Exult Forum

I'm working on some background story for a U7/SI based world I'd like
to create. This being the only Ultima board I frequent, I figure I'll post it
here, even if it's not related to Exult at all. Since I never really played
U5 and U6 (and I haven't completed U4 yet), the world I create might
have some inconsistencies, which I'm hoping someone would catch for
me.

It's an alternate universe for Ultima, with a few major changees:

1. Shamino disappeared in U3 after he went to investigate on Exudos. (originally he came back insane).

2. Beatrix in SI didn't die during the goblin seige on the castle.

3. The Order Ophidians did not have complete victory over the
Chaos Ophidians, and both survived when Estram lead a bunch of
people to "New Sosaria".

2. Instead of Shamino, Hawkwind became the Avatar's friend in
the virtues in U4 (though the Avater himself was a ranger, so
hawkwind didn't go adventure with the Avatar).

3. In U5, as Hawkwind and Iolo were trying to summon the Avatar
via the codex coin, Hawkwind sensed danger, and delayed to summoning,
so the Avatar wouldn't be ambushed by the Shadowlords.
Hawkwind got killed by the Shadowlords, but his spirit left a cryptic
message for Iolo about the Serpent Pillars as the only way to summon
the Avatar.
So Iolo (and some other ppl) went to SI, managed to summon the Avatar
after a long story, Avatar restored balance to SI, came back, and did
U5.

4. a few years after events in U6, gateways similar to the moongates
were between Britannia and SI, so we don't need to sail through
those pillars no more.

Obviously there will be things in my background stories that will differ
from the classic Ultima's. but I'd like to keep them to a minimal and
as logical consequences of the 4 changes I made above (ie, natural
evlution of political structure, natural action for someone to take).

Hence I'd like to see more experienced fans' comments to my background
stories.

notAdragon
norApremium

Chapter I. A Treatise On Time

Various legends and records have indicated the existence of
other worlds. We know for certain that the Avatar came
from a world called Earth, and that the Lands of Danger and
Despair, after being torn asunder from the rest of Sosaria,
becomes the world we now know as Serpent Isle.

Furthurmore, it seems that different worlds doth travel
differently through time. Stories surrounding the Avatar
has hinted that time in Earth seem to progress less than
that in Britannia. However, definite proof came from
Serpent Isle, where immigrants from Sosaria/Britannia
made the connection between time in Britannia and time
in Serpent Isle.

The Ophidian culture developed over hundreds of years on
the original Lands of Danger and Despair. When dissenters
of Lord British's rule left from Britannia (then still
called Sosaria) and arrived in Serpent Isle, the Ophidian
culture was almost 700 years old. Yet this seems quite
impossible, considering the Great Sundering that came with
Mondain's defeat was merely a few decades before the Age
of Enlightenment. Hence we have the first evidence that
a few decades has passed in Britannia/Sosaria when a few
hundred years has passed in Serpent Isle.

The puzzling element came when refugees from Lord Blackthorn's
regime escaped from Britannia, and sailed to Serpent Isle.
They left Britannia nigh thirty years after the dissenters
of Lord British set sail, yet when the refugees arrived in
Serpent Isle and met the dissenters, it was a mere decade
after the dissenters have arrived in Serpent Isle.

Some might say that the dissenters had a much longer
voyage, whereas the refugees found a shortcut. But that
is not so, for both groups kept logs of their voyage, and
both made it to Serpent Isle in less than a week's time.
Hence we have another account of time passing differently
in the two worlds, except now we have time passing more
in Britannia than in Serpent Isle, a reverse of the
previous example.

The most prevalent theory explains that at first Britannia
time progresses more than time in Serpent Isle due to Minax's
attack, and afterwards time in Serpent Isle progresses
more than time in Britannia due to the ever worsening Imbalance
that was tearing up that land. However, this scroll is running
out of space, and the full discussion on that theory is too
large to fit into the margins.

[Editor's note: this chapter is taken from a scroll found
in the Lycaeum, the original author cannot be ascertained,
though the scroll has to be dated to about 200 years ago.
The contents of the scroll definitely indicate it was
written before the gates connecting Britannia and Serpent
Isle were open.]

