Markel Darkweaver/The Ongoing Story
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
Zombie Invasion
Evil's Resident
The zombie invasion took the Rogue Isles by surprise. While Arbiter Death and Arbiter War rallied what Shadow Spiders they could to defend their base in Fort Hades, Markel was pinned down in Cap au Diable. He arrived in Port Oakes just in time to learn that Starkweather had been wounded and was already infected by a highly-contagious zombie virus. The situation deteriorated when the Arbiter began infecting others. Realizing that the situation was already out of hand, War sent Markel to meet with Vincent Jaeger, the man who had supposedly created the zombie virus, in order to obtain the cure.
His efforts were successful, but upon returning, War revealed that there was only enough of the serum for two people, and by now the base was already under lock down because of the contagion. Gathering the remaining uninfected Shadow Spiders, War procured the services of the Weapons Union laboratory to replicate more of the serum while they also armed themselves to re-enter the base and forcibly inoculate their comrades. Despite the fact that they were ambushed, the operation was a success and the infected Shadow Spiders were returning to a healthy state. When the smoke cleared, there was one fatality: former Bane Spider Executioner Garroh, mauled to death by his crazed comrades.
The whole deal with Jaeger, however, has made Markel highly suspicious of Death's previous activities (outside the realm of kidnapping and torture, of course).
The Feminine Touch
While storming door-to-door to combat the zombie menace, Markel came under the burden of a rather unusual curse. He was transformed into a woman! Unable to return to his original form, Markel sought help from Dr. Von Havencrabs. Fighting off the doctor's advances, Markel did eventually get the help he needed, though not in the way he would've liked. They had accidentally discovered that electrified metal suppressed the effects of the curse, but rather than make him wear an electrical apparatus, Dr. Von Havencrabs subjected him to a rather tortuous injection of nanites. The nanites didn't work at first, and in the intervening days, Markel eventually regained enough of his composure learn how to fight the curse on his own, though it was very taxing to his strength. When the nanites did kick in, however, they did an effective job of suppressing the curse—without any effort on Markel's part—though they did cause him an excruciating amount of pain.
Further divination revealed that the curse was linked to the perpetual night of the zombie invasions. When the sun finally rose on November 3, the curse faded and Markel asked the new head doctor Amun Aergad to deactivate the nanites. His pain wasn't over yet as Amun had to pump his body full of electricity in order to deactivate the nanites. Shocked almost to the point of death, the procedure was a success and Markel was finally free from pain.
Von Havencrabs still won't let him let this down, however...
Operation: Dreamcatcher
Markel first learned of Operation: Dreamcatcher when Talisien was still a member of the Shadow Spiders. Talisien had recruited Markel to help him capture someone who was known to be a Dreamweaver mutant—someone whose dreams don't merely foretell the future... they shape it. The first phase of the operation involved breaking into the Zig to steal the medicines needed to keep the Dreamweaver mutant in a state of suspended animation. Soon afterward, however, Talisien was expelled from the Shadow Spiders. Markel later saw Talisien in Pocket D, whereby Talisien then asked him to take over the reins of the project.
Markel was just about to launch his own investigation in search of the mutant when he learned that Talisien was no longer marked for death. Talisien requested that the project be returned to him and Markel graciously accepted. Arbiter Pestilence, however, had other plans and ordered Markel to continue anyway.
Since suspicions of treachery was running high in the Shadow Spiders at the time, Markel asked the only other person he trusted, the resurrected Garroh, to assist him in kidnapping the Dreamweaver mutant. The mutant, which turned out to be a child, was in Longbow custody on Sharkhead Isle. Infiltrating the Longbow base, the pair manage to kidnap the child and escape. Currently, the child is in suspended animation to keep whatever he dreams from coming to pass and is awaiting pick-up by Arbiter Pestilence.
Long Live the Havencrabs
After the death of Dr. Von Havencrabs at the hands of Bad Dream, Havencrabs' "son" Nervosa placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Arbiter Starkweather, who apparently did nothing to prevent it. He seemed to think that by killing the Arbiter and his son, he would satisfy some requirement of blood and get his beloved Doctor back. Markel, feeling that the son should not have to pay for the sins of the father, vowed to oppose him.
Days passed, and Markel saw just how dark and twisted and powerful Nervosa had become. He despaired that he could do anything to stop him, but he had to try. Markel was later contacted by the spirit of Havencrabs and he learned that the beings in Nervosa's head that demanded this blood vengeance were merely a product of Nervosa's own mental disorders. Nevertheless, Nervosa believed it and fully intended to carry out his insane plot.
