Razzo Brizman

[Dan Dark]

Name: Razzo Morakai Brizman

Nicknames: Razz, Razzy, Hot-Head, Matchstick, Little (or Lil’) Tuhuru*

*Tuhuru was a legendary impish demon who was known for setting small fires to cause mischief and chaos. After setting such fires, the rapscallion would vanish into thin air, leaving others to take the blame for his misdeeds. Razzo received this nickname as a toddler due to his habit of generating sparks and waddling off, much to his mother’s chagrin.

Age: 19

Race: Hedgecat; demon/mortal hybrid

Element: Fire

Gender: Male

Birthplace: Necros, a small island in the demon world

Family: Valerius Brizman (father), Atricia Vilorche’-Brizman (mother), Alexander Elijah Brizman (older half-brother), Turil Vorhes (cousin), Ra’ab Vilorche’ (cousin), Morakai Brizman (grandfather)

Appearance: Razzo possesses multiple forms. In each form, his appearance changes.

1) Normal form - At first glance, Razzo is a normal black hedgehog with white cheek and chest fur, but the feline in his heritage can clearly be seen in his pointed ears, long feline tail, pointed incisors, amber eyes, and claws. This cat ancestry comes in handy; it explains away signs which would normally give away his demonic parentage. The exceptions to this are the black markings on either cheek shaped something like a curved ^ sign. These markings can usually be accepted as part of having cat in your blood as well, but they feed down into white markings on his back which are obviously demonic in origin. When his shirt is removed, Razzo can raise quite a few questions. Razzo also wears a collar around his neck with a pendant given to him by his brother.

2) Demon form level one – As Razzo begins to change into his demon form, his markings on his face and back go from black and white to ‘true’ blue from beginning to end. His eyes become more feral, and his hair becomes more stringy and wild.

3) Demon form level two – At the next level of transformation, Razzo’s fur turns from black to silverfish-white, and his fangs and claws both elongate. His tail also begins to twitch a bit at regular intervals; Alex used to joke one could set their watch to it. Razzo’s eyes also change color, from yellow to red.

4) Demon form level three – In this final form, a pair of bat-like wings emerges from Razzo’s back. These wings are obviously fully functional. His tail stops twitching and becomes rigid, and his eyes tend to loose all traces of sanity and compassion.

Bio: The grandson of a famous sword smith demon, Razzo has always had a fascination with metalwork and blades. Under his grandfather's and father's tutelage, he learned to not only work on weapons, but on modern mechanics as well: from pocket-watches to cars, he spent his waking moments taking anything metallic apart and trying to piece it back together. He also learned how to use swords, with the help of his father and his older brother Alex. He became a fairly strong and versatile fighter, even among full fledged demons. However, this was to be expected: after all, he was from Necros, an island known for breeding some of the most powerful and wicked demons ever known. Simply mentioning where he was from scared most opponents out of fighting him; mentioning his last name scared most of the others.

Much of Razzo’s versatility and strength as a fighter is owed to his older brother, in a twisted way. After seeing his own mother killed at a young age, Alex became bitter toward his father’s new wife, and anything associated with her, including the baby she brought into the world. Under the guise of ‘sparring’, or ‘training’, Alex began to work out his pre-teen angst on his new brother, pummeling Razzo within an inch of his life on an almost daily basis. Time passed, however, and as grief and rage subsided, the older Brizman was forced to admit a growing admiration for the resilient young hybrid; no matter what he threw at his younger brother, he not only never told, but never backed down. Razzo was not only taking the beatings, but learning; he learned to fight, to block, to dodge, and to become an actual opponent instead of a lifeless punching bag. Though he was loath to admit it… Alex was beginning to respect Razzo.

This brotherly bonding was cut short, however. As a hybrid, Razzo was technically not supposed to be allowed to live in the demon world, and soon, it was demanded there be a trial to determine his status. Razzo was chained and imprisoned, and brought before the Council of Demon Lords. This high gathering of some of the most powerful demons in existence soon voted unanimously; Razzo Morakai Brizman was to be exiled from the demon world, never to return. The verdict was made all the more damning by a single fact; Valerius Brizman, Razzo’s own father, was an active member of the Council. Infuriated by the betrayal and knowing his fate was sealed, the young half-demon chanced one final act of defiance; with a roar, he threw himself across the room, lunging for his father. The guards, however, were experienced in subduing unruly defendants, and the hybrid was swiftly grabbed, beaten severely, and dragged out of the courtroom while his father look on with unflinching eyes. As his youngest son was gracelessly dragged away like a rag doll, Valerius met eyes with both his wife and oldest child. And he could not meet their gazes for long.

