The main characters are Mages.
They all just have the merit that keeps their avatars in physical objects. The Merlinians are Hermetics and the Morgannians are Nephandi. Balthazar is worried about humans noticing magic because that would draw down the wrath of the Technocracy.- The Ring of Merlin could be a powerful item probably gives one point in all spheres, considering how many different ones we see Dave using.
Drake Stone is the boy Balthazar visited in the prologue.
In the prologue, there's a montage of Balthazar traveling the world in search of the Prime Merlinian. The last candidate shown is a young boy in a stately home. Could this be Drake?