Jo Wales

Jo via "The Wasted West" (Ashe Marler)

Knight Commander of the Vigil. Jo was one of the first people to meet Simon after he gained his supernatural abilities. She later became one of the first Templars, and spent years exploring the wastes carrying out her duty.

## History

### Pre-Campaign

#### Before the End

Before Judgement Day, Jo lived the simple life of a house wife, watching soap operas and raising her two children along with her loving husband Roger in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two followed news of the Last War as it broke out, and Roger was drafted into the US army in late 2079. He was killed in Kansas, in the Battle of Lawrence during March of 2081. His body was too damaged to send home, so Jo was sent only his dog tags and a small American flag. She buried his tags in an expensive coffin in a cemetery plot out in the country.

She was visiting his grave when the bombs dropped on September 23rd, 2081, saving her life. Her remaining family back in the city didn't survive.

#### Near Boise

After most of the country was decimated by ghost rock bombs and the world as she knew it collapsed, Jo settled in with a survivor community outside the ruins of Boise, Idaho. Though not officially named, its residents simply called it Near Boise. She was spared from any dramatic conflict for years, until the possessions began.

In 2084, the town became noticeably afflicted with a strange problem: people would get a green tint to their eyes, then commit a horrible deed that usually resulted in the death of a companion they were with. These people only committed these acts when there weren't others around, often only acted in subtle ways that could be framed as accidents, and seemed to not remember these acts after the fact.

Jo was present to witness one of these incidents: a wife and husband, Gloria and Manny Wells, were berry picking near the side of a cliff. Gloria had lowered her husband down on a rope, and held him up while he worked. Jo saw her eyes take on a greenish light, and she dropped him. Jo immediately took off to the town's leader, Sheriff Murray, who started an investigation to get to the bottom of the problem.

He cooked up a plan with a junker named Doc Young to trace the cause of these incidents, the source of the green glow. He would create a device to track it down, but needed components they lacked in town. Murray enlisted the help of Jo and another resident named Aaron McConnell, who'd reported another incident very similar to the one Jo had witnessed. Murry figured because they had reported the events, they were unlikely to be involved, and the group of four headed off into the ruins of Boise in an attempt to scavenge up the parts.

#### Simon and Hell's Canyon

Jo had little to no combat experience at the time, and took the shotgun Murray gave her warily. While scavenging, the group ran into hostile mutants that had taken up residence in the ruins. They struggled to fight them off, Sheriff Murray and Doc Young swiftly getting injured in the scuffle. They were saved by the appearance of a strange man with a sword: Simon Mercer. He cut down the mutants and, much to the surprise of the scavengers, magically healed their wounds. After defending them from a second wave, Murray asked Simon for help with their problem, and he accepted.

With Simon's help, Doc Young was able to safely retrieve what he needed for his device. He built the tracer, and after Sheriff Murray incited another possession incident, he used the device to start tracking the creature responsible. Jo, Aaron, Simon, and Doc Young were sent out to follow the trail, while Murray stayed behind to watch over the town.

The party ran into trouble not far into their journey, coming across walking dead on the road. Jo, unaccustomed to the horrors of the wastes, hid behind a tree. After the creatures were downed, Simon approached her. Instead of shaming her, he told her he understood her pain and he was sorry she was forced into this situation. Simon's empathy seemed to leave an impression on her, and when they encountered their next obstacle—a sentient tree creature—Jo was the first to run in and open fire with her shotgun. That moment cemented her resolve and courage for what was to come.

The tracer pulled them toward the woods of Hell's Canyon, near the border of Idaho and Oregon. There, they stumbled upon a lone cabin out in the woods, and barged inside. An old woman sat inside on a rocking chair, a shotgun sitting idly on her lap. The woman introduced herself as Althea Butterworth, or Granny Butterworth, as she seemed to prefer. She told the group that she had occasional visions of the world outside, of things to come. Her visions had told her Simon would do great things, leave a great impact, but the losses in his life had damaged his compassion. If he let his pain turn him cold, she warned, it would lead to his downfall.

To the others, she warned that the creature in the canyon was ancient, a demon out of hell. It possessed people to cause strife and chaos. The demon was stuck in the canyon for one reason or another, but it used a group of survivalists that used to reside in the area to expand its reach. Those who it couldn't use, it killed, and for the rest, the demon infected them with its influence and could possess them from far away.

