Merrick is tall for a human, standing about 6'1", and unnaturally lean, with sharp aristocratic features and an ashen complexion. His dark, wavy hair falls to his shoulders. His eyes are a deep violet, but shift to a dark rose when he uses magic.
He wears a fitted black cuirass beneath an oxblood court coat. The coat’s long, split tails somewhat resemble a jester’s motley, but not enough to look like a costume. Tarnished gold embroidery follows its seams in curling patterns of mourning bride scabious flowers. An ivory sash crosses his waist, stained dark at one end, while a single bell-shaped earring hangs from his left ear. It never rings. A thin scar lifts one corner of his mouth, giving him a slight smile even when his expression is completely empty.
When Merrick uses magic, lengths of dark burgundy and black silk peel away from his coat and shadow. They drift loosely around him before suddenly pulling taut. Dark scabious flowers sometimes appear among the embroidery, along his sword, or wherever his magic touches. The colors around him become slightly washed out while the burgundy of his silks grows deeper. When the magic fades, the fabric unravels into loose threads and scattered petals before disappearing.
