(JEZ) STUKELEY
Jez, a Mancunian by birth, forged an impressive early career as a pirate on board The Diablo, where he was much loved and prized by his comrades and Captain Molucco Wrathe. He was particularly close friends with Bart Pearce and, latterly, Connor Tempest. Indeed, the three young pirates became such a tight unit that Cate came up with the nickname “The Three Buccaneers”.
Jez was one of the strongest and bravest fighters aboard the ship and when the crew were tricked by Captain Narcisos Drakoulis and the crew of The Albatross, Jez stepped forward to take part in a duel to save Captain Wrathe’s honour and his comrades’ lives. Sadly, Jez died in that duel.
He was given a burial at sea and his coffin thrown into the ocean. It washed up on a beach where the exiled Sidorio found it and opened it up. Finding Jez’s corpse inside, he sired him. Jez crossed over into the Vampirate realm and Stukeley was born, instantly becoming Sidorio’s second-in-command. Never an easy gig.
After a bumpy start, Stukeley has grown more accustomed to life as a Vampirate, especially after he is joined as fellow deputy by Johnny Desperado. There are some indications that Stukeley regrets his violent lifestyle and craves his old, simpler life back. Even when he was sent on a mission to infiltrate The Nocturne, he seemed to fall genuinely in love with its figurehead Darcy Flotsam. But there is a dark side to Stukeley, as demonstrated by his brutal murder of Shanti, his donor.
Will the good or bad side of Stukeley’s character win out? Only time will tell.