Membership: The Devils Rejects/Mariners

Race: Human

Height: 5’6

Membership: The Devils Rejects/Mariners

Race: Human

Height: 5’5

 UPDATE 20/01/2075:

<<< The nicest man within the shadows is Edgar Grayson, yet he is still within the shadows and a true sight to behold. Well thats if you don’t turn to ash from this legendary Pyromancer, the Phoenix is a man that has mastered the art of fire magic to levels that make Ringmaster and Shyster look like candle in the wind and thats seriously saying something seeing the Father and Son duo sling Hell Fire like it’s child’s play. Edgar himself has been within the shadows for generations and seems to come crawling out of retirement at in opportune times, well for those that he is angry with it’s a matter of life and death. On the streets the Phoenix has been dubbed a lethal liability and a man that you never…ever want to cross or he will set the world on fire; this is not a joke and having recently witnessed the Phoenix loose his shit when Frogger and his ‘Frogger’s Youth” kidnapped and murdered his grandchildren, children and his wife simply to break the Phoenix in hopes to get the old fire mage to off himself…..well yup that happened and Phoenix went postal, and I can’t blame him for his outrage.

A little back story here might help, Edgar is a a decent man and one that has always wielded the powers of the arcane, he is also very adapt at manipulating and controlling fire and all it’s elemental partners; such as magma, sparks, lightning, plasma, and so on. In the prior generation and age they would call him a mutant as he was very skilled in Pyrokinesis and other unique abilities that couldn’t be explained. Though even with the power to control and manipulate fire Edgar would never abuse such a gift and only lend his skills to aid the people of Seattle, as a volunteer Fire Fighter for Lynnwood where he resided and would eventually rise to become the Chief of the Lynnwood Fire Department till he retired in 2053 after nearly 70 years on the department. Edgar worked as an EMT and Paramedic from 1981 till 2018 when the Great Tragedy would nearly kill him and bring forth the end to a majority of his family.

It would take Edgar till 2021 to recover from his injuries at the hands of the natives and elves and instead of retiring and slipping into obscurity he would rise once again. The Phoenix would continue his work as a volunteer fireman and as well join the volunteer emergency squad much to his wife’s dismay, Edgar would as well go to work for the Lynnwood Public High School seeing there was a dire need for skilled and qualified teachers; with his own grandchildren and great nieces and nephews attending the Lynnwood Public School System he would answer the call and put on the coat and tie and enter the halls as a new teacher of Earth Science, Biology and Health Education. This man’s level of civil service wouldn’t end there as he would win a seat on the board of education for Lynnwood and in 2040 he would leave the board after two terms as chairman to sit on the Lynnwood Town Council where he still resides today and has been the Mayor of Lynnwood since his retirement from the School System in 2060; Edgar now retired from the Fire Department, but he still acts as a auxiliary member seeing he has lifetime status.

With everything that Edgar was involved in one would ask how did he have time to run the shadows, and for that we need to look at the political and social issues that plagued Seattle and especially Lynnwood during the days from 2018 to 2060. I know that is a long period of time to cover but in reality it’s not as the issues where the same and in some parts are still ongoing today in 2075. Just after the Great Tragedy of 2018 Seattle went into a war with the Natives and Elves of the Nog and thus would begin the Nights of Blood that would rage on from 2018 till 2020….some reports indicate that the Nights of Blood where over quickly but those reports are wrong. In the early days it was a steady flow of attacks and murders throughout the nation and would become headline news and many citizens would cower in fear and beg the new UCAS (United Canadian American States) to write legislation to create law and order.

This would initially quell the fighting and restore peace for a time, the Treaty of Denver in 2019 would as well bring a uneasy calm to the wounded nation. Though in Seattle this was not an easy sell, as the city itself sat in the middle of the new Native American Lands and was gifted back to the New American Government the UCAS. The People of Seattle normally very well mannered and quite liberal and accepting where outraged that they had simply over looked and their plight was not being answered as the UCAS government wasn’t willing to govern Seattle initially and allowed the Corporations, the Natives from Council Island and the Elves of the Tangier to oversee and rule over their new subjects.

The people of Seattle had been unofficially sold into slavery and had become unwilling puppets in what would become the rise of the False Flag. As the country tried to heal from the Tragedy of 2018 and the bloodshed of the Civil War in 2020 to 2025 the shadows of war loomed over the Emerald City. Forgotten Veterans and forsaken citizens ravaged by war would all flee the corporate districts that where staking claim of the cities regions and further issuing decrees that they would own every citizen that resided within their districts and eventually seize full control and get the early citizens to sign life long contracts that would enslave them for life and even beyond death as there families would have to continue to work for the corporations to pay for the burial plots. The companies would issue decrees over what the now indentured servants could wear, what music they could listen to, what programs they were allowed and even how much food they could eat. The elders would be given a date to report to the clinic for euthanization as the companies felt the anyone aged 70 or older was not worth housing outside of a coffin (This act is still in affect today within many of the Corporate Zones).

During this time the Native Talon District would as well rise to power and consume many of the smaller towns outside the city itself, life for non natives in that district was very hard as they would be paid in consumables and allowed to remain in their homes as long as they worked for the tribes and submitted to heart and brain kink bombs, castration after the birth of their first two children. They as well had to freely give their children over to the tribes to be indoctrinated till they where 18, the elders of the family would be put to sleep when they reached the ripe old age of 65…..talk about a birthday present a trip to be killed; and within the Elven districts the restrictions where even worse and the humans would simply submit in hopes of peace and security. They wanted to keep the homes they purchased and raise their families, yet the Elves of the those districts would simply act as their feudal overlords and murder, steal, and rape anyone and everyone at their whim.

