The Resurrectionist

Delia DuVernay, a brilliant scientist, spy, warrior, and last matriarch to an ancient free colored Haitian royal lineage.

History
Born to a powerful and deeply religious Free Colored aristocratic line in Santo Domingo. They trace their line to a union between West African Orungun Royalty and French Cathar aristocrats (who in turn trace their line to Egypt). Composed of soldiers, scientists, and healers they achieve wealth and prominence in the free colored strongholds of Southern Haiti.

An adept student of the families fanatical alchemists Delia is sent to France for an education where her gender eventually becomes an obstacle. She develops a technique to disguise herself as white and creates a persona in Gideon Mills. Using this character she gains access to higher learning and furthers her arcane studies conducting strange experiments around rapid healing, preservation, near death states, and reanimation.

As Gideon Mills she completes her studies and becomes a surgeon, also maintaining a lifestyle as educated socialite Delia.

Her family becomes involved in the Haitian Revolution on the side of the rebellion leaving their numbers and landholdings greatly reduced. They retain their vast wealth and a small number of families and servants dedicated to Delia (seen as a divine figure in the family's religious sect).

Delia serves as a nurse during several battles and eventually escapes to Europe, and finally America.

Where, as Gideon Mills, she becomes a notorious “resurrectionist” and continues her arcane magical rituals

After the Dispensables “capture” Gideon Mills she travels to New Orleans, consolidates her power there, and makes contact with the Orca League.

After capturing an island off the coast of Haiti she establishes it as her base and creates the Laughing Slave.

Abilities
Delia is a brilliant surgeon, alchemist, and engineer with an amazing degree of cross-training in other fields. Trained as a military aristocrat from birth she is a superb marksman, horsewoman, hand to hand combatant, and officer. She is both a master of disguise/deception as well as investigation. A strategic genius she can accomplish almost anything when given time to prepare.

Weapons
The Laughing Slave