Post by emrys on Jun 15, 2011 23:55:45 GMT -5
Main Username: Orias
Character Name: Merlin Ambrosius
Other Names: Myrddin Emrys, Ambrosius Aurelianus
Arcane Title: Katergarhs Efialths (Κατεργαρης Εφιαλτης)
Current Alias: Geoffrey Wyllt
Race: Witch
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Loyalty: Neutral
Class: Witch
Advanced Class: None
Witch Anima: Stag / Sealing
In spite of what myths might insist upon, Merlin is actually a rather youthful man in appearance, having the semblance of a tall, modestly handsome man in his mid-late twenties to earliest of thirties. He sports rather bedragged-looking hair of black, with the slighest hints of it greying near the edges in some locks, with slightly angular features and a devil-may-care smile almost permanently fixed upon his features. His eyes, however, betray his true age, which is nigh unguessable, deep pools of grey, speckled with blue that seem to always have an answer.
As any Witch, he too shares a distinction between his magus attire and his everyday attire, seperating the two into long, sweeping and heavy robes of blues, white and red, with long sleeves that extend past his hands, adorned with gilded charm clasp that holds them together at the collar, a large hood hanging from the back of the neck. When not 'dressed to impress', however, he instead switches to a relatively simplistic style of dress, wearing dark grey slacks and a loose, wrinkled and unironed, faded blue shirt with the top four buttons undone and rather aloofly uneven with its collar, the shirt's elbows covered with beige leather patches. Over this shirt he wears a dull brown vest, its buttons also quite often unfastened.
Through whatever eccentricities he sports, regardless of what he wears, Merlin always refuses to wear socks and shoes, instead resorting to leather sandals and flip-flops.
Merlin has been described as a lot of things. A trickster. A wise man. A crazed man. A troublemaker. It was said that Merlin was above all things a dangerous man, due to the fact that you could never truly know where the man stood. He advised King Arthur, and yet was involved in many a scheme and ploy of his own, and some would even say that he intentionally manipulated events to grant Arthur his position of power in the first place, ranging all the way back to his part in Arthur's birth through Uther Pendragon.
Quick of wit, and quicker still to rely on it to steer him through his troubles, Merlin's titles are all rather well-deserved, as his enthusiasm and eagerness to express whatever's going on in his head is quite often bordered on madness to some eyes, but a deep intellect to others. Whether he is truly sinister or not, though, Merlin's outward personality is that of a rather carefree, wistful individual. He is prone to snarky and teasing remarks quite often, sometimes thinly veiled jabs at another's expense, or a genuine show of interest or concern. In essence, it is hard to get a handle of just what he intends when he speaks with someone, so very often hiding behind a cheerful and well-mannered demeanour, though some might even call this a facade of a frightened man laughing at the darkness of the world as it threatens to swallow him up.
In truth, Merlin does seem to care a great deal about the way of the world, and no small part of his scheming and manipulating is due to his insistance on trying to keep the world on 'the right track' - his part in Arthur's birth being a part of this. He seems to genuinely show concern for the well-being of others, even to the point of feeling concern and responsibility for Morgan Le Fey, both with his hand in Uther's success, and with his tutelage of her, which in spite of his seeming reluctance, he agreed on as much due to Arthur's request as his own desire to try and correct the fate bestowed upon her by his interferance.
[li]Magic
[/li][li]Astrology
[/li][li]History
[/li][li]Collecting trinkets
[/li][li]Literature
[/li][li]Mythical creatures
[/li][li]Music
[/li][li]Barley beer
[/li][li]Scotch (especially if followed by drinking games, arm wrestling or dart throwing contests)
[/li][li]Butterscotch (and other assorted candies)
[/li][li]Pretty girls (Hello, Morgan dear, are you reading this?)
[/li][li]Sandals
[/li][li]Dragons
[/li][li]Heroic individuals
[/li][li]Common folk
[/li][li]Duct tape
[/li][li]Forests
[/li][li]Dates (the fruit)
[/li][li]Dates (not the fruit, the episode from Only Fools and Horses)
[/li][li]Dates (not the fruit, or the episode from Only Fools and Horses, but the kind with pretty girls)
Dislikes
[/li][li]Witches who abuse the power
[/li][li]Doing the dishes
[/li][li]Shoes
[/li][li]Horse-back riding
[/li][li]Listening to pompous people
[/li][li]Listening to boring people
[/li][li]Listening to stupid people
[/li][li]Listening to dolphin gossip (Yes, we know you think Flipper gives you a bad name, no need to go on about it!)
[/li][li]Pants that don't fit
[/li][li]Murderers
[/li][li]Dragons who breathe fire first and don't have the common decency to wait until you've said what you came there to say
[/li][li]Brigands
[/li][li]Belligerents
[/li][li]Buffoons
[/li][li]Bumblers
[/li][li]Bamboozlers
[/li][li]Bitches
[/li][li]Boozers (Actually, they can be quite fun company!)
[/li][li]Bassoons
[/li][li]Running out of B-things to dislike
[/li][li]Excalibur (I made that scabbard for a reason!)
[/li][li]Being hunted
[/li][li]Dying (Honestly, have you tried it? Awfully dismal!)
