Basics
Name: James Ezra Morrow (But you can call him Ezra.)
Aliases: N/A
Gender: Male
Age/Date of Death: 27 (April 25, 1983 -- October 19, 2010)
Species: Damned Soul
Voice: When he has his wits about him, Ezra is a well-spoken gentleman whose voice might be described as soothing and is rather easy on the ears. However, on the not-so-rare occasions that he is agitated or upset, his dulcet tones transform completely into a thin, hollow imitation of what they once were. For the most part, he does not shout and scream; he is capable, and the effect is rather imposing, but being as he's always considered himself somewhat of a delicate man (and thus worthy of special attention), he tries to avoid it, as it hurts his throat and may damage his "precious" vocal chords.
Equipment: In life, Ezra rarely carried anything on his person, save for a checkbook, an exceptional (and expensive) pen, his wallet, and, when the occasion for such a thing arose, one small polished handgun inlaid with his initials. As there are no handguns, banks, or identification cards in Hell (presumably), he has abandoned all but the pen. Well, that and a sizable knife he picked up a short while after his arrival. He's not so good at using this knife as he might have imagined he'd be, but he's learning.
Appearance
Physical Description: Ezra is a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and sleek, dark hair, and likes to imagine that this silhouette, combined with the cut of his appallingly expensive suits, creates an imposing image. In reality, the only feature in life that might have ever been described as "imposing" was his considerable wealth and influence. Beneath all of that, Ezra still appears to be a young upstart--his overconfident manner is all he has left of his once larger than life career, and this, more than anything, is a source of irritation for the demons around him. He has a smooth, unwrinkled face, and doesn't remember his cheekbones being quite so high or well proportioned before he arrived in Hell--but he assumes that all forms of the afterlife have their perk, and perhaps this is his. After all, it certainly seems that there are no others.
Mannerisms: Upon watching Ezra for any length of time, it is easy to glean the traits he's carried with him from his time in life. He is clean-cut, and spends a good deal of time checking his reflection in the mirror, or else checking his nails. He likes the space around him to be neat and tidy, which has caused a good deal of grief for him during his time in the Sandlot. He is also quick to interrupt, and only talk with his hands when he feels that his conversational partner is someone respectable enough to speak casually to. His hands are frequently in his pockets when he isn't using them.
Wardrobe: In life, Ezra wore only the best suits that he could get his hands on, frequently in the classic black. Although it seems that proper demons don't have any trouble dressing themselves in the morning, Ezra finds himself stranded with only the suit he was buried in (a tawdry blue creature that his grieving mother picked out). This blue suit has taken quite the beating during his stay so far. Its thin fabric is beginning to rip, and is so thoroughly weighted down with dust from the Sandlot's bare ground that it will surely not last much longer. If only he knew where to find some more bloody clothes.
Strengths: A vain man in life, Ezra is slowly discovering a proclivity for changing his appearance, although not to the extent that a shifter might. He also seems to be quite good at figuring out how Infernal magic works and how to make it backfire, although he can't use it for his own just yet. Physically, Ezra is quick and agile--he was quite the athlete in life, when he could afford the time to be so.
Weaknesses: His athletic build does not extend as far as muscles, and in a fight, Ezra's only upper hand is his speed. He's also vain, arrogant, and fairly likely to assume that he can get the better part of any bargain, even with demons much more knowledgable than himself. The sight of blood makes him physically sick, which makes the necessary heart-eating required to move up in Hell's ranks more difficult than it ought to be.
Other: He's got dark brown eyes, which I failed to mention above, and will seldom be seen without his watch, although it hasn't worked since he arrived here.
Personality
Demeanor: Generally speaking, Ezra adopts two attitudes towards other individuals. On the one hand, to those he sees as useful or as equals, he is smooth and calm, with not-too-subtle hints of a somewhat sexual agenda, assuming the receiving party reciprocates. He likes to show off his cleverness (however useless it may be to the young demons fighting it out on the Sandlot), and is quite good at convincing other individuals that his intentions are entirely benign. This is, understandably, a disconcerting trait for a demon, and even caused occasional discomfort in those he surrounded himself with during life.
