Arthurian Mythology (LL)

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King Arthur was a celebrated British hero, a legendary ruler credited with uniting the independent and belligerent knights of Britain at the Round Table and beating back the Saxons and other barbarian invaders. He also established a realm of virtue, Logres, that was the spiritual counterpart of his material kingdom. In this way, Arthur became not only the principal defender of Britain, but the embodiment of her ethical ideals as well. In every sense, he was the ultimate savior-king of Britain.
Despite his legendary standing, Arthur and his companions are seen as very human. Arthur himself is nearly always presented as just, powerful, wise, and generous. But he is also pictured as indecisive, unseeing, petulant, and occasionally stubborn. His queen, Guinevere, is beautiful and dedicated, but she is in love with Arthur's greatest knight. Despite his dedication to Arthur and the principles of virtue, this knight, Launcelot, is powerless to keep himself from returning her affection.
These characters, and hundreds of others, are described with such vividness and detail that it seems impossible that they did not live. Yet, the Round Table has never been discovered and the locations of Arthur's castles have never been determined. The island retreat, Avalon, remains as thoroughly hidden by the haze of time as it ever was by ocean mists.
Many mythologists insist that the great king never lived. Arthur, they claim, is the personification of a Celtic deity or, at most, an exaggeration grown out of the exploits of a conquering barbarian king. But for every mythologist who believes Arthur did not live, there is a historian who has devoted his or her life to proving that Arthur is more than mere legend. Many believe that they have found the locations of his most famous battles, the mounds upon which his castles once stood, even an island that might have been Avalon. Unfortunately, many of these assertions conflict, and it is not within the scope of Legends & Lore to sort through their claims in search of their validity. For our purposes, it is the legend itself, and the people who created it, that matters most.
Whether he lived or was only a mythical ideal, Arthur was born into an Britain descending into the depths of anarchy and chaos. The time was 500 A.D. The Germanic tribes of what is now eastern Europe were sweeping down on the degenerating Roman Empire, conquering Gaul, Spain, and even sacking Rome herself. Faced with such fierce opposition, Rome withdrew her legions from the far-flung territories, leaving Britain undefended, disorganized, and easy prey for the fierce Saxon, Angle, and Jute warriors of what is now Denmark and northern Germany.
It was Arthur who united the quarrelsome British knights and led the fight to repel the invaders. Many historians claim that he was the grandson of a Roman named Constantine (probably not the Emperor, though that is a possibility), and was trained in warfare at a Roman academy. He united the British realms through his tactical genius and was elected to lead the defense against the Saxon invaders.
According to legend, he was the son of Uther Pendragon and Ygraine, conceived through Uther's impersonation of Ygraine's husband even as he lay dying on the battlefield. Upon Arthur's birth, the wizard Merlin took the infant and had him raised by an honest and trustworthy knight, so the youth would mature into a wise and just king. Arthur was proclaimed king at the age of 15, when he pulled the sword Excalibur from a stone at a contest to pick the new king. (In many versions of the myth, Arthur was given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake.)
Upon achieving kingship, Arthur moved quickly, defeating the barbarians in a series of fights known as the Twelve Battles. In the last of these battles, fought at Mount Badon, he reputedly killed 960 enemies personally, putting an end to the Saxon invasion—at least during his lifetime.
After the Twelve Battles, Arthur began uniting the British knights around the Round Table and establishing the chivalric order that was his greatest non-military achievement. It was during this time that Guinevere and Launcelot fell in love, and began the affair that would eventually devastate the unity of the Round Table.
Also during this great peace, Arthur's jealous half-sister, Morgan le Fay, began studying sorcery and engaged in many plots to destroy her brother and his achievements. Her most successful plot was the conception of Mordred, who was destined to betray Arthur. Morgan's plots became so troublesome that Arthur was forced to banish his half-sister from court, further undermining the unity of the Round Table. In the midst of the Round Table's troubles, the knights of Arthur's Realm faced their greatest test: the search for the Holy Grail. At a feast where all the seats of the Round Table were filled, the Holy Grail momentarily appeared over the table. When it vanished, all the knights present swore to seek the golden chalice. Although they all tried valiantly to complete the quest, it was the saintly Sir Galahad who finally drank from the Holy Grail and cured many evils which had been afflicting the land.
Upon completion of the Grail Quest, Arthur's court began to decline. Several knights had died during the quest, Launcelot and Guinevere were powerless to discontinue their love affair, and Mordred was conspiring to usurp Arthur's throne. The final blow to the unity of the Round Table came when Mordred presented Arthur with proof of the Queen's adultery and demanded that she be executed, per the law. When Arthur reluctantly agreed, Launcelot took the queen and fled. The King and his knights followed, laying siege to Launcelot's castle in order to enforce the law. During the battle, Launcelot saved Arthur's life. As a result, the King agreed to a truce in which Launcelot exiled himself to France and returned Guinevere.