Chapter II. A Time Line of Serpent Isle (originally known
as the Lands of Danger and Despair) since the year of the
Sundering. Years are noted in A.S., Age of Serpents.

-58 A.S.
Lord Shamino received the summons of Lord British,
and sailed to Lands of Lord British.
The Sundering. Lands of Danger and Dispair cut off
from the rest of Sosaria.
-55 A.S.
Tragedy of Castle White Dragon. No man or goblin
ever set foot near the castle again for nearly 500 years.
-54 A.S.
All communication with the village of Gorlab ceased.
Swamp reclaimed the Gorlab region. Passage through
the swamp was impossible. Sosarian villages and
towns south of Gorlab annihilated.
-53 A.S.
Seige of Castle Shamino alleivated, as the goblins
at the seige was cut off from reinforcements from
the South, thanks to the Swamp of Gorlab.
-6 A.S.
Death of Lady Beatrix, Steward of Castle Shamino. Lands
of Danger and Despair becomes leaderless.
0 A.S.
Arrival of the Serpents in the Extreme North. Ophidian
Culture starts to develope, and slowly spreading
southward.
8~175 A.S.
Building of Ophdian Temples and Shrines, as the culture
developes.
193~214 A.S.
Building of the Serpent Gates and the Dark Path, aided
by the powers of the Serpents. Only the Hierophants
were given the Jawbones, and only they and very few
selected servents may use the Dark Path for travel
between temples.
341 A.S.
First conflict between Order and Chaos. Chaos Ophidians
expanded southward via sailing to the Eastern Islands
as well as the Lost South (lands south of Gorlab).
First contact of Ophidians and goblins (first contact
after three and a half centuries, that is).
342 A.S.
Conflicts between goblins and Ophidians escalates to
full scale war as Ophidians were trying to colonize
the Lost South, taking over goblin settlements.
370 A.S.
New goblin leader made peace with Chaos Hierophant.
Goblins yeilded much land in the Lost South and Ophidians
tolerated them. The Lost South renamed as the Great
South.
372 A.S.
Second conflict between Order and Chaos. Chaos
Ophidians expanded the Dark Path and build Serpent Gates
to connect to cities in the Eastern Islands and the
Lost South. (The Order Ophidians only had Serpent Gates
in their Shrines and Temples. The lack of Dicipline
prompted Chaos Ophidians to build Gates in mere cities).
Splitting of the Serpent Teeth. The Order Hierophant
keeps a full set of Serpent Teeth in his Jawbone, while
Order and Chaos Hierophants each only kept Serpent
Teeth to their own strongholds and Balance zones.
476 A.S.
Disappearance of Great Earth Serpent. Murder of the
Balance Hierophant. Beginning of the War of Imbalance.
480 A.S.
The cities in the Eastern Islands and the Great South
completely demolished through fierce battles. Armies
Chaos abandoned these lands and redeployed in the north.
Armise of Order that were in the South and in the Easter
Islands also moved northward, but cannot pass through
Skullcrusher to return to their own land. Begin
of the Southern Seige of Skullcrusher
481 A.S.
The cities in the Pure North completely demolished.
Forces of both sides suffered great losses, and only
had enough strength to guard their own shrines and temples.
The War enters a brief period of stalemate.
482 A.S.
Order Ophidians created the first automaton.
484 A.S.
Temple of Tolerance taken over by the forces of Order.
487 A.S.
Mass production of automatons.
Temple of Emotion taken over by the forces of Order.
488 A.S.
Great Battle of Enthusiasm. Chaos Hierophant slain,
and the forces of Chaos lost the last of their temples.
The Chaos Jawbone could not be found.
A company of Order Ophidians discovered the Mad Man, who
upon seeing the automatons of the Order Ophidians, screamed
in fear and yet annihilated the entire company of Order
solders with magic. The Chaos Ophidians who were hiding
nearby from the Order soldiers took the Mad Man in.
489 A.S.
Siege of Skullcrusher. The forces of Chaos managed to
withheld the waves of Order automatons thanks to the
extraordinary powers of the Mad Man.
The Mad Man was named the new Chaos Hierophant, though
the Chaos Jawbone as well as the other artifacts of the
Hierophant were lost to the Chaos Ophidians.
490 A.S.
Seige of Skullcrusher broken, as the Chaos Hierophant
first annihilated the Southern Siege, and with the
southern lands again accessable to him, had massive
war engins built that routed the automatons at
the eastern gate of Skullcrusher.
Another brief period of stalemate follows.
491 A.S.
The Chaos Hierophant journeys south, and discovers
Castle Shamino. Spirit of Lady Beatrix appeared,
and cured the Hierophant of his madness. The Hierophant
revealed that he was Lord Shamino, former king of
this very castle. Through the powers of the Chaos
Hierophant, Lady Beatrix was resurrected and granted
the same lifespan as that of the Chaos Hierophant.
The Chaos Hierophant also revealed that the Great Earth
Serpent was trapped in another land, by a very dark
power, which he barely escaped from.
The Chaos Hierophant revisited Castle White Dragon.
Spirit of King White Dragon forgived the Chaos
Hierophant and passed peacefully into the void.
Forces of Chaos attempted to negociate peace with Order.
492 A.S.
