Markel Smythe
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
A former villain and dark mage who has worn many hats, now simply fights for the defense of Primal Earth...
Background | Personality | Skills and Abilities | Equipment | Affiliations | Trivia | Rumors
Dark Miasma
Dark Mastery
A Legacy Chain mage laid on the floor, dead. A second mage was arrested, his identity exposed. Even today it is not clear whether it was an accident or not. Markel Smythe was sentenced to Ziggursky Penitentiary for manslaughter. It was the first time his name had appeared in the media, and it wouldn't be the last.
Several years later, everyone held their breath as Arachnos flyers penetrated Paragon City airspace and landed at Ziggursky. In a calculated strike power was cut to the facility, allowing the prisoners to quickly overwhelm the guards and free rein of the prison complex. The chaos on the ground caused incalculable damage to man and materiel, and when the flyers lifted off and the dust cleared, not all the prisoners were accounted for...
Background
Markel was nine when he had a strange encounter that probably altered the course of his life. He and his friends were playing outside when they happened to pass by a tent that was known to house an old magician. They had only ever seen this magician in passing, and their nickname for him was "Old Spotty," for the age-spots that covered his face. One day the children dared each other to enter the tent for a chat with Old Spotty, but no one had the courage to do so until Markel, tired of their bickering, approached the tent and cautiously poked his head inside.
To his surprise, the magician was not angry at this intrusion. In fact, he seemed to welcome him. The two chatted for a bit (though nowadays Markel forgets about the content of that conversation). When it came time for him to leave, however, the magician gave him a small gift: a yellow gemstone. It was about the size of a child's palm and seemed to glimmer and pulse unnaturally in the low light of the tent. Not totally understanding, Markel pocketed the stone and bade the magician farewell.
When Markel emerged from the tent, his friends rushed him, eager to hear every detail. After he told them what had transpired, they boldly poked their heads in the tent as well, but to their surprise the tent was empty! They prodded Markel for a bit, thinking perhaps he was pulling their leg, but Markel just shrugged it off. Soon the pack of children were back to their usual thing.
Markel never told them about the gemstone, however. And they never did see the magician again from that day forward.
The Legacy Chain
It was during Markel's teenage years that he and his family relocated to Paragon City. Markel's magical talents also began to manifest during this time, though he tried to keep it hidden as best he could. Living in the "City of Heroes", however, he could not hide from the ever-watchful Legacy Chain. They approached him and his family in secret, as they are wont to do, and offered to teach him how to effectively use his power. (Privately, they also wanted to keep an eye on the fledgling magician to make sure he only used his power for good.) Though his parents were wary, they knew their son was not destined for a normal life and they eventually relented.
Markel was enrolled in a private school for magically-gifted children. And as soon as he reached the age of sixteen, he was quietly inducted as an apprentice in the Legacy of Flame. When he wasn't studying math or science or magic theory for school, he was being taught how to decipher mystic writings, distinguish magical auras, and perform simple and complex rituals for his future as a secret defender of the mystical arts. Before he finished college, he was already a Blaze of Flame and a powerful sorcerer by his own right.
As most people expected, he pursued an academic life. While he was a graduate student, he met and married Marielle Stone—a fellow member of the Legacy Chain, heroine, and scholar. The couple had no children, but they remained happily married until Marielle fell prey to a wasting disease seven years later. As medical and even magical cures proved to be ineffective, a distraught Markel secretly began prying into the dark magics of the Netherworld in search of a cure. He knew the Legacy Chain would never approve of his pacts with the darkness, so he sought to keep it under wraps.
They eventually found out, however, and tried to stop him; and Markel—in rage or desperation—snapped. What exactly happened is not entirely known. The Legacy Chain, as a secret society, make it a point not to appear in public courts; and Markel, his identity and his crime exposed to the public, didn't even try to defend himself over the issue of the mage he allegedly killed. Markel plead guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty-five years in Ziggursky Penitentiary.
Personality
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Skills and Abilities
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.
Equipment
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.
Affiliations
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.
Trivia and Tropes
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.
