Marielle
A long time ago I questioned if the gods everyone loved were honestly real. Did they really exist? I certainly didn't see any proof. Then I thought to myself, how easy would it be if I tried to become a god? Who would stop me? If a god did reach down and smite me, then I'd accept the fact that I was wrong. I've now gotten thousands upon thousands of people to abandon their faith and instead worship me. I feel it's safe to say they aren't around.Marielle █████ is a human lich and the founder of the religious cult and political power Eureka.
History
In Life
Marielle lived a simple life in a rural town in the First Age. She would flirt with those around her using her beautiful looks to get her way. Young and manipulative, she felt good when she'd pressure others into doing things they were uncomfortable doing. She found a teenager and took them away from their family, making them live with her as her lover. They fell in love with her, though whether it was love or stockholm syndrome it was unclear.
Death and a Second Chance
On one of her many outings to see if she could find more Pre-Age objects, she found a metallic feather that had incredible power. Picking it up, it was as if she activated a trap, and the earth moved to swallow her up, twisting and contorting, and suddenly impaling her with sharp stones. The ground itself had killed her, though she was still conscious. She still felt incredible pain, but she could feel power running through her. In this, a thin thaumite mask formed over her face.
Marielle went home to her lover, who knew immediately something was up. Marielle, thinking that the metal feather had similar abilities as the land that killed her, stabbed her lover through the ribcage, pushing it inside. The feather had power, but it was much different power than what she was thinking. Her lover transformed into a metallic abstract monstrosity, which she named Lahatiel.
Start of a Cult
Marielle decided to go out with Lahatiel and preach to the masses, convincing others that no god truly existed, and that everything they worshipped up to this point was a sham. She was mocked by many, though the more she came back and spoke her mind, the more people began to believe her. She spoke openly how cult gods were more true than the major gods that others worshipped, saying that while not gods, at least they existed.
She had very few followers at first, but as she came and discredited priests and clerics alike, more people began to question their faith. She challenged the deities and heard no response, even in an open forum. Surely, if they did exist, they'd strike her down? That was her thought, and people started to believe her more and more.
Formation of Eureka
A man named Barry was the first Awakened she knew about other than herself, and he joined her cause with the promise of earning a living wage. During her further travels, she'd bring some devoted to where she was killed in a hope that they'd also become powerful. The Errant Edge no longer harmed her so long as her mask stayed on, but many died in this hope to become like their new goddess. While many died this way, a few did not.
With Barry and another who survived the Errant Edge, a young girl who became Lady Luck, Marielle formed Eureka, initially a group to help handle cult activities. As it grew, Marielle became more ambitious, changing her goal from only becoming a new god to making life better for her followers and a living hell for everyone else.
Religious Takeover
From the beginning, Marielle had her eyes set on a beautiful location she could call her own: Keiman Town, an idyllic town on the northern coast where it was cold for half the year, overlooking the northern sea. While she preached in different places, she frequented Keiman Town the most. Using the money she got from donations, she got into the pockets of the mayor, getting on his good side.
The people of Keiman Town loved Marielle, with the exception of some skeptics and people who stood their ground about their faith. So much so, they didn't think much when the mayor somehow disappeared and Marielle started acting in his place. They were told it was a temporary arrangement, though it was quite a bit longer than a few months.
Marielle stayed in Keiman Town for a while while the rest of Eureka drummed up support. She made changes, like making it illegal to worship any other gods and establishing a proper system of minting and currency. She discovered a wealth of thaumite nearby, which she used to jumpstart the economy, and the town quickly transformed into Keiman City.
Current Day
Marielle has grown Eureka to the point where she can stay in the city for most of the year to take care of political affairs, though she does keep an ear to the ground in a hope she can find people strong enough to withstand the Edge. She's recently heard of more metallic feathers of power, dubbed Time Feathers from her informant within the cult of the bird that shed them. Said to be able to warp time itself to the wielder's whim, Marielle is very interested in obtaining them.
She's doing what she can to get them and as many Awakened under her thumb as possible, which includes forcing people out of their homes as she goes searching for them within towns and subsequently forcing these people through the Edge. She's gotten very few Awakened this way, but that won't stop her from trying.
Physical Description
Marielle is a woman in her adult years of an indeterminate age. She stands at about 5'6" without her heels on (about 5'8" with them on). She has long, wavy black hair that she typically keeps up in a bun behind her head. Her skin is very pale, often described as moonlight, snow, or ghost-like. Underneath the clothes she wears, pits and craters of scars cover her torso where she'd been injured.
