Marcus Sarillius

Marcus Sarillius
Profile
Status:	Alive
Age:	37 (Third Age)
Race:	Human
Gender:	Male
Class:	Paladin
Nation:	Aison
Faction:	Clergy of Hephaestus Fellowship of Tes Pellaria Grand Alliance House of Sarillius
Era:	Third Age

"I finally know who I am! I'm a paladin from Graves Hall! I'm a cleric of Hephaestus! I'm the Chosen One of Cardia! I'm the hero of the Grand Alliance! I'm the Wielder of Dusk! I'm the King of Remon! But above any of those I'm Marcus Sarillius, and I will not let any of my friends die!"

—Marcus Sarillius to Varalia Earthhaven

Marcus Sarillius is the wielder of Dusk, King of Remon and leader of the Grand Alliance in late Third Age. He led the Alliance during the First Great War but went missing after the Cataclysm. He ended up captured by Shyralis who tortured and brainwashed him for years until he began serving her loyally out of fear though his own free will was still intact. He resurfaced years later with Shyralis and reclaimed his title as the King of Remon. He then led a new Grand Alliance in the Second Great War and founded the House of Sarillius, but vanished shortly after helping to rejuvenate the Clergy of Hephaestus. Decades later in the Fourth Age, legends still say he roams the land righting wrongs and helping the weak and oppressed although none of these claims can be verified.

Biography

Early Years

Marcus Sarillius was born to a loving family and was sent to Aison's prestigious military academy known as Graves Hall. He studied the art of war diligently as he was in pursuit of a career as a paladin, a defender of Aison. Many years passed in this manner and he befriended many people during this time, including Rhett Lassiter and a fellow Graves Hall student named Flavius Severus.

Distreyd Era

Heroic Beginnings

"Since coming to Aison, I have become a cleric of Cardia, and it was the god who led me to you. You've been chosen for a destiny that even I do not know of. I pray that you fulfil it, for troubled times are ahead. Gods walk the earth once more."

—Schuldich Cedheros to Marcus

A couple of years before Yamato's conquest of the surrounding kingdoms, Marcus graduated from Graves Hall as an official paladin of Aison. He and his friend Rhett Lassiter met an elven cleric named Schuldich Cedheros during their journey, and Schuldich gave Marcus a magical blade named Dusk and asked Marcus and Rhett to fight as the champions of Cardia, the God of Order, against the forces of Mardük, the God of Chaos.

Schuldich also revealed that Dusk had a sister sword, Dawn, and that it was Marcus's destiny to seek out the wielder of Dawn one day. A woman who was possessed by Cardia appeared to Marcus sometime later and gave him words of courage which Marcus would need on the long and dangerous journey ahead.

Only a week after his graduation, Marcus witnessed the fall of his beloved school at the hands of the Clergy of Nergal and a fire elemental which the clerics had unleashed. The elemental slaughtered many brave warriors and mages until Marcus saved the day by triggering the powers of Dusk and driving the elemental back to the High Plane.

Marcus left the ruins of Graves Hall behind and met with a few heroes who joined him in his quest to fight evil and put an end to the evil schemes of the dark gods Nergal and Mardük. He was troubled by recent events; in order for the clergy to gain access to Graves Hall, someone powerful had to have organized their access to the school. This pointed to a traitor within the Aisonian army, but Marcus had no idea who the traitor could be.

Uncovering a Conspiracy

Suspecting foul play, Marcus and the other heroes decided to travel to the Magestar, an academy of Aisonian mages, to find out how the fire elemental had appeared in the Land of the Living in the first place. They hoped that Master Josiah Amdusias or any other archmage would be of use. However, rumours spread that someone inside the Magestar had aided the Clergy of Nergal by providing them with the means to release the fire elemental, and the recent assassination attempt on King Byron Kagawest of Aison also pointed to a traitor within Aison's most respected forces.

The heroes reached the Magestar and also met with another group of heroes whom they befriended. They helped free one of the heroes from captivity and discovered that there was indeed a large conspiracy led by Master Vepar within the members of the Magestar council itself. The heroes fought their way out of the Magestar but ended up clashing with some of the masters, most notably Amon who was holding the famous Staff of Magius. Marcus's Dusk proved superior in the end, though, and shattered the staff.

Most of the treacherous masters were dealt with although some escaped from the destructive aftermath of the heroes' visit. Josiah thanked Marcus and the others for saving Aison from such a menace. However, it was clear that the Clergy of Nergal and the Clergy of Mardük still had a few aces on their sleeve and were obviously planning to weaken Aison from within for some nefarious purpose. Marcus realized that the war against Chaos was far from over.

Searching for Dawn

More determined than ever to stop Chaos, Marcus continued his journeys and eventually he and the other heroes drifted apart and went their separate ways. He wasn't willing to forget his quest to find Dawn, and he also hoped to meet Schuldich again to hear more about his supposed destiny as the champion of Cardia.

