#jean baptiste-cutting

[fnvminorcharacterpoll]

FNV Minor Character Poll - Round 1-B, Day 1

Left: Gloria Van Graff & Jean Baptiste-Cutting, half-sibling managers of The Silver Rush energy weapons depot in Freeside. —Gloria: "I'm not worried about anyone breaking in here or stealing our goods. Not that we don't occasionally have attempts, but even those prove useful. Do you know how much target dummies cost?"

Right: Allen Marks, a hunter of star bottle caps whose prize was suffocating to death in the storeroom of Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters. —Holotape: "I guess the joke's on me. Prolly shouldn't have killed…all those people..."

Designated cheerleaders were not available for this match-up.

[undeadcourier]

what's your fallout fanon pet peeve?

mine is when folks depict boone as taller than arcade. wastelanders generally have stunted growth from poor nutrition—arcade's height is indicative of his enclave upbringing, and his in-game model is taller than most npcs, with the exception of pacer, the king, jean-baptiste cutting, and lanius

[ezekiel13]

I just remembered something really cursed about my first FNV run

You know the Silver Rush? And the Van Graffs.

For no apparent reason, in my game (which was unmodded, just bugged) they white washed Jean-Baptiste. Like. He had a pale white face?? His hands weren’t. But his face was an unnatural shade of white. Idk why that happened.

Emily Ortal also ambushed me at the Boomers (HOW DID SHE GET PAST THE BOMBS?!) and in the Lucky 38 (Queen why are you asking me to bug this place you’re literally here)

[vinceaddams]

Early 18th (and late 17th) century fashions are so under-utilized in vampire media and I think it's a damn shame.

I don't actually think I've ever seen a single image of a vampire character in an early 18th century suit. Hardly any movies set in that era either, and hardly any historical costumers who do it. (Even my beloved gay pirate show set in 1717 takes nearly all of its 18th century looks from the second half of the century. Not enough appreciation for baroque fashion!!)

Yes I love late 18th century fashion as much as anyone, and 19th century formal suits are all very well and good, but if you want something that says old, dead, wealthy, and slightly dishevelled, then the 1690's-1730's are where it's at.

(Retrato del Virrey Alencastre Noroña y Silva, Duque de Linares, ca. 1711-1723.)

There was so much dark velvet, and so many little metallic buttons & buttonholes. Blood red linings were VERY fashionable in this era, no matter what the colour of the rest of the suit was.

(Johann Christoph Freiherr von Bartenstein by Martin van Meytens the Younger, 1730's.)

The slits on the front of the shirts are super low, they button only at the collar, and it's fashionable to leave most of the waistcoat unbuttoned so the shirt sticks out, as seen in the above portraits.

(Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil, 1734.)

Waistcoats are very long, coats are very full, and the cuffs are huge. But the sleeves are on the shorter side to show off more of that shirt, and the ruffles if it has them! Creepy undead hands with long nails would sit so nicely under those ruffles.

(1720's-30's, LACMA)

Embroidery designs are huge and chunky and often full of metallic threads, and the brocade designs even bigger.

(1730's, V&A, metal and silk embroidery on silk satin.)

Sometimes they did this fun thing where the coat would have contrasting cuffs made from the same fabric as the waistcoat.

(Niklaus Sigmund Steiger by Johann Rudolf Huber, 1724.)

Tell me this look isn't positively made for vampires!

(Portrait of Jean-Baptiste de Roll-Montpellier, 1713.)

(Yeah I am cherry-picking mostly red and black examples for this post, and there are plenty of non-vampire-y looking images from this time, but you get the idea!)

And the wrappers (at-home robes) were also cut very large, and, if you could afford it, made with incredible brocades.

(Portrait of a nobleman by Giovanni Maria delle Piane, no date given but I'd guess maybe 1680's or 90's.)

(Circle of Giovanni Maria delle Piane, no date given but I'd guess very late 17th or very early 18th century.)

