Malifaux: Arcanists (Chimera)

Once a professor behind the safe walls of libraries and laboratories, Marcus’ fascination with Malifaux’s flora and fauna drew him out into the wilderness. Studying nature with a scientific eye, he found his efforts stifled – even resisted – by its disdain for his presence. Savage beasts devoured his guides, bad weather destroyed his meagre shelter, and devious scavengers made off with his dwindling provisions.

Survival meant forcing himself to dine on carrion, to endure storms of rain and wind, to feel the terror of being prey and the exhilaration of a successful hunt. Nature was no longer something to study, but experience.

By the time he returned to Malifaux City, Marcus was a changed man. It was not long before the walls which had once made him feel secure started to feel more like the confines of a prison. Abandoning civilisation, Marcus roamed the land and made his home in the wilderness, and nature welcomed him as its own.

Embracing its ways, he learned to commune with beasts, to regenerate his ageing body to that of a man in the prime of his youth, and to fight with the ferocity of a beast. Though he aids the Arcanists, Marcus’ true loyalty is to the law of the wild, where only the strong are fit to rule.

Hearing of his exploits, Earth-side mages approached Marcus, seeking his help to create beasts akin to the monsters of myth. Intrigued by the potential of pitting Earth’s legends against Malifaux’s living horrors, he travelled to the Badlands to begin forging new creations of flesh and bone.

There, he found an unlikely ally in the Fae Queen, who surprisingly seemed willing to share her unearthly forest with him. Though her reasoning is unclear, it matters little to Marcus, as now he has the resources and freedom he needs to continue his bestial experiments, away from the judgemental eyes of civilisation.

This mutual agreement has not been seen without scepticism, however. Colleagues, acolytes, students, soldiers, and lovers of both parties question the arrangement, but Marcus cares little for the opinions of his peers and only follows the path of the wild.

ENFORCERS:

Jackalope

Ferdinand Vogel

The Beast Within

Cojo

The Scorpius

Paul Crockett