The Let's Play Archive

Ultima 9

by Null Pointer

Part 6: Chapter 3, Part 1

CHAPTER THREE: Chapter four is going to SUCK

In this chapter we finally begin our quest to pretend to save Britannia. We begin by leaving town across the eastern bridge.



Visiting a nearby lighthouse will start us on one of the more involved side-quests of the game. A cut diamond and a bottle of Serpentwyne can be found by the beach.




: Lord British had four new lighthouses built: this one, and three others in Moonglow, Buccaneer's Den, and Trinsic.
: The magic gemstones that were to be used as lenses for the other three lighthouses never arrived. I expect that they may be scattered across Britannia by now.
: Without the lighthouses, we are having more shipwrecks than ever before.
: I need you to recover the unpolished ruby, sapphire and emerald gemstones.
: Which gems go with which lighthouses?
: The ruby lens is to be placed in the lighthouse in Buccaneer's Den, the emerald should be taken to Moonglow, and the sapphire belongs in the Trinsic lighthouse.

In most games a generic collection quest like this one would be tedious, but in Ultima 9 it's a pleasant diversion from the generic collection quest that is the main quest.




Sarah essentially tells us what is happening, why it's happening and outlines what repetitive task we'll be performing 8 times in a row in order to finish the game.


: What's left of it?
: Yes, the Shrine has fallen into a horrible state of disrepair. I know that I am the Shrine keeper and that the upkeep of the Shrine is my duty. Under normal circumstances, the Shrine would not decay as it has.
: Do you think magical forces caused this?
: Yes, a very evil magic. The Shrine did not fall into decay slowly over time. I could have prevented that with normal care. This damage was done quickly, at the same time that the Runes were lost.
: How have the virtues been perverted?
: Throughout Britannia, the cities that once championed the various virtues, no practice acts that are contrary to the virtues. But the truly perverse part of it is that the people practice these horrible acts in the name of the virtues that they once upheld. Hence we have people in Britain cruelly banishing invalids in supposed acts of compassion.
: Why is Britain so lacking in compassion?
: I am not sure of the cause, but I know one thing: the city lost its virtue when the Shrine became corrupted. These occurrences can not be a coincidence. I feel certain that if the Shrine is cleansed, the city will return to its virtue.
: How does one cleanse the Shrine?
: I'm not sure. You should go and consult the Shrine; perhaps it will tell you, the Champion of the virtues, what it could not tell me.
: So I should meditate at the Shrine?
: Oh, indeed. The Shrine may reveal things to you that will help you on your quest.



The mantra is very important to remember.



: Shamino! Where are you?
: I've been trapped in the spirit realm. Until I'm able to return to Britannia in physical form, I have to speak to you through these stones of spirituality.
: You will find them throughout the land. Speaking to you in this manner is very draining, so I'll be brief. A great deal has happened since you were last here.
: You're probably aware of the columns that have appeared.
: When they first came out of the ground, I felt that there was something very sinsiter about them so I undertook a spiritual quest to learn more.
: I learned that a magical force of great power deliberately created the columns.
: There are eight columns, Avatar, and they are twisting the eight sacred virtues. They have turned compassion into hatred, justice into injustice, and so on.
: The people of the cities that represent the virtues have been corrupted by the column's influence. It's not their fault, Avatar.
: They're still good people, they just need your help to restore them to their ways.
: I must leave now, my friend. The tether that binds me to this world grows threadbare. There is more that I need to tell you, but it must wait.
: Shamino! Wait, I need to ask you some questions!
: We'll talk again, Avatar. Farewell.


Yes, two conversations in a row carried the same information. If you think the game seems repetitive, 1.) I'm editing most of it out, 2.) haha, wait until you find out what the main quest is!



: Ah, Son of sons, the Avatar. You have come to arrest the growth of the Guardian's columns that emerge from the eight dungeons.
: Gather your two important tools: Inside each dungeon is a Glyph of Corruption, formerly a Rune of Virtue but altered through evil magic.
: Find this glyph and couple it with the sigil, which embodies the virtues.
: The sigil of compassion is the sacred Heart of Compassion and resides with Britain's mayor.
: Finally, place these items upon the altar in the center of the shrine and utter the sacred mantra.
: These two keys will allow the unknotting of corruption.

So there we have it, folks:

Ultima 9 Recipe

Ingredients:


Directions:





Walking back down to the road eventually brings us past a small farmhouse.




Inside is Gwenno, the wife of one of your companions from the previous games.

: Where is Iolo?
: Oh Avatar, I'm so worried about him. Lord British sent him down into Despise to investigate that column and he hasn't come back.
: It's been a very long time now and I'm worried. I told him that he was too old to be off exploring at all, let alone by himself, but he wouldn't listen to me.
: Do you think you could look for him Avatar?








Next: Dungeon Despise (Part 1)