The second, and far more common state of conduct that Ezra puts forth is self-assured but caustic. He is a proud man, and considers many individuals to be beneath him, as they obviously lack his good looks, debonair wit, and natural charm. Aside from the few who fall into the category above, Ezra tends to speak in curt, condescending statements, and pays little attention to the inputs of individuals besides himself. He is quick to make judgments, and feels that his statements should be thought of as "helpful advice," rather than the insults that they actually are.
On the rare occasion, Ezra finds someone whose opinion actually matters to him, and in those situations, it seems he becomes an entirely different person. However, nothing so sickeningly sweet and inspirational has happened to him since he was a very young man.
Attitudes: Throughout his years in life, Ezra grew very accustomed to getting what he wanted--materially, financially, physically, emotionally, and otherwise. Now that it's becoming less and less likely that he'll ever be able to live (I use the term loosely) this way again, however, he's beginning to have doubts about the man that he was. He's ambitious enough that this whole "climbing Hell's ranks" thing doesn't really bother him, but he's coming around to the fact that perhaps his cleverness and wit was not as useful as he might have originally thought, and is beginning to appreciate the fact that he might need more than just charm to help him survive this ordeal.
He is not suffering from a crisis of faith in himself, however, and remains as vain as he ever was, which is a plus considering his new goals.
Likes: Good conversation, having the upper hand, well-tailored suits, British literature, sex, the smell of shoe polish (faint).
Dislikes: Blood, getting his hands dirty, feeling underdressed, the texture of raw meat, being outnumbered/otherwise out of his element.
Quirks: He has a penchant for remembering quotes, and often plucks one out of the air to suit the occasion, when he's out to impress. He has a significantly harder time doing this when he's not feeling himself, however.
Flaws: Ezra is extremely germaphobic, and has not been able to shake this characteristic even after death. Given the rarity of showers in the Sandlot, this has set him noticeably on edge. He's also incredibly squeamish, and the sight of blood, when it doesn't make him physically sick, puts him on the verge of fainting. (Explained somewhere in his history, I'm sure. I don't know yet, I haven't typed that far!) His temper is somewhat explosive, and he is often incapable of proper reasoning during the worst of his tantrums.
Life Before Hell
In life, Ezra Morrow lived in a high-rise condo in a well-to-do neighborhood of New York. He was a moneylender for a large firm that served the needs of many businessmen, including (perhaps significantly) those of questionable repute. His advice and expertise aided in the considerable growth of one of New York's largest underground crime rings, and they made sure that he was well accommodated for his efforts. He often took advantage of his wealth and his clout within the city; there were few favors the affluent Mr. Morrow couldn't buy, and many individuals he did business with were in debt to him.
Before his death, the state of Mr. Morrow's personal life was sad at best. Although he was engaged to a young woman whom he'd assumed he would marry since he was young, he was not actually in love, and on the many company trips he took during his career, it was not uncommon for him to take a lover (male or female, or, if he was feeling indulgent, both) to keep him company for a night or two. It was also rumored that he was involved in a loveless affair with his secretary. The two never left enough clues behind to warrant any kind of proof, however, and the rest of the firm kept their noses out of Ezra's business.
Immediately previous to his death, Ezra was approached by the police, who revealed that they knew a good deal more about the firm's shady dealings than they had ever let on and promised Ezra that, should he provide any information that would expedite the arrest of certain clients, he would be well rewarded and escape the imminent fall of the tyrant company largely unscathed. Ezra might have spilled the beans, but was strangled by his driver (who was loyal to the firm and the family they worked for) shortly after leaving the police station. His body was found dangling naked from the ceiling in his high-rise apartment.
He's quite embarrassed about all of that. The presumed-suicide was probably not good for his image in the least.
How You Ended Up Here
"To be honest, the reason for my presence here quite escapes me. Sure, I participated in a few shady deals during my life, and I can't say I never lied, or stole, or cheated, or perhaps ripped the rug right out from under some promising young upstart's feet, but as far as I can recall, I never killed anyone. Not directly, anyway.
I suppose my involvement may have led to a few deaths, but you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, can you? That's life."
