Ma'arkus Deadwood is a magical scholar and naturalist. Before his transformation, he was a noted collector of magical artifacts and a practitioner of Animancy.
Ma'arkus was a part of Nicolas Beaufont's adventuring party during The Search for the Star and The Shadows of an Empire.
Appearance
As a half-elf, Ma'arkus is tall (at 6'4") and thin. He prefers to wear light, breezy clothing and sandals even in colder weather. Despite his age, Ma'arkus resembles a human in his mid-twenties.
While many of his companions describe him as placid and unemotional, he has been accused of having a "sad look."
Personality
Ma'arkus is generally cool and calm, although there is evidence to suggest this is due to thought-stopping techniques and other strategies. While being generally unbothered by his environment and his companions, he is caring and protective of those he considers friends and allies.
Ma'arkus is, however, very self-motivated, and has been known to willingly ignore or go against the wishes of others if it helps him in completing his own goals.
Background
Early Life
Ma'arkus was born into an isolated tribe of Va'i Highlanders in Va'ia's northern mountains. As one of the tribe's matriarchs, his mother Selah placed a high importance on spirituality and natural magic, which she passed on to him through his upbringing. As part of his childhood education, he attuned himself to the wildlife of Va'ia and dedicated his life to ending the nation's worship of its ancient deities.
He would be trained as an assassin and poisoner like many of his peers, but spent more time focusing on herbalism and magical pursuits.
Magical Study
Around the age of 30, Ma'arkus left home against his mother's wishes to study magic and alchemy in northern Noravia. While living abroad, he was distracted from his independent explorations by the discovery of foreign interest in Va'ia's old traditions, something that inspired him to take up work as a mercenary.
The Star of Abbathor
Near the end of 1343, Ma'arkus agreed to team up with Nicolas Beaufont in pursuit of the Star of Abbathor, provided Nic and his party assist him in his own quest. He served the party largely as a healer, but contributed in its conflicts in various roles.
New Years 1347
After aiding in the combat in Morravin, Ma'arkus was caught unawares in the Museum of Arcane History by Semille Sindelain, who used her newly-researched abilities to permanently transform him into a benign housecat.
Abilities
Ma'arkus can cast a wide variety of spells, though these tend to be natural in nature and either restorative or defensive. He has also shown an aptitude for druidic abilities, having demonstrated the ability to transform into various animal forms.
Due to his upbringing in the Highlands, Ma'arkus has a natural resistance to many toxins and venoms found in nature, allowing him to utilize them in all forms of combat. Combined with his natural stealth and his martial training, he is skilled as an assassin and is known to have dealt with high-profile targets.
Interactions
The Search for the Star
Ma'arkus played a minor role as an antagonist both in the temple at Mt. Selliduin and in Doladrion during Nicolas Beaufont's pursuit of Aurumvorax.
The Shadows of an Empire
Ma'arkus assisted Aurumvorax in their fight against Amurellon Sindelain in the basement of the Museum of Arcane History. Once Amurellon was defeated, Ma'arkus disappeared in order to retrieve the Mask of Dae'er from the displays above.
He is generally non-confrontational and doesn't appear to have any issues with Aurumvorax or any of its members.