Enid Marlow/IF-52.105

Rumor / Community Lore
This article contains lore created collaboratively by the Blaseball community. It is just one of many Rumors that we've found in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. You can find more Rumors about Enid Marlow at their Rumor Registry.

Abstract and Introduction

Enid Marlow is one part talented young witch, one part clever occultist, and one part praying mantis. Marlow began her pursuit of the arcane arts at a young age, and followed them with great enthusiasm throughout her life. She was especially interested in the theoretical applications of magic and the arcane, as well as the fundamentals of dealing with dangerous entities such as gods, spirits, demons, and fans. Various unknowable powers described how Marlow, “Did not so much make a pact for power, but rather wrote a research grant proposal for forbidden knowledge”. In particular Marlow has an interest in necromancy that drew her into blaseball, even going so far as to cast a ritual to improve her ability to play to ensure she made the team.

While Marlow was first drafted to the Ohio Worms as when they entered the league, she was quickly drawn to investigate the case of York Silk in Baltimore, and spent two seasons in the Baltimore Crabs’ shadows before coming out to play in season 18.

Materials, Methods, and Associates

In her time on the Worms, Marlow taught Lenny Crumb, passing on both tips and tricks for studying, as well as magical tidbits that could be used to further the Worm’s strategies. When Marlow moved to Baltimore, she found a fellow occult enthusiast in Trinity Smaht, who was quick to draw Marlow into the mysteries surrounding the ultimate fate of The Olde One. While both Marlow and Smaht were capable researchers on their own, together the two of them formed a strong bond over their interests, and absolute delight in uncovering old notes of one of the most accomplished occultists and demonologists in the field, the former Crab Baldwin Breadwinner.

Further Research Topics

Owing in part to her part-mantis nature, Marlow also has a strong interest in bugs and insects. This comes both from her steadfast mind finding solace in the field of entomology, as well as her natural kinship with insects that allows her to communicate with many forms of bugs. Marlow has not indicated if this is why she keeps handfuls of worms and other insects on hands to toss at nosy reports in post-game interviews, but it can be assumed that at the very least those are related facts.

Marlow’s bug-like nature also reflects in a fascinating combination of her Blacklight Mode from the Ohio Worms interacting with the start of her Carcinization with the Baltimore Crabs. Her pre-existing exoskeleton’s interaction with the chitin growth that is often associated with carcinization has yet to be seen, but the less common bioluminescence has taken hold strongly with her existing traits.

A Departure and Reunion

As the seasons progressed, Marlow found her research partner Trinity Smaht being traded across the league to Mexico City and Miami. While she was first hurt by this change, this did draw aer sibling Lorcan Smaht towards Marlow, who was also missing Trinity. While Lorcan shared none of the occult enthusiasm of eir sibling, ey did seem to enjoy getting Marlow out of the house to enjoy local concerts and theme parks. The two of them also did make frequent trips to both of Trinity’s new teams to visit and catch up, taking a special interest in Miami where Marlow and Trinity were once again able to cross paths with the legacy of Baldwin Breadwinner, a known occultist and demonologist. When the two stumbled on some old notes of Breadwinner’s, the scene was described by Lorcan as “a disaster waiting to happen, so I just went out to pick up dinner while they were drawing runic circles or whatever. They seemed to be having a good time at least”.

An Alternation

During the season 22 Election, Marlow was the subject of an alternation, though the exact methods of this were unclear to many observers. It seemed as though Marlow remained the same person she always had been, but was now tied into the crabs in an unusual blend of her own occult powers and the natural cycle of Carcinization in Baltimore. There have been several different reports of exactly how this manifested in Marlow, with some seeing her shadow moving independently of Marlow herself, others reporting layers of fine chiton, and some even still claiming her eyes have gained an usual shine when observed under the right kind of light. What all of these reports share however is the pearlescent details and colouring, taking after the ritual the Baltimore Crabs use to memorialize their dead.

Given Marlow’s own history with necromancy, this has raised many questions about the ritual of alternation itself. However it is unknown if this was even a deliberate ritual by Marlow herself, with some claiming that she was attempting to siphon off the power of the Olde One and had it backfire, while others claim it was an attempt to seize control of her own carcinization to mark herself as a part of the team. Marlow herself has been quiet on the subject, often avoiding questions or outright threatening those who ask about it in after game interviews.

A New Role

Upon Marlow’s new commitment to the Baltimore Crabs, one of the first duties she assigned herself was that of the Crab’s newest batting captain, since no one stopped her before she grabbed the hat and whistle for the job. Unfortunately Marlow’s coaching has been seen as unconventional, unproductive and “mostly seems to involve throwing knives and other dangerous objects at other players”. While the Crabs have been mostly unharmed, after one major incident, Kennedy Loser did eventually catch wind of this and let her know he appreciated her commitment to the team, but did want her to stop throwing knives at their teammates. When asked about this incident Marlow simply responded that “Alston is always going on about all those wacky adventures, you think he could dodge like one knife, but nooooo, Ken made me stay the emergency room with him the whole time he was getting his stitches.”

The Event Horizon

As the Crabs approached the Event Horizon Marlow could be seen giving furtive glances to the Hall of Flames behind them, while maintaining her focus ahead to her future with the Crabs, as well as her reunion with her first team, the Ohio Worms, and her old research partner Trinity Smaht. With her knowledge and experience behind her, she joined the Crabs as they steered towards the Event Horizon.