Headmaster Duke Marth

**Duke Marth** is a former Professor of the Light Department and current Headmaster of White Griffon Academy, an Archmage, member of the Queen's Corps, and Ryssa's husband. He is considered the 2nd best healer in the Griffon Kingdom and the top expert on bloodwork, regeneration, and magical plant physiology. He was responsible for managing Manohar's disappearances (along with former Headmaster Linjos). He took a liking to Lith after Lith demonstrated his prowess in Healing class.

## Appearance

Professor Marth is around 40 years old, with thick blonde hair and a goatee. He is clean shaven, calm and youthful. He frequently appears tired and slouching.

After Marth marries Ryssa the Dryad, the gray in his hair disappears. He wears an Archmage robe over the high uniform of the Kingdom to the Royal gala, consisting of a deep blue jacket with golden epaulets, deep blue mid-waisted black trousers with galon, a trim one with two silk stripes to conceal the outer seams, and black shoes. He wears a brooch shaped like a White Griffon on the collar of his shirt.

## Background

Duke Marth became an Archmage by the age of 20.

### Student

As a youth, Marth showed a talent and ingenuity that his professor Vastor didn't have even during his heyday. On paper, with just the Healer specialization, Marth was an average student. However, he not only aced every single class, but he also created and shared groundbreaking spells even during his fourth year. Though Marth's bright blue core limited him, his brain made up for it by never running dry of new ideas. He invented the Blood Resonance discipline that helped identify corpses on the battlefield and recognize someone's bloodline. He perfected the regenerating arts and created new spells that made newly formed limbs able of adapting to their body.

Unlike Vastor, Marth's rise never stopped, allowing him to become an Archmage at twenty and a Professor soon after. In the short time after his graduation, Marth also learned Forgemastery and became a Royal Forgemaster with ease.

### Professor

Marth first shows up on Lith's first day at White Griffon Academy, demonstrating limb regrowing in front of Lith's class. Lith questions the method and provides a fake magic personal diagnostic spell that impresses Marth and his colleague Vastor. Later, Marth sends the Healing specialization students off for their practical healing home visits, noting Lith's group's weaknesses and assigning roles appropriately.

At the end of Balkor's attack, Friya calls Marth to help heal Phloria and Yurial, who had been infected by a Valor's life force, finding that Lith had fully healed them at great effort. Marth brings Lith to see Protector, who is on the verge of death after sacrificing himself to kill a Valor.

### Headmaster

Marth is promoted to Headmaster after Linjos' death, as he is at an appropriate age, well liked, skilled, and a Forgemaster. At the end of the 5th year, he calls Lith to his office and reveals the rankings and asks him to participate in the ceremonial graduation tourney, though Lith declines. Marth also announces Lith becoming an honorary member of the Spellbreaker Order and invites him to become an Assistant Professor at the academy the following year, which Lith accepts. Due to Lith's Principles of Advanced Magic class being extremely effective for some students, Marth decides to incorporate the course as a permanent elective. Lith brings Kamila to White Griffon Academy for Zinya's procedure and introduces her to Marth.

During Lith's group's vacation in Javvok, Marth brings Lith, Phloria, Friya and Quylla to the plantfolk city-state of Laruel under royal decree to diagnose and find a cure to the undead plague created by Erlik the Draugr Treant. Due to plants' lack of knowledge of light magic, Marth and Quylla are summoned as the kingdom's two top experts on magical plant physiology. Marth appoints Vastor as temporary Headmaster of the White Griffon and begins a relationship with Ryssa the Dryad.

After many trials, Marth and Quylla manage to create a cure. By merging two infected plantfolk together, they use the nature of the Draugr's greed against itself when the two symbiotes fight to possess the stronger host, curing the infection. During Erlik's assault on Leannan's castle, Marth stays with Quylla and the other Healers by the treehouses on standby, ready to counter any of Erlik's plans.

