Post by merlinus on Oct 27, 2013 12:10:41 GMT -5
| ~ • ~ | Character Basics | ~ • ~ |
.:Name of Character:. Merlin
.:Nick Name:. Emrys, Dragone the Great, Dollop-head, clot-pole,
.:Age:. 24
.:Race:. Ealdian
.:Status:. Servant to the King
| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |
.:Physical Appearance:.
With dark brown hair and blue eyes, Merlin is tall and lanky, standing at around 5”6. His skin is very lightly tanned, probably from the continuous amount of work he does, though not all of it happens outside. Despite the hours of work he had as Arthur’s servant, Merlin is not muscly, as he very rarely does anything close to training. Usually sporting a red necktie and a blue or red v-neck jumper, Merlin is dressed modestly in the clothes suitable for a servant of Camelot. When going on patrol or rides with Arthur, the young warlock also wears a medium-brown cloth jacket, to keep out the cold.
However, his younger side is only one part of Merlin. As Emrys, (or, as some know him, “Dagone the Great”, Merlin appears as a doddery old man, with almost white hair down past his shoulders, and a lengthy beard. The older Merlin is slightly crippled, as he very rarely stands completely straight, and can very often be seen with a staff.
.:Height:. 5”6
.:Portrayed by:. Colin Morgan
| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |
.:Personality:.
Loyal to the last, Merlin will happily go to his death a thousand times to save those who he believes are worthy. He has an extreme sense of right and wrong which grows more prominent as he gains experience and knowledge, sometimes taking him into quite a dark place emotionally. During his first years in Camelot, Merlin attempted to find the good in each and every person – even going against advice to help those who might bring about the end of others he cared about, for example Morgana.
However, this cost him dearly, and sadly it took Merlin a very long time to learn this lesson.
He will make sacrifices if necessary, and is a fierce believer in the world that is prophesied.
Fiercely loyal, Merlin will stand by those he calls friend until the last breath. His belief in Arthur has often kept his best friend and his master from emotional collapse (such as when Camelot was taken from them by Morgana, and Arthur almost gave up), and he has willingly done all he can to aid his friends.
As he grows more experienced, Merlin’s views change subtly. His loyalties deepen, and his sole focus is on Arthur’s safety, and the safety of Camelot. The re-uniting with Mordred very much deepens this loyalty; especially after Merlin has a vision that Mordred will kill Arthur in a battle. Even when Mordred attempts to befriend Merlin, the warlock cannot be dissuaded; he sees Mordred as an enemy, and in fact tries to convince Arthur to kill the druid once.
Merlin is not against making sacrifices for the greater good – he reluctantly poisons Morgan after realising that she is the catalyst for a terrifying enemy, despite how he feels about the situation personally; he is able to put feelings aside and do what he feels Is right.
There is a reverse side to Merlin; his personality when he uses magic to act as Dragone the Great is somewhat different to the younger Merlin. Dragone is an eccentric old man with a quirky sense of humour, who somewhat delights in sarcasm - more than his younger counterpart - and has a strange way of speech. Dragone is still loyal, though, but seems to understand the frailty of life better than his younger counterpart, and is somewhat less inclined to risk himself than when he is younger.
.:Strengths:. Telekinesis, basic magic, telepathy, the ability to sense powerful magic when it is at work, a small knowledge in medicine, and a little sword training (with a lot of help from Arthur!)
.:Weaknesses:. Physical fighting abilities, his dependence on his magic.
.:Magic Abilities:. Telekinesis, basic magic, telepathy
.:Special Skills:. He is the Last Dragon Lord
.:Accents:. British.
| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |
.:Birthplace:. Ealdor
.:Family:.
Mother: Hunith
Father: Balinor – a Dragon Lord
.:Occupation:. Servant to the King of Camelot
.:Current Location of Residence:. Camelot Castle.
.:History:.
Born and raised in the small town of Ealdor, Merlin was quite content to be a farm boy, helping his mother and being a generally good child. At the age of five, he began to notice that odd things happened around him; objects floating into the air with no apparent purpose, for example. These strange happenings kept on, and as his mother began to notice more and more, she kept Merlin indoors; away from the public eye, recognising her son's gift for what it was - magic. After Merlin's best friend, William, discovered the warlock's secret, Hunnith decided that her son was no longer safe in the small walls of her town. It is safe to admit that she may have also felt a little scared of her son's powers. Putting her trust in an old friend, and supporter of magic, Gaius, Hunnith sent Merlin away, hoping her son would find his purpose in Camelot; hoping that the ban in Camelot would force her son to realise he had to learn to control his gift.
Arriving at Camelot, however, brought about its own problems. Merlin was quick to realise just how much his gift was feared; especially as the first thing he witnessed was Uther, the King, executing a druid on suspicion of using magic. Having been in such a sheltered place, this very much frightened the young lad, and he began to wonder as to his mother's reasons for sending him here. It was this same day that Merlin first met Gaius, the Court Physician, his mother's old friend. When Merlin accidentally startled the physician, causing Gaius to fall from his bookshelf, and used magic to break the fall, Gaius was originally sceptical; unable to believe Merlin held such powers. In an attempt to find work for Merlin, Gaius began to use the boy as his delivery boy; getting him to deliver potions for him to various members of the court and the town.
It was during Merlin's first night in Camelot that he first heard the great Dragon, Kilgharrah, calling to him through magic, though at the time he had no idea of what it was.
He soon met Arthur, though their initial meeting was somewhat of a disaster; with Merlin acting rather cockily towards the young Prince, and Arthur - fresh from showing off - attempting to return the gesture, after Arthur had been showing off to his friends. The meeting unfortunately had Merlin in the cells, with Arthur quickly showing his status.
Thanks to Gaius "pulling a few strings", Merlin was released from prison - but at the price of being put in the stocks for the day. It was here - with a bit of flirting from both sides - that the warlock met Guinevère, handmaiden to Morgana, the King's ward. The two instantly got on, with Merlin warming to Guinevère's shy and quiet humour.
A second run in with the King's son had the two fighting; Arthur beating Merlin with the use of a mace, and Merlin attempting to use magic; sometimes not always succeeding. Though he failed at beating Arthur, the warlock had earned the Prince's respect with his bravery and refusal to back down, and he was released. Merlin's second knight in Camelot eventually had him meeting the great dragon, who spoke of the warlock's destiny; to aid Arthur in creating Albion.
On his third day in Camelot, Merlin finally met the Lady Morgana; after taking a potion to her for her nightmares, as she mistook him for Guinevère whilst getting dressed.
During a feast that was being held in celebration for the banning of magic, a plot was slowly unfurling - the mother of the man that Uther had had executed for magic was out for Arthur's blood, masquerading as the greatest singer in Camelot. After saving Arthur from nearly being stabbed and murdered, Merlin was awarded the honour of being Arthur's manservant - much to both Arthur and Merlin's disgust. It was after this display of bravery that Gaius gifted Merlin his most prized possession - a book of magic.
Merlin's next challenge took place in the form of learning his duties as Arthur's manservant. During a tournament of the Knights, the Prince was almost killed by an enchanted shield. Once again, with the help of magic, Merlin was able to save the Prince - and regain his position as manservant, which he had almost lost.
As Merlin's time in Camelot went on, he and Arthur battled many foes; their friendship growing stronger and stronger as they defied death together; creating a brotherly like bond between them.
Arthur's changing ways caused him to notice Guinevère for the first time, and it was Merlin who first prompted him to admit his feelings. It was thanks to Merlin that the relationship between Guinevère and Arthur started; with the warlock encouraging the man who was quickly becoming his best friend to follow his heart, rather than his father and his father's word. The coming of Lancelot, a man who had dreamed of nothing but being a Knight, had an unlikely jealousy striking up between Arthur, Guinevère and Lancelot, and an unspeakable attraction between Lancelot and Guinevère.
