Glencola Reef Application

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 21:29:02 GMT

OOC INFO
Name/Handle: Kitt
Pronouns: she/her
Contact: @pagerunner.plurk.com
Reserve?: no

IC INFO
Name: Merlin
Journal: @onesideofacoin
Canon: Merlin(BBC)
Age: 20
Species: human/warlock/dragonlord

Canon Point: End of Season 2
Condition: He's fine. Losing his magic? It's fine. No, that's not true. It's not fine. At all. Physically though, he's okay.

History:
Link Here

-The Great Purge was a brutal, yearlong, persecution of magic users occurring about twenty years before Merlin's birth and has profoundly impacted his life. What happened was this: Uther Pendragon, king of Camelot, was in great want of a son and heir, but he and his wife Ygraine remained childless. In an act of desperation, he turned to Nimueh, a sorceress of the Old Religion, for help. What Uther did not fully grasp was how great the price might be for what he was asking. According to the laws of the Old Religion, to create a life, there must be a death to keep the balance of the world. The price in this exchange was the life of Ygraine who died giving birth to Arthur. Not even Nimueh was able to predict that Ygraine's life would be the one taken and would have refused Uther’s request if she could have known. Uther’s grief was immense, and it nearly drove him mad. He lashed out by focusing all his pain and rage at eliminating what he believed to be the cause of his wife’s death – magic. Anyone with magic would be sentenced to death. Anyone even associated with sorcery would face the same. Those with magic fled Camelot if they could. Those who could not were forced to live lives of secrecy.

-Merlin was born and raised in Ealdor, a small farming village located in Cenred's kingdom. He grew up not knowing anything about his father as his mother, Hunith, refused to talk about him. It was clear from a very young age that Merlin had a gift for magic. This was a much a source of pride as it was a cause for concern. Even though they did not live in Camelot, fear and suspicion of magic had spread, aided by the bounties Uther placed. It was dangerous to be caught using magic. Fearing for her son's safety, Hunith eventually sent Merlin to Camelot to study under Gaius, the court physician and her brother. Gaius had once practiced magic, and Hunith hoped he would be able to teach Merlin how to use and control his powers, which were becoming too conspicuous. Help him find purpose.

-Upon meeting Merlin, Gaius realizes how unusual his talent for magic is. Most sorcerers must learn magic, whereas Merlin was born with it. More than that, Merlin can use his magic instinctively and without the use of incantations. Gaius frequently warns Merlin about being discreet when using magic, but also vows to teach Merlin all he knows, sharing lore, giving him a book of spells, and emphasizing how magic can be a force for good. Before Merlin arrived in Camelot, he was the loneliest he had ever been. He knew no one else with magic. Gaius is a guiding force when Merlin feels the most lost. "Without magic he was a nobody and always would be, and he would rather die than not be able to use it."

-As destiny would have it, Merlin meets Prince Arthur soon after moving to Camelot. Their first few encounters do not go well. Merlin feels Arthur is an arrogant bully. Arthur believes Merlin irritating and insolent. Neither of them is completely wrong in their assumptions. Merlin also meets the Great Dragon imprisoned beneath the castle who tells him he is destined to become the greatest and most powerful sorcerer to ever live while Arthur is destined to become a great king. To Merlin’s dismay, he learns his and Arthur's destinies are intertwined. His job is to help Arthur to become the king he needs to be to unite the lands of Albion and restore magic to them. Despite his dislike of Arthur, Merlin does save his life from Mary Collin's attack. King Uther rewards Merlin by making him Arthur's manservant. Neither are initially very happy with this arrangement. It doesn’t take long for Merlin to discover there is much about Arthur that he respects and comes to consider him a friend, sentiments that Arthur reciprocates. Over the course of several adventures, they each risk their own lives to save the other.

-Desperate to save Arthur from the wraith of Tristan de Bois, Merlin asks the Great Dragon for a weapon that can kill the dead. He made to promise that the sword will only be wielded by Arthur and no one else for a sword burnished by a dragon's breath is incredibly powerful. Merlin agrees without question. What he doesn’t expect or even consider is that Uther equally wants to save Arthur’s life and has decided to take his son’s place in single combat against the wraith. Uther spies the sword as Merlin helps him with his armor and refuses to use any other. Thanks to the sword, Uther manages to destroy the wraith. The dragon is furious and feels Merlin is not quite ready to be fully trusted. If Merlin hadn’t meddled, Uther would have died and the wraith’s vengeance would have been satisfied. Upon the dragon's command to take the sword to a place where no mortal man could ever find it, Merlin brings the sword to the Lake of Avalon and throws it into the water.

