Mareth
From The World of Shannara
Mareth appears in First King of Shannara. She is a Druid in training who leaves Paranor with Bremen before the attack of the Warlock Lord. She has powerful, uncontrollable innate magic of both a destructive and healing quality. She travels with Bremen and Kinson Ravenlock helping as best she can in the defeat of the Warlock Lord during the Second War of the Races.
| Mareth | |
|---|---|
| Race: | Man |
| Gender: | Female |
| Hair color: | Unknown |
| Eye color: | Unknown |
| Loyalty: | Kinson, Bremen |
| First appearance: | First King of Shannara |
| Birth: | Unknown |
| Death: | Unknown |
Contents |
Description
Mareth is described as:
| “ | She was very young... She had close-cut black hair and enormous dark eyes. Her features were delicate and her face smooth and guileless. She was indeed dressed in Druid robes, and she wore the raised hand and burning torch of the Eilt Druin sewn on her breast. | „ |
| -- First King of Shannara (1996), pp. 50 | ||
Origin and History
Mareth's true origin in clouded in mystery. All that is known for sure of her parents that is that her mother was originally a good woman in the community and died during the birth of Mareth. The identity of her father is subject to some debate among the people in her village, with some say her father was a demon, others say he was a Druid. but what is known is that her mother was considered to have transgressed by having relations with her father, and that her death in child birth was a form on penance.
Raised by a couple, her material needs where cared for with kindness by the family, though it was always clear that she was not one of their children, and no love was offered her. She was raised with the awareness that she was different that the children of the family, which she accepted. She was made aware that after she grew old she would be handed over to some tradesman to be his apprentice.
By the time she was twelve this did in fact happen, as she went to a potter. From that time she only ever saw the two who raised her twice. The man she was apprentice to, was a drunkard and beat her regularly. As the years pasted he was often too intoxicated to work, and she ran his shop. Once he made it clear that her lineage was "cursed" such that no one else in the village would take her.
It was during these years that the rumblings her of innate magic began to appear. At 15, she decided that she has been beaten one too many times, and that she would fight back. At the approach of the next beating her magic exploded from her nearly killing the potter, with that she ran away.
Through the rumors and rumblings of her parents and the potter, Mareth comes to believe that it is Bremen who is her father.
When used in any sort of attack her magic was wild and uncontrollable. She did find that she could use here magic for healing, and when used in that way it was good and controllable. This eventually lead her to Storlock to seek to become a healer from the Stors. Though staying there for 3 months, the gnomes of Storlock would never accept her into their order. The once Druid Cogline came to Storlock and told her the bet place to go was Paranor, and he forged documents to help her gain access to the Druid Order.
Second War of the Races
Joining Bremen
After Bremen fails to convince Druid Council to stand against Brona, he meets back up with Kinson as they wait for Tay Trefenwyd and Risca. There he discovers that Mareth is waiting and wishs to join their party. She insists to come wishing to be mentored by Bremen to help her with her magic. She insists that she has innate magic, and was a healer with the Stors before coming to Paranor. Bremen agrees to let her come despite to opposition by his companions, saying that they are desperate and need all the help they can get in the coming struggle.
When the group visits the Hadeshorn, Mareth is able to see Bremen despite the storm about them. Kinson looks at her while she does this and sees that her eyes have gone white. Since she sees the Druid, she is the first one to reach him after he finishes and falls to the ground. She uses more of her magic to help heal him, though collapses along with him from the effort.
Storlock and Cogline
Days later as Kinson and Mareth where about to cross the Rabb on their way to meet up with Bremen at Storlock, Mareth tells the Borderman most of her story that she has kept secret. She relates how she lied about being trained at Storlock. She relates most over her history is a cursory way, leaving out her belief that Bremen is her father. She ends telling Kinson about how Cogline forged documents for her so she could enter the Druid Order at Paranor. But the Druids would not help her with her magic, so she wanted to come with Bremen, the one who embraced magic.
