Ultima IV Part 5: I Ascend in Sacrifice
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Part 5: I Ascend in Sacrifice
I apologize for the lack of updates. I have spent my time doing schoolwork and playing the game. Now I am (with hope) near the end, and I need to plow through ~400 more screenshots. This update will be a bit longer than usual.
I now take the Britain moongate and wind up in the eastern half of the major continent.
This is Minoc, the city of Sacrifice and the home of tinkers, who make things.
This guy is just the welcomer.
This guy apparently carves the runes that are necessary to enter the shrines. Apparently, this means the runes might not be unique. However, this contradicts all later Ultimas and does not explain why I only find one of each.
I speak to his sister in the southwest part of town.
Rune.
I speak to Merida
Name.
Merida: Merida.
Job.
Merida: I seek the wisdom of the shrine of sacrifice.
Shrine.
Merida: But first I need the mantra! Know ye the mantra?
No.
Merida: The shrine is on a lake to the east!
Mantra.
I then find the hidden shepherd, Damon.
Job.
Damon: I stand here and think.
Think.
Damon: Oh, just about things.
Mantra.
Here I meet Julia, the tinker She will be another party member when the time comes.
This is Zircon. I ask him about Mystic Weapons and Armor.
Mystics.
Those two are in Paws.
I then speak to the bard, Singsong.
Job.
Singsong: I sing songs.
Songs.
Yes.
Singsong: Thanks.
I now make my way into Zircon's forge. The fire damages me a bit.
Haha! The rune is mine! I now make my way to the shores of Minoc. There I see a pirate ship.
Fortunately, there is only one pirate aboard. I make quick work of him.
The ship is now mine. Now I can sail the seas of Britannia at my leisure. I then head back to Moonglow for some reagents. The best way to raise Honor, Justice and Honesty is to buy stuff from the reagent ladies. Since they are blind, they cannot count money, and I can give them as much or as little as I like. However, cheating them lowers those three virtues. Since each transaction, no matter the amount, raises these virtues the same, I buy my reagents one at a time. I also gain honor by finding quest artifacts.
Well, well, well. Here is the ruined city of Magincia.
Job.
Virtuebane: I welcome thee to Magincia! Proud city of the high seas!
Magincia.
Virtuebane: Magincia fell unto the realm of darkness for the foundation of their virtue was ill-placed in pride! Art thou proud?
No.
Virtuebane: Ah.
I then talk to some skeletons of the former inhabitants of Magincia.
I then meet Demitry.
Job.
Demitry: I rattle my bones.
Bones.
Demitry: Bones, them bones, them dry bones...
Nate is a snake that will attack me. For some reason, he is declared a non-evil creature, so I should not kill him.
He is talking about Empath Abbey.
I then talk to Splot.
Job.
Splot: I regret.
Regret.
Splot: I was proud, strip thyself of conceits, only the humble are pure!
Humble.
Splot: The root from which all virtues grow! Dost thou seek purity?
Yes.
I guess he means Nate.
Name.
Nate: I am Nate the snake.
Job.
Rune.
Stone.
He then attacks me. I wound him a little, and he flees.
Since humility is the opposite of pride, the mantra of humility is LUM.
Due south of Magincia is a little patch of water. I search the waters and find the Bell of Courage. I decided to include this because it is just so obvious that something is here.
I then head for Jhelom.
I find Aesop hiding in the northeast corner of town.
Name.
Aesop: I am Aesop.
Job.
Aesop: I search for valor!
Valor.
Aesop: I find that 'tis easy to be brave from a safe distance! Know what I mean?
Yes.
Aesop That's my problem.
Mantra.
Here is another mantra, but I still need the Rune of Valor. I will have to come back for that later.
I then decide to ask about sextants in the pub in Jhelom.
First I order a tanker of ale. If I pay more than he asks for, he will let me ask him about something.
After a 50 gold bribe, he spills the beans.
Here is another whirlpool. Do you remember that the whirlpool transported me to Ambrosia in the last game? I wonder if this one will transport somewhere new?
It looks like it! I have been transported into Loch Lake.
Southeast is a hidden village. There are only two ways to get here (that are worth a damn): sailing a ship into a whirlpool or casting the spell Blink.
