Marco Ralien
born 846 ascends 872
Marco Ralien was a Slayer Dragon in the late Sixth Age. A dillatante by nature, Marco was known for his rather flamboyant personality and cunning witt. He had a rather interesting childhood that no doubt led to his various eccentricities, and was very well-liked in his time as a Slayer Dragon.
Early Life
Marco was born on BLB-881, a System IX, Generation IV terraformed world. Though officially classified as being in Joint Space, Marco's home planet was, in fact, a Gudersnipe Foundation "total control zone". This, Marco often commented, wasn't really a problem... for anyone. "At least, anyone I ever met, personally," he would often add.
His home was in the city of Draugh, part of a resort complex that simulated a Mage Wars-era city-state and wizard tower. Marco's parents were Mage Wars re-creationists and Marco was a very willing participant from a young age. Marco was the ninth child of thirteen, seven girls and six boys; he also had a large extended family, all of whome were involved in the tourist trade and in the city facade. His father worked as an artisinal baker, while his mother was a painter. The family had a modern dwelling outside the city as well as a "day house" that was part of the living museum.
As Marco describes it: "Our actual home, located outside the 'ancient' city was downright palatial, a fourteen bedroom afair. We didn't have much of a yard to speak of, but there was a park on the corner with a public swimming pool. It was a fully modern home filled with completely normal conveniences, we were very comfortable. Because of my parents work, we were provided a house-keeping service and free access to public transport. I understand when my siblings were younger, there was even a "nanny"(as both parents worked full-time on the re-enactment). I will definitely not claim I was spoiled as a child, nor that I received perhaps as much love and affection from my parents as I would have liked, but I will still say quite firmly that I had a very good life.
"On the weekends and after school, we were encouraged to dress up in period costumes and go in to town, "playing the part" as we all called it. During the heavy tourist season, good students were even given extra time off from school to play the part. As a young boy I found it all quite wonderous and grand, I got to wear a costume and be part of a massive, never-ending, living play! As I grew older I was invited more to interact with the tourists and to assist with putting on special events, all of which I relished. Indeed, I think I enjoyed my time in the re-enactment much more than I liked the outside world.
"Our Day house? Let me speak ill of it, a moment. The parts my parents played were as common folk, they had whole stories and fake biographies about them. My father was a humble baker, my mother an artisan. In truth my father spent most of his time telling tourists about ancient bread-making techniques, while my mother comprised elaborate one-woman theatrical productions about her constant search for a new patron. She was responsible for quite a few beautiful frescos, and did many portraits, but had we trully been commoners in that era, I say to you we would not have been happy. Our "day house" as we called it, was but four rooms above my father's bakery. Four small rooms for a family of fifteen! The entire family never spent a single night in the place, it served two functions: the first was as a simple retreat, a space we could use while we were in the city. The second, well, it was open to tourists, so part of our duty was to make the place look really "lived in". I shant say I have a single complaint, but it would have been nightmarish to share that cramped space.
"For me, I had a great deal of fortune surrounding my youth. A richness of spirit and a great joy in participation in the grand re-enactment. As such, I was rewarded, and at the age of ten I was given special dispensation to attend the "Afternoon School" as we called it. It was quite an honor, you see; at noon recess I was dismissed from my regular schooling, changed into my costume, and went into the city to attend what was part-school, part re-enactment. Our only real lessons were in mathematics and physical education(two things that, let's agree, never really change), but I enjoyed learning my numbers with a slate and coal, instead of computers. It was also possible, at this school, for me to study magic.
"Magic is not-much practiced outside of the flat dimensions, but the Foundation felt our re-enactment was incomplete without it, and it was a vital part of--and dare I say, reason for--the "Afternoon School"
