Maron

Maron Mercer is a regretful Toa of Crimson, and a descendant of a long line of criminals from Toto Nui. He eventually found himself joining the Protectors of Xeria Nui as a way to redeem his past actions and the actions of his family.

History
Maron was born as the bastard child of Finn Mercer, a To-Matoran, and an unknown mother on the island of Toto Nui. The Mercer family had a long history of being criminals, often having to steal to survive, and never being able to break out of the lowest economic class. Many of them had early deaths, but all of them brought sons into the world to continue the family name.

Despite being a criminal, Finn was a loving father to Maron, and tried his best to keep both of them alive in the harsh city on Toto Nui. Finn didn’t find enjoyment in breaking the law, unlike his predecessors, although it was necessary for his and Maron’s survival. Eventually, city guards were able to capture Finn, and he was sent to an unknown prison.

Maron was never aware of what prison his father was sent to, and he was left alone with a small amount of money his father left him. He was left angry and bitter, with no way to release his emotions.

At one point soon after his father’s imprisonment, he was transformed into a Toa. This was caused by an extreme outburst of rage and negative emotions after a long string of nights of heavy drinking. This would be a turning point for the Mercer family, as Maron would be the first Toa within the lineage. Using his newfound powers of blood manipulation, Maron set off on a crime spree unlike any other. He was never arrested for any of his crimes as he wouldn’t commit them himself, instead using his powers to control others’ bodies into acting out his deeds.

At one point, he witnessed the arrest of a Matoran that he had controlled into stealing meat from a local butcher shop. He noticed that the Matoran’s daughter was watching the whole time as well, and it reminded him of the situation he was in years ago. Suddenly, his world had changed and he felt remorseful for all of the crimes he had forced people into committing. He felt like a coward and vowed to never force anyone to do his bidding unless it was a life or death situation. He quit his life of crime and returned many of the stolen goods to the businesses they were originally from. He also eventually worked as a mercenary to earn enough money to bail some of the individuals he used out of jail. After bailing everyone out, he turned himself in.

Life in prison was rough. Most of the inmates were Matoran, which were no threat, however there were many Skakdi that proved to be more of a challenge to deal with. Getting himself into more fights than he could count on both hands every week, Maron eventually made it to the top of the food chain.

He was eventually bailed out by one of his father’s friends, who had recently heard that he was imprisoned. Maron stayed with his father’s friend until he was able to afford his own place to stay. After a few months of more mercenary work, Maron was able to buy a cheap, albeit cozy apartment, a first for the Mercer family.

Maron came to become rather respected among some Toto Nuians, for his determination to change his ways and right his wrongs. One night when he was out drinking, he met a veteran Toa of Iron, Zaria. They quickly befriended each other during Zaria’s stay in Toto Nui. Maron hoped that Zaria would ask him to join him on a real Toa mission, something that Maron hadn’t experienced yet. Zaria never did and wouldn’t see Maron again until his return to Toto Nui with Arik and Gatez.

Maron received a letter from Zaria at one point telling him to meet him at the same bar they met each other at. Zaria, along with his new compatriots Arik and Gatez, entered the bar and requested that Maron join them on their mission to defeat Makuta Yujik. He gladly accepted the offer and joined them on their return trip to Xeria Nui.

Abilities and Tools
Maron is a Toa of Crimson. Using his abilities allows him to control blood and the insides of others. He can also create short-range blood portals and can shoot streams of blood. He is also resistant to feelings of nausea and disgust, and is immune to blood and meat related diseases.

He wields an Arkus-46 submachine gun, which he uses with deadly efficiency. Maron’s Kanohi of choice is a Mask of Charisma. It allows him to secretly persuade others whether they truly agree with him or not.

Personality
As a Matoran and early on in his career as a Toa, Maron was a clever and dastardly man. He would commit any crimes necessary to survive and only cared about himself. He was a very bitter, angry, and negative individual. After witnessing the arrest of the father however, he completely changed and vowed to become a better person. He was still clever of course, although he would use his intellect for greater purposes than crime. He became much more selfless and heroic, aspiring to be more like the Toa heroes he had heard legends of his whole life. He can still be a bit hot-headed at times but he’s able to control himself now.

Trivia

 * Due to his harsh upbringing in a corrupt city, his theme song is “Metropolis” by Motörhead.
 * His last name is taken from Mercer Frey, the leader of the Thieves' Guild in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.