as you are,
as you were,
#SERVINGLIES
an independent, private, & selective blog for merlin ambrosius, with origins in bbc merlin, heavily influenced by various arthuriana texts. canon divergent. written by marta.
& as you always will be...
you are son of the earth, the sea, the sky. magic is the fabric of this world, and you were born of that magic.
YOU ARE MAGIC ITSELF.
"you cannot lose what you are.
believe what your heart knows to be true. that you have always been, and always will be."
navigation & links
GENERAL RULES
01. Please be kind. I feel like this is a pretty standard rule that doesn't need further explanation. Be mindful, respectful and kind, and we'll get along. Any sign of bigotry will not be tolerated. 02. I will do my best to be as consistent and active as I can, but real life comes first. I will employ this same rule with you guys, so let's be respectful. This is, after all, my return after a longer break. After a year from hell, my full time job and poor health still exist, but I will do my best to stay consistent and active, because I missed this silly little community and writing for fun. Precisely, I really just want to have fun here outside of the gritty, grey world.
portrayal
01. I first started Merlin month shy from my eighteenth birthday. What I mean is besides the fact that I'm old, is that while the portrayal has changed drastically over the years, I come with a heavy baggage of headcanons and thoughts. You do not have to know them! I'm happy to share and to learn, I'm also happy to start fresh in certain aspects, as a year have passed. Nevertheless, there are certain things that will remain true for this blog. 02. Merlin started out as a BBC Merlin blog with Arthuriana inspirations, but over the years I settled into a hybrid of various source materials and verses, thus calling myself canon divergent — though I use that term loosely. I tend to focus mostly on Merlin as an immortal, with various crossover verses. The bare bones of this blog have been built upon BBCM, however they are heavily influenced by myths, legends, arthuriana takes and my own headcanons. 02. ON BBC MERLIN. Here, I'm heavily canon divergent. I do not really vibe with the way that show has done and portrayed a lot of things anymore, including their tendency to villainize magic users and alienate Merlin in the process (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). I'm down with writing with anyone in the show's verse, but I'd love to plot first, at least a bit! Since I've been on a break, I'll be trying to look back on BBCM with a new light, because this show remains in my heart anyway, but either way, canon divergency remains true for me. 02. MERLIN'S CANONICLLY OVERPOWERED. This needs to be said, but Merlin's canonically, in legends or otherwise, an OP character. I won't downplay it. His identity is complicated, he's very confident in his abilities and he's a pretty patient person, but if your muse keeps disrespecting him, he will also have no problem reacting accordingly.
triggering or mature themes
03. I've been of age for some time, as is Merlin. Therefore, I do not want to interact with anyone below the age of twenty, as mature themes will appear on this blog (not necessarily written, but certainly in passing, given Merlin's backstory has triggering themes in it). In case of written triggering themes, such a matter will be properly tagged. 04. I try to keep my blogs clean and respectful. I will do my best to tag things accordingly, but if there's anything specific you need me to tag, feel free to send me a message and I'll make sure to tag it for you.
interactions
05. I have no major preferences when it comes to interactions, besides not engaging with minors. My main goal is to write with friends who are as excited about my characters as I am about theirs, creating fun plots (plotted interactions are the most fun) and meaningful relationships. That being said, I'm open to making new friends! Feel free to reach out! 06. I won't be using icons and will do minor formatting. I don't mind if you use icons or whether you format or not, it's up to you. My only request is not using more than three spaces between words, if that's still a thing, because it's hard for me to read that. 06. I'm open to OCs, multimuses, crossovers, whatever you want, just as long as I know the fandom, or I can find your page. I might not follow everyone back, but will try to do so if I see us interacting. I'm also open to all kinds of shipping!
disclaimers
07. I am not affiliated with any of my source materials. All the headcanons, icons and graphics posted on this blog are mine, so please don’t steal them. This blog is heavily headcanon based, and all of my headcanons are over eleven years in the making, so please don't copy and claim as your own. Any graphics posted here, unless otherwise stated, have been done by me.
rules
WRITTEN BY MARTA. 28. She/her. GMT +1. This blog is 20+. Please do not interact if you're younger.
Special thanks to witchwings for allowing me to use her carrd template. Bless you.
navigation
DOSSIER.
names.
ㅤNAME:ㅤ ㅤMerlin (given name), Merlin Ambrosius (taken up later in life), Myrddin Wyllt (Welsh version)
ㅤOTHER NAMES:ㅤㅤ Emrys (name prophesied by the druids), Merdhyn (Cornish), Merzhin (Breton), Merlinus Ambrosius
ㅤALIAS:ㅤㅤDragoon the Great, The Dolma, and a number of false names and aliases he assumes over the course of his immortality
IDENTITY.