The People of Seattle and especially Lynnwood would continue to seek aid from the UCAS government in hopes to free the people of the oppression. Many of the towns during this time would band together and form mini militia units to act as rescue parties and strike forces to fight their oppressors, the Great Tragedy of 2018 and the following events would turn a very open, accepting and liberal people into hate mongers, bigots and war hawks; and those that would not play ball with either the violent and angry citizens or the overlords would flee the city proverb and take up residence outside the ever growing megalopolis that was becoming the Emerald City, there are people even today that are fleeing the city for a life of freedom within the Wastelanders.

Remember what I said about Lynnwood being the heart of the resistance and the most outspoken town that would first beg the UCAS and the new Federal District to take action and regulate the city and restore freedom. Well their words would fall on deaf ears and it would eventually be learned through the documents of Salazar Hollister, Quinton James, Harvard Little, Thomas “Tullius” Kissinger and Richard Barnabe that the UCAS needed depravity and depression to set in before they could step in as the saviours and restore law and order to their territory. We would also learn through the writings, recordings and documents of Salazar Hollister that the UCAS was already deep within the city and aiding the overlords in their oppression, keeping a very close eye on the level of despair and making sure that it simply didn’t turn into violence.

Well they forgot to look at Lynnwood, Mapleside, Waterside and Hillside those towns where not part of any of the controlled districts and seeing they all boarder each other it made for an easy staging ground for a revolution. Also those districts where never deemed a threat seeing the people where all very reserved, your typical suburban neighbourhood, an oversight that the overlords, and UCAS would live to regret….as many very dangerous and lethal people resided in those towns, not to mention many of the veterans of the 401st, 82nd and 51st would move to Lynnwood after the conflicts of 2018 and eventually in the 2030’s many of the 67th Stormriders would as well take up residence inside one of the many towns at the heart of the rebellion on the west coast.

The oppression would continue from 2018 till 2035 when the new UCAS government would officially take action, though during this time the fires of revolution would begin to burn within the suburban towns. Gangs of once good men would band together and take up arms against the oppressors. They would take the fight directly to them in an attempt to free the people and free their city; they had her the ringing of the liberty bell and they began to put natives, elves and corporate forces to the sword and gun. War had officially begun within Seattle in 2028 and was raging out of control by the time the UCAS stepped in officially in 2035. The rebels had the funding of the Krieghoffs, and the Jamestowns with the leadership of the Fathers of Rebellion Wilhuff Palpatine and Dover Barton, who would as well tear down the UCAS from within as they fully understood the dangers that lurked within the Federal District and what the plan was for the people of Seattle.

According to the records of Director Wilhuff Palpatine the head  of the CIA and NSA the time, the False Flag’s intentions where not pure and they needed the people to so beaten down and exhausted so they could simply come in and seize control of docile people that would simply bow down to their new masters. The people had been groomed through medical testing, food control, sexual control, abuse and removal of the genitals and not to forget the legal execution of the elders that would hold any memory of America, Liberty, Freedom and Democracy; so the new masters could begin to rewrite history and erase the past.

There plan was nearly successful if not for the moxy of the suburbs and the Common Wealth on the East Coast, It would be these events that would create a need for the shadows…..and don’t forget about the Great Information Crash of 2029 that would zero tens of millions and cause countless to seek work in the underworld in order to survive. This would be the catalyst that would set the nation on fire and allow for the resistance inside Seattle to grow out of control by 2030 and at the forefront of the fight for freedom would be our dear Edgar the man of fire and lightning. During this time many legends would be born and many greats would rise from the ashes of liberty and strike a lethal blow to the usurpers of freedom.

I can go into way to much detail here regarding many of the Founding Fathers and Criminal Elite that took to the streets during those days but this is not the story of how the Founders Rebuilt the Emerald City and how if it wasn’t for them we would all be slaves to the system, without genitals and passive simply going through life till our scheduled death date…..basically we would have an expiration date if it wasn’t for the actions of the men and women of the suburbs, common wealth, and federal district that fought with everything they had and against all odds they would strike a lethal blow and cause the system to come crashing down and give birth to the world we know today…..the good and the bad.

Phoenix being loved and respected throughout the suburbs would be able to win the hearts of the people and lead them to victory through their shadow rebellion. Though his mastery of fire would be a major game changer as well his unique pyrokinesis that he once used to protect his town and aid the people, he now deployed as a weapon of war. According to those that witnessed the Phoenix in action, it would be a sight to behold as his arms and hands would become engulfed in flames and were he pointed would simply erupt in a violent explosion melting armour, steel and flesh in a instant. He would hurl jets of flame that would explode on contact and other times his eyes would simply become that of fire and where ever he looked would erupt in a volcanic explosion. Fighting the Phoenix outside was to become a bad idea as he would point to the heavens and then to the gathering of troops and a lighting bolt would tear down for the sky and strike directly where he wanted and even arch to other targets. He would call ball lightning and warp the electrical attack in hellfire and send it screaming to the enemy.

