The Legend of Benz
Every city has its myths. His just happens to be true.
The projection booth
Benz grew up in the projection booth of the Grand Marquee, raised on flickering light by Marlowe, the projectionist who taught him two things: how film works, and how people work. He learned framing before fighting, timing before temper. By sixteen he could thread a projector blindfolded and talk his way past any usher in the city.
The first trouble
His first heist wasn't for money — it was for a film. A studio was going to destroy the only print of a silent classic to claim the insurance; Benz lifted it the night before the "accident" and returned it to the archive anonymously. The papers called it a burglary. Marlowe called it the first scene.
The code
Somewhere along the way the jobs got bigger and the legend got louder, and Benz wrote the code that keeps him — in his words — "the hero of my own picture": never steal from people who can't afford the lesson, never lie to the crew, never run from a scene you started. He has broken laws in four districts. He has never broken the code.
The wanted man
The Commissioner has a file on Benz three inches thick and not one charge that sticks. The city has his silhouette on posters it doesn't officially print. And on any given midnight, if you know which marquee to watch, you'll see him — overcoat collar up, gold ring catching the light, right on cue.
At a glance
| Detail | Lore |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benz (no other name has ever stuck) |
| Age | Late twenties in the current story arc |
| Home | A room above the Grand Marquee, the City |
| Signature look | Charcoal overcoat, black turtleneck, gold ring |
| Signature car | A vintage black art-deco roadster |
| Crew | Marlowe, Dot |
| Nemesis | The Commissioner |
All of the above is invented character lore — see Behind the Lore for how this site handles fiction honestly.