Granny Butterworth believed the group could defeat the creature, with all their strength pooled together, but one of them would die if Simon failed at a crucial moment. After saying this piece, she refused to answer any more questions. She made the group a hearty meal, and sent them off to complete their quest.

Jo and her companions continued deeper into Hell's Canyon, encountering scores of walking dead along the way. They cut down all that were in their path, and finally stepped into the northern edge of the canyon. There, they found a group of living people, puppeted by the demon beyond. The demon came up from the cave behind them: a humanoid-like figure with a stiff, unmoving face, horns, and pure black eyes. As it stared at them, Jo and the others could feel its influence attempting to reach into their minds and take control. All of them fought back, and the creature failed to get a hold of any of them. Simon made the next move, charging the creature.

He got locked in melee with one of the thralls, and the rest of the two sides opened fire. Jo was the first to land a hit, ripping a possessed woman in half with her shotgun. Aaron took out another with his pistols. Then Doc Young took a bullet to the throat, and blood quickly filled his airway. Jo took down Doc Young's attacker, and was quickly faced with another girl with a pistol. Jo caught a glimpse of a waver in the girl's eyes, fear, then Simon stepped between them, backed her into a corner, and put her down. Jo quickly ran to Doc Young and put her hands on his throat to try and stop the bleeding, and calling to Simon for help. The call for help fell on deaf ears, and Simon advanced on the demon.

It was only after Simon cut down the creature, its body shattering into pieces, that Simon finally ran over to his wounded companion. He arrived too late, and Doc Young bled out in front of him. Jo reprimanded Simon severely, telling him he could've saved their friend if he'd listened instead of playing hero, instead of letting one of the others confront the demon. He stayed quiet.

The group took Doc Young's body back to Near Boise and buried him, encountering less trouble on the way back.

#### The Templars

After returning home, Aaron spread word of what Simon had done, emphasizing his heroism. He suggested Near Boise be officially named to Simon's Rock, and the town agreed. After a celebratory feast, Simon, and his newly apprenticed Aaron, set off into the wastes to continue their work. Jo remained in Simon's Rock. For a year, she didn't have to touch a weapon again.

One year after his departure, Simon returned with a handful of recruits and a vision for what would become the Templar Order. He came to Jo and asked if she'd come with him to Boise and become one of the first Templars. She agreed, somewhat hesitantly, and went to work the next day helping him and his new following rebuild the old city into something new.

Despite her gentler past, Jo took well to her training, learning from more experienced fighters. Along with the others, she learned how to use the magic Simon wielded, and became the second Templar, after Aaron, to use lay on hands. For a couple years, she honed her skills and helped build up Boise. In that time, she and Simon grew close, often practicing personally with him during evenings. It was during one of their practices that the tradition known as the 'storm run' began. During one session, Jo challenged Simon to run a lap clockwise through the Boise maelstrom. He accepted, and the two manged to complete it, though the fatigue left them holed up for a week in recovery.

Jo grew to see Simon as a larger than life figure, a symbol of a better future, and put him on a pedestal. She knew that making a better world would always be his priority.

On June 1st of 2088, Simon announced that the first group of Templars was ready to go out into the world and do their part. Before Jo left, he pulled her aside, got down on one knee, and proposed to her with a diamond ring. He wanted her to stay in Boise and marry him. Jo ended up blindsided, unaware of what he believed their relationship had turned into, and made a clumsy excuse to head off. That moment changed her perspective on Simon: he was just another person, even if an influential one. That knowledge grounded her view of what their order was, that at the end of the day, they were all fallible humans.

Simon received her final message when she set off with the other graduating recruits without speaking to him. She didn't return to Boise for another two years.

She was present during the Great Council of 2091, when Simon announced the existence and study of the Martyrs.

#### The Anti-Templars

During her wanderings, Jo ran into Brad Modeen not long after his confrontation with Simon and his subsequent abandonment of the Templars. He had donned a black tabard and had gathered a following that all carried axes like his own. Jo asked him what he was doing, and he told her that he was done with the tyranny of the Templars, that his group would protect all but the worst people. Jo sensed this would be a problem, though she sympathized with his concerns.

Jo journeyed to Boise and told Simon what she'd seen. He responded that she needed to fulfill the Oath of Blood immediately, and her protests fell on deaf ears. Simon went with her to confront Modeen, but he and his people had already left.

