- "Nothing is true, everything is permitted"
- ―Marick's Code
Marick Arconae is the Consul and Shadow Lord of Clan Arcona. He is the former Quaestor of House Qel-Droma and former Captain of Oblivion Brigade. Leader of the Shadicar, he earned the moniker "Black Flash" for his uncanny speed and dark hair.
From Rags To Power
Marick never knew his father and had little true camaraderie growing up. He wore the label of ‘bastard’ like a brand and was a victim of his family’s matriarchal misgivings: taunting, neglect, and abuse from his own mother, sister, and the women of their court. When he arrived at the Shadow Academy, he was more akin to a beaten dog kept chained in a basement than a human being. His hunger to survive was greater, however, and his competitive nature lead to him standing out from the rest of his class. Then-Consul Sashar Erinos saw potential in the ragged looking boy, and took a shot on bringing him into Clan Arcona, his home and family. The boy struggled at first, but after Arcona’s Victory in the 9th Great Jedi War, he began a career that would help shape the future of Arcona as both a leader and hero.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Character History
Childhood
Growing up in the matriarchal society that governs the Hapan was tough for the typical male child. Marick rarely speaks about his life before the Brotherhood, though, especially his childhood.
What he has revealed to those he cared to tell is that he grew up as the son of a well known Hapes Consortium member, Angelica Del'Abbot. He lived in a beautiful estate in the Hapes inner-cluster in a household riddled with conniving, manipulative women always scheming against one another. It was through this that Marick learned much about deception, trickery, and the value of subterfuge, and how information could be power. He would not fully come to put these early lessons to use until later in his career when he took up the mantle as Captain of Arcona’s Internal Security - Oblivion Brigade.
Aside from the conventional education, Marick was taught proper etiquette as well as basic combat training. Still, the boy was little more than a servant and whipping boy who worked mostly in the kitchens or in other domestic or mindless labor roles. Attractive even at a young age, he was often taken advantage of by women older than him, and lost his virginity earlier than he would like to admit. While most would fail to see a flaw in Marick’s treatment, it was rarely a pleasant experience and was done more out of duty than passion. He was abused in ways both physical and mental that forced him to strengthen his inner resolves, numbing himself emotionally. It wasn’t until his late teens that he finally found someone he truly loved, a woman named Amber who ultimately changed him for the better, and showed him that there was more than simple duty.
Marick never complained, though, and found his only solace in a retired bodyguard named Dexter Windser. Marick never knew who his father was, and did not have many friends, so Dexter was the closest thing he ever had to a positive male role model. The former bodyguard was one of the few males in the estate that was respected for taking a blaster-bolt for Marick's mother. He would train Marick in ways that his provided tutor failed to, advanced combat tactics, literature, slicing, and data interpretation. Though no one would admit it, Marick was a natural athlete and highly dexterous both in and out of combat. During one of their spars, Dexter discovered Marick's connection with the Force.
Dexter did his best to keep Marick and his secret safe, but by the time Marick had come of age, his powers were discovered in an incident that revealed his abilities to his mother’s court. This sparked a plan within his mother and a few other Consortium members who still held scorn for the Jedi Order. They would send Marick off to train as a Dark Jedi in the Brotherhood to return home as their very own tool against the Jedi.
The Brotherhood: A New Home
At eighteen years old, Marick was excited to get a chance to see the world outside of his home world and away from his mother. The Hapes Cluster was isolated from the rest of the universe, so he had to learn quickly about the rest of the universe that he had only read about or seen in holovids before.
Upon his arrival to the Shadow Academy, Marick reveled in the ability to use his "gifts" openly and to be respected for his talents. However, he found that he was not alone in the One of the higher-ups in Clan Arcona, Sashar Arconae took notice of him, and had him placed into House Qel-Droma, and into Prophecy Phyle to study under the Archpriest-Tetrarch, Arcturus Xyler. Arcturus took off to pursue his own goals, leaving Marick to fend for himself. The young Hapan was then made second in command of Prophecy Phyle while his companion Kant Lavar took over leadership. Prophecy Phyle soon became known as Oblivion Brigade, and although he no longer had a master Marick was selected to succeed Kant as Battleteam Leader of Oblivion Brigade.
Marick took the reins of Oblivion and remodeled it to better suit his new teams specialties while continuing on his own path for personal growth. By the time of its closing, Oblivion had become a feared name in the brotherhood, and was said to even rival Soulfire Strike Team.