Hobbies
[/li][li]Astronomy
[/li][li]Reading
[/li][li]Teaching (of all kinds)
[/li][li]Travel[/li][/ul]
Special Notes
Part of Merlin's cover as 'Geoffrey Wyllt' is that of a Shibusen teacher (primarily mythology and history), whilst also practicing as a bookstore owner in Death City, which he allows students to work in part-time in order to cover for his frequent absecenes.
Merlin's fighting style combines a strong defense with a creative offense. As his magic theme specializes in sealing and halting things, he prioritizes combat by making it so that his opponents cannot attack or utilize their full power, rather than trying to overwhelm them. Due to his struggle with his addiction to destructive magic, he habitually tries to avoid any direct conflicts in general, prefering to limit the likelihood of his needing to use such magic in the first place. To use attack spells and destructive, to Merlin at least, is the very last resort in terms of his personal tactic, and is reserved only for situations when it is clear that sealing or evading the situation will not suffice in the slightest.
[li]High Intellect: It goes without saying that a long life comes with a great deal of knowledge and with a life as long as his, Merlin sports an astounding mind. There is very little in this world that he doesn't know by now, and his ability to strategize and predict based on his wellspring of knowledge is key to his success.
[/li][li]Dexterous: Whilst not fast by any means, Merlin is capable of some quick-handed motions. His fingers are nimble and well-trained in complex motions and requirements, making him adept at a variety of dexterity-based activities from lock-picking, to juggling, to sleight-of-hand and more.
[/li][li]Quick-Thinker: Partnered with his vast intellect, Merlin is also quick of wit and mind, able to think on his feet and quickly formulate ideas based on his situation and his intelligence. Thinking fast being something that he excels at, allowing him to respond to scenarios with an almost Xanatos Speed-Chess degree of skill.
[/li][li]Artful Dodger: A combination of his previous two traits, Merlin's dexterous nature and his ability to think fast allows Merlin to react quickly and skillfully in regards to on-coming attacks. Using his intelligence to predict an overall estimate of where the attack will come from, along with his quick thinking in the heat of the moment, he will make use of this to evade attacks, provided they are within his range of abilities, physical and magical.
Weaknesses
[/li][li]Physically Weak: Being more focused on the mind than the body, even after this long Merlin is still not the most physically capable individual. Carrying heavy objects is a strain to him, and he's more likely to hurt himself punching someone than actually harming them instead.
[/li][li]Weak against Madness: A long life and all of the knowledge in the world can come at a price. Those who've stared long into the abyss eventually see it staring back into them, as Merlin has found. The long centuries have taken their toll on him, unfortunately, and rather than grow more resilient to madness, his mind's walls have rather become worn thin by the strain.
[/li][li]Addicted to Magic: Power corrupts, there is no question of this. A witch's power corrupts especially, and never more so than when it is used for destruction. For all of his good intentions, Merlin is as susceptible to these things just as any other being, especially as his magic's original purpose was not of a destructive nature. As thus, the lure of using his magic for destruction has an intoxicating, euphoric effect on him, making using it something of an addiction for him, as he has to strain himself to resist not falling back on it.
(Every three turns in combat, Merlin must roll a 1d20 for resisting his addiction with a +10 bonus at the start, but with a -2 penalty to said bonus for each subsequent roll. Once the rolls go below 10, Merlin is compelled to cast another attack spell, regardless of circumstance, with a continuing -2 penalty as combat progresses, or until he is rendered unconscious)
[/li][li]The Cost of Power: Nothing is without a price. Especially not using magic outside of one's scope and limitations. Not long after combat, if having used attack spells, Merlin suffers a crippling pain in the form of spasms, cold sweats and a disorientation as a result of withdrawal from the addictive use of destructive magic, as the 'high' of using said magic eventually wears off. This withdrawal renders him incapable of much besides even the most basic of non-hostile spells. On top of this, the mental exhaustion and the wear on his very soul as a result of using magic outside of his field can cause accumulative damage on Merlin's mind and soul, making him even more susceptive to madness, and possibly even proving fatal in extreme amounts.
(The withdrawal lasts for as many posts as attack spells were used during combat, plus an additional three posts. If any magic whatsoever, even non-destructive, is used during withdrawal, Merlin must make a 1d20 addiction roll with a -2 penalty or suffer the same contingency as before. During withdrawal, Merlin's weakness to madness is doubled.)[/li][/ul]
Key: Magic, Area, Guided, Rule
Merlin's sealing magic is able to take the form of a crimson ribbon of variant size and length. This ribbon is laced with a series of magical words with which he may enforce a specific ruling upon a target of his choice. This target may be anything from a room, to an object, to a person, a person's limbs, or even down to the cellular level.
These rulings may be whatever Merlin himself may decide or dictate, though they all share one particular trait: They must all be breakable, one way or another, by grace of a requirement. This requirement may be an action or the solving of a riddle or challenge set by the rule. For example, Merlin might place a requirement on a room such as 'The air in this room is sealed away until all within disarm', granting those within the ability to breathe by fulfilling the required action.
Historically, this was the type of spell cast upon Excalibur by Merlin, binding the Holy Sword to a stone until the 'Once and Future King' had come to retrieve it, upon which the seal binding it was lifted.
