Jack Pembrook
| Jack Pembrook | ||||||||||
| Player: @xarax17 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| "No, I'm not from Liverpool." | ||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||
| Real Name: | Jack Trevor Pembrook | |||||||||
| Known Aliases: | Jackie, Trev, Pazuzu, Eleoin, Jon Reeves, the Occultist | |||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||
| Species: | Human | |||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Caucasian | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Swansea, Wales | |||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Millennium City | |||||||||
| Relatives: | Unknown mother and father - presumed alive. | |||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||
| Age: | 27 (52) | |||||||||
| Height: | 6'0" | |||||||||
| Weight: | 145lbs | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Green | |||||||||
| Hair: | Black with grey hairs | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Fair skinned, chiseled. | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Athletic, not too skinny, yet not too muscular | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | A light stubble, world weary eyes. Arcane tattoo on his back. | |||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||
| Fame: |
Unknown | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
| |||||||||
| Identity: | Public | |||||||||
| Years Active: | 35 | |||||||||
| Citizenship: | United Kingdom | |||||||||
| Occupation: | Occult Detective, Adviser and Exorcist. | |||||||||
| Education: | A-Level, High School Diploma to Americans. | |||||||||
| Marital Status: | Dating | |||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||
| Control over various schools of magic, Truesight. | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||
| The Smiter. The Sanctum. The Trench coat. The Carlya Arcanum. His personal Scrying map. | ||||||||||
| Physical Attributes | |||||||||
| Strength |
|
Weapon |
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durability |
|
Armor |
|
||||||
| Speed |
|
Reflexes |
|
||||||
| Resistance |
|
Stamina |
|
||||||
| Dexterity |
|
Agility |
|
||||||
| Combat |
|
Regen |
|
||||||
| Non-Physical Attributes | |||||||||
| Energy |
|
Psionics |
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telepathy |
|
Willpower |
|
||||||
| Sorcery |
|
Tech. |
|
||||||
| Intel. |
|
Knowledge |
|
||||||
| Charisma |
|
Bravery |
|
||||||
| MaekadaBoxSlim created by @Maekada | |||||||||
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.
Contents
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. Inadvertently damning her to Hell.
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
After the events in London, Jack left the UK, beginning to travel the world, predominantly Europe and the Middle East. Learning different theological and Arcane viewpoints, helping to refine and develop his skills as a Magician and as a Demonologist in his own right; he became more driven as a person, taking his responsibility and role as a demon hunter more seriously than before - spurred by the death of his friend, and his part in it. In part, he was also motivated by a desire to control the demon inside of him, which had both damned him to Hell and begun damaging his body internally, if he didn't stabilise it.
Events in the Midwest
In the middle of a damp, wet Summer in the mid-1990s, Jack Pembrook arrived in Wisconsin, wandering aimlessly from county to county with no real goal. Still in the grips of alcoholism and failing to come to terms with his newly bestowed demonic nature.
One night, drinking in a bar in the middle of small Wisconsin town off the beaten path, Jack sensed something familiar. Vile, demonic energies were in full sway around him and his drunken stupor had prevented him from realising it. His Truesight allowing him to pierce the vale, he was able to see that the town he was in was empty, devoid of life - those he had been spending his time with were mere spectres instead of people. Wandering outside drunkenly and following his instincts, he was quickly greeted by a strange cultist dressed in purple garb. He raised his hand to push him out of the way, only to be blasted back by a wave of dark magic. Feeling the slow, corrupting creep of the demon trying to claw its way out of his body, Jack produced his Smiter quickly, firing off a single, normal bullet directly through the heart of his assailant, killing him stone dead.
He continued bumbling through the town, following his instinct, taking the form of a distinct, shrill sound. Wandering to a well, he heard chanting down inside it. Acting rash and impulsively, still influenced by the alcohol, he dove down, channelling a pulse of Eldritch energy as he fell, releasing it in a wave around him as he touched the ground. All that succeeded in doing was giving away his position to the four cultists down below, preparing to ritualistically sacrifice a child. Jack moved quickly, starting a pitched firefight between himself and Cultists. Their burning Eldritch blasts searing his skin, almost succeeding in drawing out the demon from within him. Fortunately, he was able to kill all of them before worse came to worse.
