The Marrok

Bran Cornick

Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called

• In the Middle Ages, after the Black Plague, the werewolf population was almost wiped out along with real wolves because some of the Alphas were indiscreet³⁴
• It was decided that there would be a leader over all the werewolves³⁴
• In the US, all the packs follow the Marrok, a title taken from the name of one of King Arthur's knights who was a werewolf. The Marrok and his pack have oversight of all the werewolves in North America³⁴

1. Bran Cornick
2. Charles Cornick
3. Samuel Cornick
4. Adam Hauptman
5. Everett

Alpha & Omega Series #2: Hunting Ground

Master of the Isles⁸⁴

• Arthur Madden
• British equivalent of the Marrok
• began taking over all the packs in Great Britain
• he killed all the Alphas—but combining packs creates its own set of problems; he modeled his rule after the Marrok's
• Bran was convinced he called himself the Arthur because of Bran's decision to go by the Marrok; after all, Sir Marrok was only a knight of King Arthur's
• the closest equivalent to the Marrok that Chastel had allowed in Europe—mostly because Chastel didn't consider the British Isles to be a threat to him
• Arthur had started out kill the Alphas in Great Britian, then stopped; or found a better way to dispose of the wolves who would challenge him²⁶⁴

The Beast of Gévudan

• Jean Chastel
• ruled the European continent when he chose; he'd marked it as his territory to keep the Marrok from helping the European wolves cope with bringing the wolves out into the open
• there had been a European ruler equivalent to the Marrok at one time⁸⁷
• the first Marrok had been created after the ravages of the Black Plague⁸⁸
• the Black Plague had been horrible, dehumanizing; especially to those who weren't truly human anymore; so much death, so many lost⁸⁸
• they knew that humanity would recover and come looking for the monsters who had fed upon the dying⁸⁸
• he hadn't been called the Marrok, that was Bran's decision in the New World–but that's what he had been⁸⁸
• made Alpha of all the Alphas and by the power of that, able to take on any other. Or he should have been⁸⁸
• Jean Chastel killed him—and anyone else who tried to reestablish rulership; Chastel could have taken it for himself, but he didn't want it; didn't want the responsibility; just wanted the freedom to keep killing as he pleased⁸⁸
• Chastel ruled by killing all who challenged his place—and by terrifying the rest²⁶⁴

Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called

• the Marrok won't allow an Alpha who is creating progeny and selling them for money³³
• not overfond of humans, the Marrok, excepting their own spouses and children⁴¹
• the Marrok's pack call themselves the Marrok⁴¹
• in the New World, thanks to the iron hand of the Marrok, things were more civilized; leadership was mostly imposed from above—and no one challenged the Marrok's decisions⁶⁴
• can call upon every Alpha in North America¹⁷¹
• among the werewolves, it is a matter of safety always to know where you rank in the pack; in the hierarchy of the Marrok it was not so important—as long as everyone remembered that Bran was on top²¹³
• Bran had been the Marrok for almost two centuries²¹⁶
• he gave the impression that he knew every werewolf anywhere personally; maybe he did²¹⁹
• you need to be strong to be the Alpha of all the packs²²⁸
• the more powerful the wolves believed he was, the safer he was²³³

