Unicorn

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures. There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."

- Gaius to Uther

Unicorns are creatures of magic that inhabit the land of Albion. They are protected by Anhora, the Keeper of the Unicorns, and appear to possess powerful magic, as legend says a curse will befall anyone who slays one.

Biography
Merlin encountered a Unicorn while on a hunting trip. He tried to send it away, but Arthur shot the unicorn and took its horn back to Camelot as a trophy.

Gaius warned Uther and Arthur that a curse would befall anyone who slayed a unicorn, but they both dismissed the legend as nonsense. Within a few days, however, Camelot's crops began to die and its water supply turned to sand.

Arthur was later visited by Anhora, who told him that the curse would only be lifted if he made amends for the unicorn's death by passing a series of tests. When he passed the final test and proved himself pure of heart, the curse was lifted and Camelot's crops and water were restored.

Later, Arthur and Merlin returned to the forest to lay the unicorn's horn to rest and discovered that lifting the curse had also restored the creature to life (The Labyrinth of Gedref).

Trivia

 * Unicorns are pure of heart (The Labyrinth of Gedref).
 * According to Gaius, there are very few unicorns still alive (The Labyrinth of Gedref).

Mythology
The Unicorn was a legendary creature featured in folklore around the world. In British mythology, it was often depicted as a white horse or goat-like creature with a single long, spiraling horn protruding from its forehead. This horn was said to possess the power to heal sickness and purify water. Unicorns have also been portrayed with cloven hooves, a goat's beard, and a lion's tail.

Though Unicorns were said to be very shy creatures, they were also known to be wild and fierce and could only be captured by virgin women. Because of this, hunters would often use virgins to lure Unicorns into their traps.

Another method of capture, as described in Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens, was for a hunter to goad the Unicorn into charging. They would step aside at the last moment so the Unicorn would embed its horn deeply into a tree, leaving it defenseless.

Despite its mythical status, the Unicorn was adopted as the national symbol of Scotland during the 12th century. It was chosen because it was believed to be the natural enemy of the lion, which English nobles had adopted as a symbol around one hundred years before.