Crimson Law
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Crimson Law | |
| Player: @Epsicon | |
| Origin: | Mutant |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Stalker |
| Threat Level: | Rising |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Claire Stansfield |
| Known Aliases: | n/a |
| Species: | Meta-Human |
| Age: | 32 |
| Height: | 5'11 |
| Weight: | 180 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Grey |
| Hair Color: | Red |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Confidential |
| Occupation: | Career Criminal |
| Place of Birth: | Confidential |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Confidential |
| Known Powers | |
| Energy Melee, Energy Aura | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Developing | |
| Equipment | |
| None | |
| Proud Member of The Honorable Criminals | |
Contents |
City of Villains ID Card
(( RP - Non-ERP/MRP ))
Real Name: Claire Stansfield
Age: 32
Formerly a RIP Officer, Claire discovered his mutant abilities after being infected with the Lost disease and his immune system kicked into overdrive. Now, Claire has the ability to generate energy within his body and focus it into explosive attacks. He uses this same ability to deflect incoming projectiles or some melee attacks.
After setting out to be a villain, Claire was taken in by a veteran assassin, Felix Walken. Felix taught Claire the ways of moving silently, and how deadly applied force focused in certain anatomical areas could destroy or incapacitate targets. After Felix was killed in a Wyvern raid, Claire took his mentor's teachings to heart and assumed the mantle of Felix's old persona, the Crimson Law, with the intent of teaching "heroes" that cross the line that consequences for doing so were very real.
Currently a member of The Honorable Criminals.
Personality
Claire Stansfield was not one of the many corrupt RIP officers that plagues the current organization, and as such, has always felt a strong sense of needing to bring "Justice" - in whatever form - to the Rogue Isles. When his powers activated, this sense was greatly inflated. Finally, when Wyvern killed off Claire's mentor, Claire's idea of justice took it's final, steadfast form. "Those that would do, or have done, great evil should themselves be subject to an even greater, more horrific evil." The Crimson Law is that necessary evil in the Rogue Isles. As such, outsiders may view his methods and ideology as being insane, but you just have to know Claire. In his heart, he's a good guy and if you're not killing innocents or committing mindlessly heinous acts... then you have nothing to fear from the Crimson Law.
The Crimson Law prefers to act alone, rarely grouping except with fellows members of the Honorable Criminals or villains in dire need of protection or assistance. On such missions he may seem distant and quiet, but in reality he is simply focusing on the task at hand. In social settings, Claire tends to hang in the background mainly speaking only when spoken to. He is intelligent in conversation, prefers not to talk about the Crimson Law's hits, and greatly enjoys discussing personal interests.
Personal interests include: reading about ancient history, acrobatics, martial arts (especially American boxing) and current world events.
Claire does not smoke, drink or take recreational drugs.
Powers
The Crimson Law's powers are a result of his Mutant origin, and revolve around his body generating raw energy. He then either then focuses this for an attack, radiates it as a defensive field, or internally consumes the energy for a biological boost.
Energy Melee
By focusing the energy his body now naturally generates, the Crimson Law can turn his admirable fisticuffs skills into deadly energy powered weapons. In addition to producing fatal currents and boulder smashing blows, the Crimson Law can also regulate the energy into merely inflicting concussive blows, stunning or sending opponents comatose. This is mainly used when a situation calls for the Crimson Law's abilities, but not all combatants deserve death. (Example: Robbing a corrupt bank may result in an otherwise good hero showing up, believing he is doing the right thing in preventing a bank robbery. While the CEOs and hired thugs may deserve bankruptcy and extended hospital stays/death, the hero is ultimately acting in a way he believes is right. As such, the Crimson Law prefers to simply knock these types of people unconscious.)
Energy Aura
Instead of focusing all his energy into attacks, the Crimson Law can also project the remainder into a type of faint energy shield. In addition to defensive fighting, the aura can also act as a type of muscle enhancer. By consuming the energy in his muscles instead of focusing for an attack or radiating defensive fields, the muscle's power is dramatically boosted temporarily. This boost unfortunately can only be used so long before a "crash" effect ensues, draining the Crimson Law of all power for a short duration. Lastly, power can be focused into a radiated field, and then unleashed, causing an explosive shockwave. The Crimson Law's limits of projection are simply around his body, only knocking down targets close to him.
History
Abandon all hope ye who enter this section, or at least, a good chunk of your day.
The Rogue Isles Police
Claire started as a Rogue Isles Police Officer, but no one knows if the Rogue Isles is his native home or not. For the most part, Claire is quiet about his past before meeting Felix Walken. His time in the RIP is well documented. Nearly a perfect record of service, the only marks against him were complaints from various organizations about Claire not accepting bribes. His service came to an end when he crossed the Family, and they kidnapped him after a shift one night. Taken to an unknown sewer network, Claire was traded with the Lost as a "test subject" for an untold amount of illegal narcotics. As a test subject, Claire was infected with the Lost virus and was fully expected to mutate into a grotesque form. Dropped off deep in the sewer network, abandoned in a desolate cell, Claire felt the effects of the virus ravage his body. However, fate had a different destiny in mind and instead of becoming a freak, Claire's immune system kicked into hyper drive. By the end of the third day, Claire no longer felt the effects of the virus and instead, realized he could create explosive balls of energy with his fists. Blasting out of the Lost's base, Claire fought his way to the surface and registered as a "Destined One" with Arachnos. Leaving the corrupt police department behind, Claire set out to make his own sort of non-bureaucratic regulated justice.
