Merlane (メルレイン Merurein? ) was the son of Chieftain Heyrtash of the Zot Clan.
Appearance[]
Anime/2013 Manga[]
He has short red hair and matching red eyes. He has red markings on his cheek, similar to other members of the Zott Tribe. He wears a black scarf on his head.
Novel[]
He has a handsome face, but he always has displeased look.
Skills[]
Merlane is one of the most skilled archers in Pars. Kubard praises the strength of his drawing arm, and Merlane is able to hit targets which are considered far out of range for most archers. Initially, Merlane regards himself as the second most deadly archers in Pars, reasoning that there must surely be a more skilled bowman than himself. Upon meeting Farangis and Gieve just outside of Gilan and seeing their skills on display, he changes this assessment, and ranks himself third.
Besides his skills as an archer, Merlane is a skilled swordsman and rider. After apprehending Princess Irina and her entourage, Montferrat warns his men not to pursue Merlane, who manages to escape the Lusitanians, as they do not have sufficient numbers to overcome his skill advantage. Merlane has also displayed a talent for infiltration, stealthily moving within Ecbatana's heavily guarded citadel, evading capture and only being noticed when he tried to force Guiscard to surrender Irina to his custody.
Finally, Merlane has exceedingly sharp eyes, and is able to accurately identify the arms, armour and sigils of faraway groups of men, whilst his travelling companions are unable to do so. Merlane possesses knowledge of the Zott Clan's explosive powder, and is able to use this to great effect against Lusitanian forces.
Personality[]
Merlane is a rather serious man and has a stern countenance. He has a rigid, if somewhat unusual code of honour. He believes that the only reason a person would cover their face is if they are of questionable moral character. He has no qualms about raiding, seeing this as a just and normal occupation, though he refuses to take money from people he has saved. Similarly, Alfarid refuses to loot the corpses of the dead, which suggests that such a moral compass in common to the clan. Merlane is single minded in the pursuit of his goals and mindful of his duty. For instance, when travelling across Pars in search of Alfarid, his sister, it is clear to see that he regards the last wishes of his father as being of paramount importance. Kubard points out that Merlane himself has a better claim to the position of chieftain, being the elder sibling and male, but Merlane insists that his father's wishes be respected- despite his exceedingly strained relationship with the late Chieftain.
Merlane dislikes the nobility for their assumption that the lower classes will serve them. When Princess Irina's retainers insist that they have no money with which to pay he and Kubard for their assistance, Merlane explodes with anger, coarsely explaining the realities of what it truly means to have nothing. He goes on a tirade about the injustices of social hierarchies. Similarly to Alfarid, he openly expresses his disdain for oppressive social systems, a legacy of his upbringing as a Zott Clan raider, a people who have always lived hard lives on the periphery of Parsian society. He is also angered by Princess Irina's decision to hide her face behind a veil, though his attitude softens upon learning she is blind.
Once he and Kubard have driven off the Lusitanians from Daylam, he agrees to assist Princess Irina in her quest to find Prince Hilmes. Merlane's change of heart is driven by his respect for the Maryami nobles for allowing him to speak his mind without harm, and his softened attitude towards the Princess, though he never publicly acknowledges the latter reason. Similarly, Merlain cares deeply for his sister, though he outwardly maintains his gruff bearing.
Abilities[]
He is a master of archery. It can be inferred that he is the third best in Pars (Two better archers are Farangis and Gieve).
He also uses gun powder and make small explosions in order to disturb his enemies.
Notes
References