(no subject)
Character Information
General
Canon Source: MERLIN
Canon Format: television series
Character's Name: Prince Arthur Pendragon
Character's Age: 23-ish - his precise age is never specified.
What form will your character's NV take? A magical book! From the outside, it will simply look like a regular dusty old tome, but the first page will be occupied by a large touch-screen that will behave like any good smartphone. Arthur will be absolutely useless with it at first, of course, but he will slowly become accustomed to this technological sorcery.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: As crown prince of Camelot, Arthur has been training for combat since he was quite small (presumably around ten years old, if Camelot’s training structure is anything like medieval training structures typical of that age). As head of the Knights of Camelot, Arthur has had many opportunities to prove himself in combat, both organized and actual. He’s said to be Camelot’s best swordsman, and any person who has seen him fight can attest to this. The people that he’s fought can’t attest to this, as they’re dead. Physically, he’s very strong - anyone who wields a broadsword for any amount of time has to be - and he can hold his own against much larger opponents. Arthur has only been beaten in combat twice, once by Morgause and once by Lancelot. Otherwise, he has emerged from every combat and trial generally unscathed and definitely unbeaten. Arthur’s overall physical resilience has proved to be useful time and time again - he once journeyed to the Realm of the Fisher King under the strength-draining influence of the Eye of the Phoenix, killed two bandits, struggled through a swamp, and fought off two wyverns.
Arthur is also highly skilled with the lance - in fact, in The Once and Future Queen, he goes out of his way to prove that his proficiency and success with the weapon isn’t based on deferment to his royal status, but is in fact based on his skill alone. In the course of the show, Arthur has also been seen wielding a mace, using throwing knives, and hunting with a crossbow. This wide proficiency with several weapons is typical for a knight in the age that Merlin is quasi set in - but of course, Arthur is more than merely proficient in all of these disciplines. The broadsword remains his favored weapon.
It’s been suggested that Arthur has some sort of “psychic link” or connection with Merlin, enabling him to realize when the young sorcerer is severely risking his life to help Arthur. Merlin has been able to magically guide Arthur to safety even while ill and unconscious. Similarly, Arthur could sense that Merlin was putting his life in danger in order to save him, and reacted even while unconscious. The series hasn’t elaborated on this “link” or even confirmed that the link exists, but it is definitely implied - and, given the destiny connection between Merlin and Arthur, such a link would make sense. If anything more comes of this or if, through subsequent episodes, we receive any new information about it, I will be sure to incorporate it after the fact.
And, finally, when he’s not busy being a prat, Arthur is also a great leader and (even as a prat) has begun gathering a reputation as a brilliant strategist. His bravery and courage help him in both of these areas.
Conditional: If your character has no superhuman canon abilities, what dormant ability will you give them? I've chosen to give Arthur the power of enhanced durability. This power is similar to that of someone with a regenerative ability, with some small differences. It's not that Arthur will be unable to be hurt, it's just that the injuries will not take effect as soon as they would, and will heal fairly quickly. A scratch will be delayed by a day, and will only linger for a single day. A more life-threatening wound will be delayed by a few hours only, and will last a week or more--but will, in time, fade and heal on its own. The duration of an illness will likewise be delayed and shortened. Arthur is canonically fairly durable, so this ability is almost one that he already possesses.
Weapons: Arthur will arrive with only his trusty and certainly not rusty (thanks Merlin) broadsword, and his armor.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: Here is Arthur’s history!
Point in Canon: During the events of 3x13, The Coming Of Arthur (Part II) - he will arrive not knowing the outcome of the episode’s final confrontation.
Character Personality:
In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom didn’t actually rest on the shoulders of a young boy, but everyone thought that it did, when in fact it had more to do with his secretly magical bff/servant, but everyone still paid more attention to the first young boy and his name.... was Arthur.