In Storlock, Mareth and Kinson are very nearly caught when a group of Trolls come wanting to search out the villages. Mareth uses her magic to appear as a plague victim. This scares way the Trolls and they leave Storlock.
A few days later Bremen joins them, and they leave to go to Darklin Reach in search of Cogline. After a few nights Mareth tells Bremen all that she told Kinson. By weeks end the group reaches Cogline's home at Hearthstone and retrieve a lost formula for making a metal with which to make the sword from Bremen's vision.
Dechtera
After Darklin Reach, the company travels south to the Southland town Dechtera to find someone to forge a sword. While Kinson is off in the town looking for a smith, Mareth tells Bremen the whole truth of her history. She tells him of her belief that he is her father. She is ready for a fight and confrontation with Bremen letting her feelings take over. Bremen's response is calm and measured. He makes it clear that due to usage of the Druid sleep that he is unable to sire children. He speculates that it would seem logical that her father might in fact be a Skull Bearer. Ultimately he says that he is proud of her and would be happy to be her father, would he be able.
Days later during the forging of the sword, Mareth guards the gates to the smithy during the night of forging. Based on the reports from all the people who walk by, it is likely that Mareth uses her magic to create visions and shadows playing on peoples fears to keep them at bay.
To The Eastland
Next the company travels north, to go to the Hadeshorn once more to seek guidance from the Druids gone past. While in the Battlemound Lowlands, Bremen has Kinson cut off and shape a staff. Bremen then infused the staff with Druid magic. He gives the staff to Mareth telling her that this will help channel excess magic into the earth, to keep herself and others from harm. That she is to think of the grounding of the staff before using her magic.
After crossing the Silver River they discover the Northland army on the Rabb plains heading towards the Elves. In the morning Kinson returns from scouting, confirming that the Northland army believes the Dwarves to be defeated and they now march on the Elves. Bremen sends Kinson and Mareth to the Eastland to find the Dwarves and fetch them if they are still alive.
Before evening falls the two reach Culhaven. There they are met by a man claiming to be Mareth's father. Talking he holds Mareth spellbound, Kinson eventually is able to break the spell by throwing a dagger. The man turns out to be a Skull Bearer. Mareth uses her magic to incinerate the Skull Bearer before it can kill Kinson. She was very distraught believing that she almost killed the two of them, with her obsession with her past. Kinson thanked her for saving his life. In the emotion they embraced, and she kissed Kinson long and lovingly. Then separate and continued with the search for the Dwarves.
Within a few days the cross the Ravenshorn Mountains and encounter the Dwarves, shortly followed by finding Risca. They soon set out for the Westland to help the Elves.
Final Battles
With Raybur and the majority of the Dwarven force on the north end of the Sterelheim, Risca lead an advance party of 200 Dwarves on a scouting mission. Kinson and Mareth accompanied them. That night is the night Jerle Shannara lead his Elves in a desperate sneak attack on the Northland army. As the attack begun, it became apparent to the Dwarves that this was so. Risca quickly decided to support and engage the Northland encampment from the north end. In fierce fighting, Kinson and Mareth, with some Dwarves where separated from Risca. The two battled hard, and managed to survive the fierce night fighting.
Mareth joined the pursuit group as it chased after the Warlock Lord. In the ensuing battle she was forced to use her magic extensively. Finally she was attacked and in threat of her life, having dropped the staff. On the ground struggling for her life she lashed out with all her magic. It exploded out of her in a ten to twelve foot radius, destroying everything and everyone in that area. Kinson was severely burned by the magic, but she ultimately saved them both.
Epilogue
At the end of the First King of Shannara, Mareth promises never to use her magic again and holds to this promise. She chooses not to be a Druid any more, and becomes a healer. Her skills and services as a healer are sought out from across the Four Lands. Kinson and her eventually marry, and make their home on an island in the Mermidon River northwest of Tyrsis. It became a huge commercial trading center. Years later, one of their descendants figures prominently in The Sword of Shannara, Shirl Ravenlock.
| Major Characters in First King of Shannara |
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Bremen · Jerle · Kinson · Mareth · Risca · Tay · Minor Characters |
