My good blade carves the casques of men.
Sep. 28th, 2018 12:43 am
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Age: 7
Height: Definitely under four feet
Weight: Tiny, but healthy
Nationality: Gaulish (French)
Race: Human, a Revenant.
Ethnicity: Alan, Sarmatian, and Hun
Just think of Samara Morgan and Cole Sear, both from "The Ring" and "The Sixth Sense" merged together and then you have Galahad, maybe one of the creepiest kids you'll ever meet. There's a reason why she dresses in red so much (if you haven't seen "The Sixth Sense", it's a symbolic color in the movie).
Height: Definitely under four feet
Weight: Tiny, but healthy
Nationality: Gaulish (French)
Race: Human, a Revenant.
Ethnicity: Alan, Sarmatian, and Hun
Just think of Samara Morgan and Cole Sear, both from "The Ring" and "The Sixth Sense" merged together and then you have Galahad, maybe one of the creepiest kids you'll ever meet. There's a reason why she dresses in red so much (if you haven't seen "The Sixth Sense", it's a symbolic color in the movie).
Galahad is the only child of Llwch Llawwynnauc (also known as Lancelot of the Lake by his friends and fellow knights) and Elaine of Astolat. A young Lancelot was tricked by Elaine in order to sleep with him and once he learned what happened, he refused all contact with Elaine, even after hearing she was pregnant. Elaine's father had prophesied a son who would bring the most sacred item of Briton, the Cauldron of Rebirth from the otherworld. Without Lancelot's return of affection and Elaine's curse, she decided to drown herself to return as a spirit as revenge against Lancelot. Once Elaine had died, however, Galahad was born into the cold waters of the wilds, dead.
Because Galahad was born in black waters dead, she would have a permanent connection to the Cauldron and the Otherworld. Galahad would grow to know no line between the dead and the living and harness an otherworldly sight that will rival nonhuman beings and druids alike. After Elaine's death, her father decided to send her to a nunnery to be raised, not long after Lancelot declined to take her. Galahad had lived the first two years of her life in the nunnery, but they grew fearful of her because of her abilities and the spirits that seemed to latch onto her, the only light in the dark.
After family pressure, Lancelot decided to take his daughter and raise her. Galahad has been with her father ever since even attending Round Table meetings as she sits on his lap. Lancelot, after growing up with the Lady of the Lake, saw that Galahad was no ordinary child. He treats her like any other child, aloof and sometimes cold, but a gentle father. Lancelot is often perceived as a frightening, calculating man, but with his daughter, he only shows affection and care to her.
Galahad's strongest support in her life is her father, who brings her stability and his care and love have given Galahad pieces of humanity. Other children and adults fear Galahad due to her not having that much of a filter in terms of communicating with the dead. She has seen many dark things and doesn't quite understand when too much is too much.
Because Galahad was born in black waters dead, she would have a permanent connection to the Cauldron and the Otherworld. Galahad would grow to know no line between the dead and the living and harness an otherworldly sight that will rival nonhuman beings and druids alike. After Elaine's death, her father decided to send her to a nunnery to be raised, not long after Lancelot declined to take her. Galahad had lived the first two years of her life in the nunnery, but they grew fearful of her because of her abilities and the spirits that seemed to latch onto her, the only light in the dark.
After family pressure, Lancelot decided to take his daughter and raise her. Galahad has been with her father ever since even attending Round Table meetings as she sits on his lap. Lancelot, after growing up with the Lady of the Lake, saw that Galahad was no ordinary child. He treats her like any other child, aloof and sometimes cold, but a gentle father. Lancelot is often perceived as a frightening, calculating man, but with his daughter, he only shows affection and care to her.
Galahad's strongest support in her life is her father, who brings her stability and his care and love have given Galahad pieces of humanity. Other children and adults fear Galahad due to her not having that much of a filter in terms of communicating with the dead. She has seen many dark things and doesn't quite understand when too much is too much.
Black Water Taint

Like her traditional counterpart, Galahad is the only one who can sit in the Siege Perilous. Before the Holy Grail, there was the Cauldron of Rebirth--and "The Spoils of Annwn". The Cauldron serves as a prototype to the Holy Grail and is one of of many holy and otherworldly treasures that King Arthur and his men seek in "How Culwch won Olwen" and "Spoils of Annwn". In the Mabinogion, the Cauldron can bring the dead back to life with one problem: those who were brought back to life by the cauldron would be mute, soulless.
