Page "Roland Deschain" Paragraph 3

Roland is a 30th-generation descendant of his world's version of King Arthur, referred to in the series as Arthur Eld.

In Wizard and Glass, during a flashback to Roland's time in the Barony of Mejis, a letter from his father identifies Steven Deschain as a 29th-generation descendant of Arthur Eld from a side lineage ( that is to say, from one of Arthur's many " gillies ," or concubines ).

Even his guns were originally made of the melted-down metal from the legendary Excalibur sword.

It is hinted that one must possess this sword, or another sign of the Eld ( the line of Arthur Eld ) in order to open the door at the foot of the Tower.

According to a supplemental prose story by Robin Furth included in The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born ( issues # 7 & # 2, respectively ), Roland's ancestry traces back to Arthur Eld and Emmanuelle Deschain, the daughter of his seneschal, Kay Deschain, while the Crimson King's ancestry traces back to an affair between Arthur and the Crimson Queen.