Now that looks like a child who's been stuck at the same age for a hundred years if I ever saw one!

I don't know as much about the women's fashion from this era, but they had many equally large and elabourate things.

(1730's, Museo del Traje.)

(Don't believe The Met's shitty dating, this is a robe volante from probably the 1720's.)

(Mantua, c. 1708, The Met. No idea why they had to be that specific when they get other things wrong by entire decades but ok.)

(Portrait of Duchess Colavit Piccolomini, 1690's.)

(Maria van Buttinga-van Berghuys by Hermannus Collenius, 1717.)

Sometimes they also had these cute little devil horn hair curls that came down on either side of the forehead.

(Viago in drag Portrait of a lady, Italian School, c. 1690.)

Enough suave Victorian vampires, I want to see Baroque ones! With huge wigs and brocade coat cuffs so big they go past the elbow!

[sillyfairygarden]

fairy no more: hurt/comfort day for @mcyt-yuri-week

details and uncensored version below the cut:

pose inspired from ‘cupid and psyche’ by jean baptiste regnault, yet another sad c!tinarose piece depicting the loss of c!hannahs wings because it orbits my mind endlessly until forever. painting their bodies was an incredible source of joy for me :]

[mnyd]

on making monsters — max verstappen

in the blood — john mayer / planet f1 / max verstappen for gq / ocean vuong / the third hour of the night — frank bidart / i'm your man — mitski / cut — catherine lacy / snow and dirty rain — richard siken / victoria chang / umbrella academy / gp blog / silas denver melvin / gerrit geerts — Max Verstappen-biografie vertaald door Linda Vermeeren uit Leeuwarden: “Een monsterklus” / the wolf and the lamb — jean baptiste oudry / daniel in the lion’s den — briton riviere / f1briefings / nicola yoon

[gravedigg]

Overcome by your moving temple Overcome by this holiest of altars

A set of outfit designs for Jean-Baptiste & Virgil for a DurgeDurge BG3 AU.

Jean-Baptiste/Jack belongs to @nullshocked

Closeups and some extras after the cut. :-)

[ovwechoes]

Supports & Guilty Pleasure Headcanons Sort of the same vibes as the bad habits and ‘home’ hcs i did a couple posts back, but with guilty pleasures instead! My asks are open and if you have any opinions, thoughts or suggestions I'm all ears c: they're under the cut & enjoy!

Ana Amari: Ana's definitely the type of woman who knows all the gossip, reads tabloid magazines, and is already aware of drama unfolding in the celebrity world before you do. It's her favourite thing, and she likes to feel detached from her life through the lives of celebrities.

Jean-Baptiste Augustin: You can't tell me Baptiste doesn't eat up reality tv shows where all the contestants are conventionally attractive, and they're trying so hard not to eat each other's faces constantly (Love Island, Too Hot To Handle, etc). It's his favourite thing to watch when he needs something to numb his mind, and is something he rarely shares with his co-workers out of embarrassment over how invested he gets into them.

Brigitte Lindholm: With Brigitte, she has a good grasp on her impulsivity and has an astounding level of self control. She's disciplined and she's careful with her food, especially if it's not a cheat day. However, she's not one to stray from snacking late at night. Angela's seen her standing in her PJs eating cheese out the bag at the fridge, and it's something she will never live down. When asked, she'll simply tell you she's listening to her body and she can't control when she's hungry (in a joking way). It was something she especially did growing up, as Torbjorn will tell you anytime the topic is brought up.

Illari Quispe Ruiz: For Illari, I can imagine her best and most fulfilling guilty pleasure is sleeping in. She works herself to death, with most of her nights being cut short due to the work she has to finish ASAP. She prioritises her work over her health more often than not, so she rewards herself with a decent lie in every once in a while. Because of how sleep deprived she'd be though, she would end up sleeping 15hrs straight, waking up to a whole new level of drama unfolding at HQ.