The young paladin searched all over Aison, and thought of traveling to Yamato. Then the Yamatian conquest of Remon, Libaterra and Maar Sul hit, and Aison was targeted next. Shogun Masamori Hyuga and High Cleric Distreyd Thanadar XII had succeeded in taking over almost the entire world in a matter of few years thanks to their blitzkrieg tactics and efficient use of dark magics.

During this time Marcus thought that the Yamatians and the clerics of Mardük might have seized Dawn and that Schuldich might be in hiding. Not long after Remon was conquered, Marcus fought his past apprehensions of the place from events of his childhood and went there because something was calling him there. Nothing would stop him from finding Dawn, to have the pieces of the puzzle fall into place at long last.

It was in the cold city of Fragnar where Marcus finally found the source of his hunch. He met a group of heroes which included Leon Alcibiates, Daventhalas de Mont Hault, Refan d'Zarnagon, Jonathan Ferron and Nalaen Silverpond. Leon and Marcus had a long discussion about Dusk and Cardia's plans to restore Order to the world which was now under control of Chaos, and Leon eventually hired Marcus as a bodyguard. They began to formulate a plan to free Remon and the rest of the world from the Yamatian yoke.

Becoming a King

The now 26-year-old Marcus and his companions recruited more heroes for their cause and formed the Fellowship of Tes Pellaria. They travelled to Tes Pellaria to consult with the spirits of the dead for advice on how to unite the bickering races of Remon under one banner to drive out the Yamatian invaders. As the heroes accessed the crystal catacombs, they also accidentally set free the Faerfolc who provided them with means to contact the spirits of the dead.

It was then that the spirit of King Agarwaen told everyone that he had chosen the bearer of Dusk as his heir and the new king of Remon. Marcus was surprised by such a revelation, and he didn't think he was ready for such a heavy burden. It was too late to back down by then, though, because the spirits of the dead sent a vision of Marcus receiving Agarwaen's blessing all around Remon. This vision both led Remoners to join Marcus's growing resistance but it also alerted Yamatians and the Clergy of Mardük to his whereabouts. A race against time began.

First Battles

Marcus was incredibly nervous about his new position and relied on Leon who became his mentor. His first true battle as king took place at the foot of Drithenspire where Yamatian admiral Yousei Kaizoku and his minion Seishuu Kazejin set a trap by framing Marcus for trying to use the dwarves as meat shields. The enraged dwarves attacked the fellowship while a large armed force led by Kaizoku entered the fray as well.

The battle would've ended in the fellowship's defeat if it weren't for Marcus staying true to his ideals and asking the dwarves to trust him. The earnest look in his eyes as well as the fact that he possessed Dusk, a sword forged by the dwarven patron god Hephaestus, eventually made the dwarves change their minds and join Marcus's forces. Kaizoku's army lost but he and his key followers escaped to fight another day. Marcus befriended the dwarven king Arisol as well as Aro who became his dwarven advisors.

Marcus met with Alessandra DeKont and Raphael Darness. Alessandra proved to be a formidable warrior with an eye for strategy, and Marcus eagerly made her one of his confidantes. However, Alessandra didn't care about Marcus a bit and only saw him as a means for Remon to liberate itself from the Yamatian yoke. She hated Marcus's indecisiveness and often punched him, and Marcus allowed that to happen because he knew he needed her advice as much as Leon's.

The fellowship and their new dwarven allies realized that it would only be a matter of time before Kaizoku got reinforcements and returned with an even bigger force. Even the dwarves' strength would not be enough to stop the combined forces of the warriors of Yamato and the mages of the Clergy of Mardük, so the fellowship had to gather more followers.

The heroes decided to travel south and recruit as many Remoners as possible until they would reach Folsworth Woods and hopefully convince the elves to join them. Although the elves' support was crucial for the fellowship, it was unclear how they would be able to make the elves forget years of persecution. They knew, however, that failure to form an alliance with the elves would result in the death of the entire fellowship.

Beastmaster Incident

After a few skirmishes, the fellowship reached Folsworth Woods, the home of the elves of Remon. They met with Krisler Garside, an idealistic elf who sympathized with the humans' plight. He escorted the fellowship to his home village of Codael Lake to meet with his father, Malthar Garside. Malthar was less than pleased by such intrusion from humans and dwarves but Krisler suggested that the fellowship could prove its worth by helping the elves deal with a serious problem in the woods.

This problem was known as the Beastmaster, a strange creature who had mutated animals in into ferocious beasts. Many elves had already fallen in battle against him, and now he was massing his forces for a final attack on the elven cities. Malthar suggested that if the fellowship could defeat the Beastmaster, the elven King Amandil might be willing to listen to proposals for an alliance. Seeing no other choice to earn the elves' trust, the fellowship agreed to take down the Beastmaster and save the woods from his reign of terror.

