Marus A'Lemayn

Marus Luyan A'Lemayn is the First Priest of Akaryth and a high ranking member of the Order of St. Luyan, the dominant priestly order of the High Path in the realm. As First Priest he oversees the entire apparatus of the High Path within the kingdom
, and wields considerable authority at court, where he holds high rank and the ear of King Valeyr III.
==Biography==
Marus A'Lemayn, or simply Lemayn, was born in Solstrom, Akaryth, on the 17th day of the month of Icewind, in 1826 AS. His father was a learned magistrate of middle rank; his mother occupied her time with religious devotion.
His upbringing involved a decent foundational education; at an early age he expressed a desire to join the priestly orders. Despite the discouragement of his father, the strong encouragement of his mother won the day. At the age of fourteen, in 1840 AS, he began his apprenticeship at the Vault of the Heavens, the center of Saint Luyan's veneration in Akaryth and therefore, arguably, the world.
Marus is possessed of an incredibly keen and decisive mind, then as now. He quickly mastered the lessons given him, and became fluent in Selmari, Almeidian, Ashuran and Rhesand. His discretion, ability to spot opportunities and stellar recommendations earned him a place in the capital city, Morcham Keep, tending a small chapel belonging to a cousin of the king.
By 1855, at the age of 29, he occupied a post much closer to the throne, as the chief assistant to the First Priestess of Akaryth, Elina Bushere. He had begun to acquire a reputation for an encyclopedic knowledge of the faith, it's history, orders and practices as well as Akaryth and its history. When Elina died in 1858 AS he was passed over for the highest religious office in the realm, but maintained his place under First Priestess Mayri Caeno.
The civil war that erupted in Keledon in 1860 AS afforded opportunities for profit. By this time Marus was well known at court, and considered to be a 'man in the know'. He had become a confidant of the king, and, during the war, earned tidy profits. Cutting the king in on it all netted him a seat on the Cynosure, alongside the shocked First Priestess. In 1860 and early 1864 he was dispatched by Valeyr III to try and arrange a marriage with Heulyn II of Keledon. Despite the failure of the mission, Marus' extraordinary efforts further endeared him to the king.
In 1864 Caeno dispatched him to Deici, as a proxy to the Council of the Silent hoping to rid herself of his growing influence. The plan backfired, as Marus used this opportunity to ingratiate himself to the High Priest of the Order of Saint Luyan, Alstaer Valan. Over the next two years Caeno slowly fell into disfavor with the Pearl Spire; in late 1869 she took the near unheard step of abdicating her position. At the beginning of 1870 Marus filled the role, becoming now First Priest of Akaryth and the most influential religious figure in a religious land.
==Currently==
Marus continues today as First Priest of Akaryth and as a minister within the Cynosure, the royal advisory council of the realm. HIs relationship with the king is such that he would doubtless be the Lord Chancellor of the realm, if the obligations of his ecclesiastical work did not demand so much of his time. He has become wealthy in his time, but is not one to flaunt it, wearing instead rather simple white and blue robes.
He is rumored to have at his service a powerful spy network that extends as far away as the southern shores of Maraseri, and is well thought of in Deici. He sometimes finds himself caught between religious and civic obligations; thus far he has been clever enough to find and exploit legal and theological loopholes to keep himself from the proverbial fire. He is also rumored to have an increasingly tense relationship with both Guy of Lustare, Seneschal of the East and Prince of Avinyar; and Enair Surhone, Lord Exchequer of the Realm.
Category:Akaryth
Category:Akarthan People
Category:High Path
Category:Dramatis Personae