The Tale of Marius

Marius was born in Tilea and was abandoned by his mother into the canals. Fate brought this child to Bram von Hoff, a man hiding from past. Hoff saw this child as a sign of redemption of his past and took the child in as his own. Hoff trained the boy in everything that he would need to know to become a man. The summer of Marius’ eighteenth birthday Bram received a package, and when Bram opened the package Marius saw for the first time terror in his masters eyes. Marius looked into the box and saw a hand with a ring on it. Wondering how a simple token could startle his master, he asked Bram what it meant. Bram told him of his past, that he had been enslaved by a vampire named Frolaugh and that he had been forced to do deeds that no man would be proud of, and that one day Frolaugh’s castle was held under siege by the empire. The siege lasted for weeks as the empire fought the vampire’s legion of undead, but the empire broke through the castle walls, led by Staven Kambriech the empire forced themselves into the heart of the castle where Frolaugh and Bram waited. Kambriech entered the vampires chamber and saw Frolaugh sitting on his throne with Bram standing wearily by his side, Kambriech challenged the vampire and the vampire drew his sword and charged at Kambriech with supernatural speed Kambriech fought valiantly but could not get the upper hand and Frolaugh knocked the knight over, knowing that he could not stand by and watch another man fall to his masters hands Bram took his blade and slashed at his master, severing his hand, Kambriech saw this opportunity and drove his sword trough the vampires head. Frolaugh fell to dust and Kambriech picked up the ring of Frolaugh’s house that lay in the ash and took it for his own to remember the day he killed the vampire. So it seemed that the vampire had been brought back to life and sought vengeance for the betrayal of his servant. So Marius and Bram fled their home to seek refugee from the dark lord in Stirland. Midway through their journey Bram heard something in the distance and told Marius to hide in the bushes, Bram drew his sword and walked away from Marius as a monstrous cloud surrounded them and the winds began to howl through the trees. Marius saw the vampire come up behind Bram and as he tried to yell the vampire cast a transfixing gaze upon Marius that struck such fear in Marius that he could not speak a word. The vampire came upon Bram unflinching his gaze on Marius, and he thrust his sword into Bram, killing him instantly. The vampire smirked at Marius, transformed into his wolf form and disappeared into the forest. Marius ran to Bram’s lifeless body and wept because he did not save the closest man he ever had to a father but instead stood frozen and let him die. Filled with undying hatred he vowed to finish what Bram had started and slay Frolaugh for the life he had taken and the shame he had caused Marius.