| Position | Mercenary/Hitman |
|---|---|
| Species | Ghoul (Human) |
| Class | Ranger |
| Affiliations | Legion of the Damned, Five Families |
| Age | ~500 years |
| Height | |
| Weight |
|
| Aliases | Unknown |
While the precise extent of Heinrich Mordson's military career may never be known, the ghoul's known campaigns alone create a staggering list. While he seems to have lapsed into periods of inactivity at certain times, he also has a highly decorated history with the undead Legion of the Damned, as well as a lengthy career as a solo mercenary and hitman.
Pre-Conversion[]
Mordson's exact origins are unknown, but his particular style of German and other mannerisms have been traced to 16th century Prussia, with a birth mostly likely between 1505 and 1510. He claims to have been born on All Hallow's Eve. His father was possibly a carpenter, though he fled his family to begin a military career that one could argue has not ended yet. His first service was during the German Peasant's Revolt (1524-1527). Immediately after this war he went mercenary, his home village having been burnt to the ground at some point. He may have had a wife and children at some point during this period, his wife likely a camp follower.
After several years of breaking contracts and turning coats, Mordson wound up working with a small band of bandits and cutthroats for the Strigoi family, a mostly broke family of nobles somewhere in the eastern Holy Roman Empire. The group was sent to kill a rogue wizard who had been harassing Strigoi lands for some time. The forest for miles around the wizard's lair had died, making the group's approach surprisingly easy. The small company stormed into the ruined castle, killing the wizard and his guards without a single casualty. On the march back to the Strigoi castle, the entire group was separated by a thick fog. When Mordson next woke up in the forest, he was on a cart full of corpses headed for a mass grave for beggars. Of his compatriots, most left no trace. Those few that have been discovered throughout history were either dead or turned into various forms of undead.
Early Undeath[]
When Mordson awoke on the corpse cart, he discovered he had been unconscious for at least a month. Escaping and making his way back to Strigoi lands, he met the Countess Isabella Strigoi. Apparently recognizing him, she chose to ease his introduction into unliving by serving as a sort of guide, much to her family's chagrin. The two also became romantically involved, a relationship which seems to have flared on and off several times over the centuries. He remained employed by the Strigoi family as a mercenary and assassin until some time between 1610 and 1620, when he apparently lost the family's favor.
Legion of the Damned[]
The first official records regarding Mordson arise in the early 17th century, and the best-documented of these come from his time in Egypt. In 1621, his name first appeared on the pay roster of the Legion of the Damned, an all-undead mercenary organization. For the next 142 years, Mordson fought with the Legion in numerous campaigns, a service marked by various honors and decorations, and without a single breach of conduct. During this time Mordson met and befriended the mummy officer Nefer. While the ghoul began as a simple infantryman, he was eventually promoted to a sergeant, a scout, and finally a member of the mummy's personal retinue. Nefer's company holds out against superior numbers on numerous occasions, and Legion records include several instances of Nefer and Mordson specifically saving each other from lethal peril.
In 1750, Nefer's company is hired by the British Crown to protect the 13 colonies from French aggression. Mordson served until the end of the campaigns in 1763, at which point he suspended his contract. This is a practice of the Legion seemingly in place since its inception, in which any member of good standing may cease to take contracts from the Legion for an unspecified period of time, but retains his or her rank and pay grade whenever he or she chooses to return.
American Revolution[]
Nothing significant seems to have occurred in Mordson's life before 1775, and he appears to have mostly survived through odd jobs and trapping. He appears to have legitimately sympathized with the colonists' cause, rather than simply signing on for monetary compensation. The ghoul was not present at many of the early riots, but claims to have been at Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. He also seems to have been involved in some of the actions of the Swamp Fox. After the war ends, records for Mordson become scarce once again, though he seems to have left North America before the War of 1812 began.
Return to the Legion and German Unification[]
In 1825, Mordson reappeared on the rosters of the Legion of the Damned. After serving in a number of conflicts, he suspended his contract to return to Prussia in 1860. This appears to have been the second instance of some form of patriotism or higher goal that Mordson has displayed, the first having been the American Revolution. Journals kept by the ghoul in this period were filled with relative optimism and national pride in nascent Germany. However, a backlash against the undead in the early 1870s caused Mordson to flee back to the Americas.
The American West and the Great War[]
While there are no formal records of Heinrich's existence between 1872 and 1910, he claims to have spent his time in the American territories yet to achieve statehood. There, he took full advantage of the lack of institutionalized law enforcement, the known danger of the West, and the number of those wanted dead or alive. However, as civilization marched ever westward, those thriving on the chaotic nature of life in the West were out of luck. It appears that Mordson was briefly incarcerated and was scheduled for execution. The ghoul claims that the sentence was indeed carried out, and that he was able to feign death until his body was left unattended.
After this and other close calls, Mordson returned to Europe, once again living with Isabella Strigoi. In 1914, Mordson (along with every ghoul that could reach Europe) was quick to enlist in whatever army would take him. He served in the German Army for the duration of the war, and has been quoted as saying "I can't think of a better time to be a ghoul." However, at the end of the war a number of clauses in the Treaty of Versailles demanded that the Central Powers execute any and all undead soldiers who were known to have served in their armies. Fortunately, altruistic vampires present at the conference made sure this news reached the frontlines before the orders could be executed, and nearly all of the undead serving as Central Powers soldiers were able to flee Europe.
New York City and Present Career[]
After a short time serving under Nefer in the Legion, Mordson moved to New York City. He fit naturally into the underworld there, working almost exclusively for the Italian Mafia after their rise during Prohibition. While the ghoul often moves between various hideouts, the families have been consistently able to find him when they need him through Jimmy the Wimp.
More recently, Isabella Strigoi re-entered the ghoul's life, hiring him to recover a stolen statuette. He worked alongside Blue Jacket, Clyde Buckner, and Eamon Ó Súilleabháin, who was in fact specifically hired for his ability to heal the undead as well as the living. While working this job, the group encountered Mr. White, a vampire with some sort of rivalry with Miss Strigoi. However, impressed by the group's abilities, he hired them himself for a job in the sewers of New York. Here, they encountered a group of goblins whom Mordson managed to intimidate into working for the group. While he has enjoyed their larcenous services, they have become harder to control through fear alone, and the ghoul seems to be tiring of them.
Following this mission, the mercenaries traveled across the Atlantic to Ireland, smuggling weapons to the IRA there. After clashing with British forces, they were forced to flee to France, where Commandant Robert Pascal hired the group (along with the Russian Grigory Gagarin) to return to Mordson's native land on a covert mission.
Abilities[]
Of course, the ghoul is a skilled soldier, with many years of experience. He primarily fights in melee using his vicious teeth, though he has been known to use a rifle at range. He also carries a trench knife and pistol, though these have rarely proved necessary. Mordson is skilled at the laying of traps and ambushes, but above all relies on the abilities inherent to a ghoul and his brutal ferocity to win the day.