Merrelyn Morrigen

Merrelyn Morrigen is the ruling lady of House Morrigen. Once a strong-willed and aggressive child, she chose to become a septa. Returning for the Rosegold Rebellion, her Lord Father died in the battle of the Blueburn. Since then, Merrelyn has earned herself a name as both a highly-skilled commander as well as one of the deadliest blades the Stormlands nowadays count among their ranks, able to willingly succumb to total ecstasy in the heat of battle. She is known to be there whenever the Stormlands need her - yet to withdraw to the seclusion of her remote lands after the conflict is over.

## Character and Appearance

Her bravery and skill in the Battle of the Blueburn at once earned her the trust and respect of her soldiers as well as other Lords. Yet no matter how grand her accomplishments there or during the rest of the war (be it battle or the many other faces of warfare), what stuck out most to people was, how Merrelyn could easily enter into a state of red haze and a killing frenzy, to crush whomever or whatever got in her way. She is rumoured to be one of the deadliest contemporary fighters, having killed a stunningly large number of enemies, aggregated over the whole course of the war. More than that, she is rumoured to be a commander preferred by her leaders to be employed for tasks requiring harshness and discipline – as well as sometimes cunning and ruthlessness. As such she was often entrusted with tasks that her leaders were hesitant to give to knights and lords primarily concerned with their own honour.

After the Rosegold Rebellion, as well as the conflicts of the years 96 and 97 AC, Merrelyn regularly disappeared from the public stage again, and little is known about how she is spending her time there, in this remote place in the Stormland mountains.

Merrelyn stands at 5’10” (178 cm). Her natural built is one of a relatively delicate woman, with slender shoulders and long legs, rather flat but not skinny. It has been the years of fighting, however, that gave her body a sinewy appearance. Though not overly muscular, dressed in simple female gowns, she passes as a normal flat-breasted rather tall young woman, looking actually younger than she is. Steel grey eyes.

## Becoming a Novice

Merrelyn Morrigen was born as the only daughter of Lord and Lady Morrigen in the year 70 AC. Known to be an odd, stubborn, extremely strong-willed and in her younger years even aggressive girl, following her own will, the teenager was sent off to become a Septa, wishing for strict discipline and a clear aim to pursue. She was sent to a convent in the Vale and quickly started appreciating the rough and simple lifestyle. Focusing on physical labour to find a vent for her unexplainable internal tension and pressure, she became versed in using the axe, scythe, and whatever other tools of harvest and handcrafts were put in her hands. And though never the one to be overly interested in theological science, it was said that her laconic and direct way of expressing herself and living up to her own words lent her a natural, down-to-earth charisma.

## The Rosegold Rebellion – Becoming a War Hero

At the onset of the Rosegold Rebellion, she considered it her calling to return. Following what she laconically described as “mere instinct”, she asked to serve as a clerical novice in the theatres of war. When at the battle of the Blueburn, her Lord father and commander of the Morrigen forces, Merrelyn took over command. With a determination as if she had never done anything else before. Putting down her novice robes and donning her father’s armour, complemented with several better fitting parts, on her father’s destrier, she rode out in the midst of battle and would lead the Morrigen forces, having lost faith and morale, back into the fight.

Without a second thought, “seized by a red haze”, as she later described it, she threw herself into the enemy lines, at a critical spot where the Stormlander attack was nearly collapsing – her army following as if they had never done anything else. Merrelyn’s courageous attack, leading by her own example, is nowadays considered to have added substantially to the success of the flank where their forces were employed. More than that, it is estimated that she personally cut down more than a dozen of enemy knights and many more squires and soldiers in a killing frenzy, bashing in helmet and armour with the raven’s beak she had been given before bringing doom to her next opponent. It is said that not even the wounds inflicted on her by the enemy could stop her. Instead, they seemed to make her even more aggressive.

After the battle, not only her own men paid her respect and swore her fealty at once – the story of how she fought spread through the army like a bolt of lightning. Her status from then on was never questioned ever again. Especially not as she decided to take lessons in warcraft and weaponry to be able to lead her soldiers efficiently in the future, when more than just a red haze would be needed to inspire men and win the day.

Merrelyn kept upholding her fame (and shocking killing rate) throughout the rest of the war. More than that, she became rumoured to be a commander preferred by her leaders to be employed for tasks requiring harshness and discipline – as well as sometimes cunning and ruthlessness. As such she was often entrusted with tasks that her leaders were hesitant to give to knights and lords primarily concerned with their own honour.

## After the Rosegold Rebellion – Withdrawing from the Public Scene

The end of the war saw Merrelyn return to her House’s lands, now focusing on how to become an able ruler. Her cousin Morrys would not dare to raise a single request of being chosen as the next Lord because of being first in the line of male inheritance. Merrelyn had been established as the ruling and since then unquestioned lady of her House due to her fame, bravery and skill throughout the war and her honourful, disciplined background as a novice. Many, however, would also add her determined and strong character to this list of reasons, with some people considering her as having become a hardliner in the fields of warfare.

Regarding those next years, not much is known. The Morrigen lands continued to be a remote region in the mountains, with their lady, no matter how famed during the war, disappearing from the public stage.

## The Year of Skulls and Daggers – Returning for Conflict

Until the next armed conflicted arose, and the Morrigen heeded the call. To yet renew her fame in fight and battle – and prove both a more able commander and a more skilled fighter than before, having used the years of peace to hone her skills. Only to return to Crow’s Nest again afterwards.

## Present Day

It has become nearly typical for the lady of Crow’s Nest to lead a withdrawn life, not intending to change anything for herself or her vassals, not being involved in politics and having hardly any interest, it seems, in marrying off her few relatives. From the distance, it is hard to perceive what is going on there, and even travellers report little more than that she’s at Crow’s Nest, wearing simple gowns most of the time – unless honing her martial skills.

As however, during the short period of her reign, it has become a standard for her already to answer war’s calling, it remains yet to be seen if the current tense political situation, with the Stormlands and many other regions raising their levies, will not make her return to the political stage and the theatres of war anew.

## Family

Harren Morrigen (45 – 93 AC) + his lady wife (\*50 AC)

- Merrelyn (\*70 AC)

Robar Morrigen (\*47 AC) + his lady wife (51 – 97 AC)

- Mildred (\*71 AC)

- Morrys (\*75 AC)

- Renly (\*80 AC)

Ronnald Morrigen (48 – 94 AC) + his lady wife (\*55 AC)

- Several children

Further relatives