Ashitaka Kytsūmare

Marl Du'Faux is a character from the Eastern Lands created by Emyris Bayne for roleplaying purposes on April 11th, 2013, though this character is technically much, much older due to the fact that he is a character from one of Emyris Bayne's many unpublished stories.

Birth
In the Year 142 of the Fifth Age, two natives of the Eastern Lands, a sailor from Tuai Leit known as Ashitaka Hroki, and one from Waiko known as Mononoke, met while Mononoke travelled to Tuai Leit while anonomously helping several Sea Orphan slaves escape from the clutches of their cruel masters of Waiko so that they may hope to relocate to another Isle of the Eastern Lands. Ashitaka admired (and soon fell in love with) Mononoke. He decided that, out of the goodness of his heart, to grant the freed yet homeless Sea Orphans passage on his ship, which soon caused him to catch Mononoke's eye. Mononoke eventually fell in love with Ashitaka and soon became with child. Ashitaka was not only nervous of the fact that he would soon become a father, but also because the child was concieved out of wedlock. Mononoke, decided that whether or not the two would marry, she would return to Waiko to free more Sea Orphan slaves. Ashitaka loved Mononoke and resolved to not only marry her, but to continue granting the Sea Orphans passage on his ship as well as helping the freed slaves to relocate. Mononoke and Ashitaka married soon after their child, of whom they named Takeshi Hroki, was born into the world.

Childhood and Adolescence
Takeshi, who was currently at age 15, though technically illegitimate, had no problems socially or emotionally while growing up in Waiko and had learned to use the power of words as others on the Isle did. He lived with his father Ashitaka, who worked at the docks as the Captain of a merchant ship (and occasionally harbored freed slaves) and his mother Mononoke, who continued freeing the slaves without Takeshi's knowledge. Takeshi, however, discovered what his parents truly were when he heard a series of thumps coming from the cellar room of their house. Takeshi lit a lantern and went downstairs to find about seven or eight Sea Orphans eating gruel. One with the arm and pincers of a lobster drew nearer to the boy and convinced him that he as well as the others meant him no harm. He extended his human arm and told Takeshi his name was S'cara Yumaj. Takeshi shook the Sea Orphan's hand and told him his own name. S'cara told Takeshi that Ashitaka and Mononoke were harboring them so that they may begin anew on another isle and that he should be proud of his parents for risking all that they owned in the sake of justice and freedom. Takeshi and S'cara soon became like pupil and master, S'cara teaching Takeshi how to use a blade and in return, Takeshi helped his parents to keep the Sea Orphans safe. However, this stage of Takeshi's life was not to last...

Blown Cover
For the next two years, S'cara stayed with the Hroki family, acting as though he were their slave when actually Takeshi's Master and mentor, assisting them with harboring slaves. However, there were a noticable amount of slaves that had gone "missing" over the years in Waiko. Slave traders convinced the current Khan of the Isle to create a force to look through the homes of Waiko's residents to find harbored slaves, the penalty for harboring slaves being death by hanging. Eventually, these men, led by a man with a whip, came to the Hroki homestead seeking slaves. They began asking Ashitaka questions about S'cara such as where he was bought and who were his previous owners. Ashitaka, however, was never a good liar. The man with the whip gave a smirk before lashing him with the whip and starting to torture him for information on if they had any more harbored slaves and where they were. Ashitaka refused to speak until the man with the whip threatened Mononoke. Ashitaka then told them what the wanted to know, that the slaves were in the cellar. The man with the whip then ordered a few of his men into the cellar and the rest to hang Ashitaka, Mononoke and S'cara. Takeshi took the sword from his belt and charged at the man, who cracked the whip and struck Takeshi's eye, leaving him with a permanent scar over his right eye. Takeshi lay on the ground in pain as the man pointed to him and said; "Make him watch, then allow him to follow in their footsteps". They drug Takeshi out into the yard, where they had slung two nooses over the branch of the grand oak tree in the yard. The men forced the bound Ashitaka and Mononoke so stand on stools as they pulled the nooses around their necks. Takeshi struggled against the soldiers before they tightened their grip around his arms. Their leader eventually came out, several bound slaves behind him, a wide grin on his face as Ashitaka and Mononoke were read their last rights. S'cara stood by the tree, awaiting to me hanged as well. On the count of three, two soldiers kicked the stools out beneath Ashitaka and Mononoke. Ashitaka was killed instantly, but Mononoke died slowly as she was strangled by the noose around her neck. Takeshi began to cry, no longer resisting the soldiers. S'cara, on the other hand, did not want to give up without putting up a fight. He broke the bounds arond his wrists and charged toward the leader of the soldiers, thrusting his claw clean through his body, puncturing the leader's lung and granting him a slow, painful death. The other soldiers charged at S'cara, but not before Takeshi broke out of his bonds and helped S'cara in the fight. Finally, after the soldiers were all dead, they cut the bonds of the other Sea orphan slaves before escaping to The Islands that Once were Turtles, a secluded and rocky part of the Eastern Lands.

