Name: Captain Jakob "The Dead" Sterling
Age: 28
Race: Human
Appearance: Jakob has a tall wiry build, standing at over 6 feet tall. A diet of primarily fish has left him with very little fat on his body. Though human, his curse has begun to take a toll on his body. His skin is so fare that it looks grey and his eyes are a milky white. His gaunt visage, shrouded in a deep hood, resembles that of the grim specter of death. Shin high boots adorn his feet, a set of slim fitting pants tucked into the top of each. From his hips hang a set of flintlock pistols and a set of clip-point daggers.
Occupation: Pirate
Personality: The words emotionally bankrupt come to mind when one thinks of the pirate Captain Jakob Sterling. Regardless of his mood his expression and tone change little. His interactions with the criminal the criminal element made him cautious of everyone he meets. As a matter of survival, he has done his best to cultivate a strong, imposing demeanor which deters others from crossing him. He views relationships with others and purely functional and unnecessary disclosure as a liability. His pact with the necromancer Phaonis has left him a man without conscience in life, thus his actions can be extreme and appear unprovoked.
Your Crime:
Jakob was rumoured to frequent the waters just outside of Iwaku's territory, plundering merchant ships from the Directory Republic. However he didn't receive much attention until a smouldering vessel was spotted sailing along the coastline that he received any much attention. The ship was eventually identified as the
Pride of Eden, a migrant vessel which had been carrying no cargo at all. Those aboard had been poor Noobites, refugees of all ages from fallen nations seeking to start a new life in Iwaku. It is believed that whenThe Dead found they had nothing of value he was so angry that he'd ordered his crew to lock the passengers below decks and burn the lot.
Admiral Jaeger managed to apprehend The Dead during a night time ambush, the Admiral was disfigured during the pirate's interrogation when Jakob managed to throw a hidden vial of acid in his face. Due to the cruel nature of his crimes, Jakob has spent the last 6 months in The
Tower of Traitors, a high security prison for enemies of the realm.
Guilty or innocent: Guilty
History:
Jakob is not a native of Iwaku, he is originally from
Necropolis, an ancient state under the rule of the White Wolf Empire.
For many years White Wolf had been in a period of steady decline. Jakob's father Archibald Sterling, had been a member of The Moderator Council, a group of mages who had forged White Wolf. However many of their passions for sustaining what they had created had begun to wane, many had moved to new lands or passed on, taking their life sustaining power with them. The continent had steadily become more and more unstable, earthquakes fractured the landscape, lush forests became deserts and floods wiped away coastal towns.
Despite the times he was born into, Jakob paid little attention to the decaying state of the world around him, for he was a dreamer. In his mind he could only see the barren landscape as a blank canvas upon which a beautiful new world could be created. He would spend countless hours with his dearest friend Trinity dabbling in the use of creative conjuring outside of the city. They would experiment on small patches of land, attempting to give it new life.
The two had a sort of chemistry which seemed to amplify their creative ability and it was clear to Archibald that the two would make fine Mods themselves one day.
However, it was not meant to be before they could even begin their formal apprentice the city was struck by an earthquake of Cataclysmic proportions.The City of Necropolis began to sink into the
Sea of Apathy taking Jakob's father along with it. Jakob and Trinity barely escaped aboard a small ship with afew other refugees. As they watched their home disappear beneath the wave Jakob felt as if his dreams had been crushed, they were too late, they would never revitalize Necropolis, the canvas was gone.
They sailed for what felt like months aboard that ship under a grey sky in a lifeless ocean. Trinity did her best to keep Jakob's spirits up. But something had changed in him, that sparkle in his eyes was gone and cheering him up was becoming more challenging by the day.
One night during a storm, the two began to quarrel below decks. Trinity had become fed up with Jakob's increasingly morbid outlook. At the height of their confrontation, a rogue wave caused the ship to capsize and break apart.
Jakob was picked up by a group of pirates a few days later while adrift on a piece of wreckage. The crew informed him that he had been the sole survivor.
Jakob was devastated, his world had become a dark an ugly place.
The ship's captain
Santiago Motzlan, demanded he become an indentured member of his crew, a 10 year debt for saving Jakob's life. Once his years of service were complete, he would be free to do as he please.
During his time aboard the
Serpeant of The West Jakob studied the arts of navigating a ship, sailing, knife fighting and marksmanship. The crew was a living library of unsavory knowledge, and Jakob took every opportunity to soak up as much knowledge as he could. While he was never about his affection for Jakob, Motzlan became like a second father to him, constantly pushing him to take on bigger challenges such as leading raiding parties and gathering intelligence on new marks.
By the time he was 20 years old he'd become a competent first mate, but his past was catching up with him at times he would become overwhelmed with guilt. He had once prized creation and rebirth, now his every act served to strip people of everything in some feeble attempt to fill an emptiness in himself. He yearned to find some way to relieve himself of these feelings. All they did was hinder his ability to excel.
It was in the
Port of Sherway that Jakob would meet a woman that would provide him with the relief he so desperately sought. A mysterious necromancer by the name of
Phaonis Bhaal sold him a potion that would remove those limitations for a pint of his blood.
And the potion acted as promise,its unique properties eliminated his feelings of guilt altogether. Jakob became faster, stronger, quieter, more focused, he no longer troubled himself with concerns over his past. All seemed well.
But Jakob would soon realize that he had purchased more than he'd bargained for. His ability to feel remorse eventually evaporated altogether. He became progressively more violent and unpredictable, and with every evil act his body began to change, skin paled and his facial features became more corpselike.
The crew began to call him The Dead on account of his haunting visage. In time this new moniker became a name he wore with pride. His reputation only grew as he stole his own ship and assembled a crew.
Longshoremen would come to call him "the reaper of the seas", boarding ships late at night and murdering every man on board before disappearing into the night along with the ships cargo.
Abilities:
Wings of The Reaper- Years of manning the sails of heaving and yawing ships has given Jakob the ability to move with swiftness and silence while climbing. His experience is such that he is even agile enough to fight from unconventional positions such as rafters and closed spaces with little risk of stumbling or losing his balance.
Dead Eye- Excellent hand eye coordination allows Jakob to accurately small or difficult targets at a great distance.
Sense Danger- When crawling from pub to pub while on shore leave, its important for a man to have his wits about him. Thus Jakob has learned to rely on his gut in sketchy situations. Danger sense allows him a chance to react instinctively to potential dangers, be that looking for traps, pulling his weapon first or dodging a first hit.
Never Shall We Die- In situations where he and his companions are greatly outnumbered or wounded Captain Sterling has the ability to enter a frenzied state where he shouts to his fellows and taunts the enemy while fighting. Friends within earshot, have their morale restored and receive a supernatural buff which increases their own speed and strength.
Important Locations
Necropolis – The city of his birth
The Sea of Apathy - A black sea under grey skies where he drifted for weeks
The Serpent of The West - The pirate ship on which Jakob served.
Port of Sherway - A small island port where Jakob made his bargain with Phaonis Bhaal.
The Pride of Eden - The ship on which Jakob commited his greatest atrocity.
Tower of Traitors - Jakob's prison where he awaited to learn of his fate.
Important People
Trinity Muse - Jakob's childhood friend
Archibald Sterling - His father
Santiago Motzlan - His master/foster father.
Phaonis Bhaal - A necromancer who stole his conscience.
Admiral Edmond Jaeger - His captor