Kiriko Kamori: Guilty pleasures are something Kiriko used to struggle with - she's had every one you can think of at least at one point in her life. Currently, it's shopping online for non-essentials. She's had several apps and websites blocked from being accessed due to how much she was spending on items. They weren't even for herself most of the time; if she saw something that reminded her of a co-worker in Overwatch, or knew they were wanting something of a specific nature, it would already be bought and getting prepared before they can consider getting it for themselves. It's sweet, but also makes her bank account shiver every time she gets paid.

Niran Pruksamanee / Lifeweaver: Daydreaming is one of Niran's worst guilty pleasures in the sense that you'll catch him doing so at least once a day. He loves exploring his imagination, and loves to let himself get drifted off into his daydreams when he's supposed to be focused on something else. When he was in Uni, he was often questioned by his roommates about if he had MDD (maladaptive daydreaming disorder), because of how often he would be found daydreaming without a concern for the real world. He didn't but it made him self conscious about his daydreaming, so he rarely talks about them and when he does daydream, it's usually in private or where people won't notice he is.

Lúcio Correia Dos Santos: Lucio loves to sing in the shower - it's something he's always done and it helps him enjoy something mundane in his routine. However, when he does it's extremely loud, and he usually has a speaker that's way too loud and echoes throughout HQ. He's been warned about it before, but he doesn't see the harm in it.

Angela Ziegler / Mercy: When it comes to guilty pleasures, she tries not to indulge in them and have some restraint when it comes to habits. However, she admittedly loves desserts and will often eat desserts first or as a main meal of the day instead of savouring them last. It's something she'll never change, and if you try to tell her otherwise she'll purposely eat dessert first for a week straight just to agitate you (in a light-hearted way).

Moira O'Deorian: When Moira's not working, she can be often found in loungewear, planted on the sofa of Talon HQ, watching a nostalgic show she used to love as a teen or young adult. She hogs the tv, and is surrounded by snacks when she watches them. She loves the nostalgia, and it's a form of escape from work and the physical stress on her body from her experiments. It's the best way for her to unwind, in her opinion, and she encourages people to join her (even though she's taking up 90% of the sofa, and they'd have to sit on the floor to watch with her).

Tekhartha Zenyatta: Zenyatta's main guilty pleasure that he would talk about is watching cute animal videos on youtube or facebook. He enjoys the comfort in the innocence of the animals, and he'll go in depth on how it's cleansing for the soul, it's nourishing for the mind, things of that nature. He enjoys the time spent relaxing, enjoying something that's not negative or necessarily pointed in a certain way (like political, for example).

[apod]

2024 February 1

NGC 1365: Majestic Island Universe Image Credit & Copyright: Processing - Jean-Baptiste Auroux, Data - Mike Selby

Explanation: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is truly a majestic island universe some 200,000 light-years across. Located a mere 60 million light-years away toward the faint but heated constellation Fornax, NGC 1365 is a dominant member of the well-studied Fornax Cluster of galaxies. This sharp color image shows the intense, reddish star forming regions near the ends of the galaxy's central bar and along its spiral arms. Seen in fine detail, obscuring dust lanes cut across the galaxy's bright core. At the core lies a supermassive black hole. Astronomers think NGC 1365's prominent bar plays a crucial role in the galaxy's evolution, drawing gas and dust into a star-forming maelstrom and ultimately feeding material into the central black hole.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240201.html

[rain-bound]

annual reminder that arcade gannon is NOT josh sawyers self-insert! i have to clarify this bc of some misinterpreted info being spread in that last post i reblogged. Arcade was originally a TTRPG character that Josh played as, as well as Jean-Baptiste Cutting. He's clarified on many occasions that arcade is NOT meant to be a self insert, but rather he is a representation of Josh's idealism.

[wildissylupus]

Can we get some OW New Blood headcanons? Whether it be some type of angst, heartfelt, or lighthearted interactions between the group.

