Marik the Unsasitated

Many great creatures of power roam the planes, many of whose origins are either varied or unknown. One such entity is known as Marik the Unsatiated. Marik's origin is mainly rumored with some history, but like any rumor or urban legend that exists, there is some truth to be found. For Marik, there are two accepted thoughts on the origin of where he came from.
  The knights of the Merciful Sword were once the strongest holy orders having produced some of the greatest warriors within the forgotten realms. Within this order was one such warrior known as Marek whose renown would precede his travels and earned him respect throughout the lands. Tales of his adventures became revered for his honor, his respect and protection of the weak, and his unflinching chastity. One tale speaks of single-handedly taking down a chimera, another a group of assassins saving a church's people. Much of the history Marek was in has his holy blade traveling throughout the land with his fellow knights.
While amongst the knights there was joy and peace, and by the time that he withdrew his command, he was already gray and alone. When he left command he was the last surviving warrior of the initial congregation. His retirement was led by teaching future paladins and clerics in combat where even in his old age few could match his skills. Sadly one day the name Marek stops in history, having up and disappeared from the order.
Where Marek’s story ends, another person also holds the supposed origin of this patron. Unlike Marek, the renown of this Maric wasn’t well known with only some accounts even mentioning him. His story begins as a simple man of god following the deity Helm. He was without a family, who were lost to war, making Maric a part of the initiative to strengthen the army with orphans of the constant wars. Maric never had the gift of combat, but he found the hammer and anvil to his abilities. In his youth, he remained dedicated to the craft which led him down the path of being a master crafter. Except his story would divert on a different path before he ever received the title. His life spent forging and mending armaments left his personal life empty of true relationships. During an expedition outside the church of Helm to supplement a siege on a temple of Bane. A few days after arriving Maric found the company of a local farm girl who was providing food with her other followers of Tyr. The conflict lasted nearly a month, allowing for flirtatious interactions between Maric and the farm girl. As the time of conflict ended, the return to Helm’s temple was underway. Returning to his temple he was once again alone.
It wasn’t but a few weeks later that his farm girl moved to see him again. After a while the romance between the two bloomed for months, that was until another conflict was going to come. Again Maric was to leave, but now his desire to leave his romantic paramour was in the way. In desperation, Maric ran away in the night with the farm girl hoping for a future. Sadly their story ended too soon as the true intention of the farm girl was darker than any could imagine.
As they finally arrived in a small town a few days away they rented out a room, with Maric finally giving in, breaking his vows to his god. With a kiss deeper than he could have imagined, he met the cold embrace of someone, not a woman. Her appearance became revealed, during the kiss. The skin changed into an inhuman dark purple, with her wings expanding and exposing the true fiend she was. Having separated Maric from the protection of the temple, the succubus was finally able to use the powers she wasn’t able to before. The kiss of death she pressed onto his lips granted many their end. Yet for some reason, Maric would not join the many who lost their lives to the fiends.
These are where the stories converge as both Marek and Marik end only for another monster to come from what originally seemed to be nowhere. What came later was a creature whose power of transformation, summon, and abilities to manipulate others beyond normal mortals' capability. Whatever happened to form Marik the Unsatiated what is known is what happened afterward and the cult formed around him.
As if he didn’t want to start a commotion, the cult of Marik started slowly with just a few members, but always centered around Marik and the succubus always found at his side. Filled with men and women finding the joys and pleasures of existence through some of the most degenerate methods. The cult at first was filled with debauchery as the desires of youth found a liking towards the group. As other religions and churches found disapproval of this new order, the expansion of the cult found itself being attacked. The threat of Marik the Unsatiated’s cult had expanded enough that its infamy was taken notice by even the knights-errant. The knights of the merciful sword took down camps of the Unsatiated discovering where their patron Marik resided. In a decent-sized force of about 30, the knights raided in force against an old castle. The castle itself was abandoned long ago, reworked for the new residents with many of the followers within the courtyard in camps and newer wood structures. With most of the followers in the courtyard, the knights took control of the castle before any of the cultists knew anything. When they broke open the entryway of the great hall leading to the old throne, they saw the “man” they were hunting with a woman sitting beside him. Each knight casting the holy magic upon themselves and their weapons they rushed forward to slay their prey.