Now as much as Edgar did to aid the people and bring freedom back to Seattle at least temporarily, he wasn’t alone and it would be the actions of thousands that would sacrifice everything to restore order back to Seattle and force the Corporations to wall in their districts, the Talon district of the Natives would be greatly reduced and walled off until its destruction in 2073 and the Elven Green District to be greatly reduced and walled till it was destroyed in 2073 as well. The revolution of Seattle would bring forth the legends of the Wolf Pack, Old Guard, Dirty Dozen, Devil Rats, as well as many that would become Mariners, Forsaken, Harbingers and Devils Rejects. It would be the heart and commitment of Edgar Grayson that would keep the rebels fighting even when it all seemed bleak, they would call the final year of victory the “The Year of Phoenix” and within the suburbs they still celebrate the day of the “Great Fire” today (March 17th 2038).

The day of the Great Fire March 17th 2038 would become the day that the city would burn and in a blink a cease fire would be called bringing an end to the war and once again allowing the city to feel the warm embrace of liberty. Though it wouldn’t last as the UCAS would use the peace treaty as a time to enforce further restrictions and ally themselves with the same groups that once tried to enslave the people, thus continuing the fight though now driving it underground and deeper into the shadows till the events that would lead to the First Battle for Seattle on December 10th, 2073. Now back to the Great Fire and what would occur on that day that would bring Seattle and the Nation to it’s knees, and cause an instant call for cease fire from all oppressing parties.

Throughout the fighting and rebellion Edgar would grow more tired of the killing and would see no end to the conflict as it was growing out of control. The more the killed, the more they freed the more that would rise up against them. The nation itself was engulfed in war and fighting the Confederates, Sons of Odin and Sons of Liberty. The people throughout the nation where growing tired of the endless conflicts and the UCAS’s control and reeducation programs where in full swing and working much to the disdain of Director Palpatine that was working tirelessly behind the scenes to tear down the system. Edgar had buried and watched countless friends and neighbours perish as blood ran like a raging river through the streets, all the violence was upsetting to this once kindly old man that now held hatred within his heart. he wanted to end the conflicts and end the revolution….he wanted peace and he knew what he had to do and even if it killed him in the process he felt the sacrifice was more than worth it.

So on March 17th 2038 Edgar would gather his foci, fetishes and charms and walk out of his home….his heart full of hate and vengeance swelled through his mind he called upon the fires that raged inside all men and women. According to witnesses they watched as Edgar begin to summon forth the flames and wrapped himself in a cloak of fire and would rise from the ground and take to the sky. He would bellow in a guttural tongue and the fires that once cloaked him would explode outwards and turn the sky red for a split second, he would than pass out and fall to the ground. Many thought that the Phoenix had perished, though as he fell to the ground reports indicate that thousands of the enemy would begin to burn in a spontaneous combustion. The screams could be heard echoing through the streets as man, women and child would ignite in flames and burn to death, reports indicate that this event took place throughout the nation and as the country burned Phoenix himself would catch ablaze till only his old captains fire badge remained within the ashes of where he fell.

As fast as the fires started they would end once he seemingly perished in his own flames, this single event terrified the UCAS, NAN, Corporations and Elves as they thought they were suffering under a second Great Tragedy and the rebels had found away to perform a their own version of the Great Ghost Dance. On that day they enemy laid down their weapons and waved the white flag of surrender, for those that witnessed what seemed like the death of kindest man they could ever meet sorrow would fill their hearts until from the ashes the fires would once again burn and as many watched in sorrow the ashes of the Phoenix would rise once more and Edgar would walk out of the blaze a changed man and yet still holding true to his core values. Though from that day he would have a rage that burned deep inside and one that would cause Edgar to vacate the shadows and vacate the life of war.

The Phoenix would originally slide back into his role as a councilman, family man and auxiliary fireman shortly after the events of the Great Fire of 38’ the UCAS would dub Edgar Grayson a threat to national security and demand his arrest for the actions he took during the Seattle Uprising of 2028 to 2038 as well the ritualistic slayings of tens of thousands throughout the nation. Though for a man so dedicated to peace and helping the people his own actions on March 17th 2038 would way heavily on his mind and soul. As Edgar would slid back into his normal life and return to work at the high school, he would become the target of a national campaign and become the focus of Congress while writing new legislation based around magical crimes. He would as well have to avoid the federal law enforcement officers that would be seeking to slap irons on the old man.

Now this could be a reason the Phoenix would never truly officially leave the shadows eve though he was retired from conflict, he needed the aid of his dearest friends and allies to keep him and his family safe from the new False Flag and to keep his neck out of the hangman’s noose for the killings during the revolution. Phoenix’s dearest friends Edwin Forester, Henry McCorby, Reverdy Jamestown, Statler Cannon, Rusty Rutherford, Hector Krieghoff and Lester McCarthy would keep a very close eye on their troubled friend and brother. Everyone knew that Edgar was not a soldier and he hated all the killing and violence that surrounded the shadows. The law and government would hound this poor man and even go s far as to arrest his dear Violet in a vain attempt to trick the Phoenix into surrendering himself.

Well dragging his beloved wife into the equation was not something that sat well with Edgar and seeing the two where married for early a century at this point in 2050; yes the Graysons where beneficiaries of the Federal Immortality Project in 1950 as both Edgar and Violet volunteered as medical staff for an Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. Where Violet worked as the head nurse and Edgar was the Chief of Surgery and wore the rank of Major though he refused to pick up a gun and inflict actual injury. This is the closest that Edgar would come to being a soldier and after his three years in Korea he would hang up his uniform till the late 1960’s when he once again would be called to serve another MASH unit during the Vietnam Conflict and during the events of the Tet Offensive (1968) Edgar would be forced to take up arms to save himself and his fellow doctors and nurses when their hospital was overrun by the enemy.

The Phoenix would suffer greatly during his days in the jungles of Vietnam under the consent chemical attacks and bombardments, some historians say that this was the time that truly changed Edgar and gave him both a violent streak and his anger issues. This old man and his beloved would bring forth many children into the world throughout the ages and for every child that went on to make something of themselves he would have to bury those that would fall victim to addiction, suicide, war and street violence. So for Edgar the pain of loosing a child or grandchild was all to real and so the thought of loosing his beloved Violet was unfathomable.

Reports from his dear friends Reverdy Jamestown and Edwin Forester dictate that once the Seattle Police Department arrested Violet Grayson on trumped up charges, Edgar lost his mind and began gearing up for a suicide rescue operation where he planed to butcher everyone that had been involved in his wife’s arrest and the rest would burn. For Edgar life would just not be worth living without his Violet and he was going to put the police and federal agents to the sword or die trying. This didn’t sit well with his friends and especially Rusty Rutherford who decided that decided there had to be a legal way to free Violet over the total destruction of a police house and possibility of the death of the Graysons.

Well long story short Rusty worked tirelessly alongside David Branch to find a legal loophole that would free Violet and as well remove the Graysons from the laws short list. Now the process was long and tiresome….not to mention boring as they used the written law of the UCAS and pulled some political strings and called in favours from friends within the police department and court system to legally pardon the Graysons and allow them to live free in the city that they have called home for generations. Now yes Edgar’s pardon might have only been in King County Seattle but seeing he didn’t travel and was a homebody this wasn’t an issue for the old man.

Now a free man and his family secure Edgar would once again step out of the shadows to focus on being a loving husband, father and grandfather. In 2060 he would become a great grandfather for the first time and as well he would retire from the school system where he worked tirelessly for decades and eventually would serve as the Superintendent and Chairman of the School Board. His retirement would grant him his pension and gold watch, though for Edgar this was only a temporary holiday from working as he was currently running for the open Mayor’s seat in Lynnwood and I know “All reports indicate that Mortimer Krieghoff was the Mayor of Lynnwood.” well we have come to learn that Uncle Morty was simply the acting Mayor and even after stepping down to allow the Lynnwood native and legend take the helm, Uncle Morty would simply shield and aid his friend from the evils that lurked within Seattle’s Political Arena. Both men beloved in Lynnwood the People would simply accept that Uncle Morty was the Deputy Mayor and yet still refer to him as Mister Mayor, and well it would bring confusion when Morty and Edgar where together.

Though for Phoenix he was never about titles and the pomp and circumstance that hailed from it, so allowing Uncle Morty to be the public face of Lynnwood would allow for the master pyromancer to actually make a difference within the town. Election Day 2060 was one of celebration as Edgar would hands down defeat his more conservative and fascist opponent Walter Tell. Mr. Tell was a deep rooted UCAS loyalist and blue blood of the new government, he was the son of Senator Rodger Tell one of the original UCAS Senators and part of the family that would be known as the Unholy Thirteen that worked out of Jekyll Island. The people of Lynnwood had been heard loud and clear by the UCAS that they wanted the Freedom Party to represent their beloved town and that man would be the hero of the Resistance His Honour Edgar Grayson.

Edgar would become the Mayor in 2060 where he remains as the leader of Lynnwood now within his forth term (Lynnwood has no term limits for the office of Mayor; each term is 4 years and is an elected office) (The term limits for Mayors and Governors varies from town to town and state to state or the Metro Regional Mayors office of Seattle). Now during this time as Mayor Edgar would go on to do many wonderful things for the people of Lynnwood, he would lower taxes, increase public services, import fresh food and water from the Common Wealth, Create Police Reform, and Enforce a mandatory life sentence for any abuses of power and a mandated Death Penalty charge for anyone charged with a racially motivated hate crime, or any Lynnwood Police Officer that commits murder while wearing the badge (On Duty or Off Duty). In Edgar’s first term he cleaned up Lynnwood and took out a majority of the trash, he would employ street vigilantes to keep the streets safe and keep an eye on the local PD that had earned a very nasty reputation  between 2053 -2060.

The new Mayor would make waves and not be cowed by the corporations and other towns Mayors and even the President of the UCAS could not intimidate Edgar as he has always been stubborn and truly focused. By his second term he penned am executive order that would go into law on May 1st, 2067 that would outlaw and forbid the use of private law enforcement firms to monitor and patrol the town of Lynnwood. The Krieghoff and Jamestown Security forces only patrol the Krieghoff estate and grounds, when they are on the public roads they are simply civilians without any legal authority. This is only a portion of the good that Edgar has done for the town of Lynnwood and with an approval rating over 90% it can be said that Edgar will remain in the Mayors Office for many decades to come as he has not allowed the power to go to his head.

Through the 2060’s and into the 2070’s the world wouldn’t hear much of the Phoenix other than stories and rumours as he was now officially a retired runner and rebel, he was serving the people as their Mayor and working long hours to keep Lynnwood secure. Though in 2073 this would all change when the War of the Shadows would return and runners of all generations would begin hunting each other, the war returned just after the Founding Father would return from retirement and blame the Next Generation on disobeying the teachings of Fable and Canyon. During this time many Lost Generation, Next Generation and some retired Founders would become targeted by the generation known as the Dreamers, they would be without a team and without protection so in a smoke filled room Staler and Christopher Cannon would call a truce to their personal issues and form a new team for the rejected of the runner world; they would call the new team the Devils Rejects and Phoenix and Tesla where first on their list of recruitment.