Ask and you shall receive!! It's been awhile since I've done some New Blood stuff so let's see what I can do. Let's start off with some head canons first.

The New Bloods are the biggest human help in getting Zarya to unlearn her prejudices against omnics, it's mostly by telling her their own experiences with the Crisis (and with Hana it's her experiences with the Gwishi). They also call her out if she does or says something in line with her prejudice.

Cassidy is giving them all stealth training cause holy shit he cannot be the only person on that team who knows how to stealth, Baptiste is close but Cassidy knows that Talon stealth training is not going to cut it.

On top of that Cassidy is also giving specific training to D.Va so if she has to fight outside of her Mech he knows he can handle herself.

All of them know about Pharah's crush on Angela, either being told by Pharah herself or from Cassidy complaining that Genji and Pharah are hopeless at romance (he's been dealing with this for a max of 14 years at this point, he's allowed to complain)

They are all in agreement that if they are on a mission in a Talon base, they need to steal as much equipment as possible, mainly focusing on medical supplies.

They all make strategies on how to best use their skills together. They also sometimes include other agents abilities as well.

Pharah is the least foul mouthed of the group, only really swearing outside of missions, the rest? Not so much. By far the people who swear most often are Cassidy and D.Va.

----------------------- Cassidy: So I hear you you and Angie where around each other a lot while she was in Cairo, anything happened? Pharah: We just... hang out, spent time together, nothing other then what we would usually do before. Cassidy: ....Fareeha it's been fourteen years, for the love of god please make a move that isn't just flirty banter. ----------------------- Zarya: I don't understand how you have so many fans. Why do people like to watch you play games that they can play themselves? D.Va: The same reason why people play the Olympics and other sports, cause they like to see other doing something they love! ----------------------- D.Va: Ok so what if I initiate Self Destruct and you shoot them when they get behind cover! That way no matter what we're still hitting them. Cassidy: I don't know, might be able to hit some of them but I doubt it would be worth riskin' the Mech. D.Va: Oh, OH! What about if Niran launches you into the air and you shoot them from above! Cassidy: Hey...That ain't half bad! ----------------------- Baptiste: You know, you should really get some rest, it's not good to overwork yourself. Pharah: Have you been talking with my mum? Cause if she did you should tell her to take her own advise. Baptiste: No, no, I noticed it myself. Though I do think it's funny that both Ana and Cole seem to have the same issue as you. Pharah: Well, it kinda runs if the family. ----------------------- Pharah: Hey Cole, did I tell you that Jean thought we were dating? Cassidy: Ew, what?! What made you think that?! Baptiste: You two just seemed to have a lot of history! I was curious! Pharah: Yeah, it was our history that made you curious, nothing else more personal. Baptiste: Fareeha, I swear to god- ----------------------- Pharah: You know, you and Brigitte remind me of Cole and Angela when they were younger. D.Va: Ugh, Cass said the same thing, but I know I'm way cooler then he is! Pharah: HA! He would have said the same but trust me, it's a compliment.

[vaas]

characters in fallout new vegas who should be bears.

papa khan. this ones for you paint but also in general yeah. thats like. yeah

REGIS.

mcmurphy of the khans

chance. of the khans.

oscar velasco in his prime

jean baptiste cutting of the van graffs

veronica. again shes still a woman shes just a bear. again.

the mysterious stranger

billy knight

ralph of mick and ralph. mick is an otter.

~50% of all legion soldiers

lucius

dead sea in nelson

gabban in nipton

COLONEL HSU.

major dhatri

every single ncr ranger. you fucking heard me. every last one.

o'hanrahan of the misfits at golf

polatri at forlorn hope

im definitely forgetting like a lot of people but i think this is a good start

ULYSSES.

[talonabraxas]

The Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum -also known as Herb of Circe, Wild Lemon, Womandrake) holds the special distinction as being the most famous of all magical plants due to its many ritual and medical uses and the immense amount of mythology it has generated over historical ages.