Sealing Magic: Element Manipulation (Active, Average)
Key: Magic, Transmutive, Physics, Guided, Ranged, Touch, Elements
Merlin's knowledge and understanding of physics and the primal elements, of druidic rituals and the likes play a part in this extension of his magic. By sealing off key aspects to an element, Merlin may invoke an effect by this means. For example, in more harmless terms, he might choose to seal away the oxygen surrounding a fire, thus starving and killing it. Alternatively, he might choose to seal away the air within a tightly compressed and pressurized seal, before releasing it as a burst of aerial force. Alternatively, he might seal the heat within a body of water, snap-freezing it.
Sealing Magic: Segmented Visage (Active, Weak)
Key: Magic, Transformative
The nature of this magic is highly versatile, as a result of Merlin's constant and multiple uses across his long life, granting him relative mastery of it. The tales of Merlin assuming the guise of a small boy or an old man, for example, are tied to the aspect of Merlin sealing away metaphysical concepts such as 'age' and 'youth' to achieve these forms. Similarly, he can seal away his gender and assume the guise of a woman. The range of the aspects of his appearance that can be altered by sealing off various other traits allows Merlin countless varieties of disguises with which to hide himself.
Sealing Magic: Spectral Sealant (Passive, Average)
Key: Magic, Soul, Stealth
As an addendum to Soul Protect, Spectral Sealant acts by wrapping Merlin's soul in a layer of Ruling Scriptures with the express purpose of completely masking his soul as that of a normal one. It is through this tactic, combined with his disguises, that Merlin has been able to live this long without being captured and found out. It is also what he used to evade death at the hands of Morgan, eluding her gaze once his soul was considered destroyed.
Sealing Magic: Soul Lock (Active, Strong)
Key: Magic, Soul, Sealing
The spell used by Merlin to save the life of Arthur, and also part of his tactic used to survive his would-be fatal encounter with Morgan. Soul Lock effectively seals the target's soul within their body, locking it in place and preventing them from fully dying and being seperated from one another.
The result is a comatose-like state wherein the subject's body may slowly heal provided it is kept in this state for an extended period of time; essentially, as long as it would physically take them to recover from such a wound. This allows for the subject to survive what would otherwise be fatal injury by grace of their own body recovering, however so long it might take for that to happen.
The Lock remains in place until the required circumstances set by Merlin are achieved. In the case of Arthur, this circumstance was defined as 'the day when the Once and Future King is truly needed once more', though when this may be only Merlin must know.
Astrology (Passive, Average)
Key: Science, Stars, Prediction, Physics
One of Merlin's chief traits was to always be prepared. His wisdom and intellect was matched only by his strange ability to always know when something noteworthy was on the horizon, even if he did not always know what exactly it was. Though many would insist he was almost crazed when he insisted that everything was following a set path, and that he himself was fully aware of the course that things were traveling along, Merlin focused much of his time and effort studying the stars and the alignments of the planets and even that of what he insisted to be other worlds at times.
It was through these means that he was able to foresee the trouble that Morgan Le Fay would cause in Camelot's future, and was able to save both Arthur's life, and his own when the time came. With a great deal of effort, as such, Merlin may be able to predict when something of grave importance is about to occur, be it in the events of the world, or just a lone person's life.
Animal Form (Passive, Average)
Key: Magic, Stag, Animal, Transform, Run
Merlin is capable of transforming himself into a rather majestic white stag. In this form, while he does not retain the ability to cast magic or speak, he is capable of becoming astoundingly fast, able to outrun even a speeding vehicle and lightly skip and jump across water. White stags, however, are not commonly seen, and in the more civilized parts of the world the mere sight of a normal stag is more than likely to raise some brows, and thus Merlin does not use this form as much as he used to in the 'good old days' when the stag was a symbol of prosperity.
Alchemy (Passive, Average)
Key: Potion and Item Creation, Alchemical Ingredients
If Morgan's capacity for mixing herbs to a desired effect is considered a forte, then so too is Merlin's ability to concoct various materials, items and the likes through the use of alchemy. Provided he has the right ingredients, Merlin might be able to put together a potion that is just as adept at tending to injuries as a herbal concoction. Additionally, if the ingredients that Merlin is working with come from a supernatural source (your traditional 'eye of fiery salamander' and 'tongue of ghoul' shopping list), he is even capable of creating a potion of magical nature. Furthermore, if the materials and time are afforded to him, he might be able to create something a little more in-depth beyond that of a simple drinkable solution.
Wyrmtongue (Passive, Average)
Key: Language, Speech, Draconic
Though not a particular ability as much as just a sign of old age and knowledge, Merlin is capable of speaking and reading the language of dragons. In the olden days when there were more of these creatures, Merlin quite often interacted with them, exchanging council and on occasion requesting their assistance. Though dragons are able to speak the languages of Men just as easily, it may be considered a sign of respect and authority for a 'mere man' to speak in the tongue of the wyrms.
