Jack

### Appearance

spotted fur, bright green eyes, much larger than the average humanoid, but small for a gnoll

### Classes and Professions

sorcerer (stone), rogue, ranger, mercenary, conduit

## Synopsis

Jack is a gnoll from the Golden Wastes of Ayn Sitael. From a young age, he has exhibited the ability to siphon magical power from sources of strong elemental energy. Abandoning his life in the wilderness after multiple violent run-ins with the Inquisitors, Jack now resides in the Alviren Empire working as a mercenary and smuggler, with his adoptive son Pepper in tow providing him with magical energy. Keeping his innate magic a secret, he continues to search for answers about his abilities, and revenge for the wrongs done to him by the Inquisitors.

## Adventuring Origin

Jack was born and raised in the Golden Wastes of Ayn Sitael. From a young age, he has exhibited the innate ability to channel magical power from sources of strong elemental energy. At the age of four, Jack's tribe was confronted by a group identifying themselves as the Inquisitors, who claimed to be enforcers of the Alviren Empire's regulation of magic. The Inquisitors castrated Jack, presuming him to be a sorcerer, to prevent him from passing on sorcerous genes to any potential offspring.

Years later, as a teenager, Jack left the Golden Wastes and traveled to the Taruki Jungle. Here, he met another gnoll tribe, which included a gnoll named Djinni, who also had innate magical powers. Djinni was born with uncontrollable elemental powers, which she learned to harness and control later in life. Her son, Pepper, was born with similar powers, but was as-of-yet unable to control them. Jack discovered that he was able to siphon magical power from Pepper's uncontrollable elemental energy, and decided to stay with Djinni and Pepper.

About two years ago, the same Inquisitors confronted Djinni's gnoll tribe. The tribe surrendered Djinni for execution by the Inquisitors. Djinni asked Jack to take care of Pepper on her behalf, before summoning a massive explosion of elemental energy which destroyed the Inquisitors and many bystanders.

After these events, Jack abandoned the wilds, and traveled to the Alviren Empire. For the past two years, he has worked as a sellsword and a smuggler, while also secretly keeping Pepper in tow, generally in a large case that he carries on his back. Ultimately, he wishes to get revenge against the Inquisitors, and to find a community that will accept him and Pepper's magical abilities.

Most of Jack's past two years have been spent working in and around the Silverslate Mountains. At the campaign's beginning, Jack has just arrived in Karaad, after escorting a traveler through the deserts of Chwaka. Upon their arrival in Karaad, the traveler, Binti Redroot, contracted Jack to deliver a package of magical contraband to the Free Arcanists Lodge in Paxeter.

## Party Connections

### Frog

In the city of Karaad, Frog hires Jack to travel with him and work as his bodyguard. Jack agrees to the arrangement, motivated by finding a legal cover for his smuggling job.

## Planned Story Arcs

### Learning His Nature

Jack is a conduit - a mutation of innate magic that has not been seen since the Age of Arcana. Unlike sorcerers, conduits do not have an innate ability to use magic on their own; rather, they channel magical power from strong sources of magical energy in the world around them. This mutation was very rare even at the height of the Age of Arcana, and has been completely unheard of for centuries.

There are several ways that Jack could learn of his nature - they will largely depend on his choices regarding revealing his powers, and the campaign's direction. Some potential parties that could explain his mutation to him could include the College of Mimrinoth, the Free Arcanists Lodge, Aristoadle, or possibly even Odell.

### The Free Arcanists Lodge

In Paxeter, Jack can meet with the Free Arcanists Lodge, a group of rogue illegal mages. Having been hired by Binti Redroot, he must deliver the Lorekeeper Orb to the Lodge. In return, they may be able to help him find a safe haven for Pepper, and possibly even give him clues regarding his nature. In exchange, they will want his assistance with investigating the Luxturrim Obelisk for clues about the Inquisitors.

### The Luxturrim Obelisk

Working for the Free Arcanists Lodge, Jack will travel to the Luxturrim Obelisk, where he will learn that Thalien Omadithas is seeking to ascend to godhood, using The Raven Queen's Rites of Ascension that are recorded within the obelisk. This will also be his opportunity to learn more about the Inquisitors.

### Obtaining the Chaos Core

Once Jack learns the nature of his abilities, and once Frog learns of the Chaos Core, the two will need to work together to retrieve the Chaos Core from the Death Cap Temple in the Taruki Jungle. Here, Jack can also learn that the Chaos Core was the reason for Djinni and Pepper's innate magical abilities. Going through the trials of the Death Cap Temple will help Jack to master and control his abilities as a conduit.

### Charging the Chaos Core

Jack must travel with Frog to the four druid tribes of Mycorrhiza, and charge the Chaos Core with the energy of the four elements. Once it is charged, Jack must use the Chaos Core to unlock the Thousand Year Door in Mycellium Palace, so that Frog can retrieve the Star Shard and stop the deep myconid from reviving the Earthstar.

### Defeating The Inquisitors

In conjunction with the plots of Odell and Gragnok, Jack must learn the nature of the Inquisitors and the identities of their leader, and confront Thalien Omadithas and Avourel Orion.

## Story Rewards

### Team Skill: Jack The Ripper

Once Jack awakens Syntithenai, he permanently gains the following skill, which he retains even after he ends his attunement to the blade.

***Jack The Ripper.*** At the end of each long rest, you can choose an ally to be attuned to your Team Skill. The ally remains attuned to your Team Skill until you complete another long rest. You can only use your Team Skill on the attuned ally, and you can only ever have one ally attuned to your Team Skill at a time.

When your attuned ally takes damage while within 60 feet of you, you can use your *vengeful strike* racial feature even if the damage doesn't reduce them to 0 hit points.

### Story Reward: Conduit Features

After acquiring the Chaos Core and learning to master his abilities as a conduit, Jack gains the following abilities.

***Chaos Conduit.*** You gain a number of conduit points equal to half of your level (rounded down). You can expend conduit points to fuel the features below. Conduit points can only be expended to fuel these features, and sorcery points cannot be expended to fuel these features. You regain all expended conduit points each time you complete a long rest.

***Conduit Manipulation.*** When you see a creature within 60 feet of you cast a spell, you can use your reaction to spend conduit points and apply one of your *metamagic* options to their spell, if they are willing.

***Conduit Evocation.*** When you see a creature within 60 feet of you cast a damage-dealing spell, you can use your reaction to draw power from their magic and launch a bolt of energy. Spend any number of conduit points, up to a maximum number of total points equal to your proficiency bonus. Then, make a ranged spell attack roll with a range of 120 feet against a creature or object of your choice. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 damage for each conduit point that you spent. The damage type is the same as the damage type of the spell. If the spell deals multiple damage types, you choose which of these damage types to deal.

***Conduit Distortion.*** When you see a creature within 60 feet of you cast a spell, you can use your reaction to expend a conduit point and use the *Transmuted Spell* Metamagic option on their spell, even if you don't normally have access to that Metamagic option.

***Conduit Consumption.*** When you or a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage from a spell or magical effect, you can use your reaction to nullify the damage. Choose any number of conduit points to spend, up to a maximum number of total points equal to your proficiency bonus. The damage the creature takes is reduced by an amount equal to 1d10 for each conduit point that you spent. If you reduce the damage to zero, the next time you hit with a weapon or spell attack within 1 minute, the target takes extra damage equal to the amount and type of damage that you reduced.