The heroes fought against Azrael and the minions of the Beastmaster and even crossed the dreaded Meadow of Red Bells. In the end they reached Myrael Toria, the Beastmaster's headquarters. There they faced the Beastmaster himself who had been expecting them. With a ferocious roar, the Beastmaster and his elite minions attacked the fellowship, and at the same time the other members of the fellowship defended Codael Lake and nearby elven communities from the Beastmaster's massive horde of mindless monsters.

The tide of the battle changed, however, when Krisler managed to convince the reclusive elves of the southern mountains to come to the heroes' aid with their fast pegasi horses. At the same time a group of friendly Yamatian Remoners calling themselves the Akai Tora appeared with a detachment from Maar Sul to aid in the battle. This changed the tide of the battle, and the combined forces of the heroes and elves managed to overcome the Beastmaster.

Revelations

The fellowship befriended the Akai Tora leader Kazuya Ofuchi and the Maar Sulais princes Geraud Aurelac and Kagetsu II. They promised to aid the fellowship in the campaign to free Remon if the fellowship would help depose Hideyoshi Ofuchi in Remon and liberate Maar Sul from Yamatian forces and restore Kagetsu II to the throne of Maar Sul. Marcus agreed and thus gained these new allies.

However, the heroes soon discovered that the Beastmaster hadn't been the mastermind behind the daring plan to attack the elves, after all. In fact, the dark cleric Zarnagon, Refan's nemesis, had been behind it and had controlled things from behind the scenes. The item found from the Beastmaster's corpse identified the Beastmaster as Maiyr Korath whom Zarnagon had mutated into this gruesome form.

As if that wasn't enough, Amandil's trustworthy advisor, Firion Korath, was revealed as Maiyr's brother. The heroes realized that the Beastmaster had only been a distraction so that Firion could use the ensuing chaos to his advantage and assassinate the unguarded Amandil as per Zarnagon's orders.

The heroes raced to the elven capital of Sanae to save Amandil and arrived just in time to foil Firion's plan. Firion escaped, vowing to make the heroes pay and taunting them that Zarnagon was already too many steps ahead of them. The battle was over for now, but the heroes knew that Firion would meet Kaizoku sooner or later and then launch an all-out attack on Folsworth Woods with him to wipe out Marcus and the fellowship once and for all.

Forming the Alliance

Amandil was impressed and grateful of the fellowship's valiant actions. After lengthy talks, the fellowship, the dwarves, the elves, the Akai Tora and the Maar Sulais knights decided to band under Marcus to drive the Yamatian menace out of Remon. The Grand Alliance of old had been revived at long last!

A period of frenetic training began among the troops while more and more heroes and mercenaries joined the Grand Alliance's ranks. Among the new allies were Axikasha Keiran and members of the Fellowship of Magestar such as Abel Highwind, BoB the Jaguar, Hector Blackwell and Reven Faldon.

These heroes brought invaluable intel to Marcus and also made him see that liberating Remon would only be the first step; to truly defeat the evil Distreyd Thanadar XII and Shogun Masamori Hyuga, the heroes would have to destroy the shards of Krystallopyr with the Cricket Ball of Magic and liberate the conquered kingdoms from the Yamatians and clerics of Mardük. Only then could the world be truly free.

Marcus befriended many of these new heroes during this period, and one of the people he really got along with was Axikasha Keiran, whom he called Ax. The two really seemed to connect on an emotional level and had similar interests, and Marcus was amused and somewhat flattered when the drunken Ax tried to hit on him during an elven party.

For the first time in years Marcus felt a sense of relief. He now had a grand army to command and these people supported him. He also had great mentor figures such as Leon and Alessandra to rely on as well as fine bodyguards like Ax and Refan to work with.

The serenity of Sanae ended soon after when Refan and Hector captured two dark clerics, Tanya and Izael Korath. It didn't take long for the two clerics to escape, and rumours about traitors among the Alliance's ranks spread. Marcus knew it was a serious matter but he could do nothing for the time being but to practice his swordfighting skills for the battles to come.

Battle of Folsworth Woods

News of the arrival of Kaizoku's army spread to Folsworth Woods and Ax volunteered to lead a scouting party ahead to find out what the Yamatians were planning. Not long after one of the party members galloped back to Sanae to inform Marcus of the Yamatians' actions as well as how Ax had valiantly stayed behind to fight off pursuing attackers.

Marcus, who had grown closer to Ax by that time, was not willing to let Ax die in the hands of vile enemies, and he rushed to her without concern of his safety. He wanted to be an example to his men and show that no man or woman would be left behind as long as he was in charge. Naturally Marcus's sporadic act caused mayhem in the camp: the Alliance couldn't afford to lose its leader. Thus Marcus's and Ax's actions caused the Alliance's armies to emerge from Folsworth Woods earlier than either the Alliance or Kaizoku had expected, and the Battle of Folsworth Woods began.