#### Travels

Jo traveled all over the west during her travels, coming across some of the worst and most interesting of its inhabitants.

She spent some time inside the Maze with a few companions. The group had been resting up from a fight when they were ambushed by Combine soldiers in Lynchburg. They targeted Tara, Jo's cyborg companion, and killed her a couple times over. Jo was able to cut down a couple automatons before getting heavily wounded and forced to retreat.

Another time, she had a group of gang members holed up inside the Tucson public library. The town militia was backing her up, guns trained on the windows. She'd been prepared to light the place aflame before a Librarian, Delilah, stopped her, worrying for the loss of the books inside. Jo reluctantly relented, and stormed the building with the townspeople. They killed the gang, but Jo caught a bullet to the hip and two townsfolk got taken out in turn.

She met the junker resident of the Seattle Space Needle, known as "Needle Hands". He helped her make a drug to put some guards to sleep. While in the area, she also got pulled into one of the Gamemaster's adventures, and managed to survive with most of her companions.

### Arc 9: The Goat, The Witch, and The Warden

Jo returned to Boise not long after Brad Modeen's defeat, around May 11th of 2096. The next day, on May 12th, she participated in the ceremony to mourn the Templars that had fallen to Modeen, following Simon down the main street while she carried a tabard, and laid it down to burn in the center of town. Addie and River later met up with her while she was eating. Jo greeted the two warmly, but grew concerned when they asked her to meet outside of town. She proposed meeting an an old, broken down convenience store.

Upon meeting together at the location, Addie question Jo about Thomas Rhoads, and if he was involved in something she knew of. Jo said she'd been in contact with him, that he was working on tracking down some sort of weapon. Addie proceeded to ask River to break some news to Jo, and River laid it out flat: Simon was possessed by a powerful demon. Jo stood stunned, and asked where they'd gotten that information. Addie replied that her vampire companion had given it to her, and while he didn't seem trustworthy, she had reason to believe he was right. She elaborated that the demon wasn't any random manitou, but Baphomet, the demon she'd confronted with Simon years ago. Jo responded they'd buried that fucker years ago, and Addie clarified that they'd destroyed the body, but not the spirit.

Jo questioned what their plan was, and Addie said she wanted to keep Simon from getting killed. Her group had run into a box called the Abyssal Maw, a prison for another major maniou. They planned to imprison Baphomet inside as well through a ritual. Addie told Jo she deserved to know because of how close she was to Simon, and she needed her to keep an eye on him. She also told Jo about the Bell of Saint Michael they'd handed off to Simon, and hoped to keep Baphomet from doing anything with it.

Jo told the two she trusted them to figure it out, and this whole thing with Baphomet might play into current plays being made: Joan of the Doomsayer Heretics was coming to Boise in secret, putting a target on her and Simon's backs. Ike from Junkyard had extended an offer for an alliance between the Templars, Schismatics, a group of junkers, and the Union. Simon was supposed to head to Junkyard in a couple months to meet with the others, and some enemies might have picked up on this.

Jo reassured Addie and River she'd keep watch in Boise while they secured the Maw and figured out how to use it.

At Addie's request, Jo was able to get a blood sample from Simon for the binding ritual. Addie burst in not long after, speedily confirming the deed was done, and crouched next to Simon to try and heal him. Jo helped keep her propped up after the effort almost exhausted her. Jo was with Simon on June 5th when Addie completed the ritual and Simon collapsed, Baphomet finally dragged from his mind and imprisoned.

### Arc 10: The Summit

Jo sat in on the meeting Addie called the next day, on June 6th, along with River and Simon. Addie used the opportunity to let Simon in on what happened with Baphomet. With the threat of Baphomet interfering seemingly gone, Addie disclosed what she knew about Hellstromme as well, and Team Pancakes involvement. Jo raised that Thomas was shady in his actions, but he wasn't the type to work with Hellstromme without good reason. The four discussed Hellstromme's potential threat and plans for the coming summit.

On June 24th, Jo and Simon met up with the NW6 to start their journey to Junkyard. Jo expressed skepticism at the Combine, now Unity's, new leader, Anne Banks, wondering how she'd assure that they wouldn't go down the same path. Addie told her part of the reason Anne was coming to the summit was to set limitations on the new group, and 'Anne' assured she wanted to pay reparations for those harmed by Combine activities. At Addie's questioning of Team Pancakes' absence, Jo responded that they'd gone into the depths of Junkyard's underground to try and make contact with the mutant families, and haven't been heard from since. After hearing from Anne about the existence and actions of the Denver AI, both Jo and Addie expressed a need to destroy it.

