Richard Mortem

Richard Mortem (Made with HeroForge)

River's estranged father, and a studious witch. He had previously made a bargain with the demon Orzithal that left lasting scars on his body. Former member of Team Pancakes and current member of the New Wells Six.

## History

### Pre-Campaign

#### Before Judgement Day

Dick was married to Anne in an arranged marriage. The union brought no joy to either of them, and issues quickly arose between them.

### Arc 8: Redwater

#### Redwater Military Base

On April 28th, Dick was seeking the Bell of Saint Michael to aid in his situation with the Abyssal Maw when Combine troops put a wrench in his plans. He was attempting to get into the Redwater military base and take out their grunts when the New Wells Six arrived. He started stealthily taking out grunts with his magic, causing a stir among them that was interrupted with Choc ran in and opened fire. Dick used the opportunity to set two more Combine soldiers alight with white flame. The group's automaton opened fire on him, and he avoided most of the hits by catching bullets. He took out another black hat by swallowing them up with earth. The NW6 downed the rest.

He looked toward the NW6, telling them they'd better get out of the area if they wanted to live, and told them this was his thing to deal with. Addie rejected the command, and asked him if Anne was at the base, and he responded she wasn't, though this operation might draw her out. Gregg looked over his wound, and moved to heal him, but Richard stepped away and asked what she was doing. Gregg responded that Addie said he should be healed since Combine backup was coming. He reluctantly let her cast healing on him. He moved toward the Redwater civilians with the others when Paula called for help.

He watched as Addie healed one of the wounded civilians. Helicopter blades began to be heard in the distance, and they all agreed it was best to take cover inside. Shortly after setting up in the building, two new people arrived: River and Noni. Addie immediately healed River from her ghost rock storm injuries. Richard's stand-offish tone immediately changed upon laying eyes on his daughter. He approached her with wide arms, a smile on his face, and greeted her warmly. She came up to him and punched him in the face with her metal arm. He nursed his face, responding that he deserved that. River, seething, told him she'd rip him a new one when they weren't in the middle of a firefight.

The group took the elevator down to the vault, fighting a black hat ambush along the way. They made their way into the vault, and found a warhead sitting inside. Dick decided to look inside, popping off the top of the warhead, and dragged out the Bell of Saint Michael. Dick told the group what he knew: old records stated the American military was trying to figure out how to use the bell as a weapon, mixing it with a ghost rock bomb. He told them the bell was made when the Catholics took over, and was one of the first bells made for the church. It's importance to people, the place it had in history, gave it power to channel faith.

Toussaint questioned how the Combine could use the bell, since they didn't seem to have a lot of faith, and Dick agreed it was a mystery. Dick told him the power was in the faith surrounding the item. It was meant to beat back the night, to channel positive energy against the forces of evil, against manitous and the undead. It wouldn't be useful against average black hats or gangs. Addie cut in, saying they should worry about getting out first before fretting over the Combine's purpose. Dick agreed.

While preparing to break out and fight the Combine, River spoke to Dick. She called him out for abandoning her, and Dick admitted he did. He asked what her mother told her. River told him Anne had said he just left them one day. Dick said it was more complicated than that: he'd murdered a man, a man that didn't deserve it, and went to jail. He was paranoid, and drifting apart from Anne. He'd started gambling, and his debts put him on edge. He began to believe Anne was cheating on him. It turned out she did want to leave him, but the man she was seeing was just a friend trying to help. He killed him in cold blood.

Gregg asked him about the Abyssal Maw, and Dick pointed to the box on his staff. He admitted to stealing it from his former team, and disclosed it was the prison for a very powerful mantou. It got inside his head, he gave up part of himself with a bargain he made, and the demon takes control every full moon. In turn, he gained a lot of knowledge and magical ability.

River appeared angry, frustrated. She said her mother never told her about his debts, about how bad their marriage was, and what happened at the end. Dick responded he wouldn't have expected her to deal with it anymore, and questioned if she still cared about him at all. He told her their family just wasn't normal, and after this situation, he could leave, drop the bell in someone else's hands, or they could try to be a family again, albeit an incredibly dysfunctional one. River walked over to him and hugged.

Addie watched to two from nearby with interest, and Dick took note of her familiar demeanor with River. He asked her what her relationship was to his daughter. She told him they were romantically involved, and Dick seemed confused, questioning if River was gay. He accepted it quickly, Addie cracking up and River awkwardly stepping back and saying she didn't care. Addie then pulled her aside to talk.

While discussing plans for escaping alive, Dick mentioned he still had a panic button to summon his old team. They could be there quick, but it would mean facing what he did. Toussaint tossed Dick a red hat's palmcorder, telling him to use it to help send a signal to H3x. Dick pressed the button, and the group readied to ascend into the parking lot with the warhead. Team Pancakes swiftly arrived and helped fight off the Combine's reinforcements.

#### After the Battle

After escaping the Combine's soldiers, Dick and the NW6 took a brief respite in Redwater proper. It was there that Toussaint approached Dick and told him that he had left behind a bit of a legal mess in Junkyard, and gave him his card. He also questioned if Dick would answer some questions for him to sate his curiosity, and Dick replied that before agreeing to anything, he'd like to be assured his blood would remain in his body. Toussaint seemed to assure he wouldn't, and asked for Dick's aid in leveraging his former team to create order in Junkyard after Toussaint's brewing revolution. He assured Dick he had no interest in spawning more vampires, and Dick agreed to help in his endeavor.