The battle was fierce, and the Yamatians and clerics of Mardük outnumbered even the combined forces of the Grand Alliance. While Ax's group breached the Yamatian fort, Marcus was busy coordinating the attack. He knew that this would be a true test his and his soldiers' skills: if he failed even with elves on his side, Remon would be beyond salvation. Things looked desperate for a while when many heroes, including the Akai Tora leader Kazuya Ofuchi and the dwarven king Arisol, fell in battle.

Yet another timely arrival of the pegasi warriors changed the tide of the battle. Ax's group managed to capture most of the Yamatian commanders, thus severly lowering the morale of the Yamatian forces. Kaizoku and his Black Hunters managed to escape, but the rest of the Yamatians and clerics of Mardük either fled, surrendered or died. The Grand Alliance had scored a major victory against the Yamato Empire, and now the Great War had truly begun in earnest.

Marcus and his companions held a grand funeral for both the fallen enemies as well as allies. They gathered a huge pyre from the abandoned Yamatian fort and set it on fire. During this solemn act Aro became the new king of dwarves and Miyuki Ofuchi became the new leader of the Akai Tora. Marcus appointed Kagetsu II as the co-leader of the Alliance, a position which Kagetsu II gratefully accepted.

Shadow of a Doubt

The Alliance began its campaign to liberate Remon. The battles such as those in Opethburg helped cement the Alliance's popularity among the masses. Soon Marcus's army had grown so huge that it decided to march directly to Remonton where the Yamatian Council of Regents resided. Should Remonton fall, it would be relatively simple to secure the rest of Remon.

Marcus also interrogated one of the captured dark clerics, Jacob Seneron, about Zarnagon's plans. He wasn't successful at first until Rune, one of the Alliance members, used a brutal tactic to make Jacob spill out information. Marcus was horrified by Rune's actions and didn't know how to react. He had noticed that some members weren't nice in their methods, and he began worrying if the Alliance would end up becoming another murdering mob in the end. Still, the inside information which Jacob had about Remonton turned out vital.

Marcus soon discovered that Leon had disappeared and that a white kestrel resembling his bird form had been seen flying towards Remonton. Some of the higher-ups of the Alliance began accusing Leon of being a Yamatian spy, but Marcus refused to believe that Leon, his old friend and mentor, would do something so vile.

Marcus's heart became lighter once a Yamatian messenger arrived at the camp and announced that Hideyoshi Ofuchi, the leader of the Council of Regents in Remon, was holding Leon hostage and would kill him unless Marcus surrendered. Although Alessandra tried to make Marcus understand that the lives of many were more important than the lives of one person, Marcus refused to let his friend die. He had saved Ax before and he intended to do the same to Leon.

On the eve of marching to Remonton, the indecisive Marcus found two dark figures entering the camp. One of these turned out to be Leon, and the other one was Ryoji Mishima, a Yamatian who had grown disgusted over Ofuchi's rule in Remonton. Once Ryoji had left, Marcus and Leon had a long discussion during which Leon explained what secrets he had learned from Hideyoshi Ofuchi. Marcus was happy that his friend had remained loyal after all.

New Challenges

With Leon safe, Marcus sent his most trusted companions to infiltrate Remonton at night. One group would open the gates from within so that the rest of the army could march in while the other group would capture the Yamatian councillors. The groups were successful, and the Alliance's army entered the city and began the First Battle of Remonton, which ended in the Alliance's victory.

Although the mission was a success, many heroes had lost their lives thanks to treachery from one of the Alliance members, Shyralis. It turned out that she'd been responsible for killing Arisol as well as freeing Izael and Tanya prior to the Battle of Folsworth Woods. Another female, Viirsa Yuriev, was captured because she'd been aiding Shyralis, and Hector nearly suffered an emotional breakdown as a result because he'd fallen in love with Viirsa.

With the Council of Regents captive, Hideyoshi Ofuchi dead and Remonton in the Alliance's grasp, Marcus could finally be crowned king in a glorious ceremony. He appointed representatives of dwarves, elves and men to lead the campaign to liberate the rest of Remon from dwindling Yamatian forces while he would travel to Maar Sul with the main Alliance army to liberate Maar Sul as per Kagetsu II's wishes.

However, Leon explained that he could no longer accompany Marcus. Ever since the battle in Remonton, he'd known that his very existence threatened the stability of the world and that he had to follow Geraud Aurelac who was destined to bring balance to the world by purifying Yggdrasil. Although Marcus was sad to see his mentor go, he understood that everyone had their own battles to attend to. The two had tearful farewells: Leon and Geraud headed to a magical isle while Marcus and Kagetsu II took the main army to Maar Sul.

