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Kids call him Checkers Jack, though his real name is Jacques Crawley. He was an orphan himself, which is why he wanted to have children to look after. However, as a poor street performer, he barely had any stable housing or any way to feed himself most days, let alone a child. Any orphanage he tried to get employment at turned him away, preferring feminine employees for a "motherly touch", and the only fathers they'd have were those from the church. When he saw a child being abused by their parents in the street and no one doing anything to help, he tried to step in, though ended up getting arrested. Everything he had was used against him, and he ended up being sentenced to life without parole, claiming him to be a threat to children and the public. At least he managed to pick up some skills on the inside, mostly sneaking around and going unnoticed by other inmates, avoiding fights and cultivating his enjoyment of needlecrafting. He wasn't a violent threat, so he ended up being allowed some crafting equipment in his isolated cell. The library was small, but varied, and one day he found a very strange book. Something that could give him the freedom he needed. He snuck it away to his cell, and started the ritual. Drawing his own blood from his craft tools, drawing it into symbols and circles. It's said that echoing laughter filled the prison as Jacques disappeared into shadow, guards running high alert for a man who no longer exists.
Occasionally, a child who wanders a little too far away from their parents will find a delightfully gangly clown, dressed in stripes and checkers, asking if they're lost, if they're hungry, if they'd like to see something wonderful. If they just want their parents, he'll direct them into the right direction, melting back into the shadows. If they want to see, he'll bring them to a wonderous comfortable world, full of plushies and pillows and other kids to play with, and deliciously warm home-cooked meals.
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