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Name: Marius
Age: Over 2,000 years old, 40 when he died
From: Rome
Mortal death: Chosen to become the new God of the Grove. Kept in captivity for months until his hair grew long and he was fully educated in Druid religion. Was led to the Great Oak on the day of his death to the burnt God of the Grove, who was waiting for him to be his successor
Maker: The God of the Grove (or God of the Oak)
Fledglings: Armand, Pandora, Sybelle, Benji
Books he appeared in: 'The Vampire Lestat', 'The Queen of the Damned', 'Pandora', 'The Vampire Armand'

Marius was the blonde and blue-eyed son of a rich and noble Roman senator. He was very tall - which was a trait of the Gauls (his mother was Celtic). He grew up rich and pampered and became a scholar and a chronicler. He led a very happy life. He travelled the world and visited great countries like Egypt and Greece.

One night, he sat writing in his tavern from the early evening until late at night when he looked up and noticed a tall man staring at him. The man was obviously, like him, a Gaul. He had straw-coloured long hair, a long narrow face, a hawk nose and grey eyes. He was a Keltoi called Mael.

Mael immediately started questioning Marius, asking him if he was educated, if he wrote Greek and Latin, if he had been to Egypt and if he knew the language and writing of Egypt. When Marius could more of less answer "yes" to all of these questions (apart from reading Egyptian), Mael was very excited indeed. He started to tell Marius that the ancient gods still existed in Egypt and they needed human sacrifice. It was then that Marius realised Mael was a Druid priest.

Mael then told Marius he was the chosen one to be their new god.

At this point, a sharp blow to Marius' head rendered him unconscious.

Marius awoke, bound hand and foot. He was a passenger in a wagon which was being driven through a great forest, accompanied my Mael and other Druids. He was eventually taken to a prison in a crude fortress in the heart of the woods.

Mael told him his fate was to be their new God. Marius was the chosen one to replace their dying God. He was to be prepared for the Feast of Samhain. It took many months for Mael to educate him, and teach him hymns. Marius listened out of boredom. He was helpless because his prison was extremely well-guarded. Marius countlessly tried to encourage Mael to leave with him, but Mael refused. He was too committed to his God.

Eventually, when Marius' hair had grown long and he was fully knowledgable in the Druid religion, he was at last ready for the Feast of Samhain. He was shaved, washed and dressed for the ceremony. All Marius was certain of was that he was going to die - he just did not know how.

As he was led outside, Marius noticed wagonfuls of men clinging to wooden bars pleading to be released. They were evil-doers, thieves and murderers - all condemned to die at the Feast of Samhain. There were two huge wicker figures which would be burned with victims inside them at the ceremony.

Marius was led to a heavy doorway at the foot of a huge oak tree and was told to enter. What he saw waiting for him at the bottom horrified him. He saw a burnt and blackened figure with white fangs - the ancient God of the Grove - a vampire Elder. The vampire was very weak and he explained to Marius he would give him his powers, but it would take some time.

He told Marius to escape the Druids because they would keep him prisoner in the great oak, and starve him until the next full moon. He told him that he and other gods suffered and agonizing burning during their daytime sleep - only the ancient ones survived. He told Marius to go to Egypt and find out why this happened. He then exchanged blood many times with his successor until Marius became a vampire.

When Marius re-emerged from the tree, he was a new and powerful vampire. His victims were waiting terrified. The sacrifices began and Marius gorged himself with countless victims. When the Druids prepared to lead Marius back to the Great Oak, Marius tried to escape, but the priests outnumbered him and held him back. The ancient blackened vampire was being dragged from the tree and thrown into a fire. He was no use to them now. This distraction allowed Marius to escape from the Druids.

He headed for Alexandria.

Almost instantly when he arrived, he received telepathic images of a bald, blackened vampire with red eyes. Another ancient God. It beckoned him, and guided him towards a doorway.

Marius was greeted at the door by a burnt vampire with long black hair. He asked Marius how he escaped the burning.

When Marius told him, the Elder told him that he would surely have to make more vampires. He then mentioned the Father and the Mother. When Marius asked who they were, the vampire informed him that they were the first ever vampires. He then asked Marius to follow him. He led him through Egyptian chambers with boxes full of ashes of the remains of incinerated vampires.

