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Warlock
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After an ancient tomb filled with treasure was discovered beneath the citadel, a con-artist named Cedric began muscling in on Merlin's position as Arthur's manservant. He eventually succeeded in turning the prince against Merlin by making it appear the he was responsible for Arthur's horses running off, leaving him more and angry and depressed than ever that Arthur couldn't see him for who he really was. Soon afterward, the spirit of the legendary sorcerer Cornelius Sigan possessed Cedric and summoned an army of animated gargoyles to destroy Camelot. Because Sigan was immortal, Merlin was forced to break his vow and go to the Great Dragon for help. The dragon informed him that to defeat Sigan he would need a spell more powerful than anything he knew, but refused to give it to him unless he promised to free him. After a moment's hesitation, Merlin agreed. When Sigan realized how powerful Merlin's magic was, he tried to persuade the young warlock to join him by reminding him how badly Arthur treated him. However, Merlin replied that it was better to serve a good man than rule with an evil and used the dragon's spell to return Sigan's spirit to the enchanted jewel it had been released from. He later regained his position as Arthur's manservant after Cedric's treachery was exposed. When Arthur decided to prove that he could win Camelot's annual jousting tournament without being given special treatment, Merlin convinced Gwen to let the prince stay at her house. He also hired a farmer from an outlying village to pose as Arthur's cover identity, Sir William of Deira. Arthur was expecting Merlin to attend to all of his usual duties during the tournament. However, because the rest of the court was under the impression that the prince was away on a patrol, Gaius was expecting Merlin to help out with their household chores as well. Merlin was ultimately forced to use his magic to get all the work done, and at one point ranted at Gaius when the physician accused him of slacking off. When Merlin learned that King Odin had sent an assassin to kill Arthur, he immediately rushed to Gwen's house to inform the prince of the danger. Later, at the tournament finals, he discovered the assassin had killed Arthur's opponent, Sir Alynor, and taken his place in the competition. Though the assassin managed to badly injure the prince with a blade hidden inside his lance, Merlin was able to incapacitate him by using his magic to break the strap on his saddle, which allowed Arthur to defeat and (unintentionally) kill him. Though the court at large never learned of Arthur's deception during the tournament, Gaius figured it out after he discovered the assassin dead in Alynor's armour and was displeased that Merlin hadn't told him. He later forced Merlin to complete the chores he'd let Merlin out of after his earlier rant, including cleaning out the leech tank. After he learned that Mordred and the sorcerer Alvarr had enlisted Morgana to steal the Crystal of Neahtid, Merlin went to the Great Dragon for information about the Crystal. The dragon informed him that the Crystal contained great knowledge, including knowledge of the future. He also revealed that the ancient prophesies spoke of an evil alliance between Mordred and Morgana and warned Merlin that this union must be stopped, whatever the cost. Merlin later followed Morgana to Alvarr's camp. He saw her give the Crystal to Alvarr and eavesdropped as the sorcerer explained his plans for it: he hoped that Mordred would be able to master the Crystal and use it to strike down Uther and all who served him. After Merlin told him what he'd seen, Gaius went to Uther claiming that an anonymous informer had told him that the Crystal had been stolen by a band of renegade sorcerers led by Alvarr. When the king sent Arthur and his men to investigate, Merlin went with them and was able to guide them to Alvarr's camp by following the sound of Mordred's telepathy. They arrived at the camp to find an ambush waiting for them; Morgana had ridden out ahead of them and warned Alvarr that they were coming. In the battle that followed, Merlin tried to stop Mordred from escaping by using his magic to trip him with a tree root. However, the young Druid boy was able to his own magic to kill the knights pursuing him. Before running to safety, Mordred telepathically informed Merlin that he would neither forgive nor forget what he'd done. After Alvarr and his men were arrested and the Crystal had been recovered, Arthur ordered Merlin to guard it while he and the other knights rested. Merlin was oddly transfixed by the Crystal and was unable to resist its pull. He looked into its depths and was horrified to see a vision of the Great Dragon attacking Camelot. Shaken and horrified by what he'd seen, Merlin later ignored the dragon's cries for him to honour his promise and set him free. When word reached Uther that smoke had been seen rising from Idirsholas, he tried to set the peoples' minds at ease by sending Arthur and his men to investigate. They were ambushed at the citadel by the Knights of Medhir, a group of seven undead Knights of Camelot who had been seduced by a sorceress three hundred years ago. Only Merlin and Arthur managed to escape. They returned to Camelot to find everyone trapped in a state of unbreakable slumber; only Morgana was unaffected by the enchantment. Merlin initially assumed that her magic was protecting her from the spell and assured her that he would keep her secret. He led Arthur to believe that her mysterious immunity was due to a potion that Gaius had given her before he'd fallen asleep and tried to comfort her when she seemed flustered. Merlin became suspicious, however, when the spell began to affect him as well as Arthur; if Morgana's magic was really what was keeping her safe, then his should be doing the same for him. Later, after they discovered that the Knights of Medhir invaded the castle, he noticed that Morgana wasn't surprised to learn that Morgause was leading them, and that the Knights themselves refused to attack her. Unsure of what to do, Merlin decided to go to the Great Dragon for advice. Angry that Merlin had failed to release him, the dragon initially refused to offer him any assistance and ignored his assurances that he would honour his promise. He changed his mind, however, when Merlin swore on his mother's life. Convinced that this was an oath he could trust, the dragon informed him that the enchantment could only be lifted by eradicating its source: the Lady Morgana. Only her death would bring the spell to an end. Though horrified by the idea of murdering Morgana, Merlin was forced to accept that he had no other choice when the Knights cornered them in the council chambers and Arthur went out to fight them on his own. Knowing that both he and Arthur would soon succumb to the spell if he didn't do something, Merlin secretly poured a bottle of hemlock poison into a water skin and tricked Morgana into drinking it. As the poison took effect, Merlin tearfully tried to hold Morgana as she choked, and she eventually fell unconscious in his arms. Telepathically sensing her sister's distress, Morgause rushed to her aid, blasting the doors open to get to her. She demanded that Merlin tell her the name of the poison he'd used, but Merlin refused to do so unless she called off the Knights. After a moment's hesitation, Morgause did as he asked. As Merlin handed Morgause the poison, the people of Camelot began to awaken from their slumber, indicating that the enchantment had been broken. Morgause quickly used magic to escape with Morgana before anyone could stop her, leaving Merlin with the belief that Morgana was truly dead. In the aftermath of Morgause's attack, Merlin was deeply troubled by what he'd done as well as by what he was about to do. After assuring Gaius that he was all right, he retrieved a sword that he'd stolen from one of the Knights of Medhir and went to honour his promise to the Great Dragon. Before releasing him, he asked the dragon to promise that he wouldn't harm Camelot, but the dragon merely replied that he believed that there had been enough bargains. Merlin then used the sword to break the chains that held the dragon captive, fulfilling his oath and setting him free.
