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kiercorp · 5 years ago

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Markus’ Backstory Master Post

Yesterday was Markus’ birthday so I figured it was the perfect time to piece together his back story based on what Nahal basically confirmed for us. Along with hints from his back story dream in “The Storm”, his visions in the wizard tower, the song “Ballad of Markus Velafi”, and the back story told to us in “The Campfire” episode. I’m trained to write things like history essays I apologize for that format ahead of time.

But before we begin it is important to remember that Markus has admitted to lying and stretching the truth when talking about his past. From what I’ve gathered he doesn’t blatantly lie about his past instead, he lies through omission of details. Which Ashe also admits to doing when she tells her back story in the campfire episode. Therefore even though Ashe questions how much of his story is true. We can at the very least trust that what he says did happen even if he didn’t tell us everything that happened. But only when it comes to Markus telling the story. The Ballad of Markus Velafi should be taken with a grain of salt since it’s clearly a fantasized version of the story.

I’m going to tell the events of his back story in the chronological order that they happened. Not in the order, they were told to us. Yes, this means we’ll jump around with what evidence is where. But I feel like it’s the easiest way to tell it. There are some areas that are speculation but most of this is alluded to in canon. The very end might be spoilers for where Markus’ plot is going in the future. But it’s mostly theories on my part. The rest is under a read more because I wrote way too much. 1,500 words actually.

First we start at the very beginning. He was born and as the Ballad of Markus, Velafi says half tiefling and half not. Originally that would lead to the assumption that one of his parents was a demon and the other human. But Markus confirmed that his dad’s line had been serving the royal line for generations as tieflings. Then One in “God’s are Gone” confirms again that it was Markus’ ancestors that made the pack with Demons and that Markus’ demon blood is actually incredibly deluded. So when he says the line half Demon man he means half tiefling, not half demon half human. That leaves the other half of his family line completely unknown. With the easiest answer being that his mother was just a human. But in the campfire episode, he intentionally skips around his mother. Stating “I can talk about my mother another time”. If she’s dead there’s no reason for talk of his mother to be a completely different story.

Until what we got in the most recent ep the assumption was human and the theory was celestial. Nahal states that he smells Royal and Markus repeats the line he said to Ashe all the way back in the campfire episode. He’s not royal; he’s royal adjacent or almost royalty. Nahal then drops the name of the Royal group she thought he smelled like, Aasimar. Aasimar’s are angels (Don’t know if that needs to be explained or not.) which checks out with Markus’ admittance that the Royals were celestial in nature. But that’s not the point. The point is we all know a scent that “rubbed off on him” wouldn’t stick around to the present which is 20 years later. Especially when Ashe on multiple occasions has mentioned the brimstone smell that is always on him. The only way the Aasimar scent would still be coming off of him was if he was making it himself and it was just covered up to most people by the smell of brimstone.

So that’s all the new stuff which is just confirming a theory people have had for a while. Now it’s time to connect it to all the other parts of his story. Starting with his mom! In the campfire episode, he actively skips over her and focuses’ on his father even though by his own admission his dad was rarely around. Mostly because of his dad’s work and also because this would have been the time when Markus was sent away to “wizard high school” aka boarding school. To be half Aasimar his mother would have been one of the royals. It would have made Markus’ birth a scandalous affair. If not for that fact that it was clearly covered up. He grew up with his dad and the servant’s most likely being told his mother was dead. And when Markus’ uncontrollable magic, that was clearly stronger than an average tiefling, showed up he was sent to wizard high school to learn to control it. Markus is clearly now aware that his magic is stronger than the average well anyone. It’s where the label “sorcerlock” comes from. As well as his reading of Nahal in the most recent episode.

At some point when he’s younger, Markus labels the age “around 12”. His father sits him down to explain why it’s important they serve the royal family. Knowing that his Dad had been and might still be in a secret relationship with one of them explains what his father said. “True fulfillment comes only through obedience and servitude to something greater than yourself.” It’s the only quote from the conversation Markus remembers. To Markus, it left a bad taste in his mouth that he remembers to this day. To his father, it was probably the only way he could keep his little broken family together. As long as he and Markus kept their heads down and served the royal family. He’d be able to stay near the love of his life. Assuming she wasn’t dead.

Meeting Silverfish in the woods most likely happened before he went off to school. Since little Markus makes no reference to magic. But he does tell the ironic lie that he’s a prince from a nearby kingdom. Because of Ashe and Gregor’s meddling, it’s impossible to tell how much of their part of the dream actually happened. I do believe Markus and Silverfish ran into a hunter and Markus convinced said hunter to help with the promise of getting paid. Of course, said hunter wasn’t paid and Markus ran away from them. It would have been the first time he put on a fake persona. The origin of Morkass Velafmor if you will.

Markus is sent to Wizard High school for the rest of his teen years. Some of his fear of high school is played up for laughs. But I do believe he struggled. The restrictions imposed on Inien’s type of magic would have made a very awkward learning environment for someone with basically unlimited magical reserves. He does eventually get a handle on his magic most likely through his own private studies. Once done with his schooling he returns to Tannhauser.

Upon his return he starts taking over his father’s duties as he was chosen to do. He does well in the position and gains the king’s trust. Then, of course, the big night happens. The king gets drunk and Markus escorts the King to his room alone. Markus learns two things that night. First is what he told the group at the campfire. The family line currently on the throne was not the original royal line. This truth shakes him, but it’s not the reason he left.

Markus learns of a second cover-up, all about him. He learns that his mother is part of the royal family either the king’s sister or daughter, depending on how old this king was. He was old enough that Markus was being trained to serve the next king and not this current king. He learns that even if he’s the oldest heir his half breed status would keep him from the throne. He also puts together that the king he’s being trained to serve is either his younger half brother or younger cousin. Which explains why Markus, Matt, and Jay all compare Markus to viziers. The head adviser to the king usually had some family relation to the king. It’s where the evil uncle stealing the throne from the young prince trope comes from. Young Markus literally reads a book about a Vizier that gets away with it in his flashback dream.

Learning this truth leaves Markus with a choice. The choice he tells Ashe. He can reveal the lie and along the way put himself on the throne or he can leave. This part is even in the Ballad of Markus Velafi. “This mountain that I’ve summited I’ve fallen from by choice.” He “laid siege to the gods” and was at the top. He easily could have taken the thrown either legitimately if he’s the oldest or illegitimately by causing another coop and “leading” the servants to revolution. Them never putting together that he was related to the royals they were overthrowing. But he chose to throw it all away. He left and never turned back.

Now it’s many years later. His father and the King are certainly dead and the current king is a younger relative of his. Wither that king knows of Markus’ relation to him depends on if the Tannhausers are showing up in TI anytime soon. And with multiple new characters referencing Tannhauser or straight up saying they’re from there. It’s incredibly likely we’ll get more of Markus’ story very soon.

So yeah that’s where we are. Markus is half demon half angel and now we just need to wait for the others to put it together. I do wonder if the Celestial part is why his demon form is more colorful then One’s. It would also explain the invisible barrier that protected him along with his little demon wings when Ashe attacked him in the dream. There’s also the fact that Matt has admitted that Markus does a glamour spell 24/7. I’ve always seen glamour as a more light affiliated spell. It’s an illusion that affects what people see by changing what light shows basically. Who knows but I’m really excited to see what’s coming!

PS. thank you for reading all this. Sorry, again it’s so long.

#thrilling intent #Markus Velafi

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