Character

97614167

387098345

A normal, New-England American childhood, Markus's life was uneventful, up to his life in college as an undergrad. While studying there, he had met and fallen in love with a fellow classmate, resulting in a marriage later the following year. The two of them became co-dependent on one another, spending most of every waking moment close by, letting reality recede away from view. In turn, their academic performances began to suffer, and any of their subsequent internships or small part time jobs became nearly impossible to hold down. The pair suffered, eventually dropping out of their respective courses, and struggling to make ends meet. And yet, none of that mattered within the confines of Markus's room in his parent's house. Where the two spent their time attached at the hip, playing games, or watching movies, or leaving to go out on small dates. A period of hedonism and romance that came to an abrupt end with the death of said Wife in a run of the mill car accident.

The following months turned into years, as one week of sorrow bled into another for the young man. Left with no prospects, no motivation, and a lot of self-pity, the now-widow would appear to have no change from an outside perspective. Long hours spent sleeping his life away, or awake, grinding the ticking clock of the nights out in the form of whatever game or hobby caught his interest for a brief time. It was in this grey, lifeless period of his life that something of an acquaintance from some nameless MMORPG had reached out to him about trying out something new, something that was unlike what he had experienced before: Terrasphere.

While the sell was dramatic and melancholic, what did he have to lose? Initially, the now usernamed Zelrius had treated it like any other activity in his life. Drabbly getting on, doing the tasks of killing monsters, or doing quests, and getting off just long enough to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, wondering what the point was, or dragging himself to be some cashier or clerk at one of the places in Boston that hadn't fired him yet. Though, he had been told tales of heroism, and some could argue participated in those himself. Life altering experiences and friendships that had, in a way, rebuilt some of his self confidence, and given back the luster of the world. Things that would be taken to the extreme while in his Terrasphere Persona of Zelrius.

Then the game closed. And everything seemed to dull again over time. It wasn't the tragic sepia it had been in the months prior, but something more disappointing. The four years between, the man had eventually dragged himself to college, finishing out his degree with what credits he had left, and bounced from job to job, hoping something would stick. A life barely getting on track; until the game returned. Able to be accessed again, and offering Markus another chance to live that fantasy.