Ultima VI Part 2
Ultima VI: The False Prophet
Part 2
In this update I explore the town of Britain.
As always, I forgot to show you the map in the first update, so here it is.
Since this game can be confusing to navigate, here is the map to Britain that I stole from the cluebook.
Past the drawbridge I am approached by this peasant.
Name.
Oooookay then . . .
Disguise.
Commoners.
Chuckles.
Blackthorn.
Dungeons.
Suuuuuuure you can . . .
Bye.
Moving on . . .
I try to speak with Arty, the shipwright.
Uh oh! I wonder if he can hear me stealing his sextant?
Yep. Shit! I reload.
The Kings Way is to the east.
West is the Spiritual Path.
I then head for the city hall and speak to Tholden.
Name.
I am Tholden von Bazillius, Chancellor to Lord
British. In my younger days, I was known as 'The
Werecat of the Wine Cellar'...
Werecat.
I could tell you stories... But there's no time for that now.
Lord British.
A fine ruler indeed. 'Tis a pleasure to keep his kingdom running smoothly for him.
Job.
All the little details of governing, all the paperwork falls on my shoulders. Someone must do it, and yet I miss the days when I was a carefree adventurer.
Rune.
The rune and mantra of Compassion are in the keeping of the bards at the
Conservatory.
I entrusted them with the rune due to their compassionate nature. As for the other runes - they are no longer together, as they were when the
Codex was recovered.
Since then, they have become scattered throughout the land.
Each was sent to a town near its shrine. If thou dost ask the lords of each of these towns, they should be able to tell thee more.
The towns are Moonglow, Jhelom, Yew, Minoc, Trinsic, Skara Brae, and New Magincia.
Bye.
I hope I have been of assistance, Elzair.
Indeed you have!
I head north on Avatar Lane.
Since it is getting dark, I head north into the wilderness to rest. I can only rest outside of town when no enemies are nearby.
I make Shamino stand guard since he is unharmed, and we rest until morning. I then head to the tailor.
Name.
My name is Fyodor. What is thy name? Pleased to meet thee, Elzair.
Job.
I make cloth upon my
loom. Perhaps you'd like to
buy some.
Loom.
I push the pedals with my feet--like this. Then I pull these levers. The pattern depends on which combinations of levers and pedals I move. My father's loom was not so complicated as mine. This design came from one of Lord British's old
books.
Book.
Lord British treasures antiques. There is one book for which he hath offered a reward:
Wizard of Oz.
By Master L. Frank Baum, I believe. It concerns a girl adventurer, a strange land, and a clever
balloonist.
Balloon.
Are they not made of
silk, in the form of a great bag?
Silk.
'Tis a wondrous strong stuff, silk, and very light. I regret that I am not skillful enough to weave silk.
Charlotte.
She is the only person I know of who can weave silk.
Bye.
May our paths cross again some day.
This is Lynn, the fletcher. She sells arrows and bolts.
This is Efram, the provisioner. He sells . . . waitaminute, did you say
powder kegs?! Holy shit! I am going to have some fun with those! Unfortunately, I cannot afford them right now.
Job.
Once was I Iolo's apprentice, but then he decided to retire.
Now 'tis my shop, and I craft the bows sold here!
'Course, 'tis still called
Iolo's Bows, out of respect for the master. At this, Iolo blushes humbly.
Iolo.
Gargoyles.
I hear from the soldiers that the gargoyles are fierce opponents.
Some gargoyles move like the wind itself, and can strike you like lightning bolts!
The gargoyles also have a strange and terrible
weapon.
Weapon.
'Tis called a boomerang, and it is a most bizarre ranged weapon.
It flies out to strike its target, then returns to the hand that threw it!
Against such magic the soldiers chose to arm themselves with good, stout Britannian bows!
Bye.
Farewell, all of you. Farewell to thee!
Iolo, I'll see thee again soon with thy share of this month's profits!
I now head for the Blue Boar tavern to pound some brewskies.
Pleasure.
'Tis good to talk with thee again. Things have been slow around here since the
gypsiesleft. Good! Perhaps thou might stay and talk with me a while, before I'm back about my work.
Name.
I am Anya.
Job.
I run this tavern to support my
family. The hours are long, but my husband offers what help he can. We make enough to pay for my daughter's schooling, so 'tis all worthwhile.
Family.
My husband
Matt, and my daughter
Ariana.
Husband.