With the help of Havencrabs' spirit reincarnated in a cloned body, Markel and a small group of Shadow Spiders managed to overwhelm Nervosa and sedate him. Though Markel was stabbed for his efforts and the rest of the team was similarly injured, they managed to get Nervosa back to base for a surgical procedure that would dampen the psychic impulses that caused his neurological disorders. Nervosa was a mess afterward and Markel could not help but pity him, but at least now he could rest assured that the Arbiter's son was safe.
The Saga of the Cursed Ones
Related Article: Relics of Power
Bargaining with Demons
((Summary pending))
Darkness Falls
It started when a mystical being contacted Markel, pleading for forgiveness for the death of his wife. Markel did not entirely understand, so the being then explained that she was a creature of the Netherworld, that she held the knowledge that would've cured his wife's wasting disease. When Markel first began to study the dark magics, she had heard his summons but was too late to assist him in his ritual. Since then she has been searching for him, unable to return to the Netherworld until she had made amends.
As a flood of painful memories overwhelmed him, Markel agreed to meet with the being. He was led to some ruins in Primeva where the being told him that the Circle of Thorns were also seeking her knowledge for their own nefarious purposes, but she could not fight them. Easily dispatching the Circle mages on his own, Markel then turned his attention to the altar around which they were gathered and on it's surface was a small yellow gemstone—similar in appearance to his own magestone.
Imbued within the gemstone was the knowledge of the cure. Taking it in his gloved hands Markel could feel the power throbbing off the artifact, yet he could only hear its whispers. At the creature's insistance, Markel took off his gloves and immediately an icy euphoria began to creep into his very being. All of the power eternity opened to him and then he realized just who "she" was. She was Lady Myth, one of the Cursed Ones he and his comrades had taken up arms against—and she had just deceived him into becoming a Cursed One himself by accepting one of the "relics of power".
Horrified at his choice and unable to retaliate, Markel tried to cast off the stone, but every second, even inch he was apart he was gripped with a gnawing hunger and an insatiable desire to find more of these artifacts to corrupt others. Before flying off, Lady Myth then made Markel promise to leave Amun and Moira alone—they would be hers for the taking.
It's a Date
Redemption
Theme Song: Disturbed - I'm Alive
One night, after Amun had finished conducting examinations on all members of the Shadow Spiders, he pulled Markel away for a private chat. His demonic senses could detect the foul magics that had tainted his friend's soul, but when confronted about it, Markel became evasive. Finally, his eyes were drawn to the magestone he always seemed to wear. Realizing that Markel had become Cursed, he tried to take it away, but Markel, unable to give up his relic, fled rather than fight his friend. Taking a teleporter to Sharkhead Isle, Markel discarded his comm device to prevent anyone from tracking him.
When Markel did not report in the next day, Executioner Garroh became suspicious and formed a search party to find him. He tracked Markel's comm device to Sharkhead Isle only to find no Markel. His only other lead was Markel's last call, which had been to Subject Eighteen. Fearing that Eighteen might have had something to do with Markel's disappearance, Garroh prepared to head out to question him but paused when Amun signed in.
Amun had an idea where Markel was, and Garroh and Von Havencrabs followed him to Nerva Archipelago to try to track him down. Between Amun's magical senses and Garroh's and Von Havencrabs' technological marvels, they easily out-maneuvered him, but when they surrounded him they saw that he was visibly changed.
The trio tried to convince him to give up the relic, and while their friendship was having an effect on him, it didn't seem to be enough. Finally, Von Havencrabs pulled out a tape recorder and on it was something Markel never expected to hear: the sound of Moira laughing. The sound seemed to cause him actual pain, and Markel destroyed the recorder in an instant. Realizing that Markel's feelings for Moira was the key, they continued to press the advantage until finally, Markel threw his relic against the stone wall, shattering it completely. His bond to his relic suddenly broken, Markel let out an anguished scream and collapsed.
While Garroh and Amun worked to destroy the shards, Von Havencrabs carried an unconscious Markel back to base.
A Taint Over Primeva
Markel had received a call from Moira about an unusual discovery somewhere deep in the jungles of Primeva, and he raced there to meet her. He arrived to see Circle mages strewn on the ground, their heads exploded and immortal demons truly dead, the ley lines holding them to this world completely severed. Markel, still sensitive to the taint of the Cursed Ones, knew that this was one of their handiwork. Worse, he detected the presence of not one, but two Relics.
Puzzled and horrified at the idea of Relics working together, the pair decided to leave at once. Just as they were about to step outside, Markel then felt the presence of a third Relic—the powerful Shizuul—and he was closing in on them.
As they were fleeing, Markel could hear the Shizuul's insidious whispers; and he realized then that though he had destroyed his relic, the Relics themselves weren't finished with him. Markel and Moira were able to get away, but the Relics had made themselves known and Primeva was no longer safe for anyone.
Against the Atrophy
Sensing an attack upon his friends, Markel raced back to Primeva to assist them. He arrived to find Amun and Moira severely injured and a crazed Dr. Von Havencrabs fighting against the Relic Shizuul. But even with Markel there, they could not win. Amun, using the power of his amulet, then sacrificed himself so the three of them could get to safety.
While Markel emerged relatively unscathed, Moira and Von Havencrabs were afflicted by Shizuul's microfilaments. Knowing that the filaments had to be removed, he began channeling a spell into Moira first. He was eventually joined by Seer Jordan and the rest of the Shadow Spiders (including a mysteriously-changed Amun), who then began to take care of Von Havencrabs.
While he was successful in removing the filaments from Moira, he was too exhausted to help with the Doctor and had to be dragged away from the chaos that was unfolding in the medbay. On the other bed, Von Havencrabs was spewing up bugs and maggots and pus in an almost neverending river. The Shadow Spiders worked frantically trying to contain it... until all the bugs and maggots exploded in a glorious rain of entrails. The Doctor was eventually returned to normal.
In the Presence of Enemies
In which Markel, Havencrabs, and others attempt to win back Amun's soul from the pit lord Baphomet.
Convincing the Elders
Amun, who had been recalled into the presence of Baphomet after his battle against Shizuul, was allowed to return to the mortal plane to take care of his final business. In exchange for information about the Cursed Ones in the initial meeting all those weeks ago, Amun gave Baphomet a down payment of his demonic soul. Now Baphomet was calling to collect on the rest.
Realizing, perhaps too late, what a pit fiend like Baphomet would do with the power of the Demon of Balance, Amun began formulating a plan that would hopefully nullify the deal and return Amun's soul to him, and he began recruiting his closest friends to meet with four Elders who had the power to do it: Faathim the Kind, Baron Zoria, Lilitu, and Infernal.
Taking a portal to the Chantry in the Shadow Shard, Amun, Garroh and Markel journeyed to meet Faathim the Kind. As his name suggested, he was inclined to listen to their pleas and he agreed to support them. Faathim warned them, however, that convincing the other Elders to take a stand against Baphomet would not be so easy.
One down, three to go...
Honored Guest
Amun and his friends were unable to meet with the rest of the Elders and now time was up. As the final hours ticked down, the Demon of Balance fell into dispair and made his final preparations to leave the Shadow Spiders. This earned the ire of Dr. Von Havencrabs who felt that Amun was running away from his problems. An argument broke out between Amun, Havencrabs, and Markel, which resulted in Havencrabs storming off to the D and leaving Markel one last attempt to convince Amun to meet this problem head-on.
He managed to get through to his friend, and Amun revealed that the best way to sway Baphomet was to steal his anchor. All demons have an "anchor" which houses their essence, and they guard their anchors with the upmost tenacity as its destruction means true death for them.
The two journeyed to Nerva (but they dared not step foot on Primeva where Shizuul's taint still lingered) and then lured Baphomet into the open. Amun attempted to bargain for more time, but Baphomet would not hear of it. He took Amun by force and threw him into the portal back to his domain. Markel followed at a certain distance behind. Once he was through, Markel slipped into the shadows and began searching for Baphomet's ley line to his anchor, but the incredible magics of Baphomet's domain suddenly disrupted his senses—like looking through night-vision goggles during the daylight hours.
Baphomet then casually told Markel that there was no need for subterfuge. He had detected Markel's presence as soon as he arrived in Nerva and he had actually hoped to speak with the mage; thus, he was an "honored guest" in Baphomet's realm. Baphomet seemed to think that by having the power of the Demon of Balance he could sway the Cursed Ones to his side, if not stand against them entirely. Markel, having been Cursed himself, knew this was folly and severely agitated the pit lord when he told Baphomet exactly what the Cursed Ones thought of demon-kind.
Markel attempted to bargain for Amun's soul, but Baphomet would have none of that—not unless he received something of even greater power than the Demon of Balance—and he gave Markel twenty-four hours to find that something or the negotiations were off. Markel was then forced to exit Baphomet's domain.