With the re-clanning of Clan Arcona, Marick was selected by the upper summit to lead House Qel-Droma as Queastor. Amongst his new responsibilities, Marick was tasked with solidifying the history of his House, while also re-locating it to the shadow port Port Ol'val.
During this time, he formed a strong bond with his new Aedile, Dralin Fortea, who helped him claim the Shadow Port in Arcona’s name and turn it into the stronghold for House Qel-Droma.
Betrayal
Leading up the Tenth Greath Jedi War, an internal source rumored to be the departed Dralin Fortea, leaked valuable data to rival House Taldrya about one of Arcona’s mining stations. After an attack on the station was thwarted by Marick, the Quaestor engaged in a vicious duel with Benevolent Taldrya Whiner as he attempted to free his captured brethren. Ben utilized the Taldrya-specific trick to slip past the Hapan’s guard, stabbing him in the back and leaving him gravely wounded.
To pour salt in the wound, Marick soon found out that Dralin had indeed been the cause of the leak, and that his former Aedile had fled to join the ranks of Taldrya.
It was the first time that Marick had ever been betrayed or taken off guard. He silently swore that it would never happen again.
Arcona Clan Summit preparing for Great Jedi War X
10th Great Jedi War
Marick had done well as a Battleteam Leader in charge of a small unit, but never before had he been asked to lead an entire House. His appointment to Quaestor came no sooner than the Shadow Clan was called to War, sending the newly minted Quaestor to lead his members to New Tython to fight the Jedi uprising.
While en route to New Tython, Marick sought the counsel of former Tarentum Consul Ronovi Tavisaean for guidance. Through their spar, and throughout their travel she did her best to share her experiences with the young leader. Marick also listened intently to his newly appointed Aedile, Invictus. The Chiss was a seasoned veteran who Marick formed a quick bond with, though after the previous actions of Dralin he was always skeptic. Any notion of disloyalty would disappear entirely by the end of the war.
Once landing, Marick and Invictus drafted Qel-Droma’s landing strategy to take out the western front of the Jedi’s defense while Galeres struck from the east.
Using spheres of darkness to shroud their decent, Marick utilized Qel-Droma’s Elders to disguise their LAAT/i. The plan worked well enough, but the Dark Jedi had not anticipated the arrival of Mandalorians to aid the Jedi. One of the Qel-Droman shuttles was shot down, and even though the others landed successfully, Marick temporarily lost his nerve and needed Invictus to shake him back into the battle. Invictus divided their team into three, a recovery unit to go after the fallen shuttle, one team to charge the Forward Operating Base, and another to sneak around and infiltrate from the flank. The former members of Oblivion Brigade - Timeros, Legorii, Strategos, Etah, and Marick set off on their covert mission.
Timeros and Strategos provided a diversion that allowed Marick, Legorii and Etah to sneak into the enemies base, systematically taking it out from the inside. Marick eventually found his way to the main control room and dueled with the enemies leader, defeating her while suffering a shoulder wound.
With the base won, Marick led his House to join forces with the rest of Arcona.
The Arconan force was sweeping of the Jedi’s capital city when reinforcements arrived from the Mandalorian enemies. The Arconan’s realised that they were overrun and were forced to retreat, but the situation was growing dire and the Summit convened on a transport and set into motion a plan to extract the Arconan forces. The cost would be high, and forever change Marick’s life.
Sashar Erinos, who had been as close to a father as Marick ever had in the Brotherhood or in life, and Zandro Erinos, whom Marick also looked up to, put their own lives on the line to set in place a beacon that would call down an Orbital Bombardment. Every member of the Summit knew that it was a suicide mission, but they also knew that only the two Erinos were capable of pulling it off. With a heavy heart, Marick watched Sashar and Zandro sacrifice everything for the sake of their clan.
That day changed a lot for Marick. He learned what it truly meant to be a leader, and just how Arcona was more than any one member, and that if the time came, he too would be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The Arcona Summit, Post GJWX
Ascension to Proconsul
Despite their victory in the 10th Great War, Arcona had lost not just two of its greatest members, but a loved Consul and the incumbent leader of Soulfire Striketeam. It was voted unanimously by the Arconae and the Dark Council that Wuntila Entar Arconae would take over as Lord Consul of the Shadow Clan. This left an opening for Proconsul, which again was decided upon unanimously by the Clan.
Marick would have offered protest, but after everything that happened in the War, he had changed from the humble Battleteam Leader turned Quaestor. He understood that not just his House had come to respect and admire him, but that of his entire Clan.
For the first time in his career, Marick confidently accepted the position of Proconsul, and set forth in helping guide Arcona into its most prosperous age, and preparing it for the challenges it would no doubt face in the future.
Arconae
Within in his first few months serving as Proconsul, Marick had the honor of being voted into the fabled Arconae. It had long been a dream of the Hapan to one day sit among the Arconan greats, and it still is one of the happiest days in Marick’s life. He has adjusted to his roll as both Arconae and Proconsul. He takes his duties very seriously, but feels more comfortable for the first time since leading Oblivion.
5th Championship Ladder
Marick entered the 5th Championship Ladder in hopes of making it to the finals to prove that he deserved to be among the elite of the Brotherhood. He was excited to learn that his mentor, Timeros, was in the same bracket and was determined to meet him in battle. His plans were thwarted as he lost in the second round to his own apprentice, Socorra Erinos. During the match, his emotions were put the test, and through the trial he realized that he had strong feelings for the woman he had come to both respect and love more than just a colleague and apprentice.
Marick reviewing battle plans with Consul Wuntila Arconae
The Long Road
Marick and Socorra entered into a hushed relationship that confused most but seemed to work for a time. Marick’s past and current position as Proconsul and Socorra’s appointment to Quaestor made things even more complicated. Wuntila allowed it so long as it did not interfere with their respective duties.
The War of Three Families
In the year that followed, Marick stood beside his Consul through thick and thin. Arcona’s major families broke into a civil war, the conflict between Wuntila and Teroch nearly splitting Marick in half. Teroch was like a little brother to him and Wuntila was his Consul. He fought to remain as neutral as possible, but the entire conflict weighed the Hapan’s ideals down. Regardless, Wuntila remained strong. His continued efforts allowed Arcona to eventually cast aside their petty war of families. The conflict concluded at the accidental death of Grand Master Sarin, and the final “truce” between Teroch and Wuntila. Eventually, Teroch would leave Arcona to pursue his own goals, leaving Wuntila a clear path at establishing his footing as Shadow Lord.
From there, Wuntila and Marick worked together to strengthen Arcona as it continued to grow on the success of its consecutive Great Jedi War victories. As Marick became more comfortable with his position as Proconsul, he slowly began to become less of a subordinate and more of a comrade with his Consul.
In the months leading up to what would come to the “Horizons Plague” event, Arcona entered into a critical situation when former Consul of Naga Sadow and Apostle Son of Sadow Tsainetomo arrived on Selen. His arrival was suspect by the Arconae and Summit, and to make things worse, a jail-break was initiated at the Bulkhead facility on Port Ol'val. Marick, Sai, and Timeros teamed up to take back Port Ol’val while the collective strength of Arcona was divided into small strike teams to assist.
In the end, Timeros caught Marick in disguise while eliminating the traitor known as Shin Ragga, the person behind the Bulkhead Jailbreak. Timeros had figured out already that Marick was behind the jailbreak, wanting to test Arcona’s readiness and response time to crisis. It was also to serve as a way of Sai gaining trust with the members of Arcona. For all the clever execution, Timeros gave Marick a backhanded compliment that would go on to haunt the Proconsul.
- " It had to be done.”
“And why is that?"
- ”You know without me having to explain”
“Yes, but did the results justify the means? You lied to Wuntila, the Arconae, and the Clan.”
- ”It had to be done. For Arcona. By any means necessary.”
“By any means necessary? Careful Marick, you’re starting to sound like me."
- ―Timeros and Marick at the conclusion of Trials of Loyalty.
Horizons
The Horizons plague struck the Brotherhood unexpected. Arcona’s forces were attacked by an unknown enemy and their own journeymen were turned against them. Marick took the loss of every journeyman in this manner very hard, but fought valiantly with the rest of Arcona to repel the invaders. In the end, a cure to the plague was found, and the enemy revealed to be former Grand Master Zorran. The cure was found in a holocron, and passed on to the unit leaders. Wuntila acted as carrier and spread the cure throughout Arcona’s ranks and order was soon restored. Marick went about honoring the dead as best he could and organizing the recovery.
And through it all, the bond between Marick and Wuntila grew. And so did Arcona.
Wuntila was Marick’s brother-in-arms. The closest thing he’d ever had to a true friend. Together they could conquer any challenge.
Or so they thought.
