Serpent Shield

"When you're competing in the tournament, you pin your opponent under the shield, a snake strikes. Your opponent will be paralysed."

- Devlin to Valiant

The Serpent Shield is a heater shield painted with three green snakes. The snakes have been enchanted to come to life on command and strike their bearer's opponent.

History
Knight Valiant acquired the Serpent Shield from the sorcerer Devlin prior to the Tournament of Camelot. Valiant invoked the snakes for the first time when he killed Devlin to avoid payment, and invoked them again during the Tournament to strike his opponent, Sir Ewan.

Later, while passing by Valiant's private chambers, Merlin saw him invoke the snakes in order to feed them. He investigated after the knight left and decapitated one of the snakes. Merlin took the snake's head to Gaius, who used it to create an antidote for Ewan, and then to Arthur to prove that Valiant had cheated during their match. However, Ewan was killed by one of the two surviving snakes before he could testify before Uther.

When Valiant dueled Arthur during the Tournament's final round, Merlin used an animation spell to summon the snakes, exposing Valiant's use of magic to the court. Valiant retaliated by ordering the snakes to kill Arthur, but the prince managed to slay them both, rendering the Shield powerless (Valiant).

Trivia

 * Imagery of the Serpent Shield appears as part of the title sequence from Series 1 to Series 3.
 * According to the novelisation of Valiant, the Shield was created using snakes from the Forest of Balor.
 * According to Gaius, symptoms of the snakes' bite include a fever, slow pulse, and paralysis. If not given an antidote, the victim will die (Valiant).