Excalibur revealed by the Lady of the Lake (Art by Lifebytes)
Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain.
Description[]
The sword was said to have been forged from the fragmented remains of its predecessor Caliburn by Merlin and the king of the fae, Oberon, in the land of Avalon. Its forging involved the blood of seven dragons, whom wielded fire that burned hotter than brimstone, and melded the fiery blood with Empyrean Steel which was believed to have been gifted to them by Gabriel as in one account of the tale, Merlin and Oberon were approached by the "man in linen" who is equated with Gabriel.
The blade is capable of sensing the strength of those that grip its handle, and thus, determines who is deemed worthy of using the power it holds. Excalibur was mainly used to combat malevolent demons, destructive dragons, and despotic mad kings, whom terrorized kingdoms and villages to no end. Many dragons in particular are fearful of the blade, for it is one of the few weapons on Earth that can truly kill them.
Excalibur's scabbard was said to have powers of its own. Loss of blood from injuries, for example, would not kill the bearer. In some tellings, wounds received by one wearing the scabbard did not bleed at all. The scabbard is stolen by Morgan Le Fay in revenge for the death of her beloved Accolon and thrown into a lake, never to be found again.
Overview[]
The blade was crafted by the combined efforts of Merlin and Oberon with the former having received visions showcasing Briton being under the rule of Vortigern, Arthur's uncle who would then give sanction to Morgan Le Fay by using Mordred Pendragon to lead the Fae against humanity and those that resist would be killed or enslaved. Furthermore, Merlin explained that Mordred Pendragon's usage of the dark arts through Morgan Le Fay's teachings would not only threaten the kingdom of Camelot but also the worlds that lay beyond it such as Avalon. Meanwhile, Vortigern would help aid Mordred and Morgan in the coup against the Pendragon family.
Using the blood of seven slain dragons that were brought to Merlin by Derous then added the finishing touches thanks to Gabriel's contribution, the sword Excalibur was complete, prompting Merlin to destroy the ancient tower, which Mordred used as a base of operations to aid Vortigern, using the sword. The sword was then passed to the Lady of the Lake who bound it to the Pendragon bloodline. Throughout the centuries, the sword has been used by several kings of the Pendragon family, and after their deaths, their righteous souls were imbued within the blade itself then passed along to the next Pendragon heir. The last king to have used the blade was King Arthur himself. However, while the sword can be used mainly by the Pendragon family, it can also be wielded by those with a righteous heart and noble spirit but only its full potential can be unleashed by those who carry the blood of a Pendragon.
Excalibur's blade was engraved with phrases on opposite sides: "Take me up" and "Cast me away" (or similar). In addition, when Excalibur was first drawn, in the first battle testing Arthur's sovereignty, its blade blinded his enemies. When the blade truly becomes in sync with Arthur's spirit and soul, it bestows him mighty power that was more than capable of having him compete against and later overwhelm the dreaded Vortigern. Each time a descendant of the Pendragon family perishes after using the sword, it would return to where the Lady of the Lake first placed it and then guarded by various fae. The lastest in line for the wielder of the sword was none other than Hellboy himself as his mother was a relative of Arthur.