Merlin

## Origins

As a member of the human race herself, **Pantheon** was able to see the grace in an otherwise messy and confusing species, unlike the gods she had come to represent. She knew that humanity had an important part to play in the growth and strengthening of the universe, and she chose to give them a helping hand to fulfil their potential.

On her travels, she encountered a primitive human a little less primitive than the rest, competent with using tools and performing strange rituals, and decided that this figure would help her against the coming catastrophe. Performing a ritual of her own, she opened his eyes to the magical forces that permeated this world, and gave him the tools and understanding he needed to access and manipulate them. He emerged from this process a changed man with greater knowledge of the world around him, and he chose the name **Merlin**, the first magic user.

### The Gathering of the Host

Quickly growing cantankerous and dismissive of the rest of humanity, now seeing them as inferior to his own knowledge and skill, Merlin became a detached yet dedicated protector of his own kind. As the fourth member of **The Host**, he was able to use his magical skill to summon the spirit of **Gaia**, a protector of the planet Earth and invite her to join the lost creatures who would stand against the darkness.

The two quickly formed a close bond, as Merlin was the first human that Gaia had encountered who was in tune with the forces of nature to such an extent. He in turn learned a great deal from her, including how to commune with the spirits of the earth and air, and how to call upon the very power of the world in times of great need.

Merlin was less taken with **Eclipse**, finding the cheerful little moon spirit an annoyance more than a companion, and even less so with **Shenlong**, the arrogant thunder dragon in whom he saw the devastation of early man through storms and fire and floods. But Merlin was aware of the greater picture and knew that his alliance with these strange creatures would be required if they were to face down the evil that was coming to Earth.

### The Coming of the Breaker

When the day came for the ancient and powerful being known as **The Breaker** to rain destruction down on the planet, Merlin stood with his comrades to push back against the dark forces of the cosmos and protect the planet. The battle raged for days, the Host throwing everything in their power at the mighty cosmic executioner but failing to drive him back.

With help from Gaia, Merlin was finally able to craft a powerful spell which cracked open the Breaker's mighty armour, allowing Eclipse to shine a beam of pure moonlight into the creature's dark heart. This weakened the Breaker to the point that Merlin and Shenlong were able to combine their might and shatter the being into ashes and dust, which was scattered across the winds by the thunder dragon.

### Aftermath

Following the Breaker’s defeat, Merlin rededicated himself to protecting the human race, becoming close to fellow hero Gaia in the process. Her calming influence inspired him to begin teaching his skills to other humans, and spreading the use of magic through the generations. The pair ultimately became lovers, the power of the Earth and the strength of humanity combining in a partnership that would reverberate throughout the ages and across the universe.

He acted as counsel to **King Arthur**, a superhuman who would come to be seen as a legend across the years, and a secretive magical order was established around Merlin’s legacy, known as the **Merlinine Council**. But once he saw that humanity would be well-protected without him, Merlin retreated from the public eye and began to wander across the realms, spreading his influence to new people and creatures. This broke Gaia's heart as he left her alone, and she withdrew into the core of the planet to wait for her lover to one day return and embrace her.

Once satisfied that he had done all he could to safeguard magic across the realms, Merlin was welcomed into the hallowed halls of Asgard, where he took a seat in the roots of **Yggdrasil**, the World Tree, and fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep. The stories say that Merlin will wake from his long slumber only at a time of great danger, and many have considered this to mean that the old man waking would signal the end of the universe.

## Personality

Before he was uplifted by the power of Pantheon, the human known as Merlinus was a loner, set apart from the other primitive humans by his superior intellect and interest in building, drawing and writing. He felt sad and alone, but a part of him knew that he was only alone because he was better than the others, and they were afraid or envious of who he was and what he could do.

This arrogance only increased as Pantheon shared her knowledge with him and transformed him into the world's first sorcerer, and now knowing that he was superior to the others Merlin became distant and distrustful of the primitives he had left behind.

Generally grouchy and cantankerous, Merlin was never quick to make friends and often actively disliked those he worked with. He had a particular distaste for the thunder dragon Shenlong, and found his comrade Eclipse to be an irritation. However, the earth spirit Gaia melted his cold heart, and taught him the value of emotional bonds and the true power of love.

Over the years his personality softened, and the Merlin that is remembered by humans and superhumans alike was a much warmer and more friendly figure than the grumpy, unfriendly sorcerer from which he grew.

## Superhuman Abilities

As the first human magic user, Merlin has the ability to tap into the primal forces of the universe and shape them to his will. He is almost endlessly powerful, limited only by his ability to craft the correct words, symbols and tools required to carry out his magic.

He is the most powerful sorcerer in history, as all others who came after him were taught to access the magical forces of the world while Merlin himself was a natural conduit, able to instinctively access magical energy from its very source.

## Weapons and Equipment

While he doesn't technically need them, Merlin chooses to carry a selection of magical items through which he can channel the magical energy he has access to.

* **The Staff of the First** - A long, gnarled wooden staff with hundreds of sigils and runes etched into its surface, the Staff of the First is a powerful channel for offensive and defensive magical spells. After Merlin fell into his long slumber, many parties hunted for the Staff to use for their own ends, but none have found it.
* **The Arcane Dagger** - Some magic requires a blade, and some requires a small blood sacrifice, so Merlin carries a curved, wickedly sharp dagger inscribed with a series of small runes.
* **The Merlinine Rings** - Forged by Merlin himself, the four Merlinine Rings each channel a different aspect of Merlin's magic. These are the only artifacts that have been recovered following Merlin retreating into his long slumber, and are currently wielded by four high-ranking members of the Merlinine Council.

Merlin also carried a pack full of small esoteric magical items which he frequently used for one-off incantations, including glass bottles, clay pots, needles, animal hides and innards, leather straps and a number of lengths of rope. The exact purpose of each of these items is unknown, although many magical scholars have dedicated their lives to finding out.