Edgar might have had friends but the Mariners where disbanded and being targeted for extinction, his friends where scattered throughout the nation and he was truly alone. The government under James O’Brian was escalating the war on the runners and trying to gain full control of Seattle and that would mean the assassination of beloved mayors. Just after Edgar fielded a call from Statler and Edwin his home would be assaulted, a dual attack by Dreamers and the UCAS Military, this attack would leave Edgar wounded and those that raided his home nothing but ash, his wife, minor children and grandchildren and great grandchildren hiding in he basement for security. By the time Christopher, Statler and Edwin arrived the battle was over but Edgar knew that he needed to vacate once more to spare his beloved family from any attack that would be meant for him.

Troubled by the incident Edgar would take time to recover before officially joining the Rejects and eventually answering the call from Henry McCarty to reunite with the Mariners the True Defenders of the City. Even though Edgar is now a Reject and Mariner once more, he has not stepped down from the Mayors Seat as he knows the people of Lynnwood need him and trust in him to keep them safe and secure. Edgar would partake in the Battle of Seattle (10/12/2073) and fight bravely for his fellow citizens, this man has dedicated everything to keeping Seattle independent and free and has never once asked for anything in return.

Sadly for Edgar even with safety measures put in place to protect his family, including buying a new residence to hide them, they would fall victim to the war and Edgar would loose his beloved Violet to the evils of Josh DiCane aka Frogger and his Youth division. Early in 2074 Josh DiCane in a vane attempt to frame his cousin Anthony DiCane would begin directly assaulting the families of Anthony’s friends and family. First by killing and raping the daughter of the Cranes, next on the target list was Edgar Graysons family…….this was a BIG MISTAKE. As anything Tony would and could do would be child’s play over the pain and suffering that Edgar could cause Frogger. Well Frogger and his Youth located and assaulted the Grayson home while Phoenix was at a council meeting. Frogger and his Youth would capture Violet and the children, he would personally violate and torture the old women, before slowly slicing her throat and cutting out something between her legs. He would ritually butcher the children, and grandchildren having them violated before abducting two of the Grayson great grand children; the worse part is that this entire traumatic event was recorded and uploaded onto the matrix for all to see.

Now the recording might have been solid evidence to nail Tony to a cross as a suspect, though it would give Edgar a direct suspect and targets for his now burning rage. Throughout all the years the one unwritten rule has always been “NEVER PISS OFF THE PHOENIX!” Now even with anger issues it is not an easy process, for a pyromancer he is relatively level headed and focused a rarity I know but he has one button if pushed that will bring forth the fires of hell and that is his family and Frogger not only pushed the button he blew it the fuck up. Now it would have been bad if Edgar had seen the murders and raping on video first, but he actually was returning home for lunch when he discovered the grisly scene and while anger swelled through him, he received the video and ransom call from Frogger; this set Edgar off and before his friends could intervene Edgar’s phone melted and he gathered his gear and went on the hunt for all those responsible. This also meant any of the Youth that wore the logo and weren’t part of the militant group. The Phoenix was unleashed and only a very select handful of people could ever dream of extinguishing the fires of hell.

Now Edgar wasn’t the only family decimated by Frogger during this time; he went after Anthony DiCane’s, Dr. Wilbur Gravel’s, Dr. Sherman Finesilver’s, Sherwood Thorpe’s, Harvard Little’s and Maxwell Irving’s family and many others including Reverdy Jamestown’s and Salazar Hollister’s any multiple others. Some targeted families would lead to a failure for the Youth as the suffered defeat when attacking the Kissinger’s, Palpatine’s, Malone’s, Gunner’s and Schwartz’s though others would be blindsided and loose direct and distant relatives in violent manners; for Frogger this was a serious error of judgement and I am not a fan of Frogger’s and want to see him put to the rope but this directed family attack was not well thought out or planned as he not only poked the biggest bear the Phoenix, he poked some of the worlds most dangerous and lethal families in the process.

With Edgar on the hunt, this situation could and would only get worse as the the city would burn as the Phoenix ravaged through the city. Though between a joint commission of the Devil’s Rejects, Mariners, Emerald City Defenders and Harbingers they would not only save the city from the wrath of Phoenix but uncover an even further plot to discredit the rebels and destroy Edgar emotionally. Frogger had kidnapped children throughout the city and duct taped unloaded assault weapons and pistols to their hands and packed them tightly into a building knowing that Phoenix, Talon, Samael, Handler, Shadow, Rattlesnake, Danger and Giggles would make quick work of the armed Youth; thus having the final piece of evidence he needed to hang Anthony DiCane for the crime of domestic terrorism, murder, rape and federal kidnapping; these very public crimes and events could discredit the entire rebellion and demonise all those that serve within a cause bigger than themselves.

Josh DiCane had set up the perfect rat trap and with news drones hovering just out of site the stage was set for a tragedy of epic proportions and the slaughter of countless innocent children at the hands of seasoned veterans and runners as they rushed the building both in vengeance and to rescue Edgar’s great grand babies. This rescue was one of haste and aggression as Josh and his Youth had gathered all the pieces to put together one nasty trap and even if the trap wasn’t sprung, Josh knew that he had angered Phoenix so in the end something was going to burn brightly and for all to see.

In the early goings of the rescue mission all seemed to be going according to plan for Josh as the children flooded out of the building with weapons taped to their hands and making unintelligible noises through there taped and gagged mouths. The runners and veterans loaded with speed-ware, targeting systems and military grade weapons would see the rushing force and before they could fully process the situation the chrome would override and bullets began flying; inside assassins and cleaners where already fast at work removing the problems while seeking out the missing children of Edgar.

