The Dragonlords were men who possessed the ability to speak to and tame Dragons, who were their spiritual brothers. It is an innate, hereditary ability passed down from father to son.
History
It is unknown how the first Dragonlords gained their powers, or whether Dragons could hatch without them before their creation.
Near the end of the Great Purge, Uther Pendragon convinced Balinor to summon the Great Dragon to Camelot so that he could make peace with it. The Dragonlord did as he asked, but the King betrayed him. He imprisoned Kilgharrah in a cavern beneath the castle and then proceeded to round up and slaughter the remaining Dragonlords, as he believed that their abilities were too close to magic.
Aided by Gaius, Camelot's court physician, Balinor escaped the genocide of his people and sought refuge in the village of Ealdor. He was given shelter by a woman named Hunith, a friend of Gaius's with whom he fell in love. However, Balinor was ultimately forced to leave her when Uther learned of his whereabouts and sent men to pursue him.
Roughly twenty years later, Balinor discovered that Hunith had had a son by him: Merlin. Upon Balinor's death, Merlin became the last Dragonlord in existence and inherited his father's abilities, which he later used to defend Camelot from the Great Dragon (The Last Dragonlord).
After Merlin chose to show Kilgharrah mercy by ordering him away from Camelot rather than killing him, he and the Dragon became good friends and allies. Merlin often called upon Kilgharrah when he was in need, and the Dragon never failed to answer his call (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Darkest Hour, The Sword in the Stone, The Kindness of Strangers, The Diamond of the Day).
As of Aithusa's hatching, Merlin now has two dragons at his command. Even after Aithusa became allied with Morgana, the young dragon did not appear to feel any animosity towards Merlin and never failed to heed his commands (Aithusa, Arthur's Bane, With All My Heart, The Diamond of the Day).
Abilities
Upon inheriting their gift, Dragonlords were able to speak to Dragons in the language shared by their souls. With this ability they were able to both tame and control dragons, who were unable to resist their commands (The Last Dragonlord, The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Crystal Cave).
This communication appeared to be at least partially telepathic, as Merlin and the Great Dragon were able to hear one another over great distances (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Darkest Hour, The Sword in the Stone, The Kindness of Strangers, The Diamond of the Day). It could also be used to control Wyverns, who were distantly related to dragons (The Eye of the Phoenix, The Darkest Hour).
By forcing a dragon to submit to their will, Dragonlords had access to their knowledge, magic, and natural might. For example, after becoming a Dragonlord, Merlin was able to ride Kilgharrah and command him to share his knowledge of spells (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Crystal Cave).
Dragonlords also had the ability to hatch dragon eggs. They accomplished this by naming the dragon and summoning it forth from its egg (Aithusa).
It is unknown whether all Dragonlords were sorcerers. However, as both Merlin and Balinor are known to possess magic, it's likely that at least some of them were (The Last Dragonlord).
Appearances
- Series 2
- The Last Dragonlord
- Series 3
- The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 1)
- The Crystal Cave
- The Eye of the Phoenix
- The Sorcerer's Shadow
- The Coming of Arthur (Part 2)
- Series 4
- The Darkest Hour (Part 2)
- Aithusa
- The Sword in the Stone (Part 2)
- Series 5
- Arthur's Bane (Parts 1 & 2)
- The Disir
- With All My Heart
- The Kindness of Strangers
- The Diamond of the Day (Part 2)