Drift Fleet Application
May. 21st, 2015 06:02 pmOUT OF CHARACTER:
Name/Handle: Teru
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
wishuponthenightskies
Reference: Kenkai/kenkai_chan/![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
destinyembrace
IN-CHARACTER:
Character name: Merrill
Character journal:babblingelf
Series name: Dragon Age
Canon notes: Dragon Age II, Act 3: Just after her final Companion Quest – A New Path, before her Act 3 Questioning Beliefs quest - Male!Hawke (Mage) playthrough
Species: Elf
History: Dragon Age Wiki
Personality: An accurate first glance at Merrill will tell you she is very much a lonely girl who just wants to find her place and to fit in. Growing up among the Dalish and raised to become the next Keeper of her clan, Merrill knew only solitude surrounded by studies of the old ways and the histories of her people while others her age were trained as hunters or other elvhen professions. Merrill was an intuitive and inquisitive girl and that only grew as she gold older. On top of this, Dalish are isolated as a whole, given the fact that the humans of Thedas that are in power tend to isolate anyone who is not like them, namely those who might have mages in their ranks. This is not limited to elves but also the Qunari, a race of proud creatures who adhere strictly to their own honor code.
Fast forward several decades and we find a girl who feels trampled upon by the limitations of the modern Dalish people. Merrill, in her fervent belief, wishes to learn the old ways and to find answers that most Dalish are not foolish enough to seek. Merrill, easily tempted by a demon, wishes to restore an old mirror, called an Eluvian, that was thought to be able to give one glimpses into the fade. As all mages in Thedas are made aware from a young age, demons can tempt one into blood magic and even worse – allowing them to possess the mage and gain access into the world outside the Fade. Demons cannot survive without a host and while Merrill knew the risks, she wanted to learn what she could from the demon she found. It is her belief that if one kept an open mind, then you could learn so much more than what limitations and caution often allow for.
She can be a bit foolish and naïve but underneath it is a kind person by nature and loving and accepting of others above all else, despite some of the beliefs the Dalish might have. Merrill, while sweet and book smart and a little awkward, is not without flaws. Her one weakness is her mentor, Keeper Marethari, whom she often clashes beliefs with. She has an incredibly stubborn streak when it comes to her mentor or anyone else she believes is keeping their mind closed to possibility. Often times this naivety can get her into some trouble. Varric, one of Hawke's other companions, gives her a ball of twine when she first arrives to Kirkwall, having moved from the Dalish camp of Sundermount to live in the Elven Alienage, a slum where elves are shafted away from the masses. This ball of twine serves the purpose of keeping her from getting lost in Lowtown as she has a penchant for wandering dangerous back alleys and having trouble finding her way back home due to her unfamiliarity of the streets. Varric also pays known thieves and the like to keep them from mugging her.
Merrill, when first arriving to Kirkwall is fascinated by things that a normal person would abhor, such as someone getting mugged outside her doorstep, and often times listens to Isabela weave tales of intrigue and imparted advice about how to be sexy and confident. Merrill, lacking confidence herself, looks up to her and to female Hawke as women she could aspire to be, while still getting on well with Aveline, another of Hawke's companions. Often times she becomes confused by normal conversations with characters such as Carver Hawke, remarking upon the topic by asking if she missed something dirty again. This can cause some embarrassment for the young man and more confusion for her, though she doesn't let such things phase her.
The things that do upset Merrill are usually if Hawke should side with the oppression of mages or against anything that might favor the Dalish in her dialogues while Merrill is in her party. Not only that but her conversations with Fenris and Anders are often riddled with tension as both men treat her as an abomination due to her use of blood magic. She often clashes with both about the necessity of it and whether it is truly such a bad thing. While Merrill has seen the awful things it is capable of, she still believes it to be of use to her in her endeavor to seek knowledge for her people. Fenris in particular, a sufferer of abuse due to blood magic and the like, is vocal in a more spiteful way while Anders concedes somewhat near the end that he's somewhat an abomination himself, having taken in Justice and warped him into somewhat a demon in human flesh.
As a friend and a lover, Merrill is very much devoted to her loved ones as she is her beliefs. To her the two can intermingle easily. It can be noted that if one romances Merrill in the game that she will express fears, due to her race and heritage, that they will not be easily accepted by society. Her people are everything to her, despite her desertion of her clan in order to seek the knowledge she so desired. Her worries do not deter her from her intense feelings, going so far as to profess her love for Hawke after their first rendezvous together and feeling embarrassment about it thereafter. Merrill often times expresses worries that she might be speaking too much or that she said something odd or out of place.