Arthur Pendragon is the crown prince of Camelot and, honestly, more than a bit of a clotpole. The series begins with a very different Arthur. Bullying, self-centered, and spoiled, he struts around Camelot’s marketplace, and picks a fight with Merlin because he didn’t pay the proper respects. One thing leads to another and, after a series of hyjinks, Merlin becomes Arthur’s servant, much to their mutual disgust. Or, well, Merlin’s disgust - Arthur seems more harassed at Merlin’s incompetency than anything else. Arthur’s impatience and general disdain for Merlin’s intelligence (or lack thereof) is a big stumbling block in their initial relationship. In fact, Merlin confesses to hating Arthur, and refuses to believe that this prat is the young man whose destiny is entwined with his.
But that’s just because he didn’t know Arthur yet. While it’s true that Merlin’s influence has a great deal to do with the changes and growth in Arthur’s personality over the course of the series, there is also a great deal of good to Arthur that is simply Arthur in essence. It’s just that Merlin (and the audience) didn’t know him well enough to see these aspects.
Though initially presented as a fairly spoiled and definitely self-centered ass, there are other levels to Arthur's personality. Similarly, the true depths of Arthur's personal feelings are often hidden or otherwise obscured. Though he was in love with Guinevere, and though he had spoken fondly of her to others, she herself was not aware of Arthur's true feelings until he made an outright confession. Guinevere believed that he saw her as nothing more than a servant - and yet, as it turned out, Arthur had fancied her for quite some time. Overall, Arthur is in fact capable of a great depth of feeling and great compassion - he just chooses to downplay these traits. Perhaps they aren't befitting a prince, or perhaps they aren't manly enough, or perhaps he fears rejection, or perhaps - as is so often the case - he is reluctant to disappoint his father by behaving in an unfitting manner, or choosing an unfitting path.
At his core, Arthur is brave and loyal. He takes great risks to save people - sometimes greatly stupid risks. He’s gone on quests, fought beasts, and even consumed what he thought to be poison in order to save the lives of his friends and family. His devotion doesn’t stop at personal bonds, however. He cares a great deal for the people of Camelot. Despite his privileged upbringing and despite his father’s reluctance to engage with the public, Arthur is committed to the well-being and happiness of his subjects. Even early on in the series, Arthur displays a great deal of compassion for the fate of Camelot’s peasants and general populace. He refuses to sit idly by and allow the people to suffer, and he even goes so far as to defy his father’s wishes and direct orders, with the intent of rescuing Camelot from its terrible fate. His devotion to his people is what saves Camelot in the end. It was his arrogance that caused the curse to be placed upon the city in the first place, but his selfless actions undid the work that he had originally wrought, and Camelot was saved.
Arthur is keen to prove his worth - his worth, personally, to be taken seriously because of what he can do, not because of who he is. On a certain level, he likes to be taken seriously as a prince, and enjoys the treatments and attentions that come with that status. But there are some matters where the special treatment comes to annoy him. He perpetrates a deception during a jousting match, using a false name and a false "face" (in the form of a peasant dressed as a knight) to enter the lists, in order to prove that he is capable of winning because of his skill, not because of deferment to his title. In the end, however, Arthur does not show himself as the true jouster, but accepts the success on a quieter and more personal level. He knows, and in a surprising show of humbleness, he does not take the chance to brag or claim additional glory for himself.
As a prince (and the once and future king), Arthur’s leadership skills are an imperative trait. He is more charismatic than his father, and spends more time engaged with people of many classes - more so toward the latter parts of the series, as Merlin and various storylines force him to transmute class boundaries. Arthur's willingness to help the people is in direct contrast to Uther Pendragon's reserved style of rule. Arthur develops to become a very hands-on sort of prince. He is unwilling to ask anything of anyone that he would not do himself, and he is - as mentioned - more than willing to risk himself to save others, even when the cause is not personal. This inspires great loyalty in people of all classes and creeds, something that Uther does not always have.