General History
Ezra Morrow was born to Mr. James Morrow and his wife, Aerin, in the early 1980s. The couple lived in a middle class neighborhood far from the hustle and bustle of New York city, and they took great pride in the quiet life they lived. James Morrow, a self-made man, had become very wealthy as of late, and insisted on spending a great deal of his newfound fortune on his young wife and son. As a result, Ezra became used to getting his way, an attitude which then stuck with him for the rest of his life (and beyond).
It was not uncommon for the Morrow family to take extended vacations during the summer months (and sometimes the winter, or the spring, or the fall, for they had a great deal of freedom to do so once Aerin Morrow decided her boy was too bright for public school), often visiting exotic coasts and faraway cities whenever James could get away from work. On one memorable occasion, they left their home in the hands of a young neighbor, who had always done an excellent job of taking care of the house and the Morrow's Great Dane, Iphis. On this particular occasion, the neighbor neglected to check on the dog on the day of the Morrow's homecoming. James and his family found Iphis languishing across a bloody couch, with a self-satisfied look on her face and a thick, dark trail of fresh, bloody pawprints leading from young Ezra's bedroom.
In his bed, they discovered the body of a rather unfortunate feline, who had managed to worm her way into the house during one of the neighbor's visits. This led the boy to develop a brief fear of both dogs and cats, although that quickly subsided. It also produced a rather less brief concern for hygiene; for years after the mattress was replaced, followed by the bed itself, and finally a complete change of rooms for the Morrow boy, Ezra was subject to nightmares and complained that he could feel the germs left over from the animal's decaying corpse crawling around on his skin. He carries this fear of bacteria, especially from rot and other organic matter, with him to this day.
When Ezra was about seventeen, he completed his mother's rigorous homeschooling regiment and enrolled in a prestigious university, graduating with a degree in business a few years later. From that moment until the event of his death, Ezra's main focus in life was to climb as high on the ladder of success as he possibly could, take a deep breath, and begin climbing further. By the age of twenty-seven, he had accrued an impressive amount of wealth for himself, although he'd had to step on a few toes along the way.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Name: James Ezra Morrow (But you can call him Ezra.)
Aliases: N/A
Gender: Male
Age/Date of Death: 27 (April 25, 1983 -- October 19, 2010)
Species: Damned Soul
Voice: When he has his wits about him, Ezra is a well-spoken gentleman whose voice might be described as soothing and is rather easy on the ears. However, on the not-so-rare occasions that he is agitated or upset, his dulcet tones transform completely into a thin, hollow imitation of what they once were. For the most part, he does not shout and scream; he is capable, and the effect is rather imposing, but being as he's always considered himself somewhat of a delicate man (and thus worthy of special attention), he tries to avoid it, as it hurts his throat and may damage his "precious" vocal chords.
Equipment: In life, Ezra rarely carried anything on his person, save for a checkbook, an exceptional (and expensive) pen, his wallet, and, when the occasion for such a thing arose, one small polished handgun inlaid with his initials. As there are no handguns, banks, or identification cards in Hell (presumably), he has abandoned all but the pen. Well, that and a sizable knife he picked up a short while after his arrival. He's not so good at using this knife as he might have imagined he'd be, but he's learning.
Appearance
Physical Description: Ezra is a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and sleek, dark hair, and likes to imagine that this silhouette, combined with the cut of his appallingly expensive suits, creates an imposing image. In reality, the only feature in life that might have ever been described as "imposing" was his considerable wealth and influence. Beneath all of that, Ezra still appears to be a young upstart--his overconfident manner is all he has left of his once larger than life career, and this, more than anything, is a source of irritation for the demons around him. He has a smooth, unwrinkled face, and doesn't remember his cheekbones being quite so high or well proportioned before he arrived in Hell--but he assumes that all forms of the afterlife have their perk, and perhaps this is his. After all, it certainly seems that there are no others.
Mannerisms: Upon watching Ezra for any length of time, it is easy to glean the traits he's carried with him from his time in life. He is clean-cut, and spends a good deal of time checking his reflection in the mirror, or else checking his nails. He likes the space around him to be neat and tidy, which has caused a good deal of grief for him during his time in the Sandlot. He is also quick to interrupt, and only talk with his hands when he feels that his conversational partner is someone respectable enough to speak casually to. His hands are frequently in his pockets when he isn't using them.
