Mar'lek
Mar'lek (a.k.a. The Phoenix Shade)
Mar'lek is a Dark gryphon who, along with Val'en, is the primary antagonist of the stories of Skydaria. He originates from the end of the Age of Gryphons and is responsible for the conditions that led to the Gryphon War. He was defeated by Avalest but his consciousness persisted in a crystal which was taken to the new birdkin-gryphon nation of Veldera, where he rested for close to a thousand years before being awakened by the birdkin Val'en. Mar'lek provided the knowledge of advanced elemental based technology and used the birdkin of Veldera in his goals to conquer gryphonkind and all of Skydaria.
Physical Description
Body Features
Purple avian half, black mammal half, mahogany forearms, beak, and ears, wingfeathers are gold and orange, has an orange patch on the chest. Has long feathered plumes extending from his tailbase and feathered "spikes" on his back between his wings.
Facial Features
Feathered horns below the eyes extending outward
Special abilities
Abilities include poison, fire breath, regeneration, space/time manipulation, teleportation, invisibility, illusions, farsight, perfect dark vision, aura sense, and barriers. Can carry/transfer elemental energy and can communicate directly with Val'en through an implanted crystal transmitting everything he perceives
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Mar'lek was born as a Moltez gryphon without any noticable elemental abilities. After it became apparent that he would not develop any elemental abilities, he was banished from his clan and left to fend for himself as a wild beast. He discovered he could absorb elemental energy from gryphons when he attempted to steal food from another clan and was attacked by one of the clan's residents. He ended up killing the gryphon by absorbing his energy and escaped. Mar'lek ran out of energy in birdkin territory and gets captured by them. They were then attacked by some other gryphons who heard rumors about a group of birdkin that were trying to capture gryphons. Mar'lek used his powers to absorb the gryphons' energy, killing them in the process, and used it against the birdkin. Instead of dying, the birdkin, became infused with the elemental energy. Mar'lek saw that he could use these new birdkin for his purposes and the birdkin saw a way to claim dominance over the gryphons. They agreed to work together to take down the gryphons and make more of their number. These birdkin became known as Phoenixes as they should have died from Mar'lek's attack but were reborn as elemental-wielding creatures with the power of flight. They saw themselves as proof that they were created out of gryphons to be the new dominant race and saw the other birkin as incomplete beings that needed to evolve or be destroyed. Mar’lek also discovered that he could control the various monsters in Skydaria by absorbing their elemental energy, and turned them into his own personal weapons. Mar'lek and his new growing army started manipulating gryphons and birdkin to start attacking each other, forcing birdkin to try to take over gryphon territory and getting gryphons to get into territorial disputes among themselves due to lack of resources. One way that Mar'lek did this was by destroying agricultural land as well as hunting grounds. Mar'lek's actions created the conditions for the Gryphon War. By acting in the shadows, Mar'lek would let the two races kill each other and then move in to take control of all of them.
However, Mar'lek would eventually fall at the talons of a gryphon named Avalest who took the chaos of the Gryphon War and made it an opportunity to unite birdkin and gryphons. Avalest defeats him in battle but as his body perishes, Mar'lek's consciousness escapes into a crystal which Avalest unknowingly brings to the site that will become Velos, the capital of Veldera, and buries it to symbolize the end of the Gryphon War. Nearly a thousand years pass before Mar'lek senses the presence of a powerful birdkin and reaches out to him. Mar’lek’s essence reached out to that birdkin child specifically as it saw potential in him that no other birdkin in Veldera had ever possessed. The birdkin picked up Mar'lek's crystal, and was aided by Mar'lek's consciousness until a suitable body could be found for him. Mar'lek taught him how to experiment with elemental energy and to develop technologies to defend against and weaken the abilities of gryphons. He also transfered some of his power to the birdkin, extending his lifespan. This is when Mar'lek bestowed the name "Val'en" on the birdkin. Through Mar'lek's influence, Val'en formed the Cult of Fenithia to further Mar'lek's desires. In the meantime, Mar'lek uses his powers to take control of monsters and the current gryphon king of Moltez, using them to get gryphons to attack Veldera and the Velderans to start persecuting them Eventually, Val'en and his followers find a body for Mar'lek and he regains all of his powers, using them to hunt Revelias and his gryphon companions to prevent them from stopping his potential reign.
Gender Identity
Male
Sexuality
Bisexual
Accomplishments & Achievements
Started the Gryphon War, responsible for the death/disappearance of many gryphons, created the Phoenix race of birdkin, escaped death, inspired a cult to do his work, turned birdkin against tribal gryphons, was able to control a gryphon king
Failures & Embarrassments
His efforts in the Gryphon War led to a unity between birdkin and gryphons, not their destruction, let Revelias and Azurna escape after their first encounter
Social
Contacts & Relations
Personal gryphon of Val'en
Religious Views
Mar'lek is the basis for a religious sect, although his followers think they are following something else.
Current Location
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Phoenix Shade, Lord Mar'lek
Life
50 AG
0 AG
50 years old
Birthplace
Children
Current Residence
Gender
Male
Eyes
Yellow
Height
10'
Weight
400 lbs
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Character Prototype
Leaning toward a mix of Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort where he was turned to evil by very powerful personal hurts as a child mixed with the possession of supernatural powers. His connection with Va'len also heavily influences him
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