About Jak SykesStep 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged! Jak Sykes is the consummate traveler: he pays his respects the the Goddess of Travelers and Luck, and receives Her blessings in return. He tries to return home every few years to visit his family's graves, but something always manages to catch his attention and put it off. A good natured and helpful man, he finds his greatest joy in sleeping under the stars in anticipation of what the next morning will bring. Jak was the only one of his family to want to leave the rustic little town of his birth. For better or worse, this also meant that he was the only one to survive the plague that swept through the area. Jak has made his living most often by taking up jobs as a long distance messenger; travelling between cities alone and with groups. He also makes it a point to find a nice gambling den in whichever town he finds himself; he's always a fair bit of luck on his side and the extra coin is never unwelcome. If he's being honest with himself, the only thing that would make him truly happy with his life is friends - and perhaps a woman by his side - who get the same joy from his various undertakings as he does. He's had to make use of his longspear not a few times, and his minor first aid abilities more often still, but he would never call himself an "adventurer". Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game. Jak has been bitten by the Wanderlust bug. His ultimate goal is to visit every plane of existence. Depending on where the AP takes us, I'd like to have Jak be the first of any Earthly race to step foot on at least one planet or moon. Preferably uninhabited, but inhabitable. Military outpost, colonization effort, random exploration, whatever the reason. Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises! At least one of Jak's siblings survived his hometown plague but was horribly transformed by it. As a child, Jak stole an ancient heirloom from the family of another child who had bullied him. It was buried on the outskirts of town and hadn't been found as of the day that Jak left his home. Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you. Jak is on "friendly enemy" terms with at least one gang leader. They met at a tavern over a game of Liar's Dice and meet up for a pint whenever Jak is in the vicinity. Jak knows about his professional dealings, but neither takes part in nor hinders them. In return, Jak is the only outsider (that the Boss will admit to) who is never even bothered about a "toll" when travelling into and out of the city. This is extended to any caravan that Jak may be travelling with. There is a well known rare artifacts merchant named Ominifis Dran that always seems to be in the city that Jak is in. This has occurred so often, with ostensibly the same merchant, that Jak has begun to wonder if it is more of a franchise manned by clones than a single shop. Whatever the reason, Jak always goes to him first when he is in need of something or has something to sell. Jak has been followed by one thug in particular: a noisy halfling who always wants to pick a fight and goes by the name of Artemis. His standard operating procedures are to wait until Jak is departing from a set of ruins or other potentially treasure-filled area, and then confront Jak in order to take said treasures for himself. It rarely works. Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor. If Jak is moving on his own, he runs. He doesn't take a horse or wagon; he just runs. It's a favorite pasttime and expeditious mode of travel, though not as comfortable as a wagon or as fast as a horse. If he is with a group, he will conform to their preferred method of travel, though every other day - as long as the opportunity is available - he will go out and run for several miles. This particular habit grew alongside his greatest memory. Growing up in a frontier town, kids made their own games and contests. One of the more common tests of physical endurance was a long distance run. When Jak was 11 he won his first race. The next year, he asked to be timed. When he was 16, he shattered the current record for a run to the next town. Jak always has a deck of cards on hand. Surprisingly clumsy with small dextrous movements, he could never pass for a sleight of hand artist, but the thrill of card and dice games - especially those involving a large amount of luck - are always able to keep him entertained. Jak Sykes Gestalt
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