Infobox

Merlin

Current: Appears unchanged for 100+ years

Titles	[TODO]
Also Known As	[TODO]
Race	[TODO — Erinn]
True Age	~100+ (unaged)
Height	[TODO]
Weight	[TODO]
Job	Druid
Created By	[TODO]

Personal Status

Status	Active — unaged; sightings across Erinn persist
Relatives	[TODO]

Affiliation

Current	The Aces (presumed)
Previous	Royal Castle Druid

Occupation

Current	Wandering adventurer
Previous	Royal Castle Druid

Base of Operations

Current	Unknown — travels Erinn

Merlin is one of the most powerful mages in Erinn — and one of the most mysterious. He cast his first Lightning Bolt at age three. Invented his first new spell at eleven. Mastered every known form of magic by twenty-three. The magic community expected much from him; he was made Royal Castle Druid and put to work on research and kingdom defence. The work lacked the challenge to hold his interest. He vanished in search of adventure. That was over a hundred years ago.

Appearance

Merlin appears unchanged from over a century ago — he has not aged a day since vanishing from the Royal Castle. [TODO: full physical description.]

He hasn’t aged a day. Reports persist: if you are ever in genuine need, a Druid fitting his description will appear. Ever the playful prankster.

Inventions

Merlin didn’t just master magic — he expanded what magic could do. His contributions are foundational:

• Snap Cast: Chargeable magic skills fire instantly — no casting time, no charge-up. Activates once per skill duration. The mechanic behind Zekito’s instant Lightning Rod; the finger snap is the trigger. Considered impossible by Eorzean standards.
• Spellwalk: Allows spells to be cast while moving. Eorzean mages must be stationary to cast. Zekito arrived in Eorzea treating both as completely ordinary — he didn’t realize they were unusual until people started staring.
• Meteor Strike: Zekito’s LB3. His most destructive invention.
• The Aces’ Weapons: Merlin crafted the tools used by The Aces, including Zekito’s custom knuckles — identical in shape to the ones he’d carried since age eleven, but built to channel high magic without a focus.

Mentorship of Zekito

Merlin tested both Zekito and Mewecho before agreeing to enhance their bracelets. Mewecho returned to Audacia; Zekito spent four years travelling with The Aces under Merlin’s mentorship. The training was rigorous and genuine — when Zekito left, Merlin gave him the custom knuckles as a farewell gift, without ceremony. The playful exterior and the real investment in other people’s growth are both true.

History

Cast his first Lightning Bolt at age three. Invented his first spell at eleven. Mastered every known form of magic by twenty-three. Was made Royal Castle Druid. The work lacked challenge. He vanished in search of adventure over a century ago and has not aged a day since. His true nature remains an open question — [TODO] what Merlin actually is, even he is not forthcoming about it.

Plots

Merlin appears at key moments across Erinn — testing Zekito and Mewecho, enhancing their bracelets, spending four years mentoring Zekito, giving him the custom knuckles on departure. His appearances follow a consistent pattern: he arrives when someone genuinely needs him, leaves without ceremony, and does not explain himself. What he does between appearances is not documented.