Uther Pendragon

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**King Uther**, born **Flavius Uturius**, is the king of Camelot.

## Biography

### Birth

Uther's father was the Western Roman Emperor Constantine III. He was born Flavius Claudius Constantinus, and is a descendents of Conanus Meiriadog. Emperor Constantine was born in Armorica.

Uther's mother was Flavia Fausta, the daughter of Emperor Maximian famous for his military brawn. Flavia was also Emperor Constantine's wife. Flavia was born in Italy.

Uther's unlce, Constantine's brother, was Aldroenus. Aldroenus was the ruler of Armorica. Aldroenus and Constantine were the grandsons of Conanus Meiriadog (the Celt who founded Brittany) via Cynan's son Gwereg. Both Constantine and Aldroenus identified as fully Roman, but used their relation to Conanus Meiriadog to help rule other the Celts.

Originally Aldroenus was asked by Britions to be their ruler after the Roman withdrawal, seeking a king who can defend them against the barbarians (Saxons, Picts, Vikings, Angles, and Jutes), and one who was of Celtic descent. Aldroenus refused believing the country to have diminished, but sent his brother Constantine to rule instead.

Emperor Constatine had strong militarty leadership, which in turn justified his rule.

Uther is Emperor Constatine's and Flavius' second child, having an older brother called Constans.

### Early Life

Flavius died when Uther was twelve, and after he was sent to live with his uncle Emperor Aldroenus in Armorica.

Once Constans turned twenty, he started to rule Ablion beside his father. Three years later Emperor Constantine was killed by a Pict, trying to conquer Alba.

After he died huge revolts occurred around the kingdom, and Constans was killed. After Constans died Albion split up, with petty kings making their own pieces of land officially becoming there own kingdoms, with their own beliefs and cultures.

When Uther was told the news of his brother passing, a dragon-shaped comet appeared in the sky. He believed that the comet was a sign from God, telling him that he will rule a kingdom one day, as fiercely as a dragon would.

### Conquering Camelot

Because of the shame his father and brother's deaths brought, and the revolts, Uther knew it wouldn't be wise to try to unify and control Albion. Especially as a Roman Emperor.

Uther took intrest in Camelot, who was being rules by the noble and rich House of De Bois. The De Bois had ruled over Camelot for generations, being the descendants of the founder of Camelot, the legendary King Bruta. Even during Roman rule, the De Bois still ruled over Camelot and it flourished.

When Uther was twenty he gained supporters in Armorica and Camelot, and conquered the latter, overthrowing the House of de Bois.

The House of Gaunnes had close ties with Emperor Aldroenus of Armorica, due to the head of the family, King Ganis, being the ruler of a petty kingdom in Armorica, Léon. When Uther went over to Albion from Armorica to conquer the Kingdom of Camelot, the family helped in his takeover.

Because of their help, King Uther gave the Gaunnes family the county of Brechfa, giving them lordship over the land. King Ganis gave the hold to Sir Bors the Elder, as he was the second born son, and Ban already has a male heir.

He spared members of the House of de Bois in turn for Lady Ygraine de Bois' hand in marriage. Lady Ygraine was smitten with the smart, young king, even though he overthrew her father. Uther took the crown under the title of "Uther Pendragon" after the dragon-shaped comet. A year after he took Camelot, King Uther and Lady Ygraine married.

### The Birth of an Heir and The Purge

After discovering Ygraine was unable to have children, Uther asked the High Preistess Nimueh to help them. Nimueh agreed and used magic to allow Ygraine to conceive a child, thus producing a son and heir, Arthur Pendragon. Although Nimueh knew that by using magic to create a life, another life had to be taken in exchange, she claimed that she had not foreseen that it would be Ygraine's life.

Ygraine died in childbirth and the grief-stricken Uther turned on Nimueh, accusing her of treason and banishing her from Camelot. Consequently, Ygraine's brother, Tristan de Bois, blamed Uther for her death and challenged him to a duel. Uther won the duel but, before he died, Tristan swore that he would rise from the dead and avenge Ygraine.