Rather unfortunately, Jack still had the ritual sacrifice to deal with. Upon inspecting it, he discovered the ritual was to summon a demon, having separated the bodies of the people in the town and placed them in a pocket collection to do it. Jack realised he could reverse the spell... At the cost of the child's life.
It was a no-brainer to him.
Relevant Story
Adventure in the Midwest
A storm rages outside along mud-ridden roads. The loud rumbling of an engine can be heard as a car drives along dirt tracks, the bright flash of its headlights filling the dimly lit road, the only other sound along the road being a faint hustle and bustle in the distance as the car approaches a town. When it comes to parking, the car fails, a sloppily executed manoeuvre. A man with a dark stubble and unkempt hair steps out, beer bottle in hand. He chugs the rest of it down, before tossing it to the side lazily. He squints his eyes, noticing the bright lights from a nearby building in comparison to the darkened night outside, the rain quickly drenching his hair, soaking through his trench coat and dampening his shirt.
“Great…” He mumbles to himself, bitterly in his pronounced Welsh accent. He steps closer to building, pushing into the building rudely. The door slams loudly, heads inside the building turning to regard him, before turning back to their drinks, as though nothing had happened. The man glances between the various patrons, all paying no mind to him – curious. He walks up to the bar. “Irish coffee, now.” He states simply, before quickly being served a simple beer – the bottle appearing five years old, even stranger.
He begins sipping from his drink idly, hearing the murmurings around him, but not really paying any mind to them. He rubs his lips together, as if examining the taste in his mouth.
‘Nothing… Literally… Nothing…’ He thinks to himself. He pushes the bottle away from him, no one reacts. He pauses for a moment, taking his bottle again, throwing it at the bartender. Nothing again, not a single soul reacting, not even the bartender. He turns, surveying the room again, he tries to listen in on the conversations, but all he hears is an incoherent murmuring, even those right next to him. He tries to nudge a woman next to him, his hand passing through her. “What…” He mumbles to himself, he pushes away from the bar, spying someone outside the window. The moment he does so, the bar suddenly appears empty, the lights going out entirely, and the once-bustling area replaced by a dead, rotting room, filled with cobwebs. The man stumbles outside, drunkenly out into the rain again. He spots the figure he saw outside, reaching to them – they’re definitely female. “Listen love… I need some explana-“ His speech is cut off as he touches the back of the woman, he’s sent flying back by a powerful magical ward, the illusion around the woman cut out, revealing a purple-garb wearing cultist. DEMON. The man recognised the outfit from the news.
“Your sight… You can pierce the vale of our illusion magic…” She mumbles out, angrily. Bearing fang-like teeth, clearly fake and surgically added. The Welsh man stumbles to his feet, the alcohol still in his system. He feels his skin crawl, burning as his finger nails start becoming more claw-like.
“Not now…” He mumbles to himself, an internal struggle obviously worn across his face, reaching for his magnum-style firearm in desperation. He fires quickly, shooting the cultist square in the chest. A ‘GLUK’ noise is heard as the woman falls to the ground.
“Wh-Who are you..?” The woman sputters out, painfully. Her mouth dribbling blood onto the muddy street she lies across. She gasps loudly for air.
“Not that you’ll be around to tell anyone but… Jack Pembrook, love.” He says, walking towards her sputtering form, firing off another shot downwards, straight through her skull as he walks on, uncaring to the murder he just committed. The adrenaline rush from the previous encounter clearing his head slightly, he honed his senses; activating his Truesight. The once bustling town appearing from what it was, a ghost town. Filled with abandoned cars from the past five years, apparently Jack wasn’t the first person to fall foul of this trap. His sense alerted him to strong magical energies in the area, manifesting in a pinging sensation in the back of his mind. He followed it through the crumbling, winding alleys of the town. The only sounds occupying his mind being the squelching of his shoes as they contacted the mud beneath him, the loud panting as he catches his breath and tries to focus. He exhales slowly as he stands before a Well in the town square.
A new sound occupies his senses, combined with a repugnant stench filling his nose. He hears chanting down the well, the stench of death down there too. He begins charging his magical energies in his hand, offering a faint purple illumination in the dark, stormy night. His weary, drenched features suddenly flashed as a bolt of lightning streaks across the sky.
Without a second thought, he threw himself towards the Well, diving down with his magically charged hand, slamming into the floor both to cushion his blow, and discharge his energy into the floor. Rather than having the desired effect of eliminating resistance in the Well, it instead only revealed his presence to the chanting cultists, they turned to face him, curiously. Between them lied an apparently comatose girl, a ritual.