Marcus had also discovered that Dawn was currently held in Myridia in Aison. He knew he couldn't go there himself because he had an army to lead, so he sent Ax and a group of heroes to Aison with the task to infiltrate Myridia and steal Dawn. If Ax succeeded, it would mean that both magical blades would be in the hands of warriors of Order and thus they could be used together to defeat Chaos once and for all.

On Maar Sulais Soil

As soon as the Alliance reached Maar Sul, Marcus and Kagetsu II captured a Yamatian assassin onboard the ship and found out that both Remy Aurelac and Réin Aurelac had died. It didn't take long for Kagetsu II to figure out that his one-time ally, Martin Struan, had been the mastermind behind this act. It was now more imperative than ever to liberate Maar Sul City from the usurper Struan.

Kagetsu II led a task force into Maar Sul City while Marcus commanded the armies of the Grand Alliance. Soon the First Battle of Maar Sul began, and Marcus's forces broke into Maar Sul City to aid Kagetsu II who by that time had managed to dispose of Struan. However, the Yamatians guarding the city got a brief power boost when a man who looked like the Shogun appeared to lead the Yamatians against Marcus.

It was only after Kagetsu II had bested this commander that the man turned out to be an impostor on whom Distreyd XII had cast a spell. Seeing their commander being nothing more than a fake, the remaining Yamatians in the city surrendered. Kagetsu II was crowned the King of Maar Sul a day after the battle.

With the Maar Sulais capital now under the Alliance's control, Kagetsu II and Marcus sent the Delegation of Thirteen to the Khitan Khanate to ask for the Khitans' help in the war. Once the delegation had left, Kagetsu II and Marcus led the army of the Alliance to take over the strategically important city of Victoire. The Alliance was victorious during the First Battle of Victoire and had thus secured a proper foothold on two key Maar Sulais cities.

Setbacks and Triumphs

Just when Marcus was getting used to victories, he ended up learning the hard way that he shouldn't be too trustful. One of his newest allies, Burke Stenstadt, went to talk to him one night and suddenly overpowered him. Burke fled into the night with Dusk, and Alessandra soon appeared on the scene and began punching Marcus for being such an idiot to trust a soldier like Burke in the first place.

Alessandra gave chase to the treacherous Burke but neither one of them returned, and Marcus's attempts to find any traces of them were futile. Marcus became increasingly worried because now that both Leon and Alessandra were nowhere to be found, he only had Kagetsu II to rely on. He had also lost his most prized possession, Dusk, and he feared that the Clergy of Mardük might get its hands on the magic sword.

Thankfully the delegation had succeeded, and the Khitans helped the Alliance liberate northern Maar Sulais cities. Once the key port cities had been secured, Marcus received word from Josiah Amdusias who wrote in his letter about the Magestar being besieged by Zarnagon's main army and that it meant that Myridia wouldn't have as many enemies defending it as before. Realizing that this was the optimal time to take over Myridia, Marcus convinced Kagetsu II to join him on a campaign to liberate Aison while some Alliance soldiers would continue liberating the rest of Maar Sul and Scundia.

Fight for Myridia

The bulk of the Grand Alliance reached Myridia just as Ax led the last weary survivors out of the palace. Marcus was happy to hear that Ax had succeeded in stealing Dawn. Now the Alliance could finally strike back at Chaos with the full power of Dusk and Dawn. Ax, Hector and a gravely injured Viirsa made their way to the army's white mages, hoping something could be done. After recovering from their wounds and fatigue, Ax and a distraught Hector reentered the fierce battle which now took place in the Aisonian capital.

While Ax, Refan and a few other heroes ran up the Dark Tower to confront Zarnagon, Marcus and Kagetsu II led the battle below and eventually beat back the weakened Yamatian army which had failed to alert the main Yamatian army in Aison which was still besieging the Magestar. Despite this the Yamatians in Myridia were elite forces and fought back fiercely, forcing Marcus and others to fight for their lives.

In the end the Alliance won this crucial battle but not without a cost: Zarnagon had escaped and slain a bunch of gifted heroes. Many other heroes, including Ax and Refan, had disappeared in the ensuing chaos as well. Marcus couldn't understand what had made Ax leave and why she hadn't handed Dawn over to him. It was frustrating for him to think that he had been so close to claiming Dawn at long last and it had slipped through his fingers once again.

Marcus was unhappy about these events but knew that he had to carry on his campaign. For the next few months he and Kagetsu II moved from one city to another, liberating them and beating back the armies of Yamato and the Clergies of Mardük and Nergal.

The Alliance eventually liberated most of Aison with help from the combined forces of the elves of Tel'Elee, the dwarves of Kilbannock and the mages of the Magestar. Once again Marcus and Kagetsu II left some troops behind to secure the few remaining Yamatian-controlled cities. They planned to liberate Libaterra next.

