The Riven Lands

A massive human standing nearly seven feet tall with arms like tree trunks, covered in deliberate scars from ritual combat. His completely bald head bears a red tattoo of crossed knives that extends down his neck. Missing the ring and middle fingers on his left hand from a rival's blade, he's replaced them with iron prosthetics that click ominously when he makes a fist. Wears a leather apron stained permanently red over simple black clothing. His eyes are pale gray and completely emotionless, like looking into a winter sky.

Marcus possesses a twisted sense of honor rooted in blood and pain. He believes debt creates sacred bonds that can only be severed through violence or payment. Methodical in his cruelty, he takes genuine pleasure in the psychological buildup before physical punishment. Fiercely loyal to those who prove themselves through shared violence, he views mercy as weakness and betrayal as the ultimate sin. His rage burns cold and calculating rather than hot - he prefers to let enemies know their punishment is coming.

Born in the slums beneath Crimsonhold's walls, Marcus witnessed his father's execution for stealing bread to feed the family. At fourteen, he became an executioner's assistant, learning that violence was the only currency that mattered in the kingdom. After accidentally killing a noble's son during a botched public flogging - the boy had mocked his dead father - Marcus fled to the streets. There he discovered his talent for collecting debts through intimidation, building his reputation one broken bone at a time. His gang formed around him as other desperate souls recognized his ability to turn brutality into profit.