She seems to be particularly close to Carver Hawke. The two seem to have these awkward flirty moments in their party banter which often start off as Carver trying to strike up some sort of conversation with her to get to know her or to bond with her and Merrill ending up confused and wondering if he's making a dirty joke. Merrill is capable of understandin Carver in a way Hawke cannot, this being particularly evident in conversations about him if he joins the Templars. She knows what it's like to want to struggle to forge your own path and to find your way when it seems like all you are is lost at every turn and has struggled with this for the majority of her story arc.
This comes from the fact that she constantly feels under appreciated by her people. She couldn't fit in as the Keeper's First, not with her goals being what they are, and she also can't fit in among humans, being an elf, despite being immersed in Kirkwall society. Elves are less than dirt to the worst human and she is constantly aware of that as Elves mutually hate humans as well, in most cases. The thought of humans and elves having children does bother her, when not romanced, and she expresses this during a quest to save a half human/half elf and send him to the Dalish. 'Bother' could however be a loose term. She is rather close to her human friends, despite her upbringing. It makes no difference to her that it is expressed among the Dalish that their blood be pure, the thought of humans and elves mixing being somewhat controversial to them.
Depending on Hawke's relationship with Merrill (termed Friendship or Rivalry Romance in the game), she will also express the belief that being with her is dangerous to Hawke and everyone she loves due to her use of blood magic and consorting with the demon in the Eluvian. This shows that she does have a certain level of awareness that her actions come with a price, one that she clearly is willing to pay. Merrill has a better understanding of magic, in some ways better than Anders, than most of the party gives her credit for. She knows the dangers and the risks but is willing to make that choice for the sake of her people. Over the course of the nine years she spends in Kirkwall, she grows somewhat more aware and less naïve to how the world works. She learns that some things are not so worth the price, however, and she does feel regret for actions taking place in Act 3 that result in the death of her mentor. Hawke can even go so far as to convince her to break the Eluvian at this point as she realizes the error of her ways. Otherwise she will merely come to the choice that despite her clan not acknowledging her achievements, she did her best for them.
Some final things to note since I had not realized I was not accurately specific to my play through and was not sure if I needed to be - Merrill will have received the Arun'Holm from Hawke, killed her mentor, though Hawke will not have killed her people. Hawke will be coming from a mage play through as a female mage (for extra fun!) and their relationship will be more on the friendlier side as my Hawke playthrough was pro-mage and had favorable interactions with the Dalish up until Merrill killed Marethari.
Abilities:
Augment Skillset:
Sample:
Name/Handle: Teru
Contact:
Reference: Kenkai/
destinyembraceIN-CHARACTER:
Character name: Merrill
Character journal:
babblingelfSeries name: Dragon Age
Canon notes: Dragon Age II, Act 3: Just after her final Companion Quest – A New Path, before her Act 3 Questioning Beliefs quest - Male!Hawke (Mage) playthrough
Species: Elf
History: Dragon Age Wiki
Personality: An accurate first glance at Merrill will tell you she is very much a lonely girl who just wants to find her place and to fit in. Growing up among the Dalish and raised to become the next Keeper of her clan, Merrill knew only solitude surrounded by studies of the old ways and the histories of her people while others her age were trained as hunters or other elvhen professions. Merrill was an intuitive and inquisitive girl and that only grew as she gold older. On top of this, Dalish are isolated as a whole, given the fact that the humans of Thedas that are in power tend to isolate anyone who is not like them, namely those who might have mages in their ranks. This is not limited to elves but also the Qunari, a race of proud creatures who adhere strictly to their own honor code.
Fast forward several decades and we find a girl who feels trampled upon by the limitations of the modern Dalish people. Merrill, in her fervent belief, wishes to learn the old ways and to find answers that most Dalish are not foolish enough to seek. Merrill, easily tempted by a demon, wishes to restore an old mirror, called an Eluvian, that was thought to be able to give one glimpses into the fade. As all mages in Thedas are made aware from a young age, demons can tempt one into blood magic and even worse – allowing them to possess the mage and gain access into the world outside the Fade. Demons cannot survive without a host and while Merrill knew the risks, she wanted to learn what she could from the demon she found. It is her belief that if one kept an open mind, then you could learn so much more than what limitations and caution often allow for.
She can be a bit foolish and naïve but underneath it is a kind person by nature and loving and accepting of others above all else, despite some of the beliefs the Dalish might have. Merrill, while sweet and book smart and a little awkward, is not without flaws. Her one weakness is her mentor, Keeper Marethari, whom she often clashes beliefs with. She has an incredibly stubborn streak when it comes to her mentor or anyone else she believes is keeping their mind closed to possibility. Often times this naivety can get her into some trouble. Varric, one of Hawke's other companions, gives her a ball of twine when she first arrives to Kirkwall, having moved from the Dalish camp of Sundermount to live in the Elven Alienage, a slum where elves are shafted away from the masses. This ball of twine serves the purpose of keeping her from getting lost in Lowtown as she has a penchant for wandering dangerous back alleys and having trouble finding her way back home due to her unfamiliarity of the streets. Varric also pays known thieves and the like to keep them from mugging her.
