Jack West
Fell in love with a harlequin.
Saw the darkest hearts of men,
And I saw myself starin' back again,
And I saw myself starin' back again.
Oh my God, please help me,
Neck deep in the river, screamin' for relief.
He says it's mine to give, but it's yours to choose,
You're gonna sink or swim, you're gonna learn the truth,
No matter what you do you're gonna learn the truth, sayin'
Ate the bread that once was stone.
Fell from a cliff, never broke a bone.
Bowed down to get the kings overthrown,
And I'm all alone and the fire grows,
And I'm all alone and the fire grows."
Personal Information
An Australian agricultural manager (farmer) who was stripped bare of his mortal tethers by fire and death. Jack West was embraced in February of 2005, in front of the burning ruins of his Kine life, and promptly abandoned by his Sire. In the ashes that remained, little was left of Jack but the salt he was born of; the salt of the earth. That very salt would forever burn the parasitic blood of the Beast that intrudes in his being.
The salt shines through in his gritty personality, his blunt honesty, a policy stressing a minimum of secrecy, and his seemingly simple, straightforward nature. Salt is a dangerous chemical substance in the right, or wrong, hands, moving from perfect seasoning to catastrophic explosive - much like Jack himself. The fire that scoured his past life from the face of the world, however, was not about to be outdone so easily - or at all. Its mark forever changed the man, and all who meet him, in one way or another, feel the same, terrifying warmth of the flame.
With a shrewd mind, sharp claws, and a willingness to walk the front lines in spite of fear, Jack has made many marks on the Adelaide Court in his short Requiem. A brief stint as Sheriff saw a marked increase in Court and City stability in a time of great turmoil, and low Court numbers. After a number of changing hands, Praxis of Adelaide landed squarely in Jack's lap, and some would say he picked it up at full sprint. Nevertheless, he has not escaped the wrath that boils inside all Gangrel.
Given his fiery embrace? It may consume him before he escapes it... If he lets it.
Appearance
Jack West tops out at a sturdy six feet tall, clocking the far side of a hundred and thirty kilos of fat, muscle and bone. There's Mediterranean in his mortal blood, given the dark, thick, tight-trimmed beard he wears, and the shoulder-length curling tendrils of brown-black hair. Green-hazel eyes are almost permanently hidden by black safety glasses, and his hair kept in check by a signature khaki Akubra hat. A wide jaw, smaller mouth and prominent nose round out his face.
A set of broad shoulders are (seemingly) exclusively adorned with a plaid button shirt, covered in a distinct, three-quarter length suede duster; just baggy enough to pack rifle-length heat without too much showing. Whether intentional or otherwise, the style de'Requiem for Jack is a 'clean, hard-edged cowboy' aesthetic; especially when considered with the 'must-be-ten-gallons-at-least' hat. He wears a black-patterned red bandana and has been seen to be resolutely protective of it. Regularly, he adjusts (perhaps a little too intentionally to be considered fidgeting) a ratty pair coarse brown woolen fingerless gloves, of which he also shows a distinct protectiveness. A pair of utilitarian khaki cargo pants over a set of size twelve, steel-toe boots round out the base image of Jack West.
The man himself tends to brood, storm and patrol rather than 'stand', 'move' or 'walk'. When he does move, it's always with the utmost purpose; whether a purpose exists or not is not always clear. Wherever he turns his head, a scrutinizing eye lingers behind black plastic. He always seems preoccupied with some undisclosed task; scanning the room, sniffing the air, closely observing others, or working on some manual thing. He never seems busy enough not to hold conversation; rather, he seems to only deem certain topics worth drawing the breath for, but when he does - prepare for an expressive, expletive-laden speech. Occasionally, he can be seen flipping the lid of a very modern looking jet lighter, or sipping from a plain steel hip flask. Otherwise, he stands ready to serve the Court of Adelaide. When he's not working on his farm, of course.
His shadow is long. A little too long. And it doesn't like to grow shorter with the changing lighting.