There are several differences in the ways that Uther and Arthur view the kingship. Where Arthur is more prone to compassion for the plight of people, Uther is interested in the preservation of the kingdom as a whole. Arthur's relationship with his father is important to the series, because it directly affects so much of the general storyline. Arthur often struggles with worthiness, believing himself to be a "huge disappointment" - when in fact, he is more important to Uther than nearly anything else. There is a deep love between them, but it is often tested - by Arthur's interest and love for Guinevere, by the revelation of several of Uther's secrets - and, chiefly, by the revelation of Uther's involvements with his wife's death.
Arthur's mother, Ygraine, was unable to bear a child. Uther made a deal with the sorceress Nimueh, and Ygraine conceived and bore a child to term - Arthur. However, all magic has a price, and an equal exchange is necessary. Arthur's life demanded a death in repayment, and it was Ygraine that paid the price. Uther was convinced that Nimueh had acted maliciously, and started what would become the Great Purge, eradicated all traces of magic and its practitioners - but the damage was done. Ygraine had been killed, and Uther blamed himself. When Arthur learned of this story, he, too, blamed Uther, and went so far as to attack his father. It was Merlin who intervened, with a lie, and Arthur's anger cooled - but that episode still serves to illustrate the tensions that run beneath the father and son relationship.
Another difference between Uther and Arthur is in their feelings toward magic. Raised to hate and fear magic, Arthur initially embraces these teachings. As the series progresses, however, he becomes more uncertain in the absoluteness of this declaration, and - by turns - more open-minded. He backslides from time to time - when Morgause causes him to nearly kill his own father, Arthur verbally rejects magic - but he bounces back into more neutral territory soon afterward. It's even possible that Arthur could become used to the idea of magic, given time and exposure to "good" sorcerers, like Merlin - but in the case of Merlin, the concept of deception could stand in the way of any deeper understanding.
Arthur hates to be betrayed or lied to. He values loyalty and the strength of camaraderie above all things. There is nothing so important as honesty between friends and family, and Arthur reacts badly to any thing or any one that betrays this trust. When he learns of his father's deceptions, Arthur becomes incensed - when he learns of Morgana's betrayal, he becomes utterly despondent and requires a great deal of encouragement to overcome these feelings. One can only imagine the reaction that he would have when he learns of Merlin's three-year deception - Merlin, the person that he trusts above all others.
Because Arthur does trust Merlin. Though their relationship began as a rocky one, Merlin and Arthur end up being great friends. This fondness is often obscured by Arthur's unwillingness to admit that they are friends. He mistreats and abuses Merlin, with blows and insults and light cruelties - teasing, usually, although occasionally meant in earnest. Arthur once states that the two can never actually be friends, as they are separated by class, but beneath that declaration lies a great fondness for Merlin. Indeed, it's Merlin alone who can reprimand Arthur when he's being unreasonable or arrogant, and Merlin who is allowed to tease Arthur in return. Arthur's patience for this backtalking varies - at times, he allows it, at times he scowls, and at times he throws cups at Merlin or threatens him - but no matter what, the two rarely have serious disagreements. Indeed, Merlin comes to know Arthur better than anyone else. He is the first one to realize Arthur's feelings for Guinevere.
Arthur trusts Merlin, a trust that manifests itself in many ways. He trusts Merlin's judgments and opinions - oh, yes, he may make fun of Merlin, and he may pretend not to care or to listen, but when it comes down to it, Merlin is one of Arthur's most trusted advisers. He often takes Merlin's advice, and he opens up to Merlin more than to anyone else in the whole program. He confesses his feelings for Guinevere, using really descriptive and direct language, describing his frustrations - confiding in Merlin in a way that he never confides in anyone else. It's rare that Arthur trusts someone so completely. He takes great pains to construct a series of walls and boundaries that make it difficult to get to the "real him".
But there are some lingering bits of pratishness to Arthur, of course. He doesn't shake them overnight - and some, he may never shake. He isn't all good and noble and brave. Arthur has been known to become petulant when things don't go his way. Usually, he snaps out of these fits rather quickly - Merlin has been known to intervene from time-to-time, and teases him out of them - but Prince Arthur is capable of being quite sulky. His moodiness often gets the better of him. On a more serious note, when he believes Guinevere to have feelings for Lancelot, Arthur rejects her and begins to treat her coldly, doing his very best to push her away. He can't deal with feelings of rejection from someone that he is interested in, so he chooses to isolate himself instead.