Wardrobe: In life, Ezra wore only the best suits that he could get his hands on, frequently in the classic black. Although it seems that proper demons don't have any trouble dressing themselves in the morning, Ezra finds himself stranded with only the suit he was buried in (a tawdry blue creature that his grieving mother picked out). This blue suit has taken quite the beating during his stay so far. Its thin fabric is beginning to rip, and is so thoroughly weighted down with dust from the Sandlot's bare ground that it will surely not last much longer. If only he knew where to find some more bloody clothes.
Strengths: A vain man in life, Ezra is slowly discovering a proclivity for changing his appearance, although not to the extent that a shifter might. He also seems to be quite good at figuring out how Infernal magic works and how to make it backfire, although he can't use it for his own just yet. Physically, Ezra is quick and agile--he was quite the athlete in life, when he could afford the time to be so.
Weaknesses: His athletic build does not extend as far as muscles, and in a fight, Ezra's only upper hand is his speed. He's also vain, arrogant, and fairly likely to assume that he can get the better part of any bargain, even with demons much more knowledgable than himself. The sight of blood makes him physically sick, which makes the necessary heart-eating required to move up in Hell's ranks more difficult than it ought to be.
Other: He's got dark brown eyes, which I failed to mention above, and will seldom be seen without his watch, although it hasn't worked since he arrived here.
Personality
Demeanor: Generally speaking, Ezra adopts two attitudes towards other individuals. On the one hand, to those he sees as useful or as equals, he is smooth and calm, with not-too-subtle hints of a somewhat sexual agenda, assuming the receiving party reciprocates. He likes to show off his cleverness (however useless it may be to the young demons fighting it out on the Sandlot), and is quite good at convincing other individuals that his intentions are entirely benign. This is, understandably, a disconcerting trait for a demon, and even caused occasional discomfort in those he surrounded himself with during life.
The second, and far more common state of conduct that Ezra puts forth is self-assured but caustic. He is a proud man, and considers many individuals to be beneath him, as they obviously lack his good looks, debonair wit, and natural charm. Aside from the few who fall into the category above, Ezra tends to speak in curt, condescending statements, and pays little attention to the inputs of individuals besides himself. He is quick to make judgments, and feels that his statements should be thought of as "helpful advice," rather than the insults that they actually are.
On the rare occasion, Ezra finds someone whose opinion actually matters to him, and in those situations, it seems he becomes an entirely different person. However, nothing so sickeningly sweet and inspirational has happened to him since he was a very young man.
Attitudes: Throughout his years in life, Ezra grew very accustomed to getting what he wanted--materially, financially, physically, emotionally, and otherwise. Now that it's becoming less and less likely that he'll ever be able to live (I use the term loosely) this way again, however, he's beginning to have doubts about the man that he was. He's ambitious enough that this whole "climbing Hell's ranks" thing doesn't really bother him, but he's coming around to the fact that perhaps his cleverness and wit was not as useful as he might have originally thought, and is beginning to appreciate the fact that he might need more than just charm to help him survive this ordeal.
He is not suffering from a crisis of faith in himself, however, and remains as vain as he ever was, which is a plus considering his new goals.
Likes: Good conversation, having the upper hand, well-tailored suits, British literature, sex, the smell of shoe polish (faint).
Dislikes: Blood, getting his hands dirty, feeling underdressed, the texture of raw meat, being outnumbered/otherwise out of his element.
Quirks: He has a penchant for remembering quotes, and often plucks one out of the air to suit the occasion, when he's out to impress. He has a significantly harder time doing this when he's not feeling himself, however.
Flaws: Ezra is extremely germaphobic, and has not been able to shake this characteristic even after death. Given the rarity of showers in the Sandlot, this has set him noticeably on edge. He's also incredibly squeamish, and the sight of blood, when it doesn't make him physically sick, puts him on the verge of fainting. (Explained somewhere in his history, I'm sure. I don't know yet, I haven't typed that far!) His temper is somewhat explosive, and he is often incapable of proper reasoning during the worst of his tantrums.