Personality
The very first thing Jack became known for was his Wrath. He was known to be, and still can be, an unparalleled font of rage; though in recent months he seems more adept at bottling his anger, or at the very least, more willing to. Where his Wrath ends, however, his Hope begins. Unlike some, when left without a firm and/or knowledgeable hand to guide him, Jack takes charge. He leads by cutting the first swath, wide and long, in the hope that, with enough loud grumbling, his Damned countrymen will see a clear path to progress on; lest they be lost to the depths of greed, pettiness and madness the Embrace brings en masse.
As a man, Jack is honest and straightforward in all things, as he finds blunt truth to be far more progressive and entertaining than secrets and lies. This doesn't preclude being mysterious when he can be, for a feeling of security, if nothing else. At around thirty-five, only a decade of that Embraced, he is an excellent caricature of an 'angry old cowboy' from a distance - shoot first, reload second, ask third. Up close, however, a Kine heart still sits in his chest, and it still remembers empathy. One on one, Jack is still direct and blunt as a hammer, but he listens. He sees the strain of the Beast all too clearly in others, as he feels it hang on his heart more each passing night. He believes in hard work, fair rules, and an equal field on which all Kindred can stand in the dark. His views on the Beast, the parasite that inflicts itself upon those called Kindred, are as salty as his personality.
He's also 'not particularly religious'.
It isn't too surprising to hear of Jack's heavy disdain for the very idea of Kindred, let alone their actual existence; he makes no effort to keep it hidden. The surprise comes in his strong attempt at being respectful and well-informed about the Requiem he now shares with all others. His anger, more now than ever, is focused like a laser only on worthy targets, decimating problems and bodies alike. Any toll taken on Jack's mental state remains generally unseen, as he does his best to keep his internal conflicts from public view - if only for decency's sake.
As a Gangrel, Jack actively works to subvert his Clan's affliction, striving to think more, not less, and to be the imposing, strict master that the Beast cowers from - not the inverse. His rage and his claws are infamous in Adelaide, but his alarmingly shrewd mind and keen ear are perhaps his most deadly, and least-known features. This level of perception and cognition has earned him surprising wisdom, some would say of that of Kindred decades his senior, or greater.
Many would try to summarize Jack in a sentence or less, for simplicity's sake. Jack's response to these sums him up much more aptly.
"Don't."
Mortal World
(WIP) His farm burned down and his fiancée dead, Jack cut ties with his living family and moved into the city to work in IT, trying to board the fast moving train to the future. The farm-life called, deep in his blood some would say, and after some serious wheeling and dealing (and, rumour has it, beneficiary bankrolling), Jack is back on a farm somewhere south east of the City, doing what he excels at, but keeping his head well down. Though his farm looks more like a fortress than a homestead, Jack has taken to the modern Adelaide city's thrumming nocturnal focus with discreet gusto.
Information Known by Kindred Society
Write-up under construction.
Timeline
- 1986 - Details under construction.
- 1996 - Details under construction.
- 2005 - Details under construction.
- 2007 - Details under construction.
- 2009 - Details under construction.
- 2011 - Details under construction.
- 2013 - Details under construction.
Recent History
2015
- April - ?
- May - ?
- June - ?
- July - ?
- August - Took Praxis.
Lineage
Known Sire
- The Corvus - Jack's relationship with his sire epitomizes the definition of 'Icy Pragmatism'. He bears no love for his Sire what so ever, and grants him no respect for his actions in the way he changed Jack's life. He had, at one point, intended to end his Sire's Requiem early, though it would have been no small task. However, having ascended to Praxis, (and after breaking his Sire's jaw, in direct and intentional violation of Elysium), he seems to have 'settled matters for now', leaving Corvus reeling in both thought and body. The necessity of a reliably strong arm of Law has seen Jack keep the Corvus on as Sheriff, though it remains to be seen whether anything will come of this close-proximity working relationship. At the very least, 'Taking Care of Business' seems to be their line's prime directive.