Arthur also retains a great deal of princely vanity. He's the best, and he knows he's the best, and everyone really ought to recognize that he's the best or else risk a reprimand. He's certainly not as bad as he used to be in this respect - several episodes have helped to humble and change him - but Arthur is still very self-confident and even sometimes arrogant, to a fault. He prefers to work alone, without help or company. Merlin is occasionally permitted to join him on his solo quests, but generally has to sneak along and bother Arthur until he is grudgingly allowed to stay.
Arthur is also oblivious to a great many things. He occasionally makes sweeping assumptions - he is the prince, so things will go a certain way, and anyone that stands in that way will be dealt with in a summarily brisk and often embarrassing fashion. He knows what he wants, and he likes to get what he wants. He is notoriously self-centered, having been raised to be the center of attention in most matters, and he is often vain or simply oblivious to the feelings, desires, and wishes of others. There have been times where circumstances have warranted Arthur and others to stay in less than accommodating quarters. Camping doesn't seem to bother him - indeed, Arthur takes sleeping outdoors very much in stride, likely because it's expected of a knight to have to make such sacrifices - but when it comes to staying in the homes of those of lesser rank, Arthur is less polite. One episode sees them staying in Merlin's childhood home, and while Arthur doesn't complain, he certainly isn't the best houseguest. He continually passes on the food that Merlin's mother cooks - which is comedic in the moment, of course, but is no less rude. He doesn't decline the food to her face, but he isn't shy about foisting it off on others.
When irritated or wronged, Arthur becomes very terse and verbally snappish. He isn't hesitant to take out his anger on others, berating or shouting at them. Merlin often bears the brunt of this verbal abuse - Arthur's insults are a staple of the program. They aren't always meant completely seriously - he once calls Merlin a girl's petticoat, for example. In teasing, Arthur can be cruel, and he occasionally does not know when to stop teasing. But he doesn't seem aware that these negative words could affect others negatively. He carries on as if nothing has happened, and he does not make a habit of apologizing.
Physically, Arthur has been known to be a bit abusive. If Merlin irritates or annoys him, he doesn't hesitate to chuck a cup at him. He's forced Merlin to eat rat (granted, Merlin tried to force him to eat rat first, but it's the principle of the matter!) and he seems to take a particular delight in thinking up chores for Merlin to do, all in the name of "punishing" him for one thing or another. Even when he's being playful, Arthur's style of physical contact is a bit brusque. He prefers arm punches and noogies over embraces. At most, he enjoys a bracing and manly handshake among his peers.
In the end, Arthur proves himself to be a surprisingly complicated person - for a complete prat, that is. He has his negative moments, certainly - but there are many layers to him, some that are still developing and changing, and it's in these changes that Arthur will mature to be the Once and Future King that everyone has heard so much about.
Character Plans: Arthur is capable of great leadership, but he has a lot of developing to do before he reaches that point. His sense of entitlement is something that he will have to lose, and being confined to a place like Siren’s Port will help that effort immensely. He’ll have to get a job and do work, and he will balk at that. He’s also highly prejudiced against sorcerers, witches, and all forms of witchcraft and magic in general. In a place like Siren’s Port, where “magic” is openly used and even embraced, Arthur will have to severely readjust his ideals and convictions, and become comfortable with the idea of widespread sorcery. This will, of course, include the revelation that Merlin is a sorcerer - and I won’t lie, I am really excited to play that out.
Once he has lost some of these trappings of pratishness, Arthur will be a valuable and charismatic influence to any resistance to the corporations. He won’t join any side, certainly, but he will work to save others, and he will definitely work to find a way home - Camelot needs him. And he will be quite skilled at getting rid of all monsters, having combated magical beasts in the past. Especially once he, y’know, accepts Merlin for who he is and accepts the magical help that Merlin lends him.