Just as Merlin feared, the Great Dragon chose to avenge his imprisonment and the slaughter of his kind by attacking Camelot. Horrified by the deaths of many innocent people, Merlin tried to stop the dragon himself but his magic proved ineffective. He later learned from Gaius that only the Dragonlords had the ability to command Dragons. The Dragonlords had all been rounded up and slaughtered during the Great Purge, but according to Gaius one had managed to escape: a man named Balinor, who was said to live somewhere in Cenred's kingdom. Believing him to be their last hope, Merlin and a wounded Arthur set out to find Balinor and persuade him to help them. Before they left Camelot, Gaius also revealed that Balinor was Merlin's father and advised him to keep it a secret from Arthur, as Uther would view the son of a Dragonlord with the deepest suspicion. Shaken by the revelation and blaming himself for the dragon's attack, Merlin was noticeably quiet during their journey. When they stopped at a tavern for the night, Arthur tried to convince him to tell him what was wrong, but Merlin was able to deflect his questions by claiming that he was worried about everyone at home. After learning from an informant that Balinor was living in isolation, Merlin and Arthur set out to find him. Arthur succumbed to his infected wound during the search and fell unconscious, leaving Merlin to complete their mission alone. He eventually found Balinor and convinced him to heal Arthur. Then, while the prince slept, Merlin tried to learn more about his father and persuade him to help Camelot. Balinor, however, refused to help because of what he and the dragon (whom knew as Kilgharrah) had suffered at the hands of Uther. The next morning, Arthur made his own attempt to persuade Balinor to help them. When the Dragonlord replied that he wouldn't help Uther, Merlin angrily remarked that he was no better than him and that Gaius must have been wrong about the nobility of Dragonlords. Mentioning Gaius caught Balinor's attention, but Arthur's constant calls for him prevented Merlin from elaborating. He decided that there was no point in talking further and left with Arthur. Fortunately, his words reminded Balinor that there were some in Camelot who had risked their lives for him, and he owed them a debt that needed to be repaid. He followed the two boys and agreed to return to Camelot with them. Later, while they collected firewood together, Merlin finally revealed to Balinor that he was his son. That night, while Arthur slept, they talked about Hunith and what it meant to be a Dragonlord, and Balinor carved a small wooden dragon which he later gave to Merlin. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by Cenred's men the next morning and Balinor was killed in the ensuing battle. Merlin was devastated by this and certain that Camelot was doomed. When he said as much to Gaius, however, the physician revealed that Merlin had inherited his father's gifts upon his death. As the last Dragonlord, it was now his responsibility to rid Camelot of the Great Dragon. In light of this, Merlin decided to accompany Arthur and his men when they rode out to confront Kilgharrah. The dragon decimated the knights and knocked out Arthur with a single blow, but before he could do any more damage, Merlin (hearing his father's words) was able to harness his Dragonlord powers and command the dragon to stop his attack. He then commanded him to leave Camelot and never return. Grateful to Merlin for sparing his life, Kilgharrah agreed to honor his command. He promised that he would not forget Merlin's clemency and said he was sure their paths would cross again, then flew away. Arthur regained consciousness soon afterward and Merlin led him to believe that he (Arthur) had successfully killed the dragon. They then returned to the castle together, where they were greeted by a relieved Gwen and Gaius.
