Character: Jackkal
Server: The Venture Co.
This tough girl was my first 'serious' roleplaying character. Originally, Jackkal (or Jack) was a stereotypical rough and tumble rogue. A breaker of hearts and a thiever of moneys. She was one of the boys, to a tee. But gradually she began to take on a life and a story, and to this day she is my favorite of all characters I've ever played. She is my 'main' at the moment, but I don't play her or develop her as much as I'd like to these days.
If I had a computer good enough to handle machinima, the poster would look like this:
Click on it to enlarge.
OriginsJack (born as Mary Wainwright, but she would put a dagger through you if you found that out, much less called her that to her face) starts her story out as a member of the Wastewander tribe. You know. Those bandits you kill in droves while out in Tanaris, working for the goblins? The premise is that while the Wastewanders shed no tears over raiding the goblin caravans (being basically land pirates), they have commandeered the waterstations in the desert to prevent the total monopoly of Gadgetzan over the dunes of Tanaris. And to make a profit, of course. We are talking about bandits, here.
Of course you as a player can't possibly suspect this. Consequently, Jack has a deep seeded hatred of goblins (and spends a fair amount of time slaughtering them). I as a player sometimes forget this and try to land in Booty Bay or Ratchet. Sigh...
Jack and her lifetime pal Kahlil spend their days leading a band of Wastewanders against the various trade routes through the desert, sometimes working with the coastal pirates to dominate the flow of goods. However, after their charismatic leader (one
Caliph Scorpidsting) is killed by mercenaries from Gadgetzan (read: you, the player... dirty bastards!), she and the remainder of the Wastewanders are forced to scatter. Jack and Kahlil find saftey within the ranks of the
Southsea Pirates, who the Wastewanders have allied with on occasion.
They live the pirate life for awhile, eventually finding themselves in Booty Bay, where they are nearly picked up by goblins yet again. The two flee the port town into the jungles, where they have a hard time dodging trolls, raptors, murlocs, and all sorts of hazards. Kahlil and Jack, being longtime friends, develop a romance during this time.
They eventually find their way to Stormwind City, where they eke out a living in the underworld. Their romance is short lived. Kahlil becomes involved with the Defias and finds himself in the Stockades. He counts on Jack to weasel him out of it, but she isn't able to help him without implicating herself by association. She leaves him to face his fate, and he goes into captivity full of resentment towards her.
Desert Girl in the Big City"Anyway… I ended up in Stormwind after workin’ on a Southsea outfit. Made my livin’ liberatin’ rich cityfolk from their valuables. I ain’t ashamed so don’t give me that look! If you’re too blind an’ prideful to mind yourself, you don’t deserve what you got. Noble Houses… heh, they’re the most corrupt of all! I’d be stealin’ ‘em blind with one hand whiles they’re stackin’ gold in the other, payin’ me to off some poor wretch they got the evil eye on.
What? I’m not really appreciatin’ the look on your face. I got some morals! I ain’t never held my daggers toward them that can’t defend themselves, or them that didn’t have it comin’ so you can wipe that righteous glare right offa your face before I do it for you! Cripes.
City life wasn’t ALL bad. I did make some friends. Some blondie priest, a gnome carryin’ a sword taller than he was, a stuffy matriarch type with a penchant for plate armor… but after a few years I’d worn out my welcome in the Noble Houses and felt like maybe the Stockades weren’t great accommodations for me, a gal of exactin’ taste such that I am."
-Excerpt from "A Candid Conversation with Jack the Bone Trader."
While she works as a mercenary and general underworld gopher, Jack forms a relationship with a priest at the Stormwind Cathedral. Life is good for over a year for her.
Stealing From Nobles is a Bad IdeaEspecially when you get caught. Eventually, her 'employers' catch wind of her doings, and Jack is forced to flee the city, cutting all ties with anyone she had come to meet for fear of them becoming embroiled in the nobles' wrath.
"I knew I was bein’ followed. That’s what happens when you work for Noble Houses. They get to thinkin’ you know too much bout how things work under their eaves and set to hirin’ someone meaner and tougher than you ta track you down. Course, findin’ their coffers a considerable bit emptier didn’t help either. I knew it wouldn’t be long till some chump came along, lookin’ to take my head back to the city. Northrend… now, that was one place ain’t no sane folk gonna follow me."
Northrend is Cold
Jack finds herself in Northrend, and quickly gets involved in the profitable fur trade. While ferrying furs, she is attacked by Scourge and nearly is killed, managing to dupe them by sacrificing her horse (who she is very attached to), and making a break for it. She is chased for days, unknowingly having stumbled into Scourge infested territory. As a last ditch effort, she attempts to find shelter at the Temple of En'kilah, unaware of what lay within. Her last living memories are seared in pain, screaming, and a dark hooded figure lifting her broken form from the ice and sinking its teeth into her shoulder. She awoke a death knight.
This was a great solution. Originally a rogue class as mentioned, I had lost Jack due to account problems (i.e. never share an account with a significant other unless you plan to marry them), so being able to remake her as a death knight made me a very happy girl.
Bone Trader?Because she's a mercenary. And she's got like... bones and stuff. Bone shields. Ghouls.
... shut up!
Actually, it's how she proves she has accomplished her hit. By bringing back a piece of the target's skeleton. Kinda gross but Jack has never been squeamish! Me, though... bleh. ._.
Lately I've been spending a lot of time on the Moon Guard server, even going so far as to make my first transfer -ever-, sending a druid from Venture Co. to Moon Guard. I'm enjoying myself for the most part but I feel a sense of guilt for leaving the server I've been playing on for near three years.