In the Presence of Enemies
Frustrated at Markel's failure, Doctor Von Havencrabs mounted his own rescue attempt. Journeying to Baphomet's lair alone, Havencrabs managed to pry off him a single scale. Baphomet was enraged, attacking the doctor and severely burning him. Despite this, Havencrabs was able to escape to deliver the scale to his friend, the demon hunter Four Lights.
Four Lights called Markel and told him to meet her in Pocket D. He arrived just in time to receive a well-placed knee to the groin for "not taking care of his friends." Nevertheless, chewing the scale, Four Lights began to divine the nature and location of Baphomet's anchor. It was a painting of a flaming sword and it was located somewhere in the Abyss. And with that, she tasked him with taking care of the doctor.
But it wasn't enough. The Abyss was a very big place. And he found himself heading back to Baphomet for one last-ditch play for information. Since the twenty-four hours to find a suitable trade were now over, Markel offered Baphomet the one thing he could—his own soul. Having been touched by the Cursed Ones and living to tell about it, Markel had been privy to the Relics' innermost thoughts and desires and had even tasted the knowledge of countless millennia. With Markel at his side, Baphomet would truly be a force to be reckoned with. It was a desperate bluff, and Baphomet was very much tempted.
Somewhere in the shadows, Amun could only watch in horror as Baphomet moved to close the deal. As Baphomet began to bind Markel's soul, the dark mage used his Cursed taint to his advantage, effectively blocking Baphomet while also prying the exact location of Baphomet's anchor in the Abyss. In an eyeblink, he saw the path like a train speeding along rails
Baphomet was enraged and he summoned a cohort of demons and unleashed Amun upon his former friend. Trapped, Markel attempted a desperate teleportation spell—to anywhere but there. He found himself in Pocket D. As Markel was making his way through the D, he ran into Four Lights, who was very surprised to see him back again so soon. When she saw that Amun was pursuing him, she told Markel to go on while she kept the Demon busy. Markel escaped, and in the meantime, Four Lights sent Amun back to Baphomet as a pile of ash by running her blade through his throat.
Interlude: The Relic Unchainer
On his way to help Amun, Markel was waylaid by rumors of an ancient and powerful mystical artifact that had come into the hands of a jewelry store owner in Port Oakes. Instantly knowing that this was, in fact, a relic, he set out to try to buy it off of her. However, as fate would have it, the mystical artifacts thief known as Unchainer had also come for the artifact.
As Markel and the jewelry store owner Sara Tilly began negotiations, with Sara trying to give him the runaround, Unchainer began lifting the relic and replaced it with a lookalike. She made a false step, however, and quickly fled. Channelling the power of decay, she disintegrated the floor around her into the basement and began tunneling through the walls and the surrounding soil in an attempt to escape, Markel in hot pursuit.
The chase took them to the surface where they then engaged in an aerial battle of magics, neither one gaining the advantage. Finally, flying to the tallest point of the tallest skyscraper the Unchainer took up the armlet for herself. The full weight of her actions instantly dawned upon Markel and he lashed out at her in desperation, but his attacks were futile.
Somewhere above them, a dark being clapped theatrically. It was Sara Tilly in her true form as the Relic Final Plague. Welcoming Unchainer into their ranks, Final Plague then unleashed upon Markel a blast of entropy. Dazed, Markel fell out of the sky to the streets far below, recovering only moments before hitting the ground. Knowing he could not take on two Relics, he made his escape.
Into the Abyss
The time to free Amun was now. With Havencrabs still incapacitated and no one else willing to help Amun, Markel journeyed to the Abyss alone. Following the path he managed to pry from Baphomet, Markel came to a tunnel guarded by demons. Unbeknownst to him, however, he had been followed. Detecting the approach of Unchainer, Markel suddenly found himself surrounded, demons on one side and an immortal Relic on the other. He prepared himself for battle, but then he realized that neither side actually seemed terribly interested in fighting him.
Unchainer demanded to speak with him at once. Markel, thinking only of his friend Amun, was more concerned with getting past the demons, but he invited the Unchainer to accompany him. Unchainer was irked, but it seemed to be the only way to get Markel to talk to her so she agreed. It turned out that getting past the guard was a simple as bribery, so Markel gave them a wad of bills and then told Unchainer what he could, mostly about the all-consuming nature of the Cursed relics. Unchainer was mortified.