During the year that Morgana was missing, Merlin often accompanied Arthur and his knights on patrols to search for her. Because he believed her to be dead, Merlin was shocked when they found her alive and well and was terrified that she would tell Uther that he'd poisoned her. However, Morgana later reassured him that she understood why he'd done it and said that she would have done the same to save her friends. Her forgiveness cheered Merlin up considerably, but his mood soon grew somber again when Uther appeared to go mad. After he saw Morgana retrieve a mandrake root from beneath the king's bed, Merlin realized that she was still plotting against Camelot and followed her into the forest, where he observed her meeting up with Morgause. Unfortunately, Morgana was aware of his presence and he was soon captured and knocked unconscious by the Blood Guard. Merlin woke to find himself in chains and Morgause waiting to confront him. She wanted to know why a lowly servant such as himself would continually risk his life for Arthur and Camelot, but seemed to lose interest when Merlin deflected her questions by stating that he believed in a fair and just land. Declaring that Merlin could take his secret to the grave, Morgause placed an enchantment on the chains that bound him and left him to be killed by Serkets. After his attempts to free himself with magic failed and he was stung by a Serket, Merlin used his Dragonlord powers to call Kilgharrah to rescue him. The dragon carried him to safety, used an enchantment to heal him of the Serket's venom, and freed him of Morgause's chains. Later, when Merlin lamented that he hadn't heeded Kilgharrah's warnings about Morgana, the dragon tried to console him by pointing out that he'd done what he felt was right, but also warned Merlin that his determination to see goodness in people would be his undoing. Once Merlin had sufficiently recovered, he asked Kilgharrah to fly him back to Camelot. He told Gaius what he'd learned about Morgana and they destroyed the mandrake root she'd hidden beneath Uther's bed, breaking the enchantment and restoring his sanity. Later, after Morgana discovered Merlin's survival, she threatened to tell Uther about his attempt to poison her if he told anyone about her betrayal. After it was discovered that Cenred's army was marching on Camelot, Arthur (who was acting as regent while his father was indisposed) ordered the city to prepare for a siege. Merlin helped out by gathering provisions and tried to reassure Arthur that he'd made the right choice. He told Arthur that he trusted in his destiny and that it was his fate to be the greatest king that Camelot had ever known. Touched by Merlin's faith in him, Arthur voiced a grudging respect for his wisdom. During the Great Battle for Camelot, Merlin was responsible for escorting the wounded to the infirmary and helping Gaius treat them. They tried to keep an eye on Morgana while they worked, but she managed to slip away in the confusion and used the Rowan Staff to summon an army of undead skeletons to attack Camelot from within. As the battle grew worse, Merlin confronted Morgana in the burial vaults and begged her to stop the attack. When she refused and said that Uther's hatred for her and her kind gave her no reason to feel any differently about him, he tried to make her see that she of all people could change the king's mind and told her that he believed her gifts were meant to be used for good. Morgana, unconvinced, snapped that because Merlin didn't have magic he couldn't hope to understand how she felt and insisted that there was no other way. Accepting that she wasn't going to listen, Merlin tried to seize the Rowan Staff and Morgana responded by attacking him. She managed to disarm Merlin twice in the ensuing duel, but Merlin ultimately emerged the victor after he used his magic to cause part of the ceiling to collapse on her head, knocking her out cold. He quickly retrieved his sword and used it (and his magic) to slice the Rowan Staff in half, breaking the enchantment and reducing the skeletal soldiers to dust. Destroying the staff created a magical shockwave that knocked Merlin unconscious. When he finally woke, he rushed to tell Arthur what Morgana had done, but it was too late. Morgana had beaten him to it and taken credit for destroying the Rowan Staff. Later, at a ceremony recognizing her bravery and that of all those who had died in the battle, Merlin and Morgana glared at one another while Uther gave a speech instructing everyone in Camelot to remain vigilant and stand firm against the dark forces of magic. When Merlin accidentally released a mischievous Goblin from a secret chamber in the castle library, he and Gaius rushed to recapture it before Uther found out. Merlin took some gold from Arthur's chambers and they used it to lure the Goblin into a trap, but unfortunately the Goblin was able to escape by transforming itself into a ball of light and entering Gaius's body, possessing him. When Merlin finally realized what had happened, he tried to reason with the Goblin and convince it to leave Gaius's body. After this failed, Merlin threatened to kill the Goblin if it harmed Gaius, revealing his magic in the process. The Goblin, however, was unfazed by his threats and taunted him by pointing out that he couldn't hurt it without also hurting Gaius. It later used its knowledge of Merlin's magic to frame him for its recent pranks. After the Goblin (as Gaius) informed Uther that it had found a book of sorcery in Merlin's room, Merlin was arrested and sentenced to death. Fortunately, Merlin was able to use his magic to escape from prison before his execution and sought refuge at Gwen's house. After explaining the situation to her, he began searching for a way to free Gaius from the Goblin's control and discovered that if they temporarily killed Gaius, then the Goblin would be forced to leave his body or else die with him. Once it was out, they could trap it inside the lead-lined box that Merlin had initially found it in. Merlin and Gwen put their plan into action by pouring poison over the gold coins in the Goblin's treasure chest, which the creature had a habit of licking. When the poison began to take effect it realized that it was dying, the Goblin exited Gaius and Merlin began to chase it around the chamber. Eventually, the Goblin transformed itself into a ball of light and flew into Merlin's mouth in an attempt to possess him. Before it could do so, however, Merlin was able to spit it into the lead-lined box and trap the Goblin inside. Meanwhile, Gwen was supposed to administer the antidote to Gaius as soon the Goblin had left him, but in its in rush to leave the physician's body, the Goblin had knocked the bottle out of her hand it had gotten mixed up with a dozen other potions on the floor. Fortunately, Merlin and Gwen were able to locate the right one before the poison proved fatal and Gaius made a full recovery. Later, after the situation had been explained to Uther, Merlin was pardoned for the Goblin's crimes and the box containing the creature was sealed away in the castle vaults