Appearance/PB:
Arthur is played by Bradley James! He’s young, he’s blond, he’s good lookin’, he’s - well, okay, he’s, er, he’s good lookin’ most of the time....
Writing Samples
First Person Sample
[When the video engages, Arthur - clad in his full armor, sans helm - is glaring down at it. It's a focused and cold glare, but it's clear that he isn't aware of the exact purpose or function of what he has turned on. It's very dark around him - he's clearly outdoors somewhere, during the Darkness. There's a cut on his forehead, but it's only bleeding shallowly, and he hardly seems aware of it.]
I've been informed that this is some sort of prison, so save yourselves the trouble of that explanation. And I've been informed that I am speaking, right now, to my fellow prisoners. [The look on his face ought to be enough to indicate that he does not precisely believe this explanation. Most likely, he is speaking with his gaolers, or someone at least acquainted with them. But he moves on.] If that's the case, then I won't waste your time, as you haven't any real power over this situation. I'm capable of recognizing sorcery like this when I see it. I've dealt with it before.
[A wary beat, and then, with renewed strength:] I am Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, son of Uther Pendragon. I am not familiar with this country, but by right of birth, I demand to speak with the king himself. While it might not be in your power to grant me an audience, I nevertheless will speak with him eventually, and any help that I am given will be rewarded.
[He sits back, ready to disengage, reaching up to wipe the blood from his forehead - and then the screech of some Darkness monster distracts him. Without hesitating, he draws his sword again and spares the NV one last cursory glance.]
You'll want to speak to your gaoler about this current infestation. Or perhaps come out and do something about it yourselves.
[And it's only then that he shuts the book, ending the video feed as the monster gives another loud, long screech.]
Third Person Sample
So - it was sorcery, but it wasn't.
Arthur tugged at the collar of his shirt and renewed his glare. He could see his reflection in the glossy door of the infernal device. It was flatter and more substantial than his reflection in a puddle might have been - but then again, no puddle had ever been this frustrating.
Nor had any puddle reportedly cooked food. But Merlin had promised that this device could heat just about any meal, with a few exceptions. And now Merlin was gone - though who knew where; it seemed that Merlin was always disappearing, darting off in one direction or another, confessing terrible business and previous commitments. Not that Arthur believed that, not wholly. Merlin had always been eager to get out of chores.
So Merlin was gone for the day, and Arthur was hungry, and without Merlin -
No. He could do this. If Merlin could do this, then Arthur could as well. He was prince of Camelot, after all. He was better than this, this microwave.
Arthur thudded his fist against the side of the microwave again and strode over to the window, staring moodily out at the strange and foreign city. It was no Camelot. Thinking of that city - the familiar streets and byways, the corridors and alleyways that he knew nearly better than his own palm - thinking of it was painful in a way that he didn't know how to deal with. He had been away from home, and he had never felt something approaching this feeling. It wasn't homesickness - there was no weakness like that in Arthur's blood. But he was willfully barred from returning home, to a place that needed him, to a place that he had left in turmoil -
Arthur rubbed a hand over his forehead and turned away from the window, staring back at the microwave Sorcery. The paranoid murmur of his father's voice echoed the word in his head, and he went to sit at the table and stare more closely at the microwave. Sorcery, all of it, in one way or another - they called it something else, technology, but there was something all too familiar about this oppression. A small part of him took doubt at that, but he did not have time for doubt. He was Arthur, the future king of Camelot, and he was not cowed by foreign sorcery or rulers or people.
Nor was he cowed by a microwave. Arthur got to his feet and went over. He stared down at the glossy black door. He stared harder at it, as if he could command it by gaze alone. It was a good gaze, an imperious gaze, and it always worked on Merlin - and if it worked on Merlin, it would work on this thing.
He raised a hand and pressed a button. There was a loud and strange noise, like the stilted cry of some bird, and then - a light came on, a humming began, and Arthur stood back with a pleased smile. He had done it.
Right. The microwave was conquered. Now, for the rest of this foreign world....