Part 11: Spirituality - Part I
Spirituality - Part I
Anyway, I walked back to Britain and got my backup ship, then sailed on over to Skara Brae, which is the hardest Ultima town to locate for me for some reason. It's over on the west coast kind of, and southish. Ish. Also it's on an island, so you need a ship, Blink, or the Moongates.
Skara Brae is the town of rangers and spirituality and celebrity cameos, which means:
You meet a solemn ranger.
: I am Shamino.
: Bitch, you act like I don't know.: Wait, I actually do know you! Who are these losers?: These are my crew, apparently, we got Dupre...
: Yo.: This chick is Mary or something...
: Mariah. 
: Anyway, although you guys are all near and dear to me-
: Um, Avatar?: -Shamino has been my dude ever since Ultima I, where he was a king who wasn't Lord British.: There was also an elf king!: Uh, guys?: Haha, yeah, remember when there were elves and dwarves and shit in Ultima? I hope that never comes back to haunt the series.: Nah man, I think we're all pretty good from here.: Hello?: Anyway it's time to saddle up, Tex.: On it.
You meet a silver ankh.
: I am the Ankh of Spirituality.: Job?: I keep the secret of the rune.: Sounds cool, where is the rune?: What's the mantra, smartass?: Shit.
You meet a questing ranger.
: Name?: I am White.: Job?: I quest.: Quest?: Many quests are very dangerous! Art thou fearless in all thing?: No.: Danger is real!This is another of those Humility things. Obviously no one is fearless in all things, so the correct answer is "no." I guess it's OK for the Avatar to be scared. As we'll learn in subsequent Ultima games, it's OK for the Avatar to be a lot of things.
You meet a writing bard.
: Name?: I am Dickens.: Like, the Dickens?: As a matter of fact, yes.: Wait, what?: Oh, Skara Brae is full of famous people.: Seriously?: Remember, no one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others! Be sure thy net good well exceeds thy net evil?: I suppose that is how I've been approaching this game.
You meet a great philosopher.
: I am Buddha.: Yes, that Buddha.: That's kind of implausible.: Yeah well, so is me traveling back in time to the 1800s with Warren Spector to team up with Sigmund Freud and battle Rasputin on Mars, but both of those are a lot more likely to happen than you shutting the hell up.: 
: Masterstroke.: For one brief, fleeting moment, I know how it feels to be cool with the Avatar.: When one has pity on all living creatures then one is truly noble.: I heard if I meet you on the road I'm supposed to kill you.: I think I hear Jesus calling me. Smell you later!
You meet a short dumpy man with a book.
: Name?: I am Romasco.: Job?: I am a teacher, I enrich young minds.: You thinking what I'm thinking, Dupre?: Totally.: What?: Teach?: I teach of the abyss. Know ye of the abyss?: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.: HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.: What!?: Yes, I do.: A word of passage is needed at the last gate!: Word?: Seek Zair the Wise in Paws for more on the word.: I already know the three parts of it are "VER," "AMO," and "COR" so I have like a one in seven chance of getting it right by guessing anyway.: I suppose that also works.
You meet a very small wizard.
: I am Presto.: Watch out for that teacher, kid.: What?: What?: What?: Mariah, you're not even in this conversation.: I just... I just wanted to be able to say something.: Job?: I cast great big spells!: Spells?: I can cast Jinx, Kill, and View! Know ye what these spells have in common?: Nightshade?: Yes, ask the barkeep at "The Axe-n-Ale" in Vesper about nightshade.: How did you know about a reagent that can only be found by searching very specific and obscure squares in order to mix a handful of spells that aren't even all that worthwhile or necessary for beating the game?: Total shot in the dark.: I guess we should go pick some up.: Nah, I'll only need Mandrake Root for Tremor anyway.
You meet a radiant ranger.
: Name?: I am Mitre.: Job?: I am reading the wizard's journal.: That's not really a job, is it?: Have you seen his handwriting?: Oddly enough, yes, but let's not get into that. What about it?: It tells of the white stone.: Stone?: It is no longer in the dungeon Hythloth, it is gone! Wilt thou try to recover it?: Well, yeah, but I already did. I have it right here.: Oh. Okay then.
You meet a small child.
: : I am Barren.: Job?: No job. I'm like the first kid in this game who hasn't given you a smartass answer to that question by the way.: Yeah, it's much appreciated. Hey, total stretch here but do you happen to know the mantra?: I know it well, it is "OM."
Good thing I already got the rune and the stone. Screw you, ankh! Screw you, Shamino! Why did I even have to come here?
It tells me where the shrine is too but I'm not showing that screenshot because I want to look smart a few images down.
Oh well, more probable cameos:
You meet a tall ranger.
: I am Santayana.: Job?: I carry the light within my heart.: Light?: The light of philosophy.: Laaaaaaame.: Laaaaaaame.: Laaaaaaaame.: Laaaaaaaame.: Philosophy?: In philosophical minds the familiar excites wonder! Dost thou always tread the right path?: No. (another Humility answer!): Few can, but strive to do so!
The Shrine of Spirituality isn't on the map. It's nowhere in Britannia at all. The only way to reach it is to go through a Moongate during a double full moon. The issue here is of course that only one Moongate is open when Trammel is full, and that's the one near Minoc (where I'm going next anyway, conveniently). So it's off to the northernmost coast of Britannia!
Well, I'm not a Partial Avatar yet, because I wasn't maxed out on Spirituality in the first place, but I'm pretty close. This is what meditating does when you're not ready to ascend in that virtue; you get some kind of hint about where you should go.