During the Middle Ages the Mandrake became popular throughout Europe as a magical plant and miracle talisman, capable of curing nearly anything. These roots were thought to be powerful allies who could perform magic for their masters – from attracting love and gaining wealth and good fortune, to warding off misfortunes and evil spells, even to becoming invincible in battle.

The Mandrake was also considered a potent aid to fertility. Historians have determined that the earliest mention of the mandrake refers to its use in Babylon, in the cuneiform tablets of the Assyrians and in the Old Testament as evidenced in chapter 30 of the Book of Genesis where the childless Rachael asks her sister Leah for the loan of the mandrakes which her son had brought in from the fields.It is widely believed that the Old Testament contains multiple references to the ‘love apples’ – the fruits of the mandrake as an aphrodisiac. The first of these instances is again in Genesis, where the scent of the mandrake’s yellow fruits are described as having aphrodisiac properties.

Some evidence exists that the mandrake was used in secret mystical rites in ancient Israel; one of the factors supporting this hypothesis is the significance of the mandrake in Kabbalism as a symbol for ‘becoming One’….

Similarly, in ancient Egypt it appears that mandrake fruits may have been eaten as aphrodisiacs and ancient Greeks also used the mandrake as a sacred love plant.

Ancient Germanic people also often made use of the plant, in particular Germanic Seeresses, who were known for their clairvoyant abilities far outside of Europe, used mandrake regularly as an ally. The modern German name ‘Alraune’ can be traced back to the ancient Germanic term “Alrun”, which translates to ‘all knowing’ or ‘he who knows the runes’…

Mandrake roots have long been used in magic rituals then and still are used today in contemporary pagan traditions such as Wicca and Odinism.

The Mandrake plant is a member of the Nightshade family.The root is hallucinogenic and narcotic. In sufficient quantities, it induces a state of unconsciousness and was used as an anaesthetic for surgery in ancient times. In the past, juice from the finely grated root was applied externally to relieve rheumatic pains. It was also used internally to treat melancholy, convulsions, and mania. When taken internally in large doses, however, it is said to excite delirium and madness.

In the past, mandrake was often made into amulets which were believed to bring good fortune, cure sterility, etc. In one superstition, people who pull up this root will be condemned to hell, and the mandrake root would scream as it was pulled from the ground, killing anyone who heard it. Therefore, in the past, people have tied the roots to the bodies of animals and then used these animals to pull the roots from the soil.

Directions for harvesting a mandrake root in relative safety:

“A furrow must be dug around the root until its lower part is exposed, then a dog is tied to it, after which the person tying the dog must get away. The dog then endeavours to follow him, and so easily pulls up the root, but dies suddenly instead of his master. After this, the root can be handled without fear.”

The following is taken from Jean-Baptiste Pitois’ The History and Practice of Magic:

“Would you like to make a Mandragora, as powerful as the homunculus (little man in a bottle) so praised by Paracelsus? Then find a root of the plant called bryony. Take it out of the ground on a Monday (the day of the moon), a little time after the vernal equinox. Cut off the ends of the root and bury it at night in some country churchyard in a dead man’s grave. For 30 days, water it with cow’s milk in which three bats have been drowned. When the 31st day arrives, take out the root in the middle of the night and dry it in an oven heated with branches of verbena; then wrap it up in a piece of a dead man’s winding-sheet and carry it with you everywhere.”

Mandrake is placed on the mantle to bring prosperity, fertility and happiness to the home, a protector warding off of evil spirits or spells.

Among the old Anglo-Saxon herbals both Mandrake and Periwinkle are endowed with mysterious powers against demoniacal possession. Its human-like forked root was thought to be in the power of dark earth spirits. At the end of a description of the Mandrake in the Herbarium of Apuleius there is this prescription:

‘For witlessness, that is devil sickness or demoniacal possession, take from the body of this said wort mandrake by the weight of three pennies, administer to drink in warm water as he may find most convenient – soon he will be healed.’