After the trial and his subsequent thrashing, Razzo was escorted to a holding cell to await the official exile ceremony. That day, he had a few visitors; his mother and a few friends came by to give their tearful goodbyes, to shake hands and give hugs through his cell bars, and to say how much they hoped to one day see him again. His father did not make an appearance, which didn’t surprise the hybrid in the slightest. But that night, he received the surprise of his life.

As Valerius Brizman’s youngest child stared out his cell’s small window, he was pulled from his thoughts when he sensed an unexpected yet familiar presence; his older brother had come to see him. He turned, coming face to face with the elder Brizman, unsure of what he should, or even COULD say. But before he could get out a word, Alex cut him off.

“Listen, Razz…” he said, voice low and eyes deathly serious, “time is short, so shut up. I’ve got something to tell ya, mutt… and I ain’t leavin’ until I make sure you understand me. Got that?” When the youngest of the pair simply nodded in a state of shock, his brother continued. “Good. Now, I know this seems like the end, but listen ta me. You’re gonna to be sent to the Mortal World, not killed. We’ve been there a few times before; you kinda know what it’s like. But now, you’re gonna hafta live there, on your own for once. An’ while you’re there, you’re gonna to get stronger. You’re gonna hone your skills, sharpen that blade… and then, when you’ve become strong enough, you’re gonna fight your way right back to this world.” With that, Alex looked at his younger brother, staring into golden eyes so much like his own. And as he watched the fear and confusion drain from those eyes and be replaced with growing resolve, he knew the answer to his next question. So he didn’t ask it. He simply moved on. “Your mother’s packing you some bags,” he continued. “Everything you can take with you from this world will go in them. I made sure she packed your sword, your boot knife, and a few spare clothes... any requests left at all?”

For the first time in what felt like years, Razzo actually smiled. He looked at his brother and nodded slowly. “Yeah…” he rasped out, voice still strained from earlier. “Make sure… Mom packs my guitar!”

The next day, Razzo was escorted from his cell by two of the same guards who’d thrashed him the day before. He made a point to commit their faces to memory as they led him from the holding complex out to the Excommunication Area. If – no, when he came back – there’d be retribution a-plenty for them both.

The Ex-Com Area was outdoors, and consisted mainly of two things; a long stone walkway, elevated several feet from the streets so that crowds could see the prisoner being escorted. Most future exiles put up an interesting fight. Some even managed to break free for a few seconds, breaking a nose or two as a way to leave a lasting mark on someone as they left. The majority demons find few things more entertaining than a helpless victim’s futile struggle, so events such as these simply HAD to be done in the open.

Surprisingly, despite his courtroom outburst, Razzo made no such moves. Perhaps the lack of sleep was what made him oddly placid; more than likely it was his fixation on what lay ahead. For at the end of the walkway, surrounded at six separate points by six separate demons, was the Exile Portal. This massive stone circle was covered in demonic etchings and runes, routinely redone to counteract the damage done by time and struggling prisoners from altering the symbols’ effect or meaning. It was here the spell would be cast, and Razzo would be flung across the Veil, the barrier that separated all planes of existence, and into the Mortal Realm. There were other ways of crossing the Veil, to be sure; the entire isle of Necros enters the Mortal Realm once every few years, and there are small portals almost everywhere which always remain open for those not inclined to wait or visit what many demons called the Forsaken Island. But the Exile Portal was special in any ways. It could only be opened if a group of powerful demons recited a specific incantation, there was no predicting where it would send its victims, and on top of all that it caused whoever was being sent through an extraordinary amount of pain. That last part and the way the circle lit up as it was activated added to the spectacle, and there was a massive throng of demons on the street to watch as Razzo was lead to what promised to be an entertaining fate. In the circle, waiting to be sent along with the hybrid, were a long duffle bag and a guitar case. A slight smile crossed his face; Al had kept his word. That, at least, was a bit of good news…