-Arthur is injured by the Questing Beast and doomed to die. Once again, Merlin turns to the Dragon for help. He tells Merlin there are those with the power over life and death, but to seek that help comes at a great price. Merlin resolves to offer his life in exchange for Arthur’s and goes to the Isle of the Blessed seek the High Priestess. The Priestess turns out to be Nimueh. Nevertheless, Merlin decides to take her at her word and brings water from the Cup of Life to Arthur. Arthur recovers, however, it is Merlin’s mother falls deathly ill. He is heartbroken and decides to go back to Nimueh to try to exchange his life once again. Before he can, Gaius goes in his place. Merlin arrives too late. He sees Gaius slumped by the altar and accuses Nimueh of duplicity. After an exchange of magic, he summons a lightning storm and strikes her down, and calling upon the power of life over death he uses Nimueh's life to revive Giaus, satisfying the need for balance between life and death. This time Merlin is furious with the Dragon for not fully explaining the consequences. As the dragon defends himself, Merlin realizes all that he cares about is being released and nothing more. He angrily vows to never see the dragon again.

-At Gaius’ urging, Merlin returns to the Dragon. He promises to release the Dragon in exchange for a spell to save Camelot from the spirit of the sorcerer Cornelieus Sigan. Merlin is concerned about what the Dragon will do with his freedom but feels he has no choice, but to agree. Sigan is impressed with Merlin’s power. He attempts to persuade Merlin to join forces with him; however, Merlin refuses temptation saying that it is better to serve a good man than rule with an evil one. He is able to use the dragon’s spell to recapture Sigan’s spirit.

-Merlin decides to help Morgana against the advice of both Gaius and the dragon. Gaius fears Uther’s reaction should he learn of Morgana’s magic. The dragon feels she is someone who cannot be trusted and should not be allowed to grow in her powers. Merlin, however, sees his friend who is frightened and has no one to support her. He lets her know that the Druids can help her and where she can find them. Unfortualey, Uther believes the Druids kidnapped Morgana and sends Arthur and his knights to retrieve her. The Druids manage to escpape, but Morgana does not. She is brought back to the castle where her hatred toward Uther continues to fester. Morgana is not the only one wanting to rage against Uther. A sorceress named Morgause, reveals to Arthur the truth about his birth. Arthur is devastated and decides to avenge his mother’s death. While Arthur killing Uther might be better for the kingdom, Merlin knows doing so would emotionally destroy Arthur. Merlin convinces Arthur to stay his hand by telling him what he saw was an illusion with Morgause’s lies

-Against Gaius’ urging, Merlin secretly rescues a Druid girl named Freya from a bounty hunter and hides her in the catacombs. Merlin is thrilled to find someone like him. Freya is touched by his kindness, and the two fall in love. It isn’t long before there are are reports of mysterious deaths. Freya, it turns out, is cursed. She must turn into a Bastet every midnight, and in this form, she has an uncontrollable desire to kill. Arthur and his knights injure an corner the Bastet, but Merlin uses magic allowing Freya to escape. He finds her in the catacombs where she tells him about her curse. Freya’s injury is mortal, she doesn’t have long to live, but before she dies, she promises to one day repay his kindess. Merlin takes her to the Lake of Avalon and gives her a Viking funeral there.

-Morgana, Mordred, and the sorcerer Alvarr work together to steal the Crystal of Neahtid. Dragon warns Merlin that it is of upmost importance to stop an alliance between Morgana and Mordred for the alliance would be an evil one. After the crystal is recovered, Merlin looks into it and sees a vision of the dragon setting fire to Camelot. He is shaken by what he saw and refuses to acknowledge the dragons demands for freedom.