ㅤSPECIES:ㅤ ㅤMagic incarnated, nexus being (commonly referred to as a sorcerer, mage, warlock, wizard, among other names, but not actually either of them); occasionally called the Spirit of Magic, or a cambion (in certain texts)
ㅤGENDER:ㅤㅤ Male (vaguely genderfluid due to the ability to shapeshift at will)
ㅤSEXUALITY:ㅤ ㅤBisexual
LIFESPAN.
ㅤSTATUS:ㅤㅤ Immortal
ㅤAGE:ㅤㅤ Prefers to appear around his 30s physically (can manipulate physical age at will), actually over 1500 years old. Stopped aging around 30.
ㅤDATE OF BIRTH:ㅤ ㅤOctober 31st (Samhain), late 5th century (exct date unknown until later in life)
ㅤPLACE OF BIRTH:ㅤ ㅤEaldor, Essetir, Albion (of Britannia)
ㅤORIGIN:ㅤㅤ Most of his family hails from Wales, where he has also resided later in life at Carmarthen
merlin of the legend.
merlin in our time hath spoken also, not in jest, and sworn though men may wound him, that he will not die, but pass, again to come. [...]
FORMALITIES.
ㅤAFFILIATION:ㅤㅤ Magic, magic users, Old Religion, Avalon, formerly the druids, formerly Camelot, formerly Albion, the Great Balance
ㅤWEALTH STATUS:ㅤ ㅤStarting from poverty (raised as a commoner and a villager), through a commoner with decent pay, then possessing a decent wealth with a title, to a sizable financial portfolio based on a fortune he made over the years of his immortal life.
ㅤORIGINAL OCCUPATION:ㅤ ㅤPrince Arthur’s manservant (formerly), King Arthur’s personal servant (formerly), the physician’s apprentice (formerly), physician, later a number of high positions in the court of Camelot over the years, including being the member of the Royal Council and the original figure at the Round Table. Healer.
ㅤLATER OCCUPATION:ㅤ ㅤ A schola, a bard, magic teacher, advisor, warrior, a number of other occupations during his immortality.
ㅤFOUNDER:ㅤ ㅤMagic School in Carmarthen
FILES.
ㅤSTATUS:ㅤㅤ Born and raised as a commoner, later in life receives a noble title under the rule of Arthur Pendragon. Years after receiving the title, he learns more about his own heritage, and ultimately finds out his mother’s family is a daughter of a former king of Demetia / Dyved (before being overthrown when his mother was still just a baby), and his own father being a lord by birth before the Great Purge. It doesn't change anything for his original lifetime, however in the verses where the Great Purge had never happened, his upbringing would have been vastly different - if not because of his mother's line, then most certainly because of his father's.
ㅤTITLES:ㅤㅤ The Last Dragonlord, briefly the Court Physician, the Court Sorcerer (under Queen Guinevere’s rule), First Royal Advisor, Lord Merlin, Lord Emrys, Lord Ambrosius, Enchanter Merlin, The Grand Enchanter, The Founder, Headmaster
FAMILY.
ㅤHEIGHT:ㅤ ㅤ 6'0" (183cm)
ㅤMOTHER:ㅤ ㅤHunith (human, died when Merlin was thirty-eight). To his knowledge, Hunith was a commoner resided in the village called Ealdor, however he later finds out she was actually an educated woman of previously royal descent living secretly in exile from infancy, leading a life of a peasant)
ㅤFATHER:ㅤㅤ Balinor (dragonlord, died a day after Merlin met him at twenty years old). Before the Great Purge he was a titled lord and a member of the Order of Dragonlords, after the Purge becomes the last of his kind, a recluse hiding in a cave far from Camelot, eventually dying and passing his gifts to Merlin.
ㅤUNCLE:ㅤㅤ Gaius (human, magic user, died two years after Camlann). Actually Hunith’s brother, in Camelot from early youth, working as the court physician and a member of the Royal Council.
IMMORTALITY.
ㅤMATTER OF AGING.ㅤ ㅤIt's Merlin’s magic that makes him immortal, a fact he wasn't entirely aware of (though suspected) until well after the battle of Camlann, when it became clear that he had stopped aging. He was around thirty years old when the clock stopped, and that is his true appearance without using magic to form any type of a disguise.ㅤINABILITY TO DIE PERMANENTLY.ㅤ ㅤMerlin can die a temporary death, however not permanently, due to the fact his magic brings him back to life. The speed in which he's brought back and healed depends on the cause of death. This is directly tied to his status as a nexus being — as such a being cannot be killed.
trigger warning.
following story contains themes of: death, torture, genocide, murder, suicide, suicide ideation, violence, sexual themes.
APPEARANCE.
