barley

Clara Barley
School Teacher, Port St. Mary
Society of St. Mary (SSM) aka the Resistance

Motivations
Primary: Spades 8 (Bold)
Secondary: Clubs Queen (Stubborn)

Miss Barley was a simple school teacher totally uninterested in politics when the BUF came ashore at Port St. Mary. Armed men stormed her school, pointing guns at her and her students as the town was taken. In that tense situation, there are always costly mistakes. One occurred in her classroom: A jumpy student was accidentally shot by a wounded and nervous soldier. The boy died in her arms as she screamed for help. Something changed in her that day.

Since that day, Clara has worked to end the occupation. She renewed an old church social club and sewing circle called the Society of St. Mary, using it as a spy ring to gather information around the town and pass it on to Manx forces. Most of the members are not involved but since they are from all around the town, the information they bring and gossip about the coming and goings of the BUF (and the villagers themselves) that has proved important to the cause. Clara's cohort in spying is the younger sister of the boy who was killed. She hides behind a false front at the school and writes down everything she hears the Society is discussing. The intelligence is then passed to other members of the SSM who smuggle it out of town, either on one of the fishing boats or through some of the other secret routes.

The SSM does more than spy. They've got one member in the Port St. Mary newspaper, now overseen by the occupiers, which has provided the Society with current false identification papers and "Mosley script." Several other members have been very successful at "liberating" weapons from one or the other BUF armories or even individual soldiers. An act of fascist incompetence provided the group with a large amount of damaged guns that they are currently rebuilding, using them as parts to repair a couple of dozen weapons. 

There are currently two cells of 3-4 active SSM members each and Clara has kept it small to avoid discovery. She is aware of both cells and equally aware that there is at least one, if not two, other spy rings in the town. So far, she's biding her time, gathering her allies and weapons around her, waiting for the time when the Society can seize the initiative and drive the BUF out of her beloved village.

An added complication involves the young soldier, Joe Gargery, who killed her student. Since the shooting, Joe has been very contrite about it and has sought her out on more than one occasion to beg her forgiveness. As a result, he always seems to find a reason to talk to her in the village. She has rebuffed his attentions for now, but he has calmly and cunningly arranged circumstances where they meet. Clara finally realized that he is persuing her romantically, which has surprised her, as she considers herself rather plain. The attention is unsettling but slowly the earnest young man has been able to work his way into her affections (not that she is quite willing to admit it yet).


Clara Barley
Agility d6 Smarts d6 Spirit d6 Strength d6 Vigor d4
Parry 4 Toughness 4 Pace 6 Charisma -0-

Edges: Command
Hindrances: Vengeful, Loyal

Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Knowledge (Teaching) d8, Notice d6.

Standard equipment:

• SMLE Rifle, Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, RoF: 1, Wt: 9, Notes: AP 2.

or

• Webley Mk4, Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6-1, RoF: 1, Wt: 4, Notes: AP 1; Revolver.