### The Great Purge

After Ygraine's death, Uther began the Great Purge, ordering the executions of hundreds of sorcerers regardless of how they used their magic. At the start of the Great Purge, Uther gave Gaius a list of all people suspected of using Magic to be killed. With this list Gaius helped some of his friends and allies escape.

During the Great Purge, Uther ordered many people to be drowned, including children who had inherited magic from their parents. Uther hunted almost all the Blood Guards and killed them. He also took The Crystal of Neahtid from the High Priestesses on the Isle of the Blessed and locked into the vaults of Camelot. At the end of the Purge, Uther also pursued and slaughtered all dragons except for the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah.

Uther tricked one Dragonlord, Balinor, to lure Kilgharrah to Camelot under the pretense of wanting to make peace with him, only to capture and imprison him in a cave beneath the castle. Uther then had all the Dragonlords rounded up and killed, though Gaius helped Balinor escape Camelot and flee to Ealdor.

During this time, when Sir Gorlois was fighting on the Northern Plains, Lady Vivienne had a brief affair with Uther, resulting in the birth of Morgana Pendragon. Lady Vivienne let Gorlois and Uther believe that Gorlois was the father of her second child.

### Ruler of Camelot

Around ten year's after the purge, Uther was orchestrating battles around his boarders, to show off his power, and to gain more land. Uther sent Sir Gorlois into one of these battle and promised him reinforcements. He later failed to send them, resulting in Gorlois's death.

Uther promised Gorlois that he would look after Lady Morgana and Lady Elaine (one of Gorlois' legitimate children) and subsequently took them in as his wards. Gorlois's resting place is a grave on a hilltop near the Darkling Woods just outside the citadel of the palace.

When it came to magic, Uther is a tyrannical ruler who would stop at nothing to set things right in his eyes. He believes that all magic is evil, and that all those who practiced magic were evil. When he believed that magic was being used, he would deal with it decisively.

## Relationships

### Arthur Pendragon

> *You are too precious to me. You mean more to me than anything I know, more than this entire kingdom, and certainly more than my own life*
>
> Uther to Arthur

 Uther demands a lot from his only son and heir, spending a great deal of time giving him orders as a second-in-command. Uther often overrules Arthurs judgement and reukes him for his defiance, claiming he would only understand when he will be king.

As a consequence, Arthur routinely believes himself to be "a big disappointment", though this is untrue as Uther cares about Arthur more than anyone with the exception of Morgana. Uther is proud of his son and acknowledges his finer qualities, including his courage, sense of justice and respect for him as his father.

Due to the situation around Arhturs birth, and the fact that Uther hasn't loved another since Ygraine died, Uther is deeply protective of Arthur.

### Ygraine Pendragon

> I loved your mother. There isn't a day passes that I don't wish that she were still alive. I could never have done anything to hurt her.
>
> Uther on Ygraine

Uther loved his queen greatly and was devastated when she died giving birth to Arthur. Nimueh warned Uther that there would be grave consequences, but he ignored her, not knowing that Ygraine would die in the process.

Then, he began persecuting the thing that he blamed for her death, magic. Twenty years after her death he still mourned her loss, saying to Nimueh that Ygraine was his heart and soul, which showed that he fully emotionally depended on her. It is likely that Ygraine was also very much in love with him.

Uther truly did love Ygraine but he had a brief relationship with Vivienne, the wife of Gorlois, after Ygraine died, and while Gorlois was away fighting a battle. This one time fling resulted in the birth of his daughter Morgana.

### Morgana Pendragon

> You and Arthur, you mean everything to me.
>
> Uther to Morgana

Uther's relationship with Morgana is strained. Uther cares for Morgana, but is too proud to tell her that she is his daughter.

His constant executions of people who use magic often puts him at odds with her, and she outwardly voices her opinions about this.

Uther encouraged Morgana to learn Latin, showing that she was different to other nobility, since Uther believed that only Roman Christians should learn it.

### Elaine Garlot

> Her father was the greatest man I've ever known, her mother a perfect noble lady, so... devoted. Yet she does not live up to their family name. One day she'll marry to form a great alliance between kingdoms. Maybe then I won't be so disappointed
>
> Uther on Elaine

Elaine is Uthers ward, becoming so after her father died. Uther favours Morgana and Athur over Elaine, which in turn has created resentment in Elaine for both Uther and her older sister.

Elaine tries everything to please and make Uther like her.

Uther refused to teach Elaine Latin. Because of this she went behind his back to learn.

### Gaius

> You've always served me well. And I know there are things that I've asked you to do, which you found difficult. You are the one person I can trust.
>
> Uther to Gaius

Gaius is a good adviser to Uther, and his closest friend since Gorlois died. Gaius isn't afraid to stand up to Uther and is one of the few people brave enough to argue with him when necessary. Despite the creases in their relationship Gaius still remains loyal to the king and Uther's trust in him continure to strengthens.

Uther does trust Gaius so enough that if the time called for it, he would allow Gaius to use magic to save his children.

## Abilities

Before becoming a king, Uther was already a very powerful warrior, having great prowess in swordsmanship, having won the Camelot Decennial Tournament twice, and eventually over throwing the De Bois family, and becoming Camelot's king. He had managed to slay Tristan de Bois, who was Camelot's best fighter at the time.

His time as king of Camelot, one of the Five Legendary Kingdoms, made him participate in many wars, honing his abilities in each battle and becoming even more skillful than ever.

## Trivia

* Uther speaks Vulgar Latin, basic Classical Latin, Old English, Old French, and Common Brittonic.
* He is ambidextrous, but favours his left hand when fighting.
* Uther has heterochromia, one greeny grey eye and one green with a bit of brown.
* He has a scar on his face, that goes across his right eye. This wound didn't directly hit his right eye, with it being un-scared, and Uther still having his vision.

## In the Legends

**Uther Pendragon** was the youngest son of Constantine and a brother of Aurelianus. As a one of the two younger brothers of the murdered King Constans, Uther apparently fled at a young age to the Royal Court of his cousin, King Budic I of Brittany where he was raised. As a young man, Uther returned to Britain with his elder brother, Ambrosius, and together they fought for their ancestral rights, eventually defeating the usurping Vortigern and placing Ambrosius on the throne.

Uther took the crown under the title of "Uther Pendragon" after a dragon-shaped comet appeared in the sky at the time of his brother's death. Most of his reign was taken up with campaigning against Saxon and Irish invaders in the North of Britain, where he held court at Pendragon Castle in Westmorland. He was, at first unsuccessful against the Angles of Bernicia. Osla, allied with the Jutish Octa, defeated Uther's armies at York. However, he soon turned the tables at the ensuing Battle of Mount Damen. Uther later travelled even further north to help the Kings of Strathclyde pacify the Scots.

It is at this point that the most famous episode in Uther's life is related. Returning to London, he met Igraine (spelt "Ygraine" in Merlin), the beautiful wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, and fell instantly in love with her. Determined to see her again he invited the Duke to return to the Royal Court, but Gorlois could see what was going on and flatly refused. The two quarrelled and Gorlois and his wife fled to Cornwall. Uther invaded the Duke's lands, but still impatient to be with his new love, he persuaded Merlin to use his powers to magic him into Igraine's bed. Thus, while Gorlois was being killed at nearby St. Dennis, Uther was transformed into his likeness. He walked straight into the lion's den at Tintagel Catsle and seduced the lovely Duchess. The price for this deception was that Uther's son, the future King Arthur who was conceived on that night, had to be given to Merlin to be brought up as he saw fit.