Marikus Shieldbarer was a high ranking member of the religious zealots known as the Cridheolc. He and his company had taken over a small village known as Hearthcrest under the command of a mysterious individual named "Krizzen Arcmoon." Krizzen manipulated Marikus, using his own Cleric abilities and proclaiming that by following Cridheolc, Marikus could yield magic - including healing magic. However, what Krizzen had been doing was manipulating Marikus to worship Chemosh, which allowed Krizzen to speak to his dark god and grant Marikus "priestly" powers. Marikus however, rarely cared for healing; his pleasure centered on inflicting pain. He took great pleasure in finding justification to "purge" people of their sins and burn them at the stake, then take their belongings for himself. Krizzen learned that the water that flowed around Hearthcrest had been blessed by Habbakuk, which resulting in healing waters and incredible crops. Krizzen used Marikus to take the town of Hearthcrest and gather the crops to send to the Dragon Armies to supply them with food. Marikus would meet his demise, however, when adventurers stumbled into town and put an end to his sadistic ways.