“Bollocks.” Jack stated, simply before diving behind a nearby rock. Flashes of Eldritch energy filled the cavernous Well, chipping away at Jack’s rudimentary cover as he loaded his pistol. He stood up, returning fire briefly, hitting a Cultist in the shoulder with a bullet, before being seared by two Eldritch blasts, his eyes turning red for a brief moment, his left hand unconsciously firing off a powerful Fire Bolt to another Cultist, incinerating him instantly before Jack came to his senses.
Only one Cultist remained against Jack, hiding behind the altar with the comatose little girl. Jack deftly moved out of cover, stepping forward boldly; much to the chagrin of his opponent. The Cultist saw an opportunity to strike the undefended man, firing off another bolt of Dark energy, Jack raised a magical shield, deflecting it back at them, making them squeal in pain. Their scream was silenced quickly, as a bullet from Jack’s Smiter ripped through their skull shortly after.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he sheathed his firearm, moving over to the girl. He stood there, examining her for a moment. Then, her eyes opened, piercing bright blue. Her head turned, speaking with a male voice. “You can free us, Jack Pembrook. You can free all of us.” The desperate, ghostly male voice spoke, using the child as a conduit.
“Wait a minute… I’m not freeing anyone until I know what’s happened here…” He says, sceptically. He glares down at the child. ‘Another possession… Great…’ He thinks to himself.
“Years ago… DEMON came to this town, conquering it in moments and driving us, the townspeople, into a pocket dimension. Doing the same to any travellers who came through, as I suspect they would have done to you. All but this child… For years, they’ve been trying to break down the barrier between this world and something called ‘Qliphoth’.” The possessed child explains, Jack grudgingly nodding along in understanding, lowering his guard as he does so.
“Well… That story’s so crazy that it can’t be made up…” He states, shrugging indifferently before his features realign, appearing serious now. “Okay… How do I help you?” He asks, the girl shaking her head, as if trying to fight it. “A Sorcerer, like yourself, can repurpose the ritual… Undo the damage caused by the Cultists… Bring us all back…” The voice continues, the girl struggling more now, Jack pays no mind to it. “… But to do so… The girl must die…” At that moment, Jack looks back down, the girl’s face morphing to that of his old mentor for a brief moment in his still-alcohol induced state.
“One life for all of yours..?” He asks, to which the possessed girl nods hesitantly. Jack appears to think it over, stroking his chin as though considering every option. “I’m sorry but… It’s a no-brainer…”
The loud slamming of a car door is heard, then the turning of a key in the ignition, Jack’s beaten-up old car pulling out of the town and driving down the road, into the dark and stormy night. Viewing the town in his rear-view mirror, a single light turns on in the Inn, joined by various others a few moments later…
"I knew Flip flops were a bad idea..."
Current events
Sometime within the last two years, Jack arrived in the United States again, making his way to what he perceived to be hotspots of supernatural activity, starting with the infamous trouble-town, Millennium City.
Arrival in Millennium City
It didn't take long for Jack to get into trouble with the authorities within the city, setting about searching for demons isn't appreciated by the local authority, it turns out. After a perceived attempt to break into someone's property (albeit the person was possessed by a demon), Jack was arrested, his assets confiscated and his previous criminal problems in the UK revealed - alcohol and drug abuse, mainly. This served to indicate to the police that he was deluded rather than a legitimate magician. Nonetheless, after a demonstration of his magical prowess, Jack was released, on one condition:
He agree to register himself and his powers under UNTIL and PRIMUS, meaning he had to go through the awkward interview stage.
Shortly thereafter, he was free to roam the streets again. Unfortunately, he encountered some DEMON cultists in an alleyway in the Downtown area of Millennium City. They fired a spell at him, the spell serving to force the Demon inside to manifest, Eleoin being free to roam; using Jack's body as a vessel. In an ironic twist of fate, the demon killed the Cultists before charging off through the city, scaling a rooftop. It was here that the demon encountered a vampire by the name of Mephisto. She was... Different. Rather than being a mad, crazed hunter of food, she proved more inquisitive and scientific, even able to bring Jack back to the surface; maybe even ending a rampage before it had even begun.
