The Free Jackals
Originally known as the Jackals, or Reynard’s Jackals, but also known at different points in their history as the Hellhounds, and the Army of Harmony Gorge. Legend has it that the Jackals were founded hundreds of years ago as a sort of elite unit, or personal army for Duke Reynard Ancillar, The Jackal. He recruited some of the best fighters in the lands of Talanthea, Raemar, and Esfarren, and set them up to do contract work for him, making a profit while at the same time creating a fall-back form of protection should his personal estate come under attack. He also created the Chronicle at this time, so that the Jackals would have their own personal record of their exploits and deeds, so that as the years went on they could grow and learn from their mistakes as well as their triumphs. Over the course of their history, the Jackals have numbered anywhere from two to three hundred to over ten thousand strong or more. After Reynard died, his son Rael squandered the family’s wealth and when his debts became so great, the Commander of the Jackals at that time, “Crow” offered to buy the Jackals from the Ancillar family, using the operating funds in the treasury at that time, and operate as a truly independent mercenary company. Thus began the first period where the Jackals used the nomenclature “Free Jackals” when conducting business.
Once, the Jackals were hired by Lord Krotas Von Eldenberg to rid his lands of the curse brought upon him by the evil vampiress and necromancer Drelzna, herself being the daughter of the baneful Tasha. The Jackals fought the undead hordes at the battle of Pelem Ford for three days, eventually driving the darkspawn back across the Holvarfluss and routing them until the Trivecht Grove. This drew the ire of the vampiress herself, and she sent out her champion, the demon Ull’Ubruzzt, along with her remaining night-dwellers to gain retribution on Lord Krotas, hoping to lay waste to his stronghold of Eldenhold under cover of darkness. When they arrived, they found a town prepared to defend a frontal assault, armed with recently acquired ballista and catapults. While Lord Krotas’ men kept the night-dwellers busy, the Jackals made their way with all due stealth to Drelzna’s tower of Rovalschloss and surrounded it, using improvised siege weapons to break down the towers defenses. Even though Drelzna recalled her remaining forces, it was too late and the Jackals broke through the gates in the early morning on St Gravard’s day and made an end to the vampiress’ threat.
More recently, the Jackals had been hired by the Red Lady of Carceri as her personal army to protect her fortress against the other devil lords who may want to take her territory, but also against any ill-seeking mortals who desire to release the horrors she has imprisoned in the depths within her walls. Their contract with her led to their involvement in the Battle of Boiling Pitch, in which they slew Malacoda’s lieutenant Alichino by throwing him into one of the great pits full of pitch and ichor, and drove back the tides of the Pyriphlegathon. This conduct earned them renown amongst planar beings, and is the source of the nickname “hellhounds.” It also earned them a level of trust with the Red Lady of a sort few find with a hell-lord, which led her to extend her contract with the Jackals. At this point, a period of stability occurs in the Jackal’s history, with a number of years living in the city of Carceri as defacto citizens of the Red City. And it would likely have continued this way had not a group of mortals lead by Zartoz Rolandbane of the Oil-tongue succeeded in releasing the demon Blau-zotau from the prisons under Carceri. What followed was a chase of some 7 years, until the Jackals, along with the Red Lady (for it was her reputation at stake) finally cornered Zartoz and his sycophants in the Wistful Depths, in the World Below, near the gnome city of Glabbulglug. There, they slew the demon of Blau-Zotau, and laid waste to the rest of Zartoz’s party, but they took him prisoner and gouged out his eyes, with the intent of exchanging one prisoner for another in the depths of Carceri. However, while they were away, the Devil Geryon had raised up an army of spined devils and horned devils and efreeti and cambion and took the Red Lady’s citadel while it lay unguarded. When she returned with her army of Jackals and her newly gained prisoner, she found herself to be a lady without a city to rule. Seeing the fact that a direct assault against her former stronghold would prove the end of both herself and the Jackals, she slew Zartoz on the spot and formally annulled the contract she had made with the Jackals, freeing them to pursue their own dealings once again while she pursued her own ends of reacquiring what she had lost, and seeking vengeance on Geryon and his minions. The Jackals returned to the world they had left years before.
The Jackals set about recruiting once again, and fulfilled many contracts in the years following their return from the Malebolge, and eventually took a contract with Prince Alvaro to guard the frontier between Salisia and the Astrian Sandsea that lies to the east. The following years were fruitful for the Jackals, and they prospered while fighting off monsters and sand-skirmishers. But then Telemon appeared with his floating citadel and winged vanguard (or as they later became known, the Angel Corps), and came out of Veymar and Roune, and razed the Silisian capital of Sedona to the ground. The Princips and the priesthood were abolished, and the Jackals once again found themselves out of work. For a while after this, the Jackals bounced around, picking up small jobs, but found themselves thwarted at every turn by this new cultic figure, and they eventually allied themselves with those directly opposed to him. Thus, they became known as the Free Jackals once again, and as they found more success than many others with whom they were now allied, they began to be referred to as the Resistance in the primary sense, and not just part of the larger movement. This was before Telemon turned his attention and his ire in their direction. In the last 14 months, the Free Jackals have found themselves repeatedly outplayed, and have had many small losses leading to the capture and ultimate execution of their commander, “Red,” while he was attempting to acquire information from his sources close to the suspicious death of Good King Godfrey. He managed to hide the information he gathered in a series of cryptic notes written in Thieves’ Cant but was unable to escape the palace without being caught. Through one of their agents, the Jackals were able to recover the notes, but were not able to save Red.
The notes detailed the poisoning of King Godfrey by Telemon’s Arch-Champion, the Goliath Gabranth (formerly, the Jarl of the Howling Legion before defecting to the Overlord’s service). This was precipitated by King Godfrey’s refusal to kneel to Telemon, though his son Rhegaen urged him to do so. Also according to these notes, the Overlord’s Arch Magister Vayne will be performing a coronation of Rhegaen as king, (who will essentially function as a pupper and vassal), putting Talanthia as just the next land to fall to Telemon’s conquest. The coronation is set to occur at Dawn on St Caedra’s day, at the St Caedra’s Basilica in Bradford. Despite their recent loses, this is the sort of statement the Jackals have been waiting for, a “put up or shut up” moment to strike a deep blow to Telemon and change the momentum of the resistance. If they put an end to this puppet leadership and take out the Arch-Magister in the process, that would be a massive coup for the Resistance as a whole. The Commander and Lieutenant have gotten in contact with a shadowy figure allied to their cause who has reached out with the intent to bankroll this endevour and provide the necessary weaponry to break the wards that are sure to be in place around the Arch-Magister and his pup. The Jackals are to meet up and finalize their plans at the Bishop’s Bailey tavern in Bradford on the eve of St Caedra’s day.
Structure
The Free Jackals are structured with a number of Senior Officers under a single commander, Junior Officers, and the remainder being various levels of simple militant called "Claws".
Demography and Population
Currently the Jackals have a little over 150 members, with no notable divsions, but rather with specialties that groups of claws can slide into based on need at the time.
Territories
The Emperor's Folly, and the tunnels underneath it, though no known physical territory above ground.
Maps
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The Emperor's Folly
The tavern (once bakery) reclaimed by the Free Jackals as their base of operations.
Founding Date
184
Type
Military, Mercenary Group
Alternative Names
The Jackals, Reynard's Jackals, The Hellhounds, The Army of Harmony Gorge
Training Level
Professional
Leader
Leader Title
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Controlled Territories
Organization Vehicles
Notable Members
Related Plots
Notable Contracts and Manuscripts The Last Contract
