MERIZYL

merizyl ivish

STAND YOUR GROUND, THE DAWN WILL COME

Born in 9:14 Dragon, Merizyl was welcomed with open arms into the Ivish family of Kal­-Sharok. He was the younger of the two brothers, and would forever strive to do well unto his family as his elder brother Keris had. The thaig of Kal­-Sharok had just begun recovery from the darkspawn onslaught during these years, and Merizyl grew quickly. His fresh hands knew the feel of a blade grip at a younger age than his forefathers. Merizyl, as an adolescent, knew the weight and power of a striking blow with an ax as readily as he knew the contours of his mother's face.

His father taught him to resent the cousin dwarves of Orzammar at an early age. Around the year of his birth, Orzammar kept continued pressure on the isolated Kal-­Sharok thaig for control, hoping to reclaim the lost culture of the ancient capital once again. For this reason (and many others) the Ivish family was one of many who would come to view Orzammar brethren as oppressive and entitled. Merizyl came from the warrior caste, and thus knew the responsibility he had to carry on, to grow into a fighter set to protect the dwarves from their eternal enemy: darkspawn.

The caste system in Kal­-Sharok was much different than in Orzammar: the Paragon­-Elect, rather than a King, ruled over and guided their people, set up trade with the surface (predominantly Tevinter), and took counsel not just from the nobility, but to many others from the warrior caste as well. His father, due to his extensive knowledge of darkspawn and strategic abilities, came to know the Elect almost as a friend. His firstborn, Keris, had been chosen as the Shaper's apprentice, and showed great promise. Merizyl, some ten years younger than his elder brother, kept mostly to himself, spending his time with his mother. A great deal less ambitious than his brother, Meri grew and led a fairly uneventful life. A quiet child, only his father seemed to see the warrior's potential in his young son. Family friends and the few relatives that had survived the darkspawn onslaught all saw the sweet, simple child as nothing more than a future businessman, a merchant, someone who might even slide back in his caste. But his father trained him, and, at length, Merizyl grew into some considerable skill with blades.

At a crossroads in his life, Merizyl was forced to make a choice that would change his future. Keris, ever a proud dwarf with a political leaning, had over the years acquired a vast amount of knowledge from his Shaper, who was rumored to be at the end of his life. He would pass on the ever­changing, ever­flowing organic Memory stores to his apprentice, which happened to be an Ivish son. Meri had been kept in the dark of Keris' political dealings, who had ambitions to also raise to the position of Paragon­-Elect someday. Two strangers had found their way into Kal­-Sharok's depths, and had befriended his older brother. There was something... different about them, something Meri did not trust. Although he didn't realize it then, they were Orzammar dwarves, come to spy on their Kal-Sharok brethren, looking for leverage to use against them in the continuous grab to reclaim the once­-capital.

Over the course of six months, the Orzammar dwarves became close friends with Keris, brewing a plot they hadn't revealed to anyone yet. They were there to discover the nature of the Kal­-Sharok's dealings with the darkspawn. Had they been somehow cooperating with the monsters? In the strangers' eyes, they were dazed, tainted, distant even from the Stone. One night, the two Orzammar dwarves broke into the Shaper's quarters, and deeper still, beyond the large etched stone door into the physical Memory stores behind, the scrolls innumerable. What they wanted, Keris was oblivious to. Unfortunately the strangers hadn't made their plans well­-hidden, and Keris stumbled upon them in the dark. It only took a few minutes, and the bodies of their brethren lay crumpled in a heap, blood flecked in starlike patterns on the walls. Keris would be convicted of murder and put to death, returned to the Stone for good.

He found Meri in the middle of the night, fists bloodied, his dark eyes crazed. Merizyl saw no other option: he would take the blame himself, and save his brother's life. He agreed to it almost contentedly; he would join the Rock­-Knockers, and his crime would be forgiven on behalf of his brother. His own life in exchange for Keris'. His brother was important, he knew things... Meri was expendable. He would have his first ceremonial funeral, and die according to Memories. Over the next five years, Meri spent his time in the Deep Roads, hunting darkspawn. He met another dwarf there, by the name of Verand, and saw in him a leader, a friend, a mentor. He taught Meri to hone his skills, to become the protector he always wanted to be, and would be known and beloved as a dead guardian to his people. For the first time in a long time, he was free from the stench of darkspawn as he emerged from the Deep Roads back into the mostly­ decrepit capital of Kal­-Sharok. Things had changed since his time in the deep. The old Shaper had died, and his brother Keris had assumed his position as the new Shaper, albeit still young. His name was lost to time, and as dead, no one knew him as he once was: he was forbidden to speak to his family again, so he chose to make plans for the surface, through the tunnel paths toward Minrathous, and further, sights beyond his wildest dreams.



A tall dwarf at a whopping 5'1". Merizyl doesn't have any distinguishing, unusual features, which he's been fine with his whole life. Stocky, muscular, but slightly less so than his father before him was. He isn't entirely made of bulk, which gives him a slight advantage in his ease of movement in battle. He can somersault with the best of them. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a very short beard, he's a reasonably youthful dwarf who has kept most of his beard chopped off since joining the Rock-­Knockers. Very strong and capable of carrying heavy burdens, with grim tattoos of interlocking gates and abstract skulls marking his chest and neck: a stamp of his Order.

Kind, personable, loyal, tough. All these words can be used to describe Merizyl. He's become a bit more world­ weary in recent years, since his "death" and induction into the Rock­Knockers, but he hasn't lost his big heart. Mostly an introvert, he's comfortable observing rather than participating. This doesn't mean he's shy, which he definitely isn't. He's confident and comfortable enough with himself to speak his mind, provided he has something useful to say. Language has become just that for him: useful. He doesn't prattle away to fill the silence.

He'd describe himself as "just a dwarf; nothing special," and so he is. He's simple, straightforward, and direct. Meri won't play mind games with anyone, and prefers they pay him the same courtesy. He hates being toyed with or made to feel lesser than. To see him truly angry is a rare thing, but being used would certainly inspire it. He has a simple, easy­going sense of humor, and generally can get along with everyone. He enjoys the simple pleasures in life: a warm fire, story-telling, sharing a meal with a friend. He also likes carving things out of wood, as he's recently discovered.

[b]AIDEN TURNER[/b] as [i]merizyl[/i]