She's often physically identified by the temperature drop that happens in a short radius around her and the thaumite masks she always has covering her face. She also tends to wear clear glass platform shoes to give off the appearance she's floating and black and lavender clothing. She seems to be in fair health, though she never looks like she's ever in heavy physical labour to test that. She keeps herself looking and smelling clean and fresh to keep up her appearances for the nobles and religious folk she integrates with rather than her own personal taste.
Personality Description
Marielle, is, in a word, manipulative. She knows what she wants, and will do whatever it takes to get there, regardless of who she has to step on to get there. She even feels that it's necessary to be ruthless sometimes just to rile up some feelings. She feels as though people are just objects to use and play with as she sees fit, or as pets to keep around to give her affection.
Quirks and Oddities
She tends to care much more about the Admins of Eureka more so than other people, and will go to decent lengths to make sure they stay safe, especially in more overwhelming situations.
Awakened Abilities
When Marielle went through the Errant Edge, she didn't entirely survive the process like most other Awakened. She lingers in a state of undeath many could call Lichdom. Her "phylactery" of sorts being the mask she is forced to wear at all times. The mask itself is made of thaumite, and her original mask is rather plain. It is faceted with many different, shimmering triangle shapes and is lavender in colour. It, itself, simply keeps her alive, and gives her one other ability: the ability to make masks.
So long as an Awakened is either: 1. willing, 2. freshly dead, or 3. completely unconscious, Marielle can tear the thaumite from their body and push their soul inside, forming it into a mask she can wear. By quickly swapping between her masks, she can assume the abilities of any Awakened she has taken advantage of.
Masks
Marielle
This mask looks like a simplified version of how Marielle's face looked when she was alive. It allows Marielle to make new masks out of willing, unconscious, or dead Awakened. These masks also look like simplified versions of the people they once were.
Eidolon
A pale red mask with star-patterns in its rough, rock-like surface. Marielle can, with a touch, force people to protect the things of their past with lethal force and hate the things of the present.
「Free」
A yellowed mask in the vague shape of a drakonid's maw. Marielle can strike a closed object or enclosed space and immediately open it through either a weak entry point, a closed entry point, or by suddenly opening a hole in said object or enclosure.
「Love Stuck」
A deep purple mask with a beautiful woman's face on it with long horns coming off the top. While wearing it, Marielle can sense the true desires of anyone nearby. She can also touch two people, making them psychologically want to be near each other and not harm one another.
Religious Views
Marielle thinks the religions people have created are stupid and worthless, save for the idea they can be used to her benefit in controlling a large mass of people. She doesn't see the Main Deities as real and doesn't see the cult deities as being worthy of worship. Instead, she sees herself as a perfect head of a new cult, able to solve problems in her peoples' lives directly and be worthy of praise rather than the gods that aren't even around to answer prayers.
Relationships
{ This will remain unfinished until I finish some more people's articles. }Wealth
It's hard to calculate how much wealth Marielle really has, since markets highly fluctuate with her rule. Objects gain importance and grow obsolete within a few years of each other, making it difficult to predict anything. Speaking as she owns one of the largest, most populous, and most advanced cities on the entirety of Acate, one can assume she is quite affluent.
Relationships
Marielle █████
Title(s)
Goddess of Change, Boss
Appellations
The Great Larvate, Masked One, Marquess
Species
Human (Undead)
Birthdate
1A121Y 11M6D
Current Residence
Eureka Hub
Sex
Female
Gender
Cisfemale
Sexual / Romantic Orientation
Asexual Aromantic
Height
5'6" (167.6cm)
Weight
130lbs (58.9kg)
Aligned Organisation
Eureka
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That is quite a detailed article. I was wondering about the orientation. you mentionned she had love/relationship in living life. Did undeath caused a lack of attraction since the concept of life and "humanity" is into account, or was she like that at first and it didn't changed ? I'm asking since lich/vampire usually get this topic covered has life and emotion become alien with immortality. Happy end of Summercamp !
Interestingly enough, she did retain a bit of a want for love towards the beginning of her lichdom, but it faded over the years as she realised how futile and meaningless it would be (with her infinitely long lifespan). She still has emotions, including love, but they're severely lessened, as you can expect. Thank you for your time! ✨