Carbonek
Castle of the maimed king and destination of the Grail quest, attested in Le Morte d'Arthur.
Carbonek is a castle in Arthurian tradition, attested solely in Le Morte d'Arthur. It serves as the dwelling of the maimed king and the ultimate destination of the Grail quest. Knights seeking the Holy Grail are directed to Carbonek as the place where they will learn "true tidings" of the sacred vessel (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter II). Sir Launcelot lay at Carbonek for twenty-four days and nights as though dead before being healed by the Sangreal (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVI). The castle is also where Sir Percivale and Sir Bors reunited with Sir Galahad, riding "a great while" before arriving at Carbonek for the culmination of the Grail quest (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XIX).
All three attestations come from Le Morte d'Arthur, spanning Books XIV and XVII. The castle functions narratively as the fixed point toward which the Grail quest converges. In Book XIV, Carbonek is identified as the residence of the maimed king, establishing it as a place of suffering and sacred significance. By Book XVII, it becomes the site of miraculous healing and the reunion of the three Grail knights. Malory presents Carbonek consistently as a place that can only be reached after extended journeying, reinforcing its role as a destination earned through spiritual trial rather than mere geography.
Appears in: Places, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition