Editing Jack-of-Smiles

{{Character
|image1 = Jack_large.png
|location = [[London]]
|alias = Smiles (stab)
|relationships = <font color="white"><span style="background-color: white">Mr Spices (creator)</span></font>}}<blockquote>''"Jack-of-Smiles. The murderous buffoon, plaything of the press, and London's most notorious killer."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Warming_up_the_Case Warming up the Case, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>'''Jack-of Smiles''' is [[London]]'s most prolific serial killer.__forcetoc__

==Let's Get Stabby==
<blockquote>''"Jack-of-Smiles, Fallen London's premier lunatic murderer, has been known to hide inside snowmen until passersby come within reach. 'We award this exploit three marks of ten,' the Magazine Formerly Known As The London Magazine opines. 'Smiles' exploits increasingly tend more to the novel than the genuinely ghoulish.'"''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Jack-of-Smiles Sidebar Snippet: Smiles at Christmas, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>Jack-of-Smiles has been active for at least twenty years, but did not gain his infamous moniker until a decade later.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Jack-of-Smiles_oeuvre The Jack-of-Smiles oeuvre, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] It's been twenty years since Jack first appeared, although he's only been wearing that name for ten. He is sometimes a she, but not often. […] Jack prefers to slit people's throats cloaked in obscurity. Are you any closer?" [Editor's note: This is content from 2012, so it is probably safe to say these dates are in the 1870s and 1880s respectively.]''</ref> The name stemmed both from his grisly habit of slashing throats, and a sardonic reference to reports of his unsettlingly calm conduct.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Jack-of-Smiles Sidebar Snippet: Why do they call him Jack-of-Smiles?, ''Fallen London''] ''"The lunatic murderer Jack-of-Smiles earnt his name by his fondness for cutting throats, but also for his humourless demeanour. He takes himself very seriously. Not everyone else does, although a certain class of newspaper reports his exploits with some enthusiasm. Don't call him 'Smiles', they say. He hates that."''</ref> Jack has captured both the press and public imagination, inspiring a wealth of literature;<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Jack-of-Smiles_oeuvre The Jack-of-Smiles oeuvre, ''Fallen London''] ''"Dozens of penny dreadfuls. A light opera. A stack of academic monographs. Plenty of people have written about Jack. Is any of it useful to you?"''</ref> writers of penny-dreadfuls about him have even reported receiving a personal token of appreciation from Jack himself.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/They_asked_for_it._They_want_blood%3F_Give_them_blood! They asked for it. They want blood? Give them blood!, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] You receive an unexpected bonus: late one night, a stranger delivers a package of bottled souls to your door. You don't see his face, but a note with the package reads: 'Best wishes – Jack'"''</ref> However, investigators suspect these trophies are more likely the work of an admirer rather than the killer. Indeed, he seems to have quite a few admirers, as many people have plead guilty to his particular style of murder.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Jack-of-Smiles Sidebar Snippet: Who is Jack-of-Smiles?, ''Fallen London''] ''"There is no proof for the claim that this villain transmigrates between bodies. The numerous crimson-handed murderers who have cheerfully pleaded guilty to crimes performed with his particular modus operandi are most likely lunatics, or, according to more hysterical accounts, members of the same esoteric society. These madmen have been known to commission penny-dreadfuls detailing the crimes of "Jack". Surely if anything this discredits them further."''</ref> 

Jack never uses the same knives or types of knives twice, and his combat prowess may vary greatly,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack_on_the_roof Jack on the roof, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] He leaps ably from rooftop to rooftop, swinging on chimney-pots and dashing through plumes of smoke […] Seconds later, a worn carpenter's knife flashes past your ear and sails downward to clatter on the cobblestones. This Jack will be difficult."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Become_Jack_(10_FATE) Become Jack, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] Many Jacks are foiled by honest citizens or their own ineptitude. [...]"''</ref> but his weapons are invariably of inexpensive make.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/More_Detective_Work More Detective Work, ''Fallen London''] ''"The knives vary in form and age and materials, but none of them are expensive. There's no master cutler or weaponsmith to call on. But you'll think of something."''</ref> He primarily hunts in the poorer districts of London,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack_be_quick Jack be quick, ''Fallen London''] ''"Sometimes Jack favours the wretched rookeries of Spite for his sport. Constables are few and dim-sighted here. But the wrath of the Spite mob is a thing of frenzy and blood. Tonight, they're chasing Jack through the alleys."''</ref> and has sometimes selected victims from Wanted posters.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Get_to_your_quarry_before_Jack-of-Smiles Get to your quarry before Jack-of-Smiles, ''Fallen London''] ''"The enthusiastic murderer has taken to choosing his victims from Wanted posters. This is proving inconvenient."''</ref> He avoids open confrontation,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack%27s_claimed_dibs! Jack's claimed dibs!, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] you run smack into a tall, cadaverous man carrying a very sharp knife. It's Smiles himself! He doesn't like open confrontations, and he turns and bolts. You let him go. You have your target, and you know what face Smiles is wearing these days […]"''</ref> but has been known to target the friends and family of those who obstruct his activities.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Mess_with_the_Smile,_get_the_teeth Mess with the Smile, get the teeth, ''Fallen London''] ''"You've annoyed Jack-of-Smiles once too often! The knife-wielding maniac […] your friends and acquaintances. Some are en route to the Tomb-Colonies […] others are recovering, but […] being repeatedly murdered has caused them to snub you quite rudely."''</ref> Jack has been confronted and stopped numerous times by brave citizens and furious mobs,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack_be_quick Jack be quick, ''Fallen London''] ''"The mob […] is a headless beast. Anyone with a little savvy or […] speed could outpace it. But it's not half an hour before Jack's end comes […]. Jack is feared and savage, […] not fast or skilled. What does this mean?"''</ref> and it has become something of a grim pastime to hunt him,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/To_follow_Jack%27s_trail To follow Jack's trail, ''Fallen London''] ''"A little ghoulish. But a popular London pastime nevertheless."''</ref> but the murders have continued regardless. Some accounts have even suggested that Jack can appear in multiple locations simultaneously.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack-of-Smiles_is_here! Jack-of-Smiles is here!, ''Fallen London''] ''"You race up the stairs […] The inhabitants […] have Jack cornered and are brandishing fire irons.[…] A scream from behind you.[…] You leap through the open window […] Jack is here too […] Two Jacks. That could change everything..."''</ref>

