Blackjack
James Jackson (a.k.a. Blackjack)
"Most of my decisions are loosely based on whether or not its illegal or merely frowned upon."
"Blackjack" was born James Jackson in Ostia, the port city of Neverwinter, to an middle-class merchant family, but he never quite fit in with the kinds of people his parents preferred. A rebel from an early age, Blackjack was still well-educated, and developed a deep appreciation for history, especially myths and legends going back well before the founding of the Empire. This appreciation did not extend to the expectations laid on him by his birth status, and as he grew older, he began running with a street gang, and learning the ways of the other side of the law. Fast, agile, and deadly with a knife, Blackjack distinguished himself among his peers, and became a useful mule to several agencies due to his station. When he came of age, Blackjack left his family in Ostia, and headed South, determined to make his own way.
That way was smuggling, and he excelled at it. His sailors were among the best, running contraband to places others dared not go, and when the Civil War broke out, he sensed even more profit to be made. He and his men began hiring themselves to both armies to carry goods down the coast, selling their cargo to whomever would pay the most. When the war ended, the crew returned to their criminal ways. Less than a year later, they were apprehended, and Blackjack was sent to prison, from which he promptly escaped, killing a guard in the process. This netted him a more severe punishment: Penglog Prison. The high-security prison was not a good environment for Blackjack, but he did make some friends.
Freako Nature, an assassin taken in for killing a high-profile noble, picked a fight with Blackjack early on, scaring his back deeply with a stone knife. Later on, the two were forced to fight together after a half-orc gang jumped them, and after living through the fight, the two became friends. Freako later escaped the prison, with Blackjack’s help, and said to find him once he got out. Blackjack served out the rest of his time, and upon release, began a new, mostly-legal life.
His days of honest labor were numbered, however, as while he worked on his barge, a Cleric of Themis approached him, and asked him for help. Aron Hyland was tracking another smuggler for the Lord’s Alliance, and said that he had enough on Blackjack to put him away again, but that he would be pardoned if Blackjack aided the Cleric. Blackjack agreed, and his first adventure with Aron began. Over the course of that time, a friendship between the lawman and the rogue began, and Blackjack was ever after more than willing to help Aron with whatever he needed. More than that, Blackjack would say that Aron was the only man for whom he would die.
The two would often go their own ways, reuniting for some missions, sometimes by accident, and Blackjack discovered a new passion: treasure-hunting. Historical artifacts, lost treasures surrounded by legend, and tombs of ancient warlords all excited him, and he devoted his skills to finding them. The money did not interest him as much as the thrill of seeking what was lost to history.
His greatest adventure was in the town of Greyston. While searching the area for rumors of a cursed pommel-stone, he was abducted by the cult of a minor demon who was trying to manifest in the world, and upon escaping, decided to foil the demon’s plans. Though he succeeded, Blackjack was cursed by the demon, and would have been killed for certain but for the actions of the demon’s fey-sister, who laid a counter-curse upon Blackjack, delaying the life-draining effects of the demon’s spell. It was not a perfect solution, and the wild fey magic had some side-effects.
His own mortality thus impressed upon him, Blackjack seeks now to make his mark upon the word in the short time that he has left, afflicted all the while by the twin magics of the demon and the fey. He has managed to meet almost everyone in his line of work at one time or another, including Arthur Craglak, Milo Underbough, Armos Catan, Grimwhald the Great, Jack Root, and many others, becoming something of a networker among adventurers.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Ancient Secrets and Adventure
Species
Year of Birth
290 E
37 Years old
Birthplace
Ostia
Children
Eyes
Blue, though they flash orange or green when certain magics are cast
Hair
Black
Height
5'11"
Weight
140
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments