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Jack Pembrook, sorcerer extraordinare and occasional Exorcist - this man is bad news to the Demons he hunts, or so he likes to think. A new face in Millennium City, he seeks to make a name for himself amongst Magical circles, grow his knowledge and expand his business - all while saving people.

History

Jack's history extends over 52 years, carrying with it personal tragedy and guilt, but hopefully some dry, snarky laughs and adventures. It's what he wakes up for after all. From rebellious teenager, to adventurous adult, to responsible demon hunter.

Origins

It's true, Pembrook's family was loving and affectionate in the Welsh town of Swansea. He was born in 1961 at Morriston Hospital to two loving parents. Their firstborn son, he encountered minor health complications at his birth, these complications were miraculously healed from him in the middle of the night, a bright light supposedly filling the room and curing him of his ailments. To this day, his parents believe this to be an act of divine intervention by the Christian God himself, the experience converting the two parents into devout, loving Christians.

Early life

Jack's home life was, while loving and tender, very boring. At least in his eyes, from a young age he liked to act out and adventure, causing mayhem for his parents but fun for him. This attitude continued into his teenage years, resulting in a long rebellious streak, leading him to several run-ins with the police, breaking his parents hearts and exposure to a world of drugs and vices. It was, coincidentally, this vice-filled lifestyle that drove the young lad down the path he follows today, as an altruistic demon hunter. Throughout his teenage years, he was educated at the Bishop Vaughan Catholic School - the experience still failing to convert him into a devout religious follower like his parents, only pushing him further away from their moral beliefs. He dropped out of school without passing his A-Level exams, leaving his qualifications rather... Lacklustre.

One night, just after his seventeenth birthday, Jack was bound to an underground rave alongside some friend outside of school, successfully evading his parents - for years, they would have no idea what happened that night.

Discovering magic

The rave was everything Jack wanted it to be, loud music, attractive women, drugs and alcohol - a dream for a rebellious youth. That was until the newest Metal band on the scene came out. The music began playing, everyone dancing, but then the most curious things started to happen - Jack's vision began failing, stretching and blurring, until the artists on stage appeared... Demonic, the music sounding like tortured screams. He sought to block it out, covering his ears and shifting out of the mosh pits, to the back of the warehouse. The was a woman there too, not much older than him, clutching her ears tightly, all whilst glaring at the act on stage. She noticed Jack suffering from the same phenomena, glancing at him curiously.

The world changed for Jack at that moment, the artists on stage apparently abandoning their thin veneer between human and demon, assuming demonic personas, the music turning to ear-bursting screams for everyone, crippling many of the crowd and forcing them to their knees. The woman beside him stepping forward, her hand glowing brightly - Jack didn't know, but could feel the ethereal energies flowing from it. She flung the energy towards the act on stage, a planar fracture opening up - sending the demons right back to Hell. The supernatural display both frightening and eliciting awe from the young lad. He blinked for a moment, as though to take in what he had just seen. The woman was gone. He fled the scene soon after that, leaving his injured friends behind in a hurry.

Training begins

Life returned to a mundane normality after that, albeit Jack's friends being annoyed with him for leaving them, ear burst, at the rave. It became about the monotony of finding a job whilst waiting for his final year at school to end, nowhere seemingly wanting to hire him. He was on his way to a potential job interview when he encountered the woman from the Rave yet again, she was pinned by a strange looking man in an alley. Jack acted impulsively, charging the man, catching him off-guard and knocking him to the ground. Jack went in for a punch, his vision fuzzing again as he raised his fist - the clear image of the man's decomposing, vampiric face filling his view - showing Jack the man's true appearance. The vampire-man threw the distracted and horrified young lad from him with ease, refocusing his attention on the young woman nearby. She had enough time to prepare a spell, chanting some unfamiliar language before producing a magnum pistol, pressing a button on the side of it - the barrel taking the shape of a crucifix. She pulled the trigger, a stake-shaped bullet firing from it, hitting the vampire square in the chest - the creature turning to dust mere moments after. The woman moved over to the shaken young teenager.

London, 1988

After ten years of travelling with his strange female acquaintance, who he refuses to disclose the name of, Pembrook arrived in London, renting an apartment in the lower-class East End. From here, he and his acquaintance seemed to set up some form of Occult business, offering advice and solutions to people suffering from hauntings within the East End, one of the most haunted places within the United Kingdom.

Becoming an Exorcist

Business started out strong for the two Occultists, various huntings and such like had plagued the East End of London for years. The lower class, impoverished frequently came to the two Magicians for advice, this didn't last forever, unfortunately. Gradually advice wasn't enough for the citizens of London, they branched out to other sources, "Paranormal investigators" who promised to vanquish the ghosts, ghouls and other nasties living within the city. This killed the business of the two partners. After much a laboured discussion, the two decided they would attempt to branch out, now offering Exorcisms, dangerous rituals for a non-believer to attempt, but it would save their business.

Their first case involved a child demonstrating typically demonic attributes, the kid was only about four years old yet it was able to throw its parents across the room, calling out in deep, booming foreign tongues. The perceived simplicity of this case, being a 'normal' demonic possession is what attracted the two to the case. They entered into it with a cocky swagger, both confident they could handle a small child. Subduing the demonic toddler proved to be the easy part, it still needed to eat so they simply slipped anaesthetic into its meals, knocking it completely unconscious. The hard part came in actually removing the powerful, malignant spirit that laid within it.

The binding circles, crucifixes and other required items were all correctly place, the child tied down in the centre of the circle. The moment Jack began reciting the Prayer to remove the demon, its cold black eyes opened, calling out in a twisted form of Enochian before shifting into a deep, demonic form of English, declaring itself to be the son of Baal, the demon behind Jack the Ripper - taunting Jack for abandoning his family to run off and become a jobless magician. Despite Jack's best efforts to chant the prayer, his lack of faith made it extremely hard for him to Exorcise the demon, who continually gained strength as the Exorcism drew out. Eventually, Jack's female partner had to break her own magical wards to help him, successfully exorcising the demon, but stripping the child of protection from harm - leaving the child... Burnt and damaged. While successful, the experience proved a sobering experience for Jack; he still had much to learn.

Demon hunt gone wrong

The next few months were filled with training for Jack and his partner, sharpening up their skills at Exorcisms through dangerous means; summoning demons and then attempting to send them back to Hell. This did prove to be effective practice, Pembrook becoming an effective demon-hunter. One day, the two decided to step up practice, attempting to summon a higher-ranked demon inside their apartment. While successful, they had no control over the demons - Eleoin. The demon escaped out of the apartment, beginning a bloody rampage of murders across the East End. The two Magicians fought tirelessly to try and catch the demon, finding him inhabiting the body of a businessman consorting Prostitutes, a macabre imitation of the East End's most infamous murderer. The two Magicians forced the demon from its host, only for the creature to fly into the body of Jack's partner, twisting her into the host of a demon.

At this moment, Jack froze. He refused to act against the demon, not alone. Especially with the Demon inhabiting his friend. He aimed his own custom-built firearm, only for the demon to burn it away with a mere thought. Out of options, Jack offered himself up in his partner's place, on the condition that she not be harmed.

The demon took the offer.

Vacating Jack's partner, the demon thrust itself into him, merging and then dominating his body, revelling in the sinful lifestyle Jack used to live, drawing on those memories to make himself stronger. Then, when in total control of the man's body, he went back on his word. Incinerating Jack's partner in the blink of an eye.

The emotional stress of Jack's attempts to fight back broke the demon's powerful hold over him, the sheer psychic energy striking back against the demon, damaging its memories and leaving it dormant and amnesiac within Jack's body, granting the Welshman control over his body, only to be confronted with what he had just done. Sinking to his knees in guilt, he saw another bright flash of light - similar to the one described to him from the days of his birth. Inside was a figure, it said something to him - to this day Jack refuses to disclose what this was. But what he did after determined his entire life. He took his partner's old firearm, returning to their apartment, taking their spellbook and then leaving, travelling the world for over 30 years.

The Lost years

Current events

Characteristics

Below you will find details of Jack's rather dashing, roguish personality and appearance, and all the traits that manage to annoy and anger those he spends his time with - his deadpan sarcasm and his offensive sense of humour as a person. You will even find details about his clothing, why you'd want to know that is anyone's guess.

Appearance

When in human form, Jack's attire is fairly straightforward and predictable:

He'll usually be seen wearing his dark brown, leather trench coat and white shirt, with a varying colour tie depending on his mood. The trench coat is usually buttoned up, concealing most of his body and adding, in his opinion, a layer of mystery to him. It might make him appear generic as an Occult investigator, but his coat provides practical benefits alongside keeping him warm. Occasionally, he'll wear the trench coat down, letting it flow behind him. Other times, he'll ditch the trench coat, and roll up his sleeves on his shirt, usually when engrossed in work at the Sanctum.

Physically, Jack appears to be a male of about twenty-seven years old, a stubble worn across his face proudly, adding to his rugged, dark haired appearance. His build is athletic rather than muscular, showing his attempts to stay in shape. He stands tall at about Six foot, deep green eyes being a notable feature to those that stare too long; I suppose it's ironic, given his penchant for jealousy.

When in his demonic form, his attire is even more simple:

Eleoin wears whatever clothes Jack was wearing, they are, however, torn and ripped given the increase in muscle density and height.

Physically, Eleoin is of approximately 7 feet tall, with horns protruding from his forehead and left shoulder, his skin charcoal grey. He has terrifying glowing red eyes, fitting a stereotypically demonic description, his body is covered in bulging muscles, betraying his immense strength. His extremities end in sharp, vicious looking claws, occasionally seen dripping with some form of liquid.

Personality

Jack Pembrook is a very world-wizened man. He's seen a lot in his time which has gradually diminished his personality and withered him down to bare basics. He's cynical at times and prone to dry, sarcastic humour as a method of dealing with his personal issues and shrugging off the responsibilities and dangers he finds himself facing off every day - at the expense of seeming cold and aloof, annoying many heroes he's met in his life. He's a passionate man, caring deeply about those close to him, to the point of being willing to do anything in order to save them. That being said, he does also have a selfish streak, born of a determination to save his soul from Hell, an almost impossible feat due to his weak-willed addiction to various vices. He's ultimately an indifferent realist, very little surprising him and always maintaining a fair, reasoned view of the world - allowing neither optimism or pessimism to pull him too far. He's also largely manipulative to those he deems beneath him or wasting his time, playing them to his own means. His harsh life experiences have left him with a somewhat broken moral compass, being neither a white knight or an evil person - but rather walking the faint line between the two.

He also bares a deep, vengeful streak. Those that wrong him need to beware of his wrath, for he stops at nothing to attain his revenge, either through macabre methods or manipulative means - bearing the traits of a sociopath at times when pursuing a vendetta.

He's also known to possess an annoying jealous streak at times. Rather ironic given his green eyes, fitting the old term "Green-eyed with jealousy".

Abilities

Powers

Jack has a few natural born 'powers' which aid him in his crusade against the supernatural:

"Truesight" - Jack has experienced a strange ability which he dubs "Truesight", allowing him to see through the disguises of some supernatural creatures, such as his ability to perceive the demons at the rave the night his life changed.

Magical affinity - Being a magician, Jack has a natural affinity for the magical forces, allowing him to channel them in offensive measures such as hexes and spells. He's the first member of his family to demonstrate such a skill, begging the question of where his magical power has come from.

Limited healing factor - The demonic soul living inside of Jack cleanses his body of toxins quickly in an effort to keep him alive, as a result, it allows him to heal from otherwise deadly poisons and alcohol abuse. It also heals broken bones and such slightly faster than an average human.

Powers as Eleoin

When under the control of the Demon, Jack gains additional powers (Though he will rarely use them):

Pyrokinesis - As a Hell Demon, Eleoin gains masterful control over the destructive element of fire, able to both manipulate it and generate it. This also entails its own weakness, making him highly vulnerable to water and ice, enough to force Eleoin back into human form. Jack frequently asks someone to do this do him when he loses control.

Shadow Manipulation - As a Hell Demon, Eleoin has control over shadows and other forms of dark, evil magic. Use of such magic does blacken Jack's soul however, so he subconsciously fights against the demon to prevent him from using it, regardless of the perceived benefits it brings.

Empathetic Telepathy and situational omniscience - As with all demons, Eleoin can get into the heads of those he fights, frequently drawing on negative emotions and painful memories, taunting his opponents with them as a method of getting them to submit.

Inhuman physicality - As the much larger, muscular Eleoin, Jack has access to inhuman strength, speed and durabilty, approximately enough strength to lift a car under current standards. This enables him to stand toe-to-toe with superpowered opponents.

Advanced healing factor - Eleoin has a demonic healing factor, allowing him to recover from seemingly fatal attacks within the span of a few minutes.

Skills

Jack has quite the repertoire of skills when it comes down to it - but they aren't all too impressive:

Capable hand-to-hand combatant - Without having formal training in advanced martial arts like many a modern vigilante, Jack developed a 'unique' style of street brawling from his time in drunken fights throughout his life, allowing him to hold his own in fights, for some time.

Accurate shooter - Using his own custom-built "Smiter" firearm, he has gradually developed a keen eye, able to hit targets at just over 30 feet away without compromising the fatality of his shots.

Knowledge of the Occult - Throughout his years of travelling the world and training in the Occult, he has developed a knowledge of many magical technique which he employs on his crusade against the supernatural - these include hexes, magical history and the manipulation of Eldritch energies.

Biblical knowledge - Jack also has knowledge of the 'factual' events in the Bible, demons, angels and the Circles of Hell come under this. His knowledge isn't perfect and is prone to flaws, but he's still learning. His skills in Christian Occultism and Exorcisms are derived from this.

Alcohol tolerance - Through years of exposure to alcohol, he has developed a high tolerance to alcohol, whilst seemingly unimpressive it has saved his life many times.

Weaknesses

Substance addiction - Jack goes through relapses of crippling addiction to alcohol, weakening him mentally and physically through the abuse of drink.

Just human - At least while in human form, Jack has all the weaknesses associated with being a human, all their weak points and failings.

Corrupted soul - Jack's soul has been corrupted through Sin and exposure to demonic energies, allowing the demon inside him to take control of his body at times.

Dependent on the demon - Without the demon, Jack would likely die from alcohol poisoning due to abuse to his Liver throughout his long life; making him dependent on it.

Weaknesses as Eleoin

Water - Being a primarily fire-based demon, Eleoin is highly susceptible to being doused with water, usually forcing him to revert back into human form for his own safety.

Holy objects - Like any demon, he demonstrates an aversion towards Holy objects, contact with such objects causing a burning pain inside of him.

Amnesiac - Eleoin is missing many of his memories from his long life, this removes some of his extensive knowledge of his own powers and capabilities, proving a blessing to Jack, as it allows him to reassert control; but it prevents Eleoin from reaching full power.

Shares his body - Eleoin's actions are rather stunted by the subconscious will and morality of Jack, preventing him from going on killing sprees and indulging other demonic tastes at times.

Equipment

Jack has several additional pieces of equipment to aid his fight:

The Trenchcoat - Like many occult detectives in fiction, Jack has a trenchcoat, it channels his demonic energies inside of him, to give him slightly enhanced durability and reflexes while he's wearing it, acting as an almost protective layer between himself and those he fights. That, and it happens to look very "Edgy", in Jack's own opinion.

The Smiter - The Smiter is a custom-made firearm designed with the sole purpose of combating supernatural beings. It was constructed under the tutelage of his rarely-spoken-of mentor, it has various settings tailored to different types of supernatural beings. It fires several different types of ammunition, from werewolf-silver bullets, to ectoplasm-raiders. In order to take down more... Biblical enemies, all he needs to do is press a button and the magnum-shaped firearm assumes a crucifix-shaped barrel, allowing him to fire specialised stakes for vampires and other blessed bullets for Demons. And even anti-blessed ammunition for angels and the like.

The Carlya Arcanum - Jack is also in possession of his mentor's old spellbook, always kept out on display in his Sanctum. The book contains several binding rituals and combat spells with the express purpose of combating Biblical-level threats, whilst rarely seeing use, Jack keeps it around as both a reminder of his duty, and out of necessity of the day he may someday need it.

Trivia

Other stuff

RP Hooks

Here are some ways you could interact with him:

• Got demon problems? Give him a call, he has a website and a phone number to call.
• A magician? Or someone knowledgeable of magical circles? Maybe you've heard of him, that's a way to recognise him.
• I'm always looking for villains to fight, so demons and other supernatural antagonists can always organise something with me.
• Conversely, I'm also looking for a web of supernatural informants, from ghosts to simple magicians.
• Maybe you encountered him in the past? We can talk about the details of meetings like that.

Theme songs

Tropes

Older than they look - Jack appears to be in his late twenties, in reality he's actually in his early fifties.

Amazing luck - Jack appears to have some guiding hand behind him, giving him unusually extraordinary luck.

Timeshare body - Jack shares his body with an ancient, yet amnesiac demon. Occasionally turning him immoral and evil.

Occult Detective - Jack works as a demon hunter, exorcist and Occult investigator these days. Hear a bump in the night? You know who to call.

Foul-mouthed - Jack doesn't exactly have the most... Polite of vocabularies.

Sarcastic ass - Jack is known for cracking sarcastic one-liners, with a dry and often offensive sense of humor.

Indifferent to much - Jack is rarely surprised by what he sees in his line of work.

Struggling man - Jack, since his teenage years, has battled against vices such as alcoholism.

Inspirations