Second Mass Production of Automatons.
494 A.S.
The Great Battle of Skullcrusher. Countless Order
automatons marched on as the Chaos Hierophant kept
trying to negociate peace. Forces of Chaos retreated
sealed the southern gateway of Skullcrusher, locking
the forces of Order in the north.
The Shrine of Chaos overrun. The Order Hierophant
sealed the Chaos Serpent in the three temples of Order.
The Watch of Skullcrusher began, as forces of Order
attempt to find a way south and eliminate the last
of the followers of Chaos.
Chaos Hierophant lead what remains of the Chaos
Ophidians back to Castle Shamino and dwelled there.
512 A.S.
Unknown to anyone, the Great Earth Serpent was freed
from the control of Exudos. Yet the Great Earth
Serpent could not restore Balance without the Chaos
Serpent and the Balance Hierophant.
513 A.S.
The Bitter Winter. Forces of Order removed the Watch
of Skullcrusher. Order Ophidians were saved from
starvation by the kindness of the Chaos Hierophant,
who gave the Gwani the password through Skullcrusher,
and ask them to bring food to the Order Ophidians.
End of the War of Imbalance, but the beginning of
the Watchful Peace, a.k.a. the Cold War.
672 A.S.
The Forest Master fled from Pagan and arrived in the
Lands of Danger and Despair. Established friendship
with the Chaos Hierophant.
691 A.S.
Dissenters of Lord British's Virtues arrived in the
southern parts Lands of Danger and Dispair. Not
knowing its history, they first called it New Sosaria,
and then renamed it Serpent Isle upon seeing the
Ophidian ruins in the Great South and the Eastern
Islands. However, they still refer to themselves
as "New Sosarians".
War between the goblins and the New Sosarians.
692 A.S.
First contact between the New Sosarians and the
Ophidians (specifically, the Chaos Ophidians).
The Ophidians begin to also call the land Serpent
Isle.
Tension between the Chaos Ophidians and the New
Sosarians, since the Chaos Hierophant was a dear
friend of Lord British.
693 A.S.
Seeking ally against the Chaos Ophidians, the New
Sosarians established contact with the Order
Ophidians through magical communication. The Order
Ophidians, however, soon see through the New
Sosarians, and decided they are worse people than
the Chaos Ophidians.
695 A.S.
Xenka led a bunch of followers to settle in Monk's
Isle.
699 A.S.
Refugees escaping Lord Blackthorn's rule arrived
in Serpent Isle. Rejected by the New Sosarians due
to their love for Lord British, the Britannian
exiles were warmly welcomed by the Chaos Hierophant,
who was distressed when he heard of the disappearance
of Lord British.
The Eight Virtues began to influence Ophidian culture.
700 A.S.
The Campainons arrived in Serpent Isle, hoping it
might be the world of the Avatar. Reunion of
Iolo and Shamino the Chaos Hierophant.
Agents of Lord Blackthorn arrived in Serpent Isle,
and made contact with the Order Ophidians. The
Order Hierophant agreed an alliance with Lord
Blackthorn.
The Shadowlords betrayed Lord Blackthorn and sent
agents to release the banes of Chaos from their
prisons in the temples of Order.
Rediscovery of the artificts of the Chaos Hierophant.
The Chaos Hierophant reunited the banes of Chaos
into the Chaos Serpent, with the sacrifice of
Julia the Tinker. The Avatar is summoned through
the Wall of Lights in the Shrine of Chaos.
The Avatar, became the Order Hierophant and restored
Balance to the land. Final peace between the
Chaos and Order Ophidians.
Shamino appointed his son as regent Chaos Hierophant.
The Order Hierophant and the Companions return
to Britannia through the Wall of Lights in Sunrise
Isle. Lord Shamino and Lady Beatrix went with them.
701 A.S.
Lord Shamino and Lady Beatrix returns to Serpent
Isle. Lord Shamino was again the Chaos Hierophant.
Time between Britannia and Serpent Isle became
synchronized.
723 A.S.
A small band of Chaos Ophidians colonized Cat's Isle.
742 A.S.
Death of the Last Order Hierophant. The Nameless
Monk declined his appointment to be the next Order
Hierophant, but was still regarded by the Order
Ophidians as their spiritual leader. The Order
Ophidians had no more Hierophants since the Nameless
Monk has an extraordinary lifespan.
Order Ophidians, with the permission of Lady Beatrix,
migrated to Castle White Dragon, leaving the temples
and the Shrine of Order to a few caretakers.
748 A.S.
A city in the north was restored by some Order Ophidians.
768 A.S.
Through methods similar to the workings of the Serpent
Gates and the Moongates, a new magical gateway
is made possible for transportation between
Britannia and Serpent Isle. Commerce and academic
exchange flourished between the two lands.
Through exchange of knowledge, the Serpentnese
(the new name that covers both the Ophidians and the
New Sosarians) learned that the deamons in dungeon
Furnace were actually Gargoyles. A truce was made
between the humans and the Gargoyle on Serpent Isle.
Exchange of Culture between the Gargoyles of Britannia
and of Serpent Isle.
935 A.S.
Fellowship missionaries appeared in Serpent Isle,
and began to establish branches in various cities.
They had more success in the New Sosarian cities than
the Ophidian cities.
940 A.S.
Today.