Beginning Life as an Adventurer
Ten years have passed since Takeshi and S'cara fled to The Islands that Once were Turtles along with the other Sea Orphan slaves. S'cara told Takeshi that it was time for him to move on and leave the Eastern Lands behind and explore the western part of the world and that he would continue on to harbor slaves in Takeshi's absence. Takeshi changed his name to Marl Du'Faux to avoid detection from anyone in the lands to the west before setting off on his father's ship to Port Sarim, learning a few of the native languages of the mainland as well as the land to the south of the mainland called Karamja before setting off to the city known as Falador.

Personality
Marl is charismatic, skilled in the art of bartering and persuasion as most from the Waiko Region are. He is generally a good man and has a good bit of empathy for others despite his upbringing. It is not at all likely to hear him complain about a wound, no matter how deep. He hates it whenever others complain that they "didn't get enough sleep" or "don't feel well". In such cases he says, "I've had worse."

Facial
Marl has dark black hair, two almond-shaped jade green eyes, which are very unusual for one of his ethnic background which would likely cause many to stare seeing as his eyes seem out of place, tannish Eastern skin, and a small scar under his right eye from a whip.

Bodily
Marl is fit, "strapping" in some people's standards, he is 6'3 and weighs about 125 pounds. He appears quite young, being the age of twenty-seven. He mostly wears robes from his homeland, though he occasionally may be seen wearing dervish robes.

Skills

 * Charismatic: Being that he is from the Waiko Region of the Wushanko Isles, Marl is quite skilled in the art of bartering and persuasion, being able to get a good deal on just about anything and may actually persuade some to the extent of releasing a guilty man from jail in claiming he is innocent(not that he would), making him a fantastic liar if need be.
 * Multilingual: Marl, having studied many languages over the course of his life, knows the basics of a few western languages as well as all dialects of the Eastern Lands. He currently knows the following languages; Yuyán, Gengo, Eon-Eo, Commonspeak, Kharidian, broken Fremennik and broken Karamjan
 * Swordsman: Marl has learned all that he currently knows about using a blade from a Sea Orphan named S'cara Yumaj. He is quite skilled and may end a fight with a single blow.
 * Crossbow: Marl is quite good at using a crossbow and may reload with a bit more ease than others that use crossbows in battle due to the fact that he is used to using one.
 * Sailing: Being that he has always desired to explore the world beyond the Eastern Lands, Marl was forced to become a good sailor.
 * Musical: Marl is quite skilled with the flute, being able to increase the morale of those around him if they listen to him play.
 * Special Effects: As a hobby, Marl used to make dust "bombs" and fireworks. He still uses them today to bewilder and confuse his enemies

Personal Inventory

 * Flute
 * Mother's Necklace
 * Father's Pipe
 * Saki Flask given by S'cara as a going away present

Relations

 * Ashitaka Hroki  ....................................(Father)
 * Mononoke Hroki  .................................(Mother)
 * S'cara ...............................................(Adopted Father and Mentor)

Trivia

 * His favorite color is a twilight pomegranate red
 * He drinks tea, but sometimes drinks Saki
 * Ambidexterous