It was during this time that Merlin first met his first nemeses, a powerful sorceress by the name of Nimueh. Thanks to the combined efforts of both Arthur and Merlin, the sorceress was defeated in her plans, and fell back into hiding for some time.
As time flew by, Merlin's importance in Arthur's life continued. The two by now were close friends; more brothers than friend, their union strong and unchallenged; each willing to risk his all for the other.
Things were also changing for the Lady Morgana, though. In an attempt to help the future High Priestess, Merlin took her to the druids - ignoring a warning from Kilgharrah - who told Morgana of her powers, and her truth. It was here that Morgana and Merlin both met Mordred, a young druid boy. Thanks to Merlin helping Morgana, the two magic users became closer, though Morgana was unaware of Merlin's identity, or his reasons for helping her. Not too much later, it was Gaius who was in need of saving; after being accused of being a warlock and admitting to the crime in order to save Merlin from being exposed, Merlin became desperate, but thankfully managed to save his mentor - who he had begun to see as a father - saving Gaius, causing the two to become closer.
Merlin also had a splash of romance - meeting the druid girl, Freya, showed him real love for the first time, and his romance with her blossomed as he tried to assure her that magic could be a force for good; a beautiful thing. Sadly, Freya was badly wounded by an arrow shot at her by Arthur whilst she was in another form, and Merlin took her body to the lakes of Avalon; causing Freya to be regenerated into the lake as the Lady of the Lake.
Merlin's failure to heed the Dragon's warnings regarding Morgana's powers proved fatal though; he was later forced to poison her to stop an attack on Camelot, rendering the witch his enemy forever, once she realised what he had done. In return for the Dragons' help during this time, Merlin agreed to free the Creature; though the agreement came at a price - the Dragon attacking Camelot, whilst Morgause fled into thin air with Morgana. Whilst Merlin knew the truth behind Morgana's actions, the Camelotians assumed she had been kidnapped, but there were more important things to be taken care of, before Morgana could be found.
Through Gaius, Merlin learned of yet another secret pivotal to his part in the land; his father was a dragon Lord. But whilst on the quest to find the dragon Lord and return him to Camelot in order to call off the attack, his father died. The powers of the dragon Lord transferred to Merlin, and he was able to stop the attack; but instead of sacrificing the Dragon, he spared him, indebting the dragon to him.
With the dragon gone, Arthur and Merlin were commissioned by Uther to find Morgana; who refused to let his son home until they found the Ward. When Morgana was found, wandering through the forest, by Arthur and Merlin, Merlin was terrified; thinking that he would be executed for poisoning the King's ward, despite how dire the circumstances were. However, Morgana did not betray his secret, though at the time he did not know she had been persuaded by Morgause.
Morgana's evil was revealed by Merlin only after he found an enchantment that had been placed on Uther - placed there by Morgana - and Merlin realised how the witch's mind had been turned by her half-sister. When thwarted by Morgana and her sister, Merlin was able to call upon the Great Dragon to aid him; eventually allowing him to defeat Morgana.
The warlock and his King met Gwaine, a young nomad, whilst out one day in a pub, managing to get themselves caught up in a pub brawl. When Gwaine was injured, Arthur and Merlin took him back to Camelot. Whilst Gwaine was recovering, another plot was uncovered wherein Merlin realised that two Knights intended to kill the Prince using sorcery. When Gwaine attempted to aid Merlin, he was arrested by Uther, and ordered to leave the city. After aiding Arthur in a medley, saving the King, Gwaine left the city, but he and Merlin had become firm friends; partially due to Gwaine's loyalty to Arthur.
After seeing a vision in a crystal from the crystal cave, Merlin attempts to stop Morgana from destroying Camelot and killing Uther; but instead, he aids her in doing it, proving the point that destiny cannot be avoided. He also found out from the Dragon that Morgana was the daughter of Uther Pendragon; and therefore the secondary heir to the throne of Camelot - barring the dubious circumstances of her birth.
Merlin's relationship with Arthur was growing; the two trusting each other more now than ever. As Uther began to attempt to find his son a wife, it was Merlin who advised his friend to follow his heart, rather than the wants and wishes of his father.
When Guinevère's brother was captured by Cenred in a bid to get to Guinevère (and therefore Arthur), Merlin and Arthur were able to meet Elyan.
Thwarting Morgana's plans to overtake Camelot once again had Merlin marked as her enemy now more than ever; but his attention was drawn elsewhere. An old flame of Gaius', bewitched by a manticore, though, appeared in Camelot, and was forced by the manticore to sicken the King, framing Gaius. When her betrayal was eventually uncovered, the lady herself escaped from prison, whilst Uther fully recovered.
As Arthur grew more and more in love with Guinevère, Guinevère's importance grew, and thus, her being a threat to Morgana's taking the crown was increased. Knowing how dangerous the love between Arthur and Merlin was, Merlin kept a close eye on the budding couple (whose love was very much vested in secret), encouraging the two to meet up and spend time together, allowing them to do 'normal' things. When Arthur confessed his feelings to his father regarding Guinevère, the future Queen was sentenced to die; for Uther believed she had placed a spell on his son. To save Guinevère - and therefore Arthur - , Merlin performed an aging spell, effectively disguising himself, and setting himself up for the blame, eventually managing to get Gwen released before returning to his usual self.
The revealing of the Cup of Life had Merlin and Arthur on another quest; this time to destroy it. With Morgana and Morgause the leaders of an immortal army, it was up to Merlin and Arthur to save the Kingdom of Camelot once more. Eventually recovering the cup from where the druids had kept it hidden, they sped toward Camelot.
Unknown to them, Morgana had taken her place on Camelot’s throne with Arthur gone, and was naming herself Queen. Infiltrating the Castle led to Arthur becoming aware that Morgana was his half-sister. In hiding from Morgana’s men, and stuck in a cave, along with the Knights, Merlin was the one to encourage Arthur into fighting against Morgana when it seemed the future King had given up – and with the help of Freya, and the magic that was held within the gift given to Merlin with the water of Avalon within, Merlin received the knowledge that the sword he had used to free the Great Dragon would help to slay the living dead. With Arthur now determined to save the King, and therefore Camelot, those loyal to Arthur were gathered – Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, and Elyan – and they were made Knights. With the efforts of all of the knights – especially Lancelot - , Merlin was able to empty the cup of life with Excalibur by slashing the sword across the cup, protecting himself from its magic at the same time.
Once the battle was won and Camelot (and its King) were restored, Merlin was advised by the Great Dragon to hide the blade he had wielded in order to save it from being used by the wrong person. He travelled out of Camelot, to a secluded glade, and thrust the blade into a stone. As the blade hit the stone, speckles of gold appeared where stone met hilt, and the blade ran home.
With Morgana and Morgause having disappeared, Merlin stayed by Arthur’s side, concerned about his best friend, as Arthur was basically holding up the weight of Camelot on his shoulders; his father too broken by Morgana’s betrayal.
The brokenness of Uther brought Arthur’s uncle, Lord Agrivaine, though unbeknownst to the people of Camelot (and those of the court, along with the King and his son), he was aiding Morgana in her attempts to take over Camelot.
The death and sacrifice of Morgause (though Merlin was unaware of it at the time) brought about the coming of the Daroka; the spirits from the in-between world. In an attempt to save Arthur, Merlin sacrificed himself, throwing Arthur out of danger as one such creature attempted to attack him, nearly killing Merlin. Aided by Lancelot, Merlin was eventually saved by the spirits of the water. With the conformation from the Great Dragon that a sacrifice was needed to heal the veil, Merlin intended, originally, to sacrifice himself – but upon meeting the spirit-keeper, it was Lancelot who sacrificed his life. With Lancelot being the only Knight who knew of Merlin’s magic, the death of such a friend hit Merlin hard, though he never spoke of it to Arthur.
