Crazyfire
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| [[Image:|300px|]] | |
| Crazyfire | |
| Player: @Swallow | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Paul Little |
| Known Aliases: | ' |
| Species: | Possessed Human |
| Age: | 29 |
| Height: | 5' 10" |
| Weight: | 155 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color: | Ginger |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Currently unemployed |
| Place of Birth: | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Father, mother |
| Known Powers | |
| Fire manipulation | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Trained in statistical analysis. | |
| Equipment | |
| Burn-proof costume | |
| ' | |
Contents |
Background
The Metamorphosis
Paul Little had always been picked on as a kid. He was just a very timid, shy little boy who was easily intimidated. As an adult, he didn't get much better. People constantly took advantage of his inability to say no, so Paul often found himself running errands for people while they laughed at him behind is back. When the recent economic slump came along, his employer at Henderson Paper had to downsize a little. Although Paul was a hard worker, he was the first to be laid off. Dejected, Paul packed his things and went home, only to find his apartment building on fire. A large gang of Hellions were to blame for the arson, and they vigorously warded off the police and fire department's attempts to put the fire out. This final injustice caused something inside Paul's head to snap, sending him over the edge. All of his suppressed anger built up over the course of his lifetime now exploded, consuming his entire being in an inferno of burning rage. Unbeknownst to him, the arson was an attempt by the Hellions to summon a magical spirit, which they hoped would grant them powers. The spirit had come, and though it was pleased by the chaos in the hearts of the Hellions, it found something much more impressive in Paul. Changing its mind at the last moment, it swooped into Paul's body and possessed it. A crazed look slowly crept over Paul's face, and his hands ignited in flame. Then, the man who was no longer Paul Little stood up to the Hellions, and showed them what happens when you play with fire.
Chaos Manifest
The next morning, Paul woke up in a back alley with a massive hangover and smelling of soot. Disoriented and dismayed, Paul sought shelter with the closest thing to a friend he had, a woman by the name of Sarah White. At her apartment, he tried to piece together what had happened the previous night. He didn't get too far before it came up on TV on the local news channel. There was some footage of a man who engulfed the Hellions in a shower of flame, to the cheers of the crowding civilians. The cheers scattered when the man continued to assault the Hellions after they were down, and then the cheers turned to screams as the man then hurled fireballs in seemingly random directions. The damage was massive. In addition to the building that the Hellions had set on fire, the raging flame wielder set two more on fire. Twelve civilians were badly burned, a police officer died, and all but one of the Hellions suffered mortal injuries. Before the madman could be brought down, he exploded in a cloud of flame and disappeared without a trace. When Paul watched the footage, his memories from last night came flooding back to him. That maniac was him; the reason he couldn't remember much of anything was because he thought it would be a good idea to go to a bar afterward, to celebrate.
The spirit chose to reveal itself to Paul at that point. It explained to him that it fed on his anger, and under the right conditions, could take over his body to create chaos in the world. Horrified, Paul tried to deny the spirit's existence. He ignored its presence and tried to live a normal life, but periodically he would become provoked, and the spirit would possess him to wreak havoc. Realizing that there was no way for him to live a normal life at that point, he turned himself in to Longbow. He explained his situation to them, and requested to be shut up in the Ziggurat for the remainder of his life. They granted him his request, and Paul was sent to live with some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. At first he was ridiculed, as he looked nothing like a hardened criminal like the rest of them. One incidence of bullying was all it took for his inmates to realize that there was more to him than meets the eye.
Redemption, the Birth of a Hero
Nine months later, disaster struck the Zig. Arachnos troops stormed the prison, breaking through security systems and overwhelming the Longbow guards. The inmates made a run for it, but Paul refused to budge. One of his fellow prisoners tried to convince him to come to the Rogue Isles, where there would be more people like him. Where it was okay to be a killer. Although Paul fervently denied that he was a killer, the prisoner insisted. Finally, he snapped. Screaming "I'm not a killer!", Paul lost control for a moment, and the spirit took over. It swept the premises with fire, blocking doorways, blinding people with smoke and blasting them with flames. With so much chaos everywhere, it was all the prisoners could do to stay alive, let alone escape. Arachnos troops had mostly finished off Longbow personnel at that point, but then they found themselves contending with a new adversary. Paul didn't hold back, blazing a path of destruction everywhere he went, and by the time Arachnos managed to bring him down, Longbow reinforcements had arrived. Reeling from their losses, they were unable to deal with the Longbow reinforcements and had to beat a hasty retreat.
Paul had saved the day-- mostly. Most of the prisoners had been rescued from the fire, although some had very bad injuries. Very few had managed to escape thanks to Paul's intervention, but nearly half of the Zig was in ruins. Despite these setbacks, Paul had suddenly become a hero. Furthermore, his actions proved that although the spirit within him was purely destructive, it was not necessarily malevolent. Officials decided to let Paul go, and give him the best support that they could to help him control his violent tendencies. First, he was sent to see Azuria, who cast a spell that weakened the amount of total control the spirit had over his body. Second, he was given special training lessons by none other than Aurora Borealis in mental control. The result of this training was that Paul was finally able, with great effort, to control the spirit that inhabited him. In addition, a deal was made. The spirit was allowed to use Paul to cause destruction to its heart's content, as long as it didn't harm innocents. Still, Paul takes great care to release the spirit in a situation where it will do minimal collateral damage. Although he is dangerous to both friend and foe, Paul managed to use his powers for mostly good. Together, him and his spirit have become the hero known as Crazyfire.
The Spirit
It has been called by many names: Ifrit, Phoenix, Djinn, Seraph. It will respond to the name Crazyfire, but also to the name Marid when someone wishes to distinguish it from its union with Paul Little. Although MAGI has yet to determine what Marid is exactly, it seems to be some sort of embodiment of chaos. At first glance, Marid seems to have a one-track mind: he has an unhealthy obsession with fire and seems to be nothing more than a vicious killer. However, its philosophy runs deeper than that. One might say that it believes strongly in freedom, for without freedom there can be no spontaneity, and without spontaneity, there can be no chaos. Marid identifies strongly with animals, particularly predators, as well as the bestial side of mankind. It enjoys carnal pleasures, such as eating, sex, and alcohol. There has been many a morning where Paul woke up with a hangover because of how much drinking Marid had done the night before. To Marid, fire is simply the perfect embodiment of the chaos that it loves: dangerous, unpredictable, awe-inspiring. In fighting crime, Crazyfire is like a bomb. He's powerful, but is a great danger to himself as well as his allies due to his brash, self-destructive tendencies. Marid believes that life should be short and exciting, and thus does not value life for its own sake. When it works itself up to a frenzy (which is most of the time), it will plow through anything in its way without regard to potential consequences.