[/ul]
(Book, Magic) / Strong
Merlin's book of magic is less a compilation of spells and witchcraft as it is an amassed works counting down the multitudes of magical effects, aspects, traits and creatures of the world, with recipes galore which Merlin would otherwise be unable to memorize by heart and would rather require this tome for referance when attempting any elaborate alchemical concoctions. The knowledge contained in its pages range from the wisdom of dragons to the wiles of witches and even the darker secrets of shinigamis and souls if need be. A testiment to Merlin's old age, it contains notes and scriptures of all the things he has deemed noteworthy, from the births and awakenings of new witches dating back to Morgan herself, to their locations - even those whom witches thought hidden perfectly.[/ul]
(Item/Weapon, Magic) / Average
Merlin's staff, crafted by fairies and covered in runes governing over the channeling of a soul's energy. This staff is often used by Merlin in order to harness and enhance his magical capabilities under circumstances where his normal power cannot be achieved. However, it is limited in how much power it can produce, ranging from four average enhancements, or a singular large one before it needs just over half a day's time to recharge its energies anew.
Merlin has a standard, permanent seal placed on this staff, making it so that it contracts and turns into a simple-looking ring when the correct word is spoken to it, with a second word to be used to release the transformation.[/ul]
(Item, Magic) / Weak
An archaic handheld game from the retro era. Merlin has cast a permament seal-based enchantment upon this child's toy in order to make it so that individuals can be sealed within it, trapping them in a digitized game world where Merlin can manouver and control the game's stages and characters. As those within it are restricted to a game world's rules, actual death is impossible within the handheld. Furthermore, should someone exert a strong force of will, they can easily break out of it, making it a rather weak prison if anything.[/ul]
Rank F
Frank is, for lack of a better word for it, a type of golem. More specifically, he is a soul inhabiting a shell that acts as a constructed body. A former American Air Force pilot during the Second World War, Frank assisted Merlin in one of the witch's various ploys, but was unfortunately fatally wounded in the process, beyond Merlin's capability to revive him or restore him. In order to save his life, Merlin sealed Frank's soul within the nearest applicable recepticle, which just so happened to be a teddy bear sitting in a garbage can. Frank has followed Merlin ever since, having no body to return to anymore. Aside from his nimble and light body, Frank has no real abilities of any sort that make him applicable for fighting, short of perhaps throwing objects from a great height or distance. Fire is his worst enemy, and due to the aged nature of his 'body', Merlin frequently has to patch him up at times. In order to maintain Merlin's cover, Frank tends to keep out of sight unless the two of them are alone, usually hiding in his office or home otherwise, posing as a regular toy.[/ul]
History
The whole tale of Merlin Ambrosius is known to very few, and fewer still remain alive, with Merlin himself counting amongst those limited number of peoples. Of his origins few can say though some insist that he was the offspring of a a Kishin ravaging a woman, or that the fairies conspired to create a male witch for the sake of mischief. Other tales tell similar strangeness like him being the result of a dragon's union with a witch, and there are even some stories that claim he was a simple farm child with a penchant for prophetic vision. Whether any of this is true, only Merlin himself can confirm..
Of what is known, however, is his hand in King Arthur's life and rise. Through his own predictions, Merlin seemingly foresaw the great future of a nation were it to be placed in the hands of the child of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, and so he devised many plots that would play out in accordance at precise moments in time.. Consorting with the fey and magical creatures of the land, he devised a seal for the holy sword, Excalibur, binding it to a spot where it would not be able to be removed until the designated wielder would come for it. He planted seeds of disarray amidst various kingdoms in order to get Uther Pendragon close enough to lust for Igraine, after which he assisted Uther in posturing as the lady's husband in order to bed her and sire the boy that would later become Arthur. He then also was responsible for taking the child and leaving him to be raised appropriately by others, rather than allow the boy to be spoiled by Uther's ignorant ways.
Out of all of the travesties he caused in order to get his way, however, the one that perhaps he genuinely regretted most was the fate of Igraine's daughter, Morgan, and her sufferances at the hands of her stepfather and her subsequent fall to the lures of magic. Having hoped to coach the girl later in life, Merlin took it upon himself to mentor Morgan after requesting Arthur to allow him to watch over his half-sister, though he feigned disinterest at first and pretended to be merely acting on account of the King's orders to interact with her.
His hopes, and his plans for a prosperous kingdom, were dashed though, when Morgan inevitably betrayed them all. It was in the heat of this betrayal that Merlin had waged a silent war with the witch. A war that culminated in his defeat on account of Morgan having learned a secret too many that ensured her victory. At the end of their battle, he faked his death, and promptly went into hiding in order to regroup and reevaluate his circumstance. He would not see Morgan again after this final battle between the two, as Shinigami and his troupe eventually found the witch and seemingly slew her.
Dishelved and disheartened by the utter failure of his hopes to build an eternal kingdom of prosperity and peace, Merlin took to wandering aimlessly about the world, lurking and keeping to the shadows whilst occasionally sticking his nose into matters that did not concern him. And so it would continue for years, until finally the wanderlust would wither and die away from him too..
Today, Merlin poses under a false identity as a teacher at Shibusen, living in an apartment above his own bookstore within Death City. Figuring that there would be no safer place than right beside the dragon's mouth, after all, there seems to have been a recent occurrance that has left the old witch-man somewhat unnerved at its possibilities. With such worries in mind, Merlin prepares for a potential conflict once more, one which he may not be able to fully predict in the end.
