Richard Ray

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Chesterfield Act Registry of the Expressive Database

File #30 May 2018 12:25

Name	Richard Ray	Aliases	Richard Cardinal; Lamont Cranston
Status	Unregistered Expressive	Ability	Obtenebrative Transubstantiation

Gender	Male
Birthdate	June 18th 16th, 1982	Age	38

Height	5'11"	Build	Athletic
Eyes	Dark Brown	Hair	Hazel

Residence	Raytech Corporate Housing, NYC
Employment	CEO Raytech Industries

Parents

David Cardinal (father, deceased), Michelle Cardinal (mother), Edward Ray (adoptive parent, surrendered to orphanage)

Siblings

Kaylee Thatcher (adoptive sister), Valerie Ray (adoptive sister), Warren Ray (adoptive brother)*, Rianna Cardinal (sister)

Marital Status

Married (Open; Elisabeth Harrison)

Children

Lili Elizabeth Roberts and Richard "Ricky" Edward Roberts (with Harmony Roberts), Aurora (with Elisabeth Harrison)

First Scene

Leave the Past Behind

Last Scene

Profile

The CEO of Raytech Industries, a technology and innovation company. He's known for having been the force behind WRAY, a pro-resistance propaganda radio station that ran during the war. In a previous life, he was a terrorist, a thief, and a conspirator known as Richard Cardinal.

portrayed by

Brian Austin Green

…so all /that/ happened.

The memory of the final moments of his future self, and all of his sins, was raw in Richard Cardinal’s mind when he decided to cast that name, that identity, away like a shed skin. He adopted the name of the man whose instructions he’d been following all this time, who claimed to be his adoptive father. He wasn’t even sure if he believed it - but he’d embraced Kaylee, Valerie, and reluctantly Warren as siblings. And he needed a new beginning. A fresh start.

And so Richard Ray was born.

Just what does one do, if they’re given a reinforced bunker with radio equipment, in a safe area just before a civil war breaks out? After gathering what you can of your family to you, you get some people who know how this whole ‘radio’ thing works - and you make your voice heard. The years of the war were spent in Kansas, settled into the Mobile Radio Communications building broadcasting messages of hope, good news delivered via the scattered contacts of the WRAY crew, and generally working to boost morale for the resistance side of the war. “The Ray” became a figurative ray of light for those seeking freedom and equality for the evolved, while the crew themselves were safely ensconced in the bunker.

They may have passed some time trying to make contact with the ‘ghost broadcast’ that appears to be coming from an adjacent timeline, with little success. Even Warren would need better equipment than a bunch of old radio gear to create a /time radio/.

Those years spent in the bunker were badly needed. After years of manipulations and tragedies, of trauma most people could never imagine, he needed the time to rest, to recover. To spend time with his siblings, his children. To come to terms with all he’d done, and all that his future self had done… and consider what to do about it.

It was during those years that the seeds of Raytech Industries were laid; the idea of pooling all of the Ray siblings’ resources and creating a new, single company whose resources could be used to help build a future rather than destroy one, to pay the debts their family owed for Edward’s sins. Stepping out of the shadows of the conspiracy years and into the light.

Oddly apropos, given the loss of his ability to dwell within those shadows.

As the war ebbed, he began reaching out - to old security specialists here, scientists there, real estate agents and businesspeople of his acquaintanceship, or of another acquaintance’s acquaintanceship. Contacts from his time with Redbird, with Chicago Air, with Endgame - and with Apollo. They reclaimed Warren’s factory and before long purchased others, and began the climb up the ladder from start-up to true corporation.

It wasn’t the first time that Richard had run a business, and although this was a new scale for him, he wasn’t alone; he had Kaylee’s business acumen, Valerie’s support, and Warren’s innovation, not to mention the skills and abilities of the others he had behind them. He knew there would be eyes upon them - there were still those in the government that knew who he was, who his family was, and who knew the truth behind the Institute - so they’d have to be careful. Especially so, since some of those he recruited previously worked for the Institute, for the Company, in an attempt to offer them the same chance at redemption that he was taking.

If Kazimir Volken can seek to atone for his sins, then why should anyone be denied that chance?

Backed by the innovation of Warren Ray and the other scientists and engineers that he’d managed to bring aboard, they established contracts with the government, with Yamagato Industries, and even with Wolfhound - old allies with a new name, and people he trusted with the more… dangerous inventions to come out of Raytech’s thinktank. The fact that some members of that thinktank are probably wanted /by/ Wolfhound is information Hana doesn’t need to have, really. As much as he honestly likes and respects her, Hana’s not big on /forgiveness/ in his experience.

As the year 2018 comes around, Raytech’s Safe Zone branch office has just opened and Richard’s moved back to the city of his birth, leaving the head office in Detroit to be handled by Warren and Elle.

The future looks bright. But as Richard knows well… there are always shadows around the corner.

Obtenebrative Transubstantiation

Richard's natural ability has often been referred to as 'shadow form', although given that shadows don't actually exist as an extant form of matter or energy there's some debate amongst the scientifically-minded as to what he actually turns into. Whatever it is, it allows him to take an intangible form that resembles a shadow that barely exists in a full three dimensions, while simultaneously leaving him with a vulnerability to light in all its forms.

Talents

Talents	Effort	Description	Learned From
Nightsight	None	Richard can see perfectly fine even with no light present, although in such circumstances his ability to discern color is nil. As a downside to this, he's extremely sensitive to light blindness. He has to wear sunglasses in daylight to not end up with a headache from eyestrain, and a bright flash or a directed beam can leave him painfully blinded.	Self Taught
Shadowmorph	Low	Over the years, becoming a shadow is as easy for Richard as slipping on a pair of shoes; in just a few moments he can render himself into a nearly two-dimensional shadow shape that can move along solid surfaces and shape itself as desired. The lack of a third dimension and the tie that holds him against solid surfaces is largely psychological, as seen by future and alternate-timeline versions of himself that have surpassed this limit. This form is intangible to matter, although energy can interact with it - any form of energy that emits light causes pain, and a bright enough light can injure him like a flamethrower in this shape. Lasers are even worse, and can potentially leave him maimed or dead.	Self Taught
Transubstantiation	Moderate	While he normally brings whatever he's wearing and his personal gear with him when he transforms to shadow and back, he can also subsume matter without transforming, so long as he focuses upon it. This allows him to hide a weapon in a shadowed sleeve that can be re-formed as needed, for example. He can also simply /destroy/ such matter by letting it dissipate after transformation. This is moderate effort for a hand-held object and goes sharply upwards from there depending on the size of the affected object. As a note, he can also do this with organic matter, but the effects are generally horrific at best, and potentially psychologically traumatizing for Richard. To date he has purposefully not tried to develop this combat-valuable but terrifying aspect of his power.	Self Taught

Effort Key
None	Requires no effort and is a part of Richard's autonomous functions.
Low	Requires minimal effort and concentration, like walking, holding a conversation, or reading.
Moderate	Requires dedicated concentration. Moderate-effort abilities cannot be used while actively fighting or using another talent with an effort of Moderate or higher.
High	Requires undivided concentration. Cannot do anything other than move slowly or talk in short sentences while using a High effort talent and cannot use other talents that have an effort level of Low or higher.

"Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray."

- Lord Byron

Fold

Table of Contents

Obtenebrative Transubstantiation

Appendices

Alts

Facts

Known to Most

CEO of Raytech Industries, a tech innovation company with a branch office in the New York Safe Zone.
Has three siblings, who make up the rest of the Board of Directors.

