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Candidate Merrick
Aricat GreenTruth@gmail.com

 

Common Knowledge: Merrick is fairly young at only 14 turns, which just shows how few candidates there are. He’s a mischievous boy: curious and cheerful and will get into anything anyone will let him, and some things they wouldn’t… if they had any idea that he was doing them. Merrick is fairly good-looking and shows promise; this, however, just allows him to use his looks to attempt to get him out of trouble. 
 

Character Name: Merrick 
 

Birthdate (age): 2.18.3306 (14 turns) 
 

Gender: Male 
 

Birthplace: Somewhere between Southern Hold and Southern Weyr, in a trader caravan 
 

Current Location: Last Hope Weyr 
 

Family: Mother: Merryl, 29, trader/dancer, trader caravan in Southern Continent (married to Setimio, trader)

Father: Unknown bronzerider from Southern Weyr

Half-Brother: Settril, 9

Half-Sister: Timiryl, 7

Unknown half-siblings on father’s side 
 

Physical Description: Somewhat small for his age, Merrick is lightly built and moves fluidly, making him quite a dancer. He has always led an active life and so is in good physical condition. He has dark brown hair which he keeps cut above his ears, a sprinkling of freckles across a snub nose, mischievous green eyes and an ever-present smile if not an outright grin. He can be very charming and receives quite a lot of attention from females – but, to his frustration, they all seem to want to mother him. While this hinders him in the romance department, he’s learned to use it to his advantage when he’s in a scrape. 

Personality: He’s mischievous and curious, always cheerful and always friendly. He loves poking his nose into things, whether or not it belongs. He’s mostly obedient, but believes it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. If no one has told him not to do something, it’s fair game – and it’s hard to anticipate what Merrick will think of next. He’s a people-person, never happier than when he’s around other people talking, joking and telling stories. He sometimes misses the trading caravan, where everyone would gather around after making camp for the night and play music, dance, gamble, tell stories and have a good time. His fondest memories are of drifting off to sleep under the cart with his brother and sister, the sounds of the adults’ conversation a pleasant lull in the background. 

Merrick was never apprenticed to any particular craft, assuming he’d be a trader like his father. However, he picked up a variety of skills in the caravan including bartering, a feel for commerce, and making use of whatever resources are at hand. He also enjoys dancing, and playing a simple, flute-like whistle. He reads, writes, and does figures well enough to keep records and receipts. He’s a decent storyteller, and also enjoys gambling and dice games, which he seems to win more often than he ought.  

History: Merrick’s mother, Merryl, is a dancer with a trade caravan on the Southern Continent. When Merryl was 15, a stop at Southern Weyr led to a brief romantic interlude with a young bronzerider not long out of weyrlinghood, which in turn led to Merrick’s birth. Merryl has never told her son the rider’s name, though he suspects she knows it. He is also almost certain the man died in either the plague or the earthshakes. When Merrick was 3 turns old, Merryl married a man from their trading caravan, Setimio. He has always treated Merrick as his own child, along with the two he has since fathered with Merryl. 

Merrick grew up with his two younger siblings and the other trader children, getting into mischief but also learning the skills useful to traders. He reads people well, and can usually make them feel instantly at ease with him. He’s a charmer, especially when trying to strike a bargain or get out of trouble. His family traveled in a cart pulled by two draybeasts, which Merryl whimsically named for the two moons of Pern: Belior and Timor. The front of the cart contained the family’s belongings, while the back contained their wares and could easily be opened up to display goods available for sale or trade. Merrick and his siblings slept under the cart in bedrolls, while their parents slept in the front of the cart. 

When Merrick was 14, the caravan was stopped at Pioneer Hold when a dragon came on Search. Always curious about dragonriders due to his own heritage, Merrick made his way close to the dragon to watch and, to his surprise, found himself an object of the Search. Though Setimio was leery of dragonriders along with most of Pern, Merryl urged him to allow the boy to go, remembering his father, and Setimio relented. 

Merrick has since been at the weyr and, though he did not impress at Truth’s first hatching, he intends to stay and try again. Though he considers Settimio his father, he is curious about his connection to the weyr and dragonriders. 
 

Pet Name: Chance

Age: 2 turns

Pet type: Tunnelsnake (a ferret-like variety)

Physical Description: He weighs about two pounds and resembles a Terran ferret with a third set of legs. His fur is dark brown with a lighter cream color on his paws and underbelly.

Personality: Even more curious and mischievous than his owner, if that’s possible. He gets into everything, and all of life is a game. He’s especially curious about people and their things, and loves to play hide and seek or tug of war. When not sleeping or exploring, he spends his time on Merrick’s shoulder or in a pocket, watching everything that’s going on. He’s trained to perform a number of tricks. 
 

Pet Name: Scamp

Age: 2 turns

Pet type: Tunnelsnake (a ferret-like variety)

Physical Description: She weighs about a pound and a half, and resembles a Terran ferret except for the third pair of legs. Her fur is mostly cream in color, with darker brown on his legs and tail and a dark mask over her eyes.

Personality: A little more laid-back than Chance, but still curious and energetic. She also prefers to spend her time on Merrick’s shoulder or in a pocket, and enjoys performing tricks and playing games. She can be something of a pickpocket. 

How did your character acquire this pet: Merrick won two tunnelsnake eggs in a game of dice in Southern Hold, and both hatched. He’s taught them some entertaining tricks, and both have learned basic commands.