Merek Uhmil

## Player Quotes

*“Merek is a maniac."* **Dustin Sochacki**

## Bio

Never knowing his birth family, Merek Uhmil lived a childhood as an orphan. He spent most of his life being transferred to one foster home to another until finally settling with a family in a small town near *Avilstead* named Golstaph. Merek loved to enact deeds of tomfoolery upon the guards among the town and was occasionally caught and punished. His foolish acts attracted the attention of many young girls during his teenage years which he bedded. Upon reaching adulthood, he came to be very fond a woman named *Celeane*. However the two forewent a dramatic love life due to Celeane’s noble birth status and Merek’s riff-raff lifestyle. The two eventually overcame their families dispute of approval and wedded, but never had the chance to have children. Shortly after betrothing, *Elder Dragon Beledath* came before Merek in his dreams and instructed him to travel to a strange location. Merek complied and sought the counsel of the elder dragon and learned his birth father died, causing Merek’s Soul Gem of Transmutation to blossom into full power. Merek spent the next few months struggling to accept his new role and resisted balancing his responsibilities as an elder dragon rider and a husband. Merek was forced to realize his new power when Celeane was placed in mortal danger by jealous politicians who attempted to assassinate her, but Merek killed them before they could. After dispatching the threat, he feared his power was too great to contain and wished to keep his wife safe from himself. Celeane eventually became Ambassador Celeane and Merek left Avilstead after she divorced him for being unable to be a proper husband for her due to his inner struggles. Merek spent the next couple of years wandering the land performing small magical wonders for various people. Merek never shows it, but he is constantly plagued by his power and that it forced him to leave his lover.

## Ridership

Years later, *Elder Dragon Rider Kaiden Armov* offered Merek a partnership in his *Dragonscales* which he accepted. Merek helped lead the Dragonscales down a questionable path of justice for the people of *Silvestris*.

Merek parted from the Dragonscales for a brief time to assist *Vico*, one of the cities near his homeland. He heard reports from nobles that the enchantments from Beledath were beginning to fade away and he wished to help them. Merek arrived at Vico shortly after the assault on Vico and was forced to flee the city from *Elder Dragon Dulath’s* undead forces. Before leaving the city, he encountered *Tian Scalemoor* and *Tyrion* who he accompanied on the way to Avilstead to warn his former home of the attack. On the way to Avilstead, he gained the company of *Gormastyl* after impressing the dragonborn with his magical wonders of transmutation. While in Avilstead, he insisted the party talk to Celeane rather than himself due to their divorce. After rescuing the party from capture, he trained the three on basic survival skills before knocking them out and having them accompany him back on his way to the Dragonscales. Merek later recruited Gormastyl and Tyrion into the Dragonscales.

Eventually Merek’s partnership with the Dragonscales lead him to capture *Elder Dragon Zurrath* during the assault on *Burrova*. When Zurrath escaped the Dragonscale Fortress, Merek helped Kaiden trail the elder dragon down. However, Merek had caught up with Zurrath and was alone with him. Zurrath pleaded that Merek spare his companions who freed him from his prison. Merek made a deal with Zurrath that he would stray Kaiden away from their path if he promised to help unbanish Beledath from the Underworld. Zurrath accepted the deal and Merek betrayed Kaiden by feeding him false information. Kaiden quickly learned of Merek’s lies and forced Merek to flee the Dragonscales by exiling him. Merek remained in isolation for a few months until Zurrath kept his promise and restored Beledath from the *Underworld*. He later assisted Beledath in restoring him from his madness while in the Underworld and learned the true nature of what it is to be an elder dragon rider.

Merek came into possession of the Soul Gem of Evocation given to him by *Barl*. He told Merek that he found the gem on *Ealrith’s* dead body while in the Fade. With Gormastyl conveniently around in the *Mages Guild* of *Calnlian*, he transformed Gormastyl into Ealrith and instructed him to join Ealrith’s companions to fool *Elder Dragon Rider Dwight Jackson* for enough time for Merek to deliver the news to Dwight. Shortly after, Merek gave the gem to Dwight who went into a bloody rage. Merek quickly left the *Evocation Clan’s* temple and returned to Beledath.

After Merek rejoined Beledath, they were both requested by Zurrath to join his quest in restoring *Elder Dragon Venia* from her adamantine prison. Zurrath believed that only Beledath had the means of restoring her original form. Beledath was quick to accept to repay his debt to Zurrath for freeing him from his banishment in the Underworld. Merek joined Zurrath’s quest with Beledath and waited for Zurrath to gather his companions, Gormastyl, *Ser Ravyn*, and Zavidur on the eastern border of *Therinox*. Merek had a comical greeting with Gormastyl as they were reunited once more. During their travel, the party became ambushed by a large swarm of undead which attempted to wring out Beledath’s madness once more. Merek was quick to cover Beledath and defended him until eventually escaping the swarm with Zurrath. Merek eventually made his way to  *Grutsdale* with Beledath and Zurrath where they rejoined the party. When Merek left the tavern the party was staying at, he noticed a strange anomaly in the sky which was the signal for the summoning of the riders in *Caelum*. Confused and disturbed, Merek left the group for Caelum wearily as Zurrath promised to overwatch Beledath in his stead.

During the meeting, Kaiden revealed visions to Merek and his fellow riders that showed the reunion of the elder dragons once more causing the banishment of *Tiamat* to be lifted. His visions showed an apocalyptic event displaying the reemergence of Tiamat who effectively destroys the material plane. With his vision validated and ideals aligned with the riders, they all set off  from Caelum to ensure that this event couldn’t happen. After adjourning from Caelum, Merek accompanied *Elder Dragon Rider Halos Panascon* as Halos informed him that Dulath was traveling to Venia’s location to secure her. Merek then informed Halos of Zurrath’s intentions to restoria Venia which they formed an alliance to thwart Zurrath’s quest. However once arriving at the scene, Beledath had already nearly completed the ritual to undo Venia’s adamtine form which *Akir Duskwalker*, *Arthus*, Ravyn, *Severus Willow*, and *Zavidur Ugadesh* fended off Merek and Halos long enough for Beledath to complete the ritual. The attack by Merek was taken as an ultimate betrayal by the party, but it was done with a heavy heart nevertheless from Merek in an attempt to save the world from ruin. Zurrath carried Merek out of the area during the battle to prevent him from further interrupting, which Merek was later defeated when Zurrath transformed into his elder dragon form. Merek became wounded by Zurrath’s attacks and fled the battlefield in hopes of reuniting with Beledath after the chaos.

Due to rider duties, Merek found himself in northern *Silvestris* where he was tailing clues to find *Elder Dragon Rider Cassandra Teth*. He eventually stumbled into a port town with a nearby island and discovered that the populace’s memories had been altered. Beledath suddenly called for Merek which invoked him to cease his investigations. Merek informed Kaiden of his findings before setting back off to commune with Beledath.

Three days after the transmutation anomaly occurred, Kaiden hailed the riders to Caelum for a third rider's commune. The time had come for the riders to decide if they should dedicate their efforts towards further prevention of Tiamat's resurgence or prepare to fight her head on. In the end, the riders decided to prepare for a fight. The riders also shared more trivial details of their recent efforts with which Kaiden was ridiculed by Halos about the *Phoenixborn*. The riders then adjourned from Caelum to prepare a strategy and muster their forces to fight Tiamat.