30 Coins

[Vorenus]

Hi there.  I have a few figs mostly for painting purposes, but I love wargames fluff and this guy really intregues me.  Is there anything written about him anywhere?
I normally remember enough french to clean up a bablefish translation, so I don't mind if it hasn't yet been translated, just wondering a few things.
It's all the Biblical references that are making me wonder what his background will be.
The name "30 coins" brings to mind 30 pieces of silver, and the "Musket of Longinus":  Isn't that a reference to the spear with which Jesus's suffering was prolonged on the cross?
Is this guy actually Judas Escariot, or the roman soldier longinus, or at least does he have something to do with the crucifiction?
He's just intregued me a lot at the moment, so anyone know anything?

[mathieu]

The name "30 coins" brings to mind 30 pieces of silver, and the "Musket of Longinus":  Isn't that a reference to the spear with which Jesus's suffering was prolonged on the cross?

The French name actually is the translation for the "30 pieces of silver" (30 deniers) that Judas received for betraying Jesus. I'm assuming "30 coins" was chosen for its brevity, unfortunately that also makes it lose the direct biblical reference. The musket is certainly a reference to the holy lance of Longinus (although I think it was used to show Jesus was dead rather than to prolong his agony).

However there's little information as for who this guy actually is. His fluff in the book is about his thoughts as he chases and executes the last, 10 year old survivor of a caravan he was hired to kill. There's reference to betrayal in there as he had joined the caravan before eliminating its members, and he does mention that he only does that for money. Also I guess his ending the agony of the 10 y.o. boy (who already got a bullet in the belly) could be another analogy to the holy lance. But unless I miss something there's no clear hint of his being either Judas Iscariot or Longinus.

[Silveri]

Edited reverso.net translation:

"... The man had the aspect of a blind old man, dressed in a thick mantis of heavy velvet. In his strangely strong arms he held a long musket decorated with occult signs that pulsed weakly with a reddish light.
« I intend for you to suffer, behind that rock. Your numb body scrapes on the chaos of the loose stones, your hands eager for a grip, slick as the rain on the surface of a lake. Poor marionette! The thread of your life shall break from moment to the other one. I hear over the roaring of the wind the terrified beating of your heart which is carried away.
The bullet of my musket struck you full in the stomach. You are still alive, why bother resisting? With a snap of my fingers I could put an end to your agony, since surely you will die whatever happens... "

Hidden in shadow, the "blind old man" is capable of scoring with his Musket Of Longinus, whatever is the size of the target and the distance which separates them. Nevertheless, if the prey is pious, it will have a chance to resist the impact of the ball shot with the occult firearm of the famous Thirty Coins

--

Now, I don't think that he is necessarily Judas although that could certainly be possible, I would suggest that the musket is made from the spear of longinus.

[Corto]

I'd say probably Judas.
The authors like to leave a doubt on who the person is, and sometimes they roll up several historical (or well known mythical) figures into one character. But here, I was too late pointing out that the name translation should be "30 pieces of silver".

[Dogmeat]

Gah!  How the hell did I not notice that ?

More annoyingly, when I mentioned to the missus I`ve totally missed this fact about "Thirty Coins" she said "Do you mean Judas?".  It was about a second later.  Dammit.

[alecfras]

When you stop and consider over whether or not he's in fact Judas, who else COULD he possibly be?     If you take a peek in the rulebook on his pic in the Mercenaries section (assuming you have a copy, that is), he's even holding a little holy cross up to his lips and looks rather melancholy while he does.  I just love the subtlety of his whole character to that respect in the Hell Dorado universe and think it's massively creative the way they did him up as a sniper with the apparent 'musket' of Longinus.

- Alec

[Dogmeat]

I`d hazard a guess that he`s blind because his head is being eaten by Satan ....