Merindah Cousland

> *"I have been many things. Lady Cousland, Grey Warden, Warden-Commander, Queen, Hero of Ferelden... but above all else, I am a survivor, and I will not break."*
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Queen-Consort Merindah Cousland was born in 9:12 Dragon to Bryce and Eleanor Cousland. She was their second and youngest child. She was also known as the Hero of Ferelden, and ascended the Ferelden throne after marrying her love and fellow Grey Warden, Alistair Theirin.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Merindah had long, wavy ginger hair - tied back in combat situations, and worn loose otherwise. She had a pale complexion and green eyes.

In combat, she could often be seen with flattering, yet practical armor, often bearing the Grey Warden or House Cousland insignias. Merindah preferred light or medium armor, because her combat style was more reliant on agility than raw strength.

In everyday situations, Merindah wore the dresses typical of Fereldan noblewomen.

### **Personality**

As a young girl, Merindah quickly cultivated a reputation for her fiery spirit and sharp tongue. Much to her mother's exasperation, she was stubborn and fiercely independent. She was a Cousland at heart, however, and rarely eschewed her duties or responsibilities.

However, Merindah's sheltered childhood meant that most moral issues were entirely abstract to her. While she was well-educated, Merindah was not well-traveled, and was somewhat ignorant to the plight of everyday Fereldans - though far from unsympathetic.

Merindah's adventures changed her, dampening her free-spirited nature considerably and forcing her to confront the stark new reality of the Blight. She was deeply haunted by the murder of her parents, sister-in-law, and nephew. Though she knew better than to prioritize petty revenge over saving Thedas, Merindah nevertheless swore to avenge their deaths - a promise that she saw fulfilled before the Blight's end.

**Talents and Skills**

Here's what Your OC is good at, jabroni. Doesn't have to just include killing things, though let's be real, it probably includes killing things.

## Biography

### **History**

Merindah Cousland was born in 9:12 Dragon to Bryce and Eleanor Cousland. She was their second and youngest child.

Like her brother, Merindah was raised from birth as a fighter. She grew up sparring with decorated veterans of the Ferelden war against Orlais, often impressing them with her prodigious talent. Her lithe frame meant that her advantage was her agility, not brute strength, and so Merindah trained specifically for that. By the time of the Fifth Blight, Merindah was quite proficient in dual-wielding blades.

Once Merindah reached a certain age, Eleanor began the process of finding her daughter a suitable husband. Much to her exasperation, Merindah had little interest in settling down at a young age, when she could be leading armies and fighting for her family.

### **In-game**

Here's what happened during the events of Your OC's game, boyo.

### **Post-game**

In the following years, Merindah continued to rule Ferelden alongside Alistair. She proved quite popular with the people, which proved necessary since support among her fellow nobles was much more tenuous. Though she had many supporters - mostly allies of her late father - some viewed her as ambitious and power hungry, whispering that she was the true mastermind behind the Fereldan throne. Others instead saw her as a naïve, starry-eyed teenager who believed herself to be in a fairytale; that she was wholly unprepared for the true reality of being Queen.

Upon becoming Queen-Consort, Merindah did not remain idle. Ferelden was devastated in the wake of the Fifth Blight, and Merindah spent her first years as Queen helping with the rebuilding effort. She was keenly aware of Ferelden's weakened state and sought to improve the situation.

Though she found some satisfaction in her work, it didn't take long for Merindah to chafe against the confines of her position. Though she had the skills to be Queen-Consort, Merindah soon realized that what she really wanted was adventure - to travel and fight, and to get her hands dirty. She often sought out excuses to travel and leave, such as when she personally chased down Morrigan in 9:32 Dragon against the advice of their advisors. This behavior also served to create tension between Merindah and her advisors.

Though Merindah and Alistair's marriage remained a happy one, Merindah grew to resent how their relationship was under the public eye. She disliked having external pressures and scrutiny to deal with in their relationship.

## **Relationships**

### Dog:

Merindah's mabari, Rabbit, was her childhood pet Bryce Cousland gifted Rabbit to Merindah for her thirteenth birthday, and the mabari quickly bonded to his new mistress. Merindah adored Rabbit, and was known to defend his antics to her mother and the staff of Highever.

Rabbit alerted a sleeping Merindah to Arl Howe's surprise attack, possibly saving her life. He accompanied her through the escape from Highever and all the way to Ostagar and beyond.

### Alistair:

Aside from Duncan, Alistair was the first Grey Warden Merindah met. Her first impression was not particularly flattering: a disarmingly cheerful and glib young man with an apparent inability to see the bigger picture.

During their travels, however, the two began to bond over their mutual sense of loss. Alistair mourned the deaths of Duncan and the Grey Wardens, while Merindah mourned her parents. As the only two Wardens in Ferelden, they felt compelled to stick together. Merindah grew to appreciate Alistair's sense of humor and earnestness, and even found herself admiring him for it.

### Fergus:

Despite the ten year age difference, Merindah and Fergus got along very well. They bickered, of course, like all siblings do, but they always had each other's backs. As Merindah grew up, Fergus encouraged her interest in fighting and combat. Though he was not her formal instructor, Fergus taught her a great deal about fighting, and they often sparred together.

When Highever was attacked by Arl Howe in 9:30 Dragon, Merindah was horrified to discover that Oriana and Oren had both been cruelly murdered. Though she greatly dreaded having to break the news to her brother - that not only were their parents dead, so was his wife and son - she desperately wanted to search for him both during and after her initiation into the Grey Wardens at Ostagar. She was only talked out of it when Morrigan pointed out how futile such a search would be.

It wasn't until nearly a year later that Merindah would learn what happened to Fergus - that he'd survived with the assistance of a Chasind tribe. They reunited at King Alistair's coronation, where Fergus expressed his great surprise at the fact that not only had his little sister joined the Grey Wardens, she led Ferelden to battle, and even slayed the Archdemon.

In the following years, Merindah and Fergus stayed in frequent contact. Though they did not often see each other thanks to their respective duties, they nevertheless visited when they could.

## **Trivia**

* Merindah amassed the following titles over the years: Her Royal Majesty Queen-Consort of Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine, Heiress Presumptive to the Teyrnir of Highever, Warden-Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens, and Hero of Ferelden. She eventually lost the title of Heiress to her brother's Teyrnir when Fergus remarried.

## **Gallery**

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