Reunited with Dusk

The Aisonian heroes had found out that Daven couldn't use the powers of the Cricket Ball of Magic to weaken Distreyd XII without powering it up first. Rune suddenly revealed that he knew of old Alentian ruins underneath the Libaterran capital of Lutherin and that there was a reactor core there which should be able to power up the magical stone.

Marcus was surprised by this revelation and wondered why Rune hadn't mentioned it before. He brushed it off his mind, though, and travelled to Libaterra with the bulk of the army. The Alliance had been successful so far and it would help them immensely if Yamato would lose its Libaterran resources.

The campaign in Libaterra proceeded as planned at first. Marcus decided to take greater action this time around and sent Kagetsu II to lead the battle for Lutherin while he would descend with Rune, Daven and a bunch of Aisonian heroes into the ruins underneath Lutherin to find the mysterious reactor core. Rune's information turned out to be correct, and Daven placed the stone into the reactor core to power it up.

It was then that clerics of Nergal arrived, accompanied by Burke who was wielding the bloodstained Dusk. Marcus and Burke began a fierce duel while the Aisonian heroes fought against the clerics. Although Burke was a skilled warrior, Dusk rejected the darkness in his heart, which allowed Marcus to defeat him and reclaim Dusk at long last.

Tragedy in Libaterra

However, the reactor core suddenly began overheating. The magic stone shattered inside it, and most of the Krystallopyr shards were destroyed in the process. Rune revealed his true colours at the same time much to Marcus's horror. Rune had in fact been an agent of the another faction and had been using the Alliance for his mysterious master's own ends by playing the clergy and the Alliance against each other. With Krystallopyr's main power gone and the reactor core about to explode, it would weaken the Clergy of Mardük and make the Alliance the ones to blame for Libaterra's destruction.

Marcus and the heroes tried to stop Rune who nevertheless managed to escape. Pursuing the traitor was futile, and the heroes barely escaped from the reactor core alive before it exploded. As if that wasn't enough, the Faerfolc whom the Alliance had released from Tes Pellaria at the beginning of the Great War were now running amok in Libaterran countryside, killing hundreds of people in their wake.

Just as Rune had predicted, the Libaterran population became hostile towards the Grand Alliance once they had heard that the Alliance had been behind the Faerfolc Rampage as well as the reactor core explosion. Despite their best efforts the heroes couldn't do anything but flee from the destruction of Libaterra. These horrible events scarred Marcus emotionally, and he blamed himself for causing so much misery to the innocents in Libaterra. However, he also wondered who Rune's mysterious master actually was and what else Rune would gain from this tragedy.

Raiding Vulpengaard Keep

After the disaster in Libaterra the Alliance arrived at Yamato to finally put an end to the Great War which had lasted for years. The heroes worked hard to liberate the Yamatian islands one after another. When the army of the Alliance had gained a decent foothold on Yamatian soil, Marcus and Kagetsu II planned a daring assault on one of the most important locations in the Yamato Empire: Vulpengaard Keep, the headquarters of Distreyd Thanadar XII and the Clergy of Mardük.

The battle that took place was fierce, and both sides lost many champions. Once the heroes entered the keep to capture Distreyd XII, however, they found him dead already. They wondered if the shattering of Krystallopyr shards and the destruction of the Cricket Ball of Magic had had something to do with it or if Rune or his master had done the deed.

Marcus was almost caught in a blast of enemy magic during the battle but Kagetsu II saved him in the nick of time. Before Marcus could react properly, there were dozens of bloodthirsty Yamatians and clerics of Mardük between him and Kagetsu II and he couldn't return the favour. Instead he continued the battle which was eventually won. However, he later heard that Kagetsu II had fallen in battle against an overwhelming enemy force before the Alliance's reinforcements had reached him.

Marcus was stricken by grief over Kagetsu II's death. The only good thing resulting from the battle was that the Clergy of Mardük had lost its leader and base and now the only formidable Yamatian city left to conquer was Kageshima, the heart of the empire. The soldiers of the Alliance wanted to avenge Kagetsu II's death, and Marcus used his soldiers' rage to his advantage by marching directly to the Yamatian capital to put an end to the conflict.

Final Days of the War

The Second Battle of Kageshima was a spectacle to behold. Driven by vengeance and the will to end the war, the Alliance attacked the City of Shadows brutally. Marcus duelled with General Keiichi Arashi and defeated him, thus killing the last capable Yamatian commander left.

Just as the Alliance prepared to storm the city, Mardük, the God of Chaos, arrived and opened a portal to the Demon Realm, letting countless demons pour into the world to fight in his name. Just when Marcus's forces were about to be overwhelmed, Cardia, the God of Order, appeared and aided the heroes in the battle that would decide the fate of the entire world.

However, the arrival of a strange new beast changed the tide of battle as it devoured both Cardia and Mardük whose deaths caused demons to run amok and attack both Yamatians and soldiers of the Alliance. Continents began shifting as a result of this Cataclysm, and the menace of the demons and the mysterious Godslayer forced the Alliance to a hasty retreat.