Mercy Thompson Series #2: Blood Bound

• the Marrok, the leader of the North American werewolves, insists that all of the wolves wear a collar when they run in the cities, with tags that identify them as someone's pet⁰⁵
• he also insists the names on the tags be something innocuous like Fred or Spot, no Killers or Fangs; it safer that way—both for the werewolves and the law-enforcement people who might encounter them⁰⁵
• needless to say, it's a popular with the werewolves as the helmet law was with the motorcyclists when it first went into effect; not that any of them would dream of disobeying the Marrok⁰⁵
• the Marrok carefully planned the Reveal of the werewolves to the human population; he did his best to protect the illusion of safety that many mundanes felt³⁰
• he chose to keep as much of the werewolves' darker aspects as carefully hidden as he could³¹
• in addition to being the ruler of all the North American wolves, was a good man⁴⁵
• he seldom had to worry about people not following his orders¹¹⁸
• the Marrok, is like, the Alpha of all the Alphas; that there was a head werewolf was kind of an open secret; everyone knew that there was someone pulling the werewolves' strings and there was a lot of speculation about who it might be¹²⁶
• the Marrok wasn't out to the public—if things went badly, he wanted to make sure that the sanctuary he's established in Montana remained a safe haven¹²⁶
• the Marrok had let the public know about Alphas, but not exactly how rigid the pack structure really is¹⁴³
• under the Marrok's rule, there were very few sanctioned fights—real fights, not just a couple of snaps and a bite or two¹⁵⁴
• that was one of the reasons there were more werewolves in the New World than in Europe¹⁵⁴
• had never been one to tell his people what their limits were¹⁶⁹
• quiet and calm until he ripped out your throat²⁰³
• the Marrok wasn't psychic, but most of the werewolves were convinced otherwise²⁰⁸

Mercy Thompson Series #3: Iron Kissed

• it is not an easy matter to oust an Alpha—and in North America, that never happens without the consent of the Marrok, the wolf who rules there⁴²
• was driven to preserve their species; was scrupulously fair, though brutal⁵⁰

Mercy Thompson Series #4: Bone Crossed

• the head-honcho werewolf above all the other head-honcho werewolves⁰²
• Marrok's dominion⁶¹
• that Alphas are protective of their packs is an understatement—and Bran was the Marrok, the most Alpha wolf around¹⁰³
• it's uncomfortable to be in the same room for very long with Bran if your head is higher than his; part of it is the magic that makes him the leader of all the wolves¹⁰³
• the Marrok's pack, was where the oldest wolves often came to die¹⁰⁷
• has a large number of wolves he can bring into play with any conflict between the wolves and other supernaturals¹⁸⁰

Mercy Thompson Series #5: Silver Borne

• the most überwerewolf of them all¹⁰
• there is a very good reason that the Marrok kills any werewolves who allow the wolf to lea and the man to follow; very good reasons—like preventing mass-slaughter sort of reasons⁵⁴
• his first directive is to protect the wolves¹⁰⁸
• the letter of the law is what the Marrok has to follow¹⁰⁹
• used his position as Marrok to force wolves who would rather have stayed hidden out into the open; lost a lot of moral support that hasn't been recovered yet¹³⁸
• twists people in little knots²¹²
• the Marrok doesn't allow fights for an Alpha position without his consent²²¹
• not even fear of the Marrok can completely control the nature of the pack²²¹
• there's a formality of running the challenge by the Marrok²³¹

Mercy Thompson Series #6: River Marked

• the (Marrok) who ruled all the wolves³³
• Bran was an old, old wolf and powerful; he ruled the wolves in our part of the world; no one would wonder what he could make Alpha wolves obey him³⁴
• had requested that the wolves refrain from changing where others could see; werewolves were beautiful—but the change is horrific²³⁴

Mercy Thompson Series #7: Frost Burned

• ruler of the werewolves¹³
• in the middle of delicate negotiations with the fae—negotiations that are making the vampires extremely nervous because they fear what they will face if the fae and the werewolves come to an agreement³⁶
• the Marrok's pack tended to gain problematic wolves who couldn't function in a normal pack¹¹⁹
• it just seemed right and proper that the Marrok would know everything¹²⁸
• standing in for the Marrok, who has sent me to serve in his stead as lord over all the wolves as we are all his vassals¹²⁹
• the Marrok is not a bad thing; he might rule with sharp fangs, but life was better for everyone, werewolf and human alike, because he did so²⁸⁹
• hides the monstrous side of werewolves²⁹⁵

Mercy Thompson Series #8: Night Broken

• the Marrok has been very clear that he doesn't want any wolf put into a situation where they have to defend themselves against mundane humans; if it can be helped⁶⁴
• ruled the North American werewolves and sometimes talked casually about things that happened in the Middle Ages⁸⁹
• took damaged werewolves into his pack, where he could control the conditions under which they interacted with the rest of the world¹⁰⁰
• passionate in his desire to save his wolves¹⁰⁰
• no one wins any battles with the Marrok; that's why he's the Marrok¹³⁹

