Staring blankly at the towering serpent-goddess before her, Alice felt the unease she had been trying to suppress rise to an unbearable level.
"Honorable goddess, I beg your forgiveness for my presumption… Why have you appeared here so suddenly? And where is Lord Alexander now?"
Alexander had once slain the two-tailed mermaid of European myth—the half-human, half-serpent goddess Melusine—and gained the Authority [Queen of Facelessness], which allowed him to summon Melusine as a familiar.
Known by various names such as Mélusigne and Meljuzina, she originated as a fairy figure in French folklore, with echoes of her story appearing in Celtic mythology.
As a former goddess, Melusine was an extraordinarily powerful familiar. Her water spears could shatter steel, she could infiltrate any location at lightning speed, and, most notably, she possessed unparalleled intelligence. This made her invaluable for reconnaissance, magic, divination, and even shadow infiltration.
While she was not suited for direct combat, her versatility made her one of Alexander's most formidable Authorities.
Now, Melusine stood silently before Alice, who was full of doubt and anxiety. Instead of speaking, the goddess used magic to transmit her message directly into Alice's mind.
"Ugh…"
Alice clutched her head, her expression contorted in pain as her spirit form began to flicker and destabilize, disrupted by the overwhelming influx of information.
"What… is this…? How… could this be…?"
Still reeling from the torrent of knowledge now lodged in her mind, Alice failed to notice Melusine vanish from the room, her task completed.
Overwhelmed by the shocking revelations, Alice had no capacity to reflect on Melusine's abrupt departure. The information she had received was too earth-shattering.
"That goddess… she isn't the rogue King Arthur. She's the rogue Morgan?!"
The data Melusine had imparted also included Alexander's reasoning process for arriving at this conclusion.
'Excalibur Morgan… Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, was the holy sword bestowed upon King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. It holds unparalleled significance in Arthurian legend. The name "Excalibur" derives from the Old Celtic term meaning "steel-cutter," hence it is also known as the Sword of Steel-Cleaving. Morgan, however, is Arthur's half-sister—an immensely powerful sorceress in myth.'
'The visions seen through spirit sight and Guinevere's reverence both suggest that this goddess is someone deeply connected to King Arthur. Female, highly adept in magic—everything aligns almost perfectly with Morgan.'
'In Arthurian legend, Arthur's mother, Igraine, was the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Using Merlin's magic to disguise himself as the Duke, Uther Pendragon lay with Igraine, resulting in Arthur's birth. After the Duke's death, Uther married Igraine, making Arthur's three sisters—Elaine, Morgan, and Morgause—daughters of the Duke and Igraine.'
'Morgause was obsessed with rebellion against Arthur. She once conspired to disgrace Lancelot and Guinevere, married King Lot, and bore knights like Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth. She even seduced Arthur, giving birth to Mordred, whom she incited to rebel during Arthur's campaign abroad, ultimately destroying Britain.'
'Morgan's relationship with Arthur, on the other hand, was far more complicated. She was a master of magic and healing. Early legends painted her as a benevolent healer and fairy, but later tales cast her as a villain. She was said to have greatly contributed to Arthur's downfall, even stealing his scabbard. After the scabbard's disappearance, Arthur's kingdom began its decline.'
'Some believe Morgan is another aspect of the Lady of the Lake, Viviane, who was both Merlin's teacher and lover. Viviane imprisoned Merlin with her magic, preventing him from aiding Arthur until Arthur's death. If this theory holds, Morgan's magical prowess might surpass Merlin's!'
'And since Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, if Morgan and Viviane are one and the same, then she could wield the holy sword by virtue of that connection. After all, she was the original owner of the sword, and Arthur's legend states that his sword was returned to her after his death!'
'However… the goddess's true identity might be even more complex. Morgan and Morgause share not just similar names but also origins as the daughters of the Duke of Cornwall and Igraine. Both were skilled sorceresses and contributed significantly to Arthur's demise. If myths have been reversed and distorted to create this rogue goddess, it's highly likely that Morgan and Morgause have been fused into a single entity!'
'In other words! This goddess's true identity… is likely Morgan, Morgause, and Viviane combined into a trinity goddess!'
"Speaking of Morgan, the name 'Morgan' first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini around 1150. It may derive from the Old Welsh or Old Breton word Morgen, meaning 'born of the sea.' Geoffrey's depiction of Morgan may have drawn inspiration from first-century geographer Pomponius Mela's De Chorographia or Welsh ballads and Irish literature. Geoffrey described Morgan as one of nine Druidic priestesses on the Isle of Sena."
"Additionally, Morgan's portrayal may have connections to Modron, a deity from early Welsh myth and literature. Modron, a river goddess from Gaulish Celtic myth, was the daughter of Avallach. Her children, Urien, Owain, and Morfydd, were called the 'Three Blessed Wombs of Britain.' This link might explain why Morgan was later referred to as the 'Lady of the Isle' and considered the true ruler of Britain, her power potentially surpassing even Arthur's, despite his wielding the holy sword."
"Furthermore, Modron was said to be the daughter of Avallach, whose name translates to 'Apple Island,' resembling Avalon, which also means 'Apple Island.' This reinforces Morgan's connection to Avalon."
'By conventional logic, Guinevere and Morgan—that is, Morgause—should have been adversaries. Morgause once sought to expose Guinevere's affair with Lancelot to destabilize Arthur's rule. Yet, the clues we've gathered suggest a different relationship entirely. It appears that the rogue Morgan and the Guinevere we know are collaborating.'
'The only plausible explanation is that this rogue Morgan is aiding Guinevere in finding the true Arthur—the Last King. This isn't impossible. In certain versions of the legend, such as those found in the twelfth-century De Instructione Principis, Morgan was the one who buried Arthur's body after his death. If that's true, then Morgan would naturally know the resting place of the Last King!'
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T/N: brainfried
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