Unknown Armies

Unexplained

'Adepts' in the Headlines: Firefighter Impersonator Busted

Be careful how far you go to snag those charges, Thespians....

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - James Campbell seemed to relish being a firefighter, showing up in uniform at the World Trade Center, train wrecks, the aftermaths of hurricanes including Katrina and wildfires.

He even posed for his driver's license photo in a Los Angeles County firefighter's uniform.

The problem is, authorities say, he was never a firefighter.

Police arrested Campbell on Friday on suspicion of impersonating a firefighter, possession of stolen property and being a felon in possession of firearms.

Inside his apartment, officers said, they found a pile of official gear: dress uniform, flight suit, yellow firefighting suit, department patches, fire helmet, wallet badge and an L.A. County Fire Department radio. On Campbell's walls were hundreds of framed photos of him at disaster sites in uniform, authorities said.

Follow the rest of the story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070908/ap_on_fe_st/odd_fake_firefighter;_ylt=AryaN5p3n35cR9_4nM_ye.QuQE4F

The money quote from the article:

"This is a guy who really wanted to be a firefighter. He wanted to act as a hero," Orange County Deputy District Attorney Andre Manssourian said.

Noble impulses, tragic ends, and a rapsheet as long as your arm: quintesential Unknown Armies!

Angle | profile | Sep 08, 07 | 5:44 pm

Visitor Comments

Scenario Seed:

Word on the street is, Campbell was working on a dope-ass Mask of the God that was one charge short of being fully juiced when the cops dragged him in.

Guesses are flying about what Avatar it was gonna channel, but this chick dating my barber SWEARS this guy claiming to be Barry Bond's limo driver hit on her at that nightclub out by the airport...

...And hey, you notice a lot of those Stormtrooper and LARPer types have been hanging out at the local Scotsman? Those types don't never mix in the wild, homie.

All I'm saying is- and don't mention I asked you this- Can you get your hands on the key to the evidence locker at HBPD?

Angle | profile | Sep 08, 07 | 6:02 pm

Que?

Qualia | profile | Sep 10, 07 | 4:52 am

Scenario Key:

A scenario based on this article revolves around the Mask of the God that Campbell crafted, incorporating a firefighter breathing mask obtained from a firefighter who died from WTC related health issues.

From Unknown Armies Sourcebook:

Mask of The God, 3 sig charges

Creates a permanent artifact mask that...temporarily makes you an avatar of your choice, with a skill equal to your Magick: Personamancy...Avatars gain 5% to their skill by destroying a mask of the god.

Campbell's mask channeled the MVP, albeit through his narrow obssession with firefighting. He wasn't wearing the mask when he was caught, so the mask hasn't broken taboo from the revelation of his fraud.

The Stormtrooper fetishists and LARPers are a clique of low-end personamancers and groupies, out to snag Campbell's artifact as a quick route to hi-end personamantic juju.

And Barry's Bonds limo driver is out to recover the mask intact so that Bonds, a powerful MVP, can destroy Campbell's mask in order to repair the damage done to his Avatarhood by the BALCO doping scandal.

The WTC connection is there as a wild card: Maybe the mask is contaminated, passing on respiratory ailments along with its power. Alternately, some imprint of the dead firefighter's spirit fuels the Mask- and the person wearing it. Or maybe it's just BS designed to give your players the willies.

Angle | profile | Sep 14, 07 | 12:27 pm