Life Before Hell
In life, Ezra Morrow lived in a high-rise condo in a well-to-do neighborhood of New York. He was a moneylender for a large firm that served the needs of many businessmen, including (perhaps significantly) those of questionable repute. His advice and expertise aided in the considerable growth of one of New York's largest underground crime rings, and they made sure that he was well accommodated for his efforts. He often took advantage of his wealth and his clout within the city; there were few favors the affluent Mr. Morrow couldn't buy, and many individuals he did business with were in debt to him.
Before his death, the state of Mr. Morrow's personal life was sad at best. Although he was engaged to a young woman whom he'd assumed he would marry since he was young, he was not actually in love, and on the many company trips he took during his career, it was not uncommon for him to take a lover (male or female, or, if he was feeling indulgent, both) to keep him company for a night or two. It was also rumored that he was involved in a loveless affair with his secretary. The two never left enough clues behind to warrant any kind of proof, however, and the rest of the firm kept their noses out of Ezra's business.
Immediately previous to his death, Ezra was approached by the police, who revealed that they knew a good deal more about the firm's shady dealings than they had ever let on and promised Ezra that, should he provide any information that would expedite the arrest of certain clients, he would be well rewarded and escape the imminent fall of the tyrant company largely unscathed. Ezra might have spilled the beans, but was strangled by his driver (who was loyal to the firm and the family they worked for) shortly after leaving the police station. His body was found dangling naked from the ceiling in his high-rise apartment.
He's quite embarrassed about all of that. The presumed-suicide was probably not good for his image in the least.
How You Ended Up Here
"To be honest, the reason for my presence here quite escapes me. Sure, I participated in a few shady deals during my life, and I can't say I never lied, or stole, or cheated, or perhaps ripped the rug right out from under some promising young upstart's feet, but as far as I can recall, I never killed anyone. Not directly, anyway.
I suppose my involvement may have led to a few deaths, but you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, can you? That's life."
General History
Ezra Morrow was born to Mr. James Morrow and his wife, Aerin, in the early 1980s. The couple lived in a middle class neighborhood far from the hustle and bustle of New York city, and they took great pride in the quiet life they lived. James Morrow, a self-made man, had become very wealthy as of late, and insisted on spending a great deal of his newfound fortune on his young wife and son. As a result, Ezra became used to getting his way, an attitude which then stuck with him for the rest of his life (and beyond).
It was not uncommon for the Morrow family to take extended vacations during the summer months (and sometimes the winter, or the spring, or the fall, for they had a great deal of freedom to do so once Aerin Morrow decided her boy was too bright for public school), often visiting exotic coasts and faraway cities whenever James could get away from work. On one memorable occasion, they left their home in the hands of a young neighbor, who had always done an excellent job of taking care of the house and the Morrow's Great Dane, Iphis. On this particular occasion, the neighbor neglected to check on the dog on the day of the Morrow's homecoming. James and his family found Iphis languishing across a bloody couch, with a self-satisfied look on her face and a thick, dark trail of fresh, bloody pawprints leading from young Ezra's bedroom.
In his bed, they discovered the body of a rather unfortunate feline, who had managed to worm her way into the house during one of the neighbor's visits. This led the boy to develop a brief fear of both dogs and cats, although that quickly subsided. It also produced a rather less brief concern for hygiene; for years after the mattress was replaced, followed by the bed itself, and finally a complete change of rooms for the Morrow boy, Ezra was subject to nightmares and complained that he could feel the germs left over from the animal's decaying corpse crawling around on his skin. He carries this fear of bacteria, especially from rot and other organic matter, with him to this day.
When Ezra was about seventeen, he completed his mother's rigorous homeschooling regiment and enrolled in a prestigious university, graduating with a degree in business a few years later. From that moment until the event of his death, Ezra's main focus in life was to climb as high on the ladder of success as he possibly could, take a deep breath, and begin climbing further. By the age of twenty-seven, he had accrued an impressive amount of wealth for himself, although he'd had to step on a few toes along the way.
The rest, as they say, is history.