Merryn Hecate

> *"I'm proud of you"*
>
>

Camille Gratien (Grandmother)

Merryn Stockton (Grandfather)

Kingston Stockton (father)

Sarah Hecate (daughter)

Tamara Hecate (wife)

Ethel Hecate (mother in law)

Julie (sister)

## Background

Born in 8:85 Blessed to a young farmer couple. Merryn's father, Kingston Stockton had inherited the land and his mother earned enough money by serving drinks at the tavern for them to buy a few pack animals to get started. Young Merryn had a knack to dealing with all the animals, "helping out" his parents out since the age of 3, and **really** started helping out when he was 8. Around that time he also got a younger sister Julie.

Merryn's family got by fine with their farm for their own needs and some extra profit from leftovers. However during the rebellion the Orlesians increased their tax on farmers needing more food for the armies. Being unable to pay up the Orlesians run them out and burned the farm.

They took refuge in a village in the Bannorn. Merryn's mother took up work as a barmaid once more and his father made a few coppers as a farm hand. Merryn was stuck taking care of Julie who was still 6, but he wanted to support his family too. So he started bugging the local hunter to teach him how to hunt thinking his talents with animals would prove useful.

After being a nuisance to the hunter, Merryn was taken on as a hunter's apprentice at the age of 13. He had troubles at first, the bond with the animals that he had raised over the years had made him hesitate when shooting his first prey. But later he understood that its better to shoot, hit and make it painless than shoot, hit but miss the critical spot and make things messy.

After the dust of king Marric's rebellion had fallen, Merryn's family was unable to take back their land and continued living in their village, making a suitable living off all their jobs.

In 9:04 dragon a famine swept through the village and Merryns parents died leaving only him and his 12 year old sister. Julie was determined not to bring her brother down with her and started working on arts and crafts to sell them to villages. They moved to another village getting by for a few years with both Merryn and Julie mastering their respective crafts until Merryn one day in the forest met with Tamara.

She was sleeping on the forest bed. Fearing the wolves might think her for a snack Merryn woke her up and she got angry at him claiming she was fine and that the magic wards would have protected her. Instead of giving a woman who just admitted to being a mage away to the templars, Merryn instead suggested to guard the area as her wards didn't keep him out. Tamara was still slightly mad but surprised at a common man not being afraid of her magic so she agreed. Next time Merryn met her he did the same. After few more times of seeing her in the same spot Merryn offered to accompany her on her daily rituals. They had plenty conversations, Merryn was interested in all the curious facts about nature that Tamara had learned from the knowledge spirit and Tamara loved Merryn's stories about different animals that he had interacted with.

One day Merryn suggested a picnic and so he brought the food, a blanket, a basket while Tamara brought the wine. After a couple of glasses and a good time their relation changed from friendly to romantic, Merry and Tam having many picnics since then.

For Merryn it seemed like everything was great but then Tamara, when going out as they usually did, suggested running away. It appeared that Tamara's mother found out about their relationship and she didn't approve. Merryn agreed choosing to move back to the village where his family made their life after the farm. He asked Julie if she wanted to stay and she, shipping her brother with Tamara, agreed to go with them even helping them escape. So After Tamara got what she needed from her old home they got horses and rode out.

Tamara and Merryn made their life in the outskirts "just in case some magic stuff suddenly came up". Once they were settled in their new home Tamara hit him with the news that she was pregnant. And sure enough 9 months later they had a baby girl and named her Sarah. During that time they also got married in the local chantry. Merryn was happy supporting his family using his talents as well as doing chores as Tamara was raised a noble, Tamara took up herbology and healing and started helping the village folk. Julie meanwhile took off to the Free marches and an artist saw her talents and offered her tutoring. Tamara taught Merryn to read and write so that he could keep up correspondence with his sister. She got married to a writer 2 years after Sarah was born

As Sarah grew up Tamara started teaching her about magic. Merryn slightly dissaproved but he understood that its likely she'd be a mage. That didn't come to pass however and Tamara started teaching her medicine instead which Merryn liked much more. He encouraged young Sarah to help people and listen to her mother. He believed if he had her talents when he was younger he might have saved his parents.

He also chose to teach Sarah a bit of what he knew. Merryn was always really proud of her affinity with animals, this pride only seemed to increase as he started teaching her. And while teaching her to hunt she was shown to have the same problem he had when he was younger, he got tearful. Which ended the teaching session with not an arrow shot and Tamara retrieving the two back to their house.

Tamara took him to her sisters wedding to Fergus Cousland. It was a grand affair. He enjoyed it and got along with Tamra's sister who didn't mind him, learning that it was only Tamara's mother who was didn't agree to Merryn's and Tamara's marriage. He also met Fergus who was impressed by Merryn's hunting feats given from Tamara's stories. He even offered Merryn work but he refused being happy with his family.

Few years later the blight hit. While they got by avoiding the darkspawn, Tamara's sister, nephew, and father all died which hit her hard. Merryn and Sarah supported her through the rough times but then Tamara's mother showed up, they had an argument and not soon after the Templars came. Tamara agreed to go without resistance so to not cause danger to Sarah and Merryn, he had no choice but to accept her decision.

After Tamara was taken away to the circle Merryn and Sarah moved from village to village. Sarah was a competent healer and he a master hunter. Living like this reminded him of how he and his sister got by after his parents passed.

A year later he chose to take Fergus's offer to work as a hunter for the Couslands. Sarah decided to carry on as they were before. He was slightly disappointed but she was an adult now so he respected her decision. Although he grew increasingly worried after receiving the 4th letter of how Sarah was chased out of the village after the people accused her of being an apostate.

He found working as the Cousland's hunter a very agreeable arrangement, begin able to send money to Sarah when able. Unlike his daughter he learned that Tamara was transferred to Orlais and also sent as many letters as he could afford, though that prove to him sending only one letter a month.

## Involvement

in season 1 Merryn was poisoned by Ethel and trapped in the fade in order to force Sarah into an arranged marriage. In his dream in the fade he and Tamara are having a picnic not realising "Tamara" is a desire demon.

Sarah tried to talk him out but demons influence was too strong. He was snapped out after Anais shot an arcane lance at the demon.

With little help from Sarah Ethel and Merryn learned to get along at least a little.

## Notes

Merryn's likeness was taken from Corvo Attano, a character from the Dishonored series.