The Rise and Fall of King Uther Pendragon

King Uther Pendragon was king of Logres from 480 to 495.
Following the death of their father High King Constantin, Prince Aurelius Ambrosius and Prince Uther were exiled to Brittany by their eldest brother High King Constans under the guidance of his advisor, their uncle Duke Vortigern. Duke Vortigern used this opportunity to seize the throne for himself, and had a tumultuous reign as High King of Britain which saw him allying with Saxon warlords, resulting in their ultimate betrayal and conquest of Britain. Prince Aurelius Ambrosius and Prince Uther sailed back to Britain and defeated the Saxons and High King Vortigern, taking up the name Pendragon ("Warrior Chief") and crowning Prince Aurelius Ambrosius Pendragon as the new High King of Britain.
High King Aurelius Ambrosius Pendragon ruled well for years and led many successful naval raids against the Saxons, but was ultimately poisoned before a battle and slain in 480. King Uther Pendragon was crowned king of Logres by birthright, but the high council of the Supreme Collegium did not appoint King Uther the new High King of Britain, leaving the island without a central leader. In an attempt to gain votes from the Supreme Collegium, King Uther tried strong-arm tactics such as annexing strategic nearby kingdoms such as Bedegraine and Somerset, to no avail.
As the Saxon threat grew and King Uther and his son Prince Madoc ap Uther failed to kill or capture Saxon kings in battles in Sussex and Malahaut, the king decided he needed a new coastal duke to help protect against invasions. Accepting a bribe from a wealthy baroness, he controversially named her toddler nephew, his own ward, a knight and duke. The boy duke was murdered during a Saxon raid shortly after, losing King Uther the support of much of his own kingdom. For the sake of the realm, royal advisor Merlin the Magician was granted the legendary sword Excalibur from the otherworldly Ladies of the Lake and presented it to the king. Using the awe-inspiring enchanted weapon, King Uther was able to regain control over the dukes and earls of his kingdom as well as earn the support of nearby kingdoms, assisting them in staving off Saxon attacks and capturing warlords Octa and Eosa.
After a brief alliance, King Uther's lifelong feud with his brother's childhood friend Duke Gorlois of Cornwall came to a head when the duke broke the laws of hospitality, fearing the king's lust over his wife Duchess Ygraine of Cornwall. In a brutal battle, Duke Gorlois and Prince Madoc were slain. While the king was occupied with the quarrel, an alliance of Saxons attacked Logres, sacrificing many people to their god. When the Centurion King of Malahaut was informed of this irresponsibility during a meeting of the Supreme Collegium to vote King Uther in as High King, he called an end to the assembly before the vote. King Uther declared war on the Centurion King.
Promptly marrying Duchess Ygraine, King Uther secured alliances by marrying his new step-daughters to distant kings, causing unease in his kingdom. After Merlin allegedly kidnapped the king's newborn heir, he was exiled and replaced with an untrustworthy Lady of the Lake . Meanwhile, the Centurion King had united with the newly escaped Saxons Octa and Eosa. As faith in the king dwindled from collapsing alliances in Cambria, the death of multiple dukes, and the disappearance of the king from the public eye after his shaming and serious injury following a duel, Octa and Eosa attacked Logres.
Dying from his infected injury, King Uther marched to meet the Saxons on the battlefield at St Albans. Though much of the army was crushed in an ambush trap, Octa and Eosa were slain and Logres declared victory. During the following victory feast, the king and much of the nobility of Britain was poisoned by an unknown assailant, ending the tumultuous reign of King Uther Pendragon.