The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights characters

Appears from the start

The British king whose desire for Igraine begins the circumstances of Arthur's conception. Uther relies on Merlin's supernatural assistance to approach her, then agrees that the child born from their union will be surrendered for secret fostering.

Also known as The Duchess of Cornwall

Appears from the start

The wife of the Duke of Cornwall, admired by Uther and deceived when Merlin gives the king her husband's appearance. After the duke's death she marries Uther and bears Arthur, whose upbringing is kept from her.

Appears from the start

A prophet, magician, and political counselor who directs the hidden course of Arthur's birth and accession. Merlin knows many future consequences but cannot always prevent them, and his advice combines service to the kingdom with an unsettling willingness to manipulate individuals.

Appears from the start

The unknown foster son of Sir Ector who draws the sword from the stone while seeking a weapon for Kay. The act reveals his royal claim, but he must win recognition from barons unwilling to accept a youth of apparently ordinary upbringing.

Appears from the start

The honorable knight entrusted with Arthur's upbringing. Ector raises the boy as part of his household and, once the sword reveals Arthur's identity, kneels to the foster son he has loved as family.

Appears from the start

Sir Ector's son and Arthur's foster brother. Arthur first draws the sword from the stone while trying to obtain a weapon for Kay, and Kay's response helps bring the miracle to Ector's attention.

Also known as The Knight with Two Swords

First appears in chapter 2

A poor but formidable knight who alone can draw an enchanted sword carried by a visiting damsel. Balin's courage wins Arthur's respect, but sudden violence and a refusal to temper private vengeance place him outside the court almost immediately.

First appears in chapter 2

Balin's brother and fellow knight. Balan joins the pursuit of King Rience and shares Balin's loyalty to Arthur, though the brothers' wandering paths later separate them.

First appears in chapter 3

The daughter of King Leodegrance and Arthur's chosen queen. Her marriage brings the Round Table into Arthur's court, while Merlin warns that the match carries dangers that present celebration cannot remove.

First appears in chapter 3

Arthur's nephew and a newly made knight sent after the white hart during the wedding feast. Gawain has courage and family standing, but his first quest tests whether martial power without restraint can satisfy the ideals of the Round Table.

First appears in chapter 3

An experienced king and knight assigned to follow the lady carried away during the marvels at Arthur's wedding feast. Pellinore is a capable fighter whose pursuit also exposes the human cost of fixing attention too narrowly on a quest.

First appears in chapter 3

A young knight whose parentage is revealed at Arthur's wedding. Tor is assigned to recover the stolen hound and approaches his first major quest with a directness that contrasts with the failures surrounding other new Round Table knights.

Also known as The Lady of the Lake

First appears in chapter 4

A young woman who becomes Merlin's pupil in magic while resisting his pursuit of her. She learns his arts carefully and travels with him, aware that knowledge may be her only protection from a teacher who already foresees his fate.

First appears in chapter 5

Arthur's half sister, a queen and an accomplished student of enchantment. Morgan conceals hostility toward Arthur beneath her place in the royal family and begins using intimate access to the court in a design against him.

First appears in chapter 5

A knight loved by Morgan le Fay and drawn into her plan against Arthur. Accolon awakens with a famous sword and is told he must fight for another lord, without initially understanding the identity of his opponent or the full purpose of the weapons supplied to them.

First appears in chapter 7

A knight renowned for prowess, courtesy, and devotion to Guinevere. Lancelot leaves court in search of adventures, repeatedly meeting captivity, deception, and threatened strangers with a confidence that makes him the standard against which other knights are measured.