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Merlin and Arthur first met Gwaine when he was injured helping them in a tavern brawl. They took him back to Camelot to recover and Arthur instructed Merlin and Gaius to ensure that Gwaine be given anything he needed. Gwaine wound up causing quite a bit of trouble during his stay in Camelot, including racking up a bill at the local tavern that he knew he had no money to pay. Despite this, however, he and Merlin got along very well and quickly became friends, bonding over the loss of their respective fathers and their desires to have known them better. In addition to keeping an eye on Gwaine, Merlin was also kept busy attending to Sirs Oswald and Ethan, a pair of visiting knights participating in Camelot's annual Mêlée. After discovering that they planned to use Stulorne Blades to kill Arthur during the competition, Merlin snuck into their chambers to steal one of the swords as evidence. He became distracted by the mysterious crystals that the knights wore around their necks, and a closer look revealed that Oswald and Ethan were actually Dagr and Ebor in disguise. Unfortunately, the fake knights discovered Merlin before his investigation was complete. They were furious to find him sneaking around their chambers and immediately moved to attack him. Luckily, Gwaine, who had grown worried when Merlin hadn't returned from his errand, arrived just in time to intervene. He easily fought off the thugs with his superior swordsmanship, but was arrested by Sir Leon for breaking the Knight's Code and subsequently banished from Camelot. With Gwaine gone, it was up to Merlin to protect Arthur during the Mêlée. He used his magic to knock one of the thugs from their horse, but they quickly recovered and resumed their attack on the prince. Fortunately, Gwaine had secretly entered the Mêlée disguised as a knight and was able to help Arthur defeat his would-be assassins. However, Uther still refused to lift his banishment, and though Merlin later tried to persuade him to stay, Gwaine was adamant that he could never serve under a man like Uther and decided to try his luck in Mercia instead. After Arthur was badly wounded by bandits in the Valley of the Fallen Kings, Merlin tried to heal him with his magic, but failed. Fortunately, as the prince appeared to be nearing death, an old sorcerer named Taliesin appeared and used his magic to heal him. He then took Merlin to the nearby Crystal Cave, the place where magic began. Taliesin explained to Merlin that the crystals contained knowledge of the future and instructed him to look into them, assuring him that much would be revealed if he did. Merlin initially refused, as the last time he'd looked into the future he'd seen terrible things, but Taliesin coaxed him into it by suggesting that there was a reason he'd been brought there at that moment in time and only the crystals could tell him what it was. Merlin saw a number of visions in the crystals, including one of Morgana murdering Uther. Later, back in Camelot, he attempted to prevent this future from coming to pass, but nearly killed Morgana in the process by accidentally knocking her down a flight of stairs. Gaius did everything he could, but her skull was fractured and she wasn't expected to survive. Unable to accept this, Uther privately begged Gaius to use magic to save her and confessed that Morgana was actually his daughter, a revelation which shocked the eavesdropping Merlin. Unable to watch everyone's grief, Merlin summoned Kilgharrah and asked him to help save Morgana. When the dragon refused, he used his Dragonlord powers to command him to help anyway. Later, Merlin discovered that Morgana had also overheard Uther's confession and was going to kill him for failing to acknowledge her. Realizing that injuring her hadn't prevented his vision after all, he rushed to stop her and eventually succeeded by using his magic to shatter a window in Uther's bedroom, waking him up and forcing Morgana to abandon her assassination attempt.
When Lord Godwyn and his daughter, Princess Elena, visited Camelot, Uther revealed that she and Arthur were to marry in order to form an alliance between their kingdoms. Merlin was amused by this turn of events and enjoyed teasing Arthur about it, but soon realized that something was wrong when he spotted Elena's nurse, Grunhilda, catching flies with her tongue. After further investigation revealed that Grunhilda was actually a pixie and that Elena was (unknowingly) a changeling, Merlin and Gaius realized that a marriage between her and Arthur would give the Sidhe control over the throne of Camelot. In order to prevent this, they decided to concoct a potion that would free Elena of the Sidhe that was possessing her. Merlin was tasked with collecting the ingredients for this potion, including an extremely rare Dropwort flower that only grew in marshy, boggy terrain. Unfortunately, Grunhilda discovered that Merlin knew about Elena and rushed to inform the Sidhe. Determined to stop him from interfering in their plans, the Sidhe Elder tried to kill Merlin that night. Merlin managed to escape the attack and destroy the Elder with his magical staff, but accidentally broke the potion bottle in the process. Fortunately, Gaius was able to prepare another one while Merlin devised a plan to lure Grunhilda away from Elena. After locking the pixie in the castle vaults, Merlin and Gaius retrieved the potion and Merlin's staff from their chambers and went to find Elena. However, Grunhilda soon escaped from her prison and attempted to attack them, forcing Merlin to reduce her to dust with his magical staff. He then entered Elena's chambers and made her drink the potion, forcing the Sidhe out of her and allowing Merlin to destroy it with his staff. Later, Merlin helped Arthur prepare for his wedding. When he realized how upset the prince was about having to marry Elena, Merlin tried to comfort Arthur by sympathizing with his worries about having a destiny that he couldn't escape. He advised Arthur that an unhappy king would not make for a stronger kingdom and said that he may be destined to rule Camelot, but he had a choice as to how he did it. Recognizing the truth of Merlin's words, Arthur admitted to Elena that he did not love her and they mutually decided to call off the wedding. After Sir Leon returned to court claiming that the Druids had healed him with the Cup of Life, Uther decided to send Arthur (and Merlin) on a quest to retrieve it before their enemy, King Cenred, learned of its location. They were captured by the slave trader Jarl soon after entering Cenred's kingdom and were unexpectedly reunited with their friend Gwaine, who was also being held prisoner. The three were later able to escape together and Gwaine decided to join Merlin and Arthur on their quest. They recovered the Cup from the Druids, but were ambushed by Cenred's men on their way back to Camelot. Arthur was injured in the attack and Merlin was unable to keep the Cup from falling into enemy hands. Cenred's ally Morgause later used it to make his army immortal, then killed him and used the army to conquer Camelot. Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine returned to find that Uther and the rest of the court had been taken prisoner and that only Gaius and Elyan had managed to escape. They later retreated to the safety of the woods after witnessing Morgana crowned Queen of Camelot. The group spent the next week hiding in a cave while they figured out what to do about the immortal army. Merlin used the Avalon Vial to contact his deceased lover Freya, who told him that the Cup of Life had transformed Morgana's army into the living dead and reminded him that the only thing with the power to slay the undead was the sword Excalibur, which Merlin had hidden at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon. Merlin later commanded the dragon Kilgharrah to carry him to the lake and was given the sword by Freya, though only her arm emerged from the water. Soon after Merlin returned to the cave, he and the rest of the group met up with Gwen and Leon. The pair had managed to escape from Camelot, but had accidentally led Morgause and a squad of immortal soldiers to Arthur's hiding place in the process. Fortunately, the group was saved by the timely arrival of Lancelot and his friend Percival, who helped them escape by using a small avalanche to block the soldiers' path. The group then traveled to the Castle of the Ancient Kings, where Arthur revealed his plan to rescue his father. Merlin was among those who volunteered to accompany him on his mission and was later present when the the prince knighted Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, and Lancelot for their loyalty. Unbeknownst to Arthur, however, Merlin and Lancelot were planning to split off from the group after they reached the castle to find and empty the Cup of Life. Armed with the sword Excalibur, they battled their way to the throne room and destroyed any immortal soldiers that stood in their way. However, Lancelot was injured and Morgause intervened before Merlin could reach the Cup. Fortunately, Gaius arrived and saved Merlin by attacking Morgause with magic. Merlin was then able to use his own magic to smash her into a pillar, seriously injuring her, before using Excalibur to empty the Cup of the army's blood, destroying the immortal soldiers. Horrified by Morgause's injuries, Morgana rushed into the room and cradled her unconscious sister. Merlin confronted Morgana and told her that her reign was over, but she angrily replied that it had only just begun. She then used her magic to bring the room crashing down around them, but fortunately Merlin, Lancelot, and Gaius were able to escape without injury. Merlin later placed Excalibur in a stone in the woods, where no mortal man could wield it.
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One year after Morgana attempted to conquer Camelot, the court was holding a feast to celebrate Samhain's Eve when Merlin had a vision of a mysterious old woman, causing him to faint. Later that night, after Merlin had recovered, he told Gaius what he'd seen and the physician concluded that the woman in his vision was likely the Cailleach, the Gatekeeper to the Spirit World. Gaius was unsure why she had appeared to Merlin, but feared that it might mean trouble for Camelot. The next day, Arthur began receiving reports of strange, faceless beings attacking nearby villages. Merlin accompanied him and the Knights of the Round Table when they rode out to investigate and discovered that the attacks were the work of the Dorocha, ghostly voices of the dead that Morgana had unleashed by tearing the veil between the worlds. Ordinary weapons could not kill them and Merlin was unable to use his magic in their presence. Fortunately, Lancelot was able to chase the Dorocha away from Merlin with a torch before they could harm him. The attacks soon spread to the rest of Camelot, plunging the kingdom into chaos as frightened villagers flocked to the city for protection. Unable to use his magic, Merlin kept busy by helping Gaius tend to the wounded when he wasn't serving Arthur. He was later present when Gaius informed Arthur of his suspicions that the veil had been torn and that he would have to journey to the Isle of the Blessed and perform a blood sacrifice to repair it. Knowing that Arthur would choose to sacrifice himself to save the kingdom, Merlin resolved to protect him by sacrificing himself in his place. Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights set out for the Isle of the Blessed the next morning. Lancelot didn't think it was wise for Merlin to come along, as he was worried that the warlock would get hurt without his magic to protect himself. When he told Merlin as much, however, the warlock merely replied that it was his duty to protect Arthur, just as it was Lancelot's duty to protect Camelot. The group later made camp at the abandoned fortress of Daobeth, where Merlin and Arthur were attacked by a Dorocha while they collected firewood. They evaded the creature and hid within the fortress, but the Dorocha pursued them and Arthur eventually decided to meet its attack head on. Before he could do so, however, Merlin pushed him out of the way and took the brunt of the Dorocha's attack himself. It was a this point that the Knights (who had been searching the fortress for them) arrived and chased the creature away with a torch. Though Merlin's magic allowed him to survive the attack, he was badly injured and appeared to be slowly dying. As such, it was decided that Lancelot would take him back to Camelot while Arthur and the other Knights completed their quest. Fortunately, Merlin and Lancelot encountered the Vilia, benevolent spirits of the lakes and streams, during their journey and they were able to heal the warlock with their magic. The spirits also conjured magical lights to keep him and Lancelot safe from the Dorocha during the night. The next morning, Merlin and Lancelot rode out to catch up to Arthur and the others. They took shelter in a cabin in the woods, where they stayed up talking and drinking late into the night. When they eventually fell asleep their fire burned low, leaving them vulnerable to the Dorocha. Fortunately, Merlin was able to sense the creatures approaching and woke Lancelot in time for them