Water is associated with the otherworld and Celts are no exception to this. The black water that lurks in the otherworld and in waters where the dead have lingered will taint the living. Much like the Cauldron, the dead will be revived, but soulless. They will not speak and mindlessly roam the earth as reverents or vengeful spirits. Galahad is an exception to this because she is both a child and born dead. To be born in black water will not turn a person soulless; to be born dead in black water and to be revived by the Cauldron creates an unbreakable connection to the Cauldron of Rebirth and the otherworld.
Much like Sir Galahad, born pure of heart, this Galahad is born pure of heart not because of the traditional narrative, but because she is a child and children are not bogged down with adult rationale. The Siege Perilous also calls for a pure of heart in this world, just in this case, it calls for a child, the most pure of hearts. Regardless of her age or gender, Galahad is still prophesied to sit at Siege Perilous, succeed her father, and to bring back the holy item that is the Cauldron of Rebirth.
Her father, Lancelot, however, is a force to be reckoned with. Known as the Black Knight due to his dark clothes and stoic demeanor, he is both feared and respected by his fellow knights and enemies. Lancelot will not hesitate in combat and follows his king's orders, no matter what, no matter if his king's orders are morally ambiguous. Lancelot is an old soul, nearly stripped of his own humanity, not knowing what it is like to live as a man and to know love. His daughter has rekindled buried feelings in him, wearing down his shell. He loves her and his love for her allows him to open up to others. He is a man of many talents and crafts, quickly learning new skills and acquiring knowledge rather quickly. With Lancelot's mysterious circumstances in which he wounded up in the Lady of the Lake's care, one may wonder who he really is.
The Knight of the Cauldron
Being the only child of Llwch/Lancelot, Galahad has been tremendously shaped by her father. Lancelot is a type of man to hide his thoughts and feelings (that is, if he has any) and in return, he's struggled to show his own emotions with his daughter. Galahad is very much her father's child; she, too, may outwardly appear just as serious and stoic as her father, as well as struggle to show some outward emotions. Unlike her father, however, Galahad is capable of expressing herself better than her father and sometimes finds herself assisting her father with his own feelings. Lancelot's life revolves around his fealty to his king, family, and country. He is the second in command to Arthur's forces and responsible for training newcomers and his special Dolorous Guard. He has raised Galahad with cautious eyes and has known to be very strict with her, sometimes not permitting Galahad from playing with other children in favor to have her work on chores or because of his "career" and having to travel along Logres and neighboring territories. Galahad has few playmates beyond her father and cousins, who are obviously older than she is.
Galahad is also one of many young children of knights growing up in the middle of wars and invasions; it's presented her with what adults may see as a harsh perception that life isn't always fair and you can't have what you want. It's shaped Galahad to be more accepting of changes and maturing her faster than most. When called to any round table meetings, Galahad goes with her father and has listened to war chatter since she can remember. Where some children may ignore these things, Galahad is very aware and is likely more relaxed with these things than some adults. She travels with her father constantly, but is forbidden to follow him during campaigns for her own safety. As such, Galahad wants to follow in her father's footsteps -- not because of her father's unwavering loyalty to his king and country, but because of her love and desire to protect her father and family.
There is one dark aspect with Galahad that is unavoidable. Her father goes to great lengths to protect her from the horrific sights of death and gore in war, but sadly, Galahad is constantly exposed to these things, no thanks to her ability to see, feel, and interact with the world of the dead and paranormal. Galahad is light in the dark to these things, so since her waking breath, she's been presented with dark images that have long since stripped her of any fear or disgust over it. She absorbs these things and has nothing to stop it with; this has left Galahad genuinely puzzled to the fear of death and violence that others around her may share. Galahad is also trying to comprehend the difference between the living and the dead and her father is trying to tell her how to tell the difference. She'll talk about death without flinching, no matter how bad the details are because the dead compel her to do so. The world is loud and Galahad tries to lower the volume by limiting herself emotionally.