Known to Some

Richard has a kid - two, even! They stay with their mother, and have her last name, but she brings them to see him fairly regularly.
Richard's surname was previously Cardinal, and he ran the Redbird Security Solutions company just before the war - rumor has it the HQ was hit by Humanis and he was severely injured, vanishing from public life until after the war.
He isn't a blood sibling to the other Rays - Edward was his adoptive father, apparently, but he grew up in a NYC Catholic orphanage. Ed was never the best parental figure.
Richard used to be Evolved, but his ability was lost on November 8th, 2011 during the Mount Nazahat mission.
Collects prophetic and precognitive art in all its forms; music, paintings, comic books, et cetera. Even if the prophecy's played out, or been negated, he'll still collect it.

Known to Few

Used to run a group that could be considered terrorists, freedom fighters, or conspirators that worked against the Institute and the Humanis-backed government known as Endgame.
Has a record! Did a stint in Rikers.

Known to Very Few

Another iteration of himself from another timeline was the founder of the Institute, a man who caused atrocities on a massive scale.
He, himself, was not born in this timeline at all, but was brought over during the initial overlay event when Michelle activated the Looking Glass for the first time.

Hooks

Raytech:

Employment: Looking to help make the world a better place, and make money while doing it? Richard's always on the look-out for talented individuals who are a good fit for his team… even those who might have a checkered past they're looking to make up for. Maybe especially those people.

Employed: Do you work for Raytech? Built in hook for RP right there. BAM!

Personal

Old Friends, Old Enemies: Richard's got a very checkered past, and he's moved through a lot of circles; he's been a criminal, a security specialist, a CIA Agent, a resistance fighter, and now he's in the corporate world. He's got connections everywhere. The player is happy to work out past connections with you!

Collection: Are you a precog? Did you end up with some precognitive art? Richard will want to see it, and get a copy for his collection if he can strike a deal!

Information: If you're looking for information, well… Richard isn't in that business anymore, but he still knows an awful lot. You could look in worse places. He might also be interested in buying your information.

Everyman: Sometimes, Richard just likes to get away from that ivory tower and walk around the city, especially in parks and gardens and high places. If you frequent such places, maybe you could run into him!

Relationships

	Adopted Family
	Benefactor. Employer. Monster. He was supposed to raise me as his own. He didn't. The feelings that I have about him are complicated… and it doesn't seem likely that I'll ever get closure. Assuming he's really dead. I won't believe it until I see a body.
	The mother of my children, and a dear friend. We never really had anything romantic - unfortunately - but that one night stand changed both our lives.
	Sister. I'm probably the closest to her of his adoptive family, thanks to everything we've both been through - I love and trust her implicitly.
	My baby sister. I'm very protective of her, and… the injuries she suffered on November 8th, 2011 are my fault. I'm determined to find a way to heal her, but— I'm also very proud of how she's dealt with the cards she's been dealt; her optimism, seemingly eternal, is a source of wonder.
	Sigh. I'm often exasperated by the antics of my not-entirely-sane adoptive brother, but in the end Warren's family, and that's important to me.
	Elisabeth's father has become a de facto member of the family over the years, a voice of wisdom and advice that I - may not always listen to, but always values.
	Biological Family
	My mother broke the universe, once.
	The man that I always thought was my father, and thought was dead. It turns out that I'm wrong on both sides — a David Cardinal was my father, but not this one. He doesn't want anything to do with me. That's… that's okay. I'll respect his wishes. He's been through enough…
	My children. The greatest joy of my life.