After Erlik's death by Leannan's hand, Gremlik activates his tissues that had been embedded with Erlik's, giving him control over the Draugrlings and turning them into Grendelings that attack the treehouses. Quylla, Marth, and the Healers sabotage the treehouses, enabling them to take the Grendelings down one by one. Gremlik is killed and the Sapling abandoned.

Lith requests Marth, Quylla, and Vastor's help in curing Rena's unborn triplet that has the Strangler, but they are unable to without harming Rena and concede. Near the end of Lith's army service, he revisits the Lost City of Huryole and is affected by a mysterious light presumed to be a life force slave device. Vastor and Marth visit him during quarantine. After several days, Manohar accompanies the other two Professors to escort Lith to the Banquet Hall where Sylpha announces his accomplishments to the gathered court and promotes him to Archmage.

Lith informs Marth of Night's attack on Lutia. Marth receives and relays Vastor's status report as well as apology to Zinya. Marth receives a card marked "Past" from a Balkor copycat along with several other White Griffon Professors, all of whom had supported Lith in the past.

Marth and Ryssa marry and she becomes pregnant. During the engagement ceremony, Manohar spikes food and drinks with magic potions, leading him to be uninvited to the marriage ceremony. They attend the Royal Gala, where Manohar expresses disappointment that he'd married and asks after the unborn child whom he dubs Manohar Jr. When Lith asks why he hadn't heard about the marriage, Marth reveals he excluded Lith on purpose because he never calls or visits unless he needs something, though relents when Ryssa privately reveals Lith's depression over recent events.

Throughout the rest of the gala Manohar pursues Marth to convince him to make more children to become his lab assistants. When Archmage Kwart is announced to duel Lith, Ryssa bets on Lith to Marth's disapproval, citing her need to "earn" her own money. Following Quylla's murder at the end of the Royal Gala, Marth gives an eulogy at her funeral, though it is later revealed it was a decoy set up by Jirni to trap and kill Deirus. Following Orion filing for divorce for Jirni's betrayal, Marth visits Orion with Manohar and Vastor to advise Orion to reconsider, but they are sent away.

Lith makes a courtesy call to Marth during his vacation to the Blood Desert where he learns that Manohar has become dead set on forcing his name upon Marth's firstborn and Ryssa finds their quarreling so funny that she sides with him from time to time to not let the argument die. Marth informs Lith of several break-in attempts at the White Griffon.

## Quotes

* *"A strong spirit, wits, and talent are the minimum requirements to become a good healer. Go and make us proud."* (Marth to the class, Chapter 191)
* *"Until wars and illnesses exist, healers are like breathing. Something annoying you can't live without."* (Chapter 285)
* *"Follow my advice and never get too high in life, or the paperwork will burn your wings and bury you alive!"* (Marth to Kamila, Chapter 607)
* *"He who knows how to heal also knows how to destroy."* (Chapter 771)
* *"Good gods, Quylla. If you're useless, then what about us? You're here from less than a day and you already want a solution? If you keep beating yourself like that, you'll get bald. Ask Vastor."* (Marth to Quylla, Chapter 815)

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 285
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 797
3. ↑ Chapter 914
4. ↑ Chapter 63
5. ↑ Chapter 1458
6. ↑ Chapter 966
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 1170
8. ↑ Chapter 59
9. ↑ Chapter 191
10. ↑ Chapter 215
11. ↑ Chapter 322
12. ↑ Chapter 320
13. ↑ Chapter 341
14. ↑ Chapter 607
15. ↑ Chapter 799
16. ↑ Chapter 831
17. ↑ Chapter 839
18. ↑ Chapter 845
19. ↑ Chapter 916
20. ↑ Chapter 962
21. ↑ Chapter 965
22. ↑ Chapter 1120
23. ↑ Chapter 1267
24. ↑ Chapter 1459
25. ↑ Chapter 1464
26. ↑ Chapter 1467
27. ↑ Chapter 1478
28. ↑ Chapter 1535: On the Other Side (Part 1)
29. ↑ Chapter 1569: Calling Card (Part 1)