On their return home, Merlin was able to listen in on a conversation between Gaius and Agrivaine, wherein the former asked Gaius if he had heard of the name Emrys – proving that the Lord was working with Morgana, and that his heart was not quite as true as they had first hoped; putting Arthur in danger once again.
With the coming of Arthur’s birthday, came yet another attack on the future King – though this time, it was his father who was to pay the price. In an attempt to save his son, Uther defended Arthur, instead getting attacked himself, and stabbed with a fatal slice of a sword. In a fit of panic, Arthur decided to attempt to use magic to save his father, and entrusted a sorcerer – Merlin, in the disguise of Dragoon the Great. Merlin agreed, hoping that if he were to revive Arthur’s father using magic, then Arthur and his father might restore magic to the Kingdom, and he would be able to reveal himself to his best friend. But all was not quite as easy as it seemed – Uther had been charmed with a powerful enchantment – with the aid of Agravaine - that would mean that whatever magic was performed on the old man would be reversed; and the effects of his death would simply be sped up. Despite Merlins’ attempts to save Uther, he failed, thanks to the curse, and Uther died; strengthening Arthur’s distrust in all things magic.
The discovery of a dragon’s egg within Camelot had Merlin racing to rescue the creature; luckily he was in time, and managed to call forth the dragon from the egg, giving it the name of Aithusia; meaning the light of the sun, and therefore rendering the Great Dragon as now the second dragon in Camelot.
Merlin continued to stand by Arthur’s side; his shield and protection against the darker forces of the world that would work against the young, inexperienced King. As such, the friendship between the two was evermore stronger, with Merlin being seen somewhat unofficially as Arthur’s consultant in nearly all things.
Tension mounted between Merlin and the Knights after the rescue of a young girl with great power; enough power to dupe the minds of such Knights and turn them against each other to aid her in survival. She was defeated, but Merlin remained more than a little cautious as to his place amongst the Knights, despite knowing he held Arthur’s trust. However, the matter was never mentioned by any of the Knights, thus he kept quiet.
The news of Arthur’s engagement to Guinevère sent a feeling of content throughout the Kingdom, as by now most who lived within the walls of Camelot new of the King’s love for the handmaiden. None were so happy as Merlin, who had watched the relationship between the two grow, and had actively encouraged it. However, all was not so simple. The returning of Lancelot meant that Gwen’s feelings were in chaos; though it was soon revealed to Merlin that Lancelot was not himself, but a shade; conjoured by Morgana to ruin Camelot from it’s very heart to the furthest walls, by first defeating Arthur himself. Luckily, Merlin managed to save the Kingdom, though the price was the return of Lancelot’s soul to the world of the dead; and the death of one of his closest friends once more, but not before Arthur’s heart was broken by the sight of Lancelot and Guinevère kissing in the throne room. As punishment, and for the sake of Arthur’s sanity and feelings, Guinevère was banned from Camelot; in effect also saving her from execution.
It was also thanks to Merlin – at least partially – that Arthur chose not to make an alliance through marriage with a nearing Kingdom, but instead chose to wait, and hope that he find love again after Guinevère’s departure.
An attack on Camelot, prepositioned by Morgana, had Merlin being forced to get Arthur to safety – forcing him from Camelot and all they knew. They took refuge in Ealdor, reuniting Arthur with Guinevère at the time, and introducing them to Isolde and Tristain; smugglers. As the Knights regrouped, the true extent of the battle seemed to take its toll on Arthur, who began to believe he was not meant to lead the people.
An attack on the town of Ealdor meant to force Arthur out of hiding had Merlin and the King fleeing; this time with Guinevère, Tristan, and Isolde with them. Forced to retreat into tunnels, there was a standoff between Merlin and Arthur’s uncle, with Merlin’s magic being revealed to Agrivaine moments before Agrivane was knocked unconscious by Merlin.
As the group escaped into the wilderness, Arthur’s reassurance in himself faded once more, and Merlin began to fear for the future of Camelot – and his best friend’s own sanity. After speaking with the Great Dragon, Merlin took Arthur to where Excalibur was still rooted deep within a stone. Weilding a story about how only the true King could pull the sword out of the stone, Merlin took him to where the sword lay, unknowingly to Arthur sending word to those who might still be true to his best friend, and getting them to meet them there. With the eyes of Camelot’s most loyal upon him, and with the Knights at their side, Merlin watched as Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, and reaffirmed himself (in the people’s eyes and Arthur's) as Camelot’s true King.
On the night before the group were to storm Camelot and reclaim the Castle, Merlin performed the aging spell once more, using his magic to cast an enchantment that would rid Morgana of her magic, and level the field between her and the Knights; giving them more opportunity to win the battle. The magic he had used however came at a price – whatever curse or magic Morgana used would be taken from Morgana, and the effects would seep into Merlin. It was a price he was willing to pay.
Returning to Arthur’s side for the battle, the young warlock followed his friend and King into the Castle, battling against Morgana and her allies. With Morgana unable to use magic, and Arthur more sure in his place as Camelot’s true King, the battle was won – though not without losses; mainly, the loss of Isolde, who died at the hands of Morgana’s followers. However, all was not lost, as the maiden’s death had Arthur realising that he had no desire to be without Guinevère, and the two were married a week later, with Merlin watching, along with the rest of the Camelot, as the two pledged their troth, and Guinevère was named as Camelot’s Queen.
Three years after the marriage of Arthur to Guinevère, and Merlin and the King found themselves riding to Ismere, in search of the rest of their Knights, who had heard tales of Morgana being sighted. The Knights had disappeared, with no word in two weeks, and thus Arthur went to search for them, with Merlin at his side. It was on their journey that Merlin met an old man; a seer, who shared with Merlin his vision of the future, Arthur being slain by Mordred’s blade during a great battle. The vision haunted Merlin, and was to decide his decisions for that whole next year.
Whilst hunting out for rabbits, Merlin and Arthur were captured by a bandit, who threatened their lives. But it was not until Mordred appeared from the shadows of the forest, claiming he would take them to Morgana, that Merlin realised how much trouble they were in. Whilst they were being taken to Morgana as prisoners, Mordred attempted to assure Merlin that he would not betraying Merlin’s secret of having powers, but Merlin did not trust him.
During the raid of Ismere, Merlin was able to meet the dragon, Aithusia, which he had helped to hatch some years ago. It was here that he learned the heart-breaking truth; for through whatever cruel fate had touched the young dragon, it was somewhat deformed, and completely unable to talk or communicate. Unwilling to harm the dragon or expose it to Arthur (who now knew of its existence), he commanded it to leave, the weight of a Dragon Lord’s duty weighing heavily on his shoulders. It was in Ismere that the young warlock was greeted by the treasure that Morgana was so desperate to find, but had not yet found – the Diamir, who can see the future, and who knows all things. The creature informed Merlin of what he most wanted to know – the source of Arthur’s Bane; apparently, it was Arthur himself.
The Knights, found by Arthur eventually, Merlin, and Arthur himself escaped the underground chambers; but only after Mordred had shown his loyalty to Arthur by stabbing Morgana in an attempt to save Arthur’s life. Despite all this, Merlin held true to the vision he had seen; unable to forget it, and using to remind himself not to trust the druid boy. Thanks to Mordred’s actions, the druid was Knighted, and given a place in Camelot – causing Merlin to worry evermore about the safety of his best friend and King.
