Merko Polo

Merko Polo, also known as just_merko, his full name Mercury Amon Giardiniere-Polo is a Sea Elf sailor, fisherman, builder and pirate born in Rathnir, who later moved to much more calm and less tragedy-reminding Eldham. 
He always wears pirate clothes, no matter where he is, or what is he doing there. He has glowing yellow eyes, light blue skin and for an elf pretty short, silver hair.
He has a pretty bad accent as when he speaks in Traveler´s Tongue, and he often uses words and phrases like "amigo", "por favor", or "señor", even though he cannot speak the language the words are from.
== Backstory ==
=== Early Life ===
Merko was born in the Rough Sea on a pirate ship called "Black Dolphin", whose captain was also Merko´s father, Niccolo Polo. The Polo family had a huge history of piracy and Merko was being raised to later become the new captain of Black Dolphin. But he never wanted to. He always wanted to sail across the High Seas, explore, find new lands and trade with locals. But as Niccolo´s only child, he had no other choice than to once become captain of this wicked crew.
=== Age 12 ===
Merko started to help plunder with his father at the age of 12. Until now, he didn´t like it. Now, he hated it. He never understood, why do money exist, why does the crew have to kill innocent people. Why? 
Also at this age, Merko became a "wine enthusiast". In other words, he became an alcoholic, with his favourite drink - wine. However, it was nothing weird in this pirate community. You were served different alcohol from the age of 6 here when there was not enough water on the ship. Or sometimes just for fun.
=== Age 14 ===
Merko finally convinced his father he cannot fight and that he would rather be a navigator or the helmsman. He became both.
=== Age 15 ===
After an ambush on a merchant ship, Merko met Scirocco Emilione - a mute grey elf girl that was captured by the Black Dolphin's crew. They both immediately became best friends and Merko talked his father to free Scirocco, who stayed in a port near the pirates' hideout and she visited Merko there and the other way around.
=== Age 16 ===
Merko and Scirocco realised there is something more between them.
=== Age 18 ===
Two years before his arrival to Eldham, at the age of 18, Merko experienced a trauma. While everyone was asleep, another pirate ship appeared on the horizon. The ship started firing all their cannons immediately at the surprised Black Dolphin. The fight was fast and the treasure was more worthy. And Merko was the only survivor. While they were fighting, Merko fell unconscious and on a boat that was tied to the ship and sailed away.
Upon waking up, he realised what has happened. His entire family was lost. Forever.
Luckily, not all people he had died in that tragedy. He still had Scirocco. Merko moved to her place and started trying to work as a fisherman. He couldn't not think about the trauma.
=== Age 19 ===
Even more than a year later, Merko couldn't stop thinking about it. He started drinking even more. Everything around him, even Scirocco, even the sea, reminded him of it. So he made the hardest decision of his entire life - leave everything, even Scirocco behind and run away to Eldham.
=== Age 20 ===
He wandered around Eldham for a long time. One day, his ship crashed into an island and Merko was stuck there for months. Then, he met Mae de Latriva, a girl from another universe with plant powers.
== Personality ==
Merko is an extrovert and enjoys drinking both alone and with his small circle of friends, especially wine and anything with more than 50% of alcohol. Love doesn´t mean anything much for him anymore, he enjoys spending time with ladies, of course, but no affairs or long-term relationships (except for friendship of course). He is a pretty wise man too, probably he got so wise about staying alone for years. Also he is really pessimistic, but not by nature, he just found out that it is the best way you can look at things possible.
Wine is for him the most sacred thing in the universe, barrels in his "bodega" literally overflowing with it and the fact he would prefer to drink wine somewhere completly alone, while the rest of town is in some huge event or just chilling without anything. But he doesn´t want to lose them as he lost his family, so he would do anything in his power to protect them.
His philosophy is simple: "Everyone gets to have a second chance", "A bread always falls on the greased side" and that karma, Murphy's Law and wine are the most powerful things in the universe (maybe I should start a religion out of this).
== Family ==
Sadly, his entire family died in the accident, however he still remembers them all just as if they had just gone to a trip. Here is his entire family listed and also the crew of the Black Dolphin ship, since that was a family for him too.
=== Parents ===
Merko was the only child of two sea elf pirates: Niccolo Polo and Giovanna Giardienere. He grew up happily, with loving parents who never argumented with each other.
=== Relatives ===
Merko had a lot of cousins though. But despite the fact they lived far away from each other, all his cousins were like siblings to him. The most important cousins in his life include: Breyoslaw Mary Rose, Tariin Giardienere, Morning Star Foxter and Jiant Giardienere.
=== Black Dolphin Crew ===
== Bibliography ==
Merko always loved reading all sorts of books and on Black Dolphin, he was one of the very few people who were able to. Since his young age, he was creating for himself stories, mostly fairy tales and enjoyed to write down even those he has not created. This has later evolved in him and he began writing more and more. Sadly, during the destruction of the ship, all his books were destroyed too, but Merko knew them so well, he actually started to write all the stories, songs, plays etc. he remembered all over again. Most of them are sadly lost to time, though.
Category:Traveler's Era