Jack Darkness

Jack Darkness is one of Puerto Dorado’s longest-staying members, having seen every recent era of the Isla and living through many conflicts. He cares deeply for the denizens of the isle and is dedicated to his role as a Pirate Lord and protector of the small pirate nation. He is always willing to fight, manipulate, and put himself at risk for those under his care, and acts as almost a spymaster for the isle; watching over its most dark and shadowy places.

Backstory
Jack started off as the son of a poor woman in the slums of London, stealing to make his way in the harsh underbelly of the city. At sixteen he began to engage in regular burglary of houses in London’s more expensive districts and fell deep into the city's criminal underworld. However, he began to find himself at odds with the criminals he now associated with, finding them too far gone into actions he considered unfair. And so he began to plot a heist so grand that the loot alone would be enough to catapult him into high society. And his associates would not receive a single penny.

However, life never goes to plan, and while he managed to stow the money with his mother, half of London’s criminal underworld wanted his head on a plate. And this was what led to Jack’s first great escape. He could not stay in the city and yet was too poor to travel, and so he took the only available path: he offered himself to the navy press gangs.

What followed was six years of suffering. But Jack changed and grew. He began to use what wit he had and what he began to realise was a talent for violence to claw his way through the ranks. Soon, he became an officer, and, at age 22 a naval captain, an achievement unheard of for someone of his background and age. Jack had managed it and now had to prove he was worth it. And so he sailed into the Caribbean at the helm of the Gentleman’s Folly to hunt pirates.

Jack proved talented. He had skill, a sharp mind, and a personally selected his crew from the most trusted men he could muster. He even managed to turn the notorious mad assassin Rivier Verd into somewhat of a team player. But the achievements took Jack by storm and he began to become arrogant and dissatisfied. He was sick of the way the navy treated him and his men and wanted to carve out his own legacy. And so he began to sail into the waters of Isla de Oro. And that is where the Gentleman’s Folly was sunk.

Nearly all of the crew perished. Jack was one of the few survivors and was cast into the bowels of the Quacken’s Wrath, where he languished. But in that prison, a realisation struck him. This was his chance to make something, to be something, to defeat the isle. He began to befriend the guards with tales and jokes until they let him out as a simple pirate, just like any other. He was once again at the bottom, and once again, he would claw his way to the top.

And so he did. As he stayed on the isle longer, he began to develop something. The one feeling which had always guided him. Loyalty to himself and the people he found himself caring for. When he finally came face to face with redcoats, he did not act as a spy or traitor. He gave them a taste of his pistol.

But nothing is ever simple. Because Jack had never truly been normal. It took a tragedy, and violence, but eventually Jack discovered the truth of his origin. The being known as Cernunnos was his father, and this had created a spark of magic within him. And, during the battle with Astigmatism, his soul was carved in two, and that spark became a flame. Upon his soul being reformed Jack was a new being, one who not only fully understood the power he was born with, but who understood himself, no longer at odds with his own personality. And so he changed physically also, going from a normal man to something more than human.

Appearance & Gear
Jack is a tall man, at around 1.93m (6’4). He has black hair with a single white streak that matches the black streak in Captain Everett’s hair. His green eyes give off a glow when he uses his abilities and in the dark due to his non-human nature. His teeth are sharp, similar to a shark's.

Across the bridge of his nose, Jack has an x-shaped scar which he gained when astigmatism ripped his soul in two and has a far larger scar across his chest which was gained upon his soul’s repair. His left shoulder also has a bullet scar, as well as a handprint-shaped burn. Across his back, he has a tattoo saying ‘Fool’, covering a scar in the same shape.

He usually wears simple black trousers and black leather boots, coupled with a golden buckled belt and a grey shirt. On top of this, he wears a repurposed long and loose navy coat, now in black with golden highlights. He has numerous earrings and piercings and wears a necklace with a bullet attached, the bullet being the one which he took to the shoulder in his duel with Captain Salty Fox McMasters. On his hands, Jack usually wears boxer wraps concealed by black gloves.