Known Siblings
- N/A
Known Childer
- N/A
Quotes
Quotes By
- "Don't be stupid. Stupid gets you killed. Stupid gets the Kine involved." - to Ariana Trentworth
- "No fucking idea. But tell me this - can you trust any of the fuckers you know nowadays? The answer is a staunch fucking no. You came to talk about your problems with me, and despite exactly how much effort I put into being the most grumbly bastard this side of the continent, you're not going to find anyone else who's willing to help you without return. So, no, you can't trust me. But if you risk it, I might actually be able to help you, unlike every other fucking wet noodle in this city." - After being asked "Can I trust you?" by Ariana Trentworth.
- "Don't tend to give it much thought because it's the same reason as all of us. Because some prick infected you with a parasite, like the rest of us, and, like me, you were left to rot. Boohoo." - Upon being asked "Do you know why I was embraced?" by Ariana Trentworth.
- "Do you let every shitty side-street preacher get to you when they tell you you're going to Hell? Sweetheart, we're IN Hell, here and fucking now, and he's been here for at least two centuries longer than both of us combined. So listen carefully when I say that you should be as righteously fucking indignant as I am, when I tell you how fucking little anything from God or Satan is to the likes of you and I. As far as I'm aware, we are the BOTTOM fucking rung of the supernatural food chain, and are consumed by madness and greed just as quickly as when we were alive. But guess what the sickest joke is? We're immortal. And we're even afraid of KINE. In short, take it from a Gangrel, mate - just nod and smile and fucking ignore him. He won't say anything of use to you, and if he does, be careful. He has long forgotten humanity." - consoling Ariana Trentworth after explaining the harsh comments given to her by Reverend Timothy Ward
- "Sounds like you honestly needed a proper Gangrel's advice on life. In short; don't take people's shit."
Quotes About
- "He burns with the fire that destroyed his life, and he speaks with wisdom beyond his brief years. I think he'll do right by Adelaide, but let's see if they do right by him. Anyway, I like him. He can stay." - Fatimah al-Mu'allima
- "West says that he wants to lead from the trenches. Let him do so, and let him blaze brightly as he does, but I must wonder if one who speaks this way truly knows what revelations are to be found in the mud and bones of the battlefield." - Thrace
- "Eh, he'll do fine. What's the worst that could happen?" - Corvus
Rumours
- The wall half-built around Jack's Farmstead are more akin to fortress walls than any windbreaker.
- Corn and Olive trees aren't the only things growing in soils of Jack's Farmstead - something darker has taken root.
- Jack's Pigs have a remarkably watchful eye. Some swear they pass dark looks to each other, and fall eerily silent when anyone approaches.
- There's something wrong with Jack's pigs.
- His Alpacas have won Best-In-Show several years running.
- Apparently, Jack is guarded about his bandana, and his gloves - something to do with his fiancée?
- Jack refers to his farm and Haven as The Bastion.
- The Protean nature of Jack's Beast is reaching some sort of breaking point.
- Jack has spent a good deal of time speaking with Duke Lorenzo Penthièvre, always with some measure of gravity to their discussion.
- A select few Kindred are rumoured to have been spotted entering and exiting Jack's farmstead. Given the state of the outer wall - Invite-Only is the most likely bet?
Soundtrack
- Bartholomew - The Silent Comedy
- Bright Eyes - Blind Guardian
- Fury of the Wild - Hammerfall
- Hallowed Be My Name - Hammerfall
- Into The Darkness - The Phantoms
- Mad Max: Fury Road OST - Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL)
- Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
- The Pantheon (Ain't Gonna Catch You) - Darren Korb
- Wanted: Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Boons
- Minor boon owed by Desmond Kale for provision of resources (13/06/2015).
- Minor boon owed to the Corvus for breaking his jaw (deserved.) (22/8/2015)
- Major boon owed to Lorenzo Penthièvre for Preventing Blood Bonding. (22/8/2015)
- Two Major boons owed by Judith Doulton for 'Praxis Conditions'. (19/8/2015)
OOC Information
| Member Information | |
| Player: | Bear |
|---|---|
| Number: | 2012100002 |
| Domain: | Adelaide |