Jack

“	Well, if it isn't my favorite Detective! I knew you'd show up eventually. Nothing ever gets past you, does it?	”
—Jack, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star

Jack is a major character who first appeared in the sixth Dark Parables game, Jack and the Sky Kingdom. Jack makes a reappearance as a minor character in the tenth Dark Parables game, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star, and its bonus game, The Golden Slumber.

He is a fortune hunter who pursues countless treasures to aid poor villages and seeks a way to return to the Sky Kingdom.

His character is based on Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and the classic tale of Robin Hood.

Appearance and Personality[]

Jack is a handsome man with brown hair and eyes and a light beard. When he first appeared in Jack and the Sky Kingdom, he wore a jacket with his treasure hunter emblem, a floppy hat, gloves, a satchel, and pants with boots. When he reappeared in Goldilocks and the Fallen Star, he wore a green winter jacket lined with grey fur and a matching ushanka. He wields a golden, jeweled ax with highly destructive power.

Jack is a rugged outdoors-man and an adept fighter. He uses the treasures he finds to help the poor people in nearby villages. After being cowardly in the past, he is now determined to face danger head-on and prove himself. He does, however, have a dark side; he can be very threatening and will hurt people (with the Fairytale Detective not excluded) just to get what he needs. He can be a jerk sometimes but he never rests when he fulfills his vow. He does not tend to think clearly when someone he loves is hurt. His assertive manner proves just as how much he loves someone, particularly Emma. It's possible that he might have been molded after Indiana Jones to give some fans would make that comparison.

History[]

Much of Jack's early life is unknown, but as a boy, he was outraged by the poverty inflicting his family and friends while the rich grew richer. Jack soon learned to pickpockets and shared the wealth he acquired with those in need. He eventually decided to become a treasure hunter and traveled the world in search of greater riches. Jack made many friends along the way, including the huntsman Raphael and the thief Rach Neumann.

One day, Jack found himself in danger within the woods of France but a Red Riding Hood Sister found him and rescued him. Her name was Emma and when the two fell in love, she left the Order to join his group of treasure hunters and share her life with Jack.

Jack enjoyed his adventures, but he was obsessed with the legendary Sky Kingdom, a place rumored to have treasures beyond anyone's wildest imaginings. As his obsession grew, Emma finally revealed to him that she possessed magic beans that had been passed down through her family for generations and could get him to the Sky Kingdom. Jack and his friends climbed the giant beanstalk but were confronted by three guardians of the kingdom. When his friends started to fall, Jack ran with a single treasure in hand. Assuming Emma was behind him, he chopped down the beanstalk as soon as he touched the ground. But she wasn't behind him; she was now trapped in the Sky Kingdom.

Devastated at the loss of his friends and beloved Emma, Jack built himself a home next to what remained of the beanstalk. His guilt at his cowardly behavior caused him to begin heavy drinking and for the next decade, Jack searched in vain for a way to reenter the Sky Kingdom and rescue his beloved.

When the Sky Kingdom appeared amongst the clouds and started falling to the earth, he was ready to join forces with the Fairytale Detective and return to the kingdom he once ran away from.

After the events of Jack and the Sky Kingdom, Jack accompanied Emma to the Order of the Red Riding Hood Sisters. He also visited the Fairy Queen to entrust her with the Bolide Shard so that it would not fall into the wrong hands.

Despite Emma being welcomed back to the Order, she and Jack remained very much in love. It was not to last; one day, Emma found a young girl stumbling through the forest and offered her hand in assistance. The moment she touched the girl, she stiffened and turned into a gold statue.

Jack eventually came to the kingdom of Barsia where he hoped to claim the fallen star that could grant any wish to its owner. However, he was cornered by a golden bear and would have been torn to shreds if not for the timely appearance of the Fairytale Detective.

Jack may have been freed from the golden curse, but Leda's wish only affected those inside Barsia. Emma's body was still in its casket on the outskirts of the kingdom and thus was not free. Furious that he had failed once more to free his beloved, Jack's last hope lay with finding a Golden Child.

The Detective obtained the tears from Hansel and freed Emma from her curse. Elated to have his fiancee back, the two sailed happily on their boat.

Powers and Abilities[]

Axe Wielding: Jack is very skilled at using his ax, using it to block attacks and throwing it like a boomerang.

Relationships[]

Emma (fiancee)
Raphael (friend, deceased)
Fairytale Detective (friend)
Prince Leonard (enemy)
Prince Julian (enemy, deceased)
Leda (acquaintance)
Rach Neumann (fellow treasure hunter, deceased)
Fairy Queen (acquaintance)

Relevant Parables[]

The Mercenary King of the Sky Kingdom (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)

Once upon a time, there was a poor but honorable King, who was determined to rebuild his kingdom's fortune. One day, his appetite for gold suddenly grew insatiable. The Queen, in despair of his greed, took their daughter in hand and left him. The King suffered many lonely years without them, but his obsession with treasure only flourished. One day, a strange witch came to sell him 'the most valuable treasure in the world'. And it was from this witch that the King learned of his beloved Queen's death and her most unexpected final wish: that the world be purged and remade into one of beauty and peace. The grieving King vowed to honor her memory with the sacrifice of his greatest treasure. He decided to unleash the Shard on the day a meteor shower would rain closest to the earth, a rare occurrence that happened only once every millennium. To protect the rest of his treasure, the King used magic to raise his kingdom into the sky. Though magic ensured the King's long life, his plans were thwarted by a petty thief named Jack, who had unwittingly stolen the key that would unleash the treasure. Though Jack escaped, the rest of his gang was left behind. And there was one woman who reminded the King very much of his beloved Queen and their young daughter...

