As a young boy, Marlamin found that he had magical powers. Like many other children in the world, he grew up poor and without a family. He made his way through life by performing tricks for pedestrians on the streets, sometimes hitching rides with other performers and troubadours. Eventually, Marl was taken on as an apprentice by the resident mage of a small village. There he trained his abilities for nearly four years until the village was attacked by bandits. The bandits laid waste to a large portion of the village and its inhabitants before they were forced to retreat. Marlamin's teacher had suffered a wound that would prove fatal even to a younger man, let alone one as elderly as he. After his Master's death, Marl left the ruined village and set off to make his mark on the world as an adventurer.