Merrill

"It's a Keeper's job to remember, even the dangerous things."

Merrill is an elven mage and a temporary companion to the Dalish elf Warden during the Dalish Elf Origin in Dragon Age: Origins. She is a companion and romance option for a male or female Hawke in Dragon Age II.

Merrill is described as a respected member of her clan, but her position as Marethari's heir has kept her slightly apart from the others. If the Warden was Dalish, she displays her awkwardness around humans, stemming from Duncan taking away her friend during her life in Ferelden.

Background


Merrill was born to the Alerion clan, which wandered the hills of Nevarra. She was the third child of the clan with magic born to her. Following the next Arlathvenn, the gathering of Dalish clans, she was given to the Sabrae clan to be the First to Keeper Marethari. She is interested in recovering the elves' lost lore and possesses some knowledge of the elves' old magic. Merrill can recite all of known elven history and navigate the Fade, but has very little experience with the world or even her own people.

Gifts
Gifts that can be given to Merrill to increase friendship or rivalry:

Friendship
Merrill's friendship can be gained by:
 * Siding with the mages or the elves in quests.
 * Choosing options that favor blood magic or demons.
 * By being agreeable to her in conversation.

Listed below are some specific ways to earn Merrill's friendship.

Rivalry
Rivalry with Merrill can generally be earned by contradicting the "hows" of developing a friendship with her, as mentioned above. Listed below are some specific ways to earn a rivalry with Merrill.

Dragon Age: Origins
Class: Mage

Specialization: None

Starting spells/skills: Herbalism, Combat Tactics

Mage: Arcane Bolt

Primal: Flame Blast, Flaming Weapons

Entropy: Weakness

Dragon Age II
Talent trees
 * Elemental
 * Primal
 * Spirit
 * Arcane
 * Entropy
 * Dalish Pariah (specialization)

Dragon Age II
Merrill's armor, Vestments of the First, can be upgraded four times:


 * Act 2: Samite Lining, at Robes by Jean Luc in Hightown, for an extra rune slot
 * Act 2: Carved Ironwood Buttons, at Master Ilen's Shop in Sundermount, increases health
 * Act 2: Silver-Threaded Dalish Embroidery, at the top of Sundermount's Graveyard Path, +20 health regeneration rate
 * Act 3: Halla Horn Buckles, during her quest A New Path, for an extra rune slot

If she is romanced during Act 2, she will equip Raiments of the Dalish Pariah. It is a white/silver-colored set composed of chain-mail with torso and shoulder plates, elbow pads, arm guards and linens with a light blue sash around her waist.

Quotes

 * "More demons. Feynriel's dreams draw them like pastries draw Varric." (During the quest Night Terrors)
 * "It’s a Keeper’s job to remember, even the dangerous things." (During the conversation with Hawke on the quest, Mirror Image)
 * "She has a disappointed frown that turns your bones into jelly! Please help me! You will, won't you?" (Imploring for help on Mirror Image)
 * "If you were Dalish, our people would have a kingdom by now. ... And half of Thedas would be attacking us. So maybe things worked out for the best." (To Hawke, when she visits the estate)
 * "Ir abelas, ma vhenan." (During All That Remains, if Merrill is Hawke's romance partner)
 * "If you hadn't come to Sundermount that day... I can't imagine where I'd be now." (Merrill's codex entry)
 * "Guarding a clan from the Dread Wolf... is a Keeper's place." (During the quest, Memento of the Dalish)
 * "No Keeper, no clan, no people... I have nobody but you." (During the quest, Merrill, Friend or Foe?, if Hawke attacks the clan and is in a romance with her)
 * "When I thought they were going to lock me up, the one thing I knew I couldn't live without... was you." (To Hawke during Best Served Cold, if she was kidnapped by Grace AND in a romance with Hawke)

Trivia

 * Mary Kirby wrote Merrill for Dragon Age II.
 * According to David Gaider, Eve Myles was last on the list of "actors I specifically asked for and got on the first try".
 * Merrill means shining sea in Irish Gaelic.
 * If you give Merrill the Halla Carving bought from Master Ilen's Shop in Act 2, it will be on display on the table beside the door to her home in Act 3 and the rest of Act 2.

Bugs

 * There have been some reports of an inability to gain friendship/rivalry points with Merrill. The cause is currently unknown. It may have to do with flirting with Merrill when you first visit her home. Try to be friendly or mean to her, depending on what you wish.


 * In all the versions of Dragon Age II, at the beginning of Act 2, a bug can occur in which Merrill's companion quest "Mourning" appears in the journal as complete. This appears to be triggered by taking your sibling into the Deep Roads and having them contract the taint. However, this only affects the "Mourning" dialogue. All other quests in Act 2 appear to function as normal, and it has been confirmed that this does not affect the romance. Hawke merely needs 50% friendship/rivalry in Act 2, and to flirt whenever possible.


 * There have been some cases where, during the sex scene between her and Hawke, some graphical issues occur. Such reports claim that the two characters abruptly show up standing idly at the entrance to the Hawke estate, both in their intimate attire. The dialogue wheel, however, is still present and choosing any option will promptly fix the bug, placing the characters in their proper place and the scene will proceed normally.


 * During Act 3, if Merrill's relationship is maxed in either direction, the conversation involving Merrill's reaction to the end of A New Path will occur, even before you start the quest, where she is upset by the death of her clan's Keeper. This can be fixed through save editing. This has also been fixed in patch v1.02.


 * In Act 3, when initiating A New Path, it seems that if you are on a path of rivalry with Merrill, she will mention you keeping the arulin'holm from her, even if you gave it to her.


 * If her clan is wiped out after her personal quest A New Path, she is stuck to your party, being locked forever. This can be fixed by either taking another quest where a party member is locked in, such as Sebastian's Faith, or by returning home to the Hawke estate. Both methods will remove all current party members, restoring Merrill's unlocked status.


 * After consoling Merrill about the death of the clan, the Eluvian disappears from her home in Lowtown.


 * During the epilogue cutscene, if Hawke had sex with Isabela but completed the romance with Merill, Varric will say "... all except Isabela" (or both names simultaneously). This has also been fixed in patch v1.02.