Character Name: Merlin Ambrosius
Other Names: Myrddin Emrys, Ambrosius Aurelianus
Arcane Title: Katergarhs Efialths (Κατεργαρης Εφιαλτης)
Current Alias: Geoffrey Wyllt
Race: Witch
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Loyalty: Neutral
Class: Witch
Advanced Class: None
Witch Anima: Stag / Sealing
Themes
~Merlin~
~Merlin's Secret~
~The Call of Destiny~
~Finale~
~Catch Me If You Can~
Battle Themes
~Dragon Slayer~
~Natsu~
~The Last Magic~
~Last Battle~
Appearance
~Merlin~
~Merlin's Secret~
~The Call of Destiny~
~Finale~
~Catch Me If You Can~
Battle Themes
~Dragon Slayer~
~Natsu~
~The Last Magic~
~Last Battle~
Appearance
In spite of what myths might insist upon, Merlin is actually a rather youthful man in appearance, having the semblance of a tall, modestly handsome man in his mid-late twenties to earliest of thirties. He sports rather bedragged-looking hair of black, with the slighest hints of it greying near the edges in some locks, with slightly angular features and a devil-may-care smile almost permanently fixed upon his features. His eyes, however, betray his true age, which is nigh unguessable, deep pools of grey, speckled with blue that seem to always have an answer.
As any Witch, he too shares a distinction between his magus attire and his everyday attire, seperating the two into long, sweeping and heavy robes of blues, white and red, with long sleeves that extend past his hands, adorned with gilded charm clasp that holds them together at the collar, a large hood hanging from the back of the neck. When not 'dressed to impress', however, he instead switches to a relatively simplistic style of dress, wearing dark grey slacks and a loose, wrinkled and unironed, faded blue shirt with the top four buttons undone and rather aloofly uneven with its collar, the shirt's elbows covered with beige leather patches. Over this shirt he wears a dull brown vest, its buttons also quite often unfastened.
Through whatever eccentricities he sports, regardless of what he wears, Merlin always refuses to wear socks and shoes, instead resorting to leather sandals and flip-flops.
Personality
Merlin has been described as a lot of things. A trickster. A wise man. A crazed man. A troublemaker. It was said that Merlin was above all things a dangerous man, due to the fact that you could never truly know where the man stood. He advised King Arthur, and yet was involved in many a scheme and ploy of his own, and some would even say that he intentionally manipulated events to grant Arthur his position of power in the first place, ranging all the way back to his part in Arthur's birth through Uther Pendragon.
Quick of wit, and quicker still to rely on it to steer him through his troubles, Merlin's titles are all rather well-deserved, as his enthusiasm and eagerness to express whatever's going on in his head is quite often bordered on madness to some eyes, but a deep intellect to others. Whether he is truly sinister or not, though, Merlin's outward personality is that of a rather carefree, wistful individual. He is prone to snarky and teasing remarks quite often, sometimes thinly veiled jabs at another's expense, or a genuine show of interest or concern. In essence, it is hard to get a handle of just what he intends when he speaks with someone, so very often hiding behind a cheerful and well-mannered demeanour, though some might even call this a facade of a frightened man laughing at the darkness of the world as it threatens to swallow him up.
In truth, Merlin does seem to care a great deal about the way of the world, and no small part of his scheming and manipulating is due to his insistance on trying to keep the world on 'the right track' - his part in Arthur's birth being a part of this. He seems to genuinely show concern for the well-being of others, even to the point of feeling concern and responsibility for Morgan Le Fey, both with his hand in Uther's success, and with his tutelage of her, which in spite of his seeming reluctance, he agreed on as much due to Arthur's request as his own desire to try and correct the fate bestowed upon her by his interferance.
[li]Magic
[/li][li]Astrology
[/li][li]History
[/li][li]Collecting trinkets
[/li][li]Literature
[/li][li]Mythical creatures
[/li][li]Music
[/li][li]Barley beer
[/li][li]Scotch (especially if followed by drinking games, arm wrestling or dart throwing contests)
[/li][li]Butterscotch (and other assorted candies)
[/li][li]Pretty girls (Hello, Morgan dear, are you reading this?)
[/li][li]Sandals
[/li][li]Dragons
[/li][li]Heroic individuals
[/li][li]Common folk
[/li][li]Duct tape
[/li][li]Forests
[/li][li]Dates (the fruit)
[/li][li]Dates (not the fruit, the episode from Only Fools and Horses)
[/li][li]Dates (not the fruit, or the episode from Only Fools and Horses, but the kind with pretty girls)
Dislikes
[/li][li]Witches who abuse the power
[/li][li]Doing the dishes
[/li][li]Shoes
[/li][li]Horse-back riding
[/li][li]Listening to pompous people
[/li][li]Listening to boring people
[/li][li]Listening to stupid people
[/li][li]Listening to dolphin gossip (Yes, we know you think Flipper gives you a bad name, no need to go on about it!)
[/li][li]Pants that don't fit
[/li][li]Murderers
[/li][li]Dragons who breathe fire first and don't have the common decency to wait until you've said what you came there to say
[/li][li]Brigands
[/li][li]Belligerents
[/li][li]Buffoons
[/li][li]Bumblers
[/li][li]Bamboozlers
[/li][li]Bitches
[/li][li]
[/li][li]Bassoons
[/li][li]Running out of B-things to dislike
[/li][li]Excalibur (I made that scabbard for a reason!)
