From the journals of Minalde Allaire, the Dragonsinger:
Of all of the wizards the one that I have found the most curious has
been Merriman, a follower of the Maid of Misfortune. A necromancer
by trade, a mystic by habit, an enigma in all senses of the word.
Not much is known of Merriman's past other than the fact that he
was born to a human held enslaved by the orcs, a woman who died
giving birth to him. The only thing he ever knew about his mother
was that when she was dying, she called out the name of her sister,
Alessandra.
Merriman was kept by the orc tribe's witch doctor, as an apprentice or
as a slave it is difficult to say. It is said that the witch doctor would
lock him beneath the floor and leave him there. Some of his earliest
memories are of a beautiful woman who would come to whisper to him
during these times.
Merriman had a definate knack for magic, for necromancy in particular,
and through many years of study and hard work he eventually attained
the rank of Lich King, the highest ranking of all necromancers. Of
his past he speaks very little, although he often proves to have a
keen understanding of orcs and orcish habits. He is a humble man and
often does things that others find shocking or surprising. All in all
he is dangerous, not a man that any wise person would wish for a foe.