Aftermath

"After the war and the breaking of our Grand Alliance, I ran. I was afraid I couldn't be the king that Remon needed. I wandered. I tried to forget. If you were hoping for a good excuse, that's too bad. There is none."

—Marcus to Axikasha Keiran

The Great War had come to an end but with a terrible cost: demons overran Yamato, and many nations became isolationist thanks to internal power struggles. Marcus, horrified by the destruction that the Godslayer had caused, fled to safety only to be captured by a group of dark clerics led by a familiar foe, Shyralis. Marcus was too weary from battle to resist, and the clerics subdued him easily.

Shyralis, who was enraged by the defeat of the dark clergy she had once served, wanted to make Marcus suffer. She took Marcus from place to place as her captive until she finally set foot in a crumbling tower on the outskirts of Remonton. She would torture and brainwash Marcus for eight long years, preparing him to be her pawn as King of Remon once the time was right.

Godslayer Era

The Age of Emptiness

"You will serve me...us, or you will rot down here for the rest of your pathetic existence, kept alive only to amuse me. Surely the choice isn't that difficult?"

—Shyralis to Marcus

On Death's Trail

"I stand before you today...yes, today, and plead with you all! The only strong Remon is a united Remon. Help me make our country great once more!"

—Marcus addressing the people of Remonton

A Game of Deception

"The burden of leadership is heavy, isn't it, Marcus? Everyone's looking at you for guidance, and if you make just one tiny error, your subjects and allies will turn against you and tear you apart like ravenous wolves. You don't have to worry about it anymore, though. We've come to share the burden with you."

—Xerathas d'Zarnagon to Marcus

Echoes of War

"It won't do any good to dwell on the things Nergal said, Ax. We have no reason to believe any of it was true."

"We have no reason to doubt him, either. What if he's right? What if I'm just...a messenger. I have to know, Marcus."

—Marcus and Axikasha Keiran

A Crimson Dawn

"Marcus...what has become of you, these last few years? I still trust you. I still believe in you as the rightful king of Remon. But you've...changed. There are times I feel that you're not you, especially when the snake bitch is hanging around. You seem so distant sometimes..."

"I don't know, Ax. Sometimes it's as if I'm...I don't know. Sometimes I don't feel in control of my own actions."

—Axikasha Keiran and Marcus

Tears of the Sun

"I finally know who I am! I'm a paladin from Graves Hall! I'm a cleric of Hephaestus! I'm the Chosen One of Cardia! I'm the hero of the Grand Alliance! I'm the Wielder of Dusk! I'm the King of Remon! But above any of those I'm Marcus Sarillius, and I will not let any of my friends die!"

—Marcus to Varalia Earthhaven

The Winds of Wrath

"She shaped me to be her pawn, and for so long...I was! But no more, I promise you that. Please, I need my friends now more than ever. Perhaps it wasn't the right way to get away from her, but if nothing else, Xerathas finally freed me from...her."

—Marcus to Axikasha Keiran about Shyralis

Sowing Season

"We won't let Vanna fall no matter what happens."

"Yes. We'll show them that there's still light left in this wretched world and that it's worth fighting for!"

—Refan d'Zarnagon and Marcus

Marcus attended a meeting in the palace of Vanna to hear what their prisoner, Hannibal Losstarot, had to say. He was surprised by the boy's fine speech skills and found some truth behind his words even though Hannibal was an enemy of the Grand Alliance. Waldheim suggested a compromise: he would take Hannibal and the Vulfsatz to Alent, thus getting Hannibal closer to home, preventing the Crimson Coalition from having any reason to involve the Sarquil in the conflict, and gaining Alent's trust for getting their hands on someone as valuable as Hannibal and the Vulfsatz.

Jono's outburst in the meeting and his accusations of how the Alliance had become corrupt hurt Marcus's feelings. Marcus began pondering if doing the necessary evil deed was in fact good for the morale of the Alliance in the long run. However, he also understood that he would need help from both the Sarquil and Alent if the Alliance could stand against the might of the Crimson Coalition. As if political problems weren't enough, Marcus also had conflicting feelings for Ax who so far hadn't decided what to think about his love confession.

Things began to unravel quickly in the next few days. Jono and Vaetris had broken Hannibal from jail and fled with him, so Waldheim's group could only take the Vulfsatz with them to Alent. Not long after Waldheim's group had left, news spread that a large force of soldiers had been spotted on the outskirts of Vanna. Marcus hurried to the ramparts, only to discover to his horror that an army of demons had arrived.

