Rudolph Miesel (Randall Macey)

Background

Born in the summer of 1906 to German Jews Shimon and Rachael Miesel, Rudolph and his older sister Sarah grew up among a privileged lifestyle in a suburb of Bremen. Shimon was a tailor of some repute and despite hard economic times in Germany, was able to afford the nice things in life as well as a good education for his children.

In 1927, after graduating with a Business degree from the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Rudolph joined his father’s tailoring business. He is not a creative or particularly practical man but he excelled at business and particularly in buying and selling. Over the coming years Rudolph helped his father to grow their business by securing strong trade deals with clothing manufacturers and by improving sales. By 1931, Miesel and Son tailors were an established brand in Berlin and Dusseldorf as well as Bremen. At this time, Rudolph also gained an interest in the performing arts after Meisel and Son were asked to provide costumes for a local play. He proved to be a natural actor, no doubt assisted by his good looks and confident demeanour.

In 1932 Rudolph met Gertrude Hartmann when the two performed together in a local production of The Three Musketeers. Love blossomed and the two planned to marry but in early 1933 things changed. Adolph Hitler manipulated his way into power in February of 1933 and immediately implemented anti-Jewish policies. Gertrude’s father, believing the Nazi propaganda that Jews were responsible for the hyperinflation of the German economy in the 1920s and even the Wall Street Crash of 1929, began to disapprove of Gertrude’s relationship with Rudolph. Although still in love with Gertrude, Rudolph hasn't had any contact with her for many years.

By the middle of 1933 it was becoming increasingly difficult for Miesel and Son to do business and they closed their three stores, relying instead on the import and wholesale of cloth to earn a living. In September of 1935, Hitler announced new laws, coming into force in November of that year, which would strip Jews of German citizenship. Seeing that the writing was on the wall, the family decided to leave Germany. By now, Rudolph’s sister Sarah was married and had emigrated to America with her husband and their two children, they were safe. Shimon decided that he would send Rudolph alone to London where he had arranged a job for him with a former tailor colleague. He was to establish a home while Shimon closed down the business and then Shimon and Rachael would come to London.

Rudolph left Germany in early November of 1935 and hasn’t seen or heard from his parents since.

Rudolph took up his position with Moss Brothers of Covent Garden as a salesman but in late 1936 he applied to join the British army, feeling that he might be able to do something to help his parents as a soldier. Because of his German heritage he was rejected. In early 1937 he received a visit from a young lady named Beverly Erridge. She claimed to work for the British government and had a copy of the army application in her briefcase. She even knew that Rudolph was a promising actor and had business connections in Germany. Beverly offered Rudolph the opportunity to go to Germany in disguise and take photographs of the burgeoning Nazi war machine and bring them back to her in London. She also offered to give Rudolph some time to try and seek his parents. Rudolph accepted and carried out the assignment successfully although he was not able to locate his parents. Their home in Bremen had been vandalised and their business premises looted, Rudolph was too scared to reveal his identity to anybody and returned to England.

Since that first mission, Rudolph has received training in the use of firearms and unarmed combat and has perfected the art of disguise. He carried out several assignments as a freelancer for Miss Erridge while maintaining his full time job as a salesperson for Moss Brothers but In January of 1938 Rudolph was invited to join the newly formed Section D of the Secret Intelligence Service. he leapt at the opportunity and began active service in April of 1938 vowing to seek revenge on the regime that has ruined and imprisoned his family and stolen his love from him. He has adopted the English name of Randal Macey and Miss Erridge is helping him gain British citizenship but this hasn’t been achieved yet.

Special Abilities

• Languages Known: Swedish (d6), Spanish (d6), Russian (d6), Italian (d6), French (d6), Flemish (d6), English (d6), Arabic (d6), German (native, d8)

Advances

• Raise Skills: Performance/Persuasion
• Raise Skills: Fighting/Shooting
• Edge: Charismatic

• Edge: Streetwise