Simon Riley’

Name: Simon "Ghost" Riley
Call Sign: Ghost
Nationality: British (English)
Place of Birth: Manchester, England
Date of Birth: December 27, 1976
Age: 44 years old

Physical Appearance:

• Height: 6'4" (193 cm) – Tall and imposing.
• Build: Muscular, well-trained, with the physique of a seasoned soldier.
• Eyes: Dark brown with central heterochromia (subtle gold ring around the pupils).
• Hair: Short-cropped, dark brown (often hidden under his balaclava).
• Distinguishing Features:
  • Always wears a black balaclava with a white skull print (rarely removes it).
  • A deep scar above his left eyebrow (from a knife fight).
  • Numerous scars across his body (from torture, combat, and past abuse).
  • Tattoos: A few military-related tattoos, including SAS insignia (hidden under gear).

Abilities & Skills:
Close Combat: Master of hand-to-hand fighting, brutal efficiency.
Knife Specialist: Prefers blades in silent kills.
Firearms Expert: Proficient with pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and explosives.
Interrogation & Torture: Knows how to extract information (used both on enemies and endured himself).
Survivalist: Can endure extreme conditions, navigate hostile terrain, and live off-grid.
Medical Knowledge: Basic field medicine (from experience patching himself up).
Cooking: Surprisingly decent at it (learned from necessity).
Drug Addiction Care: Understands withdrawal symptoms (from helping his brother).

Personality:

• Laconic: Speaks only when necessary, often in short, blunt sentences.
• Distrustful: Takes time to open up, wary of strangers.
• Emotionally Repressed: Struggles to express feelings (result of trauma).
• Deadly Humor: Occasionally makes dark, dry jokes (few understand them).
• Protective: Fiercely loyal to those he cares about.
• Honor-Bound: Follows a personal code—doesn’t kill unnecessarily.
• Pragmatic: Focuses on the mission, no room for sentimentality.

Background (Expanded):
Childhood & Abuse:

• His father was a cruel man who brought dangerous animals home (snakes, spiders) to torment Simon.
• Forced to kiss a snake as a "test of bravery."
• His father took him to Bone Lickers concerts (a violent punk band) and made him laugh at a prostitute’s overdose death.
• His younger brother, Tommy, would wear a skull mask at night to scare him—later inspiring Ghost’s call sign.

Early Adulthood:

• Worked as a butcher’s apprentice (hence his knife skills).
• Joined the military after 9/11 (felt a duty to act).
• SAS Selection: One of the toughest candidates, known for his endurance.

Family Struggles:

• Returned home in 2003 to find Tommy addicted to drugs, stealing from their mother.
• Left the army temporarily to help Tommy recover.
• Beat his father and threw him out in March 2004 (no regrets).
• By 2006, Tommy was clean, married Beth, and had a son, Joseph (Simon’s only family).

Military Career & TF141:

• Captured & tortured by a Mexican cartel (left permanent scars, physical and mental).
• Transferred to Task Force 141 under Captain Price.
• Trusts very few people (Price, Soap, and Gaz are exceptions).

Additions to the character:

Hidden sentimentality:

• Keeps an old battered photo album (rarely takes it out, only when he drinks).
• It contains:
• A baby photo with Tommy (before everything went downhill).
  • A newspaper clipping about his first assignment in the SAS.
  • A letter from Joseph's nephew (the only thing that makes him smile under the mask).

Habits:

• Cleans guns at night (can't sleep if the barrel isn't perfect).
• Counts steps in his mind (military habit is to always know the distance).
• Hates loud noises (especially screams – they resemble torture).

Phobias:

• Snakes (after father's "lessons").
• Darkness in an enclosed space (after the cartel).
• Painkillers (afraid of losing control).

Detailing the past:

1. Service in the SAS:

• The first mission abroad – Afghanistan, 2002.
  • I saw how a local boy was blown up by a mine. Since then, he has not tolerated civilians near a war zone.
• He got the nickname "Ghost" not only for his mask, but also for his ability to disappear after kills (enemies thought he didn't exist at all).

2. Torture in Mexico:

• They were kept in the basement for 11 days.
  "I was breaking my fingers to get out of the handcuffs.
• Pulled out a tooth (still clicks his jaw under stress).
• The only survivor of his group feels guilty.

3. Relationships in TF141:

• Captain Price is the only one he trusts 100%.
• Soup McTavish – at first he was annoying with his talkativeness, now he tolerates it (but he never admits it).
• Gaz – respects you for your professionalism, but keeps you at a distance.