Afanc

"The Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements."

- Gaius to Merlin

An Afanc is a creature conjured using the Magic of the Elements of Earth and Water.

History
Nimueh, a High Priestess of the Old Religion created an Afanc, magically transporting it inside an egg to the water supply of Camelot, where it hatched and caused a plague that killed dozens of citizens of Camelot, turning them pale with blue veins in the process. Eventually Merlin who was Arthur 's manservant and the court-physician Gaius discovered the Afanc. With the help of Arthur Pendragon and Morgana, Merlin was able to destroy the creature using his own elemental magic (The Mark of Nimueh).

Properties
The Afanc can only be defeated with magic, specifically the use of the oppositional base elements of Fire and Air. The Afanc is said to be a beast born of clay and conjured only by the most powerful sorcerers. In fact Nimueh shaped a piece of clay into the figure of a small animal while chanting a spell ("Ic acennan eowic ac ic hredde eowic"). She put in into an egg saped box with markings on it, including her mark, then dropped it into a pool of water leading it to Camelot's water source.

Myth
The Afanc (Avanc, Addanc) is a creature from Welsh folklore that lives in lakes. In most myths it is described with the body of a beaver and the head of a crocodile. The Afanc is sometimes said to have magical powers and even the ability to speak Welsh.

Trivia

 * The Afanc was played by Rick English, who also played Tristan de Bois.