Toussaint turned to mist just before Addie entered the room. She questioned whether he was going with her group to Boise, and he replied that he was going to ask River, as Templar business wasn't his. She questioned what he was talking about with Toussaint, and Dick spoke vaguely about his plans, saying he wished to restore order and he would keep his promise to hold his plans close. She then asked how his group got a lead on such a powerful artifact as the Abyssal Maw, and Dick told her that while her group was strong and experienced, they weren't ready to know how his people had received that information. He would only say that someone high up gave it to them, and getting the objects involved time travel. Addie expressed a bit of disbelief before telling him that if she heard about him hurting people because of his pact with Orzithal, she would put him down. He told her he wouldn't expect her to, but so far he hadn't woken up drenched in blood after being possessed.

Atom, having eavesdropped on their conversation, comments he'd heard time travel was functionally impossible, and it was likely Hellstromme's theories that allowed it. Atom then mentioned he'd come to talk to Addie, but would let them speak first, and disappeared in a flash of green light. Dick and Addie were left little time to gather themselves before a flashbang was thrown between the two of them, and shook them both. Other Richard and H3x ran up, the former yelling for Dick to put his hands up. When he got in a defensive stance, they opened fire with rubber bullets, and he was knocked to the ground.

Addie walked in front of him, Atom and Gregg following soon after, and tensely stood off with Team Pancakes, assuring them Dick was not a threat and trying to fight them would be a bad move. Team Pancakes eventually backed down, and Addie took Dick over to another ruined building to give him pain medication and let him recover from the assault.. She told him she loved River and wanted her to be happy, and warned him not to fall into old habits and hurt her again. Dick responded that he wouldn't, and assured in that for the time being, she asked to see the childhood photos he had of River. He showed her both.

Later, Gregg searched for Dick, and found him in an alley. Gregg asked if he knew anything about her "How to Serve Your Man" book, and he responded it was a coded grimoire for witches. Hers was newer than his, and likely had less interesting spells inside. Gregg responded she was looking for a spell to bring someone back to life. He told her what she's asking for would be incredibly difficult, and didn't think their magic could do much to help. He'd looked into the subject, and it was complicated. What she was asking couldn't be done. Gregg took it as a personal insult, that she couldn't bring her mom back, and told Dick she'd kill him. Dick responded that stronger and better prepared people had tried, and died. He moved the shadows in writhing shapes to intimidate her, but it did little to stop her attempt, and she pointed her sword at him.

Noni and River arrived on the scene just as Dick dropped his staff, and Dick was tackled by River. She pinned him down, with her metal arm at his throat. Noni shot the hilt of Gregg's sword, knocking it from her hand. Addie ran in not long after, and Atom stepped in front of Noni's rifle. Dick told the group that Gregg was trying to murder him. Gregg shouted she would've killed him if they hadn't stepped in. She shot a bolt of blue energy at Dick, and Addie proceeded to step between them while River activated her shield. Gregg ran off, Addie and Atom following quickly after.

River proceeded to help Dick up. He asked her how she was. She told him she'd been through a lot in the past few years, and questioned if he knew about Anne. He told her he'd seen her wanted posters everywhere, and asked what the plan was for her. River responded they had to take her out, but she couldn't be the one to do it. Dick agreed to fight her, and that it wasn't River's responsibility, it was partially his. He didn't know why she became a monster, but they didn't have to discuss it then. He asked about her girlfriend. River responded there were two, and told him a bit about Noni and Addie. Dick told River they'd both threatened him soon after speaking to him, and River responded they were protective.

River asked if he was going to keep the Maw, and Dick responded it was part of him then, and would likely kill him if he parted with it. Pain caused him to shudder, and his gas mask fell down, revealing his damaged face. River worriedly questioned what happened, and Dick told her the first time Orzithal possessed him, he woke up with that face. She told him he looked like he needed medical help, and he responded he'd get his former team's doctor to look at him. She left him to go speak with Team Pancakes and deal with his failings.

On the way back to Junkyard, Dick went with the rest of Team Pancakes to escort the residents of Redwater to New Wells. After arriving back in Junkyard, Dick made his way to H3x's shop, stepping in front of Codsworth. The robot told Dick they were instructed to not let him in, and he acted spitefully, merging with his shadow and moving into the shadow beneath a car inside. He asked H3x what was on the schedule tonight for the meeting, and H3x shook his head disapprovingly, saying he didn't skimp on entrances. Dick vaguely threatened the group, causing tension. H3x addressed him again, saying there was no need for theatrics. Thomas told Dick Hellstromme was furious about the cube not being turned over to him, and wanted to know when it would be given back. Dick responded it was tethered to his soul, and he couldn't give it to him.

Addie, Atom, Choc, and River arrived soon after, and the meeting began. The two groups went back and forth discussing Hellstromme, while Dick mostly spoke to River. He told her that he didn't know she smoked. She told him she'd picked up a lot of bad habits in Denver. She asked about his former group, and he introduced them in kind. When Addie questioned if Dick would ever hand over the Maw, he mentioned he still had his own problems. One was Anne, another was a group called the Shogun he used to run with. Addie agreed to help him hunt them down to further their goals. Dick agreed with that, and remained with Team Pancakes while the rest headed out.

### Arc 11: Damocles

During downtime, Dick worked on magical bindings that would suppress the magic abilities of any person they were placed on.

### Arc 15: Chasing Coyotes

On November 23rd, Dick walked River down the isle at her wedding.