When Arthur was met by the Disir and given his judgement by the Triple Goddess; he was given a chance to revoke it, to accept magic back into Camelot. When Merlin was asked his opinion by the King, after Mordred was in danger of losing his life thanks to the Disir, he told Arthur not to accept magic; that there was no place for magic in Camelot – in hopes that Mordred would die. However, the disir tricked him, and brought Mordred back to life, condemning Arthur thanks to Merlin’s advice.
After Mordred’s recovery, Merlin continued to protect and serve the King, helping him to save Guinevère from Morgana’s clutches, and exposing that the Queen had been enchanted once they had. He was able to save Arthur’s life using magic as Arthur grew near to death, and later received an apology from the King for being thrown into jail by Guinevère and being called a traitor.
Once Arthur realised that Guinevère had been enchanted, it was Merlin who encouraged him not to give up – to believe in the love that he and Guinevère shared. It was thanks to this love – and thanks to Merlin once more – that Guinevère was saved, and returned to the loving Queen they all knew.
Merlin kept a close eye on Mordred, unable to believe the boy had changed so much that he did not wish Arthur dead. However, Merlin’s greatest test was yet to come.
After discovering Mordred was helping a druid, Merlin, despite his better instincts, promised to keep the Knight’s secret – especially knowing how magic was viewed in Camelot, despite Arthur having promised the druids peace a long time ago. However, on a patrol, Arthur and Merlin discovered the druid girl, despite Merlin’s attempts to mislead Arthur, and she was brought before the court, after attempting to kill Arthur. Mordred blamed Merlin; assuming the warlock had taken Arthur there directly, and promised vengeance upon him. Despite Merlin’s attempt to have the girl freed, and Arthur’s attempts to give the girl her freedom if she admitted her mistakes, Cara refused to acknowledge Arthur, and was sentenced to death, especially after having claimed she wanted nothing more than to see the death of the Pendragons.
Mordred fled Camelot – but he had the knowledge of knowing who Merlin truly was on his side. Unbeknownst to Merlin, he went straight to Morgana, revealing that her greatest enemy was the manservant of the King of Camelot.
Morgana’s first reaction to this new knowledge was to rid Merlin of his magic; something he did not figure out until it was needed most. Battle broke out in Camelot, with Morgana and Mordred united and attacking the Citydale. Determined to end the battle against magic once and for all, Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of Camelot (along with Gaius and Merlin) made plans for the battle to commence at Camlann, using the field to their advantage, believing it would aid them in defeating Morgana once and for all.
Realising that he could not help Arthur without his magic, Merlin gently told the King that he would be unable to aid him; disappointing the King greatly. The decision to leave Arthur before such a battle pained the young warlock, but there was no other choice; for magic could only be fought and won with magic. With the heavy disappointment of his King on his shoulders, Merlin travelled to the Crystal Cave with the help of Gwaine, encountering Morgana there. Powerless, he was unable to stop her as she trapped him within the walls of the cave.
However, all was not lost. The spirit of Merlin’s father, Balinor, was brought into being with the help of the crystals, allowing Merlin hope, and encouraging him not to give up. Thanks to the crystals, Merlin’s powers were returned, and he was transformed into his older counterpart. Using the crystals to contact Arthur through telepathy, Merlin warned the sleeping King of a great threat; telling him that Morgana intended to ambush the King’s party with yet another army. When the King awoke, he treated the words as a vision, and thankfully heeded them.
With renewed vigour and determination, he returned to Camelot – intent on ridding the Kingdom of Morgana once and for all.
As Merlin raced toward Camlann, Arthur and his men were deep in the midst of battle, fighting for their lives against Morgana’s men. He arrived at the very heart of the battle, and was able to use magic to blast several of the troops away, greatly improving the Camelotian Knight’s chances. Moving quickly toward where he hoped to find Arthur, still disguised as Dragone – or as Morgana knew him to be, Emrys, Merlin arrived just in time to drag Arthur from the battlefield; the King had been stabbed with a blade heated in the breath of a dragon, and his heart was poisoned by the blade.
As Arthur woke in the darkest hour of the night, Merlin confessed to him that it had been he who was the sorcerer, and who had saved Arthur with magic in the past, though the King tried to deny him, tried to refuse the words, even when Merlin showed him his magical talents. Taking Arthur deep into the forest, Merlin was able to summon Gaius, who warned him that Arthur needed to be taken to the Lake of Avalon to be healed. He was also warned that it was quite possible that the King might have only two days left to live.
As they travelled to Avalon, Arthur’s acceptance of Merlin’s powers slowly grew – perhaps partially due to the fact that the King was dying. Merlin confessed to having used his powers many times to save the King, and openly used his powers whilst they were on their journey. A day away from Avalon, and Arthur was fading. In desperation, Merlin called upon the Great Dragon, who then flew both the warlock and his King to the Lakes, before warning Merlin that the King’s time had passed, and it was too late for Arthur.
Desperate for any chance to save his best friend, Merlin pleaded with the Dragon, but Kilgharrah simply attempted to soothe him with the knowledge that “when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again”.
In tears and desperate, the warlock tried to assure Arthur of his loyalty to the King – who in turn assured Merlin, not in so many words, that he had accepted the warlock’s powers, which was to Merlin, the greatest gift he could have asked for at the time. Arthur was close to death, and in a last attempt to save his friend from death itself, Merlin forged a boat from magic, to carry the King from the shores to the isle of Avalon to be healed.
Deep in grief for his best friend, the warlock found himself unable to return to Camelot – not wanting to face Guinevère, the court, or the Knights, and not wanting to face the reality that his friend may or may not be dead. Instead, Merlin stayed near the Lakes of Avalon, watching, waiting, and hoping for the day that Arthur returned to Camelot.
| ~ • ~ | Sample Post | ~ • ~ |
The crisp chill of the morning whispered through the long white strands of Merlin’s hair as he climbed the miles towards Avalon, eventually catching sight of that blessed place in the distance. As he neared, he felt somewhat ridiculously as though he had come home, despite the sadness which reigned in his heart still. Merlin looked out to where Avalon had once been, his heart screaming in silent sorrow. Two hundred years. Two hundred years, and no sign of the King. No sign of Arthur, and no sign of the world that they had attempted to build. All those he had once known were dead and gone; Guinevère had ruled wisely in her time, though died young thanks to grief, and Gaius had died not too soon afterwards. Merlin had heard the news of the death of each member of the old Court of Camelot as one hears the ticking of time; each a prequel to doom, each a weight upon his heart. But he could not have returned; the guilt was too great.
Losing Arthur had changed the warlock. The King had been his greatest friend, the other half to his soul, his brother in all but blood; his shield and his sword all at once. And he? He had been the King’s protector, his eyes, and his friend. Without Arthur, Merlin was nothing. But still he waited; watched as Camelot fell into darkness, as the world forgot those who he had once known, as the name Arthur Pendragon became nothing but a whisper; an echo of a Golden Age, and then, finally, nothing more than a myth. But he had known Arthur, knowing the man behind the name… he had tried to keep that name going.
It was all gone now. And Merlin, that last warlock of the Golden Age, was all but spent. He crumbled to his knees before the hill that had once been an island, his body shaking in its quiet grief. “Forgive me, Arthur…” he murmured softly. “Please, forgive me.” In one hand, Merlin held the seal of the King – passed to him by an unknown source after the death of the last Knight to live in Camelot. Now, he felt the weight of that seal; felt his soul tugging, whispering thoughts of death and sirening him toward the spirits he had once known in life. “Please…” he murmured, closing his eyes as he begged the kinder spirits of the underworld – begged the Gods who might be listening. “Please… let my time have come.” Tears fell from the eyes of the old man, as he knelt on the grass, uncaring whether anyone saw. In the twilight sun of the early morning, Merlin’s breath suddenly stilled, as a hand gently fell upon his shoulder. A strange chill fell over the man, and he shivered thrice, refusing to look up, refusing to be made a fool of, hope stirring in his heart.