to escape. However, the Dorocha continued to chase them, so he summoned the Great Dragon to repel the ghosts with his fire. Merlin thanked Kilgharrah for his help and introduced him to Lancelot, then explained their errand to the Isle of the Blessed. The dragon confirmed that the Cailleach would demand a sacrifice before she would repair the veil and tried to convince Merlin not to offer himself in Arthur's place, but the warlock would not be dissuaded. Touched by his loyalty, the dragon told Merlin that he would miss him before he flew away. Merlin and Lancelot rejoined Arthur and the others and completed their journey to the Isle of the Blessed. After discovering the island was guarded by Wyverns, Leon, Percival, and Elyan stayed behind to hold them off while Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot confronted the Cailleach. Gwaine and Arthur were quickly knocked out and Merlin stepped forward to offer himself as a sacrifice, but the Cailleach refused and told him that his time among men was not yet over. Confused, Merlin turned to the veil and saw Lancelot walking toward the edge. He could only stare in horror as the knight smiled at him, then stepped through the veil and vanished. Back in Camelot, Merlin attended Lancelot's memorial alongside the rest of the court. Later, while mourning his friend in the privacy of his room, he overheard Arthur's uncle Agravaine ask Gaius about the identity of the sorcerer Emrys, which led them to suspect that the nobleman might be in league with Morgana. After Uther was mortally wounded protecting his son from an assassin, Merlin decided to show Arthur that magic could be used for good by using it to heal the king. Ignoring Gaius's warnings that his plan could backfire, Merlin met with the prince disguised as Dragoon the Great and agreed to heal Uther if Arthur would promise to legalize magic when he was king. Though initially hesitant, Arthur accepted the terms and Merlin arranged to heal Uther later that evening. Unfortunately, Arthur's uncle Lord Agravaine told Morgana of their plan and the witch gave him an enchanted pendant to place around the king's neck. The pendant caused Merlin's healing spell to backfire, killing Uther instead of saving him. Enraged, Arthur tried to attack Merlin, but the warlock was able to use his magic to knock him unconscious. He then fled the room and returned to his usual form. After Gaius showed him the necklace and they realized what Morgana had done, Merlin tried to convince Arthur that his father's death was an accident. Arthur, however, was certain this own arrogance was to blame. He told Merlin that magic was pure evil and that he would never lose sight of that again now that he'd lost both his parents to magic. Heartbroken, Merlin spent the night sitting vigil while the prince mourned his father. He later watched as Arthur was crowned King of Camelot and joined the rest of the court in chanting, "Long live the King!". Merlin was serving Arthur at the Feast of Beltain when Agravaine helped Morgana and Helios launch their attack on Camelot, forcing its citizens to flee. Knowing that Arthur would never willingly abandon his people, Merlin placed an enchantment on his mind that confused him and made him easier to control. They then escaped into the forest with Percival and Elyan, leaving Gwaine and Gaius behind to hold up their pursuers. They decided to seek sanctuary across the border in Merlin's home village of Ealdor, but unfortunately Morgana and her soldiers pursued them into the woods. Percival went missing after she attacked them with her magic and Elyan was captured ensuring that Merlin and Arthur escaped. They eventually reached a place of safety and Merlin instructed Arthur (who was still enchanted) to disguise himself as a peasant so he'd look less conspicuous to anyone they encountered while traveling. They later ran into a gang of smugglers led by Tristan and Isolde, who agreed to let Merlin and Arthur travel with them in exchange for gold. Unfortunately, the smugglers discovered Arthur's true identity the next morning when their camp was attacked by Agravaine and his men. Angered by the loss of his cargo and the revelation that he'd been harboring the King of Camelot, Tristian initially wanted nothing more to do with them, but agreed to accompany them to Ealdor after Isolde was injured so that she could receive proper care. Upon arriving at the village, Merlin was reunited with his mother Hunith and Arthur discovered that Gwen had been living there since her banishment. Gwen later decided to join their group after Agravaine and his men attacked Ealdor, forcing her, Merlin, Arthur, Tristan, and Isolde to flee to some nearby caves. Though Merlin called the Great Dragon to attack their pursuers, Agravaine and a small party of Southrons managed to follow them into the caves. Ignoring Arthur's protests, Merlin doubled back and attempted to lead their enemies away from the group but was soon cornered by Agravaine, who demanded that he tell him where Arthur was. Merlin refused, and was ultimately forced to kill him and his men with his magic when they tried to attack him. He then returned to Arthur and the others and led them out of the caves. They took cover in the Forest of Ascetir, where Arthur later confided in Merlin that he felt he'd failed his people and no longer deserved to be king. Determined to convince him otherwise, Merlin went to the Great Dragon for advice and was told that he would have to restore Arthur's faith in himself. He accomplished this by searching the forest for survivors of Morgana's attack and gathering them together to watch Arthur pull the sword Excalibur from the stone he'd hidden it in. With Arthur's faith restored, he, Merlin, and the surviving Knights of Camelot began planning to retake the kingdom from Morgana. Knowing that her magic would put their side at a disadvantage, Merlin snuck into the castle disguised as Dragoon the Great and cast a spell that would temporarily block Morgana's powers, then returned to the camp before anyone had noticed his absence. The next morning, Arthur and his allies put their plan into action. The knights fought off the Southrons and freed their prisoners while Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Tristan, and Isolde battled their way to the throne room. They found Morgana and Helios waiting for them, but the witch quickly fled when she realized that she couldn't use her magic. Gwen pursued her and Merlin followed, arriving just in time to stop Morgana from killing her. Unfortunately, the witch vanished before they could apprehend her, and Gwen and Merlin returned to the throne room to find that Isolde had been killed fighting Helios. Later, after the kingdom had recovered, Merlin was among those present who witnessed Guinevere crowned Queen of Camelot.
