Joel

Early Life
Joel was born to a Mexican woman named Jacinta Guerrero, and an unnamed mixed-race man who claimed to be Navajo. His father left before he was born and the only thing Jacinta ever told Joel about him was that he was "tall" and "a real trick shooter." His early childhood was quiet and uneventful. He lived on the outskirts of Bernalillo and sometimes accompanied his mother to work at the small canteen. Bernalillo was where he found the being from Sky Country.

In 1846 with the start of the Mexican-American war, Jacinta followed her then-lover Fritz Atchison to the small town of Cibola. She and Joel stayed in Cibola when Fritz left them.

Life with the Coyotes
When he was eleven, Joel began associating with the Coyote No-Ones, a regional gang that had some small operations in Cibola. Initially he and some younger boys joined the gang as runners. They were occasionally mistreated by the members, but were generously tipped and fed, and educated in shooting and gambling by means of exposure to the older members. At age thirteen he moved from Cibola to the gang's main hideout in Porahi. He continues to be a low-ranking grunt and entertains his peers with fancy trick-shots.

Joel, then known as Joserra/Chepe, had hopes of working his way up the ranks and amassing wealth for himself. He was on the verge of a promotion when an outside military unit took down the Coyotes in a sting operation.

Life with the House of Crows
See also: House of Crows

After being taken into custody, Joel was given a choice: hang with the rest of gang, or join Isaiah King. He reluctantly agreed to join and took up the name Joel. He joined a service of young men who served as the corps of the House of Crows, working with Shenandoah, Noah, and Goldy. Joel eventually became Isaiah's protege.

Life as a wanderer
After Isaiah's downfall and death, what remains of the House of Crows is disbanded. A number of entities, including Pinkerton, attempt to bring the former members to justice. Joel, now 38, is pursued by a number of figures, goes west and disappears into the desert. Those who rode in pursuit of him do not come back.

He returns to Rosedale to visit Angie, one of the few friends he's kept in contact with. She gives the plate over to him and tasks him with bringing it to her mother in Oregon, where she hopes more powerful magicians will be able to destroy it once and for all.

Life with Shida
Having developed a deep relationship with the plate, Joel is nevertheless mistrustful of Shida when he first incarnates.

Personality
He is prone to emotional lability, made worse by his drinking. Mistakes his passive suicidal ideation for courage.

Relationships
Isaiah King: His father figure and mentor. Joel hunts him down because that's the only way he knows how to deal with the grief and loss. In the end, killing Isaiah brings him no solace. His sorrow and heartbreak are not problems that can be shot through.

John Morrison: There's an element of jealousy over Isaiah, Joel believes he can't measure up to John in terms of importance to Isaiah and John believes Isaiah replaced John with Joel.

Literary Notes
Crows appear as a motif throughout Joel’s storylines. He was originally part of a group of outlaws called the House of Crows. His major appearances are foreshadowed by crows gathering beforehand, and following his travels.

In the end it’s revealed that crows gather around him because he’s always leaving his food cooking uncovered and unguarded. There isn’t anything supernatural about them, he’s just a slob.