Markos
Appearance
The first things one notices about Markos' appearance are the burn marks that scar his dark skin all across the face, right arm, and chest, as well as the magical bronze prosthetic that has replaced most of his left arm. Beneath these newer wounds are many, far older, scars earned during his past as a gladiator. Aside from any of the obvious scars not being covered by simple clothing, Markos is a broad, well built man usually bearing with a soft, gentle expression in contrast to his battle-hardened features.Personality
The First Mate of The Peregrine has a calming air around him, and he speaks to those above and below him with near equal respect. He is kind and self-sacrificing to a fault, leading to many injuries or nights of exhaustion that, were he more selfish, could have been placed onto the shoulders of others. Eager to put his violent deeds behind him, Markos has taken a vow of pacifism, refusing to attack foes even when doing so might save his own life. This does not stop him putting his body on the line however, as on more than one occasion he has taken blows not meant for him. Despite his vow he cares greatly for those around him, and has fought to protect both his crew and total strangers against terrible monsters, on two occassions where he was the only defence between innocents and The Underworld. Above all else, Markos is dependable. Should a task need done he will often take it up wordlessly, whether it be mending his ship, cooking a meal, or organising his crew. He rarely lets those around him down, and will invariably make it right on those rare occasions he does.Abilities
The skills Markos prides himself on are peaceful ones: carpentry, cartography, sewing, and many more. He learned to read, write, and handle large sums of currency all within a short timespan some years ago, and even now is learning new ways to create or mend rather than harm or destroy. And yet, all these years away from combat have rendered him rusty but not incapable. His body is still able to take hits that would easily kill civilians or common soldiers, and his skill in unarmed combat is noteworthy. During his first fight in years, protecting his crew from a demon, he unleashed a buried fury that shocked many, but gained respect from those who had once thought him soft. In his prime, he was a master of combat claws, an exotic form of brass knuckles that extend ones reach with rending, dagger like blades extending out from them. Though that was a long time ago, and he has not opened the lockbox containing his old set in close to a decade. More recently, he has developed a strange power, that of limited shapeshifting. He can look like another person, turn his hands into savage claws, or even grow gills and fins. Not totally sure of where it came from, he believes it is thanks to his worship of Sévas, Master of Faces, though he questions why he of all people would be granted this boon.History
A Bloody Past
He will not talk of how he ended up a gladiator slave, but for decades that was all Markos knew. He woke up, he battled to survive, he slept. Much of the time he would be fighting strangers or animals, but on rare occasion he would be matched against his few friends and peers. At first he revelled in the blood and the glory, but his years were long, and his mind grew jdaded. Too many friends met their ends at his claws, too many aches were inflicted on his body. Eventually he had saved enough money to purchase his freedom, and a chance for new life was in sight.Escape & Service
When he presented his master with the funds saved over months and years, he had believed in earnest that would be enough. But his master laughed, and made clear that Markos, as one of his prize gladiators, would never be free. In a rage Markos killed the lord he had served almost his entire life, and fled. He would have been hunted down and killed for his crime, were it not for the intervention of Telío Alori, an Immortal passing through at the time. The Bladesinger granted a second chance in return for servitude, though promised Markos would be a slave no longer. He would be free to act however and go wherever he wished, so long as he made something of his life and performed the odd task here or there. As Markos accepted, he made his vow of pacifism, and offered to work on one of Telío's many ships. Desperate to make the most of his new life, Markos learned countless skills and worked tirelessly, living a peaceful but active life more many years.The Exotics
Markos had already been serving upon The Ulysses for years before the first of The Exotics arrived. Yurius was the first, put in place as the new captain to lead what had once been a messenger vessel into more dangerous waters. As all the others came along, the ship's identity was forged as a collection of oddballs and strange folk. At first they were simply privateers, attacking some merchant ships for loot while sinking the odd Praelan craft. The months passed by, greater dangers were faced, and eventually it seemed that The Ulysses, later replaced by The Peregrine, did more saving than attacking. It became a crew Markos was proud to be a part of, though it was not without great sacrifice.Korrosan Docks Blast
Through a series of events involving Captain Yurius, a clone of Telío, and a Kindly One, The Peregrine was locked in combat with a ship primed to detonate by powerful magic. Ordering all others below deck to at least partially protect them from the blast, Markos took over the pilot's seat and steered away from the explosion, saving many lives but almost losing his own. By the time he came to, Yurius was thought dead, his left arm was blown off, and the rest of his body was marked with burns that would never fully disappear. In time, Odessa and the new captain, Garrac, would forge an arcane replacement for his arm, shining bronze and just as useful. He was also promoted, from bosun to First Mate, though to this day he performs all the tasks of both roles.Demon Assault
Too soon after the events at Korrosan, Markos would find his crew in danger once again. Acidon was aflame, attacked by demons from The Underworld. Believing the peril was too great, Garrac sent The Peregrine away, to keep it safe from the complete destruction that threatened both city and party. As The Peregrine left beyond sight with crew and refugees on board, a demon spotted the ship and dove for the isolated target. It was here that Markos broke his vow for the first time since he'd made it. With a terrible rage he battled the fiend to protect his people, and through the combined efforts of all on board still able to fight, the demon was slain, and the ship able to leave. Once Acidon had been saved, he returned to the city to pick up The Exotics and handed back his temporary leadership without question or hesitation.Temporary Captain
That terrible week in Acidon was not the only time Markos would claim command of The Peregrine. Many months later Garrac's life would be claimed by The Dream Tyrant, and though The Exotics expected Garrac to return thanks to Telío's constant meddling, Markos was still left with the responsibility until such a thing happened (for it did.) He performed well, but seems to have no love of leadership, believing both that he is unworthy of command, and that he'd rather be working than managing.Festival of Change - 674 MA
During this year's Festival of Change, Markos learned of a curse afflicting Garrac, and promised to speak to every priest in the capital to find someone who could fix it. It was during his travels between temples that chaos broke out, as someone unleashed all the monsters being housed below The Colosseum to wreak havoc. Markos broke his vow a second time, when he saw one such monster about to tear into a crowd of civilians. Despite many injuries, he refused to drop until after Sylas came to finish the creature off. Only once the folk were saved did he finally fall unconscious, beaten blue and bloody. By the end of the Festival he had mostly recovered, and was relieved to see Garrac cursed of his malediction. Command was once again officially handed back, allowing him to relax for the first time in too long.
Children
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