It is worn as a talisman or amulet to attract love and repel diseases. As a flying ointment and for its ability to engender shamanic trances.

Mandrake is also said to protect against demonic possession, possibly because it was used by ancient herbalists to sedate manics. To activate a dried root, one must display it prominently in the home for three days, after which it is soaked in water overnight. The water can then be sprinkled on entryways, windows, and people to purify them. The root is now ready for magickal use.

Mandrake art by Maxine Miller

[deathzgf]

my WHITEBOARD is going to EXPIRE because it HATES ME but i don ' t wanna fucking finish this so i ' m posting it . take a karp sokolov wip for your troubles . yes their name is fucking karp yes they ' re russian yes they ' re one of jean - baptiste bernadotte ' s aides - de - camp any questions no good ( but if you do have questions go ask the lad themself at @france-hater , their text is in blue ! ( jean de la hamelinaye is in orange & etienne gerard is in red too i Guess ) )

more whiteboard shenanigans under the cut including my Conspiracy Theory ( it was three ay em & i think i was losing it )

ok conspiracy first except i ' m not fucking zooming in on it fuck you

ok roll the Visualising Ideas With Henri Bullshittery

this was made . Before the actual thread with larrey . Btw

i don ' t even know what the fuck this says

thank you for reaching this far down anyways baiii

[brokehorrorfan]

Death Machine will be released on Blu-ray on May 21 via Kino Lorber. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 1994 cyberpunk horror film features new cover art by Jean-Baptiste Chuat & Ronan-Wolf Chuat with the original poster on the reverse side.

Stephen Norrington (Blade, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. Brad Dourif, Ely Pouget, William Hootkins, John Sharian, Martin McDougall, Andreas Wisniewski, and Richard Brake star. A young Rachel Weisz appears in a small role.

The two-disc set includes three cuts of the film: the 100-minute U.S. version, the 122-minute international version, and a newly created 106-minute director's cut. Special features are listed below.

Disc 1:

US cut (100 minutes) newly mastered in 2K from an interpositive

Audio commentary by Horror-Fix.com's James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton (new)

US theatrical trailer

Newly created director's cut (106 minutes)

Audio commentary by writer/director Stephen Norrington and film historian Michael Felsher (new)

Technical audio commentary by writer/director Stephen Norrington (new)

Audio conversation with writer/director Stephen Norrington and creature creator Alec Gillis (new)

Isolated score

7.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

Disc 2:

International cut (122 minutes)

Interview with composer Crispin Merrell

Interview with editor Paul Endacott

Interview with costume designer Stephanie Collier

Interview with producer Ray Burdis

Interview with co-producer Stuart St Paul

Artwork & design gallery

Behind-the-scenes still gallery

German theatrical trailer

Japanese theatrical trailer

Japanese behind-the-scenes promo

The year is 2003. Chaank Industries, ruthless world leaders in future weapons technology, hires a new Chief Executive, Hayden Cale. Cale soon uncovers a secret and unethical weapons project the company is involved in. Her first order of business is to shut it down. Her troubles just begin as she also tries to fire the company technological mastermind, Jack Dante—a childlike psychotic with a dark genius for exotic weapons design. Dante retaliates by unleashing into the corporate headquarters the Death Machine—the ultimate killing unit. A weapon that tracks its target by sensing fear and has the power to rip through walls with its hard steel strength and razor teeth. Cale must wage a desperate bloody battle with the terrifying force that has no mercy, no pity and no fear.

Pre-order Death Machine.

