Post by erevan on Aug 8, 2011 10:02:29 GMT -5
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Profession: Ranger (Silver Oakleaf)
Appearance:
Gender: Male
Profession: Ranger (Silver Oakleaf)
Appearance:
Jack is, like most Rangers, slightly built, but wiry, about 5’7” and 150lbs. He keeps his red hair and goatee cut short, but still looks shaggy due to the roughness of the trimming. His green eyes further confirm his Hibernian ancestry, though he was born and raised in northern Araluen. Jack is rarely without a smile; even in a fight, people say he looks like he is ready to crack a joke at a moment’s notice.Personality:
Jack is generally lighthearted and laid back. He can have a dry sense of humor at times (and bad jokes/puns), but at the same time, he knows when to be serious. When someone threatens his friends and/or comrades, all bets are off; he sees the Ranger Corps as his family, and would rather fail a mission than abandon a comrade, though sometimes the situation makes this impossible. He is fond of playing little jokes on his fellow Rangers, especially Crowley and Gilan. His pranks never hurt anyone (aside from possibly himself, like when he got thrown into a stream after pranking Qwade), but knows he can still get a laugh. Jack can hold his drink with the best of Rangers, but when he starts getting drunk, he is known for trying to make rhymes with what he and others say.History:
The Ranger is in Jack’s blood. His father served in the Corps during Jack’s early life, before being KIA on a final mission. His mother served as a Courier, occasionally taking trips to Hibernia (since, being a native, she could easily blend in), and the family lived comfortably near the Araluen-Picta border. After his father’s death, Jack developed his habit of playing practical jokes as a way to cope with the loss. By making people laugh, he could forget sadness for a while.Additional Information:
It was this talent, ironically enough, that caught the interest of the Rangers. While escaping after playing a joke on a local shopkeeper who was notoriously surly toward patrons, he was seen by the local Ranger, who followed him. A few days later, the Ranger watched him prank one of the more vain people in town, and was impressed with how well Jack avoided being seen or heard. This time, the Ranger confronted him, complimenting his skill, but admonishing him at the same time. As the Ranger already had an apprentice, he offered to bring Jack to the upcoming Gathering, where he was taken on by Gilan.
During his training with the young Ranger, Jack found he had a talent with his knives, and Gilan taught him several techniques, including the double knife defense. Of course, he learned archery as well, and became an excellent long-range sharpshooter. He was skeptical about mounted combat at first, wondering when it would be useful. Gilan then told him a story of his own mentor, when Halt picked off Temujai pursuers while fleeing on horseback. While he still does not prefer shooting from horseback, he did become a competent shot, though not as accurate at long range as he is on foot.
When he was 20, five years to the day after becoming an apprentice, he was bestowed with his Silver Oakleaf. For the two years following his promotion, he was assigned to investigate rumors circulating from Hibernia and Arrida regarding a new breed of horses supposedly even better than the current Ranger horses. All of these rumors proved to be unfounded, and for slightly under a year, he has been traveling around Araluen, helping where needed. He hopes to be given a more permanent posting at this Gathering.
Due to his specialization in close combat, he carries an additional pair of throwing knives in sheaths on his left thigh, in case his first is dropped or thrown in combat. His Ranger horse’s name is Shadow due to his dark grey color, and responds to the phrase “always light.” Jack typically speaks with a slight Hibernian accent, but he can easily suppress it if necessary.