Marú Síoraí

Credit: Meninfantasyart - Tumblr

### Appearance

Marú Síoraí is a male half elf with black shoulder length hair, hastily tied back, leaving the odd strand to fall over his dull green eyes. He has a dour look on his face, and though he looks young, you can see a deep sadness in those eyes that seems to age him a few years. You immediately notice the insignia of the Undying Court emblazoned onto his shield and also onto the deep red cloak that billows behind him.  As he walks you can hear the clanking of his armour, still quite clean and well maintained, along with the sword and shield fastened to his back.

### Personality

Marú is slow to trust people he just met, unless he is drinking with them which he tends to do a lot. Once he does get to know someone and ends up liking them, he does everything he can to protect them. As a paladin of the Undying Court, he has even more of a reason to hate undead and believes that they are all evil and it's his job to take them out. He's not very good at lying, and does not like being lied to or made a fool of. Due to his past, charming him is a very bad idea if you want to live.

### Family

His human mother died giving birth, and he was adopted. He has no brothers or sisters and e has never met his elven father, as far as he knows. His foster parents are the vampires he has been hunting since he was free of their charm.

On 25th May, year 7 of the Age of Heroes, he became sworn brother to Arturia Pendragon, Bronn Wilson & Yaha Alac Silverwind. Here is the oath he swore:

"Marú Síoraí and Arturia Pendragon.... today we swear loyalty to one another, although our surnames are different, yet today on May the 25th, year 7 the ages of heroes, we have come together as brothers and sisters. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose: to save the troubled, to aid the endangered, and to stand by one another. We shall bring down evil from above and below, and pacify the citizenry below. We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. We merely hope to die on the same day along one another in battle never to leave one behind, in the same month and in the same year. May the Gods of Heaven and Earth attest to what is in our hearts. If we should ever do anything to betray our friendship or family, may our gods, both strike us dead."

### Backstory

Marú was an orphan since he was a baby, and was taken in by a noble family to be raised. They taught him how to live, how to fight and how to kill. As he got older they began asking him to do.. immoral things, like stealing valuables from other nobles, or roughing up a local that had caused his foster parents trouble. During this time he became great friends with another lad around his age, Jonah, who he would often confide in about his troubles, he was the only other person he really trusted. As the requests from his "parents" got worse, Jonah began telling him to leave and live a better life. Then one day Marú's parents asked him to eliminate another family for them, Jonah's family, so they could grow in power and wealth. This was the last straw for Marú and he refused to do their bidding any longer. In the argument, he felt a dark cloud come over his mind, and it was impossible for him to reject their commands.

The next few years went as a blur, his will no longer his own, he cut down anyone in his foster families path to power. One day, after finishing the "job" he looked up to see a cloaked figure staring right at him, as a voice speaking a strange language rang through his head. The dark cloud was finally lifted from Marú's mind, and as he looked up, the cloaked figure was gone, and all that remained were the bloody bodies of the family he had slain. His will now his own for the first time in years,he realised the foul deeds he had committed over the years and vowed to have vengeance upon the parents that took him in. He immediately fled the town, scared that if he was found he would be charmed again.

After a 2 years of travelling, with only my strong will keeping me alive, I found myself standing in a copse of trees, looking bloodied and beaten, wearily swinging my sword around.. clearly on my last legs. Near a dozen lay dead at my feet but at least ten more surrounded. As one of the goblins landed the final strike and I pass out, I see a figure clouded in a bright, radiant light coming towards me. The armour-clad paladin rushes in, surrounded by light and cuts them down one by one, a bright light flashing with each swing.

Marú wakes with a gasp, surrounded in a dim light, to see a gaunt, elven face smiling down upon me. He has long golden hair that's been braided, and wears full plate. It's been worn down over years of use, but is still well maintained. The only resemblance to his rank and wealth is the symbol of the Undying Court which is emblazoned onto his shoulder pads and cloak. The cloak a deep rich red. His eye's are green, and there is a gentle kindness to them, until he crosses an undead abomination. He introduces himself as Inquisitor Paladin Antio, Paladin First Rank of The Undying Court and that his job is to travel searching out corruption and taint and purging the unclean from this world.  He has a personal hatred for zombies and necromancers. He later hints to me that he may have lost someone important but he's never said how or who.

He lifts me to my feet and carries me to his horse. He listens to my story, which I tell without hesitation, still dazed from the battle. Seeing something in me, maybe my conviction or my will to live, Antio decides to take me back to the temple of the Undying Court in Shimmerreach, and give me a chance to prove myself able to train as a paladin. Keeping my past deeds a secret from everyone but Antio, I endured years of harsh training. Every day was a challenge, I would train rigourously with sword and shield, and by night I would study the ways of the Undying Court.

Many others in the order saw me as cheat, that I had not been raised as a paladin, but was given a free pass into their ranks. One especially, Zinna, a female elf with long silver hair and blue eyes, beautiful to all but me, was openly against me joining them. Zinna had been born into the order, and considered it a great honor. She was more talented with the blade than me, and any chance she had she would prove it so, darting around me wielding her family's greatsword while sparring and forcing me to my knees each and every time. During training I was often beaten by her, in her hopes to put me off the path of the Undying Court. All this managed to do was increase my motivation, and over the years I became a battle-hardened warrior, much to her chagrin.

I kept the story of my past a secret from everyone but Antio, but as the years went on I hungered more and more to finally exact my revenge on the vampires that stole my life from me. Eventually, my training complete, Antio came to me with advice. I could not hope to destroy my family alone, I would need strong allies that I could trust to help me accomplish the task. And so, I departed the temple in search of like-minded adventurers that could one day help me defeat them, and perhaps find out about my real parents.