As the disappointingly quiet prisoner was lead to the edge of the circle, his escort stopped, simply looking at him expectantly. Razzo simply looked ahead as though they weren’t there, taking a bit of pride as he stepped into the circle alone. He’d gone somewhere his guards wouldn’t without flinching, a final jab at them both as he left this world. A booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere asked if the hybrid was ready for the execution of his sentence. After a slow confirmation nod, the chanting began… and it was the last thing the hybrid remembered before a blinding red light and the feeling of being ripped apart inch by inch.

When he finally came to, the half-demon found he was alone in unfamiliar territory. The demonic city and crowd of onlookers were all gone, replaced by a clearing surrounded by trees. Razzo sat up slowly, still sore from his trip, and glanced around. He couldn’t SEE any signs of civilization for miles, but both his bags had survived the trip and were still nearby. There was little choice but to walk until he found somewhere to stay… judging by the sun, noon had gone by a few hours ago, and sunset wasn’t far away. With some effort, the hybrid pulled to his feet and gathered his few belongings. There was a lot of ground to cover by nightfall…

Personality: As a general rule, Razzo is good-natured and easy-going. He is highly sarcastic, even when a situation truly doesn’t call for it. Being part feline, he can sometimes be distracted by shiny dangling objects. He has a temper which is hard to suppress when awakened. He genuinely enjoys a good fight, and rarely backs down from a challenge. Because he isn’t a native of the mortal world, he regards many things normal to this world with an almost childish sense of wonder and amazement. He has a natural feline aversion to water, heightened by the fact he’s part fire demon. He loves music of multiple kinds. Razzo is quick to make friends with others, even people he just fought. He’s also not above allying himself with people he might not exactly like in order to get closer to his goals.

Abilities/Skills: guitar playing

Trained in sword fighting, specifically with katana and long-swords

Mechanic – Razzo prides himself on the ability to fix almost anything mechanical if given enough time and the right tools. He delights at the chance to disassemble or reassemble things!

Weapons forging – As making swords and other weapons is the Brizman Clan’s trade passed down for generations, Razzo was mostly raised in a forge, and can build and repair almost any kind of sword, axe, spear, harpoon, shield, or melee weapon with the right materials.

Language - Razzo speaks five languages; English, Spanish, Italian, general demonic, and Necronian, a demon language specific to the isle of Necros. He has also picked up bits of Russian from his cousin Turil, but is not fluent in the language by any stretch of the imagination.

Above-average agility and speed - In his normal state, Razzo is as agile as a trained gymnast and a little faster than your high-school's track star.

Above-average endurance - Vampires die hard, and demons die harder. Being half-and-half, Razzo is far more resiliant than your average mortal. A blow which would render a normal person unconscious, for example, would probably do little more than irritate him.

Fire-proof – being half fire-demon, Razzo cannot be burned by flame. His clothes are flame resistant, but not fireproof, and CAN burn.

*Fire-casting – by focusing his energy, usually though his hands, Razzo can light his hands ablaze with blue flame (the trademark of the Brizman clan), then throw this flame in the form of a fireball. This is what allows for the following moves:

1) Blazing Claw/Fist – with his claws glowing blue or his fist surrounded by blue flame, Razzo strikes at his opponents with blazing hot hands

3) Blazing Kick – the same general technique as Blazing Fist, only focused through the feet rather than the hands. Rarely used, because it requires Razzo’s shoes be removed first.

*The length of the technique and size of the flame determines how much energy each takes. As a general rule, however, Blazing techniques takes up less energy than Fireball, because there is no additional energy spent in casting the flame away.

Brizman Ears – A trait unique to the Brizman bloodline, Razzo has specialized ears: he can HEAR the sound a weapon such as a sword makes as it pierces the air. How a weapon sounds is dependent upon the type, how well made the weapon happens to be, the maker of the weapon, and the intent of the wielder. For example, crudely made weapons have a rather dull sound, like a musical note being played underwater. This ability comes in handy for alerting Razzo to sneak attacks, and can also help him discern certain things about his opponent he could never figure out otherwise. It also has its drawbacks, however – a weapon made with dark magic or held by one with dark purposes creates a loud, discordant noise that can actually cause Razzo pain. The more wicked a blade or its wielder happens to be, the more agonizing of a sound emitted. With the right combination of wicked intent and darkly forged weapon, a Brizman can be incapacitated by a weapon the moment it is drawn. Even though he is only half demon, Razzo is no exception to this rule.

