Mersery

"Knowledge and wisdom are different things entirely: Knowledge is the knowing of facts and trivialities; wisdom is the ability to use that knowledge correctly."

- Mersery

Mersery is a time-sensitive Mersion scientist and a senior member of the Order of Mata Nui.

Early Life
A member of the Mersion species, Mersery originally aspired to become a scientist and scholar on his homeland of Versuva. During his younger days as a student, Mersery's talents were noticed by the prominent scholar Kulant, who recommended he be induced into the Great Academy, the finest learning institution on the entire island. On his first day, Mersery got lost and missed out on the inception ceremony, and after further wandering, bumped into Herkain, another scientific prodigy whom he quickly befriended. In order to fund his education, Mersery worked as a lab assistant to a local Mersion scientist alongside a Matoran named Zevrai.

During their time learning within the Academy, Mersery and Herkain would work, learn and study for a decade until they were chosen to take their final graduation tests for full-time scholarship, a test which if they passed, would make them the youngest graduates in the Academy's history. During one of their assignments together on Rahi study, they adopted and observed the nature of a Versuvian Glider Owl, who Mersery would go on to keep and name Terkla.

However, this all changed when the Xevthian Empire and their leader, Alxor, arrived, conquered Versuva and enslaved the Mersion race. Whilst the rest of his kind was forced into intense physical labor, Mersery, at the time a young scholar, was selected by Alxor to become an engineer, and was forced to design weapons and war machines for the Xevthian's armies.

Whilst Alxor began preparing his forces for a final invasion on the northern lands, Mersery was able to slip through his army's defenses, and escape Versuva. On behalf of his people, Mersery turned to the Hand of Artakha, and asked them to help his people fight off Alxor and his empire. The Hand agreed, and with the help of Mersery himself, managed to defeat the Alxor's forces, and capture the warlord.

Mersery would eventually graduate from the Great Academy, becoming a Grand Scholar, though seeing that his skills could be put to better use, Mersery instead went on to join the Hand of Artakha. Mersery served the Hand for at least one hundred years before it was disbanded, resulting in him returning to Versuva. Upon returning, Mersery took up residence in the city of Keadrah and resumed his scientific work, with his numerous contributions to society eventually leading him to gain a reputation as one of his race's greatest scientists. During this time, he was elected onto the Council of Eight, the ruling body of Versuva.

Not long after being appointed, however, Mersery played a key role in the disbanding of the council after he was led to believe that the group had become inefficient in combating major social problems. Following the removal of the Council, Mersery was offered the prestigious position of becoming the first singular ruler of Versuva, though he declined the offer, fearing he would be corrupted and driven mad with power should he accept the offer.

Order of Mata Nui
Some time after the Hand's disbanding, Mersery was approached by Toa Helryx, who offered him a place among the newly-formed Order of Mata Nui, the successor of the Hand of Artakha. Mersery accepted the offer, and was among the first to join the group. Soon after, he made a name for himself as one of the Order's top scientists, becoming one of the group's most prominent chemists. After a time, Mersery managed to gain a position of one Helryx's advisers and also received light weapons training from a fellow operative named Hydraxon.

Mersery was among the many Order scientists who modified Barraki Ehlek's aquatic race, hoping to create an army of soldiers capable of combating the Brotherhood of Makuta if they ever turned malevolent and went rogue. Mersery himself assessed the species and recommended them for experimentation. However, this project was eventually deemed unsuccessful, and Mersery was forced to withdraw from the experiment.

Roughly 60,000 years ago, Mersery was one of the Order members who helped remove a number of Av-Matoran from their homeland and relocate them throughout the universe, an action taken as a precaution should the Brotherhood of Makuta ever be corrupted and attempt to wipe the Av-Matoran out. Once done, Mata Nui erased this six-month period from the minds of all except Mersery and the rest of the Order in an event that would eventually become known as the Time Slip.

Several years later, Mersery worked with an Intellian scientist named Zardex in order to create a mutagenic compound that would allow the Order to enhance the abilities of normal Toa. The project's goal was to create a type of Toa that could survive in a wide variety of environments, effectively allowing the Order to create an army of super-powered soldiers should the need ever arise. Although he worked closely with Zardex on the project, he was unable to attend the actual trial run due to being involved with other important experiments. Not long after the project's culmination, Mersery recruited a Forgern named Gaarnax into the Order, whom he quickly became friends with.

Shortly after the Order learned of Voparak's creation, a being who could sense fluctuations in the fabric of time, Mersery willingly volunteered to undergo a similar experiment so the Order would have an operative capable of tracking down the Kanohi Vahi if it ever came into existence. The project itself ended with mixed results, with Mersery successfully gaining limited Time powers, though being unable to control them properly. Because of this, the Order fitted Mersery with a special armor forged by Artakha that both contained his powers, and gave him better control over them.

Several years later, Mersery sensed large temporal distortion in the fabric of time. Curious as to what had been responsible for it, Mersery was instructed by Helryx to track down the source of the distortion. During his search, Mersery was brought into confrontation with a number assassins, who attempted to prevent him from finding the source. Despite their best efforts, Mersery managed to survive their attacks, and managed to locate the disruption's source on the island of Chrone. After coming across an ancient fortress, Mersery infiltrated it and came across several scientists performing some kind of time-based experiment. Deducing that they were responsible for the temporal disturbance, Mersery intervened and stopped the experiment.

After doing so, Mersery was confronted by Millennium, grand master of the Shadow of Ages, who attacked him for his interference. Surprisingly, Mersery defeated Millennium, prompting the time entity to offer him membership into his cult, which Mersery promptly turned down. Angered at his refusal, Millennium attempted to kill Mersery, though only found himself being aged by hundreds of years by the Mersion's time powers. Weakened, and in no state to fight, Millennium vowed vengeance on Mersery, though was unable to prevent him from escaping.

Upon returning to Daxia, Mersery attempted to open an investigation into the surviving records of the Shadow of Ages in order to learn more of their true motives. However, the inquiry was quickly closed down once the Order lost all detailed information regarding Millennium and his allies, and any attempt to relocate his island base of Chrone failed when the maps suggesting its location also mysteriously disappeared.

Roughly 700 years ago, Mersery was sent to Zakaz to recover a Skakdi warlord named Freztrak. After successfully rescuing him mere moments before his intended execution at the hands of a rival warlord named Nektann, Mersery brought Freztrak to Daxia where he recruited him into the Order of Mata Nui. Not long after, Mersery returned to Zakaz to conduct water analysis tests on the giant lake at the center island, though was discovered by a group of Skakdi. Assuming he was trying to tamper with their water source, the group attacked and critically injured Mersery before he was able to flee. Upon returning to Daxia, Mersery had his armor modified and rebuilt in light of the damage it had sustained.

More recently, Mersery was assigned to monitor the Dark Hunters Voporak and Ancient as they hunted for the Kanohi Vahi. He was instructed to eliminate them should they discover that the mask was in Turaga Vakama's possession on Metru Nui, though upon hearing that the Dark Hunters had decided a raid on the island city would be pointless, Mersery was withdrawn from the mission.

War against the Brotherhood
During the war with the Brotherhood of Makuta, Mersery was sent back to Versuva in order gain the allegiance of his kind for the Order. Although it took some convincing, the ruler of Versuva eventually brightened to the idea, and began supporting the Order's war efforts.

Mersery was later teamed with another member of the Order, and together, the pair planted an explosive device on the isle of Artidax that was set to erupt once the Visorak arrived on the island. From there on, Mersery was mostly assigned to reconnaissance missions in Brotherhood territory, and was also seen attempting to drive off the Brotherhood's forces on Nynrah, where he briefly battled a Makuta named Dredzek. Although the Brotherhood managed to hold a strong resistance, Mersery and the others eventually managed to force them off Nynrah. Mersery was later seen providing frontline support for the Order when they attacked the Brotherhood's forces on Destral.

Once his duties on the island were complete, Mersery was sent on a mission far to the east of Zakaz to receive a delivery of weapons. He then traveled to Metru Nui, where he aided the Order in fortifying the island city's defenses for an imminent attack by the Brotherhood. After fortifications were completed, Mersery returned to Daxia, where he was said to be taking part in a top-secret experiment being performed in one of Daxia's underground laboratories.

Teridax's Reign
After Makuta Teridax took over Mata Nui's body, the Makuta leveled the Order's base on Daxia, killing many members of the Order. Despite this, Mersery managed to survive, and was later seen looking for a hidden cache of weapons with several other Order members somewhere south of Karzahni. However, a squadron of Rahkshi got there first, took the supplies and captured Mersery and his allies. Though he remained in captivity for some time, Mersery was able to fight his way out of imprisonment and make his way to Destral.

There, Mersery was seen trying to scavenge anything useful from the remains of the Makuta's fortress that could be used to fight Teridax's forces, though later departed. Mersery then returned to his homeland of Versuva so as to aid his kind in defending the island from a large army of Rahkshi. Despite the efforts of both Mersery and the inhabitants of Versuva, the island eventually fell before the Rahkshi, forcing Mersery to flee.

When Teridax was killed, the Matoran Universe was left in ruin, and so Mersery forcibly migrated to Spherus Magna, as did every other inhabitant. On the surface of the new world, Mersery witnessed the restoration of Spherus Magna, and the founding of the new civilization of the Matoran and the Agori.

Spherus Magna
Several days later, Mersery traveled to newly constructed village on the outskirts of Bota Magna. After meeting the village Turaga, Feex, and agreeing to stay behind to oversee the completion of the village, Mersery decided to travel further into the nearby jungle to study its wildlife. However, Mersery was ambushed by a group of Skrall led by the elite warrior Tervok, who threatened to kill a captive Fire Agori named Falmed if he did not surrender. Though he managed to fight off most of Tervok's allies, Mersery was subdued and presented an ultimatum of either having Falmed's life taken, or be killed himself. Fortunately, the timely arrival of the fire Glatorian known as Flardrek arrived allowed Mersery to counterattack and defeat Tervok, prompting his allies to abandon him.

Following a heated argument between Flardrek and Tervok, the Fire Glatorian decided to let Tervok live. Flardrek then had Falmed freed, before departing with Mersery. However, Tervok, unwilling to admit defeat, attempted to attack Mersery from behind, only to be swiftly repelled by the Mersion's advanced fighting prowls. They then returned to the nearby village, only to find under seige by a bounty hunter named Skorr. Despite his best efforts, Mersery was unable to defeat him, and the Zeverek impaled Mersery with his venom-coated tail stinger after revealing he knew Mersery's identity. The bounty hunter then decided to let Mersery live, feeling he would prove to be a worthy opponent in the future. Weakened by Skorr's venom, Mersery fell unconscious and then experienced a strange vision.

Mersery eventually regained consciousness being tended by Falmed. After the Agori explained the extent of Mersery's wounds, Flardrek beckoned him to examine a house on the outskirts of the village. Inside, Flardrek showed Mersery a previously unknown room, which had been hidden behind a stone wall built against a large, rocky outcropping. After examing the hidden chamber, Mersery and the others began speculating on what Skorr could have potentially stolen from it. Upon leaving the hut, Mersery and his friends were confronted by the Skakdi Freztrak and Toa Soalaz, both of whom insisting they had important information to share.

After relating their tale, the group began discussing their past after Soalaz and Turaga Feex were reunited. Mersery then began devising a plan to track down Millennium and his allies, and after his strategy was met with approval, he decided to remain guard over the village for the night whilst the others rested. During the night, Mersery was confronted by Freztrak, and after a brief discussion over their allegiances to the Order and the necessity to maintain their secrecy around the Agori, returned to his sentinel duties.

Future
In a possible future, Mersery would go on to chase Millennium not only across Spherus Magna, but throughout dimensional space, and followed him through a number of different alternate universes, the timelines of a majority of these universes being out of sync with that of the prime reality. Mersery would travel and battle Millennium across multiple plains of existence, and was forced to leave a majority of his friends behind in order to protect Spherus Magna. Eventually, he would come to learn that his death was impending, and soon began entering a mild depression. After 100 years spent hunting down Millennium, an older, wounded version of Mersery arrived on a beach of the Spherus Magna of the prime reality, where he limped on to continue his search for Millennium.

In this future, however, Mersery was confronted by Velika, who was secretly a Great Being who previously murdered Tren Krom and Karzahni. Velika himself sought to kill him as part of his plan, which involved the death of some of the most powerful beings in the Matoran Universe. Too weak to resist, Mersery was helpless when Velika stabbed him repeatedly with a poison-tipped dagger. The wound proved too great for Mersery, and upon adding that to all his other wounds, he collapsed and died. It remains unknown if this future came to be true, and it remains possible this simply occurred in an alternative timeline.

The Kingdom Alternate Universe
In an alternative universe, Matoro failed to save Mata Nui in time, and Mersery and most of the surviving inhabitants of the Matoran Universe migrated to the island of Mata Nui. After the Kingdom of the Great Spirit was established, Mersery assisted Nuju and Nuparu on a project for space travel in order to find new lands to populate.

Abilities and Traits
Extremely intelligent and equally wise, Mersery is highly respected by both his colleagues and his friends, and is often looked up as a mentor figure by those around him. He is surprisingly calm in times of danger, though prefers to solve problems by applying thought rather than brute force. Amongst his friends, Mersery is very amiable, and is noted for loving the thrill of discovery. When he was younger, Mersery was shown to be an extremely curious, taking every opportunity to learn, though was also a bit naive. Whilst generally liked among his peers, Mersery was branded as an eccentric, though significantly matured over time.