This is Cove, the village of Love.
South is a circle of hippies that will give me some much needed hints on the eight virtues.
Codex.
Spellbind: One must know the combination of the three principles of virtue!
Combination.
Spellbind: The combination of the three principles of virtue equals the measure of time and space!
I then speak to Shaman.
Job.
Shaman: I study the 'one' thing that is the secret to the codex!
Study.
Shaman: I study of the codex!
Codex.
Shaman: The one pure axiom is more endless than the changing tides, more
eternal than day and night!
I then speak to Charm.
Job.
Charm: I ponder the key to the axiom.
Axiom.
Charm: The 1 pure axiom encompasses all things. Know ye what they are?
No.
Charm: The truths of the universe, the love of the heart, and the
courage of the soul!
I then speak to Circe.
Job.
Circe: I teach of the axiom!
Axiom.
Parts.
I get the feeling they are talking about Infinity.
I then speak to Mentorian about the Gate spell.
What the hell is a talking seahorse doing here?!
There is
another talking ankh? 'Kay!
Don't fucking tell me this is supposed to be Paul McCartney.
Job.
Paul: I play of love.
It looks like it!
Love.
Problems.
Paul: But all in all we soon discover that one and one is all we long to hear! Wilt thou listen?
Yes.
Paul: About love.
I then talk to the ankh.
Codex.
Ankh: To enter the codex chamber.
Chamber.
I then head back to LB's castle.
Fuck yeah! Five down; three to go!
I now head to the Shrine of Sacrifice. Since I have the rune, I may enter.
I meditate for three cycles.
Each time I have to recite the correct mantra: CAH.
Yay!
Huh? I think this is the Runic character for "N".
Anyway, I head to the other side of the main continent.
Here is another secluded village.
This is Vesper. It does not serve a virtue. It will disappear before the next game and reappear in Ultima VII. There are not that many interesting NPCs here.
I speak to the kid, Flatbush.
Job.
Flatbush: I am an apprentice mage!
Mage.
Flatbush: I am the Calumny's favorite!
Calumny.
Flatbush: He lives in Yew! Hast thou been to Yew?
No.
I then talk to Simple, a sheperdess.
Job.
Simple: I seek the shrine.
Shrine.
Simple: The shrine of humility!
Humility.
No.
Simple: Southeast of Britannia!
I then speak to Dyka
Job.
Dyka: I am a thief, I like to borrow!
Borrow.
Dyka: My favorite things to borrow are horses!
No.
Dyka: Likely, thou art a wimp!
Bitch, I should kill you for that, but I ain't gonna.
This is the Guild shop. Like in the last game, they sell torches (for seeing in dungeons), gems (for viewing mini-maps), and keys (for unlocking locked doors). I ask for option D.
Yowza! I need to get more money before I can afford that! Instead I purchase twelve keys.
I then head for the Shrine of Compassion near Loch Lake. The monster above is a Headless BTW.
Once again I meditate for three cycles.
Shit! It looks like my compassion is not high enough. Well, at least it gives me a hint.
I then head for Buccaneer's Den. This is the hangout of pirates in Britannia.
I ask in the pub about the skull.
He is probably in Minoc.
I then head due south and find a keep on a big island.
This is Serpent's Hold, the keep of Courage.
Quest.
Durham: I feel that when on a quest my life has purpose! Art thou on a quest?
Yes.
Durham: Then thy life has meaning!
Dungeon.
Durham: The altar room of courage gives the third part of a key.
This is another hint.
I then speak to Shyra, the instructor.
This is Sentri, the lord of Serpent's Hold. He will be a companion in later games. He cannot help me now, so I will come back later.
Since he is a sailor, I ask him about the wheel of the HMS Cape.
Cool! That cape is south of Trinsic.
Oh yeah!
Basically, using the wheel will increase my ship HP from 50 to 99. In this game, ships can take damage from cyclones and the ranged attacks of certain creatures. If it reaches zero, the ship sinks, and everyone onboard dies.
I use a fireball (sulfurous ash + black pearl) on some orcs.
Fuck yeah! Two more levels to go!
I think I will save the rest for later.