They eventually came to a grand hall. Peering inside, they found rows and rows of beautiful paintings, all enchanted with some strange magic. They also saw Amun, who seemed well enough despite having been defeated by Four Lights. He also did not seem to be under Baphomet's direct control at the moment, so he let them poke around. As Unchainer bothered Markel with even more questions, Markel began scanning the paintings for the anchor, but he couldn't seem to find it. Finally, turning to Unchainer, he asked her to use her more finely-tuned Relic senses to locate the painting. She was still irked with him for not answering her questions, but he agreed to help her in whatever way when all this was over.
She pointed to a painting which did not look anything like what Four Lights had described to him. Markel took the painting, and almost instantly Amun fell under Baphomet's control. Markel and Unchainer fled with Amun in pursuit. Despite being deep underground, Markel made an attempt at a distress call. Unbeknownst to him, Lord Anti was on his way. Eventually Amun broke off his pursuit, and Markel and Unchainer met up with Anti outside.
When they saw that Amun was no longer following them, Markel began to explain to Anti what was going on; however, Unchainer became impatient and demanded answers to her own questions first, namely how she could co-exist with her relic without losing her soul. It seemed that she wanted all of the benefits of the Cursed relic yet none of the drawbacks, and Markel told her that it was impossible, that she would have to destroy it. This was unacceptable to Unchainer and she flew off disgusted.
With the painting in hand, Markel and Anti then teleported into the presence of Baphomet to bargain for Amun's soul. Of course, Baphomet was not pleased to see Markel, but he dare not raise a hand against him for fear of Markel destroying his anchor. They made the trade, but it was immediately apparent that something was not right with Amun. For one, Amun movements and mannerisms were very dog-like, and two, he did not seem to remember Markel. Then Markel examined the amulet and noticed that it no longer glowed it's original color. Instead, it seemed very dull.
Markel seethed at Baphomet, but it was a done deal and he was no longer welcome there. Sullen, Markel took Amun back to the base, but then the curious happened. Upon seeing the Doctor's badly burned and unconcious body in the medbay, Amun began to be moved and Markel explained to Amun that Havencrabs was a friend of theirs. Amun gently touched one of Havencrabs' legless nubs and almost immediately some of the burned skin began to heal. On seeing this, Markel lent some of his power to the spell and then even more of his skin began to regenerate. Markel also noticed that Amun's amulet had brightened slightly. Smiling at his friend, he vowed that he would help them both.
Am Seeink Double
(In which Markel and Amun heal Havencrabs and meet Victor Von Smashenface for the first time.)
Cursed Family
(In which Markel deals with both of his brothers being Cursed: Amun as a Relic of Power and Havencrabs with his drug addiction and alcoholism)
Mind-walk
After the apparent recovery of both Amun Aergad and Dr. Von Havencrabs, Markel began assisting fellow Shadow Spider Prometheus Girl, also known as Sam. The girl was radiating a dark aura and seem very much unaware of the magical runes encircling her body. Amun, Arren, and Markel attempted a mind walk where they found that Sam's soul was "damaged" and that she herself was inhabited by an ancient god. The next day Sam went missing, muttering something about a gray desert with two moons.
When Sam showed up again, Markel demanded that she report to base. He was soon joined by Amun, Arren, Lerezal, and Moira, who agreed to perform a second mindwalk. Sam led them to the gray desert with the two moons, but almost immediately danger struck. Sam was sucked down beneath the sands. Moira was next and Arren disappeared soon after. Amun, fearing for his friends, told Markel and Ler to leave at once. Reluctanty, they obeyed.
Leaving the mind-walk, Markel and Ler could now only watch from the physical realm (ie. do absolutely nothing). But then Dr. Von Havencrabs came in soon afterward asking for their help. Apparently, the doctor was having problems with Victor and now Victor was no longer speaking to him. Markel and Ler then offered to speak to Victor themselves.
Finding a nice secluded spot, they initiated a mind-walk of their own, but Victor was giving them the runaround. Every room they entered seemed to take them back to the beginning or else make them re-enter a previous room. Ler was booted from the mind-walk first while Markel continued on. Eventually, Markel caught up to Victor and found the orange-skinned man relaxing and sipping a lemonade. He offered the dark mage a seat.
The instant he sat down bindings enclosed around him and Markel found himself trapped. Victor's eyes became malevolent as he announced his claim upon Dr. Havencrabs' mind. Powerless, Markel was forced to break the trance before he, too, became the property of Victor. Back in the real world, Markel relayed the news to Crabs.