Mercy Thompson Series #9: Fire Touched

• says that a pack only rules the territory it can keep safe from other predators⁷⁵
• he believes that where a debt is owed, it must be repaid⁷⁵
• adhered to the old guesting laws: a person who asks for shelter will get twenty-four hours if he makes no move to harm; he will get food, drink, and a bed; protection from his enemies; safety; it is what you offere to any who come to you⁷⁶
• it has not happened since Bran assumed control—but werewolf history is full of packs who were exterminated when they got uppity¹⁰¹
• one of the secrets of the Marrok's successful rule was that he tried to keep track of lone wolves and found places for them to be useful—even building new packs—to accommodate their needs; it didn't save them all, or even most of them, but it helped¹¹⁶
• the Marrok virtually eliminated fighting between packs¹¹⁷
• sundered and repudiated the Columbia Basin Pack¹¹⁷
• when he needs to deal with something he sends minions; he only goes himself if he needs to rain death and destruction down upon the world¹³⁰
• the Marrok took in the wolves who needed help, whatever the reason¹⁷²
• some of them arrived in really bad shape—mentally and physically; in the Marrok's touch they found safety; sleep would come and just knock them off their feet¹⁷²
• he cut the Columbia Basin Pack loose based on what he thought would be the best for the werewolves²⁶¹
• so that the fae couldn't use any failed negotiation as a flash point for a war with all the werewolves²⁷⁴
• the Marrok kept his eye on the end game; the werewolves needed him; he could make the tough choices to make sure they survived²⁸⁵

Mercy Thompson Series #10: Silence Fallen

• the Marrok ruled because that was the best way to protect his people²¹
• flattery never worked on him; he was more honest with himself about what he was than most people are²⁴
• old wolves came to live out their last years in the Marrok's pack⁵⁸
• has lots of resources⁸⁰
• no one would dare attack a pack under the Marrok¹³⁵
• the Marrok's Greater Cause is to ensure the survival of the werewolves¹³⁵
• he didn't look like a man who held the reins of thousands of werewolves who would die for him¹⁵²
• the Marrok is the head of a collective of werewolves¹⁶⁰
• he shields werewolves from others with his reputation¹⁶¹
• there is a position of strength provided by the Marrok's support¹⁶²
• he is very practical; he is a zealot whose cause is the survival of the werewolves; he will sacrifice almost anything to that cause¹⁸²

Mercy Thompson Series #11: Storm Cursed

• the Marrok keeps many secrets¹⁹
• able to shed his aura of power so easily it was disconcerting²⁹
• until the arrival of the Marrok, werewolves were the vermin of the supernatural world; dangerous individually, but ultimately not much of a threat¹⁵¹

Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten

• the Marrok, ruled all the packs in North America except for one⁰⁸
• he believes that ultimatums are a bad idea¹¹
• the Marrok, was a Power in the world; it would take creatures stronger and more rash than vampires in Eugene to try to defy him—even given that he mostly stayed in the backwoods of Montana¹⁴
• he had people he could send to mete out justice or vengeance¹⁴
• the Hardesty Family Witches have shown themselves to be willing to take on the Marrok in his own territory¹⁴
• his pack is in for an exciting time³⁹
• he seldom did things without reason⁷⁹

Alpha & Omega Series #0.5: Alpha & Omega Novella

• ruled all the wolves in North America¹⁷⁵
• Alphas are supposed to keep the Marrok informed when people die, or when new wolves are Changed²⁰⁸
• if there are many of a pack gone the Marrok will investigate²⁰⁸

Alpha & Omega Series #1: Cry Wolf

• the one all the Alphas answered to—and no one dominated an Alpha werewolf by being sensitive and gentle⁰⁶
• the überking of the werewolves, tries to shove the rules down your throat³⁸
• most rogue wolves were smart enough to stay away from the Marrok's personal territory⁴⁰
• the Marrok was possessive and territorial—it wasn't like him to allow someone who belonged to him to wander off⁷⁴
• he keeps track of werewolfkind as closely as any dragon kept watch on its treasure¹¹⁴
• has fought for centuries for the wolves¹²⁶
• he protects his own and has a much confidence in his reputation of invulnerability as everyone else does²¹⁸
• the Marrok controls all of the werewolves in North America²²⁰

