Who was the Ghost of Sperios

Of all the historical figures who rose to prominence during the troubled years that predated the Federation, few have captured the people’s imagination like the legendary assassin, Marco Morta. Known by such overly-dramatic monikers as “the Sorza Assassin” and “the Ghost of Sperios,” this mysterious killer is said to have played a crucial role in the Federation’s founding—brutally eliminating obstacles to House Sorza’s growing power, and providing the thinly-veiled threat behind Averdo’s demands for a single, unified government. But for all his dubious fame, Marco Morta’s true identity has always remained shrouded in intrigue.

Until today.

An exhaustive search of House Sorza’s records has recently revealed that roughly three years before the appearance of the Sorza Assassin, a young man named Marco was hired to act as a personal valet for one Don Diego, a reclusive minor noble of that house. He was paid a modest wage, and is said to have served Diego well for more than two decades before the Don’s eventual retirement. These records contain some notable oddities, however, as Marco’s family name is conspicuously absent. Nor is there an official date of birth—or, indeed—any mention of the valet’s life before he began his service.

Further, it appears Marco received commendations in multiple military incursions, as well as a number of house wars. It should go without saying that it is unusual for any servant to receive even one such commendation, let alone several. After retiring from his post to attend to familial obligations, the records state that Don Diego gifted his long-time manservant with a small farm. Interestingly, this farm’s first and only appearance on official House Sorza records is in the transfer of ownership—and its specific location is strangely absent from the relevant paperwork.

For these reasons—in spite of the commonplace nature of the name—a growing number of Federation historians now believe that Marco the manservant and Marco the assassin may have been one and the same.

Rumors of Marco Morta’s deeds vary greatly, and the details change depending on the source. As such, it is nearly impossible to separate the man from the myth. Popular folklore treats the name Marco Morta as that of a legendary and invincible boogeyman: Some say he was a shadowspawn summoned by Averdo Sorza himself, with great bat-like wings and eyes of fire. Others insist that the Ghost of Sperios wasn’t a single person at all, but in fact the name of a secret society of trained assassins, employed by House Sorza to protect its interests by any means necessary. The only common thread these stories agree upon is this: during the early days of the Federation, to draw the attention of Marco Morta was to sign one’s own death warrant.

Marco Morta has been confirmed as the killer of over two hundred high-profile targets, and hundreds more have been attributed to him without proper investigation. At the risk of delving into the realm of fantasy, I have gathered some examples here.

At the very least, Morta is said to have assassinated the leader of one house who vocally opposed the formation of the Federation. The nobleman was discovered in his private chambers by his own house guards, his throat evidently cut while he was bathing. According to witnesses, the water in the tub had been drained, and the body was found floating in a grotesque pool of blood.

Another popular tale links the famed assassin with the complete elimination of a notorious gang of thieves which once operated in Sperios with near-impunity. After robbing a popular charity event in the city’s great theater, a full twenty men wearing the group’s distinctive scarves were found dead from multiple stab wounds, their bodies carefully piled in a boat in one of the city’s many canals. The stolen funds from the charity event rested safely in the boat’s hold, entirely untouched.

Perhaps most famously, one story suggests that during a particularly vicious house war, a number of House Generals belonging to one of Sorza’s rivals were found dead in their encampment, apparently poisoned during a celebratory feast. With no military leadership left, the offending house surrendered the next day, agreeing to the terms laid out by House Sorza after only a single round of token negotiations.

The tales continue, listing victims both highborn and low, as the shadowy killer carved a bloody swath through the Federation’s history. Until, with no apparent explanation, they stop—on the same day that Don Diego’s supposed manservant disappeared to his nondescript farm somewhere in the Sperios countryside.

While the truth may never be known, the evidence is highly suggestive. It must be stressed, however, that further investigation into this topic could easily lead to serious—and perhaps even deadly—consequences. Whoever he was, and wherever he now chooses to reside, it is this scholar’s humble opinion that the man known as Marco Morta is best left undisturbed. And permanently, emphatically retired.