The doctor was concerned, of course, but he did not seem to take it seriously. Every suggestion Markel put forth seemed to cause the doctor to twitch. Furthermore, Havencrabs made Markel promise to keep this under wraps. To soothe his friend, Markel agreed but he had every intention of finding a seer to assist them. As they parted ways for the night, Markel noticed some medical supplies were missing from the sickbay.
Lights Out
Markel conducted an investigation into the matter of the stolen medical supplies and equipment. Fearing that Victor might have had something to do with it, Markel fed Havencrabs a false report of the changes he made to the security protocol. He caught the Doctor red-handed, revoking his access to the base with the intention of seeking him out and confronting him later. Unbeknownst to him, however, the Doctor had already been kidnapped by the enigmatic Black Tie organization.
Markel's search brought him to Pocket D, where he found Victor Von Smashenface sipping a martini. Because the scene eerily resembled the one from the mind-walk, Markel was instantly suspicious demanded to know where Havencrabs was. Victor replied by pointing to the man who kidnapped him—Bad Dream.
As Victor held him down, Bad Dream viciously beat him with a baseball bat. As he was being beaten, Victor whispered to Markel his complicity in allowing Dr. Von Havencrabs to be kidnapped. Furthermore, he told Markel that he had already beaten Moira Dirge. Markel desperately lashed out at them, but the two had come prepared and Markel's dark magics merely fizzled against them. Victor then proceeded to break most of Markel's ribs and then utterly crushed both of his legs.
When they were done with him, they took him back to his base, causing quite a stir among the Shadow Spiders already there. The two left of their own accord. In the meantime, Amun tapped the powers of his Cursed relic in an extraordinary attempt to save Markel's life. Markel's wounds were healed, but his body and mind were already deep in the grip of a coma.
In the Land of the Living
Markel arose from his coma one week later into a world turned upside-down. He learned that his beating at the hands of Black Tie was only just the beginning as other Shadow Spiders had also been kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and even killed. Furthermore, Dr. Von Havencrabs, released from his week-long captivity, was angry at the Shadow Spiders for failing to rescue him and at Markel himself for locking him out of the base. The weight of his own actions was not lost on him and Markel profusely tried to apologize, but for Havencrabs the wounds ran too deep as he watched his own brother Victor commit countless atrocities while he himself was unable to anything about it.
In fact, so raw were his wounds that Havencrabs began to have a mental breakdown. He was crying and screaming at an absent Victor not to hurt his family anymore before descending into a catatonic state. The pain and dispair was almost unbearable as Markel channeled it into his own body in order to soothe his friend. The attempt sapped what little strength he had left, but the doctor emerged, his disposition toward Markel softening considerably.
But the doctor was not the only one in the midst of hard times. Even Amun was falling deeper and deeper into the grips of his Curse from the events that occured when Markel was in his coma. Markel was watching his family fall apart around him as both Amun and Havencrabs both announced their intentions to leave the Shadow Spiders (for separate reasons). It was only Markel's well-being that was keeping them around now, but after he recovered, they would be gone...
Reunion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following has be retconned.
Markel had always known that he had a twin sister. He was told that she died shortly at birth, and he just left it at that, never thinking anything of it until he took up his Cursed relic and saw her face. He never told anyone about what he saw.
The Relics Lady Myth and Hierophant Araana plotted in Cap au Diable, Araana airing her thoughts about a strange connection to an as-yet-unidentified individual she had been sensing and Myth dismissing her thoughts while detailing her own plans of revenge against Markel for turning his back on them. Lady Myth gave Araana a small locket and then tasked Araana to be the instrument of his torture. Markel himself was going about his business unaware of their presence. They sensed him, however. Lady Myth was content to leave him alone for now, but Araana sought him out.
Detecting her approach, Markel instantly went defensive as he was still in no condition to fight—he could barely flee. As Araana tried to work her charms, Markel called her on it, revealing that her real name was Emily and that he was her twin brother. Her reaction was one of shock; her suspicions that she had a sibling had been correct and she began to break down. She begged to Markel to lead her on the path back to humanity, but Markel was unmoved.
As she walked away, Markel noticed a diary scrap. Reading the scrap, Markel realized that he had helped people who never once deserved his kindness. Could he do any less for his own twin sister? Catching up with Araana, Markel agreed to do what he can; and in turn, Araana gave him a locket containing a picture of her when she was a baby.
The Demon Mother
((In Progress))