In the darkness, a long missed name finally spoke his name. “Hello, clot-pole.”
.:Name of Character:. Merlin
.:Nick Name:. Emrys, Dragone the Great, Dollop-head, clot-pole,
.:Age:. 24
.:Race:. Ealdian
.:Status:. Servant to the King
| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |
.:Physical Appearance:.
With dark brown hair and blue eyes, Merlin is tall and lanky, standing at around 5”6. His skin is very lightly tanned, probably from the continuous amount of work he does, though not all of it happens outside. Despite the hours of work he had as Arthur’s servant, Merlin is not muscly, as he very rarely does anything close to training. Usually sporting a red necktie and a blue or red v-neck jumper, Merlin is dressed modestly in the clothes suitable for a servant of Camelot. When going on patrol or rides with Arthur, the young warlock also wears a medium-brown cloth jacket, to keep out the cold.
However, his younger side is only one part of Merlin. As Emrys, (or, as some know him, “Dagone the Great”, Merlin appears as a doddery old man, with almost white hair down past his shoulders, and a lengthy beard. The older Merlin is slightly crippled, as he very rarely stands completely straight, and can very often be seen with a staff.
.:Height:. 5”6
.:Portrayed by:. Colin Morgan
| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |
.:Personality:.
Loyal to the last, Merlin will happily go to his death a thousand times to save those who he believes are worthy. He has an extreme sense of right and wrong which grows more prominent as he gains experience and knowledge, sometimes taking him into quite a dark place emotionally. During his first years in Camelot, Merlin attempted to find the good in each and every person – even going against advice to help those who might bring about the end of others he cared about, for example Morgana.
However, this cost him dearly, and sadly it took Merlin a very long time to learn this lesson.
He will make sacrifices if necessary, and is a fierce believer in the world that is prophesied.
Fiercely loyal, Merlin will stand by those he calls friend until the last breath. His belief in Arthur has often kept his best friend and his master from emotional collapse (such as when Camelot was taken from them by Morgana, and Arthur almost gave up), and he has willingly done all he can to aid his friends.
As he grows more experienced, Merlin’s views change subtly. His loyalties deepen, and his sole focus is on Arthur’s safety, and the safety of Camelot. The re-uniting with Mordred very much deepens this loyalty; especially after Merlin has a vision that Mordred will kill Arthur in a battle. Even when Mordred attempts to befriend Merlin, the warlock cannot be dissuaded; he sees Mordred as an enemy, and in fact tries to convince Arthur to kill the druid once.
Merlin is not against making sacrifices for the greater good – he reluctantly poisons Morgan after realising that she is the catalyst for a terrifying enemy, despite how he feels about the situation personally; he is able to put feelings aside and do what he feels Is right.
There is a reverse side to Merlin; his personality when he uses magic to act as Dragone the Great is somewhat different to the younger Merlin. Dragone is an eccentric old man with a quirky sense of humour, who somewhat delights in sarcasm - more than his younger counterpart - and has a strange way of speech. Dragone is still loyal, though, but seems to understand the frailty of life better than his younger counterpart, and is somewhat less inclined to risk himself than when he is younger.
.:Strengths:. Telekinesis, basic magic, telepathy, the ability to sense powerful magic when it is at work, a small knowledge in medicine, and a little sword training (with a lot of help from Arthur!)
.:Weaknesses:. Physical fighting abilities, his dependence on his magic.
.:Magic Abilities:. Telekinesis, basic magic, telepathy
.:Special Skills:. He is the Last Dragon Lord
.:Accents:. British.
| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |
.:Birthplace:. Ealdor
.:Family:.
Mother: Hunith
Father: Balinor – a Dragon Lord
.:Occupation:. Servant to the King of Camelot
.:Current Location of Residence:. Camelot Castle.
.:History:.
Born and raised in the small town of Ealdor, Merlin was quite content to be a farm boy, helping his mother and being a generally good child. At the age of five, he began to notice that odd things happened around him; objects floating into the air with no apparent purpose, for example. These strange happenings kept on, and as his mother began to notice more and more, she kept Merlin indoors; away from the public eye, recognising her son's gift for what it was - magic. After Merlin's best friend, William, discovered the warlock's secret, Hunnith decided that her son was no longer safe in the small walls of her town. It is safe to admit that she may have also felt a little scared of her son's powers. Putting her trust in an old friend, and supporter of magic, Gaius, Hunnith sent Merlin away, hoping her son would find his purpose in Camelot; hoping that the ban in Camelot would force her son to realise he had to learn to control his gift.
Arriving at Camelot, however, brought about its own problems. Merlin was quick to realise just how much his gift was feared; especially as the first thing he witnessed was Uther, the King, executing a druid on suspicion of using magic. Having been in such a sheltered place, this very much frightened the young lad, and he began to wonder as to his mother's reasons for sending him here. It was this same day that Merlin first met Gaius, the Court Physician, his mother's old friend. When Merlin accidentally startled the physician, causing Gaius to fall from his bookshelf, and used magic to break the fall, Gaius was originally sceptical; unable to believe Merlin held such powers. In an attempt to find work for Merlin, Gaius began to use the boy as his delivery boy; getting him to deliver potions for him to various members of the court and the town.
It was during Merlin's first night in Camelot that he first heard the great Dragon, Kilgharrah, calling to him through magic, though at the time he had no idea of what it was.
He soon met Arthur, though their initial meeting was somewhat of a disaster; with Merlin acting rather cockily towards the young Prince, and Arthur - fresh from showing off - attempting to return the gesture, after Arthur had been showing off to his friends. The meeting unfortunately had Merlin in the cells, with Arthur quickly showing his status.
Thanks to Gaius "pulling a few strings", Merlin was released from prison - but at the price of being put in the stocks for the day. It was here - with a bit of flirting from both sides - that the warlock met Guinevère, handmaiden to Morgana, the King's ward. The two instantly got on, with Merlin warming to Guinevère's shy and quiet humour.
A second run in with the King's son had the two fighting; Arthur beating Merlin with the use of a mace, and Merlin attempting to use magic; sometimes not always succeeding. Though he failed at beating Arthur, the warlock had earned the Prince's respect with his bravery and refusal to back down, and he was released. Merlin's second knight in Camelot eventually had him meeting the great dragon, who spoke of the warlock's destiny; to aid Arthur in creating Albion.
On his third day in Camelot, Merlin finally met the Lady Morgana; after taking a potion to her for her nightmares, as she mistook him for Guinevère whilst getting dressed.
During a feast that was being held in celebration for the banning of magic, a plot was slowly unfurling - the mother of the man that Uther had had executed for magic was out for Arthur's blood, masquerading as the greatest singer in Camelot. After saving Arthur from nearly being stabbed and murdered, Merlin was awarded the honour of being Arthur's manservant - much to both Arthur and Merlin's disgust. It was after this display of bravery that Gaius gifted Merlin his most prized possession - a book of magic.
Merlin's next challenge took place in the form of learning his duties as Arthur's manservant. During a tournament of the Knights, the Prince was almost killed by an enchanted shield. Once again, with the help of magic, Merlin was able to save the Prince - and regain his position as manservant, which he had almost lost.
As Merlin's time in Camelot went on, he and Arthur battled many foes; their friendship growing stronger and stronger as they defied death together; creating a brotherly like bond between them.
Arthur's changing ways caused him to notice Guinevère for the first time, and it was Merlin who first prompted him to admit his feelings. It was thanks to Merlin that the relationship between Guinevère and Arthur started; with the warlock encouraging the man who was quickly becoming his best friend to follow his heart, rather than his father and his father's word. The coming of Lancelot, a man who had dreamed of nothing but being a Knight, had an unlikely jealousy striking up between Arthur, Guinevère and Lancelot, and an unspeakable attraction between Lancelot and Guinevère.