[/li][li]Being hunted
[/li][li]Dying (Honestly, have you tried it? Awfully dismal!)
Hobbies
[/li][li]Astronomy
[/li][li]Reading
[/li][li]Teaching (of all kinds)
[/li][li]Travel[/li][/ul]
Special Notes
Part of Merlin's cover as 'Geoffrey Wyllt' is that of a Shibusen teacher (primarily mythology and history), whilst also practicing as a bookstore owner in Death City, which he allows students to work in part-time in order to cover for his frequent absecenes.
Fighting Style
Merlin's fighting style combines a strong defense with a creative offense. As his magic theme specializes in sealing and halting things, he prioritizes combat by making it so that his opponents cannot attack or utilize their full power, rather than trying to overwhelm them. Due to his struggle with his addiction to destructive magic, he habitually tries to avoid any direct conflicts in general, prefering to limit the likelihood of his needing to use such magic in the first place. To use attack spells and destructive, to Merlin at least, is the very last resort in terms of his personal tactic, and is reserved only for situations when it is clear that sealing or evading the situation will not suffice in the slightest.
[li]High Intellect: It goes without saying that a long life comes with a great deal of knowledge and with a life as long as his, Merlin sports an astounding mind. There is very little in this world that he doesn't know by now, and his ability to strategize and predict based on his wellspring of knowledge is key to his success.
[/li][li]Dexterous: Whilst not fast by any means, Merlin is capable of some quick-handed motions. His fingers are nimble and well-trained in complex motions and requirements, making him adept at a variety of dexterity-based activities from lock-picking, to juggling, to sleight-of-hand and more.
[/li][li]Quick-Thinker: Partnered with his vast intellect, Merlin is also quick of wit and mind, able to think on his feet and quickly formulate ideas based on his situation and his intelligence. Thinking fast being something that he excels at, allowing him to respond to scenarios with an almost Xanatos Speed-Chess degree of skill.
[/li][li]Artful Dodger: A combination of his previous two traits, Merlin's dexterous nature and his ability to think fast allows Merlin to react quickly and skillfully in regards to on-coming attacks. Using his intelligence to predict an overall estimate of where the attack will come from, along with his quick thinking in the heat of the moment, he will make use of this to evade attacks, provided they are within his range of abilities, physical and magical.
Weaknesses
[/li][li]Physically Weak: Being more focused on the mind than the body, even after this long Merlin is still not the most physically capable individual. Carrying heavy objects is a strain to him, and he's more likely to hurt himself punching someone than actually harming them instead.
[/li][li]Weak against Madness: A long life and all of the knowledge in the world can come at a price. Those who've stared long into the abyss eventually see it staring back into them, as Merlin has found. The long centuries have taken their toll on him, unfortunately, and rather than grow more resilient to madness, his mind's walls have rather become worn thin by the strain.
[/li][li]Addicted to Magic: Power corrupts, there is no question of this. A witch's power corrupts especially, and never more so than when it is used for destruction. For all of his good intentions, Merlin is as susceptible to these things just as any other being, especially as his magic's original purpose was not of a destructive nature. As thus, the lure of using his magic for destruction has an intoxicating, euphoric effect on him, making using it something of an addiction for him, as he has to strain himself to resist not falling back on it.
(Every three turns in combat, Merlin must roll a 1d20 for resisting his addiction with a +10 bonus at the start, but with a -2 penalty to said bonus for each subsequent roll. Once the rolls go below 10, Merlin is compelled to cast another attack spell, regardless of circumstance, with a continuing -2 penalty as combat progresses, or until he is rendered unconscious)
[/li][li]The Cost of Power: Nothing is without a price. Especially not using magic outside of one's scope and limitations. Not long after combat, if having used attack spells, Merlin suffers a crippling pain in the form of spasms, cold sweats and a disorientation as a result of withdrawal from the addictive use of destructive magic, as the 'high' of using said magic eventually wears off. This withdrawal renders him incapable of much besides even the most basic of non-hostile spells. On top of this, the mental exhaustion and the wear on his very soul as a result of using magic outside of his field can cause accumulative damage on Merlin's mind and soul, making him even more susceptive to madness, and possibly even proving fatal in extreme amounts.
(The withdrawal lasts for as many posts as attack spells were used during combat, plus an additional three posts. If any magic whatsoever, even non-destructive, is used during withdrawal, Merlin must make a 1d20 addiction roll with a -2 penalty or suffer the same contingency as before. During withdrawal, Merlin's weakness to madness is doubled.)[/li][/ul]
Abilities
Key: Magic, Area, Guided, Rule
Merlin's sealing magic is able to take the form of a crimson ribbon of variant size and length. This ribbon is laced with a series of magical words with which he may enforce a specific ruling upon a target of his choice. This target may be anything from a room, to an object, to a person, a person's limbs, or even down to the cellular level.
These rulings may be whatever Merlin himself may decide or dictate, though they all share one particular trait: They must all be breakable, one way or another, by grace of a requirement. This requirement may be an action or the solving of a riddle or challenge set by the rule. For example, Merlin might place a requirement on a room such as 'The air in this room is sealed away until all within disarm', granting those within the ability to breathe by fulfilling the required action.
Historically, this was the type of spell cast upon Excalibur by Merlin, binding the Holy Sword to a stone until the 'Once and Future King' had come to retrieve it, upon which the seal binding it was lifted.
