Collum is a 17-year-old sword prodigy from the remote northern island of Mull. Raised in poverty and treated brutally by his local lord, he views knighthood and the Christian ideals of the Round Table as his only escape. He practices a brutal, unrefined fighting style that contrasts sharply with the elegant swordsmanship of established knights.

Arthur is the legendary, purportedly deceased ruler of Camelot. His reign brought a period of peace and Christian order to a fractured Britain, pushing back Saxon invaders and formalizing the Round Table. His recent death at the hands of his son at the Battle of Camlann leaves a massive power vacuum that drives the surviving knights to seek a successor.

Bedivere is King Arthur's marshal and closest companion. Born without a left hand, he compensates with enormous physical strength and mastery of a heavy war hammer. Deeply pragmatic and cynical about quests, he stays at Camelot out of profound grief for Arthur and a stubborn refusal to abandon the king's memory.

Guinevere is the highly intelligent and strategic queen of Britain. Following rumors of an affair with a legendary knight, she was exiled, which inadvertently triggered the civil war that destroyed the kingdom. She possesses a sharp political mind and understands the complexities of ruling better than many of the warriors who supposedly defend Britain.

Lancelot is a Frankish knight raised by a water deity, widely considered the greatest swordsman to ever live. His strict piety and obsession with religious purity define his existence. His alleged romance with the queen forced him to flee Camelot, inadvertently triggering the deadly battle that wiped out most of the Round Table.

Nimue is a brilliant sorceress who practices magic while maintaining her Christian faith. A former starving laundry maid, she was chosen as an apprentice by a legendary wizard before violently overthrowing him. She acts as the primary magical protector for the remaining Camelot forces, using practical spells to keep them alive.

Morgan is the fiery queen of the fairy Otherworld. She remembers a time before Christian Romanization erased her native Cornish language and pagan traditions. Seeing Camelot's fall as an opportunity, she actively works to merge the fairy and human worlds to restore Britain's ancient magic.

Merlin is the last surviving ancient druid and the former chief advisor to the Pendragon kings. Operating under a guise of wise mentorship, he is a calculating survivor who manipulated bloodlines and politics for centuries. He is believed dead following a violent confrontation with his apprentice.

Dinadan is a highly skilled, sensible knight who deliberately maintains an unremarkable appearance. Wielding a unique matte-blue sword given to him by a fairy, he prefers practical solutions over glorious martyrdom. He keeps entirely to himself, hiding personal secrets while carrying out a specific magical task.

Palomides is a highly educated Muslim prince from Baghdad who traveled to Britain out of academic curiosity. Dubbed the Saracen Knight by the Britons, he often finds their culture surprisingly barbaric compared to his homeland. He spends years chasing a mythical creature to distract himself from a broken heart.

Dagonet is a highly intelligent, deeply melancholic man whom King Arthur elevated from a traveling fool to a knight. Prone to severe depressive episodes, he sees through the romanticized lies of chivalry. He participated in the disastrous quest for the Holy Grail and carries the emotional scars of that specific failure.

Constantine is a famously handsome, golden-haired knight from Cornwall. Though he looks exactly like a legendary hero should, he is exhausted by holy quests and disillusioned by the massive death toll of Arthur's reign. He strongly supports Lancelot's eventual return to power.

Scipio is a former Roman soldier stationed at Hadrian's Wall who became displaced in time after an encounter with a Pictish spirit. Covered entirely in bright blue tattoos, he fights fiercely for Camelot despite never being formally knighted.

Mordred is King Arthur's son, born of an illicit union with the king's half-sister. Raised far from court, he eventually seized the throne while his father was away, leading to the catastrophic Battle of Camlann where father and son killed each other.

Uther is the former king of Camelot who temporarily united Britain after the Romans departed. A violent and covetous ruler, he used magical deception to rape a rival's wife, directly leading to Arthur's birth and a cycle of generational trauma.

Igraine is a noblewoman from Cornwall who practiced ancient magic before being forcibly relocated to Camelot by King Uther. Stripped of her native language and customs, she secretly passed her pagan knowledge down to her daughters.

Galahad is a young, preternaturally pure warrior destined to complete the quest for the Holy Grail. He represents an impossible standard of Christian perfection that ultimately breaks the older, flawed knights who try to follow him.

Glatisant, also known as the Questing Beast, is a fabulous, elusive monster with a great serpent head. It roams the British countryside and serves as a lifelong, obsessive pursuit for the knights who dedicate themselves to finding it.

Alasdair is the cruel and unforgiving Lord of Mull who took Collum in as a child. Instead of training the boy, he forced him into harsh servitude and delivered frequent, severe beatings for minor infractions.

Aucassin is a weapons instructor employed by Lord Alasdair. While officially hired to teach Alasdair's legitimate son, he recognizes Collum's natural talent and secretly trains the boy in brutal, unrefined sword combat.

Bleoberys is a respected Frankish knight of the Round Table known for his gentle and courtly demeanor. He is one of the few established knights Collum believes might offer him a legitimate connection to the royal court.