However, masked beneath his affable surface of wisdom is a very secretive, manipulative, and stoically pragmatic side. Because of his allegiances and extraordinary intellect, Mersery has been forced to keep secrets from others that have greatly burdened him. Regardless, he is extremely devoted to the Order's cause, and his analytical outlook on life has often led him to do whatever is necessary for the greater good. Although guided by impersonal logic at times, Mersery remains a compassionate individual who never takes life without good cause. However, despite his well-meaning nature, Mersery's main flaw is his lust for power and knowledge. Although he only ever desires to use this power for good, he finds those best suited for power are those who do not desire it.

Regardless, Mersery is a scientist at heart, and an extremely talented one at that, and is passionate on all matters scientific. However, his true genius lies with all things related to chemistry, as the complex problems that arise in his field of study have proven an excellent challenge for his restless mind. Despite his scientific background, Mersery has a variety of other skills too. He is a competent swordsman, an expert physician and is also fluent in several different languages, most notably the language of flying Rahi, which he uses to communicate with his pet, Terkla. Physically, Mersery has a lean build and stands approximately 8.5 feet tall (2.59 meters/2 bio).

Due to the experiments performed on him, Mersery possesses Time-based powers. Although they don't range as far as that of the Kanohi Vahi or the Dark Hunter servant Voporak, Mersery is capable of channeling chronal energy into focused energy beams, allowing him to age or de-age beings or objects. He can also sense shifts and fluctuations in the fabric of time, and is capable tracking them down. However, he generally refrains from using these abilities, as they are extremely difficult to use. His armor and staff have since been modified to reduce this difficulty.

Like other members of his species, Mersery can manipulate an elemental force of his surroundings to a limited extent, possesses keen night vision, immunity to Pit Mutagen, resistance to intense cold and powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Mersery also has the ability to manifest a Rhotuka with the ability to warp his target's perception of time by either accelerating it or slowing it down based on his whim. Like all Order members, Mersery's mind is shielded against all forms of telepathy and mental assaults. Due to his sensitive eyesight, Mersery possesses a special ocular implant that filters out bright light, allowing him to see in daylight conditions.

Mask and Tools
Mersery originally wore the Kanohi Trezket, the Great Mask of Awareness, though later discarded it in favor of the Kanohi Makiti, the Great Mask of Shape-Shifting, which allows him to alter his form or impersonate any being he wants. It also grants him the ability to copy all the powers of the being he is disguising himself as.

Mersery wears a unique set of specialized armor, which has allowed him to both contain and master his powers over time. His physical appearance radically differentiates from that of the rest of his kind, due to the fact that he has rebuilt himself following a botched reconnaissance mission on Zakaz.

Mersery wields the Chronal Staff as his primary weapon, which he shares a bond with due to the tool's semi-sentience. The staff is capable of releasing powerful shockwaves and channeling Mersery's Time powers. This tool has an artificial launcher built into it that allows him to fire Rhotuka. He also carries a Midak Skyblaster. A cord connected to both Mersery's armor and his Skyblaster allows him to focus his elemental Time powers through his weapon, allowing him to fire blasts of both light and chronal energy. Due to a special modification, Mersery is capable of intertwining his time powers with the light blasts of his Skyblaster.

Alternate Versions

 * Mersery

Trivia

 * Mersery is Chicken Bond's primary Self-MOC.
 * A MOC of the same name was created by user.
 * Aspects of Mersery's personality were drawn from a number of other fictional characters, namely Professor Dumbledore from the Harry Potter book series, the Doctor from the British science-fiction television show Doctor Who and Mordin Solus from the Mass Effect games.
 * Originally, Mersery's field of expertise was physics; which is ironically his creator's least favorite area of science. However, it was later changed to chemistry, as it was felt physics was not a suiting field for Mersery.
 * His quote was suggested by user Toa Hydros.
 * Due to varying time periods between the creation of Toa Hydros' and Chicken Bond's versions of Mersery, both MOCs bear little resemblance to each other.
 * In Quest for the Masks, a story serial written by, a Matoran character by the name of Mersery is introduced in Chapter 26. The character and his personality were intended to be a reference to both Mersery and his original creator.

Storyline Appearances

 * Evils Unbound
 * Journeys of Darkness (First Appearance)
 * The Curtain Descends

Non-Storyline Appearances

 * The Eternal Game
 * Dark Realities
 * Dark Future
 * Killcount
 * Dark Origins
 * The Dark Side (Mentioned Only)
 * In Darkness Forever
 * Haunting in Shadows
 * Rising Shadows
 * Shattering
 * The Final Prophecy 
 * Eternal Darkness
 * Quest for the Masks