Marius is second son to the lesser noble family of the de la Sciapanti in Westcrown. As his father likes to remind him, it wasn't always this way. Back in the day when Westcrown was still capital, the de la Sciapantis commanded respect even from the greatest houses for their political acumen and military might. It all came to nothing when they sided with the wrong side in the struggles following the death of Aroden.
You wouldn't think so though from coming into the family's home. It looks like a museum, old and dusty. His father a pale figure, brooding on his council chair in the main hall. His mother long dead. His elder brother dabbling into forbidden magics. Marius and his twin sister seemingly the only people in the house ever to see the sun.
Marius and Flavia grew very close while growing up. They spent a lot of time in the streets of the city, whenever they could escape their mentors. They older they grew, they more they could see behind the facade build up by their father and the staff of house de la Sciapanti. They were noble only in name, with no power behind it. And there was no power to be gained in Westcrown, either, as it all flows from the Queen or the church.
This wasn't much of a problem for Marius. He delighted in his talent with sword and sorcery, relished the freedom given to him due to being overlooked by the powers that are. But it ate at his sister. She was not happy with her lot in life, did not want to marry another powerless old noble scion to raise powerless noble children in a forgotten town. She wanted to be at the heart of the empire, draw strings and move pawns.
When they heard that perhaps the empire might have a more than casual interest in dealing with the zombies in Gillamore, she didn't stop pestering her brother with it till he finaly strapped his sword and went out to do somehting about it.