[lulu2992]

hi! i hope you don't mind me asking you this, but i feel like you're the most reliable source for this, haha. i saw that you answered an ask about john, explaining what to keep in mind when writing him, and i was wondering if you could do the same thing with jacob? as in, what characteristics to keep in mind when writing him and all !! i would seriously appreciate it a lot!! i wish you all the best and thank you for everything you're sharing with the fandom <3

Hi! And thank you very much for your kind words :)

As I did in the post about John (here, for anyone who is interested), I’m first going to give you a few links and facts about the Soldier! By the way, “the Soldier”, unlike “the Father” and “the Baptist”, isn’t Jacob’s official title in the cult, it’s just how he was called in promotional material (and by Dutch).

You must have played Far Cry 5 and seen the cutscenes already, but I’m still going to summarize his backstory and beliefs to try to write a comprehensive post. And in case you’ve missed them or want to listen to them again, here are:

His radio calls in chronological order (here, here, here, here, and here)

His sermons (part 1 and part 2)

The comments he makes during the trials

The audio of his two videos (“I own you”, broadcasted inside the Stone Ridge chalet, and the one with Pratt)

The message on the phone in the Stone Ridge Chalet

What he says during the final fight against him (here and here)

His Arcade lines

Finally, even though they were cut, you can find his unreleased lines here.

I wrote a summary of what other characters say about Jacob here (masterpost here), but you can listen to the NPCs’ comments here (cultists) and here (Resistance/civilians).

As for in-game notes, to my knowledge, only one was undoubtedly written by Jacob. It can be found in his bunker, Jacob’s Armory:

Dan Hay (Executive Producer/Creative Director/Writer) and Jean-Sébastien Décant (Narrative Director/Writer) talked extensively about John in a video for IGN, but unfortunately for us, the other members of the family didn’t have that privilege...

However, in a now-deleted interview for GameCrate, Drew Holmes (Lead Writer) said the following:

Jacob Seed, who’s the older brother, maybe doesn’t necessarily believe in Joseph’s message that God told him the end of the world was coming, but he believes in his brother, doesn’t matter if he’s right or wrong, he going to march forward with him.

And although Jacob loves his brothers, he reportedly doesn’t care much about Faith, according to the Lead Writer and NPC dialog.

In The Book of Joseph (which you can read here), Jacob is described as a protective big brother and an adventurous child who loved nature and “only felt comfortable in the outdoors”. He would sometimes steal candy for his two brothers so they “could have a bit of sweetness and comfort in [their] lives”. Their childhood was indeed miserable, mostly because their father was very violent. While he was “strong” and could withstand being beaten regularly, he hated seeing his youngest brother John in pain, so he started thinking about getting rid of their abuser. It’s unknown if he would have done it, but he never got to put his plan into action thanks to Joseph, who convinced him not to, and to child protective services.

The boys were sent to an orphanage and adopted by a couple, but they treated them like servants and “livestock”, even making them sleep in a barn. One night, Jacob had enough and, after waking his brothers up and freeing the animals, set fire to the property. When the couple ran outside, he also knocked out the husband with an axe handle. That led him to be sent to a juvenile detention center and separated from his brothers. There, he was “a bit of a troublemaker” and the guards didn’t like him. However, the teachers believed he had potential and was a good leader. At the end of his sentence, Jacob joined the army.

He spent several years (20, according to Dan Hay) in the military (the Marines according to the book, the 82nd Airborne Division according to the game) before being declared unfit for service because he suffered from PTSD. He then spent some time in a military hospital but was kicked out when he couldn’t afford it anymore. After that, he never received his pension (for unknown reasons) and started living on the streets, basically becoming invisible. Joseph found him “completely hollow” in a homeless shelter and only recognized him because he was calling his brothers’ names in his sleep.

Once the three brothers were reunited, Jacob “slowly came back to life” and swore to follow Joseph to the end. In the cult, his goal is to build and train an army so they’re ready for the Collapse, able to survive in the post-apocalyptic wilderness, and protect the rest of the Family.

In the game, he talks about the moment that redefined his life. During the first Gulf War, he and another soldier named Miller got separated from their unit because of an ambush and had to survive in the Iraqi desert. On the eighth day, he realized they were most likely going to die and accepted it, but “in that acceptance came clarity”. He saw Miller, who was barely able to walk anymore, as “an opportunity” for him to live… implying he cannibalized him. He adds it wasn’t something he wanted but something he had to do; his “test” (from God, I assume).

