Help with Merrid d'Cannith - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help with Merrid d'Cannith

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
vardock
Jun 19, 2009 11:11:40 I Have read many Eberron source books. Recently in "Sharn:city of towers" Merrix was said to be helping the Warforged become more independent and such. But in other sources it says he regards the Warforged as property and uses warforged slaves in his creation forge. Am I missing something or is there a contradiction?
#2
RedRider
Jun 19, 2009 12:23:53 Without consulting the books, here are some possible interpretations to permit the contradiction.

-Merrix sees Warforged as property, but wants to see what would happen when a large number of golems integrate into society. He's a scientist after all, curiousity comes with the territory.
-Merrix intends to integrate his "property" into society at large. So when he sends the signal to his sleeper agent, the Lord of Blades, the uprising will be all the more devastating.
-Merrix understands the warforged are sentient and understands this means that by the laws of Galifar they should be free.
Merrix has decided that, while this is all well and good for society at large, he's a baron, dragonmark scion and a genius, so such petty concerns shouldn't apply to him.
-Merrix is an "ends justify the means" type. Enslaving a few warforged to ensure a better future for the many works out as a net positive in his view.
-Merrix has gone a bit loopy and just doesn't feel the cognitive dissonance of being a secret dealer in both freedom and slavery.
#3
ellorin
Jun 19, 2009 14:01:50 -Merrix sees himself as a pater familias of the strictest order. They are his children whom he cherishes but also owns completely.
#4
xi_mao
Jun 20, 2009 7:05:25 Personally I feel that Merrix views Warforged as a chance to study how a new race evolves into a sort of society, a lesson in Anthropology that is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thus he keeps slaves, watching how they handle slavery despite knowing they should be free while also helping warforged that are free to grow, simply to watch what happens.

But then again, in my games, Merrix has a huge experiment going on right now...
#5
MrCelsius
Jun 20, 2009 14:38:08 My Merrix caused the Day of Mourning in order to give the surviving nations a reason to unite and, thus, end the Last War. The mystery of Cyre will stand only until his greatest creation -- the Lord of Blades, the ultimate leader -- emerges from the Mournland and claims responsibility for Cyre's cataclysmic destruction. Meanwhile Merrix is working to integrate and advance Warforged in Khorvaire so that they will be seen as a greater threat when their loyalty is questioned, and to appear so supportive of his 'children' that nobody would think that he's using the entire race as a scapegoat for his crime. This fits well with his appearing sympathetic and kind in public, but using them like property when nobody is looking.
#6
vardock
Jun 21, 2009 8:07:13 Thanks for the input. But I could have made such conclusions myself. Anyone can make conjecture. I am looking for something "Cannon".
#7
nthdegree256
Jun 21, 2009 9:29:02 It's possible that what you see is what you get. Remember that the Eberron sourcebooks aren't all written by one single person, they're written by lots of people all collaborating and sometimes contradictions might slip in.

Given that no one has posted the "official" explanation, I think that the extent of canon is that it contradicts itself, and you're free to either ignore one part of canon in favor of the other or use any of the excellent ideas above to explain it.

Eberron has a decent number of elements in it for which there is no "canon" answer and the DM is expressly allowed to come up with their own explanation - the Mournland, the battles between Aerenal and Argonesson, which of the Storm Lords in Stormreach have been suborned by whom, etc. This can be just one more.

As another avenue of explanation, Thomas Jefferson was known for being an outspoken proponent of abolishing slavery, and yet was a slave-owner himself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson#On_slavery Perhaps Merrix is, due to House politics, in a similar situation?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 vardock Jun 19, 2009 11:11:40	I Have read many Eberron source books. Recently in "Sharn:city of towers" Merrix was said to be helping the Warforged become more independent and such. But in other sources it says he regards the Warforged as property and uses warforged slaves in his creation forge. Am I missing something or is there a contradiction?
#2 RedRider Jun 19, 2009 12:23:53	Without consulting the books, here are some possible interpretations to permit the contradiction. -Merrix sees Warforged as property, but wants to see what would happen when a large number of golems integrate into society. He's a scientist after all, curiousity comes with the territory. -Merrix intends to integrate his "property" into society at large. So when he sends the signal to his sleeper agent, the Lord of Blades, the uprising will be all the more devastating. -Merrix understands the warforged are sentient and understands this means that by the laws of Galifar they should be free. Merrix has decided that, while this is all well and good for society at large, he's a baron, dragonmark scion and a genius, so such petty concerns shouldn't apply to him. -Merrix is an "ends justify the means" type. Enslaving a few warforged to ensure a better future for the many works out as a net positive in his view. -Merrix has gone a bit loopy and just doesn't feel the cognitive dissonance of being a secret dealer in both freedom and slavery.
#3 ellorin Jun 19, 2009 14:01:50	-Merrix sees himself as a pater familias of the strictest order. They are his children whom he cherishes but also owns completely.
#4 xi_mao Jun 20, 2009 7:05:25	Personally I feel that Merrix views Warforged as a chance to study how a new race evolves into a sort of society, a lesson in Anthropology that is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thus he keeps slaves, watching how they handle slavery despite knowing they should be free while also helping warforged that are free to grow, simply to watch what happens. But then again, in my games, Merrix has a huge experiment going on right now...
#5 MrCelsius Jun 20, 2009 14:38:08	My Merrix caused the Day of Mourning in order to give the surviving nations a reason to unite and, thus, end the Last War. The mystery of Cyre will stand only until his greatest creation -- the Lord of Blades, the ultimate leader -- emerges from the Mournland and claims responsibility for Cyre's cataclysmic destruction. Meanwhile Merrix is working to integrate and advance Warforged in Khorvaire so that they will be seen as a greater threat when their loyalty is questioned, and to appear so supportive of his 'children' that nobody would think that he's using the entire race as a scapegoat for his crime. This fits well with his appearing sympathetic and kind in public, but using them like property when nobody is looking.
#6 vardock Jun 21, 2009 8:07:13	Thanks for the input. But I could have made such conclusions myself. Anyone can make conjecture. I am looking for something "Cannon".
#7 nthdegree256 Jun 21, 2009 9:29:02	It's possible that what you see is what you get. Remember that the Eberron sourcebooks aren't all written by one single person, they're written by lots of people all collaborating and sometimes contradictions might slip in. Given that no one has posted the "official" explanation, I think that the extent of canon is that it contradicts itself, and you're free to either ignore one part of canon in favor of the other or use any of the excellent ideas above to explain it. Eberron has a decent number of elements in it for which there is no "canon" answer and the DM is expressly allowed to come up with their own explanation - the Mournland, the battles between Aerenal and Argonesson, which of the Storm Lords in Stormreach have been suborned by whom, etc. This can be just one more. As another avenue of explanation, Thomas Jefferson was known for being an outspoken proponent of abolishing slavery, and yet was a slave-owner himself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson#On_slavery Perhaps Merrix is, due to House politics, in a similar situation?