Duke Mortimer of Sto Helit is a recurring character in Discworld series and the main character in the novel Mort. His given name is Mortimer, but he prefers to be known as Mort. For a brief time he was an apprentice to Death and temporarily carried out The Duty on his behalf.
He is described as being very tall and skinny, with muscles like knots in string. He has a shock of bright red hair, and looks as if he is made entirely of knees.
Family
Mort is the youngest of a family of famers, living in the Ramptop Mountains, close to the town of Sheepridge. His father is called Lezek and he has an uncle called Hamesh.
He is married to Ysabell and has one daughter called Susan.
History
Mort grew up on a farm in the Ramptop Mountains. Mort's life in the mountains was highly unremarkable until, one Hogswatch eve his father took him to Sheepsridge to find him an apprenticeship. Mort was largely unsuccessful in finding an apprenticeship at the job fair. That is until at the stroke of midnight when a dark, hooded figure arrived on a white horse to offer him an apprenticeship "ushering souls in to the next world".
Mort accepted the apprenticeship out of a desire to please his father and left with his new employer, Death. Whilst living in Death's Domain Mort met Ysabell, Death's adoptive daughter and Albert Death's servant.
Mort's duties initially consist of mucking out the stables and general cleaning duties. However, he is eventually invited to assist with what Death refers to as The Duty. This involved assisting with the death of the King of Sto Lat, after his assassination by the Duke of Sto Helit.
After Mort's initial experience with The Duty, Death decides to allow Mort to complete The Duty by himself. Initially feeling very awkward, Mort soon gets to grips with the job. However, he soon makes the mistake of altering causality by saving the life of Princess Keli on whom he has developed a small crush. The resulting damage to the timeline forces Mort to enlist the help of Ysabell in reparing the damage he has done.
Ysabell who initially shows a strong dislike to Mort eventually grows to love him. The adventure they share together brings them closer together and they eventually get married and have a daughter whom they name Susan
Personality
Mort is a well-meaning, but rather dim-witted young man. He has an enquiring mind and is eager to please. He is a moral person and found that the job of ushering souls in to the next world did not suit him, as he rather regretted the unfortunate necessity of having to kill people.