Once the Emerald City Defenders arrived on the scene and Gremlin jumped out of there Armoured Transport and began to lead the charge into battle, all hell had officially been unleashed. Bullets tore through the air and bodies of the innocent began falling one by one as they tried in vain to run for cover. Explosions and distant sniper attacks would keep the street warriors engaged and failing to notice that the children and teenagers where not returning fire, seeing they couldn’t as the guns where unloaded. Inside the likes of Talon, Shadow and Handler where making short work of any and all that wore the markings of the Youth or Free Bird, and once Talon and Handler found the butchered, castrated and hanged bodies of Phoenix’s grand babies all hope would be lost. Those on the inside would go on a war path and leave not a single soul alive, Shadow and Handler had just found their Godsons murdered and bodies desecrated. According to after action reports from the cleaners inside; once the grim discovery was made they decided to go off book and simply render the building extinct.

They seemingly feel right into Josh’s plan and all was going according to his playbook though Frogger would make one fatal mistake; he underestimated the resourcefulness of Handler and his ability to multi-task. Frogger had set up all the remote video equipment to frame the runners and his cousin Anthony DiCane and unleash the hell storm of Edgar onto the world as well destroy Anthony DiCane and the Harbingers once and for all. The Handler skilled in media equipment was able to reverse the feed and link the feed to the news drones so the entire world would see Frogger at his base and be able to hear him continuing to set up his plan and confess what he actually did and how the runners where nothing more than pawns in his great plan. Now this was only a part of the saving grace of the night and actually the final piece, Frogger had also forgotten that Harbinger Base 12 was an avid video game fan and was able to recognise the situation outside mirrored a level in one of his favourite shooter games “Runner Havoc 4”.

In the game the main characters are forced into a situation where enemies are engaging them with combat rifles and flooding out of a building, though the player needs to navigate through the see of enemies without killing any since they are actually kidnap victims that had guns glued to there hands. Now in the game the boss was inside the building and waiting with his goons for the player and the real fight would begin and if the player killed any of the victims they would simply loose end of mission points and money. Now in real life the situation is far worse seeing this is one time where art doesn’t properly mimic real life, cyberware and bio enhancements change the equation and unlike the game real lives would be lost and forever changed as those involved are not maniacs nor child killers by trade.

Once Base 12 noticed this and saw the trap  it was, he grabbed the radio com and called for a ceasefire, lucky for him Gremlin heard the ceasefire and understood what base 12 was saying. Gremlin doubled up the command and the fighting outside ended as the runners quickly began trying to rescue the kidnapped children, mages and medics began working on the wounded in hopes to save a few more lives. Between the quick thinking of Base 12 and the Handlers resourcefulness on the inside the engagement was brought to a quick end and Frogger was outed as the sole mastermind and Anthony DiCane was cleared of all charges and allowed to return to work. Though for the families affected this was not the ending they hoped for, they all wanted to at least bring Edgar his grand babies back to him alive and not have to be the bearer of bad news to an already grieving grandfather.

For Edgar he had already settled down and fell into his grief as he was already preparing and planning the funerals of his fallen family. He would receive the news about his fallen grand babies from his dear friend Edwin and according to Tesla this was news that even the legendary decker himself dreaded to report, knowing it would emotionally crush Edgar. Also once Phoenix learned of the events of the rescue and the that his family was nothing more than a lure to trap Anthony DiCane and condemn the revolution as well get even more kidnapped innocent children killed he would become sick to his stomach and become nothing more than a shell of a man he once was. Vowing to remove the Josh DiCane from the world and do whatever he could to restore order, as well help the families of all the kidnapped that had been killed in Frogger’s diabolical plan.

This single event would seal the fate of the Youth and as well seal the fate of Josh DiCane, as he would become the focus of Edgar and the Krieghoffs of Lynnwood. This would also bring to the forefront the epidemic of child abductions that have been plaguing Seattle’s suburban towns, the abduction rate of minors aged 8 to 16 has doubled in the last sixth months and even though Seattle Police Department has been working hard to recover the missing minors their hands have been tied by legal loopholes that remain in place from the days of early Seattle that aid the corporations, elves and natives. These laws on the book are draconian and need to be absolved and replaced, when the city senate prepared the new Charter in the early part of 2074 they where meet with heavy opposition from the Loyalist Party that still held the majority and where able to eradicate and block any attempt by the Freedom Party in removing these antiquated and draconian laws that would still place the common citizen as nothing more than property.

Now within Lynnwood under the direction of Mayor Grayson the town council has drafted and passed it’s own Charter and decreed itself sovereign from the Megalopolis that is the Emerald City. This act was signed into law after the residents voted in a special election on December 10th 2074, one year after the Battle for Seattle; thus thrusting Lynnwood into it’s own mini statehood and opening further doors for the other towns within the city do break away if they so please. This action decrees that Lynnwood does not recognise the UCAS and only adheres to the laws and traditions of the United States of America (USA) or “Old World Blues” and till the time of the return of “Old World Blues” Lynnwood will remain sovereign and separate.

This action would upset the powers that be within the city senate and only once the newly elected Freedom Party senators take office on January 21st, 2075 and the new 15th Senate will anything be able to done to correct the actions of the failed 14th senate. The Seattle Senate would levy heavy restrictions, trade tariffs and tolls onto the town of Lynnwood in hopes to crush the small town and force it into submission. What it did cause was for Lynnwood to rise up from the ashes and grow to be even stronger, their police force has been reinvented, their labour reports show under 2% unemployment and their tax rate is the lowest it has ever been; in all reality the separation from the Emerald City has done wonders for the small town and even through the heavy hand of the City Senate they has excelled and show steady growth…all to the dismay of the Loyalist Controlled Senate.

