From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

The Enigmatic
Phaize
Pick a face and make it your own.
Codex Director
Player: @sadronmeldir
Origin:	Technology
Archetype:	Scrapper
Security Level:	50
Identifying Data
Real Name:	Jason Richard Caine
Aliases:	Phaise
Species:	Human
DOB or Age:	30
Height:	6'1"
Weight:	184
Eye Color:	Brown
Hair Color:	Brown
Additional Data
Birthplace:	King's Row Hospital
Citizenship:	American
Residence:	Steel Canyon, Harrison Suites
Relationship:	Single
Relatives:	Rachel Wharton (Ex-Wife)[1], Ana Lucia Caine (Mother), Ryan Caine (Son)
Known Powers
Shape-shifting
Training / Abilities
Espionage, hacking and deception
Equipment
Codex communicator
Footnotes
Phaize has a significant amount of Rikti tech from an alternate future inside him. Born 15 July, 1982.
"Virtue et Armis"

Character History

Childhood

Jason had a very typical childhood up until when he was 12. One day when a bully was picking on him at school, he suddenly and unexpectedly shapeshifted for the first time.... into the bully! Both boys were terrified, and as hard as Jason tried, he couldn't change back. Had he not been in Paragon, there's no telling how the school would react to him. Fortunately, they were used to seeing worse than shape-shifting children and thus Jason was sent home without incident.

At home, Jason's single mother tried to support him, visibly anxious that her son still looked like the school bully. They tried for days, but Jason seemed stuck in that form. His anxiety and growing frustraition just made things worse. His mother began considering home-schooling until his "condition" improved. Not too long after, two men came to the door. They helped Jason return to his true form and offered to help the boy control his powers. His mother accepted, believing it was in her son's best interest. At the end of the meeting, Jason was taken away. It would be over a decade before he would lay eyes on his mother again.

The Agency

Jason was taken to a remote facility, where he was first given the codename "Phaize". Under strict guidance, he was taught how to control his shapeshifting powers until changing forms was as natural as breathing. Additionally, he was given lessons in acting and linguistics. Every day, he'd pretend to be at least half a dozen different people as he honed his skills until his mimicry was near perfect. By that age of 16, he'd changed forms and identities so many times he'd not only forgotten what he used to look like, but also his own name as well. He had no face he considered his own or no identity to chain him down. He was simply Phaize.

His trust for the men and women that trained him was implicit. Over time, they began to teach him about the "evils of the world". They insisted that without careful guidance, the world could easily fall to ruin. It was up to Phaize and others to protect and safeguard it.

When Phaize began to believe their words as his own, they began to give him asssignments. At first, Phaize was used strictly for espinoage by using his natural abilities and his training to infiltrate bases and extract intelligence. Over time, however, his instructors began to have him target men and women for assassination. Believing he was making the world a better place, he'd do what was necessary to get close to these individuals and eliminate them. This went on for years.

A New Leaf

On February 26th, 2007, Phaize was in the middle of an espionage mission when his cover was blown. As he tried to escape, a kheldian saw him fleeing and tried to rescue him. The duo soon realized they were outmatched and tried to escape. Though the kheldian could have easily flown away, it stayed on foot beside Phaize. The kheldian's host was mortally wounded, and the symbiote joined with Phaize so that he could fly away and escape.

Once they were safe, the Kheld began to realize what kind of person he merged with. Powerless to shield his thoughts, Phaize felt the kheldian witness every killing he'd done and judge him for it. Feeling the hatred and the disgust his symbiote, he began to question for the first time if he was on the right side.

The agency took advantage of Phaize's new powers and enlisted him as a registered hero so that he could be recruited by the Reciprocators. His job, once inside, was to download important security details from the Cips and their allies. However, Phaize still keenly felt the hate of the Kheldian inside him, and his doubts led him to question the assignment. Realizing the Reciprocators were true heroes, he came clean with them about his secret mission and asked to stay. Though he returned to the agency to get some answers, the place was empty by the time he got there.

Returning the Favor

Phaize began anew with the Cips. He took on thier values, and endeavored to spare the lives of those he pursued whenever possible. His new teammates embraced him as one of their own and he began to feel like one of the team. In particular, he relied on Maggie Blossom to help him work with his kheldian.

