Name Jack

Age 100+ (Appears 40)

Gender Male (he/him)

Species Ghoul

Height 5'10"

Occupation Tailor

Alignment Chaotic Good

Aesthetic here

"You are everyone you hate,
and it's ruining your life."

Jack has never shown his face since appearing east of Diamond City and promptly getting to know the local raider population. His appearance- notably the full face mask, the hood, and the body armor- spread rumors and news of his arrival like wildfire. It did not seem as though Jack ever cared for discretion, however. He set up a home for himself on the blown-out fifth floor of an apartment building. Hand-made ramps, stairs, curtains, traps and alarm systems, not to mention the string lights and faint sound of radio, turned the once gutted and negligible location into a landmark. Jack maintains his dwelling well and has never accepted anyone inside, often staying hidden for long bouts between visits to merchants or the Combat Zone.

He is a Mentats addict, as the chem dealers nearby came to find out, paying and trading peacefully and honorably for his necessities. While his caps are appreciated, his talkative and shameless behavior is not. Jack is kind and approachable- too much for most raiders to be comfortable with, especially upon learning that he doesn't hesitate to defend himself.

Knives--he carries knives, shanks, wire, brass knuckles, and at one point a bat, as his arsenal. Swift, decisive, brutal. Jack plays nice with those who play nice, and does not with those who do not.

Beyond his reputation as killer and freak, Jack has also left an impression on wasteland wanderers winding up witless in the maze of the city. Knowing the patterns and encampments of raiders and super mutants alike, he has safely guided strangers to Diamond City and Goodneighbor without asking for anything in return, but a friendly conversation.

Personality

The most memorable part of Jack, besides the mask, is the voice behind the mask. He is lively and outgoing, never sounding anything less than pleasant, which more than makes up for the lack of face to read. Even when threatened, he's light and his tongue is sharp, usually willing to give his aggressors a chance to change their mind and leave before a fight.

In a word, Jack is charming. He enjoys good banter and small talk with dealers and anyone hapless enough to give him the light of day. He is also straightforward, frank about himself and others. He has made it clear that his skin is miles thick and he seeks no approval from anyone, nonetheless from raiders. To this end, he may appear at times shallow or fleeting, expressing an interest in other people while simultaneously operating distantly and alone.

His violent side is doled out with temperance. There is fearless confidence in every maneuver and he has never expressed squeamishness to blood and gore. He is not an apologetic killer- but he is a judicious one.

Jack’s transitory nature appears to take root in more serious problems, particularly regarding memory. He has introduced himself more than once to people that he had already previously met, genuinely been confused when approached for revenge over something he does not remember, and other similar situations. It’s usually not a catastrophe, but people are beginning to notice.

He makes great effort to conceal his flaws, such as the memory loss and mood swings. Prone to very deep bouts of depression, Jack sometimes disappears into his tower for weeks on end. There is also a reason for his mask beyond dramatics: he has the hypochondriac belief that he will go feral again if he takes it off around other people.

Background

TL;DR Jack was born in a walled settlement descended from vault dwellers who were very anti-ghoul, believing ghouls to carry disease. Raiders destroyed the village and kidnapped his parents so he tried to find them, but instead got lured into a trap that exploded and turned him into a ghoul. His friends abandoned him, and he got rescued by an unrelated raider lord, who proceeded to emotionally abuse him in his very vulnerable frame of mind. He dated this raider lord, then killed him, then took his leadership of the group, then ran away to New Reno.

Jack became a mercenary and got really angsty. He got used to being a ghoul but soon lived long enough to know that his family has naturally passed away, if they weren't already murdered. He got more angsty. He betrayed a friend, so that friend tricked him into getting trapped in a vault. He went feral and/or had a psychotic break down there. Raiders broke into the vault to live in it and found him; he was rehabilitated by the leader, who had a brother that went feral. The gas mask was placed on him after Jack bit him. He was then released, but he killed the guards that escorted him out and fled with their gear.

Considering his remarkable survival a form of rebirth and penance, he decided to turn over a new leaf. After self-medicating with Mentats and re-teaching himself how to speak, he went to Boston. However, he has never forgiven himself for his actions, never healed from his abandonment, and needs closure regarding the fate of his family.