Merrill

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

Merrill
Title	Marethari's First
Race	Elf
Gender	Female
Class	Mage
Specialization	Dalish Pariah
Location	Dalish Camp - (Origins) Sundermount - (Dragon Age II)
Voice	Erin Matthews - (Origins) Eve Myles - (Dragon Age II)
Appearances	Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II

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 in Dragon Age: Origins

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.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins

Template:DAOSpoiler

Dragon Age II

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

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Following the events surrounding the disappearance of Tamlen, Merrill had kept a fragment of the Eluvian in the old ruins to cleanse it of its taint. Her efforts to repair it are what caused her to turn to blood magic, which she learned from a pride demon imprisoned atop Sundermount. She believed it was the only way she could access enough power to cleanse the taint in the mirror. She has become convinced that her efforts to understand blood magic are necessary for the survival of the Dalish, and faces the scorn and contempt of her clanmates as a result.

When Hawke arrives at the Dalish camp in Sundermount, she takes part in a ritual that Hawke is to perform on a mountain-top altar. In the rite, Merrill recites the song In Uthenera, a poem for the departed. The ritual actually entails the resurrection of Flemeth, as a portion of her essence is revealed to have been embedded into the amulet. Merrill has been given permission by Marethari to leave her increasingly hostile clan in order to learn more about the outside world and continue her studies. Initially nervous when arriving in Kirkwall, Merrill finds lodging in the city's Alienage and joins Hawke's party.

Three years have passed since Hawke joined the voyage to the Deep Roads, and Merrill seeks Hawke's help in facing Marethari to request a special dagger, an Arulin'Holm, to help complete the Eluvian. As they confront the Keeper, she calls upon vir sulevanan, the right of every Dalish to claim any property or artifact of the clan in exchange for a service. Reluctantly, Marethari requests that they slay a Varterral that had killed a number of their hunters, as the deal for the dagger. While exploring the Varterral's lair, they run into Pol, who flees in fear at the sight of Merrill, straight to the Varterral itself. After killing the Varterral and returning to camp, it is discovered that Marethari had warned her clan that Merrill may potentially bring back the darkspawn taint. Though Merrill honors her side of the bargain, the Keeper does not trust her, and instead, gives it to Hawke for safekeeping, left with the choice to either give it to her or deny her the tool.

After another three years since the invasion of the Qunari, Merrill finds an alternative to fixing the still-inactive Eluvian, regardless whether Hawke gave the Arulin'Holm to Merrill or not. She plans to consult the demon, who said to her that he witnessed the creation of the mirror itself. The Keeper will sacrifice herself to keep Merrill from harm, independent of whether Hawke warns her of Merrill's plan or not. It turns out that the demon was intending to use the Eluvian as a way out of its prison and Merrill would've been its first victim. Afterwards, the clan will confront and interrogate Hawke and Merrill about the Keeper's disappearance, eventually discovering that she is dead. If Hawke blames the Keeper's possession by the demon or orders the clan to back off, they will attack and force Hawke and Merrill to kill them in order to survive. However, if Hawke takes responsibility for Merrill's actions the clan will simply force them to leave and never come back.

Back in the Alienage, Merrill is crushed. If she and Hawke are rivals, she bemoans that she was too "stupid and ignorant" to listen, then shatters the Eluvian. If they are friends, she states that the clan and Keeper did not heed her when she was trying to help them; the mirror remains in her house, despite of what Hawke tells her.

In the final battle, she willfully joins in for the mages and pleads for Anders to be spared after he destroys the Chantry, and to assist the party in the defense of the Circle to make up for his act. She may still stick with Hawke even if siding with the Templars, provided that Hawke has a high enough friendship or rivalry score with her, as well as all of her companion quests accomplished.

Romance

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

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Raiments of the Dalish Pariah

Romance with Merrill is initiated once her companion quests, Mirror Image, Back From Sundermount, and her Questioning Beliefs, have been done. Merrill then visits the estate, followed by a heart-to-heart talk with Hawke.

Merrill feels terrible as she remembers the recent turn of unfortunate events. Though she doubts that leaving her clan was the right decision, she does not regret it; she wouldn't have met Hawke if she stayed. She admires Hawke's leadership, though she's relieved that her "savior" isn't Dalish; the elves would have made a lot of enemies then if they rise again to power. Merrill is troubled by the thought of their forbidden love, as Hawke is human; both her clan and her culture do not approve of their kind. If Hawke is female, Merrill will also express her feelings of inferiority towards her, and states that she is not worth Hawke's time and attention. But in the end, their affection for one another bonds them together.

After the love scene, Hawke asks if Merrill could stay at the estate, her new future home, and be with each other. Despite the controversy it might cause, she happily agrees. But Merrill doesn't immediately move in; if Hawke converses with Bodahn, he suggests that "something" still draws her back to her house. He often reports Hawke of her absence upon entering the estate.

If Hawke speaks with Isabela sometime later after the intimate relationship with Merrill has begun, she opens up a topic about love, asking if Hawke is sincere with Merrill. If Hawke comments either sarcastically or in a kind manner, she responds that Hawke should always care for her, as she is in constant danger, as well as to be faithful to her.