It was during this time that Merlin first met his first nemeses, a powerful sorceress by the name of Nimueh. Thanks to the combined efforts of both Arthur and Merlin, the sorceress was defeated in her plans, and fell back into hiding for some time.
As time flew by, Merlin's importance in Arthur's life continued. The two by now were close friends; more brothers than friend, their union strong and unchallenged; each willing to risk his all for the other.
Things were also changing for the Lady Morgana, though. In an attempt to help the future High Priestess, Merlin took her to the druids - ignoring a warning from Kilgharrah - who told Morgana of her powers, and her truth. It was here that Morgana and Merlin both met Mordred, a young druid boy. Thanks to Merlin helping Morgana, the two magic users became closer, though Morgana was unaware of Merlin's identity, or his reasons for helping her. Not too much later, it was Gaius who was in need of saving; after being accused of being a warlock and admitting to the crime in order to save Merlin from being exposed, Merlin became desperate, but thankfully managed to save his mentor - who he had begun to see as a father - saving Gaius, causing the two to become closer.
Merlin also had a splash of romance - meeting the druid girl, Freya, showed him real love for the first time, and his romance with her blossomed as he tried to assure her that magic could be a force for good; a beautiful thing. Sadly, Freya was badly wounded by an arrow shot at her by Arthur whilst she was in another form, and Merlin took her body to the lakes of Avalon; causing Freya to be regenerated into the lake as the Lady of the Lake.
Merlin's failure to heed the Dragon's warnings regarding Morgana's powers proved fatal though; he was later forced to poison her to stop an attack on Camelot, rendering the witch his enemy forever, once she realised what he had done. In return for the Dragons' help during this time, Merlin agreed to free the Creature; though the agreement came at a price - the Dragon attacking Camelot, whilst Morgause fled into thin air with Morgana. Whilst Merlin knew the truth behind Morgana's actions, the Camelotians assumed she had been kidnapped, but there were more important things to be taken care of, before Morgana could be found.
Through Gaius, Merlin learned of yet another secret pivotal to his part in the land; his father was a dragon Lord. But whilst on the quest to find the dragon Lord and return him to Camelot in order to call off the attack, his father died. The powers of the dragon Lord transferred to Merlin, and he was able to stop the attack; but instead of sacrificing the Dragon, he spared him, indebting the dragon to him.
With the dragon gone, Arthur and Merlin were commissioned by Uther to find Morgana; who refused to let his son home until they found the Ward. When Morgana was found, wandering through the forest, by Arthur and Merlin, Merlin was terrified; thinking that he would be executed for poisoning the King's ward, despite how dire the circumstances were. However, Morgana did not betray his secret, though at the time he did not know she had been persuaded by Morgause.
Morgana's evil was revealed by Merlin only after he found an enchantment that had been placed on Uther - placed there by Morgana - and Merlin realised how the witch's mind had been turned by her half-sister. When thwarted by Morgana and her sister, Merlin was able to call upon the Great Dragon to aid him; eventually allowing him to defeat Morgana.
The warlock and his King met Gwaine, a young nomad, whilst out one day in a pub, managing to get themselves caught up in a pub brawl. When Gwaine was injured, Arthur and Merlin took him back to Camelot. Whilst Gwaine was recovering, another plot was uncovered wherein Merlin realised that two Knights intended to kill the Prince using sorcery. When Gwaine attempted to aid Merlin, he was arrested by Uther, and ordered to leave the city. After aiding Arthur in a medley, saving the King, Gwaine left the city, but he and Merlin had become firm friends; partially due to Gwaine's loyalty to Arthur.
After seeing a vision in a crystal from the crystal cave, Merlin attempts to stop Morgana from destroying Camelot and killing Uther; but instead, he aids her in doing it, proving the point that destiny cannot be avoided. He also found out from the Dragon that Morgana was the daughter of Uther Pendragon; and therefore the secondary heir to the throne of Camelot - barring the dubious circumstances of her birth.
Merlin's relationship with Arthur was growing; the two trusting each other more now than ever. As Uther began to attempt to find his son a wife, it was Merlin who advised his friend to follow his heart, rather than the wants and wishes of his father.
When Guinevère's brother was captured by Cenred in a bid to get to Guinevère (and therefore Arthur), Merlin and Arthur were able to meet Elyan.
Thwarting Morgana's plans to overtake Camelot once again had Merlin marked as her enemy now more than ever; but his attention was drawn elsewhere. An old flame of Gaius', bewitched by a manticore, though, appeared in Camelot, and was forced by the manticore to sicken the King, framing Gaius. When her betrayal was eventually uncovered, the lady herself escaped from prison, whilst Uther fully recovered.
As Arthur grew more and more in love with Guinevère, Guinevère's importance grew, and thus, her being a threat to Morgana's taking the crown was increased. Knowing how dangerous the love between Arthur and Merlin was, Merlin kept a close eye on the budding couple (whose love was very much vested in secret), encouraging the two to meet up and spend time together, allowing them to do 'normal' things. When Arthur confessed his feelings to his father regarding Guinevère, the future Queen was sentenced to die; for Uther believed she had placed a spell on his son. To save Guinevère - and therefore Arthur - , Merlin performed an aging spell, effectively disguising himself, and setting himself up for the blame, eventually managing to get Gwen released before returning to his usual self.
The revealing of the Cup of Life had Merlin and Arthur on another quest; this time to destroy it. With Morgana and Morgause the leaders of an immortal army, it was up to Merlin and Arthur to save the Kingdom of Camelot once more. Eventually recovering the cup from where the druids had kept it hidden, they sped toward Camelot.
Unknown to them, Morgana had taken her place on Camelot’s throne with Arthur gone, and was naming herself Queen. Infiltrating the Castle led to Arthur becoming aware that Morgana was his half-sister. In hiding from Morgana’s men, and stuck in a cave, along with the Knights, Merlin was the one to encourage Arthur into fighting against Morgana when it seemed the future King had given up – and with the help of Freya, and the magic that was held within the gift given to Merlin with the water of Avalon within, Merlin received the knowledge that the sword he had used to free the Great Dragon would help to slay the living dead. With Arthur now determined to save the King, and therefore Camelot, those loyal to Arthur were gathered – Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, and Elyan – and they were made Knights. With the efforts of all of the knights – especially Lancelot - , Merlin was able to empty the cup of life with Excalibur by slashing the sword across the cup, protecting himself from its magic at the same time.
Once the battle was won and Camelot (and its King) were restored, Merlin was advised by the Great Dragon to hide the blade he had wielded in order to save it from being used by the wrong person. He travelled out of Camelot, to a secluded glade, and thrust the blade into a stone. As the blade hit the stone, speckles of gold appeared where stone met hilt, and the blade ran home.
With Morgana and Morgause having disappeared, Merlin stayed by Arthur’s side, concerned about his best friend, as Arthur was basically holding up the weight of Camelot on his shoulders; his father too broken by Morgana’s betrayal.
The brokenness of Uther brought Arthur’s uncle, Lord Agrivaine, though unbeknownst to the people of Camelot (and those of the court, along with the King and his son), he was aiding Morgana in her attempts to take over Camelot.
The death and sacrifice of Morgause (though Merlin was unaware of it at the time) brought about the coming of the Daroka; the spirits from the in-between world. In an attempt to save Arthur, Merlin sacrificed himself, throwing Arthur out of danger as one such creature attempted to attack him, nearly killing Merlin. Aided by Lancelot, Merlin was eventually saved by the spirits of the water. With the conformation from the Great Dragon that a sacrifice was needed to heal the veil, Merlin intended, originally, to sacrifice himself – but upon meeting the spirit-keeper, it was Lancelot who sacrificed his life. With Lancelot being the only Knight who knew of Merlin’s magic, the death of such a friend hit Merlin hard, though he never spoke of it to Arthur.