ㅤHEIGHT:ㅤ ㅤ 6'0" (183cm)
ㅤHAIR COLOUR:ㅤ ㅤ Black
ㅤHAIR TEXTURE:ㅤ ㅤThick and curly. Choice of hairstyles varies over the course of history depending on current fashion and his own preference. He feels more comfortable in longer, below the ears hair (but not too long).
ㅤEYE COLOUR:ㅤ Blue, golden when using magic
ㅤDOMINANT HAND:ㅤ Right primarily, somewhat ambidextrous
ㅤSPECIAL FEATURES:ㅤ Light freckles on his nose, cheeks and at the top of his shoulders, a mole in the centre of his back.
ㅤTATTOO:ㅤ Magical dragon tattoo he got around the 12th century, done together with his magician friend and artist. The tattoo moves over his body, changing colours and sizes, or disappearing altogether, especially if Merlin doesn’t trust the person that could potentially see it. Its movements believably mimic a real dragon’s.
PERSONALITY.
ㅤZODIAC:ㅤ ㅤScorpio sun, Aries moon, Gemini rising
ㅤALIGNMENT:ㅤ ㅤChaotic neutral (dependent on point in time), gray morality archetype
NAVIGATION: go back
i have walked my way since the beginning of time. sometimes i give, sometimes i take, it is mine to know which and when!
NON - HUMAN COMPANIONS.
ㅤAITHUSA:ㅤ ㅤThe White Dragon. She is one of the great dragons, in fact the last Great Dragon, and the first Merlin called to life as a dragonlord. Because of certain events, she has never fully grown, and instead became disabled, never learning how to speak or use her full power. Merlin travels with her for about three hundred years after his original lifetime, before she passes away.
ㅤTHEODORE PERIWINKLE:ㅤ ㅤZombie cat. Merlin's cat during Victorian era, who despite his grumpy attitude, has become Merlin's longtime companion. After his death, he reanimated him into a zombie cat, whose black fur turned glittery and eyes turned purple.
ㅤPRIMULA, RENATA & RORY:ㅤㅤ Loyal horses. Having spent long centuries horseback riding, Merlin has grown a great love for horses. These three are his current friends, and he tends to them faithfully. May or may not be ghost horses.
ㅤFORKINSON AND SPOONELLA SNUGGLYPUFF:ㅤㅤ Fork is a stray cat Merlin found and adopted in modern times. He was an orc in past life. Spoon is his lizard sister, who likes to sit on top of Merlin's head, and followed him for so long that he finally decided to adopt her.
MAGIC.
The most important thing to always keep in mind, is that Merlin is extremely powerful. In his youth he only began to learn how to access his full power, but he could use it instinctually since before his birth. In legends, he’s been said to be able to do things such as rising entire cities from the ground, and his power could be compared to one of a deity. People have called him a sorcerer, mage, magician or a wizard, and he allows it, but in technical terms, that's not what he is. He's canonically an incarnation of magic, and would be considered a nexus being.That makes him an infinite, chaotic magical energy reshaped and put into a body that appears to be human. He's closer to one would consider an eldritch being than a human. He is his own powerhouse of energy, and it is what makes him fully immortal — it also means that while in his canon magic is dying, his never runs out, making him the last beacon of it, and the reason it can still be maintained and eventually restored. However, in most worlds magic is ever present, just often hidden in plain sight.Merlin is tied to the grand design and is meant to keep the balance, which often determines how and when he uses his magic concerning high scale events, and whether or not he will or can get involved. The limitations are artificial and directly linked with his duty to uphold the balance in the world, which usually means if something fails once, it was not meant to be in the first place.Seeing as he's tied to the creation, and senses any disturbances, he sees it as something like his duty to keep the grand design in tact, which he's selectively upholding based on his whims. Due to his power status, he's also usually discouraged from time travel by the Powers That Be. He can remember the different timelines when they are changed and travel dimensions.With some of the most unstable branches of magic, especially healing and necromancy, it doesn't always work or work as expected, seeing as it depends on the personal destiny of the person he's trying to help. Shortly - he technically can do it, but the consequences might also be dire if he does.
DETAILS.