In light of this, Jack took her to his own hiding place from the world, an Arcane Mansion in the middle of nowhere, he accesses it through a portal which he summons. The two struck up a strange partnership, agreeing to hunt the supernatural phenomena which grow somewhat out of control, even Mephisto's own kind, if the situation required it.
Around this time, Jack also took up his previous job as an Occult Detective and Adviser, this time offering advice to the superheroes of Millennium City.
A Werewolf in Millennium City
It didn't take long for Jack and Mephisto's partnership to produce some work. After tampering with Jack's Scrying map, much to his chagrin, Mephisto was able to reveal the presence of a dangerous Werewolf within Millennium City, one she seemed to have a personal history with. She managed to convince Jack to hunt the beast with her, even if her motives appeared to be dubious to him - sketchy at best. Travelling in his beaten-up old car, they managed to make it the Westside Dockland areas.
When they reached the warehouse the wolf was occupying, Mephisto seemed apprehensive to enter, causing Jack to enter first. With his pistol cocked and ammunition blessed, he was ready to engage the beast. Yet the creature seemed... Off. Howling and scratching at itself in pain. Upon seeing this, Jack resolved to put the beast out of its misery, a few well-placed shots from the Smiter and the beast was down for the count, Mephisto exiting her hiding space to anxiously examine her species' natural enemy. She carved out a chunk of its apparently diseased body for research, before accompanying Jack back to his Mystic Sanctum.
Demon trouble
Jack and Meph retreated back to his Sanctum for the next few days, living comfortably and waiting for a case to appear on the Scrying Map, many supernatural dangers being handled before they could respond. Over time, the demon began to exert itself over Jack even more, gradually gaining more control in the battle for dominance. This, coupled with Meph's scientific curiosity about the demon, led to him gaining control for a brief time, reaffirming Jack's suspicions that she was only interested for his rare case of Demonic possession, rather than wanting a friendship or partnership. However, when he managed to reassert himself over the beast, he was able to clear issues up with his supposed partner, culminating in a kiss between the unlikely couple. And a promise that she would help him to control his demon.
This help came in the form of a blood bond, with Jack being ordered to drink her vampiric blood, binding the Sorcerer to his acquaintance, the implications of such an act remaining sketchy for now. Meph used the bond to bring out the demon, allowing her to engage in a conversation with it, threatening to destroy the host if the demon ever tried to exert control again. This has led to the demon being surprisingly quiet, Jack having full control over his body for the first time in over twenty years.
Jack later learned that, in being bound to her, they had entered into some sacred and important pact together - Meph comparing it to being married or siblings. Basically, it was an important bond, not to be taken likely. In the wake of this, the unlikely couple became an actual couple - in a manner of speaking. Or as close to one as they could get.
Travels in New York
Upon learning of Mephisto's status as a vampire in New York, and her desire to return there to iron out some business, Jack accompanied his new partner and companion to the Big Apple, seeing her own abode, a large mansion on Long Island, for the first time. A vacation of sorts, Jack enjoyed being pampered by extensive serving staff, something that the working class magician had never experienced before.
Mephisto has recently decided that Jack needs more of an education into the goings on of the Supernatural underworld, electing to drag him along to a meeting between several powerful, leading vampires within New York City, much to his chagrin and surprise. Ultimately, his visit to New York City has as yet offered more insight into the life of the woman he spends his time with, showing him her secret desire to walk in the sun again, to feel some semblance of normality after 400 years of living death; at least that's how he reads the situation. It's part of what drives her fascination with him, his demon and his ability to walk in the sun.
A Raven in Millennium City?
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".
With regards to forming relationships, Pembrook shies away from forming lasting and important bonds, under the belief that those around him tend to end up dead, or worse. This leaves his romantic life rather stunted, frequently unable to reciprocate real feelings, or backing away from them in an attempt to protect those he's with. His relationships are usually superficial sex in that respect, something he has finally managed to break free of in finding an immortal relationship in the vampire Mephisto, showing a good form of improvement for the largely romantically insecure man.
Jack's personality is the result of trauma through his life, his rebellious streak born of a desire to reject his parents' stern and heavily religious upbringing by any means necessary, even if, in many cases, it led him to doing things he didn't actually want to do. These experienced shaped him into an untrusting and insecure cynic who routinely avoided forming real bonds, seeing people as pawns to use rather than genuine beings to form relationships with. Maybe he'll get better... Only time will tell.
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.