Alpha & Omega Series #2: Hunting Ground

• he could fade into the shadows as if he were just another man and not the Marrok⁰⁶
• the Marrok could speak to any of his wolves mind to mind, though he couldn't read their thoughts no matter how much it felt like that was he was doing; he was just damnably good at reading people⁰⁹
• Charles Cornick is the Marrok's killing arm⁴⁵
• while the Alpha can pull strength, even magic, from all the pack, the Marrok—and this is only the smallest part of what makes him scary—can pull from all of his Alphas¹⁵⁹

Alpha & Omega Series #3: Fair Game

• mild-mannered facade; monster behind the nice-guy mask⁰⁹
• the Marrok who ruled all the werewolf packs in his part of the world by the sheer force of his will⁰⁹
• he liked to say: just because you could heal fast didn't mean you could heal fast enough²⁷⁹

Alpha & Omega Series #4: Dead Heat

• the Marrok who ruled the werewolves in North America and also, the rest of the world; defacto if not officially⁰⁵
• if he gave an order to any wolf in the world, Alpha or not, there was no a werewolf who wouldn't obey⁰⁵
• not blind to his faults; he was focused on the werewolves to the exclusion of anything else¹⁶⁹

Alpha & Omega Series #5: Burn Bright

• has a group of wolves who live in Aspen Creek, Montana] not part of the Marrok's pack; wolves he deemed too damaged or too dangerous to function as part of a pack—even in the [[Aspen Creek Pack, which was full of damage and dangerous wolves¹⁰
• not a separate pack but bound to the Marrok's will and magic by blood and flesh; Wildlings¹¹
• you didn't get a permanent spot in the Marrok's pack if you could function properly on your own⁸⁸
• Charles Cornick does a sweep a couple of times a week for electronic spyware at the Marrok's house¹⁷⁶
• the Marrok kept his wildlings secret from everyone except for his mate and his two sons; and Asil when he joined the pack²⁸⁵
• guardian of the wildlings³⁵⁴

Alpha & Omega Series #6: Wild Sign

• the Marrok's pack was safe⁰⁶
• most of the Marrok's pack were there because a lesser Alpha would not be able to control them⁰⁷
• there are hundreds of female werewolves out there—and the Marrok only brings in one or two women a year who need assistance⁰⁸
• the title “Marrok” was not a secret word, bandied about in the human halls of power; they knew how important that term was³⁶
• the Wolf Who Rules³⁷
• he can convince the FBI that he's the Marrok whenever he wants to³⁹
• even a torturer would not get the Marrok to admit he believed mundane humans should be protected⁵⁴
• couldn't see the Marrok giving over the care of his wolves to anyone while he lived²¹⁷

Mercyverse Short Fiction: Seeing Eye

• the Marrok, He-Who-Ruled-the-Wolves, began Changing people with more care than had been the usual custom¹³⁹
• safeguards for the Change process¹³⁹

Mercyverse Short Fiction: Roses in Winter

• no one in the pack will defy him²⁷⁸
• the Marrok has collected a bunch of misfits who are not suited to most packs, and that is combined with the newest wolves—October is the month when the Marrok Changes those who wish to be werewolves²⁷⁸
• no one knocked at the Marrok's door when it was closed²⁹³
• the other wolves thought of the Marrok as some magical wolf far removed from them—because it wasn't in a werewolf's nature to tamely bow to authority just because it was presented to them²⁹⁵
• sometimes the Marrok's chosen means of presenting himself as a quiet, thoughtful, and intelligent leader became something of a liability²⁹⁵
• every few years, when the idiots had forgotten too much, or new idiots were born—the Marrok had to remind them why they obeyed him and not the other way around²⁹⁵
• sheer enormity of his power³⁰⁵

Mercyverse Short Fiction: In Red, with Pearls

• the Marrok who ruled the wolves in this part of the world—the man who made being a werewolf less of a nightmare than it might have been³²⁷