Appearing in "The Black Knight"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Merlin (Camelot)
- King Arthur
- Lady Evaine (Main story and flashback)
- Gwynn (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Mordred
- Morgan Le Fay
- Vikings
- Tyrannus
- Pluto
Other Characters:
- Unnamed druids
- Sir Dandel
- Black Knight (Dane Whitman) (Vision or hallucination)
- Black Knight (Nathan Garrett) (Vision or hallucination)
- Mordred (Mentioned)
- Black Knight (Sir Percy of Scandia) (Mentioned)
- Morgan Le Fay (Mentioned)
- Gwythr (Mentioned)
- Persephone (Mentioned)
- Demeter (Mentioned)
- Gaea (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Otherworld
- Britain
- England
- Castle Scandia
- England
- Pool of Blood
- Earth-97213 (Vision or hallucination)
Items:
- Ebony Blade
- Black Knight Armor
- Excalibur
- Starstone (Only in flashback)
- Ebony Shield (First appearance) (Destruction)
- Ebony Staff (First appearance) (Destruction)
- Ebony Chalice (First appearance) (Destruction)
- Ebony Dagger
Synopsis for "The Black Knight"
In present-day Avalon, Morgan Le Fay watches Ian McNee approach, reflecting on the tediousness of past questers who paid her visits. McNee realizes she is watching and is intrigued by a dark edge she senses to him.
In the 6th century, the Black Knight watches Camelot burn after an attack by Mordred; Merlin arrives in the form of a crow and informs him that Arthur is still alive and has retreated to the Black Knight’s own castle of Scandia, to plan their counterattack. BK arrives at Scandia just in time to see Arthur murdered by Mordred and his allies. He begins killing the enemy knights, even as his minds recollects a memory from his youth, in which his mother led a group of Druid priests in supplication to Gwynn, spirit of springtime. Gwynn appears and says the young Percy is destined to play a pivotal role in the future, and must begin training. Later, after the death of both his parents, he is visited by Merlin, who tells him of Mordred and Morgan Le Fay’s ill intentions toward Arthur and Camelot. Merlin requests that he present himself to Arthur as a coward, and then, when needed, don the armor of the Black Knight as his greatest warrior.
One day, Merlin took him into an underground chamber where he forged weapons from a mysterious glowing starstone, magically fused with the blood of all who have lived and died. He forges a sword, shield, staff, and chalice. Merlin tells him one of the implements will save Camelot from doom, and Percy must choose. Because he is a knight, he chooses the sword. Merlin makes the other items disappear, except for the staff which is stolen at the last second by an unknown party.
For months after, Percy defends Camelot as the Black Knight wielding his Ebony Blade. At one point he battles Tyrannus, who is serving Pluto and seeks to conquer Camelot. Tyrannus is soon routed, but Pluto himself arrives to fight Percy directly. Percy fends him off but suffers a grave wound. Gwynn appears to him in the woods and heals him, saying he still has a role to play.
His recollections ended, Percy slays Mordred’s men and stops to catch his breath. Mordred himself, hidden behind a curtain, readies to slay with him with the stolen Ebony Dagger, when Merlin, watching from afar, casts a vision of two futures around Percy. In one, he sees a bright future of exploration and heroes, including his noble descendent Dane Whitman; in the other he sees a dark world of evil enforced by an evil Black Knight, Nathan Garrett. In order to achieve the former world, Percy must allow himself to be killed and let Camelot be conquered.
As Percy dies, Merlin affirms his decision and Gwynn arrives as well, now bearing the face of Percy, who has been granted immortality thanks to his sacrifice.
Appearing in "Ritual of the Sphinx - Part II "Le Fay""
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Merlin (Camelot) (Only in flashback)
Locations:
Items:
- Ebon Rose
- Claw of Damballah (Invoked)
- Bane of Damballah (Invoked)
- Shield of the Seraphim (Invoked)
- Fearsome Fist of Farallah (Invoked)
- Sword of Bone (Mentioned)
- Starstone (Main story and flashback)
- Ebon Sword (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for "Ritual of the Sphinx - Part II "Le Fay""
Ian McNee asks Morgan to help him procure the Ebon Rose. She challenges him with enchanted trees, which he fights off. She recounts to her magic loom how she once loved Merlin, but grew to hate him when he abandoned the worship of Mother Earth in favor of the new masculine sun and sky gods. They waged an epic magical battle that laid waste a thousand acres of forest. She has hated Merlin and Camelot ever since.
Ian McNee beseeches her for entry into her chamber and she grants it. He asks on his knees for the Ebon Rose, and she asks to see his eyes, which he is reluctant to show. She bids him leave, and calls her Lady Le Fay, which enrages her. She realizes he is surrounded by magic which made his voice resemble Merlin’s. Appreciating his brazenness and duplicity, she tells him where to find the Ebon Rose. In the center of the deathly-silent, Morgan’s scorched-Earth battle with Merlin, Ian McNee finds the rose. Watching him, Morgan says they will meet again, if he survives what comes next.
Notes
- Black Knight (Sir Percy of Scandia) is revealed to have become the spring spirit Gwynn following his death.
- It's revealed that Percy had four weapons to choose from, a sword, a shield, a staff, and a chalice and that he chose the sword because he was a knight. The staff is revealed to have been stolen and made into the Ebony Dagger. The shield and chalice are revealed to have been destroyed.
See Also
- 20 image(s) from Mystic Arcana: Black Knight Vol 1 1
- 1 reprint(s) of Mystic Arcana: Black Knight Vol 1 1