A weathered stable hand who found a god in a forgotten temple — and stayed.
Race: Human
Appearance: Stocky, sun-beaten man in his 40s with calloused hands and a slight limp from an old horse kick. Wears a worn leather vest over a stained linen tunic. Always smells of hay and trail dust.
Quote: “You want a sermon? Go find Fade. I’ll be out back with the horses.”
Known to Fade: Fade hired Marlow as a camp hand for the expedition into the jungle — he knew horses, mules, and how to keep gear from rotting. When the temple was uncovered and Sabazios stirred, Marlow was standing in the fresco chamber with a feed sack over his shoulder. He felt it hit him like a thunderbolt. He stayed. He tends the temple’s animals, keeps the grounds, and watches Fade’s back. He insists he’s not a priest, just a stable hand who happened to be in the room when a god woke up.