Merbahl Transcender
Merbahl (MER’-ball) is a Sarcosan tradesman from Alvedara. Fleeing the gallows for killing a child, he went north. In Al Kadil he married. In Hempsicoa they had a boy. In Sophoniba she took the boy and left in the night. In Carthalo Fields he met Kaylob.
Merbahl once had a last name, but won’t tell anyone what it was. Instead of taking a name like Farmer or Tradesman like other Erenlanders, he has taken the name Transcender, because that is what he does. In his mind, he has transcended his crimes in Alvedara, his past of violence and hate, the sins done upon him by his wife, and the shame of his people bowing down to the forces of the Shadow. He takes in young ones now, and mentors them, teaches them the truth of the world and how to get along in these dark times.
When he met Kaylob in Carthalo Fields, Kaylob was quite young and only stayed for a short time. Merbahl had just arrived from Sophoniba, where he’d last seen his family and was in a panic, looking for his son. He vilified his wife, Similce, claiming she kidnapped the boy because she hated them both. For two weeks Kaylob helped Merbahl find where she’d gone.
The whole time, Merbahl taught Kaylob things he’d never even considered. Izrador was never a god at all, and probably never existed as any real figure or creature. He was a product of fantasy, created by the Dorn legates and warlords, so through religion they could control a populous and have an excuse to slaughter everyone in their path. The orcs were the first suckered into this great lie, and it’s become part of their culture now. The twisted, greedy, power-mad men behind the whole conspiracy aim to control everyone through religion. There have never been gods or divinity of any kind. The belief in such nonsense is the reason Eredane is in the mess it’s in now. Even the Witch Queen is just a figure of fantasy, created by the elves to give their own people a god-like figure to rally behind. The dwarves know the score and fight against them both, as it should be. Every man for himself!
Kaylob didn’t get very close to Merbahl during that time, and didn’t agree with everything he said. But since then, he’s grown to accept these notions as fact, because he’s seen nothing to prove that Izrador is really a god, instead of just a dark cabal of black-hearted men and orcs, trying to control the world through this Shadow that everyone persists in fearing. Kaylob hasn’t seen Merbahl since.
This isn't the whole story. If you are not one of the Scroll Bearers players, you may read the secret information.
