This was pretty fun, although navigating was a bit tedious on some screens (like when getting the monster summon).

I have two questions though - why are there fires in the prison, and why on earth is Merlin there in the first place?

The reason for those things is inexperience.
I hadn't done nearly as much merlin open map
creation as I have done now, So most of my older maps are less than amazing in some of there areas.

Time to play part 2 then, I guess.

Did you make maps inbetween or part 2 immediately after part 1?

I played parts 1 and 2 recently and I'm pretty sure I made them right after each other.