BOTW AU/Lore Character Thoughts
Gerudo Merri
After much deliberation over what Gerudo Merriâs name might be in Techâs BOTW AU, I did some digging to find all of the Gerudo characters in the game and realized that âMerriâ is actually a perfectly suitable name based on their standards. Which makes me highly inclined to just keep calling her âGerudo Merriâ, in the sense that the other folk she hangs out with call her that as an affectionate nickname. Like how someone might be âBig Jimâ or âMean olâ Mister Hendersonâ - she probably explained very bluntly that she was a Gerudo upon first meeting Eddy to try and contextualize her presence, as if her being a 10Ⲡtall bronze amazon with abs you could break your fist against wasnât staggeringly obvious enough.
Gerudo Merriâs basic presence in the story is minor compared to the others, especially folk like Momo or TB who stand in for pivotal figures in the original context. Sheâs more or less a support character and occupies a role similar to that of Urbosa - functionally a kind of post-Calamity Champion. Eddyâs diligence at fighting back roving Guardians kept them from spreading out too much, but in his withering years heâs been unable to keep up and more started to filter throughout the landscape. The Gerudo became aware of the problem as Guardians began encroaching on their territory more and more frequently, pushing further than ever and requiring constant push-back to quell the increasing numbers. Gerudo Merri, as a result, set out into Hyrule proper in search of the problemâs cause and a way to fix it. Which eventually leads her to Eddyâs doorstep and gets her directly involved in all the heroics the plot requires, along with a fair amount of doting on the creaky old bastard. For Eddyâs sake, heâs probably got plenty of reason to welcome her presence as sheâs a skilled warrior more than capable and eager to destroy every Guardian that looks at her - she can do what he can no longer do, and in working with her he has a second chance at redemption. Gerudo Merri herself is content to just keep fighting the good fight, filling in where Eddy left off and thus assuring that her hometown and kin remain safe as a result. Even though, bit by bit, she gets more involved in the Actual Story surrounding Calamity Ganon, the Hero, and figuring out a way to put an end to it all for good. Thus she ends up going around in the background, facilitating events and putting her muscle to good use making life easier for the Hero - whomever they may be - which is how she eventually ends up yoinking the Master Sword (and a big chunk of the pedestal) for their sake. Sort of a âhey, I saved you a dangerous trip - hereâs your magic swordâ sort of thing.
Neither Fi nor TB are fond of her, I suppose.
Narratively speaking, sheâs sort of a â Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Deadâ character whoâs always in the background doing things that donât seem immediately consequential right up until the pieces all start coming together. Sheâs precisely as relevant and useful as the narration demands, as her basic function within the story is to otherwise maintain the status quo of keeping the endless waves of Guardians suppressed until such a time that the Hero appears (or stops shield-surfing and setting Bokoblins on fire long enough to get to the Final Boss). At any point she can be counted upon as the âI get shit doneâ person who the others can trust to do just that in short order. Regarding personality, sheâs as much Merri as ever - the stern-and-stoic, yet endlessly compassionate mother hen/mama bear variety. Unlike other Gerudo she doesnât have any interest in catching a man; she went right past the dating scene and straight into the âI will adopt any unoccupied child I encounter, see if I donâtâ mothering. Sheâs just naturally inclined to be a caretaker and a protector, which can end up looking rather different than one might expect given that she is, in fact, the aforementioned 10Ⲡtall bronze amazon with chiseled abs. Like, she probably spent a lot of her time accompanying her sisters when they went man-hunting as a wingman/bodyguard; not to keep them safe, per say, but to keep the men safe from them. Making sure everything stays kosher and nobody makes any bad decisions - basically acting like the designated driver for such outings.