The Avenger
TBC
The Dark Crusade
Victory on Rhelg
TBC
Apparel
File:Marickshadeborn.JPGCeremonial Shadeborn robes
In times of peace he wears the ceremonial Shadeborn robes. The fabric mantle gives way to ebony single-strips of cloth that bind together at the mantle to create a unique cloak, sabers also visible on his belt.
In times of war he is rarely seen outside of his Invicta robes. The simple black fabric and light-weight mantle have become like a second skin to the Arconae. The golden inscriptions on the flowing cape represent the symbols of the Shadesworn and he wears both of his twin shotos on his belt.
ACC Attire
File:MarickACCX.jpg
When dueling in the Combat Center, Marick wears a black hooded cloak over a set of grey, sleeveless robes that come down just below the near where his boots tie off. Beneath the robe he wears a matte-black, lightly-padded bodysuit that hugs tightly to his muscles. He keeps one of his twin-lightsabers within easy reach on his hip, the other concealed.
Tattoos / Scars
Marick bears the Arconae tattootattoo on his chest as well as the Oblivion Skull on the underside of his wrist. His back is lined with pale silver scars that serve as reminders of his troubled childhood. More noticeable is the dull-red mark that lingers between his shoulder blades, a reminder of his first true encounter with Taldryan and the betrayal of a friend.
The Force
Marick is agnostic in his view of the Force, disagreeing with most of the Jedi and Sith teachings. He incorporates bits and pieces of both philosophies into his own beliefs, seeing the Force as a powerful aide to help him better achieve his goals.
Training
Marick with mentor Timeros
Marick was left without a true master to guide him on his trials to become a Dark Jedi Knight. It was during this time he began to spar with Sashar Arconae, which heavily influenced his decisions to use a shoto as his first hilt of choice. After being named leader of Oblivion Brigade, Marick found himself paired up with the renowned Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae. While the two shaped Oblivion Brigade into a feared and respected unit, Timeros acted as both a guide and mentor to the young Hapan. Timeros helped Marick with his control over the Force, as well as his footwork and swordsmanship. He still spared with Sashar up until the Great War, and always viewed the Elder as the closest thing he ever had to a father.
After Sashar’s passing, Marick continued to his training on his own. After a year of adaptive warfare in the Dark Crusade, he has taken all of his accumulated knowledge and has taken to perfecting Sokan back under the watchful eye of his old mentor, Timeros.
He has tutored both Socorra Erinos and Atyiru Caesus Entar after each reached the rank of Dark Jedi Knight, focusing on their swordsmanship.
Personality & Quirks
- Marick dislikes honorifics from any Arconan with the exception of "sir”. He only holds non-Arconans, mundanes, soldiers, or employees to uphold his various titles of “Lord” or “Excellence”.
- Unlike most of his brothers, Marick has abstained from joining any of the known families, instead tying his loyalty exclusively to Arcona and the Shadow Clan.
- Marick is very attached to his Cythraul, Kira, and will become a very different type of person if anything were to happen to her.
- Marick’s sense of humor seems non-existent beneath his cold demeanor, but he has been known to banter freely with people close to him.
- "I'd tell you to smile more, but I suspect it may actually kill you. So, carry on."
- ―Atyiru Caesus Entar
Allies
Cythraul
Marick is the proud master of Kira, a wirey, white female Cythraul still growing into her body. They are joined by their link through the Force, and are rarely seen apart from each other around the Citadel where Marick spends most of his time. He has a noticeable soft spot for the wolf-like creature, but none are fool enough to attempt to harm or target the young Cythral. They are both protective of one another, and anyone seeking to threaten or take Kira away from Marick would suffer the full extent of the usually calm and collected Proconsul's wrath.
Fade's
Marick has the loyalty of first two members of the Fade Initiative: Kristen Erinos and Acaelus Del'aran
Force Wraith
Marick's Force Wraith, Watson
- Name: Watson
- Shape: HawkBat
- Size: ~3feet (~1 meter)
Through careful practice Marick can shape a singular shadow creature that takes after a winged HawkBat he calls, "Watson". Marick does not use his Force Wraith in the same way that most of his brethren do in combat. Instead, he uses Watson as a scout, a prying eye to help him track, follow, or monitor a target. Watson also serves as a great diversion, and Marick has no reservations using it as such. His strange sense of honor prevents him from using Watson in a conventional duel, though.
If needed, Marick can create an additional two Hawkbats to assist Watson.
Leadership
Out Of Character Trivia
- Known as "Wally" on IRC/OOC
- Lives in New York City, and is not, in fact, European
- Is a totally adorbs puppy -Signed: Atty (I’m terribly clever)