Bone Shaman Marrow

## History

The crimes of Verk have passed into a bad memory, but his actions still caused a few ripples, and as Etera proves to be the site of further grand events, more and more attention is paid to it. The plane of Purgatory, that cold and dark place where the dead are sorted to their proper afterlife, is one such place that has cast its gaze to the continent. The experiments of Verk in the field of the undead disturbed Pharasma, the Gray Lady of the Purgatory, and, wishing to keep her eye on the place, decided to send an agent. A creature who could keep a watch on the place, reporting whatever malfeasance takes place that may disrupt the activities of the Boneyard, and attempt to prevent any more massive violations of her power and principles. To that end, she snatched a human soul, fresh from creation, and dragged to the inner regions of her realm. There she altered the soul, altered it with deathly energies, and instructed it in its purpose.

After bequeathing the soul with the services of a powerful Yamaraj psychopomp, she created an adult human body for it to occupy, and sent him on his way. The creature, calling himself Marrow, quickly constructed a home for himself and immediately set about fulfilling his purpose. For as long as Marrow has a say in it, death will remain an irreversible stage in a soul's journey. No necromancy, no resurrections, only finality. To this day he roams Chronus with his companions, fulfilling the will of the Gray Lady.

## Appearance

Marrow dresses rather strangely, but appropriate for his links to Death. He dresses in loose clothes decorated with bones, including the skull of an ancient monster as a mask. He is very careful of removing the mask, as his eyes, which show the grey twilight of the deceased, are a dead giveaway of his abilities and weaknesses. Zil and Daw are somewhat more noticeable, with the former possessing eyes as red as the fires of Hell, and being somewhat larger than the average raven, and the latter having eyes of silvery blue, like pure waters with a snow-white coat of feathers.

Marrow's strong affiliation with the dead also leads to some anatomical strangeness. His nerves, blood flow, and heartbeat are all either deadened or much slower than the average human being, but present no health problems; to the ignorant, he may even appear undead. In combat, Marrow's Obscuring Energy activates, cloaking him in darkness and emitting shadowy wisps, which grow stronger when standing still.

## Zil and Daw

When Marrow was charged with his responsibility to Purgatory, it was done with the expectation that he would, eventually, be tempted with breaking his vows. For all of his exposure to the energies of the plane, he was, in the end, a mortal. A human, with his own mind and the capability of independent thought. The resourcefulness and adaptability of the human mind was desired, but it was also prone to fits of rebellion. And so, the Pharasma decided that he must be linked to his home constantly, and be reminded of his duties. To do this, she took one of her most powerful Yamaraj known as Dawzil, one of the mightiest and dedicated ranks of the psychopomps, and split it in twain. The two creatures still hold absolute loyalty to Purgatory, but with different philosophies.

One is wicked, the evil creature Zil. The crow shows great joy in confirming the final fates of the dead, refusing to grant them second chances. He speaks to Marrow of sinners deserving their final fates, and of the cruel ironies often found in the death of the innocent. He also acts as one half of Marrow's center of power. Zil often uses his magicks to enhance the mental capabilities of his charge, and when not in combat, likes to peck at passerby and harass smaller birds. Zil, as befitting his alignment, speaks only in Infernal, the language most representing Lawful Evil.

The other, a raven, is named Daw. She is smaller than her evil counterpart, but more diplomatic and represents the kinder aspects of death. She finds comfort in the final rest, and enjoys speaking of the bountiful afterlife that awaits the virtuous. Daw, while still tied to Marrow, possesses a degree of independence, sometimes scouting ahead and using her empathetic link with him to warn him of danger. She is also capable of some espionage and intelligence-gathering, having the ability to speak to, but not command, other birds. Just as Zil speaks in the harsh and guttural language of Devils, befitting his nature, Daw speaks only in the music language of Angels, Celestial.

## Abilities

Marrow's powers are an oddity indeed. The shaman possesses control of deathly energies and magic, but is incapable of raising the dead. Instead, he uses his necromantic powers for offensive purposes, using a technique known as the Ghost Strike, to inflict physical damage and hexes upon his foes both close up and at range. On the flip-side, Marrow's control over Death also allows him to pull others away from its threshold, and energize them, allowing him to be flexible between offensive and supporting roles in combat. He is hesitant to use it, but Marrow is also capable of firing beams of searing darkness. With his human biology and spirit, the attack is weak, but works as an effective emergency weapon.

With is association with Death, Marrow also has certain weaknesses. Much like the undead, he is harmed by positive energy, and healed by negative, but his unique physiology not only allows him to resist fatal blows from holiness, but also reverse this effect for a day at most, even being capable of switching the ability on and off with a few seconds' concentration. He is also able to, temporarily, strengthen his connection with The Boneyard to become incorporeal.

Being a mage, Marrow possesses extensive knowledge in arcane matters and spellcraft, while Daw, when near, enhances his perception. His divorce from strong emotion also grants him skill in diplomacy, and allows him to skillfully heal others without being distracted by squeamishness or fear.