Raymond Zorro

Ray equipped with a pistol

Raymond Zorro, better known as Ray or Rayzor on Twitter, is a Los Santos criminal, street musician, reporter, and former mafia member from Alderney, Liberty City. He is played by Azyeon.

## Description

Raymond is a tall Asian-American young student studying at ULSA. He strives to make money in order to support his constant spending habits and taste in vehicles.

His depression arc sent him into an identity crisis, causing him to change up his appearance and preferences. Ray now keeps his hair combed and sticking up. He wore a red apocalypse-themed top with a purple motorcycle helmet, shades, and a purple half-mask with his inhaler/vape device, which he claims is "rainbow-flavored".

Due to recent events, Ray has changed his outfit in order to hide his presence. He now dons an orange motorcycle helmet over flashy orange shades and a ski mask with a glowing orange skull. He wears a black biker jacket with chain pants and boots. He also now drives a Sanctus motorcycle, fitting into the Ghost Rider themed persona.

Ray's face is heavily tattooed, one layer being black skull-esque flames and another layer simulating flesh ripping off half a human face and revealing bone and blood.

## Work/Employment

Ray works as a reporter/journalist for The Scene, a news app run by April Vonkeaton. He has begun to cover a few stories but is still just starting out. So far, he has published five articles: A Grand Prix Problem, Alien Contagion?!?, A Brief Guide to the LS Chaos, and LSPD Chief Bubba T. Law Retires, City Council Plans Arise.

He also loves music, and plays on his guitar from time to time. He uses a custom guitar that adds chords to the rhythm he plays. He has played a few gigs at the Tequi-la-la, and hopes to play more whenever he can. Some of his other appearances included hosting his own party at the Lost MC Clubhouse, playing electric guitar at the Yacht, and even playing background music for a date for Leon Kingston and Hallelujah Goodwin.

Ray also works for Dirk Rockhard as security at BRAHama Mamas, though he does not have official or licensed bodyguard training.

## Backstory

Ray had a rough childhood. Living with two parents that didn't care for him, he often found himself wandering the streets. After seeing a man's head blown off in an alleyway, Ray was forced to join the mafia family. Working under the Pegorino family, his quick thinking and calm personality helped him in swiftly carrying out missions like silencing rats or delivering packages. Overtime he learned to feel less emotion, and care less about human lives.

But past trauma still haunts him. He knows he has killed and ruined many people, and there's nothing that can undo that. He recalls having to cut off the fingers of a supposedly compromised informant, who protected his secrets to his eventual death. Even though he took the fall for this failure, he kept working in the family. But it was one fateful day where he was taken down in a set-up by the LCPD. He ended up serving time in the Alderney penitentiary for his many crimes, but thanks to "convincing" from the head of the family, his time was reduced.

But at the end of his sentence, Ray was not welcomed back with open arms. In fact, he was kidnapped, sent away on a plane, and dumped into the streets to rot. However, Ray was unwilling to go down easily. He now wants to survive in this new environment, and thrive enough to be able to return for revenge. But for now, he's stuck in Los Santos, trying to survive.

## Personality

Ray's personality has certainly changed overtime. He is a more realized, accepting, and fearful man. He believes strongly in his morals and logic, and is willing to defend it to the end. But he is also willing to defend his friends at all costs, even his own life. Ray feels like the truth that he lacks influence is haunting, and scares him to an extent of mental paranoia and disruption. This leads to his massive insecurities and fears, which he tries to hide beneath a brave face and skull face paint.

Having started playing music for Tony's bar, he has grown a fond admiration of his confidence and vibe. Ray has an unwavering respect and admiration of power and prestige, but is also weak for raw talent and excitement. He often finds himself acting like a child at times, happily exploring the effects of experimental laughing gas, smoking often, and playing the daredevil type.

Ray's instability and paranoia has led him to develop an alter-ego, or other personality. Calling himself "Ryder Ghoste", he becomes haughty, prideful, and more sinister. Ryder Ghoste becomes more evil-happy, unafraid, and psychopathic. His desire is to burn Los Santos to the ground and bring the people in power to their knees. Ryder is fueled by Ray's fear, and his sinister dreams become more rampant and psychotic.