After safely arriving in Junkyard, the group set up in the Yard Arms hotel. Late that night, they had dinner in the hotel's restaurant. After a new threat shows its face, the group goes to further investigate a possible disruption to the summit. As Jo grabbed her bag, a strange frequency resonated from it, mentally thrashing Toussaint and Horado. Addie recognized it as the sound given off by the Bell of Saint Michael, and glared at Jo. Jo responded in kind, insinuating they'd speak later.

After making their way to the upper floors, River went to let Horado in from the fire escape, and ran into an explosive device rigged to the door. Jo, the only of the present group with demolitions experience, went to take a look at it and started to disarm it, to Addie's concern. She was able to deactivate the device. As Addie went to open the door, she noticed one of the hall doors opening, and yelled for everyone to get down. Jo, River, and Simon dropped, six bullet holes appearing where Jo was.

After the encounter, Addie and River escorted Jo and Simon to Toussaint's safe room in his office. They remained in the room as the NW6 left to deal with the summits would-be assassins. After the threat was (semi) dealt with, Jo joined Simon and the rest as the summit commenced. She reluctantly agreed with Simon's opinion that the Templar Order needed to change, and agreed that at some point, elections would be held for a Grandmaster. She and Simon also cut a deal with Victor and the Union to construct walls for Boise in exchange for the newly established Vanguard to be allowed to train there with Templar guidance.

After the meeting, Jo disclosed to Addie why she brought the Bell to Junkyard: she and Simon agreed they need a failsafe in case Toussaint lied about his intent and the Unity. It also gave them a bargaining chip on the chance the Unity and Junkyard tried to screw them over.

Jo was later present when Simon called all Templars back to Boise for retraining, during their meeting on the 26th of May. On August 16th, she was approached by Addie and River about any encounters she may have had with a group called the Sea Dogs. Jo mentioned she'd had a few run-ins with them, and most of them were pretty bad. She knew they had a habit of stealing ghost rock from miners in the Maze, and armed themselves heavy to take on other gangs in the area. Word was they'd broken into a national guard armory, and they'd gotten a hold of fully automated weapons, heavy armor, and interceptor boats. She also knew they were scattered, operating essentially as one group but spent a fair bit of energy in squabbles over leadership. Rumor had it they were stationed in an old oil refinery, though no one knew were it was.

### Arc 13: The Denver Swarm

Jo was sent to Denver in the aftermath of the chaos caused by the Denver Swarm. arriving around September 6th. She was sent by Simon to aid in the reclamation efforts and assure the threat was completely dealt with. She also delivered a letter to Addie from Simon: Addie had been given the title of Head Inquisitor, giving her the third highest position in the Templar hierarchy, and direct leadership over designated inquisitors. She was charged with writing up and handing over a report on Denver and what had happened there, as well as continuing her standard work of 'rooting out evil'.

### Arc 14: Choc's Way Home

Sometime between October 22nd and November 10th, Addie called a meeting with Templar leadership. She proposed a 'rebranding' of the Templars, which Jo expressed slight skepticism of. She expressed concern at Addie's proposal to reveal Baphomet to the pubic, but became convinced when Addie mentioned she was worried Toussaint might leak the story before they could, tarnishing their reputation further. Jo agreed they needed to get more people on their side before Hellstromme could make any moves.

### Arc 15: Chasing Coyotes

Jo made her way to Sumpter on November 22nd, attending Addie and River's wedding along with Simon on the 23rd.

### Arc 16: Rivalries

On December 4th, Jo attended the second summit of the Iron Alliance in Denver. She arrived with Simon and the NW6, eventually joining them in the old convention center. She stood with Simon, Addie, and River while they spoke about Baphomet and Hellstromme.

On December 6th, she was approached by River, who'd recently arrived back from the Rafer Valley mission. She told Jo she'd caught Addie driving drunk, and she was worried about her. She wanted Jo to help talk some sense into her before things got worse, and she agreed. That night, she met with the both of them in their temporary apartment. She told Addie she was burning herself out, and was being put on extended leave from missions until she was cleared as recovered.