Markus was Baron Langdon’s court mage. he posed as kindly old wizard from the west who was content to putter away his days quietly researching magical minutia in an attic dormer at Langdon’s manor in exchange for providing simple magical services for the Baron. he showed polite interest in helping/investigating Lance’s powers.

It turned out Markus was a much more dastardly figure than anyone initially imagined. he was a blood mage as well as a soulcager. he had the majority of the Baron’s household under spells to modify their behavior and memories. the party also found that he had a tattoo over his heart of a crescent moon with a drop of blood dripping of the bottom point. Lance remembered a necromancer he survived encountering as a boy with the same tattoo.

it seems like Markus intended to use the Baron as a front, increasing the man’s public prestige in an attempt to put him in favor in court at Pheld. This was likely a means of getting close enough to the Prince to ply his wicked arts on the ruler of Savram.

It was Markus who made the Baron disinherit his son, because Quintin’s mind was too strong to manipulate subtly. sadly enough Quintin’s wicked actions were his own, and were unbeknownst to him hindering Markus’s efforts to raise the baron’s political position.

When Markus’s treachery was exposed, Baron Langdon cut off his hands. the party transported him to Pheld and gave him to the guildmaster there.

Several months later, after the party had left to participate in the crusade against the empire, Markus escaped mysteriously while being transported to Wyrmcastle.