Special Sub-Topic: The Arthur Books - I Click Here To Play: The Arthur Books - I

'The Winter King' is the first part of a trilogy dealing with the Arthurian legend in post-Roman Britain. What is this trilogy called?

The Warlord Trilogy. The story of Arthur continues in 'Enemy of God' and 'Excalibur', which, according to Cornwell, are his favorite books.

The narrator of 'The Winter King' is an old man living in a Christian monastery recounting past events. Name him.

Derfel. Derfel writes Arthur's story in the language of the Saxons so that Saint Sansum, who runs the monastery, will not be able to decipher them.

Who is the queen, wife of King Brochvael of Powys, at whose behest the narrator jots down his memories of Arthur? (Hint: She shares her name with Arthur's mother.)

Igraine. At Igraine's request, Derfel begins to write the story of Arthur, while maintaining to Saint Sansum that he is translating the Gospels to the Saxon language for the Queen.

Merlin's household is filled with stray children from all over Britain, whom he thinks are blessed by the Gods. One of them, as a child, was taken a slave from the Irish Kingdom of Demetia, and fell into the sea, but escaped without so much as a scratch. Name this child.

Nimue. Merlin, who believed that Manawydan the Sea God loved Nimue, was quick to adopt her. He even named her Vivien, but she ignored it and kept her old name.

Who was the Silurian Druid who threw Derfel into the death-pit as a sacrifice to the Gods?

Tanaburs. The death-pit is a vile dark hole filled with stakes. Children, and sometimes animals, were thrown into it as sacrifice to the Gods. Derfel's escape from the pit meant that Tanaburs was careless with his sacrifice, and thus the Gods were displeased with him. This gave Derfel a rare claim over Tanaburs' life.

What bird/animal was depicted on the Dumnonian banner?

Dragon. The fox was the Silurian banner, Bear was Arthur's banner and the Swan, Lancelot's.

Merlin's hall was built atop a small hill on an island in the marshes of Avalon. What was this island called?

Ynys Wydryn. The paths to Merlin's Hall were winding and filled with charms and curses to confuse and scare away evil spirits.

Who was Arthur's sister and Merlin's lover, who was grotesquely disfigured in a fire? Merlin had a mask of gold made for her and trained her to be his priestess.

Morgan. Morgan's heavy disfigurement prevented her from being remarried, despite being a King's daughter (albeit illegitimate) and a famed warrior's sister.

Name the traitor who opened the gates of Merlin's Hall to Gundleus, the wicked King of Siluria?

Ligessac. Gundleus, under the pretense of marrying the widow Norwenna, wanted to kill the Edling of Dumnonia, and thus claim the throne for himself. Ligessac helped him, but the attack on Merlin's Hall did not go as planned.

For what crime had Arthur been banished from Dumnonia by the High King, at the beginning of the tale?

The High King held Arthur response for the death of his son Mordred. According to Ligessac, who claimed to be at the Battle of the Valley of Horses, it was Mordred and a band of heavily drunk men who rushed into the Saxon camp and got themselves killed. When Arthur heard of it, he ravaged the enemy and killed their chief, but High King Uther still blamed him for his son's death.