Characters
- Mael mac Ronan — an Irish mercenary, friend to Starkad. As the story progresses he is revealed to be self-exiled from Ireland after killing a prince over a woman, which still haunts him; his true name is Loeghaire. He falls in love with Veleda. He is based on Howard's Cormac mac Art.
- Starkad — a Danish mercenary, friend to Mael. He is a huge man, taller than Mael's 6 feet and broader. He wields an ax and is called Grettir, "the Cruncher". Much like a stereotypical Viking with his huge frame and appetite for alcohol, women and violence, he is based on Howard's Wulfhere the Skull-Splitter.
- Veleda — a mysterious pagan woman with precognitive abilities and magic powers. Starkad realizes she is a possibly immortal priestess.
- Arthur — a megalomaniac British king of the Votadini, at war with the Saxons. He is obsessed with uniting Britain under his rule and winning everlasting renown. Born with a club foot, he goes on horseback to make up for his disability and is deathly afraid of being unhorsed. He employs heavy cavalry patterned after Eastern cataphracts, who serve as both horse archers and lancers. Many of his troops are mercenaries from various tribes, including Franks, Goths, Vandals, Herulians, and Huns. His followers call him "the Leader".
Several other characters from Arthurian legend and the Matter of Britain are also featured in the novel. Lancelot is depicted as a Roman with a grudge on barbarians who serves as Arthur's chief adviser and Master of Soldiers. Gawain, Cei and Geraint are also officers in Arthur's army. Merlin is Arthur's wizard who, unlike in other works, Arthur treats without reverence; at the end of the novel, while Arthur rants about "being remembered" he conjures a vision of the Grail. Cerdic is depicted as a British king allied with the Saxons. The conflict between Vortigern, Hengst and Horsa is mentioned as backstory, with "Vortigern" explained as the British term for high king; the king's real name was Vitalis. Arthur's father Uther is also mentioned; both he and Arthur are called Pendragon after their hereditary draco war standard.
Read more about this topic: The Dragon Lord
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