Marius Calla's page

Marius Calla spent the early part of his childhood growing up in an orphanage in Korvosa’s Midland district. He doesn’t know who his parents are, where they are, whether they’re alive or dead, or whether “Marius” is even the name he was given at birth. He can recall only the faintest images of the time before the orphanage: a woman’s voice singing a soft song, a man’s laughter, a scent that he can never quite place. Beyond that, nothing remains. Life in the orphanage was strict, if largely uneventful. Education, training, chores, even some free time now and then.

Marius doesn’t know exactly why he was abducted when he was. He doesn’t know if the headmistress or one of the other women there arranged for him to be taken away, or if he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless, when he was given a list and told to go shopping at the Gold Market, he was happy to do so. Having a chance to get out and away from orphanage supervision was something of a luxury. Unfortunately for him, he was too caught up in the sights and sounds and smells of Korvosa’s largest market, and in exploring side streets nearby, to notice the pair of shady characters that were following him. By the time he noticed anything was amiss, all he could do was struggle in vain. He remembers struggling against a pair of hands grabbing him, then a sack being placed over his head, followed by a hard strike in the back of his head, and finally nothingness.

And so, Marius met Gaedren Lamm for the first time, and became one of “Lamm’s Lambs”. He found himself being forced to commit all sorts of petty crime on Lamm’s behalf alongside a number of other children in a similar predicament. Cutting purses, running scams, snatching items from stalls and shops, breaking into houses; there was very little Lamm wouldn’t have his slaves do if he thought he could get away with it. And Gaedren Lamm always seemed to get away with it.

One evening about a year after he was taken, Marius managed to convince a drunken artist of some sort – he was telling anyone who would listen about his latest “masterpiece” on his way to the next tavern – to bet one of his pouches on a rigged dice game. Once he lost, Marius made a quick getaway before the mark could think too hard about what had just happened. Upon opening the pouch, Marius was disappointed to find only a couple silver pieces and a small symbol of a bird with rainbow-colored tailfeathers. As far as he could remember, that symbol was associated with Shelyn, but he didn’t know much about it otherwise. Intrigued by it, he pocketed the symbol and went asking around about it the next day. He was directed to the Sanctuary of Shelyn in North Point. Deciding to skip out on what Gaedren had planned for him that day, Marius went directly there. Upon arriving at the service, he was immediately struck to his core by the sheer beauty of the small temple, and of the service itself. Up to that point, his life in the orphanage and on the street had been many things, but rarely beautiful or loving. The art, the garden, the music, the people, everything about it inspired in Marius emotions he didn’t even know he had. It was something he would never forget.

He was eager to share his excitement with the others. He showed a few other children the symbol and told them about what he’d seen and heard at the sanctuary. Eventually this made it back to Gaedren, and when it did, he decided to teach Marius a lesson personally. Gaedren beat him savagely, to the point of nearly killing him. Though it was more painful than anything he had ever experienced before, Marius found that focusing on the image of Shelyn and silently calling out for help allowed him to endure it. When he was finished, Lamm crushed the holy symbol beneath his boot, warned Marius that there would be no further chances, and kicked him once more in the ribs before walking off.

Marius kept his head down after that, biding his time and waiting for a chance to get away. A couple years later, at thirteen, he saw that chance and took it. He immediately went to the Sanctuary of Shelyn, seeking shelter. They took him in, and he soon decided he would repay his debt to Shelyn by dedicating his life to her service. He spent the next several years learning and training to become part of her clergy, pushing aside his past and throwing himself into study of art and dogma as well as weapons and magic. He spent most of this time in and around Korvosa, though he did travel some to other parts of Varisia. With his full ordination recently completed, Marius could now turn his attention to something that had been lingering in the back of his mind for years: Gaedren Lamm. He wouldn't allow Lamm to continue to harm more people the way he had been harmed.

Tall and athletic, Marius has long, black hair that is alternately tied back or allowed to hang down freely depending on his mood on any given day. His hair frames defined features and bright blue eyes. His clothing is usually red and white, with other colors thrown in, and it’s tailored in such a way as to accentuate his build. Marius also rarely goes anywhere without a flute on his person somewhere. The songbird symbol on his chest usually indicates to onlookers that he’s more than just an artist looking to get attention, though, and if that doesn’t, then the 8-foot glaive he sometimes carries probably will.

Marius is usually a kind and jovial person, if at times a bit airy in his behavior. He tries to live up to the expectations placed upon him by his position, helping others and encouraging love and beauty. He has largely managed to distance himself from the bitterness and ugliness that consumed so much of his early life. That old attitude has not disappeared entirely, however, and at times glimpses of it bubble up to the surface. Marius has been able to keep it in check so far, but he does struggle with it at times.