Marked

The Marked are those that serve a dark Patron and take on their mark and follow their commandments to get a bit of extra security in the now while risking the lives of everyone else in the future.<ref name=":0">“Geez.  Gotta kill your own buddies then huh?  Or be killed?” Verona asked.

“Forbidden,” the man said, shooting her an apologetic look.  “The mark gives us so much, but it binds us to do certain things.  To carry on our lines.  To abstain from harm or acting against her.  Abstain from taking our own lives.  Abstain from taking the lives of other marked.  Say a pledge daily.”

“They make themselves someone else’s problem,” Edith said.  “Benefits for themselves today, at a risk to the people tomorrow.” - Excerpt from Back Away 5.5</ref> It is essentially a infusion of Power with dire consequences. The Marked are identifiable by numbering on their skin, so far in Hindu-Arabic numerals, identifiable by sight and showing up to the right Second Sight<ref>“Look at him with the Sight,” the Girl by Candlelight ordered.

Verona was already using the Sight, but she looked closer.

He was marked, the number ‘3135’ etched onto his back.  Something black and twisted pulsed behind that etching. - Excerpt from Back Away 5.5</ref>

The examples seen only come from one patron whose commandments call for a daily acknowledgment of some kind,<ref>“A doomsday clock, counted in people,” Elise said.  “We had to ask around.  See, having the lifegiving clay is only the first step.  The skill to make something out of it, yeah, that’s it’s own thing too.  But you also need power, and your husband… he’s from a fine family, one we don’t have any major issues with, but they’re not a powerful family.  So maybe, everything else being the same, we’d leave this be, warn him not to go overboard, check in once in a while.”

“Big maybe,” Nelson said.

She bit her tongue rather than reply to that.  It was important to be on the same page in the field.  “Husband doesn’t want to go the usual route, decides he wants a perfect wife and crafts her out of clay, and for the power, he makes a deal with something nasty.  I’m guessing those prayers your kids have been saying are to this thing.”

“Yes,” Mr. Hodgston said, quiet. - Excerpt from False Moves 12.a</ref> an order to preserve and multiply themselves, and not to engage in self destruction.<ref name=":0"/>

Once the patron is free disaster follows, all the marked die and thousands of other beings as well.<ref>“Millions die, you all included, and it all goes to hell,” Elise said. - Excerpt from False Moves 12.a</ref><ref>“When there are enough of them, they all die in that moment, and that old, ugly power comes to earth and millions of mankind and millions of Other all perish.  As that parent Other slithers from this to its home in some dark world between two adjacent realms, it will cause things that your news will excuse as natural disasters or plague.” - Excerpt from Back Away 5.5</ref>

Known Patrons and Marked

• "7919"
  • The Hodgston Women
    • Mrs. Hodgston
    • Skye Hodgston
    • Katie Hodgston
    • 3 other daughters
  • Fish|Man<ref>I’m a harmless creature.  I’m like a man, but I swim well, I breathe underwater.  It’s hard, being this weak, when the draconian rules meant to restrain the biggest and most violent Others also apply to something like me.  I had to, I had to gamble.” - Excerpt from Back Away 5.5</ref>

Trivia

• The use of "Marked" here is an in wiki term.

References

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