Hi guys!
A brief interlude, an in-universe text, and just a little something-something
Uther is Arthur's father, so this was written about 40 years before the original Dark Curse
An excerpt from A COLLECTED HISTORY OF THE ISLE OF GRAMARYE by Sir Malory, a loyal subject of His Most Royal Majesty, King Uther of the Royal House of Pendragon, upon his ascension to the throne
Annuvin, The Black Cauldron, and the Three Treasures
Legend has it, in the lands of Prydain, there was once a king so cruel and so evil that even the gods feared him. Since no prison could hold him, he was thrown alive into a crucible of molten iron. There, his demonic spirit was captured in the form of a great Black Cauldron.
His name was Arwan, and he was the first king of Annuvin.
The day after Arwan was killed, and the Cauldron hidden, the gods called forth their champions and commanded them to return to the iron crucible. More work was to be done.
Three items were created from the iron that remained.
The first and greatest of these creations, a Grail, the gods kept for themselves, to be bestowed upon others they find worthy. Little is known of the Grail's true abilities, but it is presumed to be an item of incredible power.
The second was a Spear, forged with the tooth of a monster, and touched by death itself. They offered this to Scáthach, warrior-woman of Dun Sgathaich. A weapon of last resort to be wielded only by the most skilled and most virtuous of warriors. That way, mankind would always have a way to fight back against the greatest threats.
The third and last was a Crown. They offered this to Pwyll, the Prince of Dyved, the one who had hidden away the Cauldron to where it would not be found. The crown could only be worn by those who had earned the right to rule, all others would be burned to ash.
These three items became known as the Holy Grail, The Spear of Mortal Pain, and the Iron Crown.
The Holy Grail has not been seen since the disappearance of the great sorcerer Merlin. The Spear of Mortal Pain was last wielded by the great hero Cú Chulainn, and upon his death was once more hidden away. The Iron Crown still resides in Annuvin, but none have worn it since the death of the Horned King over a century ago. All who have tried have been burnt to ash, struck down in their hubris for trying to claim what is not theirs.
For centuries, the Black Cauldron has lain hidden, waiting, while evil men searched for it, knowing whoever possessed it would have the power to resurrect an army of deathless warriors, and with them, rule the world.
Honestly, this was just a chance for me to do a little bit of worldbuilding. Not to worry, I have PLANS~ for this story, I'm just really busy and haven't had a lot of time for writing recently.
It was actually fun, researching Arthurian, Welsh, and Irish mythology to see what I have to work with and find a way to weave these stories together into my own take on it.
I'll find a way to work this information into the main story in a much more fun way than just an exposition dump. Until then, I hope you enjoy it!
Any questions about the people I've mentioned, ideas, thoughts, feel free to comment below and let me know!