The Esper

The Esper is the leader of a Hunter tribe based around the former city of Traverse City, Michigan. The Esper is a precog, a psyker who can sense future events, and is 216 years old.

Background
The Esper was born in 2071 in a government facility in Warren, Michigan, home to a top-secret program that subjected exceptionally gifted individuals to a series of mind-altering drugs in an attempt to spy on the Chinese via remote viewing. The Esper's mother was a test subject in the program, a former Great Lakes University student who dropped out due to chem addiction, and it was quite the scandal when the doctors discovered she was pregnant after being confined to the facility for well over a year. Even in the womb, the baby's mental abilities were off the charts. Doctor Hammett, head of the facility, declared the unborn baby property of the project, possibly the person the program had been looking for, and ordered more experiments on the mother while analyzing the effects on the fetus. The mother was in a near-catatonic state by the time she gave birth and died shortly after. The baby was named Arthur and given his father's last name: Hammett.

Even at a young age, everyone recognized Arthur was special. Sometimes he just "knew" things. Birthday surprises. Arguments the doctors had, or would have later. Thunderstorms were the worst, the loud noises would sometimes scare him days ahead of the time, something that stumped the doctors at first. But the doctors loved him and calmed him when they could. Many saw him as their own child, watching him grow through the years and helping guide him. However one day, Arthur began to cry and throw tantrums. At first a thunderstorm was suspected, Arthur was better than any weatherman, but none came. And this was worse than any storm before, Arthur cried for days, weeks even. One morning he ran from the doctors, leading them on a chase and hiding deep in the facility, refusing to come out. Within the hour, the facility was struck by bombs in the Great War. Only those who took shelter with Arthur survived. Days later, Arthur told the others they had to leave; the doctors didn't hesitate to agree. At the age of 5, Arthur led the other survivors north.

Thanks to Arthur, the group made the trip safely. He always knew when to move camp before an attack and which groups they encountered would be friend or foe. The survivors of the facility always followed his lead and soon word got around about the group being led by a child, a child said to see the future. Their group began to grow around the wasteland messiah. His longevity of life, a side effect from his increased mental function, wasn't realized until sometime later. His teen youth seemed to stretch into what would be considered adulthood and by the time he resembled an adult, most of the survivors from the facility had died of old age. His long lifespan has given him the unique opportunity many generations of his group, the Hunter tribe he has led for over two centuries.

In 2287, the Esper, as he is commonly known to his tribe, is old and wrinkled at the age of 216. He has foreseen the greatest threat his tribe has ever faced, one he knows they can't run from: Ares, the God of War. However he has also foreseen a Destined One, a hero who would appear and decide the fate of all.

Behind the Scenes

 * Minority Report, Stranger Things, Men Who Stare at Goats, (anything MK Ultra-related) all went to inspire the Esper. The program he was born into is a Fallout equivalent of MK Ultra.
 * Like ARES, he is a relic of the pre-War fight against the Chinese.