The historical documents become mumbled about what happened next, but all state that before any strike could be achieved all the knights were brought unconscious. When they all woke up, none were killed, albeit some were injured, but the area was completely abandoned once again, even the dead were missing. Where the stories divert is what the knights saw. It is the rumor that a few of the knights remember the face of Marik as someone they once knew. Marik the Unsatiated looked like a middle-aged version of a teacher they once had, some would say. Others claim that he looked nothing like anyone they knew, but looked young as if they never reached puberty. They saw deep dark eyes, with a face filled with cracks or maybe tattoos. As for the woman who sat with him, her skin was a red that matched maroon wines, bat wings, and wearing almost nothing. To those who hunted her kind knew she was a fiend.
Although the castle was without life besides the knights of the merciful blade, there was only one oddity that they found beside the forge. A single sword, a shield, and an old set of armor with deep cuts reading “Marik”. The armor was rusted and looked as if it had seen its fair share of combat, but the marks looked like they were made by the sword with it. What was truly unique was both the sword and shield as they were not made by the common hand. Although not in records, as the weapons were called abominations, the rumor states that the weapons had the look as if they were melted into their shape. These items were said to have been destroyed, yet soon after similar weapons would begin to pop up around different areas as the Cult of Marik.
Finally, after months of taking down cults across the region, the knights cornered Marik with over 100 men. At his door, with every one of Marik’s followers dead, Marik and his succubus were alone with no escape. Rumor again contradicts what records state, as the knight’s documents claimed to have skewered Marik and his fiend, ending his cult building. On the other hand, rumor speaks of how Marik fought off each warrior, and in an attempt to never be bothered plunged the area into darkness disappearing everyone from history.
History has a way of making the past separate from today. Framing old enemies is gone, but what it doesn’t do is continue the narrative when it doesn’t suit the writers. What they don’t tell you is that weapons, shields, and armors with the look of melting into shape became rare finds throughout the world. The craftsmanship was better than the dripping look of his first works, but Marik’s weapons were still being forged. Each appeared normal, but wielding them would begin to whisper the supposed desires of Marik. Sadly most of these traces of stories are simply gossiping around watering holes and tales of bards making their way to the next bar to make some coin. Marik hasn’t been seen on the material plane, but there are tales of him traveling within the shadow fell. Forging weapons, calling on more questionable adventurers, and granting them some power to do their deeds. Even tales of people getting revenge or defending the innocent with weapons that couldn’t be forged. These stories could fill books, but then those that seem to have some similarity are hate for a specific Raksasha.
As the forged works of Marik spread throughout the countryside there was a Raksasha who stole many. This Raksasha created a small feud between himself and Marik. He destroyed anything made with Marik’s influence, even killing many of his growing followers. The Raksasha indulged in his pleasures of greed and lust, taking over a city that had a secret following of Marik’s followers. Killing the original ruler, he took his form and caused havoc all in the name of a curse. First killing the secret cult, he drove the city into chaos with false hopes and spread lies such as the ill events of the city were caused by twins being born. Saying that as long as they are alive, there cannot be peace or hope. Yet making the caveat that the twins couldn’t be killed. After years of the Raksasha’s evil rule, it would be what was left of the people, all carrying Marik’s weapons, to slaughter the Raksasha as he laughed at their despair.
Living within one of the domains of Dread, waiting his time, Marik remained with small connections towards the material plane. He was always with a second at his side, shifting their form as needed, doing his bidding, but never found far away. Through his influence, he can become a patron to others, through Pacts, and other magical ways.

Pacts made to Marik find themselves granted access to two subclasses in the Warlock category. The Undead, which resides within the Vampiric nature of Marik, and Hexblade, for which the curse that flows through Marik is only matched by his combative prowess. Either subclass requires no worshiping or deification of Marik. His pacts are either simple or complicated depending on the individual. Although Marik isn’t good, his desires aren’t exactly evil either. Though he is silent with most of his followers, at certain times he will contact them directly. Although rare, these usually are connected with the Knights of the Merciful Blade, devils, and demons. Pact Requirements: Find satisfaction whenever possible. (Sharing the enjoyment with their patron) Whether through food, drink, or physical contact. Only monthly if excessive forms of satisfaction are achieved in a short period. If confronted with a Raksasha, at the first opportunity kill them.