CALL of CTHULHU - 1925

Madelyn 'Maddie' Perry-Rodgers



- Appearance: Gender - female, Age - 26, HT - 5'8", WT - 132lbs, DoB - July 07, 1899
Eyes - Frosty Blue, Hair - Dark Chestnut Brown, Skin - Caucasian, Blood Type - B+

Background - "A Woman of Substance"
Medelyn "Maddie" Perry Rodgers was born on Jul 7, 1899 in Washington D.C. to John Rodgers II and his wife Joan.  Madelyn and her older brother Johnathan inherit a rich history of Naval officers and a military dynasty of Rodgers dating back to the war of 1812; her great grandfathers, Commodores both, Rodgers and Perry in the US Navy.  She is related by blood to Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry who opened Japan to trade with the west.  Madelyn's own father, Commander John Rodgers, is famous for being one of the first US Naval Aviators.  On September 1911 then, Lieutenant John Rodgers flew a crated (he then assembled) Wright model B-1 aircraft delivered by Orville Wright at an armory in Annapolis, Maryland.  Madelyn grew up with the heritage of military service strong in her family.  Her first memories were of her father leaving to fight in World War I in Europe as a Submarine captain for the U.S. Navy.  Madelyn's young life was often touched with joy and wonder with her older brother always leading the way to new adventure.  Madelyn has very little memories of her mother as she died when she was very young from Tuberculoses when she was only 3.  Her father was able to come back home for the funeral and instilled in Madelyn a firm resilience to loss.  Her father gave her mother's engagement ring as a memento of her.  As such Madelyn's most poignant role model in her youth was her older brother and that has inspired her to be somewhat tom-boyish in her upbringing, as she has grown up around piloting, firearms, and distinctly unwomanly hobbies... and awakened in her a curiosity about the natural world and science!

Her father returned to the war and for some years her grandmother, Harriet Megis Perry raised her and her brother, but Madelyn never grew bitter about the long times of her father's absence.  Her father wrote them both constantly and inspired her to emulate her brother and she developed a keen longing to travel and understand the mysteries of the world that never diminished in her heart.  With those letters also came a deep love for flying.  She and her brother became very close being constant companions as they lived miles from other children.  Her grandmother's farm was in the rolling hills of Westchester New York State and long did Johnathan and Madelyn roam those hills dreaming of adventure and travel.  She couldn't wait to grow up to be a pilot and scientist!  Her grandmother encouraged Madelyn that there was NOTHING she could not do or become!!!

Madelyn had a clearly keen intelligence in school always excelling with her sharp mind and keen intellect!  When she turned 16 she enrolled in the Massachusetts University. Where against Stiff male discrimination she excelled in her education proving herself every bit as equal if not superior to her male colleges.  Madelyn went so far as to start a women's fencing club AND a Women's marksman-target shooting society!  Everything she did flew in the face of accepted Women's roles and she reveled in it, to the shock of all who knew her because of her Stunning beauty most never expected her to be possessed of such a genius level intellect!

She was only once unsuccessfully sexually assaulted, but the feisty young woman proved to be far more capable of defending herself than her male attackers realized.  That is when Madelyn began routinely traveling armed!

Most of her college education was solely dedicated to filling her mind with knowledge of science of many different fields.  She received her undergraduate degree in the Sciences.  She wanted to fund further studies and sought to gain an internship with Bell Labs and even General Electric but they would not seriously accept a woman no matter academic accomplishments!

Until that is she met the Professor Nikola Tesla!  The professor was in his later years but was keenly fascinated by the brilliant young woman's interest in science.  They met at a science convention in New York and stuck up a conversation over coffee.  Madelyn immediately went to work in his labs as an assistant.  Even though Prof. Tesla could not pay her much she was satisfied doing research beside such a brilliant scientist and inventor!

In 1919, her brother Johnathan, returned to the states, to a hero's welcome.  Madelyn and her grandmother warmly welcomed him and his father back to the states.  Then went home with Madelyn and his grandmother to her farm to relax and recover some from his war-time strains.  For once in a decade all the Perry-Rodgers were home at once.  Father, Son and daughter worked on the damaged Sopwith 1 1/2 "Strutter" until it was in flying condition.  They would spend hours flying it together or taking Madelyn for flights, and she learned quickly to pilot admirably.  Madelyn considers the 'Strutter' "Her" plane now!

Madelyn told Johnathan of his father's, now Commander John Rodgers II, historic attempted non-stop flight from California to Hawaii in command of the flying boat PN9-1 and its sister craft the PN9-3 commanded by Lt. Allen P. Snody.  John was pleased to learn Madelyn was there to greet her father's arrival when a fuel shortage forced his plane to land short of their destination in Hawaii and he commanded the crew in improvising sails from the plane's wing material to continue their trip on the ocean.  The harbor master and Madelyn had rowed out to the plane and helped the crew surf over the reef into the safe harbor as it was towed in by Submarine R-4 on a routine patrol when it discovered the plane 15 miles from Nawiliwili Bay, Kauai after being overdue for several days.

But john did not stay long and Madelyn went back to her studies and which her father fully funded though she only reluctantly accepted the funds to which John Sr. revealed he had left a significant portion his war salary to her for just exactly such a purpose... but her grandmother had insisted that he let Madelyn do it her way to 'earn' her own tuition.

A year later, Madelyn sent a letter to Johnathan in North Africa reporting that she had graduated Salutatorian from Mass University in the field of physics and had gained a job as a lab assistant for the eccentric and famous scientist and electrical engineer/inventor Nikola Tesla and how fascinating some of the experiments and projects they were working on.


Recently, John has flown 'Thunderbird' to the States visiting family and delivering cargo.  Madelyn met him in New York.  Madelyn's boss Prof. Nikolai Tesla is here seeking investment capital in his experiments from Regina's Father Mr. Chadwick cause he's rich.  The Profs presentation/investment pitch is in a day or two... but in the meantime he has asked Madelyn to make a good impression on Mr. Chadwick's daughter to help his chances.  Madelyn has gotten an invitation to Regina's Homecoming party and has Asked her big brother, John, to escort her to the party so she's not alone... AND secretly... she is trying to match make for her brother... who she feels needs a good woman to settle down with {an old argument between the two ~ 'father wants grand-children' [And if John settles down.. her father will stop bugging her about getting married with children as she is more interested in spending her time in the lab plumbing the secrets of the universe]}.

Madelyn is not necessarily TRYING to get John hooked up with Regina Chadwick specifically.. but any young heiress at the party would do if it would get John to stop his globe-trotting and settle down!