Jack and the Beanstalk (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)

There was once a young lad named Jack. Outraged by the poverty he saw plague friends and family while the rich grew richer, Jack picked fat pockets and shared his spoils with all. Soon, Jack made his way into the world of treasure hunting with a group of like-minded friends; eager to expand his efforts to help the poor. It was during their travels that Jack heard of the legend of a kingdom in the sky. With the help of his fiancee Emma, he acquired the 'magic beans' that grew into a giant beanstalk. At the top, Jack and his friends found the lost kingdom. But in the midst of a raid, they fell under the attack of three powerful guardians. At the sudden onslaught, Jack fled to the ground and chopped the beanstalk down. By the time he regained his senses, Jack realized that Emma and his friends were now trapped. Wracked with guilt, Jack resided in a small cottage by the beanstalk stump for years, desperately searching for a way to rescue them. Little did he know, one day, his efforts would set a terrible plot's wheels in motion once again.

The Adventures of Lady Emma (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)

The story begins with a noble-born lady named Emma. Unsatisfied with her mundane lifestyle, she rebelled against her family and trained under the Order of the Red Riding Hood Sisters. During patrols, Emma saved a young man by the name of Jack, a fortune hunter with a charming smile and tales of adventure. They fell in love and she left the Sisters for a future with him. Jack had a dream as well, in the form of the elusive kingdom in the sky and the heist of a lifetime. But all his research fell to naught until Emma gave him the magic beans that had been in her family's possession for generations, a secret heirloom connected to the kingdom. But the kingdom proved to be as treacherous as it was bountiful. Emma found herself abandoned by the man she loved and at the mercy of the King and three Princes of the kingdom. Unexpectedly, the King claimed Emma as his descendant, proven by her possession of the magic beans. He treated her like a daughter, but Emma soon realized the King had been bewitched to set upon a nefarious path that would destroy the world. Emma knew she would need help to stop the King. She sabotaged the floating kingdom, exposing its location, and hoped it would alert the attention of the Fairytale Detective before the island's destruction went too far.

Jack's Vow (from The Golden Slumber)

Not long ago, the story of two young lovebirds, Emma and Jack, began. They loved each other so intensely and enjoyed every moment they spent together, but little did they know that their happiness would not be long-lasting. One day, they found a beautiful girl with stunning blonde hair, stumbling through the forest. Emma, dear and kind, reached for the stranger's hand in order to help, and as she opened her mouth to say something, Emma stiffened and turned into a perfectly vivid golden statue. The mysterious girl gazed at the golden statue of Emma, then screamed with anger and ran away, calling herself a slave to her own curse. Jack, not yet fully aware of what just happened, remained next to his loved one, desperately hugging her, sobbing. That day, he swore he would not settle down until he found the cure to return Emma to life.

Quotes[]

Quotes by Jack[]

"Hello, Detective! The name's Jack."
"I prefer to call it a ... strategic retreat."
"Don't worry about the Prince, I'll take care of him. Trust me."
"Come on, Detective. It's time to grow us a magic beanstalk."
"The people in the picture, they were my team. My friends. Ten years ago, we planned a heist on Sky Kingdom and everything seemed to be going well... But the three Princes appeared. They attacked - I was the only one who managed to escape. My friends... my fiancee, Emma, they were trapped in the Sky Kingdom."
"Do you have a plan to get me out? Try to make it as painless as possible, huh?"
"Surprise. Thought I was done for, didn't you?"
"I was lucky. I managed to grab onto a branch before I hit the ground. It slowed my fall and I landed on the beanstalk. Good thing you fixed the aircraft earlier. Otherwise, I couldn't have made it back up here."
"Detective, I must tell you the truth about my past. Ten years ago, when the three Princes and the mad King overpowered us, my friends began to fall and I... I ran. I thought Emma was behind me. I chopped down the beanstalk so the Princes couldn't follow me. And when I realized I was alone... it was too late. Emma's right, I was a coward. I've realized Emma is more important to me than any treasure in the world. How can I get her to forgive me?"
"Thank you for helping me find Emma, Detective. I won't be making the same mistake twice."
"Well, if it isn't my favorite Detective! I knew you'd show up eventually. Nothing ever gets past you, does it?"
"You should be more careful. I won't be around to save you next time."
"My dear Emma met Goldilocks on one of her travels. With one touch, she was accidentally turned into gold. The wishing star only restored the people in this kingdom, not those beyond."