Unfortunately, many of his knights did not approve of this arrangement, most notably Sir Gawain, who was in the midst of a blood feud with Launcelot. In order to preserve what endured of his realm, Arthur agreed to attack Launcelot in France. While he was away, Mordred attempted to usurp the throne and marry Guinevere, further shattering the Round Table. Upon hearing of this, Arthur returned with his remaining loyal knights. They faced Mordred's forces in a terrible battle at Camlann that left only a handful of men alive. Although Mordred was killed, Arthur himself was mortally wounded. Before he died, Arthur had Excalibur returned to the Lady of the Lake, then was ferried to Avalon by three mysterious queens.
Upon hearing of Arthur's death, Launcelot returned to find that only five Knights of the Round Table still lived, and that Arthur's Realm was shattered beyond repair. Guinevere had entered a monastery to repent of the sin that had destroyed the Round Table. Launcelot followed her lead by giving up his arms and becoming a monk. By the time he and Guinevere died, England was again being overrun by barbarians.
==Role-playing in an Arthurian Setting==
Unlike most of the other beings described in Legends & Lore, King Arthur and his companions are not deities. They are legendary heroes, and, as such, should not be worshiped. Even if they could hear a cleric's prayer and or warrior's plea for supernatural aid, they would most likely be powerless to answer.
Instead of treating the Arthurian Mythos as a pantheon of supernatural beings, DMs wishing to make use of it in their campaigns should view it as a setting. The Arthurian saga will fit into almost any campaign, especially those based to some extent on the European Dark and Middle Ages. Any isolated land, such as an island or remote peninsula, will serve as the territory. Sprinkle it liberally with an assortment of feudal lords, add an-'invading horde of barbarian plunderers, then have Arthur, or a similar great leader, unite the lords in order to defend their homeland.
The player-characters might arrive in this setting in any number of ways. If they don't have seasoned characters already, they might start as a squires or men-at-arms for one of the smaller knights, then work their way into Arthur's court during the many battles against the barbarians. On the other hand, if they have already been adventuring for some time, they might encounter one of Arthur's knights, or hear stories of a fabulous court where all knights are treated as equals, which is renowned for its justice, and where strangers are always treated as welcomed guests.
Once they have reached the Round Table, of course, they may find themselves deeply entwined in the politics of court, asked to undertake a perilous quest on the king's behalf, or suddenly forced to prove their skill and courage in the midst of a great tournament.
==Duties of a Knight of the Round Table==
Any player character aspiring to a seat on the Round Table will have to earn it. First, they will have to attract Arthur's attention through some valorous deed or trait, such as prowess at arms, undaunted bravery, a thorough command of magic, unerring piety, etc. Once Arthur has noticed such persons, they will have to impress him with their adherence to a strict code of behavior.
They must be just, loyal, courteous, generous, and, most importantly, reverent; they must protect the poor and the weak, and never deny protection to a lady or maiden; they must remain clean and chaste in spirit and in flesh (though it is permissible to love from afar); they must strive for candor and flee from pride; and they must face death at all times with courage and good bearing. Although Arthur is not foolish enough to believe that all of his knights can live up to this code all of the time, he will not extend an invitation to the Round Table to anybody who) displays more than minor deviations from these standards.
Taken together, these standards may be interpreted as the Code of the Round Table. The code is rooted in deep faith in the existence of an ultimate deity, in the beneficence of the social order, and in the belief that men and women prove their worthiness only to the extent that they serve an ideal greater than themselves. While, for game purposes, it should certainly be possible for a player character to become a member of the Round Table without sharing Arthur's religion, they should share these three beliefs, at least.
Arthur will permit an individual of any character class into his court, provided their apparent alignment is some variation of good. Generally, their scores must be at least 10 in all attributes, at least 15 in their primary attribute, and they must be a minimum of 5th level (unless admitted as a domestic servant or squire). Only fighters of 10th level or greater, well-versed in jousting and sword combat, will be invited to sit at the Round Table itself. Nobody using poison, backstabbing, or other trickery to win a combat will ever be permitted to stay in Arthur's court.
==The Pious Knights==
==Portents, Omens, and Transgressions==
Although Arthur's deity remains distant and unapproachable, Arthur's world is filled with portents, omens, mysterious magic, and miraculous occurrences.
Portents associated with duty, an upcoming quest, or some other endeavor important to the welfare of the kingdom take the form of a religious symbol such as the Holy Grail. Beneficent omens are associated with romance, beauty, or a lovely woman; for example, the Lady of the Lake is often credited with giving Excalibur to Arthur. Signs of doom are identified with the harsh side of nature or paganism; for instance, Merlin was able to prophesize the downfall of one of Arthur's predecessors, Vortigen, after watching a red dragon devour a white dragon.
In Arthur's world, transgressions of proper behavior carry their own tragic consequences. The direct involvement of a supernatural being is never required to levy a punishment, for the well-being of the world depends upon the good behavior of its inhabitants. If they fail in their duty, their sins reverberate throughout society and eventually come rolling back to destroy them. Thus, the love affair of Guinevere and Launcelot destroys first the unit of the Round Table and ultimately forces them to enter a monastery to repent from the atrocious consequences of their deeds.
==New Spells==
* Impersonation (6th Level Wizard)
* Revelation (6th Level Wizard)
* Protection From Death (7th Level Priest)
==New Items==
* Holy Grail
* Excalibur