Finishing their long search and ending Quentin's madness, Hawke returns home devastated. Grieving silently for the loss, Hawke is condoled by Merrill. Both believe that Leandra is in the right hands now.

Merrill expresses her concern for Hawke's safety if she is brought along on the battle against the Qunari.

Settling the argument between the First Enchanter and the Knight-Commander, Hawke heads home. Once Hawke talks to her, Merrill tells Hawke that she'll visit her house at the Alienage. Hawke then decides to drop by. It is found out that Merrill is still focused and looking for a solution to fix the eluvian; Varric fails to persuade her to calm down, and heads off annoyed. She opens up, as she thought she saw Tamlen (or Mahariel, if the Warden is of Dalish origin) wandering in the Alienage, and misses the clan, even the Keeper.

Merrill can become jealous if Hawke flirts with Zevran. She utters her dislike for him after their meeting with the Crows.

As Hawke helps out Anders gather sela petrae for his "potion", he questions their relationship. He criticizes that she'll never choose Hawke over the demon. Hawke ignores his reproach nonetheless.

Merrill can be kidnapped by the activists of the conspiracy set up by Thrask. With only Hawke in her mind during her captivity, she is grateful for her rescuer and lover.

Following their face-off against the demon at Pride's End, the Dalish hunters are looking for Marethari, and approach them with resentment. Regardless of whether Hawke leaves the clan in peaceful terms, blames the Keeper, or defends Merrill, as a result, she feels alone and rejected. Hawke may encourage her to stick to her course, to start anew, or to live with one another. NOTE: If you want to get the Romantic achievement with Merrill during The Last Straw, you have to choose the option "Stay with me" at the end of this dialogue. This option is only available if you previously begun a romance with Merrill (flirted with her, asked her to stay at your house, etc).

The romance strengthens and flourishes further as they have one moment alone before the final battle. Wishing that the whole incident isn't real, Merrill is comforted by Hawke, promising that they will get through this together. Ending their conversation, they kiss amiably.

As Varric concludes the tale of the Champion, he says that the companions have parted ways, but Merrill and Hawke remain beside each other.

Note: There are bugs regarding Merrill's romance, see the bugs section.

The following quests have flirt options with Merrill.

Act 1:

• Welcome Home

Act 2:

• Mirror Image, Back From Sundermount, Questioning Beliefs

A special choice (star icon) is available in Merrill, Friend or Foe?.

Friendship and Rivalry

See the approval page for more information.

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.

Rivalry with Merrill can generally be earned by contradicting the "hows" of developing a friendship with her, as mentioned above.

Gifts

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

Halla Carving

Sylvanwood Ring

Initial statistics

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)

Gear

Dragon Age: Origins

Acolyte's Staff may refer to the following staves in Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II:

• Acolyte's Staff (Origins)
• Acolyte's Staff (Dragon Age II Act 1)
• Acolyte's Staff (Dragon Age II Act 2)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Tevinter Mage Robes

Dragon Age II

Main article: Companion armor

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. Additionally, this outfit is devoid of her distinctive scarf and nail polish. The change is only aesthetic; there are no bonuses given by this armor except the runes and upgrades that have already been fitted onto it.

Bug! If she is wearing Raiments of the Dalish Pariah and is kidnapped in Act 3, she will be seen wearing Vestments of the First.

Quotes

Main article: Merrill/Dialogue

• (During Night Terrors) "More demons. Feynriel's dreams draw them like pastries draw Varric."
• (To Hawke on the quest, Mirror Image) "It’s a Keeper’s job to remember, even the dangerous things."
• (Imploring for help on Mirror Image) "She has a disappointed frown that turns your bones into jelly! Please help me! You will, won't you?"
• (To Hawke, when she visits the estate) "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."
• (During All That Remains, if Merrill is Hawke's romance partner) "Ir abelas, ma vhenan." (Translation: Condolences, my love)
• (Merrill's codex entry) "If you hadn't come to Sundermount that day... I can't imagine where I'd be now."
• (During Memento of the Dalish) "Guarding a clan from the Dread Wolf... is a Keeper's place."
• (If Hawke attacks the clan and is in a romance with her) "No Keeper, no clan, no people... I have nobody but you."
• (To Hawke, if she was kidnapped and in a romance with Hawke) "When I thought they were going to lock me up, the one thing I knew I couldn't live without... was you."

Gallery

Concept art for Dragon Age II

Merrill fighting templars

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.
• 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

• Upon returning to the alienage after completing Long Way Home, selecting the option "I don't think so." when asked if you wish to stop by later and flirting with her during Welcome Home may lead to a bug with her approval for Hawke, making it impossible to gain any friendship or rivalry points with Merrill henceforth. Note: It has also been noted that this bug randomly occurs even if you select the "I Will." option and later flirt with her. You'll know it's not working b/c you gain no friendship after all friendly and flirt dialogue options have been concluded in Welcome Home. If this does happen, simply reload and do not select the flirt option when chatting with Merill in Welcome Home.

• 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 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. This was fixed on patch 1.03.

• 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.

• With patch 1.03, her Act 3 romance scenes (for Merrill, Friend or Foe? and The Last Straw) may not trigger properly, but the epilogue will still state that she was the only one who didn't leave the Champion's side.

External links

• Short story on Merrill in Dragon Age II by Mary Kirby