-Arthur and his men return to find everyone but Morgana trapped in an unnatural sleep. Soon Merlin and Arthur begin to feel the effects of the spell as well. Merlin is susupicious of Morgana. Morgause leads a group of seven undead knights against Camelot. Merlin seeks the help of the dragon once more, but is refused until Merlin swears on his mother’s grave that he will release him. The dragon informs Merlin that the only thing to stop the spell would be Morgana’s death as she is the source of the enchantment. The idea horrifies Merlin. The last thing he wants to do is kill Morgana, but as events progress, he realizes he has no other option. He poisons her water and tearfully holds her as she falls unconscious. He strikes a bargain with Morgause that if she calls off her knights, he will tell her the name of the poison. She agrees and disappears with Morgana. Merlin is very troubled by the thought that he killed Morgana.
-Once Camelot is safe, Merlin frees the dragon as he had promised. The dragon goes on a fiery rampage against Camelot and nothing Merlin or Arthur and his knights can do to stop him. On the suggestion of Gaius, he and Arthur seek out a dragon lord by the name of Balinor for help. Gaius tells Merlin privately that Balinor is his father and to keep it secret from Arthur. Uther has had every other Dragonlords killed and would have killed Balinor too if Gaius hadn’t intervened. At the time of the Great Purge, Uther tricked Balinor into coming to Camelot and forced him to capture the Great Dragon. When Uther turned on Balinor and ordered his death, Gaius decided sent Balinor to Hunith in Ealdor. The two fell in love, but it was not a happy ending. Balinor had to go deeper into hiding to protect Hunith and never learned she was pregnant. When Merlin and Arthur finally find Balinor, he outright refuses to help. It isn’t until Merlin mentions Gaius that Balinor remembers he has a debt to repay and agrees to go with them. Once they are alone, Merlin tells Balinor he is his son and they try to catch up and talk about what it means to be a Dragonlord. Tragedy, however, strikes again. Balinor is mortally injured when they are ambushed by Cenred’s men, but before he dies, he passes on the powers of the Dragonlord to Merlin. Back in Camelot, Merlin rides out with Arthur not knowing if he has the power to stop the dragon. Arthur is able to land a blow on the dragon, but it isn’t enough and the dragon knocks Arthur unconscious. It is then that Merlin is able to use his powers as a Dragonlord. He commands the Great Dragon, known as Kilgharrah, to leave Camelot and never return. Kilgharrah listens to Merlin’s commands and is grateful to have his life spared. He vows to never forget Merlin’s clemency.

Personality:

Pros:

Friendly: Making friends is something that seems to come naturally to Merlin. He has a cheerful, easy-going personality and is often quite compassionate and supportive of others.

Loyal and Brave: Once someone has earned Merlin's trust, he is very loyal and will do anything he can to help them if they need it, no matter the personal cost. He is continually putting himself in dangerous situations for others. This is seen mostly in his relationship with Arthur. Merlin has a steadfast faith in Arthur's character and his potential to become a good and just king. What he wants more than anything is to help Arthur achieve his destiny. As most of his efforts in keeping Arthur safe involve the use of magic, Merlin receives very little to no credit at all as he has to keep it secret. It isn't always easy for him to accept this, but for Arthur, he feels it is worth it. Rescuing Gwen, helping Morgana, helping Lancelot.

Clever and Resourceful: Merlin learns quickly, especially when it comes to magic. When he is in a position where he must use magic in a public space, he has to figure out how best to do it without being observed. Because of this, Merlin has developed very good observational skills himself and is able to pick up on clues before others notice them. Merlin is also very resourceful. As things almost never go to plan, he frequently has to rethink his approach, often on the fly. Merlin is good at using what is available in the surrounding environment, from causing tree branches to fall to tumbling barrels, to suit his needs. Merlin is also beginning to rely more on his own abilities and ideas rather than strictly going to Giaus or the dragon for help.

Good Reflexes: Being able to quickly dodge spells and weapons is a handy skill, as both are thrown at him with some frequency. He's usually very alert to his surroundings, allowing him to sneak into places he shouldn't be and remain undiscovered. Merlin is very adept at running away, escaping, and hiding. In nearly every episode, Merlin is shown evading someone.

Cons:

Naive/Overly Trusting: Likely a consequence of leading a secret life and knowing so few others like himself, Merlin wants to find connections. When he does find other magic users, he sometimes places a blind trust in them that they would also be honorable. The dragon Kilgharrah is able to manipulate promises from Merlin in exchange for his help. He doesn't always have Merlin's best interest at heart when he does this, particularly when he takes revenge on Camelot when Merlin fulfills his promise to free him. Merlin also believed Nimueh would accept his self-sacrifice in exchange for Arthur's life and was horrified to discover she hadn't.

Too Quick to Act: This aspect of his personality is the root of many of his troubles. Merlin is strongly motivated to do the right thing and to help where he can. Unfortunately, he doesn't always think through all the consequences of his actions. He's had many instances of the road to hell being paved with good intentions such as secretly healing Gwen's father with magic only for her to be accused of witchcraft or leading Morgana to the Druids so her to learn about her magic only for Uther to believe Morgana had been kidnapped forcing the Druids to flee from their home.