However, his efforts could not make up for his dark past and his kheldian continued to dispise him. When a temporal rift momentarily weakened the symbiotic bond, it left him for the nearest available person: Jade Surace. Weakened without his kheldian, Phaize took himself off active duty as he attempted to learn hand-to-hand combat.

In his downtime, Phaize is approached by a friend he'd made. This friend, known as the Alpinist, asked Phaize to join a task force know as Surace Industries. Since the group needed him for his espionage rather than his ability to fight, he agreed.

Months went by and Surace Industries became a greater and greater thorn in the side of the Crey. In retaliation, they dispatched hitmen on the members, and Phaize was shot through the head by a sniper. He was pronounced dead, but the Alpinist used the nanites from another dead agent to repair the damage done to Phaize. The nanites repaired the physical damage to Phaize and now act as part of his central nervous system. Additionally, Phaize found he could will the nanites into simple objects, such as claws, armor or a blade.

With his newfound abilities, he returned to the Reciprocator's active roster in January of 2008.

End of the Line

His first day back on active roster, he landed in the middle of crisis as one of the Reciprocators was kidnapped. As the situation was was being assessed, Phaize was hastily introduced to new members. When he was introduced to Tipscout (aka Rachel Wharton), she caught him off-guard with an informal lip-lock. Phaize was fond of her, to say the least. As the days and weeks passed and he began to know her better, he not only realized she wasn't the flirt he first took her for but also that she was the only person he'd ever met that continually saw past his many facades. What's more, she was actually interested in the man he was behind his countless masks.

Their friendship was rocky as Phaize continually sought to woo her. He even went through the trouble of rediscovering his true name (Jason Caine), which he'd forgotten long ago and never bothered to find. The harder he tried, the less natural the relationship felt, and soon she began to fall for another. When she left the Reciprocators and joined a secret organization known as the Codex, Phaize joined part-time as well. Though he was wary of agencies with unknown agendas, he loved the woman too much to let her do this alone.

When Phaize began to work not only for the Reciprocators, but within Codex as well. Members of the Reciprocators and their leader, Black Starbeam, began to notice that the spy's involvement was no longer so focused. They began to clash on whether or not Jason was trustworthy. It's unclear precisely what the leader of the Reciprocators believed the spy was up to, but one thing did become apparent: the delicate trust between the two had been damaged. Eventually, Phaize made the tough choice to leave the Reciprocators behind and commit whole-heartedly to the Codex and to Tipscout.

Shortly after agreeing to lead the Codex, Tipscout and Phaize ended up leading alone. For a time, the two run the Codex proudly. Eventually, the ranks of the Codex swelled and the duo called upon two of their members, Kitai and Westford, to help lead the team. Yet even after the birth of their son, Ryan, Phaize and Tipscout tried to find the time to continue to lead the Paragon division with diligence.

House of Cards

Raising a son and leading a covert society simultaneously began to take its toll on Phaize. He was determined to be a good father and not have his son grow up without, as he himself had been forced to do. For months, he tried to walk a fine line, often going days without rest.

All the while, he had begun to seek out others who had been recuited by the Agency as children, hoping to help them have second chances as well. With the first two he'd re-connected with, Plot and Favorable Odds, he sought out the remaining members of his old team. Unfortunately, their actions drew unwanted attention. With frightening precision, a strike force wiped out all of the remaining members of Phaize's childhood team, leaving just Plot, Favorable Odds and himself standing.

Filled with fear for those close to him, Phaize began reverting to his old style of ruthless cunning. He hid behind countless masks of bravado and good humour while all the while he schemed. In the end it was Tipscout that stopped him from going down a dark path...

Powers

Shapeshifting

Phaize's only "natural" power is his mutant ability to shapeshift on a whim. He can't be certain, but he believes the mutation is from his father's lineage. While the shifting isn't his most flashy power, it's probably the one he relies on the most. After all, technologies fail and weapons can't always be stashed... but he'll always have the power to look like Harrison Ford on cue! To him, that's priceless.

There are limitations to his powers, though. For starters, he can only take the form of humanoid males. If he is going to mimic an actual person, he needs a visual reference. He can also only remember a handful of forms at a time, and learning new ones means he forgets older ones. When learning a new form, it takes him several minutes the intitial time.

Nanites

In 2007, a sniper shot Phaize through the head. Though pronounced dead, Surace Industries used nanotechnology from another project to restore and enhance the body, especially the mind. They uploaded a neural scan taken a week prior into the body, manually filling in the blanks with new memories.

