Avalon

Avalon was an island formed by Glastonbury Tor in what is now a vanished lake in Somerset, England. During the Middle Ages, it served as the headquarters for the witch-warrior group known as the Women of the Mist.

History

In the 5th century, King Arthur Pendragon came to Avalon and unsheathed the holy relic sword, Excalibur. Arthur and the Women of the Mist later started an alliance as Arthur began to rule all of England. However, due to the influence of the Order of the Ancients, Avalon was shunned by Arthur, who died as a result of the Order's betrayal. Although Arthur hid Excalibur underneath Stonehenge in a vault, Avalon's sons, led by Mordred, wanted the sword for themselves. This led to Avalon's sons forming the Descendants of the Round Table, who quickly established themselves as the Women of the Mist's sworn enemies.

Despite the losses and betrayals, Avalon still functioned as a training ground for rising witch-warriors, including Niamh of Argyll. In the late 9th century, Avalon came under frequent attack by both Vikings and the Descendants of the Round Table, who took note of the clanswomen's faces, especially Niamh's.

Circa 878, the Women of the Mist intercepted a message from the Hidden Ones meant for Nimue, and the Lady decided to have Niamh impersonate her, making it clear that no one should be operating any kind of group such as this without the knowledge or approval of the Women of the Mist. After a number of days undercover among the Hidden Ones, Niamh visited Avalon to meet with the Lady and talk about her mission. Learning about the resurfacing of Excalibur, regarded as a holy relic of Avalon, the Lady tasked Niamh to find and recover the sword by any means. After a short time, Niamh returned to inform the Lady of her suspicions that a Norse Viking, Eivor Varinsdottir, held the sword. The Lady reminded Niamh of her duty and told her to retrieve Excalibur with no hesitation, despite Niamh's torn loyalties.

After more days passed, Niamh finally returned with Excalibur to Avalon and presented it to the Lady. The sword then began to glow as it chose the next Lady of Avalon. Weeks later, Niamh's allies, the Hidden One Hytham and seeress Valka of the Raven Clan, were invited to Avalon as they met with the Lady and Niamh. Hytham thanked the Lady for agreeing to discuss the possibility of an alliance between their organizations, but the Lady revealed that the decision lay with Niamh, the next Lady of Avalon. Elated, Hytham embraced Valka and Niamh as the trio reflected on their friendship and newfound alliance.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse