Other myths give him even more vague origins, though he clearly isnāt human in most of them or maybe he is a human, and we all have yet to awaken to our magical powers yet.
Think Morgana has slightly varied origins herself depending on some stories, either being a human magical prodigy (who either does or doesnāt have a blood relations with Arthur) or a mysterious fae woman with no real connection toward Arthur other than being one of the beings that brings him to Avalon.
I think such character discussions are capable of going somewhere and offering another outside perspective. It just has to also be acknowledged that thereās often a middle ground between the personal views that doesnāt makes either opinion (especially if they lean on a extreme end in some way) completely right or wrong either and that there is often grounds for why the varied thoughts on a character exist in the first place.
I personally think that itāll be just as interesting see the early Elaine romance route unfold whie Mordred and Gareth share a close bond with one another due to the inner turmoil that can make Mordred be torn between their familial love for Gareth and their slowly blossoming romantic feelings for Elaine.
Gareth himself may go through some more inner conflict if he learns about Mordredās feelings, torn between his care for his sibling and his belief he needs to go through with the arranged marriage mostly out of duty, yet also because a small part of him may still yearn for Lotās approval and love (may also even more fear for Mordredās feelings getting discovered by Lot because he may have the best idea of just how badly the Duke will take the discovery).
Reminds me of another father that struggles with how to connect with his kid: Cliff Holden of Our Life: Beginning and Always. Granted, the conflicts he deal with are kind of different, but how he and Arthur begin with fumbly handling their kids feel somewhat similar.
Cliff became a father at a pretty young age (accidentally in his and Coveās momās case) and while he really does love his son Cove, he (especially in the beginning) didnāt always communicate well with his kid and ends up doing things that made Cove more upset with him. He would often be impulsive with his decision-making and thoughtlessly do things for people without really thinking if that person would take to his actions well. The fact Cliff was also dealing with the being the process of a divorce and Cove himself was not in the mood to really talk things out with his dad didnāt help matters, but it gets hinted at that Cliffās flawed approach on things were a common problem even before dealing with all the drama happening of trying to settle in a new place with his son. Itās clear as day that he loves Cove and just wants to help him in the tough times, but he goes about it the wrong way at first; like how he tried to bribe a kid he barely knew at the time (MC) with 20 dollars to be his sonās friend for the summer yes you CAN run away yelling āstranger dangerā when the weird adult does that. As one goes deeper in the VN, you do see character development all the characters in the MCās life, and Cliff is no exception; he grows into his role as a father better and you do see him learn from his mistakes (its does help that as time passes, Cove himself talks more with his dad to help him understand some things better).
It is likely going to play out somewhat like that for Arthur himself. The fumbling will be stronger due to him also juggling his trauma, but it will be just as clear that the attempts to conect to Mordred come from somewhat good intentions. Itās just going to take some time.for him to learn the right way to do things and to really understand Mordred as both a person and his child (the last which can vary depending on how Mordred handles interactions with Arthur themselves).
Onto a more Accolan related note:
Thereās really isnāt much for me to add except that I definitely enjoyed being able to spend time with Accolan and seeing having more fatherly times with him. Some of the words he tells Mordred when talking why the prophecy was kept a secret from them make me wonder just how much he might be dreading the day Mordred will come to learn the full story of their origin. After Arthur accidentally revealing the prophecy to Mordred, the knight is probably already half-expecting that there is a strong chance the reveal of Mordredās origins will come at a poor time. He and even Morgana are probably no longer thinking āifā the origin reveal will happen and more āwhenā and āwhoā will expose the messed up truth. Yes, very few people actually know the truth, but one of those people is in Lothia (not sure how much either of them were expecting the person to actually have the guts to spill beans, butā¦). minor on my art, but I do kinda want choice to see how heād respond to the father line of question if some Mordreds admit to having conflicted confusion at the moment about the dad matter (or just saying that while Arthur is a enigma they have yet to find out, Accolan himself will always be their father).
He did bring up a point I did not even consider: how choosing to avoid Arthur after his inaction in the match could end up being a indirect win for Lancelot, whose intention was to keep Mordred away from Arthur in the first place. So the choice on how to react to Arthur could end up being a kind of double-edged sword; avoiding him or becoming distant would be exactly what Lancelot wants from Mordred. But at the same time, I sort of feel like Arthur dealing with a Mordred who is upset with him (especially if they call him out on how his inaction endangered the few people who were a active part in their life) is something that should at some point at the very least and it may hit him harder for it to happen when Mordred is a child. And I wouldnāt be surprised if some Mordreds become skeptical to some degree of Arthur after that tournament.
I also enjoyed Mordred getting the chance to meet another kind stranger in the form of Isode. Hope when Mordred gets a chance to meet her years later, they can show that they still remember her and her act of kindness.
All that aside, figured Iād bring up this new part to the Lancelot-Guenivere dynamic. Wonder if the relationship will be on the off status for a while after Lancelot, you know, straight up attacked a man in the tournament and admits to doing it to scare a child who Arthur is trying to bond with away from Arthur despite said kingās wishes.