Merity, also known as the drug of service, is used by and under the control of Manuscript. Taken in its raw form, it makes victims pure acolytes, highly suggestible and driven by a desire to serve.[1] Manuscript's Merity supplies are on lockdown and members have strict prohibitions on its use. Obtaining Merity is incredibly difficult, as it only has one supplier from the Greater Khingan Mountains in China.[2]
Power and Purpose[]
The drug of service. Indicated by a purple tongue from ingesting the substance, it takes a person's will, making them highly suggestible and willing to do whatever requests the giver of the drug makes. Besides the purple tongue and high suggestibility, Merity does not cause other symptoms common to drugs; a person under Merity doesn't have glazed or lidded eyes, they'd be alert and would insist they were perfectly fine.[1][3]
Merity is used and under the control of Manuscript, the Ancient Eight society. It is taken in its raw form by acolytes of Manuscript seeking to give up their will.[1]
History[]
Merity is used on the acolytes of Manuscript, particularly at events such as the Halloween gathering. At the party, a boy and a girl are under the influence of Merity, dressed scantily-clad and enthusiastically serving drinks to party guests.[1]
Officially, Manuscript's Merity supplies are on strict lockdown and members have strict prohibitions on its use. Another limitation is that Merity only grows in the Greater Khinghan Mountains due to its specific conditions. Manuscript pays a great deal to make sure the one supplier only sells to them.[2] Seeking a cheaper alternative, Manuscript member Kate Masters would approach Tara Hutchins, to grow Merity in the forestry school's greenhouse, giving her the specific moisture levels and the conditions that would let Merity thrive. Tara Hutchins and Sveta Myers were able to grow Merity.[4]
Alex's roommate Mercy Zhao was drugged with Merity as the Omega Meltdown event and as a result, a video of her sexual assault was recorded by Blake Keely. Keely got the Merity from Tara's boyfriend Lance Gressang, who having tried it, believed it was bad weed.[3]
Physical Appearance[]
“A single, slender tendril of some unknown plant lay in a pile of dirt beside a toppled plastic container. Alex touched her finger to it. The little vine unfurled, a lone white bud appearing from its leaves. Its petals parted in a burst of glittering seeds like a firework, with a soft but audible puh, and it withered to nothing.”[5]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ninth House Chapter 10 (Last Fall)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ninth House Chapter 15 (Winter)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ninth House Chapter 14 (Winter)
- ↑ Ninth House Chapter 24 (Winter)
- ↑ Ninth House Chapter 23 (Winter)