Marcus witnessed the exchange between Ismail and Dreadlord Leraje Thanadar, the leader of the invading Northern Horde, and was surprised how Ismail courageously challenged the Dreadlord to a duel for the fate of Vanna. Marcus talked to Ismail, Razoul and Qadohi about using Ismail's duel as a means to distract the demons long enough for Qadohi's group to sneak into the demon camp via underground tunnels and free the hundreds of Sarquil prisoners there.

As Qadohi began her mission with the task force, Marcus joined Khalid and witnessed the fateful duel between Ismail and Leraje. He was horrified to see Ismail lose against the Dreadlord who mocked the heroes for their futile efforts to protect Vanna. With Ismail dead, Razoul became the new captain of the Black Guard, and Marcus saw that Razoul was indeed up to the task to defend the city.

Marcus was horrified when he found out that the demons were actually using decapitated heads as catapult ammo. However, the demons' demoralizing act only made Marcus angrier and he promised to protect Vanna at all costs no matter what happened.

Aliases and Nicknames

Elf-Friend

What he is known as among elves because he was one of the few humans to champion their cause.

Hero of Aison

His title for his involvement in defeating the fire elemental in Graves Hall and thwarting the conspiracy in the Magestar.

Noche

The alias used by Marcus during the adventures in Vanna.

Wielder of Dusk

A honorary name given to Marcus because of his position as the chosen one destined to wield the magic sword Dusk.

Your Majesty

Used by all of his subjects. Well, at least those who respect him.

Appearance

Blonde hair, 6'2". Wears a white shirt and pants with padded leather armour underneath. Normally wears a purple cape. Think of Cecil from Final Fantasy 4.

Personality and Traits

Generally reserved, he loves Aison but he has also come to love his kingdom of Remon. He seeks to know more about his sword, Dusk, which an old man gave to him one day whilst strolling near a river. He is very heroic but quite naïve which is likely the result of his paladin upbringing.

Powers and Abilities

Innate Ability: Marcus could channel a small amount of energy through his hands. Mostly healing energy, since that's the magic he studied at Graves Hall and the Magestar, not long before Graves Hall become a pile of rubble and stont. He lost his innate ability after the Cataclysm and now has to rely on traditional magic in healing.

Relationships

Alessandra DeKont

While having sworn allegiance to Marcus, Alessandra didn't really care about him beyond his use as a figurehead to unite the people in battle against the Yamatians she'd sworn to destroy. This meant she did her best to keep him alive, and was often infuriated by the stupid things Marcus would occasionally do, leading her to giving him a beating every now and then. Despite this the two grew to respect one another, and Marcus often relied on Alessandra for military advice.

Axikasha Keiran

Ax and Marcus have been close since the moment they first met. They seemed to connect in some way, and this bond deepened after all the battles they had fought. When they began using Dawn and Dusk in tandem years later, they seemed to develop an even stronger bond, although Shyralis was around to see that they did not get too close. This did not stop Marcus of thinking about Ax romantically, although he was hurt when he thought that she had seemingly set her eyes on Refan.

Desdemona de Ardyn

Marcus and Desdemona seemed to bond almost as soon as they met. There was something about Desdemona that reminded Marcus of Ax, and that made him warm up to her. Marcus was still insecure of how he really felt about Ax, but Desdemona guided him gently and eventually managed to push his emotions to the right direction. He cares for Desdemona as a person, and the fact that she is a noblewoman is also something to be considered, because he realizes that a marriage with her would be a politically wise move that could save Remon from further chaos.

Kagetsu II

Marcus and Kagetsu II respected each other a great deal. Both men were at first reluctant to become leaders but eventually grew into their roles and became known as the greatest heroes of the Grand Alliance. They helped each other reclaim their homelands and in Kagetsu's case even sacrificed his life to save the other. Kagetsu was one of the most crucial people to sow the seeds for Marcus's eventual badassness.

Leon Alcibiates

Leon acted as a mentor and a close friend to Marcus during the early years of the Great War. This bond went even so deep that Marcus even considered sacrificing his entire army just to stop the Yamatians from executing Leon. When Leon left after the liberation of Remon, Marcus felt insecure and lost and was easily manipulated by various people around him.

Rhett Lassiter

Rhett was a squire who travelled with Marcus. The two got along well, but Rhett was lost when the Yamatians invaded Aison. Marcus grieved Rhett but continued his journeys, doing his best to honour his friend's sacrifice in the war.

Shyralis

Marcus and Shyralis hardly spoke to one another during the Great War. When the war came to an end, this changed. Shyralis managed to kidnap Marcus and take him to Remon where she began the long process of torturing and brainwashing him. Although Shyralis seemingly acts as Marcus's advisor, it is in fact she who is in charge, and she will punish Marcus whenever he tries to act too independently.

See also

• Alessandra DeKont
• Axikasha Keiran
• Dusk
• Fellowship of Tes Pellaria
• Grand Alliance
• Graves Hall
• House of Sarillius
• Kagetsu II
• Rhett Lassiter
• Shyralis