Jean Baptiste Charbonneau’s Cradleboard

Origin
Fur trapper, gold miner, wilderness explorer, hotel operator, mayor, military scout and son of Shoshone guide Sacagawea and Métis trader Toussaint Charbonneau. Although only the elder Charbonneau was supposed to join the expedition as a translator, Lewis and Clark agreed to bring his family along when they discovered Sacagawea was pregnant. Born en route in North Dakota, Jean and Sacagawea’s presence ensured native tribes of the expedition’s peaceful intentions. Jean gained the affection of co-leader William Clark, who named him Pomp, raised him while in St. Louis and even paid for his education.

Jean boarded a steamer for Europe and lived with a duke’s family for six years, possibly working as a servant and improving his language; much is unclear about this period of his life. He returned to the States as a fur trapper alongside other mountain men until he was hired as a military scout during the Mexican-American War, guiding supply routes along newly constructed roadways. He was afterwards appointed alcade (magistrate) of San Diego until forced out, which he finally replaced with gold prospecting in California.

Effects
Grants the user assimilative powers, allowing them to replicate newly seen skills and absorb technical knowledge through proximity. The user does not have executive control over these changes, so they are unable to consistently use their newfound skills on command. Many times, they occur naturally without conscious thought, as forcibly willing their self to perform will actually mangle the effect. A difficult to achieve state of intentionally glossing over and neglecting events allows the subject to recover the new knowledge easier.