	An overdramatic douchebag on Staten Island, but possibly useful. Maybe. The jury's still out.
	The King of Pentacles. Between the two of us, we know where the bodies are buried. An ally. A friend, I think. I hope.
	I once told her what her power was. I once told her to run. She was just a kid, I was travelling in time, and she saw me as her father. I can never tell her, can never explain that. I don't think she's ever really felt close to me, but I wish her well. The best.
	Once counted as one of my most loyal soldiers, Claire fights on for a different cause now - but she'll always be one of my people, as far as I'm concerned. Who knows? Maybe her position in Wolfhound may prove useful one day.
	She's not a kid anymore, but a woman, and a strong one at that. What happened to her was… not my fault, but I can't help but blame myself anyway. I owe her. I've got her back if she needs me. Another one in Wolfhound.
	The kid seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and he's done well for himself.. Wolfhound liaison, for when we need it.
	Of us all, Gillian deserves the most to live her life in peace. I hope that life lets her. I hope that I let her.
	We've always had an odd relationship, like two predators circling each other but comfortable with that. I'd trust her with my life.
	An old ally, and one of Elisabeth's closest lovers; we've never been close, but we have respect for each other.
	Oh God why is my crazy ex-girlfriend back. Maybe she'll actually be useful this time, but no, Netflix and Chill is not on the table.
	An old ally from the days of the Ferry. Unlike most of them, I think she's ready if things get bad again. Good. I think they might be headed that way.
	Des's brother, I think. Lynette's husband. He has a past that's even more confusing than mine, and that's saying a lot.
	Fighting for me cost her an arm. I don't blame her for leaving. She seems to be doing well, and I hope it's true.
	Eileen's brother has grown into Mini-Aviators, and I can't say that it's a bad thing. He'll do well.
	We have a lot of history. A friend, and someone I trust implicitly; I missed my chance for her to be anything more.
	My.. a… she was a friend. I thought she was dead. The one person who will always call me on my shit. I'm glad she's home.
	She was once one of my closest, most trusted friends and allies. My good left hand. Then she left me… for Ezekiel. It was my fault; I failed her, didn't pay close enough attention. Now… well, we talk again at least. It's something.
	Agent Robyn Quinn of the SESA is an intriguing woman, and we seem to have some hobbies in common.
	Tyler… Tyler is Tyler. I miss his goofy ass. I hope he's well.

	They were such good hosts in the northwest, but their behavior here in the east seems to be very different. They're from another timeline. Another world. Someone opened my mother's Looking Glass, and they came through. And I know their names.
	"Eileen is like an arrow. Once the string's released, she rarely deviates from her course — even if she knows she'll shatter at the end of it. A long time ago I stopped trying to make of us anything but distant allies - and that Eileen is dead and gone. This one is even more dangerous, and not just because of Volken's legacy coiling in her body like a viper. She thinks that I need to be stopped from doing something I don't even plan to do, and like an arrow loosed, she'll either find my heart or I'll find a shield to shatter her on."
	Pending
	"I know it's not the same man that put a bullet through my lover's head. I know that. That doesn't stop the fire from coiling in my belly knowing he's alive out there. As Bennet pointed out, just because he's not the same Danko I knew doesn't mean he isn't a monster as well. He was a bastard long before the divergence point."
	Pending
	"An immortal. The oldest of us all. Maybe the first, I don't know. We worked together in the past, and things have always been amicable between us, but I know how dangerous he really is. He's a snake that will warmly curl around you like a lover until it decides it's time to constrict. The fact that my ability is… gone will probably also sour our relationship, given his views on the matter."
	Once, one of my dearest allies… but something happened. She's dangerous, psychotic— the blood on her hands doesn't make her prophecies worth the cost. I miss my friend, but she's gone.
	"How has someone not killed this asshole yet?"
	"There's only one man alive that I… that I'm really afraid of. Samson Gray. I pray that whatever's rotting him away from the inside kills him before he finds an ability to cure it, but something tells me that I'm going to have to face my fear one day."
	"We're technically on the same side of things, but Lazzaro watches me like a hawk for the smallest misstep… and he's never been a man willing to bend the rules for the greater good. I am."

Kitten

This is Richelieu. Ingrid literally dropped him off at Raytech one day, and then Richard had a kitten. And then a cat. He's grown surprisingly fond of and attached to the cat, who can often be found prowling around his office, when he's not giving Sera fits.
Richelieu is a good kitty.