Felix
Before retiring, Felix Walken was known as the Crimson Law. A Robin Hood sort of thief, Felix adorned himself all in dark crimson and was notorious for breaking into the most impenetrable of vaults, pocketing the most valuable of goods, and then escaping into the night to distribute his ill gotten gains among the downtrodden denizens of the Rogue Isles. He had became a local legend around Mercy Island and was no stranger to coaching upcoming villains on perfecting their stealth ability. It was happenstance that Claire ran into the aging villain on a back alley one day, saving him from being mugged by Skulls from out of town. To thank Claire, Felix taught the greenhorn all he knew. From sneaking into facilities undetected to where to strike the human anatomy, Claire learned all Felix had to offer. But this partnership wasn't to last, as Felix's past wasn't all Robin Hood antics. A former hitman for the mob in Paragon City, Wyvern learned of Felix's location on the Isles and sent out a hit team. Claire was away training, and came back to find Felix brutally executed in a rain of arrows.
The Crimson Law
For days, Claire pondered his next course of action. Knowing Felix had to be avenged, Claire took on the mantle of the Crimson Law and re-dedicated the old moniker not to thieving the powerful for the benefit of the poor, but instead a darker, more sinister purpose. "Those that would do, or have done, great evil should themselves be subject to an even greater, more horrific evil." he told himself. Modifying the costume to suit his needs, Claire adorned Felix's old identity and set out for the Wyvern base.
The reports from the day following are too brutal to list here, but justice was had. Every member inside the Wyvern base was dead, and the Commander had been shot repeatedly with his own bow until his supply of bolts was exhausted. Then, incapacitated from the pain and severed nerve endings, left to bleed out in the main entrance. A message, if there ever was one. But this was simply the first of many acts the Crimson Law would execute in the following days. The Family Boss that sold Claire out was found mutated beyond recognition months later, with only his ID card to prove what he once was. A Freakshow anarchist plotting to burn a residential district was found a charred corpse. A Circle of Thorns sect planning to summon a demon were found all sacrificed ritually, the same way they planned to off their victims. And at every scene, the Crimson Law's calling card was neatly placed.
The Honorable Criminals
Unfortunately for Claire, targeting evil doers and shady heroes began to result in the Crimson Law's reputation as being that of a "hero." Knowing such a reputation was dangerous to have in the Isles, Claire went to Arachnos and pledged his absolute loyalty in exchange for certain favors. (Such as sealing his personal information about family, birthplace and hometown. Also included was the option to act as a free agent in times of deniability.) With Arachnos's support behind him, Claire found other villains not as fast to condemn him and more cooperative in the long run. To further cement his reputation as a non-hero, Claire found and joined a group of like minded individuals, the Honorable Criminals. Short of revenge plots, very few villains proactively target the Crimson Law these days.
The Future
Claire has been working on a method of storing energy in his legs and then releasing, providing a super human method of travel. Storing energy for shock absorption hasn't been as easy, making many landings into hospital trips.
The Crimson Law hasn't yet decided on an Arachnos patron, but is leaning towards Mako.
Claire has no romantic aspirations.
Alternate Realities
With the creation of Portal Corporation, alternate realities and thus, Crimson Laws, were discovered. Here is a brief list of the most notable.
Praetorian Law
Praetorian Claire Stansfield never left the police department, and is still an active officer. Never having met Felix Walken, Praetorian Claire developed his energy powers for brute strength instead of subtlety. The differences end there, however. They are like minded individuals and will often work together for certain tasks.
Heroic Law
On one alternate world circumstances made Claire become "Justice Incarnate." Upon learning of our villainous version of Claire, the Heroic version couldn't stand such a "flawed incarnation." Sneaking off to Primal Earth, Heroic Claire attacked the Crimson Law by suprise by the docks one night. His energy aura sensing an incoming attack, the Crimson Law waited until the last second and dodged. Creating a flash of light in one palm, he quickly detonated it and blinded Heroic Law. As Heroic Law struggled to get his bearings, the Crimson Law charged an assassin's strike and planted both fists into the hero's back, exploding raw power all the way through. Heroic Law died instantly. After the attack, the Crimson Law unmasked the hero and was surprised to see himself staring back with cold eyes.
Arbiter Law
In one dimension, Claire wasn't born a mutant and instead rose through the ranks of Arachnos to Arbiter. They are on amiable terms, but rarely work with each other. Arbiter Law's specialty before his current position was that of Bane Spider.
Author Notes
More or less created for The Honorable Criminals, I also always wanted to play a Stalker. Most of my characters are weapon based, so I skipped Ninja Blade and chose an Energy based mutant. Pretty happy with this guy.
Claire Stansfield is a character from Baccano! I ... liberated the name and base personality, stripped the anime qualities and applied a heavy coat of City of Heroes. It works.
Design wasn't influenced by Gambit, but I can see similarities. If any, it was subconscious... haven't read X-Men since I was twelve.