Merrill, when first arriving to Kirkwall is fascinated by things that a normal person would abhor, such as someone getting mugged outside her doorstep, and often times listens to Isabela weave tales of intrigue and imparted advice about how to be sexy and confident. Merrill, lacking confidence herself, looks up to her and to female Hawke as women she could aspire to be, while still getting on well with Aveline, another of Hawke's companions. Often times she becomes confused by normal conversations with characters such as Carver Hawke, remarking upon the topic by asking if she missed something dirty again. This can cause some embarrassment for the young man and more confusion for her, though she doesn't let such things phase her.
The things that do upset Merrill are usually if Hawke should side with the oppression of mages or against anything that might favor the Dalish in her dialogues while Merrill is in her party. Not only that but her conversations with Fenris and Anders are often riddled with tension as both men treat her as an abomination due to her use of blood magic. She often clashes with both about the necessity of it and whether it is truly such a bad thing. While Merrill has seen the awful things it is capable of, she still believes it to be of use to her in her endeavor to seek knowledge for her people. Fenris in particular, a sufferer of abuse due to blood magic and the like, is vocal in a more spiteful way while Anders concedes somewhat near the end that he's somewhat an abomination himself, having taken in Justice and warped him into somewhat a demon in human flesh.
As a friend and a lover, Merrill is very much devoted to her loved ones as she is her beliefs. To her the two can intermingle easily. It can be noted that if one romances Merrill in the game that she will express fears, due to her race and heritage, that they will not be easily accepted by society. Her people are everything to her, despite her desertion of her clan in order to seek the knowledge she so desired. Her worries do not deter her from her intense feelings, going so far as to profess her love for Hawke after their first rendezvous together and feeling embarrassment about it thereafter. Merrill often times expresses worries that she might be speaking too much or that she said something odd or out of place.
She seems to be particularly close to Carver Hawke. The two seem to have these awkward flirty moments in their party banter which often start off as Carver trying to strike up some sort of conversation with her to get to know her or to bond with her and Merrill ending up confused and wondering if he's making a dirty joke. Merrill is capable of understandin Carver in a way Hawke cannot, this being particularly evident in conversations about him if he joins the Templars. She knows what it's like to want to struggle to forge your own path and to find your way when it seems like all you are is lost at every turn and has struggled with this for the majority of her story arc.
This comes from the fact that she constantly feels under appreciated by her people. She couldn't fit in as the Keeper's First, not with her goals being what they are, and she also can't fit in among humans, being an elf, despite being immersed in Kirkwall society. Elves are less than dirt to the worst human and she is constantly aware of that as Elves mutually hate humans as well, in most cases. The thought of humans and elves having children does bother her, when not romanced, and she expresses this during a quest to save a half human/half elf and send him to the Dalish. 'Bother' could however be a loose term. She is rather close to her human friends, despite her upbringing. It makes no difference to her that it is expressed among the Dalish that their blood be pure, the thought of humans and elves mixing being somewhat controversial to them.
Depending on Hawke's relationship with Merrill (termed Friendship or Rivalry Romance in the game), she will also express the belief that being with her is dangerous to Hawke and everyone she loves due to her use of blood magic and consorting with the demon in the Eluvian. This shows that she does have a certain level of awareness that her actions come with a price, one that she clearly is willing to pay. Merrill has a better understanding of magic, in some ways better than Anders, than most of the party gives her credit for. She knows the dangers and the risks but is willing to make that choice for the sake of her people. Over the course of the nine years she spends in Kirkwall, she grows somewhat more aware and less naïve to how the world works. She learns that some things are not so worth the price, however, and she does feel regret for actions taking place in Act 3 that result in the death of her mentor. Hawke can even go so far as to convince her to break the Eluvian at this point as she realizes the error of her ways. Otherwise she will merely come to the choice that despite her clan not acknowledging her achievements, she did her best for them.
Some final things to note since I had not realized I was not accurately specific to my play through and was not sure if I needed to be - Merrill will have received the Arun'Holm from Hawke, killed her mentor, though Hawke will not have killed her people. Hawke will be coming from a mage play through as a female mage (for extra fun!) and their relationship will be more on the friendlier side as my Hawke playthrough was pro-mage and had favorable interactions with the Dalish up until Merrill killed Marethari.
Abilities:
Augment Skillset:
Sample:
