Merlin
Merlin is an enchanter who advises King Arthur. Merlin choses the spot for Camelot, which is to be the center of Arthur’s Kingdom. He helps build it for the King. Merlin is poisoned by Morgause at Morgan’s wedding. He goes into a delusional illness and wanders the woods for months. He is found by Arthur. His illness is very severe and he suffers from bouts of it throughout his life. Merlin has seen his death and is looking for someone to become his pupil so that they can take his place. Nimue becomes his pupil and also his lover. He is happier than he has ever been in his life. During travels with her, he becomes severely ill and Arthur and Nimue believing he is dead, bury him in Bryn Myrrdin. Merlin does not want to take up his old life when he is saved from his grave. He wants to live a quiet life and leave Nimue to advise Arthur.
King Arthur
King Arthur is the High King of Britain. He is a brilliant King who cares for the people and brings peace and justice to the land. His first wife, Guenever, dies in childbirth. Arthur is shaken by this and also by Merlin’s disappearance, which happens at the same time. Arthur spends his time battling to keep the Kingdom safe and out of the hands of the Saxons. He marries his second wife, Guinevere, at the insistence of the nobles. The King must have an heir. Guinevere turns out to be barren and Arthur will not end the marriage. He is deeply devoted to Merlin and loves him like a father. He is greatly disturbed by Merlin’s death and is prepared to kill Morgause because he blames her for it.
Bedwyr
Bedwyr is Arthur’s best friend. He is the one Arthur trusts to escort his brides to be to the Castle. Bedwyr and Guinevere become enamored of one another during their trip from Wales. They do not act upon their feelings because they love Arthur and do not want to hurt him. Bedwyr with Merlin’s help saves Guinevere from Melwas and sees her safely back to Arthur’s side. Arthur knows of their feelings for one another and he does not object to their spending time with one another when he is away.
King Lot
King Lot gives his loyalty to Arthur. He marries Morgause because the two have been having an affair and with Arthur in control of the Kingdom marriage to Morgan will not benefit him. Lot does not believe that Morgause’s first child is his and has all the babies in his Kingdom killed when she attempts to hide the baby. He and Morgause place the blame on Arthur for the killings. When Lot dies, Morgause and her young children stay in Orkney to keep safe.
Morgause
Morgause is the half-sister of King Arthur. She marries King Lot even though he is engaged to her half-sister Morgan. She wants power and to have a father for her unborn child. She and Lot are alike in that they both strive for power no matter how they obtain it. She also gives birth to four sons that belong to Lot. Morgause poisons Merlin and causes him to have serious illnesses throughout his life, which leads to him being buried alive.
Morgan
Morgan is Arthur’s sister. She is jilted by King Lot. She does not care because she finds him vile. She later marries King Urbgen from the North. She was taught some dark magic from Morgause when she was a young girl. She takes after Ygraine in appearance. She steals Arthur’s sword in an attempt for power.
Ygraine
Ygraine was Uther’s Queen. She is uneasy about meeting Arthur. She worries how he feels about her giving him up to be raised by others. Ygraine is very ill. Merlin can tell that she is dying. Ygraine dies during the time of Merlin’s disappearance and the death of Guenever. Arthur does not grieve for his mother. He does not know her so cannot grieve her.
Ulfin
Ulfin was Uther’s servant. He is taken on by Arthur upon Uther’s death. He travels with Merlin to the North to spy on Morgause and learn news of Morgause’s newborn baby. Ulfin leads Merlin the wrong way when he tries to save the baby from Lot’s treachery. He does this because he overheard Arthur say he wants the child dead. Merlin is unable to do anything for the babies that Lot’s soldiers send down the river on a raft. Merlin is upset with him, but understands his devotion to the King.
Melwas
Melwas is King in Summers County where Arthur builds Camelot. He kidnaps Guinevere when Arthur is away. Guinevere publicly says that Melwas saved her when she was hurt in the woods, but tells Arthur the truth. He will not say anything that will sully Guinevere’s reputation. Arthur does not let it pass, however and refuses to pay Melwas’ tariffs for passage on his land so that he will come to Camelot to dispute the matter. They end up fighting a duel that Arthur wins and he never pays tariffs again. Melwas knows fight has nothing to do with tariffs.
Nimue/Ninane
Nimue is one of the Ladies of the Lake. She was given to the ladies by her father. Nimue meets Merlin who mistakes her for Ninian in the fog. He later realizes his mistake after inviting the boy to come to Applegarth to be his pupil. He knows that if Ninian survived his drowning, he would be older than the boy he saw. Sometime after their initial meeting, Ninian appears at Applegarth. Merlin asks the boy who he is and he says to call him Ninian. Merlin takes the boy on as his pupil and forms an instant bond with him. Ninian has the gift of Sight and has several visions that confirm the validity of his gift. When Arthur sees Ninian even from afar, he knows that the boy is a girl. Merlin confronts her and she admits who she is and only deceived him because she knew he would not teach her if she was a girl. Merlin cannot deny her logic and cannot throw her out because he loves her.
They form a relationship and Merlin takes her on a tour of all the places that have been important in his life. During the journey, he falls ill. Believing him dead, Nimue and Arthur bury Merlin at Bryn Myrddin. Nimue takes Merlin’s place as the Seer to Arthur.
Stilicho
Stilicho is Merlin’s former servant. He is married to the miller’s daughter in Bryn Myrrdin. He saves Merlin when he is buried alive and nurses him back to health.
Cei
Cei is Arthur’s foster brother. Arthur was raised by his father Count Ector and the two grew up as brothers. Arthur makes him part of his court and he looks after Camelot when Arthur is not in attendance. He is not intelligent, but he is loyal to Arthur.
Mordred
Mordred is the son of Arthur and Morgause. He was conceived out of deceit when Morgause seduced Arthur knowing that he was her brother. Lot attempts to kill him, but is unsuccessful. He is brought up in seclusion until Lot’s death. Morgause then keeps him close to her in Orkney and he travels with the family to Camelot when Arthur summons the family.
Guenever
Guenever is Arthur’s first wife. Ygraine arranged the marriage. She took the girl on as a servant when her family died. Arthur likes her and agrees to the match. He is upset when Guenever dies during childbirth along with their child.
Ninian
Ninian is the servant of Beltane. Merlin finds him to be a kindred spirit and wants him to be his pupil to replace him when he dies. He senses Ninian has the gifts necessary. Merlin is upset when Ninian drowns on their way North. He does not sense that it will happen and feels useless without his gift of Sight. He felt a strong connection to Ninian and thought he was going to be the future Seer of the Kingdom.
Beltane
Beltane is a jeweler who travels the Kingdom selling his wares. Merlin meets him on the road on his way North to spy on Morgause. The jeweler is going to Lot’s Kingdom to sell his wares to Morgause. Merlin finds traveling with him useful and plans to use him as his unknowing eyes within the Kingdom.
Casso
Casso is the servant for Beltane that Merlin acquires for him after the death of Ninian. He has had his tongue cut out by his former employer to keep him from telling anything that he had seen. Merlin has Beltane teach Casso to write and he sends letters to King Arthur on the happenings of the North. It helps Arthur to keep peace in the North.
Lind
Lind is Morgause’s servant. She is the one who escorts Arthur to Morgause’s bedchamber. She tries to save Mordred when Lot gives the order to kill all the babies in the Kingdom. Lind travels with Merlin and Ulfin to escape Morgause.
Guinevere
Guinevere is Arthur’s second wife. Bedwyr travels to North Wales to escort her to the King. She is picked by the nobles to be Arthur’s wife. Guinevere is beautiful and admired by the knights of the Kingdom. She is kidnapped by King Melwas. She uses her wits to keep from being assaulted by him. She tells Arthur the truth of what happened, but publicly says that he helped her when she was lost in the woods. Guinevere is not liked by the subjects because she does not produce an heir for the King. She is barren. Bedwyr and Guinevere love one another, but will do nothing about it because they love Arthur. Arthur does not mind their relationship because he is away a lot and he prefers that she spend time with Bedwyr than anyone else.