## Record

In Los Santos, Ray has served time for:

* Assault (justifiable self-defense)
* 3 counts of possession drug paraphernalia
* 1 count of controlled drug possession
* DUI
* Speeding
* An "illegal turn" - making a donut in front of the MRPD
* Armed Robbery

Formerly an associate with the Don, Raymond took part in a mass robbery of convenience stores across the tri-county area, but has not been proven to have been connected.

In Alderney, Ray was found guilty of several crimes, ranging from:

* Kidnapping
* Armed Robbery
* Torture
* Assault with a deadly weapon
* Distributing drugs

## Relationships

### Vincent Ferrari:

Ray considers "Vinnie" to be a high-class criminal with fine taste in cars. He admits that he is jealous of Vincent's spirit and riches, but still respects him as a criminal. That being said, he harbors mild hatred towards him for his involvement in the family. Ray feels unappreciated by him and feels like a hindrance to him, but he feels a bit on the fence about him.

### Jim Adler:

Ray has a great respect for Jim, and considers him to be a good friend and partner in crime. They have worked together several times on mass gatherings of weed and poppy resin, and Ray does well to use his extensive knowledge of events to inform Jim. He also remembers Jim as the man who saved him from death, and is forever grateful.

### Dirk Rockhard:

Ray doesn't remember where exactly he met Dirk. He has seen him at his party, DJing at the Vanilla Unicorn, and at the Yacht party. But despite not remembering the origin of their friendship, Ray respects Dirk, and sees him as a very good friend. He is grateful for his friendship and happy that Dirk supported him throughout his hard times. He loves his accent, finding it unique and fun to hear. That being said, he doesn't trust him with the details of his criminal life, as he prefers not to get him tied up in it as well.

### Mark Matlock:

Ray dislikes Matlock, always sensing animosity from him. They butt heads over several things; Ray thinks Matlock's office is ugly, and Matlock is disgusted by Ray's Moonbeam Custom. That being said, Ray respects his work, and knows that Matlock is very serious about his job. He knows that Matlock means business and considers him arguably one of the best lawyers in the city.

### Leon Kingston:

Ray remembers meeting Kingston at the hospital. He was playing guitar in the waiting room at Pillbox while waiting, and was approached and approved of by the officer. Kingston ended up buying his music services for his date with Hallelujah, and found it to be, happily, to his liking as much as his date's. Ray is happy to have Kingston as a loyal friend, but feels he doesn't deserve his kindness. He often says that Kingston and Hallelujah are his second favorite couple around, the first being himself and his girlfriend.

### Austin Miyat:

Ray doesn't interact too much with Austin. He's seen him from time to time; at Burger Shot, Benny's, and the Vanilla Unicorn too. He likes Austin, saying to himself that he shows promise and seems like a cool guy. Despite their lack of communication, Ray still considers Austin to be a friend.

### Anthony Boccino:

Having played several times at Tequila Tony's, Ray has a very deep respect and admiration for Tony and his work ethic. He has only heard about Tony's criminal work through word of mouth, and knows that his friend is a part of the Family. However, having figured out that Tony was behind the organization of the Family, he is a bit perplexed on how to feel.

### Yoshikage Kira:

Ray has severe trauma from having encountered Yoshikage Kira. After his near-death encounter at his hands, he gets paranoid and angry at the mention of him or how he looks. Even though he has tried several times to put the trauma behind him, he can't help but feel threatened by Kira's existence.

## Quotes

* "I'm afraid. I really am. I think there's someone in my head."
* "I'm okay. I have to be. I always have to be."
* "We either live in the world that's been changed, or change the world that's been lived in."

## Timeline

### I. The Beginning:

* Ray finds himself in Los Santos, unsure of where to start. He begins by enlisting in a small private mafia, but does no real work for the time being.
* He plays a little bit of street music on the side, but doesn't have a real job, merely collecting chump change as tip.
* Ray does find himself a few friends for a bit: a mildly ecstatic robber named Pitt, a former cow farmer named Rory Winters, and a quieter girl named Daisy Winchester. He is also somehow introduced to Vincent Ferrari, a criminal who would later on further spark Ray's illicit matters.