Media

One Republic - Start Again
Can't I just turn back the clock?
Forgive my sins
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
I know that I messed it up
Time and time again
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
I was switchin' up the lanes
Steppin' out the frame I'm in
I was pulling on the reins
Sick of all the same happenin'
I swear I was looking for disaster
Mixed with a bottle of gin
And just because I come home after
Doesn't mean you'll take me in
You see my world is spinning like there's nothing to know
You see my world is feeling like it just might explode
And yes I know it's hard to take it backwards from my mind
I need to get a ride, need to see some light come in
Can't I just turn back the clock?
Forgive my sins
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
I know that I messed it up
Time and time again
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
Feelin' like maybe I'm unappreciated
Like my presence in your life has been alleviated
I feel like everything I've done before is different now
But I can see clearer than ever from a distance now
Every day I do it, I been goin' through it
But you never knew it 'cause I never showed you
You gave me the world, so I feel I owed you
I been lookin' through the mirror and that's the old you
I'ma get it right now, don't know how
But I promise that we're gonna make it somehow
I'm all in, it's from the heart again
Open up your mind and maybe we could start again
Can't I just turn back the clock?
Forgive my sins
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
I know that I messed it up
Time and time again
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again
Oh
Oh
And yes I know it's hard to take it backwards from my mind
I need to get a ride, need to see some light come in
Can't I just turn back the clock?
Forgive my sins
I just wanna roll my sleeves up
And start again

Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok

Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know that the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brynner
Time flies doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change don't you know that when you
Play at this level there's no ordinary venue
It's Iceland or the Philippines or Hastings or
Or this place!
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One town's very like another
When your head's down over your pieces, brother
It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city
Whaddya mean?
Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town
Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite
Get thai'd, you're talking to a tourist
Whose every move's among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me
Siam's gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha
And thank God I'm only watching the game controlling it
I don't see you guys rating
The kind of mate I'm contemplating
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you
So you better go back to your bars, your temples
Your massage parlours
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Logs

page revision: 44, last edited: 24 Dec 2022 01:07

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	One of the only remaining members of Endgame that stayed with me after the war, the technopath is one of my most trusted allies. I've never doubted her loyalty, and I don't foresee ever doubting it.
	The newest member of the company, I don't know her well yet - but her heart seems to be in the right place.
	A big, laughing, jovial fellow with a great heart and a strong sense of ethics. Something that's badly needed at Raytech.
	Doctor Desdemona Desjardins is probably the biggest gamble I ever took, and it both won and lost. She turned over that leaf, started the road to redemption.. and then Eve let her identity slip, and it all came crashing down. I couldn't protect her. I told her I could. I'm sorry, Odessa… I'll find a way to fix this.
	I met Luther at the bottom of the heap, selling salvage in the ruins of Midtown. I came to trust him a great deal. I wish I'd proven worthy of that trust. In the end, he's just a better man than I.
	An intern, the son of a man I knew - and who betrayed them all in the end. I know the weight of inherited guilt better than most; I hope it doesn't destroy him.
	Not everyone that only knew the other me was terrible. Not everyone was ruined by being around him. Ruby's here to advise and help, as one of Simon's last wishes..
	Office administrator. Weird girl. Wasn't she secretly Kara Price? I'm not sure anymore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

	"He was me. He lost everyone, one at a time, until he had nothing… and in his desperation he made mistakes. So many mistakes. So many dead or ruined. My worst fear is that it'll happen to me, too. The worst part is the good that he did, the amazing achievements that he made on top of the mistakes. More than I could ever hope to accomplish."
	"She isn't gone. I know the days before I see her again."
	"A bright, cheerful light that fell into darkness one day. Land mine accident they said. I know better. It was them, I know it was them, even if I don't have proof. I'll make them pay for it one day, Remi. I promise."
	"He believed in me. Every version of me. I let him down, he let me down. I can't blame him for failures I echoed. I wish we'd gotten one last chance, in the end, to talk."

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Chesterfield Act Registry of the Expressive Database

File #30 May 2018 12:25

Obtenebrative Transubstantiation

Talents

Appendices

Alts

Facts

Known to Most

Known to Some

Known to Few

Known to Very Few

Hooks

Relationships

Kitten

Media

Logs