Three years after Guinevere's coronation, a patrol of sixty knights led by Gwaine and Percival disappeared while traveling through Ismere. After a search party failed to turn any leads besides a rumor that organa was occupying the Fortress of Ismere, Arthur began to suspect that she was holding the knights hostage and decided to lead a rescue party to investigate. They decided to catch Morgana by surprise by entering Ismere from the west, through their ally Queen Annis' lands. On the way there, the rescue party discovered the remains of a village, the inhabitants of which had been slaughtered. While searching for survivors, Merlin found a Druid Seer named Lochru who used his final moments to show him a vision of the king dying in battle. Merlin was deeply disturbed by this encounter and repeatedly tried to talk Arthur out of going to Ismere, but the king was determined not to abandon his men. Soon after crossing the border into Ismere, the rescue party was ambushed by a group of Saxons led by Morgana and her ally Ruadan. Arthur was knocked unconscious during the fight and Merlin dragged him from the battlefield and used his magic to keep them both safe. Unfortunately, Merlin's precautions caused them to become separated from the rest of the rescue party and they were forced to continue the journey on their own. Their situation became even worse after Merlin's hunger led them into a trap and caused them to be captured by slavers. Ragnor, the leader of the bandits, recognized Arthur and wanted to kill him to collect a bounty, but was persuaded not to by one of his men, who pointed out that Morgana would want to decide their fate herself. Much to Arthur's surprise (and Merlin's dismay), that man was revealed to be Mordred, the young Druid boy they'd helped escape from Camelot several years earlier. Because he believed that he owed Arthur a debt, Mordred tried to treat him and Merlin with kindness. He gave them food, promised Merlin that he wouldn't reveal his secret, and explained that Morgana was searching for the Diamair, the key to all knowledge. However, Merlin continued to view him with suspicion. He knew that Mordred was destined to kill Arthur and refused to believe that he meant them no harm. When they neared the Fortress of Ismere, Merlin and Arthur managed to escape their captors after stealing a dagger and several other weapons. They evaded their pursuers by jumping across a gap in the ice, after which Merlin used an axe to break the ice and widen the gap while Arthur picked off the bandits with a crossbow. He chose to spare Mordred, however, which angered Merlin, who insisted that he should have killed him when he had the chance. Upon arriving at the Fortress, they used a garbage shaft to sneak inside, then disguised themselves as Saxons to search for the missing Knights. They found them in the dungeons, where Morgana was forcing them to work as miners. Arthur gave Percival a sword and instructed him to free the others, then he and Merlin ventured deeper into the caves to search for Gwaine, who Percival said had been missing for several days. They found him safe in the company of the Euchdag, but unfortunately their reunion was cut short by the arrival of a dragon that chased them deeper into the caves. Merlin recognized the dragon as Aithusa and told Arthur to get Gwaine to safety while he lured it away from them. Horrified by its crippled state, he commanded Aithusa to tell him what had happened to it, but soon realized that the young dragon was unable to speak. When he heard Arthur calling for him, Merlin commanded Aithusa to leave him before they were discovered, then doubled back to search for the king. He found him cornered by Mordred and Morgana, the latter of whom quickly incapacitated Merlin by using her magic to slam him against a wall. Unable to focus because of his injuries, Merlin could only watch as Morgana prepared to kill Arthur. Much to everyone's surprise, however, Mordred stabbed her in the back before she could do so. He then escorted the injured king to safety, leaving both Merlin and Morgana behind. Merlin passed out after they left and woke sometime later to find that Morgana was gone and that his injuries had been healed by the Euchdag. She assured him that Morgana had not found the Diamair and that she never wound, which led Merlin to realize that the Euchdag was the key to all knowledge that Morgana had been searching for. Before she left, he asked her who Arthur's bane was if it wasn't Mordred and was surprised to learn that it was Arthur himself. Later, back in Camelot, Merlin was present when Arthur knighted Mordred. He confronted Mordred afterward and asked him why he'd chosen to save Arthur, to which he replied that Arthur had been right about the love that bound them being stronger than the power they wield, and that Morgana had forgotten that. Despite his answer, however, Merlin remained distrustful of him and later told Gaius that he felt that Albion's great trial had begun. While out hunting, Merlin and Arthur came across a village where an old woman was about to be executed for sorcery. After determining that she hadn't received a fair trial, Arthur ordered that she be released and he and Merlin took her away from the village. They made camp in the forest and Merlin tried to treat her injuries, but it soon became clear that she wouldn't last the night. Before she died, the woman thanked Arthur for his kindness and gave him the Horn of Cathbhadh, a magical artifact with the power to summon the spirits of the dead. The next day, the court of Camelot celebrated the anniversary of Arthur's coronation, which was also the anniversary of Uther's death. Depressed, Arthur decided to go with Merlin to the Great Stones of Nemeton, where he used the Horn to contact his father in the spirit world. Unfortunately, their reunion was not the happy occasion he expected. Arthur later confided in Merlin that his father