Now onto the abduction crisis in Lynnwood, with the SPD refusing to act seeing their hands are tied officially, though off the record the cops within District One have taken a personal interest in these cases and have been working hard to aid the Lynnwood Police Department whenever possible. Lynnwood’s officials have also reached out to the Bounty Hunters Guild, and the Brotherhood of Mercenaries to aid in the investigation process….not to forget reaching out off the record to the likes of Spider, Rex, Scourge, Casper, and the Jamestowns for additional assistance in recovering and tracking down the kidnappers and their victims. Edgar Grayson has as well contracted personally the Crystal Dragon Ninja Clan to investigate and bring down the Black Dragon Clan that has set up shop inside Lynnwood; as all reports indicate that the Black Dragons and the Neon Church are behind the abductions.

Edgar has released a statement regarding anyone that intends to break the law in Lynnwood. ” My Dear Citizens, I am publicly stating that do to the increased crime rate within Lynnwood, I am forced to reach out to additional sources to help quell this trend and return Lynnwood to the safe crime free town it once was. Till the numbers I receive are acceptable I will continue to fight this war on crime and ask each and everyone of you to be vigilant and steadfast in your civic duties. Please keep an eye on your loved ones, lock your doors at night and offer any advice or assistance you can to local law enforcement “Lynnwood PD” Only.

We in the Lynnwood Mayors Office are asking for the citizens to be cooperative during these trying time of unrest and understand that we will be triumphant and with only your assistance can we prevail and bring down these criminals. Remember data generates results and for everyone that feels they are above the law, I warn you I am not playing around. The town jail is up and running and we have just restored the public gallows within the Lynnwood Town Square and are looking for guests of honour to be privileged with a free hoisting and broken neck. We in Lynnwood seek a fail and just process of law and order but we will not tolerate criminal activity and the harming of our citizens; all crimes within Lynnwood will be dealt with swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law, all executions will be handled professionally and swiftly.

I understand that this might seem harsh to those that live outside of Lynnwood, and truthfully I agree but we in Lynnwood have been pushed to our breaking point and we need to let the would be criminals know that unlawful activities will not be tolerated and their lives will be forfeit at the end of a rope. Please heed my warning and leave any criminal thoughts or actions at our boarders and enjoy the luxuries and peaceful nature of Lynnwood…..a small piece of Old World Blues and a town lost in time, take a step back in time and enjoy all that Lynnwood has to offer.”

I know that his message may seem harsh, but as the mayor of Lynnwood a town that has been ravaged by crime and war, they have had to go to extremes to protect their citizenry. The Lynnwood zoning board under the direction of Mayor Grayson purchased the nearly bankrupt boarder town on Hillsdale and incorporated it into the Lynnwood town limits. This would allow them extend their township jailhouse and as well increase their population; the people of Hillsdale where more than happy to become part of Lynnwood and accept their grace and liberty. Lynnwood over the last few months has grown do to merging with Hillsdale, yet they seem to be stepping back in time as well. They have gated off their boarders and given locals a free toll pass to travel within and without where tourists and out of town folks are subjected to high tolls and taxes as a direct slap back at the City Senate’s attempt to destabilise Lynnwood.

Mayor Grayson has implemented many changes that have seemingly transformed Lynnwood back into an old American suburban town, including restricting building heights, the banning of the Neon Church, banning of any sporting event that was came to be after the Great Tragedy of 2018 including Blood Bowl, Murder Ball, Running Man, and Extreme Street Wrestling. He has imposed a required real food requirement and banned all soy based and synthetic by products and imposed a restriction on price gauging including mandatory jail time of 15 years for anyone found guilty of exploiting the citizens with increased prices. Mayor Grayson has just opened on January 19th a Pillion Defence System within the boarders of Lynnwood that went operational at 00:01 on January 19th. The food for Lynnwood is imported from Phoenix Arizona and the Common Wealth do to Edgar’s contacts with Adolf Gunner and Archibald Kingsbury, this has allowed for Edgar to ban many of the problem food sources and as well increase the over all health of his town. With the aid of the Krieghoffs and their grow houses and the new citrus fruit they have created with the aid of the Caribbean Lynnwood is set to outclass many of the other towns in the city and show the world that one can be truly independent and hold old world values and still grow and rise from the ashes.

Now we are up to date on the events that have created the man, the myth and the legend known as Phoenix, the events that have forged the growth of Lynnwood and Seattle. Lynnwood is still suffering under the plague that is the abduction crisis but in there defence they have been backed up against the wall for decades and unable to breath or even make a move do to the laws that where put in place to protect the evils that be. Though through political movements, war, rebellion and of course the Burning Day that Lynnwood still celebrates today, through the use of multiple bonfires within the local town park “The Violet Grayson Memorial Park”. They build four large bonfires one to represent the Natives, the Inishmore, the UCAS and the final fire for the Corporations that once tried to enslave all of Seattle. They dress up in costumes of the rebels and have a day of remembrance and celebration with fireworks, cookouts, craft fairs, carnival ride and food for all. The Burning Day Celebration is free for all Lynnwood residents and costs 50 credits for out of town residents, it has been held every year except for 2074 when Lynnwood was under attack and the city was still rebuilding after the Battle for Seattle as Edgar didn’t feel it would be proper to be in revelry after so many of Lynnwood’s residence had been killed or displaced do to the war.