The nanites allow him to form metal around part or all of his body at will, as well as create simple melee weapons such as a sword or claws. Furthermore, the nanites can be used to rewrite parts of his DNA to emulate the abilities of other mutants. This is a complicated and lengthy process, taking several minutes to upload the new parameters each time. He's used this technology to emulate the regenerative powers of his teammate, Neutron Light as well as the electric powers of a deceased villain by the name of Sentinel Arclight.

Relationships

The King and his Jester

Phaize was formerly employed by the Alpinist, leader of Surace Industries. The two were once friends, but for a time, the two began to have differences of opinion when it comes to handling threats to the city - particularly when it comes to use of lethal force. Still, the two managed to set aside those differences to serve the cause together.

Once Surace Industries fell, the Alpinist retired. However, recent events have caused the man to once again heed the hero's call. In a bit of a switch, he joined the Codex at the request of Phaize, and now serves under him. Though he's never said it out loud, Phaize is convinced that should he ever fall in battle, the Alpinist could replace him as the lead.

The Scout and the Spy

If Phaize were a poet (which he very much isn't!), Tipscout would be his muse. Before her, Phaize was happy to keep the entire world at arm's length. From their very first meeting, though, Tipscout consistantly saw through any mask or lie Phaize attempted to hide behind. She demanded a level of honesty and sincerity that had never been asked of him before.

It wasn't long until Phaize became drawn to Tipscout's unique personality. For a while, it seemed as though she may have reciprocated those feelings. Phaize, however, was not used to feeling so out of control when it came to his feelings and attempted to steer the pending the relationship. He became overly controlling and manipulative. His actions put Tipscout off, and she developed feelings for another. While Phaize continued to hope that may be able to rekindle past feelings, his greatest fear is that he'd missed that chance for good.

As tensions escalated within the triangle, Tipscout became more torn. Eventually, she decided to commit to a decision and in a stunning twist of fate decided to trust Phaize with her heart. Though it took her time to move on and grow accustomed to considering them a couple, she was committed to the relationship from the start. In a matter of months, the two were married.

Despite a few heated arguments from time to time, Phaize has never been happier. Whether in battle or at home, he's certain she'll be beside him for as long as the fates allow it.

The Voice in his Head

Julie Burton, the adopted sister of the Alpinist and niece of the infamous Vanessa DeVore, has always put Phaize off-balance. The first time they met, she'd smacked him for what he was thinking! Ever since, he's been wary about his thoughts around her. In a world where lies and masks keep him alive, a telepath is a dangerous enemy... or ally!

Still, the two have found a shaky balance through the years. Phaize has watched the crazed ex-carnie grow into a powerful, centered woman. Though her antics can fool most, he knows that her inner peace and understanding of how people think have given Julie very unique insights. To this day, he relies on her heavily.

Dawn and Dusk

What could one say about Alarcity? Phaize would like to believe he knows more about the enigmatic woman than most. He's seen her on the brink of darkness and turn back, taking solace in the fact through it all she trusted him. Though she is perpetually distant and forever a loner, there is one thing the Phaize knows: if he were to ever face oblivion, the warlock will have his back and, together, they would bring their foes to hell.

Jogging Partners

The small ninja known as Kitai has found her way into Phaize's heart without even trying. Ever since their mutual friend died, Phaize has always seen himself as a sort of guardian over Kitai's spirit. He's determined to keep her smiling even on the darkest days.

As the third director of the Codex, she helps shoulder the burdens that Tipscout and Phaize face each day, and for that he is eternally grateful.

The Unlikely Apprentice?

Of all the people he'd met in the Codex, few seemed to dislike him more than Fluke. Easily one of the more younger members of the team, he felt a kinship to her over her rough childhood. Unfortunately, he could never seem to have a conversation with her which didn't end with her telling him to shove it!

Over time, Phaize finally realized that he'd been treating her like a child, rather than the equal she'd proven to be. Now, he sees the potential in her to become the most powerful of them all. When the chips are down and they are facing a foe of great power, he looks to Fluke to back him. Though he'd never admit it (mostly because she'd flip him off for saying it), Phaize sees the weather witch as his protege, hoping one day she'll take his place in the Codex.

Songs

The All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight
Green Day - 21 Guns

OOC Notes

• Phaize has been my main since December of 2007. About the time he met Tipscout. What're the odds?!

1. ↑ a.k.a. Tipscout