SETTLEMENT: FirefliesAGE: 36
OCCUPATION: Current Mayor of Fireflies Settlement
PERSONALITY: Pure alpha, dominant, even-tempered, mentally tough, and competitive, Marcus gleans with a genuine confidence that very few seem to have in this current age, especially among the younger generations. His rough exterior is balanced by a charismatic approach to others and generally friendly disposition.
APPEARANCE: A man of above-average height, Marcus stands at six-foot-one, lean muscle, short dark hair with hints of graying along the sides, and facial hair which is usually kept short. A series of articulate tattoos of animals, mythos, and symbolic imagery cover most of his upper body and arms, something he’d taken years to acquire (even against his father’s wishes) due to limited resources from settlement tattoo artists. He generally carries himself with confidence, tall and proud, coupled with a friendly smile towards others, he permeates with charisma and strength of character.
FAMILY: His family is quite extensive, going back several generations, including his wife’s family. No siblings on his side, however.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Married
FRIENDS: As the Mayor, he has many friends in both settlements, that even through all of turmoil after the accident at the dam, they remain loyal friends.
HOBBIES: When not inundated with settlement and general economic business, he enjoys keeping healthy through physical training as well as self-defense, in which he and his wife both practice several times a week.
BIOGRAPHY: Born and raised within the confines of the Fireflies settlement, Marcus couldn't wait to venture beyond the tall, thick walls, beyond the constant noise of the people, and explore the unknown. As a boy, he couldn't help but heed the call of the wild as the adventurous spirit was in his blood. Both his Grandfather and Uncle were hunters and trappers, leading various groups beyond the danger zones, paving the way for more opportunity for future endeavors, and mostly inspiring kids like Marcus, reminding them that there was more than just was within the settlements.
But little did the boy care for the warning signs and the pushback received by his parents for even thinking about going into the wilds. Most of the flack came from his father, however, who had been the mayor of Fireflies for more years than he could remember, and the thought of his
only child and heir trying to get himself killed made his stomach twist and turn. So much so, he was grounded until the “idiotic thoughts” left the boy's mind and were never spoken of again.
Sure dad. Whatever.Less than two hours into his punishment, the boy escaped from his second story bedroom and, with a rucksack packed full of survival gear, rations, and a few small arms he’d acquired from the basement vault, Marcus took off into the night. He had enough knowledge of the settlement, guard posts, and their shift rotations, that slipping past them wasn't difficult. Once he’d cleared the walls, he ran in the only direction he'd known at the time. A place his Uncle told him stories about on numerous occasions, which was only known by a select few, including himself. An underground bunker that once acted as a fallout shelter decades ago, was now being used as temporary storage and refuge.
Marcus just had to see it for himself, although, in retrospect, he wished he hadn't, as it was the beginning of the end.
Before he’d even made it to his supposed destination, the boy was ambushed by what he could only assume were the vicious pirates known as “Roaches", and they weren't in the mood for negotiations. Regardless of the fact that he was only about thirteen at the time, still a child really, the pirates beat him, took his stuff and threw him into a makeshift cage that hung from a tall tree until they could decide what to do with him.
Hours passed, and Marcus was certain he was going to die that night, but a crowd of voices from the distance, armed with firearms, blades, lanterns and torches, were gaining ground fast and attacked the small band of Roaches at their doorstep. Lead by the boy's Uncle, Cyrus, the rescue party laid waste to the encampment and managed to save the kid who was cold, scared, and hungry. When asked how they found him, Cyrus knew he'd head toward the bunker, and the pirates encampment was on the way.
Unfortunately, just as they were making their way back to the settlement, sniper fire from hidden Roaches took out several of the party members, including Cyrus. A clean shot to the head, instantly ending his life.
The survivors escaped the crossfire and returned to the safety of Fireflies, knowing the pirates wouldn't dare to venture any further.
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Fast forward several years, and the boy was now a man, one who’d learned the dangers of compromise and going against the wishes of his father and family. He learned that severe actions mean equally, if not greater, consequences and years of hard manual labor around the settlement definitely humbled him as he became older. The beatings came, as his father didn't “spare the rod”, and those bruises and welts resulted in a kid who grew to respect authority and the establishment. While his upbringing was tough to say the least, he shadowed his father in many things, especially how he ran things within the settlement. Something to which would be a boon in the future.
For the most part, the people he’d met over the years loved him, even more so than his father who didn’t seem to carry the same genuine care for the people as Marcus had. And was it any wonder that, on the eve of Marcus's twenty-ninth birthday, the people chose Marcus as their next mayor. However, while Marcus was grateful for the opportunity, it was a position he would have never asked for in a million years.
Six years had passed since then, his father enjoying retirement, but remaining an active council to his son. Marcus fell in love and married his childhood sweetheart, however, his wife Mila was simply unable to conceive which became a somewhat point of contention for them and their families. But they both chose to move past it, especially because Marcus couldn’t allow her to take the blame for something that could also be his fault as well. Either way, they resolved to move past it and face the challenges that lie ahead.
The time after the “Dam Accident" had proved to be the worst, however, tension on both sides were high. Marcus knew this would be a very tough season to get through, but he also knew that if Fireflies and Water Leafs didn't work out the issues, that long-term survival would become increasingly more difficult...
