Markus Aurum

Markus Aurum, also known as King Markus I, The Golden Saint, and the Hero-King of Man, was a human leader who would unite the entirety of Orbis into a single nation for the first time in history. He successfully led a campaign which saw the expulsion of the Terranian Empire and Vilander settlers, the unification of the various tribes of Orbis, and ultimately the foundation of the Aurum Empire.

Little is known of the origins of this legendary figure. His battle capabilities, leadership skills and shrewd command of disparate forces has led many to suspect he is of noble descent; perhaps the son of a middle-ranking official in the Terranian Empire or part of a dynasty of petty kings that held dominion over the few unclaimed lands in Orbis. However, others believe that the lack of information about his past is an indicator that Markus Aurum had humble beginnings. Bards and minstrels often imagine Markus Aurum as an adventurer who could no longer stomach the injustices he saw in the world and had the prowess to forge a new nation. Song writers of this bent often refer to Markus Aurum as the Hero-King of Man.

Whatever his origins, Markus Aurum would soon come to the attention of Orbis at large in 7 b.Au, with the signing of the Covenant of Foundation. This document outlined Markus' vision for a new world without the threat of empires, which crucially contained rights for orcs to live and settle peacefully, and to consider them citizens of this new nation. This drew a great groundswell of new recruits to his armies, though also distanced many would-be allies who found the thought of orcs living in civilisation distasteful. It is speculated in the play The Three Wives of Markus Aurum, which shows at the Regal Interplanar Theatre in the City of Brass, that a marriage pact gained Markus the trust of the orcs.

Markus Aurum would come to hold a large portion of southern Orbis, liberated from the grasp of the empire of Excan Tlahtoloyan, but was incapable of making northern progress against the regimented might of the Terranian Empire. He was incapable of pushing back the Empire's borders, but had made enough of a stir that the Terranian Emperor had caught wind of the self-styled King of Orbis' machinations and sent forward a legion to drive his forces back. The year 4 b.Au saw a series of defeats for Markus Aurum, but his efforts had attracted the eyes of another powerful figure.

Towards the end of 4 b.Au saw Markus Aurum marry Queen Valententia Zakariya of Kibuthan. Kibuthan, an island nation off of the south-west coast of Orbis, had been under the rule of the Zakariya Clan for centuries and mostly unconcerned with the happenings on the mainland. However, Kibuthan had seen recent incursions from the Terranian Empire, who sought ownership of the island in order to launch a southern campaign that would ultimately lead to the claiming of Orbis as a whole. The marriage was a practical alliance between Markus' southern armies and Valententia's island nation, and with their combined might they were able to finally shatter the armies of the Terranian Empires. Many peasants revolted against their foreign masters, whilst some Terranian sergeants and magistrates also defected to Markus' cause.

With the Terranian Empire driven from the western shores of Orbis, Markus turned next to the Vilanders of the north. However, such was the might that now grew about him that it took less than half a year to defeat the remnants of Vilander forces. On the first day of spring in 1a.Au, after seven years of campaigning, Markus Aurum was crowned King of Orbis at the age of thirty-two. Every noble from every corner of the land came to witness it, and to pledge themselves, their households and their serfs to the Covenant of Foundation.

Until the unification of Orbis, there had been no universal name for the country in the centre of the Linos Sea. Markus Aurum was deeply aware that he ruled over a great many different cultures, each influenced by the nations that had ruled over them throughout various points in history, including a large number of individuals swearing fealty to him that had previously been an enemy from overseas. He desired to create an identity based on the commonality of the land they shared and the endeavour of building a better world, rather than a national identity based on tribe or species. He named his new country Orbis, the name given to the world, saying that all citizens of the world would be welcome regardless of race, species or religion, so long as they agreed to live in harmony.

There were many changes which came with the rule of Markus I. There was the foundation of the Orben Pantheon, the official deities of the realm. Pre-Aurum Orbis had worshipped a multitude of great and small gods, with much influence from invading nations as well. Gathering the great priests, clerics, paladins and religious scholars together, Markus sought to find similarity between the disparate gods as a way of unifying the religions of the region. This followed an underlying belief that, as Gods are incomprehensibly complex, it was impossible for a single person to appreciate the multifaceted nature of a deity; leading to a number of names and conflicting interpretations of what would be the same gods.

In the end, five gods were named: Orbo, Cumulus, Salino, Anima and Kharnul. On Kibuthan, Markus' wife Valententia had been advised by the Voice of Bahamut, considered to be the speaker for their draconic god. Markus Aurum and his descendants would be advised by five divine speakers representing each of the Orben Pantheon. The Aurum Calendar was created, with Year 1 being the year of Markus' coronation. The city of Argentum was founded and made the capital of Orbis, whilst in the north-west the grand orcish citadel of Orcadia was built.

Markus and Valententia would have two children, Vaden and Chrysobellys. Valententia would take Chrysobellys with her back to Kibuthan when she turned sixteen, to become the first Zakariya in known history not to be crowned queen but instead become a Duchess under the dominion of the Aurum Empire. In 22 a.Au, at the age of 53, Markus would abdicate the throne. Contemporary evidence suggests he did so willingly, but no reasoning for why has ever been found. He would disappear from the public eye completely, and was never sighted by a courtier again, (though many tales have sprung up subsequently that he had returned to his life of adventuring.)

It would be announced in the reign of his grandson, Marcellus I, that Markus Aurum had died at the age of 88, peacefully in his sleep.