ㅤTRAVELLING WITH AITHUSA:ㅤㅤ During the first few centuries after leaving Albion Merlin travels with Aithusa to search for more dragons. For their mutual safety, he often transforms her into a small white lizard that fits right into his pocket when travelling too long of a distance or when it’s not safe for her to fly on her own. She eventually dies due to her disabilities.ㅤFASHION SENSE:ㅤ ㅤMerlin's an immortal, so his fashion sense varies greatly depending on the century, as well as whether he wants to be noticed or not. If he wants to remain unnoticed, he looks like the plainest dude you will ever see. He might even put on his old man disguise. But Merlin in the legends was known for his feather cloak, so I want you to know is that he's the most fashionable fashion disaster if he puts his heart into it, especially that at this point, he has centuries of different favourite fashion trends. Drama is the key word. He likes patterns, and he dresses weird, because often your favourite clothing item is like fifty years out of fashion.MAGIC SCHOOL: In Merlin’s canon towards the end of his original lifetime, he establishes a magic school in Carmarthen in Wales where his family on his mother’s side originally came from. That’s where Merlin’s tower comes from, as it was adjacent to the school itself. When he leaves Albion, the school runs on without him, with many brilliant sorcerers teaching, until he returns and finds widespread Christianity and anti magic sentiments widespread around young England. That’s why he uses magic to put the school into a pocket dimension for safety, which is where it resides until modern times.MAGIC IS DYING. In verses where magic is dying, the school has eventually been abandoned and gone into disrepair, though the pocket dimension is still operational. MAGIC IS FINE. In verses where magic is doing fine, the school still exists and continues running. The teachers are often former students, with Merlin popping in every now and then. It’s not a widely known location and only a handful of students know Merlin is the Merlin, and still alive, and not just some guy, given that the paintings of him inside are of him in his old man disguise.
KEEPSAKES.
The list of recurring enchantments, spells and themes Merlin has been using throughout his immortality. These might pop up in thread.ㅤMAGICAL HUT BY THE CRYSTAL CAVE:ㅤㅤ At the end of his life in Albion, in order to protect the source of magic, Merlin relocated to a small hut by the Crystal Cave. Before leaving Albion to search for more dragons with Aithusa, he enchanted the hut to be forever preserved in a pocket dimension. Despite its own natural magical protection, after returning some time later and seeing what has happened to Britannia in his absence, he extended the dimension to include the crystal cave to protect it.The hut is enchanted to be bigger on the inside and the place has continued to grow over the centuries, holding many lost magical objects, memorabilia and extinct plants. Seeing as he’s the only one who can find it, it’s a lost powerhouse of magic, knowledge, history and Merlin himself, however over the years he’s invited many people to come and visit. Despite it being in a pocket dimension, the area where it would have been placed is still covered in a forest up to the modern day.ㅤRINGS:ㅤㅤ Merlin commonly wears at least two rings on his fingers. The ones with gems on them can transform into a staff (he doesn’t actually need those, but it looks cool in physical combat, helps aim when you want to get a specific person in a battlefield, and allows the bonk). The other one with markings on it is a direct link to his hut, through which he can access items he left behind during his travels quicker. Sometimes he also uses a ring for storage, or shapeshifts any other enchanted items.ㅤRETURN TO OWNER SPELL:ㅤㅤ Everything he owns and carries with him, in case of being lost or stolen, is enchanted to return to Merlin, unless they are things he can allow to be lost, or have been stolen by someone in need.ㅤENCHANTED BAGS:ㅤ ㅤHe always appears to travel very light, but actually has something that works like a bag of holding.
NAVIGATION: go back
verses
ORIGINAL LIFETIME.
camelot era
canon divergent. a story of how all legends start with a grain of truth.
ㅤINFO.ㅤ ㅤMERLIN'S ORIGINAL LIFETIME. Follows the story of Merlin from birth, through arriving at Camelot and trying to make a better world for people like him, to his eventual departure from Britannia to begin his immortal travels. This verse is only loosely based on BBCM's events, with a lot of canon divergencies that will be further detailed coming soon.
IMMORTALITY.
historical
canon divergent. a story of how all legends start with a grain of truth.
ㅤINFO.ㅤ ㅤANYWHERE DURING HISTORICAL TIMES. Follows the story of Merlin from birth, through arriving at Camelot and trying to make a better world for people like him, to his eventual departure from Britannia to begin his immortal travels. This verse is only loosely based on BBCM's events, with a lot of canon divergencies that will be further detailed coming soon.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.
MEI
half-elf. bard & sorcerer. urchin background.
ㅤINFO.ㅤ ㅤORIGINAL CHARACTER. TABLETOP GAME BASED. Living as an urchin was an unpleasant affair, as was getting sold into a dubious organization of assassins and spies. Obsessed with money to repay all her debts, Mei travels Faerun, avoiding newfound powers, memories of different timelines and the futures of others that won't heed her warnings anyway.
CROSSOVERS.
VISEGRIS "SIGGY" VARGATZ
woof elf. vampire spawn. oathbreaker paladin. outlander background.
ㅤINFO.ㅤ ㅤORIGINAL CHARACTER. UNFINISHED TABLETOP GAME BASED. Formerly a famous adventurer and her of small folk, her time has long since passed. After the great downfall and death of her husband, Visegris has mysteriously disappeared, turning her back on those in need. Eighty years later, a cryptid dressed in feathers was found living the woods.
PAGE UNDER CO.
Echo
trigger warning.
various characters might have triggering themes in their backstories that will be properly written down in this section.
NAVIGATION: find your way