Jack was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1890 - the youngest of three children. His father was an alcoholic and a gambler, rarely at home, committing suicide when Jack was only 10 years old. Jack’s mother worked long hours to support the family, dying just a few years after Jack’s father. The young Jack was taken into care and joined the police force a few years later. It was at work he excelled, quickly becoming a much-admired figure both in the neighbourhood and amongst his fellow peers. By his early 20’s he had already risen to the rank of police detective, demonstrating an unusual instinct for solving cases, even where the evidence was virtually non-existent.

It was on a rainy night on the 6th September 1915 when he was called out to investigate reports of gunshots at a large suburban residence that his life changed dramatically. Although Jack was unfamiliar with the strange occupants of the house, who seemed to be part of some sort of weird witch-cult, they were demanding he handled the negotiations and refused to talk to anyone else. Whilst investigating a hidden basement Jack had his first encounter with the Mythos. But when discovered on the floor of the library several hours later he had no recollection of either the incident or where he had been. Most peculiar of all, the look in his eyes and his turn of expression brought about a fear and repulsion in his colleagues. Jack was committed to Arkham Asylum, a short time later being diagnosed with severe amnesia and schizophrenia.

It wasn’t until late in 1921 that Jacks rightful faculties returned. Unable to recall anything of the last 6 years, he was once more diagnosed with amnesia and committed to the asylum. On being discharged he set himself up as a private detective in cheaply rented offices. He only takes cases that have a Mythos connection, fuelled by a burning desire to discover more about the dark secrets of the universe and the mysteries of his own past.

Jack suffers from terrible nightmares, and now remembers things from that day, more than six years ago, that he has told no other. But, he keeps it all secret to avoid the possibility of future incarceration in mental institutions. He is a chain smoker and an alcoholic, and aside from a few friends at the nearby Miskatonic University he is a loner.

Jack is in a downward spiral and desperate for answers, and this is where the main story of Dark Corners of the Earth begins. The date is 6th February 1922, just a few months after Jack’s release from the asylums care. He receives a phone call from Arthur Anderson, the regional manager of a national grocery store chain, who wishes to hire him to look into a missing person case in the town of Innsmouth. Initially Jack is dismissive, but something about the town of Innsmouth as described by Mr. Anderson piques his interest. Stories of strange creatures and unholy rituals, of the town’s unexplained prosperity, and the recent disappearances of several people in the area.