All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists and the rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed because that would imply the existence of sadists and so the whole thing was labeled heretical, they told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed, unless of course you are talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who are allowed to know about sadism and masochism for some reason.

It's pretty clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or that it was at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, though, some sadists would probably be into that.

All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists.  The rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed, because that would imply the existence of sadists, and so the whole thing was labeled heretical; Merrin's priests (without gods? but that's definitely what Keepers sound like? actually you maybe don't need gods to have priests on reflection?) told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed; unless of course you are talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who are allowed to know about sadism and masochism for... some reason.

It's clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or found it at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, though, some sadists would probably be into that.

All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists.  The rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed, because that would imply the existence of sadists, and so the whole thing was labeled heretical; Merrin's priests (without gods? but that's definitely what Keepers sound like? actually on reflection you maybe don't need gods to have priests?) told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed; unless of course you are talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who are allowed to know about sadism and masochism for some strange reason.

It's clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or found it at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, though, some sadists would probably be into that.

All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists.  The rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed, because that would imply the existence of sadists, and so the whole thing was labeled heretical; Merrin's priests (without gods? but that's definitely what Keepers sound like? actually on reflection you maybe don't need gods to have priests?) told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed; unless of course she was talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who were allowed to know about sadism and masochism under some unknown excuse.

It's clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or found it at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, though, some sadists would probably be into that.

All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists.  The rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed, because that would imply the existence of sadists, and so the whole thing was labeled heretical; Merrin's priests (without gods? but that's definitely what Keepers sound like? actually on reflection you maybe don't need gods to have priests?) told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed; unless of course she was talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who were allowed to know about sadism and masochism under some unknown excuse.

It's clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or found it at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, though, some sadists would probably be into that happening occasionally.

All right, theory:  Merrin had fancy rich boyfriends, because she lived in an apparently Lawful Good world actually ruled by a secret Lawful Evil elite who were the only ones allowed to be sadists.  The rest of the population was not allowed to know masochists existed, because that would imply the existence of sadists, and so the whole thing was labeled heretical; Merrin's priests (without gods? but that's definitely what Keepers sound like? actually on reflection you maybe don't need gods to have priests?) told her that people would be hurt, somehow, if they knew sadists and masochists existed; unless of course she was talking to those secret Lawful Evil elites, who were allowed to know about sadism and masochism under some unknown excuse.

It's clearly visible from Merrin's thoughts that she had absolutely no clue that any of this was going on, or found it at all suspicious that dath ilan's elites enjoyed hurting her and that nobody else was allowed to know this, which is, in its own way, incredibly impressive as a feat of social engineering...

Wait.  This theory does not make sense.  Why would Lawful Evil sadists require masochists?

Were they just... into masochists?

Actually that does make some sense, some sadists would probably be into that happening occasionally.