Merrick was born into a generationally wealthy family, these days mostly running a successful vineyard. He was the youngest of three, having two older sibling twins, Darius and Selene.
 
From a young age it was clear he was bright and charismatic, and being the youngest siblings he was allowed to pursue his own interests to a degree. He started studying magic young and was picked up as an apprentice by the Diviner Elara, a lady elf who saw some potential in him. His parents supported his studies even though his siblings saw it as frivolous.
 
Elara was calm and collected and took a meaningful approach to teaching Merrick. She was teaching him to tap into the weave to read the signs. He loved his time with Elara, and she kept promising him greatness. Years went by and Elara promised he was on the verge of a magical breakthrough, when she disappeared. It didn’t look like she had packed at all and she left behind her cane and her raven, Morpheus. Merrick took them both.
 
Merrick couldn’t believe Elara, a diviner, wouldn’t have seen danger coming. He questioned many things, and took it as abandonment. Around the same time, his parents were taken by a flood when they were away on vacation. Merrick got tired of trying to look into the future and sought solace in illusions, which he could control.
 
After the death of the parents, Darius and Selene cut out Merrick from the family, they considered him an eccentric dreamer who would hold them back and they didnt want to share the inheritance. It was a difficult time for Merrick and her turned to illusion and cons to get by.
 
He used his charm, magical Raven, and illusions to pull cons in the streets. He would create local curses or haunting through guile and then come “cure” them. He slowly drew some attention and through guile and panache landed a job as a court magician.
 
With some light illusions and charisma he made him self seem a powerful wizard. He performed elaborate parlor tricks at royal parties and enjoyed a comfy life style. He knew this wouldn’t last forever, but was in too deep to stop.
 
There was a court bard who was quite savvy, Lira Valefleur, and she was initially a rival to Merrick, and suspected his ruse. After some back and forth she eventually did discover him but admired his cleverness and a relationship blossomed. They became quite close.
 
The kingdom eventually went to war. They were confident having a court wizard. Merrick realized his time was up, he had to flee. Merrick went to say goodbye to Lira, who understood why he had to leave but begged him to stay anyway. It was a hard moment but Merrick didn’t have any choice.
 
He went back to simple cons and magic tricks, looking for his next move. One day when pulling a simple parlor trick on a regular rube, he had an actual prophecy. The first in a long time.
 
His arm was supposed to have some writing on it during a trick that wowed his rubes, but instead it read “The hand of fate shall guide you, though you run. By the blackened balde your eld will be won. Only in shadows shall truth be undone, yet in seeking the light your doom will come.” He was quite shaken by this, and has since been trying to disprove it, avoiding divination and jumping at anything that might fit the prophecy.
 
When he heard of the silver griffin guild he hoped it an opportunity.