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Spoiler Alert!
Warning! This page contains spoilers for The Lost Stories. |
Morgarath is the main antagonist in The Ruins of Gorlan and The Burning Bridge. He also makes an appearance in the book "The Lost Stories" in The Hibernian story as the Baron of Gorlan Fief. He was slain by Horace in The Burning Bridge with Horace's dagger. He is also in the early years book 1 and 2.
History
More about the Civil War in History of Araluen.
Fifteen years prior to The Ruins of Gorlan, he was the baron of the Gorlan Fief, which are near the mountains of Rain and Night. Morgarath was also known as the Lord of Rain and Night. Dissatisfied with his position, he launched a rebellion against King Duncan. The largest and final battle of the short war took place at Hackham Heath. He used fearsome half-bear, half-human creatures called Wargals to assist him in destroying the King's army. When it seemed as if Morgarath and his forces would win, King Duncan sent the Ranger Halt to lead a surprise cavalry strike on Morgarath's army. Halt succeeded, using the horses to scatter the Wargals, leaving the army in shambles. Morgarath was forced to retreat to the Mountains of Rain and Night.
This rebellion became known as the First Araluan Civil War.
The Ruins of Gorlan
In The Ruins of Gorlan Morgarath sends the Kalkara to kill two important barons who would play key roles if war was to break out between his Wargal army. He then sends them after Halt in revenge for the Ranger's part in his downfall during the first war; despite their best attempts, the Ranger mortally wounds one and Sir Rodney and Baron Arald finish it off. Will then kills the last one with a flaming arrow after Arald and Rodney wound the beast and Arald is then injured and Rodney paralyzed by it.
The Burning Bridge
In The Burning Bridge, Morgarath takes more aggressive action and makes his move, attacking Araluen. Morgarath sends his Wargals out to Celtica and has the miners enslaved. He then uses these slaves to build a bridge across the Fissure which separates Celtica and the Mountains of Rain and Night, enabling him to march his army across it and attack King Duncan's army from the rear in the upcoming battle.
Will, Gilan and Horace, who are sent on a diplomatic mission to Celtica, discover his plans when Evanlyn(Cassandra's alias) finds them and tells them of it. Gilan takes the news back to the Araluan army. Morgarath then marches on King Duncan's army with his Wargals and the mercenary Skandians who he hired to help play a part in the war.
When Will and Evanlyn are captured by the Skandians, Morgarath recognizes Will as a Ranger due to his bronze oakleaf and is furious, as a Ranger played a major part in his downfall previously.
In the main battle Halt leads a surprise attack on the Skandian troops who were sent to ambush the Araluan army from behind, dealing a severe blow to his plan. Once the Wargal army from Celtica is repelled, cavalry is sent into the Wargal lines, devastating them and sending them retreating toward Three Step Pass. Morgarath then raises a white flag, but challenges Halt to a duel in a last attempt at revenge. The Ranger is ready to accept it, particularly when Morgarath reveals he has Will captured. Suddenly, Horace charges out and throws a gauntlet into the former Baron's face, challenging him. Morgarath, seeing he is only a boy, accepts and the two fight.
Horace uses unorthodox tactics and the Double Knife Defence which Gilan taught him in Celtica and after getting hit multiple times by Morgarath's horse, manages to kill Morgarath, making him a hero.
The events of The Ruins of Gorlan and The Burning Bridge are known collectively as the Second Araluan Civil War
The Lost Stories
Death of a Hero
In Death of a Hero, Morgarath is only mentioned during the battle and doesn't actually appear.
The Hibernian
Morgarath appears as he was before the First Araluan Civil War. He meets with Crowley and Halt after the two bring in a group of his knights who were harrasing a tavern owner and his daughter.
Morgarath has them punished then tries to persuade Halt to join him. Halt declines, aware that Morgarath is not a person to be trusted. This angers Morgarath but Halt and Crowley quickly depart from Castle Gorlan. Towards the end Crowley is attacked by five of Morgarath's soldiers and is about to be killed but Halt quickly appears on the scene and helps his new friend to fight them off. The two then agree to find King Duncan and bring down Morgarath.
Appearance
He is said to have a high, nasal voice. Morgarath has "dead" black eyes and 'unnatural peripheral vision' and his face is mostly hidden in his huge hooded cloak. He is nearly two hundred centimeters tall (6'6"), thin, with a pale complexion. He has "blond white" hair which was formerly a dark shade(citation needed). In contrast to his deathly pale appearance, he wears all black. He stoops, giving the impression of a vulture and rides a bone-white horse that assists him in his duel with Horace in The Burning Bridge. Morgarath carries a long broadsword and shield into combat. He prefers to fight on horseback.
An artist's rendition of Lord Morgarath.
Personality
Morgarath is an ambitious man, letting nothing stand in the way of him getting what he wants. He is also pitiless and cruel as shown when he is willing to fight Horace to the death in the Burning Bridge despite Horace being only a boy and also shown when he cares nothing for the people he has enslaved such as the Celtic miners.
In the Lost Stories, even more is revealed of his personality. His ruthlessness is displayed when he tries to have Halt and Crowley killed but he is also shown to be clever and knows a potentially dangerous enemy, as shown when he tries to convince Halt to join him.
Trivia
- Rumors around Araluen say that Horace chopped his head off with a flaming sword, when Horace really stabbed him with a dagger.
- Like most of the villains in the series, Morgarath is only a villain for 1-2 books.