was unhappy with the way he was running the kingdom and the warlock assured him that he'd always done what he believed to be right and that his people respected him. Shortly after Merlin and Arthur returned to Camelot, strange things began happening around the castle. A meeting of the Round Table was interrupted by a falling candelabra and doors opening and closing by themselves, and Percival was later injured by a falling axe in the armoury. Troubled by these occurrences, Merlin told Gaius what Arthur had done and the physician concluded that he had accidentally released Uther's spirit into the living world. Merlin went to Arthur and told him about their theory, but the king refused to believe that his father would do such things. He soon changed his mind, however, after Gwen was nearly killed, and decided to help Merlin send Uther back to the spirit world. They took a potion from Gaius that would allow them to see Uther's spiritual form and began searching the castle for him, eventually locating Uther in the throne room. After Arthur was knocked unconscious, Merlin confronted the ghostly king himself and wound up revealing his magic. Enraged, Uther attacked Merlin and eventually cornered him in the armoury. Fortunately, Arthur arrived and used the Horn of Cathbhadh to send his father back to the spirit world before he could kill Merlin or reveal his secret. While Merlin was out at the tavern with Arthur and the Knights, one of Morgana's men snuck into his and Gaius's chambers and hid a box beneath his bed. The box contained a Gean Canach, a creature of the Old Religion said to devour the magic of others. The creature attacked Merlin when he returned home and though Gaius quickly killed it with a shovel, Merlin regained consciousness later to find that his magic was gone. That same night, Morgana, Mordred, and their Saxon army launched an attack on Fort Stowell, declaring war on Camelot in the process. Arthur called a meeting of the Round Table to discuss their response and decided to make their stand at Camlann instead of the citadel in order to minimize civilian casualties. Recognizing the place from the prophecy about Arthur's death, Merlin became desperate to protect the king and decided to go to the Crystal Cave, the birthplace of magic itself, to see if there was any hope of restoring his magic. Because he'd be powerless to defend himself if he ran into trouble, Merlin asked Gwaine to accompany him as far as the Valley of the Fallen Kings. Unfortunately, the knight told his lover, Eira, about their errand, unaware that she was a spy for Morgana. As a result, Morgana was waiting for Merlin when he arrived at the Cave and created a rockfall to trap him inside. Alone, injured, and unable to escape, Merlin followed a mysterious light deeper into the Cave, but fainted before he reached its source. Merlin was later roused by the spirit of his father Balinor, who encouraged him not to give up hope and told him to rest, promising that he would awaken into the light. Merlin did as he asked and woke sometime later to find that his injuries had been healed and his magic restored. He tested the latter by creating a butterfly, then used the crystals to observe and warn Arthur about Morgana's plans. Balinor then sent Merlin to the heart of the Crystal Cave, where his true self would be revealed to him. Taking his advice, Merlin bid his father farewell and followed the light deeper into the Cave. He later emerged from the Cave in the form of Dragoon the Great and headed to Camlann to join the fight against Morgana. Merlin, disguised as Dragoon the Great, arrived at Camlann to find that Morgana and her army of Saxons were winning the battle against Camelot with the combined might of her magic and her dragon ally Aithusa. He quickly turned the tide by decimating her troops with lightning and using his Dragonlord powers to send Aithusa away. However, he failed to stop Mordred from mortally wounding Arthur. As the Saxons retreated and Camelot's army pursued, Merlin carried the unconscious king from the battlefield and set up camp in the forest. When Arthur woke that night, Merlin tearfully revealed his magic to him and apologized for failing to prevent Mordred's destiny. Arthur didn't believe him at first, but Merlin proved that he was telling the truth by conjuring a dragon made out of sparks, leaving Arthur angry and betrayed. Gaius later joined them and examined Arthur's wound. He explained that the blade Mordred had stabbed him with had been forged in a dragon's breath and that its point was traveling toward Arthur's heart. The only hope they had of saving his life was for Merlin to take him to the Lake of Avalon and ask the Sidhe to heal him. During their journey, Merlin used his magic to protect them from Morgana's Saxons and continued to serve the king as he always had, which eventually led Arthur to understand and accept his talents. As they neared the lake, Merlin and Arthur were confronted by Morgana. Merlin killed her with Excalibur, but not before she'd spooked their horses and left them stranded. Though Arthur appeared to be at peace with his death, bidding Merlin an emotional farewell and thanking him for everything he'd done, Merlin refused to give up and summoned Kilgharrah to fly them the rest of the way to the lake. Unfortunately, it was too late; Arthur was already dead when they arrived. Heartbroken, Merlin was certain that he'd failed his destiny, but Kilgharrah comforted him by revealing that when Albion's need was greatest, Arthur would rise again. After the dragon left, Merlin cast Excalibur into the lake and watched as it was caught in the hand of his old love, Freya, who drew it back under the water. He then placed Arthur's body in a boat and used his magic to set it adrift. Many centuries later, Merlin lives as an elderly vagabond in the modern world, waiting for Arthur to return.
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