Demon form – Razzo is half demon, and therefore has an entire other form he can change to. He can go directly into his highest demon form, or transform by levels. Razzo’s strength, speed, and reflexes increase at each level, and fire attacks become easier to execute. But the higher the level, the more energy is burned to maintain it. In addition, rational thought becomes harder at the higher levels. Thus far, Razzo’s transformation has three levels. To give a feel for the increases at each level, here’s a chart:

Level 1 – can lift a cinder-block easily with one hand; can dodge most melee attacks easier. Razzo becomes mildly irritable and impulsive

Level 2 - can crack a cinder block with one punch, shatter it with enough effort; can dodge most projectile weapons easier. Razzo becomes more than a bit aggressive and prone to act on or say the first thing he's thinking.

Level 3 – can shatter a cinder block with effort; moves at speeds hard for the mortal eye to keep up with. Cognative thought becomes difficult, and Razzo is only about three steps above a full-on feral in this form.

**Note – If rendered fully unconscious, or if he falls asleep, Razzo’s body will automatically return to its ‘normal’ state regardless of what state he was in before loosing consciousness. It is not unheard of, however, for Razzo to begin to transform in his sleep during particularly vivid dreams. A full transformation whilst asleep, however, has never occurred; eventually the transformation process will wake him.

Weapons: Razzo’s weapon of choice is the Sapphire Flame, a katana forged for him and given to him by his grandfather. Named for its brilliant blue metallic finish, this blade is made from one of Morakai’s own quills, and no doubt has powers Razzo has yet to master. As it is, Razzo can only use it like a regular sword now. In addition, he carries a dagger in his boot for jobs which require more stealth. He named this dagger Melissa, after a dear female friend.

Weaknesses: Water Bad!! - Razzo has a weakness to water and cold temperatures. The colder it gets the more trouble he has fully or properly utilizing his powers. In water, most of Razzo’s powers are useless and prolonged time underwater can cause him to weaken. As such, Razzo cannot swim to save his life, literally.

Backlash Burn – as a fire wielder, Razzo is vulnerable to a strange condition called “backlash burn”. If Razzo burns through too much of his energy with transformations or flame attacks, his strength and speed both diminish heavily and rapidly. His body begins to ache as his powers begin to turn on him, burning his muscles (and, some stories theorize, his very soul) to feed his attacks. Once Razzo returns to his normal state and stops to rest, the backlash burn slowly ebbs and eventually fades away. Should he for some reason try to continue use of his powers, however, the burn will only get worse until the pain becomes too great and he eventually passes out. The belief is held that persisting with the use of fire powers too long after backlash burn has set in could actually kill the fire wielder, or at the very least do long-lasting damage to their body, mind, and soul.

Currently, Razzo has enough energy to remain in demon form for about an hour under optimal conditions, though this time frame shrinks if he uses fire techniques while in this form. Understandably, the more he uses fire attacks and the larger fire attacks he uses in normal form, the closer he gets to the red zone

Sensitive Ears - The main drawback to the Brizman bloodline's weapon-tuned ears is that they're relatively vulnerable to things that don't affect anyone else. The right sword and the right weilder can bring Razzo to his knees without even touching him.

No needles!! - Razzo has an irrational fear or needles; he’ll face a claymore fearlessly, but shrinks at the sight of a single syringe. When faced with the possibility of injection, Razzo begins to recoil; if pushed to receive inoculation, he will begin to panic, acting irrationally and reverting to base instinct. He hisses, scratches, bites and claws until there are no longer needles in sight: he’s even been known to transform to his fullest level just to flee needles, or to use multiple fireballs to destroy one.

Other: Razzo’s guitar is named ‘Marmosa’, which is a Necronian term meaning ‘Skull Viper’. Its body is black, with neon-green tear effects painted on as though the guitar is shedding its skin.