Description
Lila was blessed with all of her mother's charming features, all but her wide, insisting eyes. She had her father to thank for the mixture of pale green and hints of deep almond, catlike in some semblances, occasionally hidden behind her tortoiseshell glasses. High cheekbones and a certain roundness to her face attributes an almost cherubic, youthful appearance and she often applies just the right touches of powders, coals and lipsticks to accentuate her already natural beauty. Her hair is almost always piled on top of her head in a complicated pattern of clips and bobbies, chestnut brown with a sunny array of blonde here and there from many days in the sun. She is slender, but nowhere near petite with spidery long, lengthy legs and arms. She is typically pale as parchment, but the sun has stained her skin the color of weak tea and sprinkled her skin with a bothersome gaggle of freckles. Lila's wardrobe is impressive, with everything from dainty dresses with fine embroidery and laces to cargo pants and cotton shirts, her usual uniform on expeditions such as these.

Fears
Reptiles
Heights
Getting lost
Small spaces
Not meeting requirements in appropriate time

Likes
Tea
Learning about the unknown
Ancient history
The importance of civilization
Proper etiquette
Responsibility
Work

Dislikes
Disrespectful people
Getting dirty
Going without the comforts of home
Ignorance

Skills
Research
Setting up a quality camp
Professional horse handler

Strengths
Intelligent and well-educated
Wealthy
Able to hold her own in a difficult environment

Weaknesses
Unable to handle a weapon
Somewhat severe at times
Occasionally offensive

Weapons
None

Lila Mae was born to a wealthy family in New Jersey. Her mother, Anne Marie Scottsdale, was a student at Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women in Scotland. Her father, Roger Rottingham, was a young private in the Royal Navy when he met her at a family party when he was on leave after his first tour. He immediately fell for her candid wit and beauty, and they were married just two weeks after their initial meeting. Anne Marie finished her degree while Roger finished his second tour in the Royal Navy, and they made the mutual decision to move to America in hopes of Anne Marie starting a practice in a place where women were less demonized for their respective professions. Roger attended the College of New Jersey (now-named Princeton University) and received his Bachelor's degree in Ancient History with a minor in Geography.

Anne Marie's practice took off and Roger taught at local school yards. For years, it was assumed that they were unable to conceive...until at the age of thirty-two, Anne Marie was pregnant with their one and only child. Lila Mae was showered with love from her family. She was the apple of her father's eye and her mother's pet, consumed with learning anything and everything. She was brought up to be a perfect lady, and learned many skill sets from etiquette to equestrianism.

When Lila was seven, Anne Marie died due to complications from an unknown disease. The pain of losing his partner was not taken lightly by Roger, and he spent long hours in his study with various research projects. It was not until Lila was ten that Roger found his vigor for life again. He wrote two books on the history of war and ancient China, which garnered him much respect and attention. The government then commissioned him for an expedition, and his wanderlust began.

He took Lila with him on every expedition, traveling through reclusive areas of the United States such as Montana and parts of California. She learned inside and out the tricks of the trade, keeping up with her school studies along the way. She learned to adapt to the lifestyle of discomfort for a cause, and she involved herself in as much of the process as her father would allow. During his final journey through the wildest wildernesses of America, he caught dysentery and died at the age of forty-two. The world lost an asset to education and exploration, and Lila was crushed. Just before his death, he agreed to take on the job of exploring the Verde River Valley. Lila knew that mourning had to be short, because the government waits for no one...and she wanted to prove to her father and world that she was more than capable to step into her father's shoes. She envisions showing the world just what she could do.