A Liar: This one is tricky. On the one hand, Merlin must lie about his magic if he wishes to live. On the other hand, these lies form a barrier between him and many of the people he loves. No matter how deep their friendship may be, he cannot take that final step and fully be himself. Where this causes him the most anguish is in his relationship with Arthur. While being able to lie is critical to his survival, he is actually really terrible at it, especially if he is put on the spot. This has had the unintended consequence of people assuming he is foolish and incompetent, something Merlin learns to deliberately play upon. When he does become a stuttering mess with flimsy excuses, people are generally more than willing to accept what he says out of hand no matter how ridiculous it may be.

Capacity for Ruthlessness: As stated above, Merlin is very protective of the people cares the most about. When Ealdor is threatened by bandits and his mother attacked, he vows to make the bandits pay. He felt strongly enough about the situation that he was willing to quit his job as Arthur's servant. Nimueh was struck down by Merlin when he discovered she took Giaus' life instead of his. Merlin does not often think twice about killing anyone who is a threat to Arthur going so far as attempting to murder Morgana for the future threat she poses.

Lousy Warrior: Being Arthur's manservant means that Merlin is often roped into training sessions. This does not mean he is very good at physical fighting. He would much prefer to use his magic to turn things to his advantage. While he can use a sword and shield, he won't be winning any tournaments. He wouldn't even want to enter!

Inventory:
Suede Jacket
Homespun shirt, blue
Homespun neckerchief, red
Trousers
Leather belt
Boots
Socks
Underthings
A small knife
Lucky rabbit's foot from Gaius
A small carved wooden dragon

Powers/Abilities:
Merlin is naturally gifted with magic and has been able to use it on an instinctual level since he was a young child, moving objects and starting fires without incantation. With the help of his mentor Gaius
Perhaps for the sake of his sanity, Merlin can feel that his magic is still there, but there is no way for him to access it.

TDM Sample:
Here

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Permissions

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 20:44:21 GMT

OOC INFO
Player Name: Kitt
Player Pronouns: she/her
Preferred Contact: At least one publicly-accessible contact method required (Journal PM is the default). Plurk: pagerunner

Backtagging: How long after the initial post are you willing to tag a thread?
Yes to backtagging! I am happy to backtag until things wrap up or until they just kinda peter-out.

Canon Puncture: If your character is part of another character's fiction/mythology, do you want them to mention that to your character?
For the most part, this should be fine! (Just don't spoil the ending for him, please. We can talk about that.) Merlin often meets people who know more about his destiny than he does, so this won't be completely new. He will probably be confused, curious, and/or frustrated. There is also a good chance he will deny everything. Just in case.

Threadjacking: Do you want other characters to jump into your existing threads with other characters?
Sure! It's all good unless it is a serious or important thread. If that's the case, just ask first.

Off-Limit Topics: Triggers, squicks, etc. - topics that you, the player, do not want to engage in, either in tags or OOCly.
No, I don't think so. Communication is key, though. If something starts to feel uncomfortable, we can talk it out.

IC INFO
Flirting: Go for it! There's a chance he might be receptive. Just be prepared for a whole lot of awkward rambling in response.
Fighting: Why not? Merlin has a tendency to run his mouth and get into situations. Don't eat your hopes up for an epic battle, though. While he can fight, he's no great warrior and would prefer to use his magic to turn things to his advantage.
Debate: Absolutely! Please see above about running his mouth. Merlin is more adept at using words than weapons.
Injury: I'm fine with that. If it is more of a grievous injury, let's talk about it first.
Death: I'm open to this too. Again, it would be something to plot out first.
Mimicry: If you really want to? He'll probably take it in stride. If it is overly mean spirited, he'll most likely find a way to get even.

IC Offensive Topics: Things that your character is triggered by, and if you want them to engage in those topics ICly.
Nothing I think we need to avoid. Persecution of magic, really, persecution of anybody is something that affects him deeply.

Other/Warnings: Things that your character does, or topics in their backstory, that could be potentially triggering to players or other characters; other important notes also go here.
A central part to Merlin's character development and the series as a whole is the Great Purge and the subsequent fallout of that event. Twenty years before Merlin's birth, King Uther Pendragon banned all magic from Camelot. Anyone known to have magic are hunted down and killed.

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