As for gear, Jack is usually a melee fighter, preferring hand-to-hand combat, but is also proficient in many weapons. On his person, he usually carries his navy sword, a long thin blade with a rectangular handle guard, and a golden tassel on the bottom of the hilt; and his reinforced pistols, two twin flintlocks designed for speed of use and firing explosive shadow bullets. He also owns a rifle, named The Whitechapel Rose due to the engraving of a rose on its side, which he uses for long-range combat and has a sentimental attachment to as it was his primary weapon in his first days of piracy. Jack also possesses a black curved knife which can absorb and repurpose small amounts of chaos energy.

Jack also uses iron bullets and occasionally explosives depending on the situation.

Personality
Jack often comes off as a spiky mix of chaotic, flirtatious, and violent upon first meeting. And whilst all of those are true to his character, the true Jack, the one very few get to see, is a man who has endured much trauma and now just wants to do better. Of course, Jack loves to outwit, outdo, and outpunch those who threaten the people he cares about; but beneath this the Lord truly hates the act of hurting others, at least beyond repair.

The true Jack is often melancholic, quiet, and principled, but he is driven by an insatiable desire to help and protect others. Despite everything, the lord is loving, even if he doesn’t show it often, and stands by a strict moral code. However, that doesn’t make him weak, and he is willing to cross many boundaries to protect his ideals, whilst trying his best to avoid becoming one of the hypocrites he so despises.

Abilities & Skills

 * Swordsmanship Jack is a talented swordsman and can hold his own in most duels.
 * Marksmanship Jack is an excellent marksman, being able to hit often near-impossible shots.
 * Explosive Affinity Jack has demonstrated significant skill with explosives, and while not an expert, is capable of making bombs and simple traps.
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat Jack is extremely proficient at hand-to-hand combat, using it as his primary fighting method. He can hold his own against almost any opponent and utilises his shadows to amplify his attacks and movements. While his style is often based on a boxer's, he incorporates gymnastics and martial arts elements into his combat for an unpredictable and dangerous attack style. He trains excessively to be able to seamlessly blend these moves together and is able to do so almost perfectly.
 * Swimming Jack is a good swimmer.
 * Basic Shadows Jack is able to summon his Shadows, black and white energy sourced from shade, and use them to create blasts of force. This can be applied to strengthen his punches, bullets, blades, or movements, and their power will vary depending on how much energy he can pour into them.
 * Shadow Warping Jack can use his shadows and the shadows around him to teleport or create portals from place to place. He can only create portals to places he has seen or been to, and the amount of energy required depends on the distance of the portal. He can use this for transport, unpredictable combat, or to summon or remove items such as weapons or clothing.
 * Shadow Sense Jack can use the shadows around him to create an almost sixth sense, seeing the remnants of all things. This can be used in tracking, situations in which sight is impaired, or to improve his aim. If he puts in a higher shadow output, he can use it to gain insights into the minds of others and the nature of his surroundings, but this requires far more effort and can be dangerous.
 * Dark Sense Jack’s eyes are able to see normally in any darkness. When this ability is activated, his eyes begin to glow.
 * Perseverance Combat sends Jack into a state where he will not give in until he dies. This allows his will to be extremely large, often staying alive just because he desires to survive so much.
 * Infinity Remnants Jack has seen infinity, and while he cannot vocalise the knowledge that brings, it allows him to have a true understanding of the universe, and random bursts of knowledge. It is unclear whether he can still tap into the full extent of this ability or whether it is closed off permanently.
 * Psychic Link Jack has a psychic link with Everett, allowing them to communicate and share thoughts. This has also allowed them share a mindscape on one occasion.

Other Information

 * Exposure to tin will remove his shadow abilities, except for his ability to see in the dark, which is passive.
 * Jack is an extreme germaphobe since he got sick as a child from swimming in the Thames.
 * Jack loves tea more than any other substance and is somewhat addicted to drinking it.
 * He has a pet fox named Gary.
 * Jack hides all his money in a fake cannon aboard the Fury.
 * Jack fakes his pirate accent, he actually speaks like a normal Londoner, this is why his pirate speak is often inconsistent.
 * Jack actively keeps a ‘no-kill list’ of people he would never allow himself to kill. The list is quite short.
 * Jack dislikes being called Lord Jack, unless he is trying to be intimidating, then he loves it.
 * Jack views Lethe as almost a son.
 * Jack is very gay.
 * The Loremaster was tortured by Jack on July 6th, 2022.