The Bones is a country on the southeastern coast of the continent of Remarkia, and is known for its three distinct territories (Riverbed, Mirrorlake, and Westwood), cultures (Dogs, Cats, and Rats), and the Talismen (or Owls, depending on how old your history books are). It got its name from the mile wide graveyard on its northern and western borders, from a war in which the Great Talismen saved the Bones from the northern countries trying to colonize them.
During the War, a weapon was devised that could bring down their enemies by the thousands, all with one simple command. After the War ended, and the weapon was no longer needed, he was abandoned, alone, frightened, and confused...
Jackal is a living, breathing weapon, dangerous to everyone around him. Magic flows throughout his veins, threatening to burst out at any minor inconvenience. He's also an orphan, smuggler, ladies' man, asshole, and smug as all get-out despite it.
He makes his living smuggling goods from the western territory of Mirrorlake, to the eastern territory, Riverbed. It's dangerous and illegal, and barely makes him enough money to eat a warm meal every night, but it's Jackal's job.
Until his truck gets stolen by a secret organization, as a way to lure in Jackal himself, and they reveal their plans to uproot the very foundation of the Bones. What's more, is Colonel Mara seems to know a little too much about Jackal's past, and has a little too many plans about Jackal's future.
Panther is almost as dangerous as Jackal is, even with only a fraction of the amount of Magic Jackal has to her name. Quiet, stoic, and quick on her feet, Panther is assigned the task of keeping an eye on Colonel Mara's latest plan, despite none of her plans working before, and, quick frankly, despite the colonel earning her title.
Panther, however, believes in the rebellion's cause, and is willing to go toe to toe with Jackal for it. Despite Jackal's barbs, flirts, and general dismissive manner, Panther finds herself learning to like him, even after uncovering Jackal's... Quieter personality he keeps under wraps.
Colonel Mara is an anxious mess, but she'll be dammed if she isn't trying her best to rescue the slowly dying country of the Bones. She watched her home territory become more and more dangerous, more and more hostile, until it was verging collapsing in on itself. And if no one else is going to pull the Bones out of the pit the Great Talismen have dragged them into, Mara will.
...Probably. I mean, most likely. She's definitely not making the situation any worse. Right? All she needs is one solid plan, and then everything else will fall into place.
So when she comes across an old, classified file, of the whereabouts of the weapon the Talismen used to win the War, she thinks this is it, this is how she'll win this fight.
Except, the weapon turns out to be a man. And the man turns out to be the most stubborn, idiotic, charming, useless man she's ever met.
Caracal would rather be... Well, anywhere but here, really, but home, especially. 'Home', however, looks a lot less cheerful after the Talismen came and colonized Jubilee, forcing everyone there to conform to the Bones' dividing and oppressive culture. So, now he's here, ready to kick some Owl butt.
Colonel Mara has promised him that when the Bones belongs to the people again, Jubilee will be their own country once more. However, that's an awfully big promise to make, especially once Cats started moving into Jubilee... After all, no one likes being kicked out of their homes, even if it wasn't their home to begin with.
Lynx is a living weapon in their own right, although much less impressive than Jackal's fierce bursts of magic. They specialize in quiet murders, silently tracking their victims for days on end, if need be. And when they go in for the kill... Well, it's hard to prove guilt when you never can find the body.
They're also sick of killing. If it were up to them, they'd be a pacifist, living out their life in the middle of the woods. However, the Talismen want their abilities, and Colonel Mara wants them almost as much. Lynx has to make a decision: Living life in luxury, on the necks of others, or scrambling from one meal to the next, trying to help make a difference, without knowing if they even can.