On their return home, Merlin was able to listen in on a conversation between Gaius and Agrivaine, wherein the former asked Gaius if he had heard of the name Emrys – proving that the Lord was working with Morgana, and that his heart was not quite as true as they had first hoped; putting Arthur in danger once again.
With the coming of Arthur’s birthday, came yet another attack on the future King – though this time, it was his father who was to pay the price. In an attempt to save his son, Uther defended Arthur, instead getting attacked himself, and stabbed with a fatal slice of a sword. In a fit of panic, Arthur decided to attempt to use magic to save his father, and entrusted a sorcerer – Merlin, in the disguise of Dragoon the Great. Merlin agreed, hoping that if he were to revive Arthur’s father using magic, then Arthur and his father might restore magic to the Kingdom, and he would be able to reveal himself to his best friend. But all was not quite as easy as it seemed – Uther had been charmed with a powerful enchantment – with the aid of Agravaine - that would mean that whatever magic was performed on the old man would be reversed; and the effects of his death would simply be sped up. Despite Merlins’ attempts to save Uther, he failed, thanks to the curse, and Uther died; strengthening Arthur’s distrust in all things magic.
The discovery of a dragon’s egg within Camelot had Merlin racing to rescue the creature; luckily he was in time, and managed to call forth the dragon from the egg, giving it the name of Aithusia; meaning the light of the sun, and therefore rendering the Great Dragon as now the second dragon in Camelot.
Merlin continued to stand by Arthur’s side; his shield and protection against the darker forces of the world that would work against the young, inexperienced King. As such, the friendship between the two was evermore stronger, with Merlin being seen somewhat unofficially as Arthur’s consultant in nearly all things.
Tension mounted between Merlin and the Knights after the rescue of a young girl with great power; enough power to dupe the minds of such Knights and turn them against each other to aid her in survival. She was defeated, but Merlin remained more than a little cautious as to his place amongst the Knights, despite knowing he held Arthur’s trust. However, the matter was never mentioned by any of the Knights, thus he kept quiet.
The news of Arthur’s engagement to Guinevère sent a feeling of content throughout the Kingdom, as by now most who lived within the walls of Camelot new of the King’s love for the handmaiden. None were so happy as Merlin, who had watched the relationship between the two grow, and had actively encouraged it. However, all was not so simple. The returning of Lancelot meant that Gwen’s feelings were in chaos; though it was soon revealed to Merlin that Lancelot was not himself, but a shade; conjoured by Morgana to ruin Camelot from it’s very heart to the furthest walls, by first defeating Arthur himself. Luckily, Merlin managed to save the Kingdom, though the price was the return of Lancelot’s soul to the world of the dead; and the death of one of his closest friends once more, but not before Arthur’s heart was broken by the sight of Lancelot and Guinevère kissing in the throne room. As punishment, and for the sake of Arthur’s sanity and feelings, Guinevère was banned from Camelot; in effect also saving her from execution.
It was also thanks to Merlin – at least partially – that Arthur chose not to make an alliance through marriage with a nearing Kingdom, but instead chose to wait, and hope that he find love again after Guinevère’s departure.
An attack on Camelot, prepositioned by Morgana, had Merlin being forced to get Arthur to safety – forcing him from Camelot and all they knew. They took refuge in Ealdor, reuniting Arthur with Guinevère at the time, and introducing them to Isolde and Tristain; smugglers. As the Knights regrouped, the true extent of the battle seemed to take its toll on Arthur, who began to believe he was not meant to lead the people.
An attack on the town of Ealdor meant to force Arthur out of hiding had Merlin and the King fleeing; this time with Guinevère, Tristan, and Isolde with them. Forced to retreat into tunnels, there was a standoff between Merlin and Arthur’s uncle, with Merlin’s magic being revealed to Agrivaine moments before Agrivane was knocked unconscious by Merlin.
As the group escaped into the wilderness, Arthur’s reassurance in himself faded once more, and Merlin began to fear for the future of Camelot – and his best friend’s own sanity. After speaking with the Great Dragon, Merlin took Arthur to where Excalibur was still rooted deep within a stone. Weilding a story about how only the true King could pull the sword out of the stone, Merlin took him to where the sword lay, unknowingly to Arthur sending word to those who might still be true to his best friend, and getting them to meet them there. With the eyes of Camelot’s most loyal upon him, and with the Knights at their side, Merlin watched as Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, and reaffirmed himself (in the people’s eyes and Arthur's) as Camelot’s true King.
On the night before the group were to storm Camelot and reclaim the Castle, Merlin performed the aging spell once more, using his magic to cast an enchantment that would rid Morgana of her magic, and level the field between her and the Knights; giving them more opportunity to win the battle. The magic he had used however came at a price – whatever curse or magic Morgana used would be taken from Morgana, and the effects would seep into Merlin. It was a price he was willing to pay.
Returning to Arthur’s side for the battle, the young warlock followed his friend and King into the Castle, battling against Morgana and her allies. With Morgana unable to use magic, and Arthur more sure in his place as Camelot’s true King, the battle was won – though not without losses; mainly, the loss of Isolde, who died at the hands of Morgana’s followers. However, all was not lost, as the maiden’s death had Arthur realising that he had no desire to be without Guinevère, and the two were married a week later, with Merlin watching, along with the rest of the Camelot, as the two pledged their troth, and Guinevère was named as Camelot’s Queen.
Three years after the marriage of Arthur to Guinevère, and Merlin and the King found themselves riding to Ismere, in search of the rest of their Knights, who had heard tales of Morgana being sighted. The Knights had disappeared, with no word in two weeks, and thus Arthur went to search for them, with Merlin at his side. It was on their journey that Merlin met an old man; a seer, who shared with Merlin his vision of the future, Arthur being slain by Mordred’s blade during a great battle. The vision haunted Merlin, and was to decide his decisions for that whole next year.
Whilst hunting out for rabbits, Merlin and Arthur were captured by a bandit, who threatened their lives. But it was not until Mordred appeared from the shadows of the forest, claiming he would take them to Morgana, that Merlin realised how much trouble they were in. Whilst they were being taken to Morgana as prisoners, Mordred attempted to assure Merlin that he would not betraying Merlin’s secret of having powers, but Merlin did not trust him.
During the raid of Ismere, Merlin was able to meet the dragon, Aithusia, which he had helped to hatch some years ago. It was here that he learned the heart-breaking truth; for through whatever cruel fate had touched the young dragon, it was somewhat deformed, and completely unable to talk or communicate. Unwilling to harm the dragon or expose it to Arthur (who now knew of its existence), he commanded it to leave, the weight of a Dragon Lord’s duty weighing heavily on his shoulders. It was in Ismere that the young warlock was greeted by the treasure that Morgana was so desperate to find, but had not yet found – the Diamir, who can see the future, and who knows all things. The creature informed Merlin of what he most wanted to know – the source of Arthur’s Bane; apparently, it was Arthur himself.
The Knights, found by Arthur eventually, Merlin, and Arthur himself escaped the underground chambers; but only after Mordred had shown his loyalty to Arthur by stabbing Morgana in an attempt to save Arthur’s life. Despite all this, Merlin held true to the vision he had seen; unable to forget it, and using to remind himself not to trust the druid boy. Thanks to Mordred’s actions, the druid was Knighted, and given a place in Camelot – causing Merlin to worry evermore about the safety of his best friend and King.
When Arthur was met by the Disir and given his judgement by the Triple Goddess; he was given a chance to revoke it, to accept magic back into Camelot. When Merlin was asked his opinion by the King, after Mordred was in danger of losing his life thanks to the Disir, he told Arthur not to accept magic; that there was no place for magic in Camelot – in hopes that Mordred would die. However, the disir tricked him, and brought Mordred back to life, condemning Arthur thanks to Merlin’s advice.