I only
wish he could hear our daughter play, just once.
But 'twill ne'er come to pass.
He lives in a world of eternal silence.
Accident.
Her face brightens suddenly. You have the look of one who practices the art of magic.
I know 'tis a lot to ask, but wilt thou try?
Yes.
Oh, thank you, Elzair!
I now head for the royal mint.
Say, aren't you the Avatar?
Yes, I recognize you from your portrait...
My mother used to tell me stories about you when I was a girl.
Man.
As you might have guessed, there is no way to follow up. What a cocktease!
It is now time to advance the main plot a little. I speak to the bell-ringer in the center of town.
Name.
I'm Daver McCord.
Job.
Every hour of the day, I ring the
bell a number of times.
Bell.
According to the
numbers on the hourglass, you see.
Numbers.
Well, I usually know what
timeit is up here in my head somehow. But just in case, I start this hourglass at sunup, turning it over every nine hours.
Time.
It is especially important for those with shops. They know when to open for
business, eat lunch, close, and that sort of thing. Another of Lord British's innovations, this bell thing.
Business.
Hmmm. I guess that you don't keep a regular schedule, being the
Avatar and all. Probably out till all hours, collecting
runes and such.
Runes.
After the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom was brought back from the underworld, Lord
British gave the runes to the lords of the eight cities.
Eight Cities.
Let's see now. He counts them off on his fingers.Minoc, Trinsic, Jhelom, Yew, Skara Brae, Britain, Moonglow... ...Ah yes, and New Magincia. I hear each of the lords knows a
mantra.
Who wants to bet that we are going to have to collect all the runes again?! Since ol' Tholden is the closest mayor, I go and speak to him again.
Runes.
Damnit! I knew finding the rune would be miniquest! I head to the Conservatory and speak to its head, Kenneth.
Damnit! Oh well, at least the little bitch is nearby!
Rune.
Do you need it for something?
Yes.
Are you on an important quest?
Yes.
I'm not supposed to let anyone else have it. But if you truly need it... I don't know what I should do. I know! My parents run the Blue Boar Tavern. Go ask them if you can borrow the rune. If they say 'tis okay, I'll give it to you.
Fuck! Oh well, I head over to the Blue Boar and speak with Anya again.
Thank god that was straightforward!
Yes.
Whohoo! I have my first rune! Alright, I am sick of Britain. Let's head out.
I travel to the southern part of town and head west.
Shamino hears something after a ways. It turns out to be just some dude.
What a douchebag! Let's head on.
Further west I finally find some action. Apparently a pack of mongbats are engaging a group of brigands.
After killing all the enemies, I loot the bodies.
Hello, darling! Where have you been all my life?
I head south at the fork in the road.
I head south some more past a few streams. The path then turns west and leads directly into Skara Brae. Since it is getting late, I stop by the inn.
Name.
Gideon is what I'm called by one and all.
Gideon.
'Tis an old family name meaning 'one who spreads the
word.' My
wife says I spread too many of them.
Gee, I wonder if Garriott could be alluding to
something? I then ask Gideon about his wife, Marta.
Marta.
She told me the lanterns went out and a spectre drifted in front of her. She let out such a
scream that I heard her from our bedroom.
I wonder why a ghost would be present in the Haunting Inn? This has never happened before!
Oh, wait!
I keep finding this book in nightstands all over town I wonder who could be planting them there?
This man is Stivius, the wine merchant. He is the one who puts the 'spirit' in Spirituality.
I head north and find the docks. What is this? A skiff?!
It looks like I can borrow it without any repercussions.
I row north and disembark on a little island. I see who the local inhabitant is.
This batty fellow is Horance. He sells reagents, spells and spare spell books (in case I ever lose mine). He specialized in attack spells. Since I have talked to a good number of people, I head back to the inn.
He was a dear soul. Gideon looks past you into the distance. I could not believe it was him by the well. He lay so quiet, no sign of pain on his face, and just an
amulet in his bloody hand. He looks at the floor and mumbles.
Amulet.
We went and told Yorl what had happened. When he returned with us to the well, he removed the amulet from Quenton's hand and took it to Marney. It took courage to tell her the news.
Marney.
She is strong in her
beliefs. When we buried her father, she sang a song she wrote for him. He softly sings. 'You put your love in my heart, and now it's fallen apart, but all alone in the dark, I will remove the pain.' 'There is a sting in my eyes, and your name in my cries, but still I realize, that you are part of me.'
Quenton.
We came to this island many years ago. Marta and I took care of him when
Mondain's henchmen killed his wife
Elisabeth. We care for his daughter, Marney, now. She's such a brave girl. Neither I nor the
travelers staying here heard anything the night he was
killed.
Wait, did you see Marney's mother was killed my men in the service of
Mondain?! That was back in Ultima 1?! How long ago was this?! What the hell is going on?!
Mondain's Henchmen.
Yes, Quenton and Yorl were out fishing when a few of those evil ones landed here. They were fleeing Lord British's men and apparently thought our hamlet was safe haven. They went around asking for some person named
Renthar.
Renthar.
We had no such person in this town. Not by that name.
I have no idea what this refers to. I don't think there is a person named Renthar in this game? Is this simply a loose end on Origin's part?
Elisabeth.
She was an angel. Blonde hair, green eyes, tall slender body. I can still see her face as the men led her to their boat. They said that after she got them past their pursuers she would be freed. He hides his face in his hands. Our beliefs held us still. She handed
something to her little
girl. Then she
boarded the skiff, and they were gone.
Something.
I couldn't see what it was.
Boarded.
Elisabeth bowed her head as they sailed off. He attempts to clear his throat. Speaking again, his voice is a whisper. They found her body along the coast south of here.
Alright, enough with the tangents; let's get back to Quenton.
Killed.
They say that Quenton was killed by a Gargoyle. I've heard these beasts eat their prey. Why did they leave Quenton alone then?
Travelers.
I questioned them about the night of the murder. Still, of all of us, my Marta and I had the best vantage point from which to witness the murder. Yet we saw and heard nothing.
Hmm . . . this is getting interesting. Anyway, I pay for a room and sleep the night away.
It's now a brand new day! It is time to explore the town some more.
In the vineyards I find a ghost. Who wants to bet this is the ghost of Quenton?
Murder.
WTF?! This ghost is retarded! Let's find somebody else!
I now speak to the mayor of town.
You may call me 'Your Honor.
What a prick!
Rune.
Quenton, not I, was in charge of its safe keeping. Just as I suspected, when he died, so too did our chances of finding the rune. You see, he never told anyone where it was located.
FUCK!! It looks like I have to dig for clues to the rune's whereabouts. I decide to speak to Quenton's grieving daughter, Marney.
Name.
My father chose an ancient word for my name. It means the cool breeze after a storm has passed.
Marney.
Marney.
She grabs a locket that hangs around her neck and opens it. Inside is a folded piece of cloth with words printed on it. She begins to read. At first we met and dark clouds gathered, the thunder sounding your approach. Then comes the storm of our hearts pounding and in the end the marney's touch.
Poem.
Certainly you can look at it.
She hands the tiny cloth to you.
Inside a basket made of promise, You'll find my dreams of us have slept.
Basket.
I do just that.
Hello, what do we have here?
Oh yeah! Two down; six to go!
Well that about wraps it up for today except . . . I have not solved the mystery of Quenton's murder. I guess I should question a few more suspects. First up is Yorl, Quenton's best friend. A likely alibi.
Quenton.
He and I were mates. I can still remember the moment
they told me he was dead.
They came to my house before dawn and told me that Quen had been killed by
gargoyles.
Gideon.
He owns the Haunting Inn. He's good people, though his
wife is a bit of a nag.
Wife.
She always complains that my house is an
eyesore. I tell you if she comes around here, I'll show her what an eyesore really is! He slaps you on the back and laughs.
Eyesore.
This is a fishhouse. It's meant to be an eyesore. He laughs again.
Stivius.
Hmm . . . maybe I should question Stivius again?
Murder.
I ran like the wind to my doorway. I was sure I was dead.
Dark.
Noise.
Whispering.
Languages.
Alchemist.
I can ask Horance about languages, but he offers me no help. It looks like one can only find out who killed Quenton by accident. I will do so now. I head east towards Britain. I arrive at the home of a very rude man named Michael.
Quenton.
Killed.
Debt.
Yeeaaah . . . I am beginning to suspect this guy may have had something to do with the murder. However, there is nothing that I can do about it (except kill him out of vengeance). Yorl will even tell me that Michael (the rude guy) used to be one of Mondain's henchmen, and I still cannot point the finger at him. Oh well! Fuck Quenton! He was a schmuck anyway!
Next time I will recruit Jaana and visit more places.
