The evening started out nicely enough. Mamadou Diallo walked through the streets of Metropolitan Accra, Ghana, strutting confidently like he owned the place. Even at night, the Ghanaian Capital remains alive and active, much to Mamadou's delight. Folks walked by on their cell phones. Cars sped by on rocky roads. The night clubs, the bars and the all-night marketplaces were booming. Out of all the cities in West Africa, Accra was Mamadou's favorite...
Anyone looking at Mamadou Diallo would see a well-dressed, big and tall black man with a shaved head and slick goatee. He was built like an athlete, yet carried himself with the serenity of a monk. Confidence is a thing, and it cannot be faked. Mamadou Diallo looked to be about thirty, but he was far older than that. He was once a proud citizen of the Songhai Empire, which ruled much of the Sahel and Western Africa centuries ago. How could this be? Well, Mamadou is a Vampire, and that's just for starters...
Mamadou was once a soldier in the Imperial Army of the Songhai Empire, and he fought everything from Arab invaders to European colonials in his time. He was once the favorite warrior of General Hamideh, brother to the Songhai Emperor. The valiant African warrior met his end at the age of thirty while visiting the City of Bamako in the Nation of Mali. After a lengthy military campaign, the most decorated garrison of the Imperial Army of the Songhai Empire went to Bamako for some rest and relaxation. Fate had other plans for Mamadou.
While on leave from their duties, military men around the world are known to frequent bawdy houses. Most seek women. Some seek men. All seek pleasure. Mamadou had heard wonderful things about the women of Bamako, and wanted to satisfy his curiosity. That's why he went to a particular boudoir. A beautiful Malian female Vampire named Malika seduced Mamadou and turned him into one of the Undead. Mamadou and Malika were lovers for a long time, traveling across Africa and the Arab world for ages. After a century together, Malika and Mamadou parted ways. It was time for the African Vampire warrior to be on his own.
For quite some time now, Mamadou Diallo has built a life for himself in the King Said Quarter of Metropolitan Accra, the Capital of Ghana. The Quarter is popular with wealthy foreign residents, and in such a neighborhood, the strange and the eccentric are tolerated. Mamadou's neighbors think of him as a weirdo, since he only comes out at night, and throws lavish parties on a regular basis, but they don't suspect his true nature. A Vampire doesn't get to live for centuries without being cautious and adaptable.