Edgar himself has been fully dedicated to the people of Lynnwood and it’s growth for ages and he will continue to show that he is a man of distinction, class and a true gentleman; he proves that good men do exist and that with determination one can prevail through even the hardest of times. Yes Lynnwood and Edgar are not without their issues and I am not saying that they have successfully handled every situation thrown at them, though I can say that they have mustered up more moxy than any other town and Edgar has more moxy than any other politician I have ever known seeing he doesn’t play politics, run the political gambit and spew the political spin; nope he tells it as it is, he dares to tread where others fear to go, he stands in direct defiance to the corporations and big companies, he looks out for his people and actually gives a damn. He has booted all chain restaurants from Lynnwood minus Stuffer Shack, and those in Lynnwood must adhere to the law and restrictions of Lynnwood of suffer imprisonment and heavy fines.

He employs many inspectors, and code marshals that travel throughout Lynnwood to verify that all bushiness are following the written code and laws, they hold very strict health department guidelines as well…nothing has a restaurant owner more terrified than a Lynnwood Health Department Inspector; cause failure will include being closed down, heavy fines and the possibility of 15 years of hard labour inside the Lynnwood Jail system. Edgar has imposed a prison work program and enforces hard labour for all those incarcerated within Lynnwood. Going to jail doesn’t mean they get the easy life, nope they are working to earn their keep and the work is hard and long, the prisoners perform the roadside cleanup, manual labour, town wide beautification projects and bridge cleaning. They are also forced to continue their education while in jail and maintain a degree for every four years of their sentence; also religious education and worship attendance is compulsory as the Lynnwood Prison Board feels that living a Christian life is one step to rehabilitation. Those on death row are kept elsewhere and only have three weeks to live before they are taken to the gallows and executed, so death row inmates have only a few weeks of hard labour before facing the hangman’s rope.

Now in Lynnwood health code violations can land someone on death row and trying to bribe an inspector is an automatic capital offence and if the inspector takes the bribe they as well will find themselves with a rope around their neck. I know I keep going back to the Lynnwood justice system, but in that town the court system is the final piece of the puzzle as it might be the only non corrupt court system in the nation, as there system is not weighed heavily towards the rich and the police. Their judges are not life time appointments and are put through regular evaluations, their public defenders are not simple law school rejects but seasoned criminal lawyers that must dedicate six months a year on the public defender rotation and if they fail to take any case serious or try to rush through cases they will be disbarred and publicly disgraced; this means that even the poor get proper representation and no court case in Lynnwood is not without it’s fight and the Town Prosecutors must work to keep their conviction rates. Plea deals are unheard off in Lynnwood as all crimes have a no plea clause attached to them and hold very serious mandatory sentences including castration, death and life with no hope of parole. Lynnwood’s police are held to a higher level of conduct and are to be true role models and report any an all officers that show any disregard for the citizens, or the law itself. Lynnwood’s jail system already houses 42 officers with 6 awaiting their date on gallows, this show of force by the Mayor, Chief of Police and Town Council lets the citizens know that no one is above the law and even the police will be properly investigated, charged, tried and imprisoned or executed if they violate the law.

Lynnwood has one judge and one trial lawyer awaiting execution for a serious violation where they aided in the framing of an innocent man who ended up being hanged for a crime he didn’t commit. So basically this town does seem to keep a steady balance between their various systems and hold everyone to a higher standard; Their school system, the religious institutions, local business owners, common citizens, law enforcement officers, local government employees and the judicial system are all kept in check and maintaining the proper ecosystem that is Lynnwood. With Edgar at the helm and the people behind his governing and the advancements within the town it will only be a matter of time before the Black Dragons are ousted, Free Bird is behind bars and the Neon Church is found and condemned. The situation of the abductions within Lynnwood you can guarantee is within the forethought and forefront of Mayor Grayson’s mind and he wont rest till that rte is reduced to zero once again and all lot children are returned or the families can properly mourn, grieve and bury their child.

I can’t think of anyone I would rather have governing Lynnwood other than the Phoenix at this point, seeing that he has been personally affected by Frogger and the Youth, he despises the control of the Loyalist Party, he has the moxy to stand up to the rich and powerful and he is not afraid to be scene caring a firearm or his English long blade. He is not embarrassed about being a Mariner or Devil’s Reject and he keeps all the runners in check within Lynnwood and even has been welcoming them as residents for decades; who better to live in your town than someone that believes in freedom, will fight and die for their home and someone that is willing to spend money to help their town grow and thrive. Lynnwood under the guidance of Edgar has flourished and become a shining example of what a town can be if properly guided and not left drown within corruption and politics.

So in closing I have said before that Edgar is a man of honour and one of the nicest men that can be, he has been dealt a very painful and horrible hand though he has risen from the ashes and prevailed. He doesn’t place blame on those that are to afraid to take action and simply extends a helping hand to everyone from all walks of life and races, he simply wants us all to live in freedom and fully understand peace if even for a moment. He has dedicated his life to civil service first within the EMS squad, as a Firefighter, a Veteran of two wars, a educator and now politician serving Lynnwood honourably. He received the Medal of Honour for his bravery in Korea, when he saved over twenty soldiers at great risk of his own life, by running into a meat grinder under heavy fire unarmed to pull the wounded to safety; despite his own wounds he kept going back time and time again to save lives and risk his. Even when he physically was unable to lift the men he found a way to still drag them to the medical line and aid station where he was stationed for  period of time.

So yes he is a man that I am proud to call his honour and have governing the town of Lynnwood,

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