Old Jack

Biodata

Background

Old Jack was a stablehand at Cain Wizard Tower and one of the few people who treated Tylen kindly during his early life as a corpse-collecting apprentice. He regularly slipped Tylen wild fruits and was remembered by other service workers as a straightforward, generous man. 6 27

He and his wife, Linda, had been childhood sweethearts since age six. They married, raised three children, and remained together into old age. Their modest but stable life collapsed after their youngest son entered the Wizard Tower, failed his assessments, was expelled, and took his own life; the resulting debt of 100,000 Purple Gold Coins was transferred to Old Jack. 6

The debt forced Old Jack to sell his home and move with Linda to a decaying shack on Old Mine Street. When Linda died, he was driven to ask Tylen to appraise her body for sale—a choice he regarded as a final humiliation and betrayal of her dignity. 6 11

Linda's Death and Final Days

The Red Wine Gang stole Linda's corpse after Old Jack rejected their offer to buy it. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, he accompanied Tylen to the gang's warehouse, where Tylen negotiated Linda's return by promising to draw one hundred Runic Frames. 12

After recovering her body, Old Jack refused to sell Linda after all and brought her back to their home. He gave Tylen a bundle of books left by his deceased son, including the spellbook Magic Thorn Art, as repayment for Tylen's help. 13

“I won't sell her.” 13

Death and Burial

By the time Tylen returned to Old Mine Street, Old Jack and Linda's bodies had disappeared from their home. At the Red Wine Gang's warehouse, Tylen found Old Jack's corpse holding Linda's amid the aftermath of a massacre. 19

Tylen arranged a joint burial for the couple at Saint Rest Church. He placed Old Jack's arm around Linda's shoulder in their coffin so that they would appear to remain in one another's embrace. 22

Appearance

Old Jack was a weathered man in his fifties, visibly bent by poverty, labor, and grief. In his final days, he appeared dramatically older than before.

• Faded gray clothes or an old vest, often marked with straw from stable work. 6 11
• Messy blond hair and a deeply lined, wrinkled face. 6 11
• Cloudy eyes and a back bent “like a bow” under life's burdens. 11
• Usually carried a battered felt hat. 11

Personality

Old Jack was kind, loyal, and deeply devoted to Linda. Even while struggling to survive himself, he had helped Tylen with small acts of generosity and had lent Cole money for his child's medicine. 6 27

His greatest concern was preserving Linda's dignity in death. Though desperation initially made him consider selling her body, he could not accept her being taken by corpse traffickers or dark wizards. After recovering her, he chose to remain with her rather than profit from her death. 6 12 13

Vengeful Spirit Manifestation

After his death, Old Jack's grief and resentment transformed his soul into a Vengeful Wraith, an incorporeal second-tier demonic creature driven by obsession. 19

• Manifested as gray-black shadows and yin wind within the Red Wine Gang's warehouse. 19
• Possessed a gang thug and drained his life force and spiritual essence. 19
• Retained enough awareness to recognize Tylen and hesitate rather than attack him. 19
• Dissipated after Tylen acknowledged him as a benefactor, promised the couple a proper burial, and assured him that Linda would no longer be disturbed. 19

Relationships

• Tylen Magnus — A younger friend and beneficiary of Old Jack's kindness. Tylen repaid him by recovering Linda's body, calming his wraith, and burying the couple together. 6 12 19 22
• Linda — His wife and childhood sweetheart. Old Jack's devotion to her defined his final actions in life and the resentment that created his wraith. 6 12 13 19
• Little Jack — His deceased youngest son, a failed wizard apprentice whose expulsion and suicide left Old Jack with an overwhelming debt. His books became Old Jack's final gift to Tylen. 6 13 21
• Old Smith — A fellow groom and close friend who mourned Old Jack after learning of his death. 27
• Cole — A service-district worker whom Old Jack once helped by lending money for his sick child. 27

Legacy

• Magic Thorn Art spellbook — Old Jack gave Tylen the spellbook from Little Jack's belongings. Its contents allowed Tylen to learn Magic Thorn Art, later including a powerful hand-blade variation. 13 21
• Withered Shell corpses — Old Jack's wraith killed two gang members through possession, leaving behind two rare Withered Shells that Tylen needed for Violet Star's assignment. 19