Sealing Magic: Element Manipulation (Active, Average)
Key: Magic, Transmutive, Physics, Guided, Ranged, Touch, Elements
Merlin's knowledge and understanding of physics and the primal elements, of druidic rituals and the likes play a part in this extension of his magic. By sealing off key aspects to an element, Merlin may invoke an effect by this means. For example, in more harmless terms, he might choose to seal away the oxygen surrounding a fire, thus starving and killing it. Alternatively, he might choose to seal away the air within a tightly compressed and pressurized seal, before releasing it as a burst of aerial force. Alternatively, he might seal the heat within a body of water, snap-freezing it.
Sealing Magic: Segmented Visage (Active, Weak)
Key: Magic, Transformative
The nature of this magic is highly versatile, as a result of Merlin's constant and multiple uses across his long life, granting him relative mastery of it. The tales of Merlin assuming the guise of a small boy or an old man, for example, are tied to the aspect of Merlin sealing away metaphysical concepts such as 'age' and 'youth' to achieve these forms. Similarly, he can seal away his gender and assume the guise of a woman. The range of the aspects of his appearance that can be altered by sealing off various other traits allows Merlin countless varieties of disguises with which to hide himself.
Sealing Magic: Spectral Sealant (Passive, Average)
Key: Magic, Soul, Stealth
As an addendum to Soul Protect, Spectral Sealant acts by wrapping Merlin's soul in a layer of Ruling Scriptures with the express purpose of completely masking his soul as that of a normal one. It is through this tactic, combined with his disguises, that Merlin has been able to live this long without being captured and found out. It is also what he used to evade death at the hands of Morgan, eluding her gaze once his soul was considered destroyed.
Sealing Magic: Soul Lock (Active, Strong)
Key: Magic, Soul, Sealing
The spell used by Merlin to save the life of Arthur, and also part of his tactic used to survive his would-be fatal encounter with Morgan. Soul Lock effectively seals the target's soul within their body, locking it in place and preventing them from fully dying and being seperated from one another.
The result is a comatose-like state wherein the subject's body may slowly heal provided it is kept in this state for an extended period of time; essentially, as long as it would physically take them to recover from such a wound. This allows for the subject to survive what would otherwise be fatal injury by grace of their own body recovering, however so long it might take for that to happen.
The Lock remains in place until the required circumstances set by Merlin are achieved. In the case of Arthur, this circumstance was defined as 'the day when the Once and Future King is truly needed once more', though when this may be only Merlin must know.
Astrology (Passive, Average)
Key: Science, Stars, Prediction, Physics
One of Merlin's chief traits was to always be prepared. His wisdom and intellect was matched only by his strange ability to always know when something noteworthy was on the horizon, even if he did not always know what exactly it was. Though many would insist he was almost crazed when he insisted that everything was following a set path, and that he himself was fully aware of the course that things were traveling along, Merlin focused much of his time and effort studying the stars and the alignments of the planets and even that of what he insisted to be other worlds at times.
It was through these means that he was able to foresee the trouble that Morgan Le Fay would cause in Camelot's future, and was able to save both Arthur's life, and his own when the time came. With a great deal of effort, as such, Merlin may be able to predict when something of grave importance is about to occur, be it in the events of the world, or just a lone person's life.
Animal Form (Passive, Average)
Key: Magic, Stag, Animal, Transform, Run
Merlin is capable of transforming himself into a rather majestic white stag. In this form, while he does not retain the ability to cast magic or speak, he is capable of becoming astoundingly fast, able to outrun even a speeding vehicle and lightly skip and jump across water. White stags, however, are not commonly seen, and in the more civilized parts of the world the mere sight of a normal stag is more than likely to raise some brows, and thus Merlin does not use this form as much as he used to in the 'good old days' when the stag was a symbol of prosperity.
Alchemy (Passive, Average)
Key: Potion and Item Creation, Alchemical Ingredients
If Morgan's capacity for mixing herbs to a desired effect is considered a forte, then so too is Merlin's ability to concoct various materials, items and the likes through the use of alchemy. Provided he has the right ingredients, Merlin might be able to put together a potion that is just as adept at tending to injuries as a herbal concoction. Additionally, if the ingredients that Merlin is working with come from a supernatural source (your traditional 'eye of fiery salamander' and 'tongue of ghoul' shopping list), he is even capable of creating a potion of magical nature. Furthermore, if the materials and time are afforded to him, he might be able to create something a little more in-depth beyond that of a simple drinkable solution.
Wyrmtongue (Passive, Average)
Key: Language, Speech, Draconic
Though not a particular ability as much as just a sign of old age and knowledge, Merlin is capable of speaking and reading the language of dragons. In the olden days when there were more of these creatures, Merlin quite often interacted with them, exchanging council and on occasion requesting their assistance. Though dragons are able to speak the languages of Men just as easily, it may be considered a sign of respect and authority for a 'mere man' to speak in the tongue of the wyrms.
