Markal

Markal Zuriel is a red angel who was sworn to the god Moros' service in Azydos as the Angel of the Pit.

As an angel, he was a born a twin alongside his brother Valkan Zuriel, the Angel of Souls. The two famously did not get along, but the rivalry was mostly one-sided from Markal.

Markal was named the guardian of Liikal, the lightclaw dagger that was the strongest artifact of the Lightwatch. He was sealed away for eternity in the Lightless Ruins, and was reawakened in 3E452 by the Phoenix Nebula during Curse of the Blood Sea. He was then sent to the heaven of Qaydar to continue guarding Lightclaw, until 3E500 when he was recruited to finally defeat Kol-Han by the Darklight Crusaders during The Light of Lunaria. Liikal was destroyed at the end of the third era, freeing him from his duty.

Biography

Golden Age

As a young angel, Markal was assigned to the god of the afterlives, Moros, and spent his days in relative obscurity. Later, he grew to become a gladiator and champion for Moros, earning the title of the Angel of the Pit. His god Moros named Markal as his champion in the Tournament of 1E750, where he lost to his brother before the finals. Markal was always in his brother Valkan's shadow.

Even as a gladiatorial fighter, he never rose to the heights of fame that Valkan did. Markal would finally beat his brother in 1-on-1 combat in a small tourney held in Icarius in the year 1E843. Once Valkan was defeated by his brother, he congratulated him for his good performance. However, in this moment of weakness, he was attacked by the gods Varkanus and Magmus who had long hated Valkan. Varkanus used a spell to hold the weakened angel in place, while Magmus took the Soulgilded Blade and used it to kill Valkan himself, destroying his soul using his own sword.

Markal never forgave himself for Valkan's death, even though it was ultimately the fault of Varkanus and Magmus. Especially after losing his god Moros in the Omniborn Crisis, the crestfallen angel would abandon his duties until he was given a new one- to protect the dagger Liikal from the Lightwatchers for eternity. He was sealed away within the now-Lightless Ruins forever.

Reawakened

1121 years later in 3E452, Emperor Sombra of the Crimson Empire hired the crew of the Phoenix Nebula to go to the Lightless Ruins and acquire Lightclaw so he could guard it from the reawakened Kol-Han. The crew was stopped at the ruins by a guardian named Zagho, who eventually let them in. Making their way to the ruins of the old colosseum, they awakened Markal alongside Liikal. The disoriented angel was ready to fight to the death, even taking the dagger back from D'vorah through dimensions. Eventually, they calmed him down and let him keep the dagger if he just agreed to go to Sombus with them.

While traveling with them, he was caught up on the thousand years of history that he had missed as he explained his own situation to them. He was bonded to the dagger, and it had begun corrupting him with pure light. They were ambushed by Ballista Aries trying to take back the dagger, but they managed to defeat her and make it to Sombus. Markal agreed to stay in the city for the time being and figure out a better solution for the dagger with Emperor Sombra. Eventually, Alsorion and Sombra decided to sent Markal to the heaven of Qaydar to continue guarding the dagger.

In 3E500 during The Light of Lunaria, the Darklight Crusaders were sent to find Markal. When they finally reached him, he was too dejected to help in their fight. They ended up convincing him to help defeat the Sabatcieni and the Ballista for good, and he demanded a fight with them. During the fight, they were attacked by Ballista Aries, and ended up finally killing her for good. He headed through her portal alongside the crusaders, ending up in Sergorod.

"I AM MARKAL ZURIEL, ANGEL OF THE PIT. I AM THE GLADIATOR OF DEATH, AND PROTECTOR OF THE LIGHTCLAW. CHALLENGE ME NOW, MORTALS!"
- Markal challenging the Darklight Crusaders.

Timeline

1E843 - Markal Zuriel defeats his brother Valkan Zuriel in a tourney, who is then killed by Magmus and Varkanus.
1E931 - The Elves and the Omniborn team up temporarily to seal away the Lightwatchers for good. Magmus defeated Ballista Aries, and took Liikal from her. They buried Liikal alongside Markal Zuriel, who would guard it for eternity within the Lightless Ruins.
3E452 - Markal is awakened 1121 years later by the Phoenix Nebula during the events of Curse of the Blood Sea. He joins Emperor Sombra in Sombus, and is later sent to the heaven of Qaydar to continue guarding the dagger.
3E500 - He is recruited by the Darklight Crusaders during the The Light of Lunaria to help defeat the Ballista and the Sabatcieni once and for all.