While Galahad lacks any fear or disgust for the dark, she thankfully has strong morals because of her father. Galahad knows what's right and wrong; she knows that some of the spirits that come to her are not always kind and are manipulating her to use her as a host or mouthpiece. Like any other child, Galahad does have a dual concept of good and evil, bad and good; it's just the grim details are less likely to scare her than other children. In turn, Galahad sees her actions as completely normal and that most people are like her, apathetic to the dark and anyone else is just confusingly over-dramatic to her. Where adults around her will become frightened or upset, Galahad is a compassionate reassurance. She'd rather hold their hands and give hugs and tell them to be brave than to watch them grow upset. This gives Galahad an uneasy calm to her.
Galahad is still like any other child. She will grow restless and ask to play with someone, or she will slip off her seat and try to look for something to do. Like any other child, she's curious, she wants to know how things work and will often start climbing on things to get a better look. She'll whine if she's bored or hungry and ask multiple questions of "why?". Galahad still hates bedtimes, brushing her hair, being told to take smaller bites, and demand hugs. She is innocent, she doesn't hold the idea that things are irrational and impossible like adults do--she sees the opposite and has big dreams. Galahad also doesn't quite have the concept of ghosts can be fake or that anything she sees is her imagination. Galahad has few playmates and may play with herself sometimes or ask adults to play with her because they're less likely to tease her for her "sight". About the only time Galahad will show fear is when her father is presented with a threat or when she finally sees someone or feel something too strong to comprehend.
ABILITIES
Eyes - Galahad's strongest ability is to see the spirit world without obstruction and the concept of spirits don't exist, what she sees is a combination a la "Stir of Echoes" and "The Sixth Sense". This makes her a beacon to spirits of all sorts, they frequently come to her and if a place has had tremendous death or she is close to the otherworld, Galahad will often put her hands over her ears and call the place "too loud". Unfortunately, this also makes her a sponge for dark visions.
She is still learning the difference between the dead and living as well as spirits that want to manipulate her. Lancelot has been pretty successful steering her away from that entirely. When she was young, Galahad had no concept of either dead or living, evil and good, so to her, they were all the same. As she grows (and as long as she is in the right company), Galahad will learn to have a better filter, even if she has this ability for life.
Psychometry - If an emotion is presented strongly enough on an item, Galahad can read the emotions of that person. This is an ability she's not sure how to work with or what to do with it, so it's not strong in most situations. Emotions she'll absorb, but because she's restricted with some emotions, they will be completely foreign to her sometimes.
Projected thermography- Essentially thought projection. Like the above, this ability is something Galahad is still trying to understand and will use this ability to project thoughts and images to others in situations where she can be compelled by spirits or to show others what she cannot verbalize.
Paranormal senses - Galahad is able to pick up on beings that are definitely not human, but won't exactly know what type of being you are, other than you just stand out and she will come check you out because she's a curious child.
Archery - Sarmatian women and girls were taught archery at a young age. Being that Galahad is young, her father has deemed it the appropriate sport for her instead of sword fighting. Combined with her paranormal senses and Galahad's near apathy to violence, she is very willing to use a bow and arrow to take down anyone if they're a threat.
Small knowledge of sword fighting - While Lancelot prohibits Galahad from learning and practicing (not until she's older), Galahad often watches her father train older children and watches him practice to know a little about it. Obviously she can't sword fight but knows more than most children.
Climbing - Galahad's favorite hobby is to try and climb on things and hide from her father. Spoilers: it doesn't work. If an adult picks her up and she wants down, you bet she'll find a way to climb down them.
Driving her father crazy - She's seven, she's the only kid, and she likes to try and rouse something from her father, even if it means getting into his stuff or climbing. She'll swear he has eyes on the back of his head; he finds her before she can run off.
Hide and Seek master - The other kids aren't good as she is, she says.
Tag Champion of Logres! - She will boast she's faster at tag than the other kids, in all of the kingdom. So she thinks.
Bedtime aversion - Galahad doesn't like bedtime. She'll wake up when adults are sleeping to play with her doll... and then fall back asleep.
Basic reading, writing and math!! Her father is a lord and knight, after all, so he vests money in her education much to her dismay.