Manipulative - Jack is known for being able to manipulate people into a Confidence Trick, a skill he has used and continues to use to profit himself at the expense of others, if he thinks they're wasting his time.
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
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.
Friends, allies and relationships
Mephisto
Mephisto is the first ally Jack met in Millennium City. Albeit under strange circumstances. Under most circumstances, Meph fits the profile of the kind of vampire Jack would hunt: Ancient, cunning, powerful and completely insane. Yet, in this case, he formed a mutually beneficial partnership with her, based around his hunting of the supernatural and her desire for research. Their first successful job together was a hunt for a werewolf in the Millennium City docks. Having proven her reliability to him, Jack took her to his Sanctum, a place he managed to convince her to stay whilst she's in the City.
It didn't take long for this mutual partnership to morph into something more. A more intimate relationship. Despite Jack's mindset that she was just interested in him for his demonic side, seeking to bring that out and force him to accept that side of him in spite of his protests, she did prove herself to be a trustworthy companion who, despite her own problems, went out of her way to give him total control of his body again - even binding him to her, something supposedly very sacred or important to Vampires.
In the wake of this development, their relationship blossomed into something further. Not a complete relationship, but something closer to it. Neither Jack or Meph wanting to label it anything too official.
Jack has recently decided to accompany his new partner to New York City, to help take care of some of her own personal business, whilst finally being introduced to her own place - curious to see where she lives when she isn't with him.
Rogues Gallery
DEMON
Threat level:
| ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ |
|---|
Luther Black's nefarious Demon-raising, Occult-loving cult has proven a resilient enemy towards Jack, in his quest for justice and attempts to vanquish demonic entities, their frequent toying with the Qliphoth unleashing entities that they cannot control, usually forcing him to clean up their messes. And deal with the Cultists involved. More of an organisational nuisance than a villain, but nonetheless antagonistic towards him, with members often seeking to make use of the demon living inside Pembrook himself. His first major brush with the Cult was during the nineties, in Jack's first, albeit highly illegal, visit to the USA. He encountered them attempting a ritualistic mass-slaughter of a small, unknown town in the Midwest of America in an attempt to summon some form of Demon, Jack still isn't sure of the specifics, but the encounter pushed him to his limits.
Black Corvus
Threat level:
| ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ | ██ |
|---|
The owner of the International conglomerate - Hammersmith International, Daniel Hammersmith has a dark secret. He's secretly a Dark Mage and Satanic worshipper known as Black Corvus. Based in London, he runs a web of supernatural mobsters through secretive business connections and fronts, forming a criminal empire with the covert goal of summoning a demon from the Netherworld to bind to Hammersmith himself. This mad pursuit of demonic power is what has spurred Hammersmith throughout the years, making him a total antithesis of Jack, resorting to Dark Magic in an attempt to substitute his desire.
A former member of DEMON, Hammersmith broke away after discovering their true obsession with the Qliphoth, focusing more on the Netherworld to achieve his goals.
Cold, calculating and strategic, Corvus stops at nothing to achieve his goal once he has set his mind on it; even to the point of a mad psychoses, an insanity derived from his inability to attain the one true goal he has set his mind on, which continues to elude him.
Upon hearing about the exploits of Jack Pembrook, and the rumours of what happened back in 1988, Hammersmith has relocated personally to his subsidiary in Millennium City, in hopes of finding the elusive Demon hunter and Occultist and taking the demon from his very soul.
Corvus' extensive influence and resources pose a very real and political threat to Pembrook, able to manipulate courts, bureaucratic and law enforcement organisations to fight against the Occultist himself, with the ability to tear down Jack's life. His motivations making him a mad, cold and calculating foe.
Trivia
- Once won a drinking contest against a Greed Demon, figure that out.
- "Trevor" is his middle name.
- Used to have a pet cat named "Reginald".
Other stuff
This is basically where all of the OOC things that I can think of will go, like RP hooks, tropes and music. Enjoy.
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
Main theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcH7P-C8rMM - It doesn't take a genius to guess that this would be the main theme, it's from the Constantine show.
Other songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw - I find that the lyrics of this song resonate well with the character. Take me to Church by Hozier.
(More to come.)
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.
Identity Amnesia - The demon, Eleoin, has amnesia. This means he's forgotten about his past, even his own name. This handy factor allows Jack to remain in control most of the time, exploiting the demon's lack of knowledge.
