Marlin Stanton

Marlin Stanton, raised as Marlin Kimball, is a rancher from Forget-Me-Not Valley. He is the son of Ezra Stanton, the first Warden of the Wood who declared himself Mayor of the Pass resulting in the Stanton War. After Stanton's defeat, his farm was given to Burl Kimball who raised Stanton's children Vesta and Marlin as his own. Cool, distant, ambitious, and frightening, Marlin is in love with the farmhand Celia Allister. He also plans to rebuild his late father's empire and declare himself Mayor of the Pass. His ambitions are dashed, however, by the Winter War, when his army is completely decimated by the Mukumuku s. Eventually, he tells Harris Moore the way to defeat the Mukumukus through a secret weapon kept in the Stanton Graveyard far in the Highlands.

Heir By Iron
Like his sister, Marlin joins Murrey Starling's army, serving under Jon Takakura. While Vesta is Takakura's second in command, Marlin is an important officer, serving many roles. Vesta dies while serving in the War of Town and Valley. He agrees to the surrender to Thomas Moore and serves under Takakura to the extent he is Warden of Forget-Me-Not Valley.

War for Winter
In the beginning of the Winter War, Muffy Starling leads the Undesirables in open revolt in order to assert her right as Mayor of Mineral Town. Takakura and Marlin lead and army to the Falls where Muffy's encampment is based and completely decimates the army. The Undesirables are left scattered and captured by Marlin while Muffy is killed and thrown off the Falls.

Marlin meets with Gustafa, the leader of the Undesirables, promising to free him and his people if he will join him in his attempt to become Mayor of the Pass. Gustafa agrees and Marlin leads the Undesirables in securing his Mayorship over the Pass. Takakura leads an army to stop Marlin, leading Marlin to flee to the Highlands just like his father. Takakura gives chase, but Marlin is able to kill him, putting his army in disarray.

Later, after the Mukumuku's begin reeking havoc in the Winter War, Marlin suddenly returns from the Highlands. He goes to Mineral Town, telling Harris Moore that the Mukumukus in the mountain destroyed his army, but that he found the answer to defeating them. He tells them that the secret is in the Stanton Graveyard, a location in the Highlands where many members of Ezra Stanton's army had died. Marlin then coughs up blood and dies from what Dr. Alex Trent concludes to be the Sickness.

Later, Harris Moore, Rick McArthur, Doug Haverford, and Gray Bellamy travel to the Stanton Graveyard, finding that the corpses are riddled with fleas that have the Sickness. They realize that the Mukumukus have died. Harris tells Rick and Gray to flee when they realizes that the fleas have the Sickness, but Doug dies of the disease in the Highlands. Harris allows his body to be infected by the Sickness before returning to the Wood to give the disease to the Mukumukus.