Merlinus

Merlinus in Fuuin no Tsurugi.
Merlinus
Species	Human
Class	Tent
Promotion	Transporter
Affiliation	Pherae
Hair color	Blue
Age	60 (as of FE6)
Base	Pherae
Debut	Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi

Merlinus is a cheery merchant who provides a unique ability in Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. He is able to hold a hundred items in his tent or wagon that can be accessed during the midst of battle if he is present.

Background

The Blazing Sword

Merlinus first met Lords Eliwood and Hector when he was beset by the bandit Puzon in the option "Chapter 13x: The Peddler Merlinus". He had been on his way to Lycia to sell his wares when he was attacked. His pleas for mercy for him and his belongings were ignored and he was about to be killed off when Eliwood and Hector arrived. They defeated the bandits and returned Merlinus's belongings. The merchant explained his situation and because of the war going on, Hector invited him into their army to manage their supplies. Given their noble status, Merlinus was more than obliged to help them out. If Chapter 13x is skipped, Merlinus instead joins at the end of "Whereabouts Unknown" (Eliwood Chapter 17, Hector Chapter 18).

He performed his duties at first from a simple tent where allies could go to and fro from during battle when they needed supplies. Because of his rather permanent position on the battlefield, he was often assigned a unit to guard him. One such person, Marcus, became close friends with Merlinus. The merchant was somewhat surprised at Marcus's dedication and he even offered him some of his special baked puddings.

In the Final Chapter, Eliwood and Hector convince Merlinus to depart, saying that the battles would be too dangerous for him. Merlinus reluctantly complied and returned to Fargus's ship, and Hector also gave him a letter of recommendation so that he could start his own business in Ostia if he survived. Following the conclusion of the war, he tried to open up a shop in Ostia, but was eventually forced to close. He tried to re-open a store with Lord Eliwood's help, but he eventually became a very close aid and an important member of the House of Pherae.

Sword of Seals

In the House of Pherae Merlinus became of one of Eliwood's trusted advisers and often worked closely with the Marquis's son, Roy. He was with Lord Eliwood after the Marquis had taken ill and the castle was being beset by bandits from Bolm Mountain. Since Roy was recently returning, Merlinus deployed Lance with a message regarding the attack.

After the castle was rescued, Eliwood sent Merlinus to accompany Roy and his companions to meet with a mercenary group that Eliwood had hired. For the remainder of their travels through Elibe, Merlinus acted as an adviser and voice of reason to Roy. Although the young Lord tended to follow his own impulses, Merlinus helped to keep him from diverging off their current missions by too much. He also performed other work for Roy, such as delivering messages and coordinating other efforts related to their missions.

Following the war, Merlinus helped Roy in the process of rebuilding the land that was destroyed by the war.

Support Conversation Summaries

Merlinus can have Support conversations with three other characters in Rekka no Ken, but does not have any in the previous game.

• Marcus- In their first conversation Merlinus is berated for sleeping on the job by Marcus. Merlinus does not feel the job is very important, but Marcus believes it to be extremely crucial to strategy. In the following conversation Merlinus asks if Marcus tires of guarding the supply line, which Marcus denies. The two share some of Merlinus's pudding cakes afterwards. In their final conversation Merlinus questions if Marcus feels that they should have more say in the affairs of the party, but Marcus reaffirms his faith in Eliwood's decision making.
• Nino- Nino is assigned to watch over Merlinus. In the first conversation, Merlinus is upset by being watched over by a child, and also that she accidentally knocks over most of his stuff. In the second conversation, Nino helps him to clean up and discovers that Merlinus secretly eats some of the others' rations, and Merlinus makes her to swear to keep it a secret. In the third Support conversation, Nino tells Merlinus how he reminded her of her Uncle Jan, who played with her while they were in the Black Fang. Merlinus decided to assume Uncle Jan's role for Nino and offers to play several games with her.
• Vaida- Vaida is sent to guard over Merlinus, but he becomes terrified of her and her fierce attitude. In the second conversation, he attempts to get rid of her by making up reports of an incoming enemy. In the third conversation, Merlinus gives her one of his dumplings, while Vaida actually enjoys and finds delicious. Vaida repays Merlinus by giving him a meatball from her sack, but Merlinus panics again when Vaida does not tell him what kind of meat it is made from.

Gameplay

In his first game, Fuuin no Tsurugi, Merlinus starts out as a Transporter unit, which is a horse and wagon. Since he has no offensive ability, he can only gain experience by surviving or avoiding enemy attacks. This made it extremely difficult to level him and use him in later chapters.

In the prequel, Rekka no Ken, he starts out in just a Tent, but gains a level for every chapter he is deployed in and survives. By the time he promotes to a Transporter, his stats are high enough that he can follow the party and survive most enemy attacks.

Trivia

• In the subsequent game, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, the job of carrying supplies is delegated to Lord Ephraim and Eirika, who can supply their selves and other units.