[/ul]
Equipment
(Book, Magic) / Strong
Merlin's book of magic is less a compilation of spells and witchcraft as it is an amassed works counting down the multitudes of magical effects, aspects, traits and creatures of the world, with recipes galore which Merlin would otherwise be unable to memorize by heart and would rather require this tome for referance when attempting any elaborate alchemical concoctions. The knowledge contained in its pages range from the wisdom of dragons to the wiles of witches and even the darker secrets of shinigamis and souls if need be. A testiment to Merlin's old age, it contains notes and scriptures of all the things he has deemed noteworthy, from the births and awakenings of new witches dating back to Morgan herself, to their locations - even those whom witches thought hidden perfectly.[/ul]
(Item/Weapon, Magic) / Average
Merlin's staff, crafted by fairies and covered in runes governing over the channeling of a soul's energy. This staff is often used by Merlin in order to harness and enhance his magical capabilities under circumstances where his normal power cannot be achieved. However, it is limited in how much power it can produce, ranging from four average enhancements, or a singular large one before it needs just over half a day's time to recharge its energies anew.
Merlin has a standard, permanent seal placed on this staff, making it so that it contracts and turns into a simple-looking ring when the correct word is spoken to it, with a second word to be used to release the transformation.[/ul]
(Item, Magic) / Weak
An archaic handheld game from the retro era. Merlin has cast a permament seal-based enchantment upon this child's toy in order to make it so that individuals can be sealed within it, trapping them in a digitized game world where Merlin can manouver and control the game's stages and characters. As those within it are restricted to a game world's rules, actual death is impossible within the handheld. Furthermore, should someone exert a strong force of will, they can easily break out of it, making it a rather weak prison if anything.[/ul]
Minions
Rank F
Frank is, for lack of a better word for it, a type of golem. More specifically, he is a soul inhabiting a shell that acts as a constructed body. A former American Air Force pilot during the Second World War, Frank assisted Merlin in one of the witch's various ploys, but was unfortunately fatally wounded in the process, beyond Merlin's capability to revive him or restore him. In order to save his life, Merlin sealed Frank's soul within the nearest applicable recepticle, which just so happened to be a teddy bear sitting in a garbage can. Frank has followed Merlin ever since, having no body to return to anymore. Aside from his nimble and light body, Frank has no real abilities of any sort that make him applicable for fighting, short of perhaps throwing objects from a great height or distance. Fire is his worst enemy, and due to the aged nature of his 'body', Merlin frequently has to patch him up at times. In order to maintain Merlin's cover, Frank tends to keep out of sight unless the two of them are alone, usually hiding in his office or home otherwise, posing as a regular toy.[/ul]
History
The whole tale of Merlin Ambrosius is known to very few, and fewer still remain alive, with Merlin himself counting amongst those limited number of peoples. Of his origins few can say though some insist that he was the offspring of a a Kishin ravaging a woman, or that the fairies conspired to create a male witch for the sake of mischief. Other tales tell similar strangeness like him being the result of a dragon's union with a witch, and there are even some stories that claim he was a simple farm child with a penchant for prophetic vision. Whether any of this is true, only Merlin himself can confirm..
Of what is known, however, is his hand in King Arthur's life and rise. Through his own predictions, Merlin seemingly foresaw the great future of a nation were it to be placed in the hands of the child of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, and so he devised many plots that would play out in accordance at precise moments in time.. Consorting with the fey and magical creatures of the land, he devised a seal for the holy sword, Excalibur, binding it to a spot where it would not be able to be removed until the designated wielder would come for it. He planted seeds of disarray amidst various kingdoms in order to get Uther Pendragon close enough to lust for Igraine, after which he assisted Uther in posturing as the lady's husband in order to bed her and sire the boy that would later become Arthur. He then also was responsible for taking the child and leaving him to be raised appropriately by others, rather than allow the boy to be spoiled by Uther's ignorant ways.
Out of all of the travesties he caused in order to get his way, however, the one that perhaps he genuinely regretted most was the fate of Igraine's daughter, Morgan, and her sufferances at the hands of her stepfather and her subsequent fall to the lures of magic. Having hoped to coach the girl later in life, Merlin took it upon himself to mentor Morgan after requesting Arthur to allow him to watch over his half-sister, though he feigned disinterest at first and pretended to be merely acting on account of the King's orders to interact with her.
His hopes, and his plans for a prosperous kingdom, were dashed though, when Morgan inevitably betrayed them all. It was in the heat of this betrayal that Merlin had waged a silent war with the witch. A war that culminated in his defeat on account of Morgan having learned a secret too many that ensured her victory. At the end of their battle, he faked his death, and promptly went into hiding in order to regroup and reevaluate his circumstance. He would not see Morgan again after this final battle between the two, as Shinigami and his troupe eventually found the witch and seemingly slew her.
Dishelved and disheartened by the utter failure of his hopes to build an eternal kingdom of prosperity and peace, Merlin took to wandering aimlessly about the world, lurking and keeping to the shadows whilst occasionally sticking his nose into matters that did not concern him. And so it would continue for years, until finally the wanderlust would wither and die away from him too..
Today, Merlin poses under a false identity as a teacher at Shibusen, living in an apartment above his own bookstore within Death City. Figuring that there would be no safer place than right beside the dragon's mouth, after all, there seems to have been a recent occurrance that has left the old witch-man somewhat unnerved at its possibilities. With such worries in mind, Merlin prepares for a potential conflict once more, one which he may not be able to fully predict in the end.