### II. The Fields:

* Ray is recruited by Vincent to gather, process, and sell Marijuana. He steals a large delivery truck and drives it to the fields, where the weed is stored, packaged, and sent to processing. The end result is a large stash of dirty money with no known way to clean it. However, the job does introduce him to a few fellow criminals, namely Jim Adler.

### III. The Don:

* Los Santos introduces a new man who goes only by The Don. Believing the Don's claims of being a big mob boss, Ray flocks to him quickly out of desperation for money. With help from the Don, he is able to clean the dirty money gained from selling the processed marijuana.
* He takes part in a series of convenience store robberies all occurring at the same time. Robbing his store with no problem, he narrowly avoids jail time due to a small errand that prevents him from seeing Hank Jones, the Don's right-hand man who ends up turning on him.
* He is however recognized by present lawyer Mark Matlock, who attempts a citizen's arrest on him to no avail. Due to having a clean record and the reporting officer being a newer recruit, he is let off the hook.
* During the trial of the Don, Ray is on edge out of fear of being caught and leaves the trial early. Afraid of his work being uncovered, he decides to try and go straight for a bit, just as a front.

### IV. The Legal Jobs:

* Learning about the grand opening of the Tequi-la-la Bar, now Tequila Tony's, Ray makes a bold attempt and plays at the grand opening. The feedback is largely positive, attracting attention from the mayor himself, his assistant, and several other citizens. Ray is paid $1,500 by Tony for playing on the opening night, and later on gets Tony's phone number.
* Ray then sets a new personal goal: to acquire a Moonbeam Custom for its enhanced speaker systems and loud groove.
* He also applies to be a reporter/journalist for The Scene online magazine, led by April Vonkeaton.

### V. The New Fields and a Traumatic Experience:

* Deciding to dive back into illicit matters in order to maximize profits, Ray asks Vince for a lead on any drugs he knows about. He is pointed in the right direction, finding a distant poppy resin field and a secret heroin processing lab beneath an old farmhouse. While hanging around and processing his own product, he meets several other associates, such as Andre Jackson and Damian Rose. He also learns about several other locations, such as for meth, cocaine, and weed, which had been moved since.
* Vince calls up Ray and asks him for a favor: given $1,000, deliver it to a mystery blackmailer who supposedly has dirt on him. Ray does so, and meets the blackmailer. The man reveals himself as Yoshikage Kira, and Ray believes him to be a fellow criminal and businessman. However, after running a small delivery job, Ray is lured into an abandoned motel room and brutally attacked by the man, learning about his mysterious hand fetish. Close to death, Ray is saved by his old friend Jim Adler, who eventually quits working as an EMS and becomes Ray's partner in crime.
* Ray swears to find and bring Kira to justice, which he bravely does after a second fateful encounter.

### VI. The Second Consciousness:

* At a go-kart derby, Ray receives a tip from Mitt Karr, who introduced himself as "Damian". Given reason to believe that Yoshikage Kira is free and wants him dead, he goes into a panic and decides to reinvent himself. Picking up the mantle of "Ryder Ghoste", he dons a fiery skull mask and an equally fiery Sanctus motorcycle dubbed the *Hellbike*. However, using this persona under his criminal work, Ray unknowingly begins to develop a separate consciousness as the new name "Ryder Ghoste" begins to claw its way to freedom.
* He begins going to therapy, hoping to challenge and silence the dark voices in his head. However, his negligence and lack of interest begins to show as he feels the voices growing stronger and more possessive.

### VII. The Criminal Works:

* Ray learns that his friend Andre has joined a gang, which calls itself the "Family". Concerned for his well-being but happy for his friend moving to new heights, he wishes him well, but keeps at the back of his mind the idea of gangs rising up.
* He is informed of The Don's release from prison and a fateful encounter between him and Tony. Ray fears that gang violence will flare up, warning Andre and telling him to remain safe.
* However, he does gain useful information regarding a mysterious criminal supplier codenamed "Zer0". After downloading his app, he has his eyes set on learning who he is and how he helps others.
* At the dealership, Ray buys a brand new car and meets Tsum Looser, a young employee and potential criminal associate. He believes she may be able to help him get into robbing banks and jewelry stores.