He then led Marius to a great library room where another charred vampire sat. Marius' guide informed him that this creature was an Elder and hadn't uttered a word since all the vampires were burnt. He was the vampire who beckoned Marius.

When he left the room, Marius spoke to him in Greek. The Elder replied to him in Latin asking him what he seeked.

Marius wanted to know who the Mother and Father were and why so many vampires perished in flames.

The Elder told the story of Akasha and Enkil and how they came to be vampires. The vampires burst into flames when Akasha and Enkil were placed outside to burn in the sunlight. The King and Queen survived - and their skin merely bronzed.

Marius left in a fury, refusing to believe it was a spirt's soul who kept him alive. Later, at his home, Akasha seemed to appear to him, pleading for him to take her and Enkil out of Egypt because they were in terrible danger.

Marius was led to a hidden entrance in the desert floor where he had to dig with his bare hands. Upon opening the door, he discovered the still bodies of Akasha and Enkil. He then discovered that the Elder he had spoken to was, in fact, the very person who put them into the sunlight, therefore condemning all other vampires to burn.

Again, he heard the message from Akasha: "Take us out of Egypt Marius. The Elder means to destroy us. Guard us, Marius. Or we perish here."

So Marius took it upon himself to arrange Egyptian-style coffins, wrap Akasha and Enkil in linen and transport them to his house in Alexandria. The King and Queen yielded to Marius, knowing that he was willing to care for them.

The Elder arrived at Marius' house demanding to have Akasha and Enkil back. They fought - the Elder was much more powerful than Marius - when Akasha came to Marius' rescue, crushing the Elder's skull. Marius was severely injured from the fight, but Akasha allowed him to drink her healing blood which strengthened him instantly and allowed him to take her and Enkil out of Alexandria straight away.

Marius took them to an island fortress in the Aegean where he built them a shrine and cared for them faithfully (he never saw them move again until he brought Lestat to his home).

Soon after, he met Pandora again whom he knew as a child from his mortal years. She became a follower of an Egyptian religion based on Osiris and Isis. Through this religion, she met the newly transformed Marius, and gradually learned of his immortality. She received strange messages telepathically from some being who reminded her of Isis. It was Akasha who Marius was protecting. Akasha wanted Pandora to be company for Marius. It was only when Akbar, a burned-out ancient vampire took Pandora and held her to ransom so he could drink the healing blood of the King and Queen, that she got to eventually see Akasha and Enkil. She mistook them for Isis and Osiris. Her blood was drained by Akbar where she nearly died but Marius saved her, giving his blood, tranforming her into a vampire.

Although they deeply loved each other, Marius and Pandora argued constantly for over 200 years. Marius left Pandora and he took Akasha and Enkil with him. Pandora was devastated.


In the 15th Century, Marius bought Armand from the slave trade and reared him to be his companion. Armand was his 'beloved Amadeo' in his huge paintings. When Armand was only 17, he was mortally wounded in a duel, and Marius had to make him a vampire then. Their happiness was cut short when Santino and his coven of Satanic vampires hunted Marius down and set him alight, leaving him to die in agony. Marius survived this attack by returning to Akasha and Enkil to drink their healing blood. He probably survived the fire because he drank their blood already.

After Armand told Lestat of his history with Marius, Lestat became obsessed with finding him and left messages all over the world, telling him he was looking for him. Lestat eventually gave up hope, and went into the ground.

It was Marius who pulled the dried-up husk of Lestat from the ground and have him his revitalising blood. He took Lestat to his island sanctuary and told him of the history of Akasha and Enkil as it was told to him. After Lestat awoke Akasha and Enkil, Marius had no choice but to send him away, pleading with him not to tell the story of 'Those Who Must Be Kept; (he obviously didn't know Lestat is not the one you would trust with a secret!). He was lonely again.

In the 20th Century, Marius returned home to his icy sanctuary only to find the remains of Enkil, transparent and lifeless with all his blood drained from the neck. He smashed to the ground shattering like glass when Marius reached out to him. Akasha then appeared, awakened by Lestat's music and strengthened by Enkil's blood. She abandoned Marius destroying the building and leaving him trapped and injured. Her goal: to seek out Lestat to be her prince so they can rule the world together.

Just as Marius lost consciousness, he sent out warnings to the other vampires, that Akasha was free again.

Once he was rescued by his beloved Pandora and Santino, Marius was returned to Maharet's house, where he was also reunited with Armand and Lestat.