arg, the formatting got ugly there. All events happened in the year
that is listed above the text.

In Silver Seed, the keep is occupied by followers of Order, and it had a
serpent gate, which seem to conflict with my claim in the timeline that
Order didn't have any serpent gates besides those connecting to their
temples and shrines. I still stand by that claim, for the reason below.

If you check the dining room in the north part of the keep, double clicking
those pillars take you to the test of purity, which is a bug in the game.
I believe that those pillars belong to the chaos style archetecture.
Ie, the keep originally was a Chaos strong hold, and later taken over
by followers of Order. Judging it's underground location, it could've
been the serpent gate on Monk's Isle or Fawn (the dungeons/tunnels
around the gate can easily change just as dungeons in classic Ultima's
change).


There's a typo in 494 A.S.:
Beatrix was resurrected and granted long life span by the Chaos
Serpent, not Chaos Hierophant.

If anyone got confused, Shamino went to investigate on Exudos, and
escaped via boat, which sent him to Serpent Isle. He was crazy after
his escape, and there's a fear of machines in his craziness (due to
Exudos), so he attacked automatons and was befriended by the Chaos
people. Because of his powers, the Chaos Ophidians didn't get wiped
out, and the history of SI changed a lot from there on. He got
made into the new Chaos Hierophant, reunited with Beatrix (who
can be resurrected because her body didn't get taken by the goblins).
and the Ophidian culture remained in the north when Estram & Friends
arrived. This allowed a way for the New Sosarians to establish colonies
just like in the original SI, since southern SI was vacant (except for the
goblins of course).
Then the Avatar's adventure would take place with the first generation
of New Sosarians.

Blackthorn is aligned with Order because of his strict version of virtues.
Pretty much it's ethicality without tolerance (prejudice), and Logic without
Emotion (ruthlessness). there's a lot of diciplin too, though I'm not sure
about the lack of enthusiasm.

notAdragon
norApremium

> 1. Shamino disappeared in U3 after he went to investigate on Exudos. (originally he came back insane).

Well there's your first inconsistency, it's 'Exodus'.