Mario

General Story Summary

Mario started his existence as a wooden puppet made as a gift for then-eight-year-old Robynne, a mysterious white-haired girl adopted by an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Cherise. Unbeknownst to Robynne, she possessed the magical gift of creation, and gave the doll life via an accidental wish. While Robynne was ecstatic to have a new friend, her parents were unsure of what to do with him, and asked for Mario’s creator, Gregory Gano, to at the very least help take care of the “boy.” Though initially reluctant and unsure, Greg ended up being a good “father,” and with the help of Robynne and the Cherises, Mario’s initial start in life was as best as one strange child could ask for.

This happiness, however, was only to last for a few years: Some time after Robynne’s 13th birthday, the seaside village she and Mario were raised in was attacked by a strange white-haired man commanding large iron warriors to rip and tear everyone and everything apart. Instinctively knowing that it was she the mystery man was after, Robynne, with Mario’s help, lured the warring constructs away. After managing to trick the pursuing enemies into self-sabotaging themselves, the both of them return to Robnynne’s house, where Robynne’s parents reluctantly told her everything that they had kept secret from her. Her parents then showed her the strange pearl-like vehicle they had found her in as a baby, which had crashed onto a nearby beach many years ago. Without warning, Robynne jumped into the device, and had it teleport her far away, leaving her loved ones and her hometown behind. Worried for her wellbeing and unable to live with never seeing her again, Mario took it upon himself to find Robynne, and set out on his own.

Over the many years constantly searching for, coming back into contact with, and losing Robynne, Mario has grown up to be a streetwise conman with a knack for all things magical, and an uncanny ability for getting himself both into and out of trouble. His pursuit of Robynne has led him into many unknown lands...

Personality

Beguiling, clever, impish, and flamboyant, Mario has learned to survive on his own by staying one-step ahead of nearly everyone else. He can talk and connive foolish folks into getting what he needs, but he never stoops so low as to take advantage of someone who’s down on their luck. If he needs to run a con, he almost always marks someone he knows can a take financial hit or two (or needs to be pegged down a notch, in his eyes at least). While he prides himself in being a charismatic scoundrel, Mario is very loyal to those he’s close to, and even amicable enough to help strangers in need when he has a sympathetic urge. If he sees a friend feeling down, he will always lend an ear, a hand, and a laugh or two. If he likes you enough, he might even grant you a cheeky nickname.

When it comes to interacting with the world at large, Mario is all about trying new things, making discoveries, and experiencing new sensations. He loves trying food that tests his tastebud’s limits, and he is easily entertained by a good story. While he isn’t the most cultured person around, he’s fascinated by the strange and esoteric, and is eager to learn anything from those he sees as kin. If he finds you fascinating, be prepared for him to ask a lot of questions and talk your ear off.

Despite coming off as an upbeat, devil-may-care type of guy, this is a slight façade: Mario has an Inferiority Complex a mile long, and much of his positive energy is just a mask for his anxiety and self-doubt. Poking and prodding his insecurities is an easy and quick way to make him explode, the most obvious point of contention being his nose (and humanity for those in-the-know). While he is flirty and has had a few casual flings in the past, he’s terrified of being romantically intimate with anyone. He assumes that everyone sees him as a total clown regardless of how he truly is, and is very much OK with playing up that role so long as it protects his heart.

Abilities

• Being made from magic, Mario has an innate magic-sensing ability that he uses to suss-out other magical objects and people. While he can’t immediately determine what type of magic a person uses, or what magic something is made from, with past knowledge and enough observation he can generally guess the magical properties of most things. This magic-sensing is also useful for navigation, as he can surmise the general direction and location of areas with a significant amount of magic nearby.
  
  (No this doesn’t have anything to do with his nose what are you talking aboooout ~~)
  
  
• While his Human Form is very mundane, his Puppet form comes with the benefit of being nearly-immortal. So long as his head isn’t destroyed, his whole body can be replaced and repaired easily, and he can attach and reattach limbs and appendages with no fuss.

Gear

Mario has come across and acquired various magical items over the years, some of which include:

• A jar full of edible Glamour, a type of magic he can use to assume a living human form. He has a limited number of it on his person, and though he’s not adept at magic enough to make some himself, he knows what’s generally needed if he ever needs someone to make a fresh supply for him.
  
  
• The Salamandra Staff, which can shapeshift into many different weapons and tools, such as a Sword, Lance, Hammer, Frying Pan, Net, Crook, Fishing Rod, and other forms that Mario has and hasn’t thought-up yet.
  
  
• A bag of holding Satchel of Storing, which can hold many more items inside of itself than it should physically be able to. If he’s a puppet, Mario can even go inside of and hide in the satchel.