Investigations have not yet established whether such persistence is due to multiple people assuming the role of "Jack,"<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_glimpse_of_a_dressing-room A glimpse of a dressing-room, ''Fallen London''] ''"You glance through one of the empty mirror-frames. For a moment, you are surrounded by people. They are changing costumes, putting greasepaint on, brushing wigs out. There is light and noise all around you."''</ref> or because his personality somehow jumps between bodies<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Smiles!_Put_that_man_down! Smiles! Put that man down!, ''Fallen London''] ''"Jack-of-Smiles: half-immortal and all nuisance. The indefatigable body-switching murderer is on another killing spree in Watchmaker's Hill. A committee of concerned citizens has requested your help."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_clever_way The clever way, ''Fallen London''] ''"The trail is cold. Jack strikes, apparently at random, and is brought down. How can a detective hope to catch such a... what? Body-hopping soul? Shapeshifting brotherhood? It's enough to make one reach for the violin and the laudanum bottle."''</ref> — but it is a certainty that he does not appreciate being called "Smiles."<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Dress_up_as_a_victim_and_wait_to_be_stabbed Dress up as a victim and wait to be stabbed, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] You sense something, and turn to a stab of pain in your arm, a leathery face and a voice shrieking 'MY NAME IS NOT SMILES!' You discharge your trusty derringer directly into Smiles' face. […] He'll be back, but you've certainly annoyed him tonight."''</ref> Though typically referred to with masculine pronouns, Jack has been known to take female forms.<ref name=":0">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_next_victim%3F The next victim?, ''Fallen London''] ''"You turn to the flophouse's landlady on your way out. It's Smiles! The noxious clouds of smoke from her pipe disguise his (her?) presence and a blade flashes. Your friend is felled with a straight cut to the neck and Smiles runs off giggling."''</ref> There are Londoners known to have been overtaken by his influence, regardless of the mechanism; some recall little of their time as Jack.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Who_are_you%3F Who are you?, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] I don't really remember much of that time. […] They tell me I killed four people, one of them for good. […] All I remember is the knife. It was a raggedy old blunt thing […]"''</ref> while others regain their memories with time.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Become_Jack_(10_FATE) Become Jack, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] You're you again. You're free again. How long have you been Jack-of-Smiles? [...] What have you been doing? Well, that's not hard to guess, but you can't remember. It will come back to you, though. And then you can stop Jack for good."''</ref>

The [[The Constables|constabulary]] has battled Jack-of-Smiles for years,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Your_turn_at_it Your turn at it, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Knuckle-Scarred Inspector picks up the box […] and heaves it over to you. "[…] Jack-of-Smiles is your case now. […] Most likely you'll end up Jack, though. […] workin' on the squad, yer oughta uncover new stuff. […] I reckon there's folks out there 'oo know summat.""''</ref> with no less than thirty-seven investigators assigned to his case — only for all of them to eventually become Jack themselves.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Number_37 Number 37, ''Fallen London''] ''"There's a page in the Jack-of-Smiles case notes that bears the signature of each officer to lead the investigation. Thirty-seven signatures, once yours is added. Is that enough? Will there be a thirty-eighth, looking over the notes as you are now?"''</ref> [[Devils]] are well-versed in the marks left on a soul by violence, and representatives of [[Hell]] have claimed that the Jacks they have captured and abstracted bear no such stain.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_friendly_fang A friendly fang, ''Fallen London''] ''<nowiki/>'We were after him […] years ago. […] The souls were nothing special, though […] Don't you think that's odd? […] that degree of murder usually leaves […] a mark on the soul. Nothing like what happens to the Northridden, but something […]?'''</ref> Whatever causes people to become Jack leaves no physical trace on the body either.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack%27s_leavings Jack's leavings, ''Fallen London''] ''"You have a pair of Jack corpses and a knife. You open a vial of something very nasty to deaden your sense of smell, and you begin […] Whatever is causing Jack to be Jack, it doesn't leave a physical mark that you can see."''</ref>