After Mordred’s recovery, Merlin continued to protect and serve the King, helping him to save Guinevère from Morgana’s clutches, and exposing that the Queen had been enchanted once they had. He was able to save Arthur’s life using magic as Arthur grew near to death, and later received an apology from the King for being thrown into jail by Guinevère and being called a traitor.
Once Arthur realised that Guinevère had been enchanted, it was Merlin who encouraged him not to give up – to believe in the love that he and Guinevère shared. It was thanks to this love – and thanks to Merlin once more – that Guinevère was saved, and returned to the loving Queen they all knew.
Merlin kept a close eye on Mordred, unable to believe the boy had changed so much that he did not wish Arthur dead. However, Merlin’s greatest test was yet to come.
After discovering Mordred was helping a druid, Merlin, despite his better instincts, promised to keep the Knight’s secret – especially knowing how magic was viewed in Camelot, despite Arthur having promised the druids peace a long time ago. However, on a patrol, Arthur and Merlin discovered the druid girl, despite Merlin’s attempts to mislead Arthur, and she was brought before the court, after attempting to kill Arthur. Mordred blamed Merlin; assuming the warlock had taken Arthur there directly, and promised vengeance upon him. Despite Merlin’s attempt to have the girl freed, and Arthur’s attempts to give the girl her freedom if she admitted her mistakes, Cara refused to acknowledge Arthur, and was sentenced to death, especially after having claimed she wanted nothing more than to see the death of the Pendragons.
Mordred fled Camelot – but he had the knowledge of knowing who Merlin truly was on his side. Unbeknownst to Merlin, he went straight to Morgana, revealing that her greatest enemy was the manservant of the King of Camelot.
Morgana’s first reaction to this new knowledge was to rid Merlin of his magic; something he did not figure out until it was needed most. Battle broke out in Camelot, with Morgana and Mordred united and attacking the Citydale. Determined to end the battle against magic once and for all, Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of Camelot (along with Gaius and Merlin) made plans for the battle to commence at Camlann, using the field to their advantage, believing it would aid them in defeating Morgana once and for all.
Realising that he could not help Arthur without his magic, Merlin gently told the King that he would be unable to aid him; disappointing the King greatly. The decision to leave Arthur before such a battle pained the young warlock, but there was no other choice; for magic could only be fought and won with magic. With the heavy disappointment of his King on his shoulders, Merlin travelled to the Crystal Cave with the help of Gwaine, encountering Morgana there. Powerless, he was unable to stop her as she trapped him within the walls of the cave.
However, all was not lost. The spirit of Merlin’s father, Balinor, was brought into being with the help of the crystals, allowing Merlin hope, and encouraging him not to give up. Thanks to the crystals, Merlin’s powers were returned, and he was transformed into his older counterpart. Using the crystals to contact Arthur through telepathy, Merlin warned the sleeping King of a great threat; telling him that Morgana intended to ambush the King’s party with yet another army. When the King awoke, he treated the words as a vision, and thankfully heeded them.
With renewed vigour and determination, he returned to Camelot – intent on ridding the Kingdom of Morgana once and for all.
As Merlin raced toward Camlann, Arthur and his men were deep in the midst of battle, fighting for their lives against Morgana’s men. He arrived at the very heart of the battle, and was able to use magic to blast several of the troops away, greatly improving the Camelotian Knight’s chances. Moving quickly toward where he hoped to find Arthur, still disguised as Dragone – or as Morgana knew him to be, Emrys, Merlin arrived just in time to drag Arthur from the battlefield; the King had been stabbed with a blade heated in the breath of a dragon, and his heart was poisoned by the blade.
As Arthur woke in the darkest hour of the night, Merlin confessed to him that it had been he who was the sorcerer, and who had saved Arthur with magic in the past, though the King tried to deny him, tried to refuse the words, even when Merlin showed him his magical talents. Taking Arthur deep into the forest, Merlin was able to summon Gaius, who warned him that Arthur needed to be taken to the Lake of Avalon to be healed. He was also warned that it was quite possible that the King might have only two days left to live.
As they travelled to Avalon, Arthur’s acceptance of Merlin’s powers slowly grew – perhaps partially due to the fact that the King was dying. Merlin confessed to having used his powers many times to save the King, and openly used his powers whilst they were on their journey. A day away from Avalon, and Arthur was fading. In desperation, Merlin called upon the Great Dragon, who then flew both the warlock and his King to the Lakes, before warning Merlin that the King’s time had passed, and it was too late for Arthur.
Desperate for any chance to save his best friend, Merlin pleaded with the Dragon, but Kilgharrah simply attempted to soothe him with the knowledge that “when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again”.
In tears and desperate, the warlock tried to assure Arthur of his loyalty to the King – who in turn assured Merlin, not in so many words, that he had accepted the warlock’s powers, which was to Merlin, the greatest gift he could have asked for at the time. Arthur was close to death, and in a last attempt to save his friend from death itself, Merlin forged a boat from magic, to carry the King from the shores to the isle of Avalon to be healed.
Deep in grief for his best friend, the warlock found himself unable to return to Camelot – not wanting to face Guinevère, the court, or the Knights, and not wanting to face the reality that his friend may or may not be dead. Instead, Merlin stayed near the Lakes of Avalon, watching, waiting, and hoping for the day that Arthur returned to Camelot.
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The crisp chill of the morning whispered through the long white strands of Merlin’s hair as he climbed the miles towards Avalon, eventually catching sight of that blessed place in the distance. As he neared, he felt somewhat ridiculously as though he had come home, despite the sadness which reigned in his heart still. Merlin looked out to where Avalon had once been, his heart screaming in silent sorrow. Two hundred years. Two hundred years, and no sign of the King. No sign of Arthur, and no sign of the world that they had attempted to build. All those he had once known were dead and gone; Guinevère had ruled wisely in her time, though died young thanks to grief, and Gaius had died not too soon afterwards. Merlin had heard the news of the death of each member of the old Court of Camelot as one hears the ticking of time; each a prequel to doom, each a weight upon his heart. But he could not have returned; the guilt was too great.
Losing Arthur had changed the warlock. The King had been his greatest friend, the other half to his soul, his brother in all but blood; his shield and his sword all at once. And he? He had been the King’s protector, his eyes, and his friend. Without Arthur, Merlin was nothing. But still he waited; watched as Camelot fell into darkness, as the world forgot those who he had once known, as the name Arthur Pendragon became nothing but a whisper; an echo of a Golden Age, and then, finally, nothing more than a myth. But he had known Arthur, knowing the man behind the name… he had tried to keep that name going.
It was all gone now. And Merlin, that last warlock of the Golden Age, was all but spent. He crumbled to his knees before the hill that had once been an island, his body shaking in its quiet grief. “Forgive me, Arthur…” he murmured softly. “Please, forgive me.” In one hand, Merlin held the seal of the King – passed to him by an unknown source after the death of the last Knight to live in Camelot. Now, he felt the weight of that seal; felt his soul tugging, whispering thoughts of death and sirening him toward the spirits he had once known in life. “Please…” he murmured, closing his eyes as he begged the kinder spirits of the underworld – begged the Gods who might be listening. “Please… let my time have come.” Tears fell from the eyes of the old man, as he knelt on the grass, uncaring whether anyone saw. In the twilight sun of the early morning, Merlin’s breath suddenly stilled, as a hand gently fell upon his shoulder. A strange chill fell over the man, and he shivered thrice, refusing to look up, refusing to be made a fool of, hope stirring in his heart.
In the darkness, a long missed name finally spoke his name. “Hello, clot-pole.”