### VIII. The Collapse of Friends:

* Ray learns that Damian has become a victim of a mugging at the heroin processing plant, and Andre has been harassed and tortured by the Family. He also learns about Vincent Ferrari's and Tyrone Jones's membership in the family, leading to his mild anger for both people.
* Ray helps spread news that "Andre" has fled town, holding under cover his identity change to Jordan Match. He shares his plans to exact revenge on the family and the ones who wronged his friends.
* Ideas begin to swirl in Ray's head about a potential information-gathering company. He feels that the information he holds could be useful to new citizens and potential criminals. He believes he could also make a profit off of reselling Zer0's equipment, as he is more available than the mysterious man himself. However, he feels his dark side conflicting more with himself, as he struggles to maintain control of himself and his sinister emotions.
* With the madness in his head going on without end, Ray has the enlightening idea of kidnapping a member of the family, bringing them to a secure location, and torturing them for both information and his personal enjoyment.
* His tools for the feat include gasoline cans, hydrochloric acid, weapons, and cigarettes. He places a mental list of people to potentially torture: Eddie Bourque (the "rat" who sold out Andre), Vincent Ferrari (for Ray's amusement), and Tyrone Jones (a bit reluctant, as there is no friction between the two).

### IX. The Business

* Ray sees an advertisement from Eddie Bourque about "business", and is intrigued. When he shows up to the meeting, he is surprised to see a face he met before. But he knows for sure that his potential employer is the one who sold out his friend, and Ray begins to mentally decide his next course of action.
* However, he harbors extreme conflict over his former plans to torture Eddie out of retribution. Ray needs time to weigh the benefits of joining said business and pursuing his own desires for madness.
* Ray is called to a location by Eddie and meets Vince again, who organizes a jewelry store heist with him and three other henchmen. The robbery is thrown off-track when the car is tripped by unexpected spike strips, against the original negotiation with the police. The car crashes at the beach and everyone makes a run for themselves, except Ray, who is hit by officer Chad McMulligan and arrested.
* However, he cooperates easily, and talks casually and friendly with the officer. This results in him getting a reduced sentence from 25 months to 10 months, with the fine waived entirely.

### X. The Good Life?

* Ray decides to make some more rational and legal decisions in his life. He buys a house by Vespucci Beach, located at 8116, and begins moving in. When he finishes placing all his furniture, he eagerly shows some of his friends: Jordan, Damian, and a friend codenamed as "Doc". They all share drinks and discuss information regarding the gangs around.
* Ray receives his cut from the diamond heist, despite getting arrested. He wonders where he lies in the midst of the underworld chaos and questions whether he should start going straight after all.

### XI. The Breakdown

* Ray has become increasingly distant from people, fearful for himself and unsure how to approach people. He begins to become a bit more unstable, worrying his friends: Claire Turner, Dirk Rockhard, and Kara Rose. His face paint changes to a half-face, symbolizing his instability to maintain a consistent persona.
* Ray almost begins to feel a touch of hope for life and himself when he meets a new fellow musician in town named Elora. Attracted to her talent and gentle atmosphere, he wants to befriend her for sure but is corrupted by fear and insanity.
* Ray plays guitar voluntarily for the opening of a Karaoke Contest held by Tequila Tony's. He feels a bit better but still doubts his true worth and value to others.

## Trivia

* Ray is from Liberty City, the city where the events of Grand Theft Auto IV , Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned , and Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony take place.
* Ray's name is inspired by Pegorino's late subordinate, Ray Boccino, who also operated mainly in Alderney.
* Ray drives a purple Warrener with a black stripe down the middle. He also drives a custom Moonbeam Rider with blue laser-themed decals and amped-up speakers, whom he affectionately refers to as "Tracer".
* Ray goes to the ULSA for college.
* Raymond's character may be inspired by the TV series *Extracurricular*, a story about a student turning to a life of crime in order to pay for school.
* He is studying graphic design at ULSA, sort of an homage to the character creator's current major.
* Raymond uses a "custom guitar", but the music is actually the player's keyboard with a guitar setting.

## Gallery

Ray's Moonbeam interiorRay's custom MoonbeamThe Crimson Ray WarrenerRyder Ghoste riding the HellbikeRay's Drift Tampa