Morgan le Fay
(Le Morte D'Arthur version)
Context
Morgan le Fay (from the original French la fae Morgane, or la fée Morgane in modern French) is a major character in the Arthurian mythology. She has complex and murky origins that seem to draw from older Celtic myths, such as the goddess Morrigan and perhaps ancient Breton and Gaul sea-witch figures. Her role can also greatly vary depending upon the version of the tales.
This short profile covers Morgan in the most common rendition of Le Morte d’Arthur.
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Background
- Marital Status: Widowed.
- Known Relatives: Uther (father), Arthur (half-brother), Morgause (half-sister), Gawain, Gareth, Agravain, Gaheris, Mordred (nephews), Uriens (husband).
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Her extradimensional kingdom.
- Height: 5’ Weight: 112 pounds.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Black
Powers and Abilities
Morgan is a capable enchantress, particularly excelling in the spinning of illusions.
History
We all know the story of Morgan Le Fay, how she was Arthur’s half-sister. Being an evil ally of dark forces, she instantly became his implacable enemy when he became king. She went so far as to seduce Arthur in order to have his son and so that together mother and child could destroy Camelot.
Bollocks. Hollywood twaddle. Morgan was not Mordred’s mother and never worked with him. She barely even met her nephew.
You can handle the truth
The truth was, Morgan was the eldest daughter of King Uther. Because of her mother’s questionable status she was sent to a nunnery. She took advantage of their instruction to become literate and acquire a few scraps of magical learning.
She was removed from her nunnery a few years later. Arthur, having just barely defeated an alliance of British kings, had decided that he needed her to help secure loyalty of one of the ex-rebels. He gave her to King Uriens, the second most powerful of the alliance.
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Uriens was hardly the answer to a maiden’s prayer. Fortunately, less than a year later her husband took her to Caerlon to attend the High King’s wedding to a girl of about the same age. The two girls found that they had a great deal in common and swore to be the closest of friends.
Morgan took advantage of the opportunity and stayed at Caerlon with her new friend, letting her husband return home without her. Unfortunately, their friendship was not to last. Guinevere learned that Morgan had taken a lover. In a flight of prudery, she banished her former friend from court.
Exile and plot
Furious and humiliated, Morgan did not return to her husband’s realm. Instead she sought out further magical instruction and when Merlin disappeared, she made her move. Her lover, Accolon, would act as her champion and kill Arthur in a rigged trial by combat, and she would kill her husband.
Then they would marry, and, asserting her claim as an heir of Uther, they would take the throne together.
It didn’t work out that way. Her lover was killed and Morgan was forced to flee into a gate into Faerie. There, through her arts she carved out her own realm.
However, contrary to Hollywood myth, Morgan’s enmity for Arthur was not undying. As time went by, her schemes against her brother and his knights began to look much more like elaborate practical jokes than any serious attempt to take the throne or even do any injury. However, her feelings toward her sister-in-law were another matter.
Guinevere
That grudge she still held, doubly so because Guinevere was committing the very same offense for which she had punished Morgan.
It was in pursuit of that grudge that she would repeatedly try to seduce and imprison Launcelot or reveal the affair. Indeed it was Morgan’s bad reputation that helped the affair continue as long as it did. None would denounce them for fear of being thought in league with the “Queen of Darkness”.
By the end, though, Morgan was on almost cordial terms with Arthur. When Arthur lay dying, she and two other queens came to bear him away, apparently trying to heal his injuries.
Description
A beautiful, young-seeming woman with varying hair colour and blue eyes. Her natural hair colour is black.
Personality
While not the icon of evil that modern works depict her as, Morgan does see herself as being better than mere mortals and their laws. She regards herself as the rightful Queen of the Britons. She only chooses not to exercise her rights because her extradimensional realm and her continuing study of magic occupy her time so much that she feels disinclined to take on another responsibility.
She delights in testing the fitness of heroes. She will take an instant dislike to any girl who reminds her of Guinevere.
Quotes
“Edicts of a puppet dynasty of German princelings installed by rabble to playact the part of royalty mean nothing to me.”
DC Universe History
Sadly there’s already a Morgan in the DC Universe, and she’s the usual minion of Satan.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Morgan Le Fay
| Dex: 05 | Str: 02 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Responsibility of Power |
| Int: 09 | Wil: 08 | Min: 09 | Occupation: Feudal Overlord |
| Inf: 13 | Aur: 13 | Spi: 09 | Resources {or Wealth}: 018 |
| Init: 027 | HP: 130 |
Powers:
Illusion (ML)*: 13, Systemic Antidote (ML)*: 09
Bonuses and Limitations:
Systemic Antidote has the Old Age Defense Bonus.
Skills:
Artist (Musician): 05, Medicine (First Aid, Medical Treatment)*: 09, Occultist*: 13
Advantages:
Scholar (Faerie Magic, Herbal Medicine), Credentials (Queen of the Isles of the Blessed in Faerie), Attractive, Area Knowledge (Faerie), Attractive, Connoisseur, Gift of Gab, Languages(Celtic, European 1, European 2).
Connections:
Chromatic Knights (High), Titania (Low), The Lady of the Lake (High), The Royal Lodge (Low), British Civil Service (High).
Drawbacks:
Authority Figure, Mistrust, Enemy (Merlin), SIA toward Testing Heroes.
Source of Character: Le Morte d’Arthur.