==Who is Jack?==
{{Spoiler}}<blockquote>''"It's the knives. Jack's in the knives."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Finding_a_knife Finding a knife, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>Jack is not a single person but a set of sentient, bloodthirsty [[Polythreme]]an knives.<ref name=":1">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack%27s_Origin Jack's Origin, ''Fallen London''] ''"However you came here, you are now sure. Jack-of-Smiles is the result of a set of knives. Knives with more personality than cutlery should have. Knives from Polythreme."''</ref> These knives share a single, relentless personality, and anyone who wields one becomes increasingly violent until their own mind is entirely consumed by the knife’s will.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Finding_a_knife Finding a knife, ''Fallen London''] ''"The tip of the blade has snapped off. Blood. The handle is worn. It's not […] sharp. Cut them to little pieces. Not the weapon one would choose […]. Revenge. Blood. You fling the knife away […] It's the knives. Jack's in the knives."''</ref> 

The story of these knives begins with a plan crafted by [[Mr Spices]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/To_the_garden To the garden, ''Fallen London''] ''"So, yes, we constructed the entity that became known as Jack-of-Smiles in your gutter press. Dreams and our agent and honey and so forth. And if you put store in such trifles, we consider the whole business regrettable. Most regrettable. You understand that it did not work."''</ref> one of the [[Masters of the Bazaar]]; Spices intended to create more "flavorful" love stories for the [[The Echo Bazaar|Bazaar]], but the plan failed because the Bazaar does not accept artificially manufactured tales of love.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/To_the_garden To the garden, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] The Bazaar has... appetites. And it is one of our many duties, along with that sodden villain Wines, to fulfil those needs. [...] Using the unnatural vitality of the first customer's lover, we created Jack. For what inspires love, more than the threat of death? Such was our thinking at the time. Misguided of course. We know that now. The Bazaar does not accept stories of such synthetically created romance. [...]"''</ref> Spices tricked a Polythremean man into sharing a specialized [[Prisoner's Honey|honey]]-dream with it, where it convinced the man that his wife was unfaithful. The enraged man became honey-mazed, and as he dreamed of burning his town to the ground, he also did this in reality.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Find_out_its_history Find out its history, ''Fallen London''] ''"THERE WAS A GROUP OF THEM. YOU WOULD SAY A 'FAMILY'. THE MAN TOOK HONEY. HE DREAMED. SOMEONE TOLD HIM IN DREAMS THAT THE WOMAN CARED ONLY FOR ANOTHER. HE DREAMED OF BURNING DOWN THE TOWN. BUT HE WAS MAZED IN DREAMS. HIS BODY CAME BACK BEFORE HIS MIND. AND HE TOOK THE LAMP OIL AND THE MATCHES AND HE BURNED THEM."''</ref>

The knives themselves, however, were more like a serendipitous accident. They were forged in an ironworker's shop that was consumed by the fire, and the murderous passion that fueled the blaze warped not only the workshop (which was alive, because the island of Polythreme and everything on it is alive)<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Find_out_its_history Find out its history, ''Fallen London''] ''"THE BUILDING IS... WRONG, NOW. ITS LIFE WAS BURNT. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE LEFT THERE NOW."''</ref> but the set of knives that was presumably in the building at the time.<ref name=":1" /> While Mr Spices' original plan failed, the resulting infamy of a new serial killer proved useful, so Spices allowed and even encouraged Jack to persist.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/To_the_garden To the garden, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] A terrible business. But still. We see that Jack-of-Smiles has a certain laudable effect on public order and the attention of the press. So we have had the building in question moved. Jack-of-Smiles lives another day. Now leave us. We wish to be alone."''</ref>

==Historical & Cultural Inspirations==
Jack-of-Smiles is inspired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper Jack the Ripper], the unidentified serial killer who terrorized London’s Whitechapel district in 1888. The Ripper’s victims were primarily impoverished women, many of whom were sex workers in the East End. His murders were particularly gruesome, involving deep throat slashes and severe abdominal mutilations, leaving behind scenes of shocking brutality.

The horror of these crimes gripped Victorian society, and more than a century later, the mystery still captivates the public. Sensationalized media coverage at the time not only fueled widespread fear but also transformed the Ripper into a grim cultural figure. While the murders were undeniably tragic, they became a tool for reformers to highlight issues of poverty, crime, and the failures of law enforcement in London’s most vulnerable communities.

The Ripper’s identity remains one of history’s most infamous unsolved mysteries, spawning a dedicated subculture of amateur criminologists known as "Ripperologists." These enthusiasts meticulously analyze evidence, theories, and suspects, keeping the case alive through endless speculation. Over the years, the Ripper’s story has been adapted into countless books, films, and television series, securing his place as a dark but enduring cultural icon.

==References==
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