Because of this dehumanizing (and traumatizing) experience, Jacob came to believe that humanity was divided into two categories: the weak and the strong. The weak are not meant to survive, but they have a purpose. He thinks people are “meat”, “tools”, and expendable, so he doesn’t hesitate to “cull the herd” (his mantra) so only the strongest soldiers are in his army. He thinks society and modern technology have made humans weak and that people should return to their natural selves, like ancient men (who were an example of strength, to him). The Collapse will be a new beginning, but his soldiers need to be ready for it, which is why he obsessively selects and trains them, and doesn’t hesitate to experiment on converts.

As demonstrated with the Deputy in the game, Jacob conditions potential recruits using Bliss, violent images, and the song “Only You” (because of this scrapped idea) so they uncontrollably go on a killing spree whenever they hear the song. He starves them, keeps them in cages, and makes them go through trials to test their strength and teach them how to hunt and kill. He also expects them to “sacrifice”, as explained in this note (Grand View Hotel):

To pass through the Gate you must SACRIFICE something of yourself, to let go of the past and fully embrace your future with the Father. It has to have meaning. What is it that is keeping you here? What is it that anchors you, that prevents you from giving yourself freely to the Father? Is it your husband, your wife, your child? Maybe your brother, or mother? Once you have rid yourself of the shackles of your old life then you can open your heart to the Father’s voice.

He experiments on animals as well, mostly wolves, to turn them into mind-controlled “Judges”, more powerful and aggressive, and able to attack on command.

Like his siblings, Jacob has a strong personal philosophy inspired by his past. He basically makes the people he converts relive his trauma because he thinks it will make them better, fitter to serve the Project. He has specific goals but, as brutal as his actions are, isn’t cruel for the sake of cruelty. He tests people the way he believes he was tested, makes them go through starvation and dehumanization so they can revert to their primordial instincts, become warriors and be truly alive; reborn.

Jacob isn’t a very demonstrative man and is rather stoic, but I don’t think that means he doesn’t feel anything; he just doesn’t want/like to show his emotions (except maybe to his brothers). And as the eldest, it seems he doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind to Joseph. That said, while he isn’t sure if the Father can really hear God’s voice, he still has faith in him and is ready to give his life for him and the Project. In my opinion, Jacob possibly even believed that he had to die for Joseph, as his weapon and his sacrifice. He trained the Deputy so they would kill his former ally and main rival Eli for him, but I think it’s likely that he expected them to be strong enough to kill him as well, so the prophecy (and his destiny) would be fulfilled. As much as he told the Deputy they were neither strong nor special, in the end, he probably thought they were...

We don’t know if the traumatic memories of the war that would “surge up at any moment”, according to The Book of Joseph, still torment Jacob in the game because his PTSD is never really shown or mentioned, but we can assume it’s still there to some degree. It’s unknown where exactly his scars come from or what caused them, but he was most likely injured in combat. In my opinion, he also sometimes sounds like he has respiratory problems, but that’s never discussed, either.

To summarize this summary, Jacob is ruthlessly committed to his goals and convictions. He says nature doesn’t have empathy, so he shouldn’t, either. He went through hell several times and believes he only emerged stronger, so he thinks others can and must be hardened the same way to become the best, most primal version of themselves. He doesn’t fear death and possibly even expects it to come for him early, but it doesn’t matter because he would have fulfilled his destiny, and he has a legacy anyway: his army. Because of how strong and well-trained his soldiers are, he’s confident the Family will be safe, even after his death. Despite his incredibly twisted vision of the world and violent methods, deep down under all the hatred and trauma, it seems there’s still a little bit of that big brother who would try his best to protect his siblings and brighten their lives, somewhere, somehow…