Merrideth
In the cold, calculating halls of Carradh Keep, where the dark oak walls seem to absorb sound and the black iron reinforcements chill the air, Merrideth is a fixture of silent efficiency. While the nobles of House Carradh play their high-stakes games of mercantile warfare, Merrideth ensures the machine beneath them never grinds to a halt.
Merrideth is a Human woman in her late forties, though the oppressive atmosphere of the Shadowfell makes her appear a decade older. Her skin is the color of parchment, and her hair—once a vibrant chestnut—has faded to a dull, ash-grey, usually pinned back in a tight, severe bun.
She wears the standard livery of House Carradh: a high-collared gown of charcoal-grey linen with black iron buttons that run from her throat to her waist. At her hip hangs a heavy ring of keys, their rhythmic clinking against her iron-reinforced apron being the only warning of her approach.
Merrideth is the embodiment of "invisible service." She speaks only when spoken to, and even then, her voice is a dry, controlled rasp. She possesses a terrifyingly sharp memory for detail—she knows exactly how Olisk Carradh prefers his tea (steeped until bitter), which floorboards in the library creak, and exactly which servants are skimming coin from the kitchen accounts.
Merrideth isn't just a maid; she is the Keeper of the Wood. Because Carradh Keep is made of dark oak—a rarity in a city of shifting stone—the wood requires constant "feeding" with specialized shadow-oils to keep it from cracking or being reclaimed by the city's sentient foundations. Merrideth is the only one trusted with this ritual.
Comments