Tonight’s character is Jack Dunn: gunslinger, officer, free agent and above all... deadly. The Epochian is often the one who brings laughter to the dark situations the characters find themselves in. He is jovial, carefree, and fun to have along for the ride. But he is also hard as nails in a fight and serious about the skills he wields in any battle he fights.
I first began working on Jack as a sort of side-kick to Reivn, when I wanted to give Reivn a balance while he was under the influence of the Daemon seed. However, as Jack began developing in personality, I quickly realized he was so much more than that and expanded his own story-line. He grew into an incredible addition to the Draegonstorm world. Not only is he the man that calls Reivn’s bluffs every chance he gets, but he questions anything he finds to be wrong morally. Though older and more seasoned in battle than Reivn, he still respects the leadership role that was given to the man he grows to call friend. He ends up in more of an older-brother relationship with Reivn, and though he loves to poke fun at the Warlord, he still highly respects and follows his banners, often risking his own life to do so.
Assigned to the strike teams, Jack doesn’t fall under the command of any specified unit, but rather works for the Warlords as a whole, going where he is needed most. This practice began when he joined Reivn on the blood hunt for Valfort. He quickly proved his worth and was given the freedom as an independent warrior from then on. His continued work then took him everywhere from battles with the Renegades in open war to infiltrating some of their most dangerous strongholds. As an asset to the Alliance, he is highly valued by the Warlords and Ancients alike. His carefree nature gives him the unique ability to work with even the toughest of Ancients and Warlords in a way that earns him their trust. He adopted the gunslinger style in the old American west, but he is far older than that. His first experience with soldiering was during the march of Alexander the Great across the Asian continent. It was his experiences during those years that shaped his easy ability to adapt to any situation and environment in the centuries that followed. But it was not until the old west and the years he spent as a US marshal that he found the style that called to his heart. His guns, which he calls his graceful killers, became as much an iconic part of his trade as his blades had been in the earlier years of his service to the Warlords, and the skills he honed with them becomes highly valued.
Where did his personality come from? The answer to this is something I have held near and dear to my heart since I was young. I have an uncle named Jack, and though I did not get to spend as much time with him as I would have liked, the time I did get to spend with him left me with some amazingly wonderful memories. He served in the marines in Vietnam and did several tours that took him into some of the darkest days of his existence. Yet through all that, he somehow managed to keep a wonderful sense of humor and a personality that could put you at ease in five seconds of conversation. Though the rest of my memories of my Uncle are too special to share, I wanted to share a glimpse of what I saw in him with all of you. Through Jack, my character, I was able to bring to life some of the fondest of those memories, immortalizing both who my uncle is and was as a person.
The best part about writing Jack is always how he counters the dark moments with not only his level-headed intervention, but his jovial nature and consistent joking, while still watching the backs of those he befriends. I had moments sitting at my desk where I would have trouble finishing the scene, because his antics would have me laughing. He does not fear Reivn at all, and this in itself was a winning factor in Reivn’s eyes. Reivn respects his views and trusts his judgement. Yes, he is the humor, but he is also the voice of reason at moments when emotion seems to rule the hearts of those around him. Jack is my gunslinger, my hero for hire, my loyal sidekick, and my balance in the equation when the odds are stacked against the other characters. Highly respected and yet still so humble... he is what we would hope every warrior to be.
I have heard countless people say that every hero needs a side-kick, but I don't necessarily believe that to be true. I think it is better for each character, or "hero" if you will, to have true people around him in both friends and enemies. The average sidekick can often be very two-dimensional and this was not something I wanted for Jack. He is such a fun character, and yet still has such a powerful presence in his own right. I think the most difficult part of establishing him was to give reasons to what he does and to give him a drive of his own. He is very complicated in this factor, because he believes in honor and in the war, just as Reivn does. But he also does not care if it ends. He enjoys a good "scrap" as he calls it, and never minds getting his hands dirty. The truth here also runs much deeper in that he has been a warrior for so many centuries that he doesn't truly know what he would do with himself were peace to ensue. He has friends in the most unlikely of places, and this is because beneath his tough exterior, there is a compassionate and big heart. He readily demonstrates that when he turns his youngest daughter, because he cannot stand by and just let her die. Throughout the series you find him returning to aid Reivn and the Draegons, but it is not until much later that you find out why.
If I were asked who the strongest character is when it comes to fighting for what they believe in unwaveringly, though I would probably say Reivn, I would also say that Jack gives him a definite run for his money where that is concerned. Jack is a very loyal friend, a strong warrior in his own right, and very defiant when the situation disagrees with his own sense of justice. He is in every sense the cowboy, but he is also the time-honored knight who follows the banners loyally, earning his place among those considered family to the Draegons... a title he proves he is deserving of with every decision he makes.
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