Games PC ULTIMA VII User Manual

The book of

FELLOWSHIP

as written by Batlin of Britain

i. Salutations to the T raveller

Good morning to thee, gentle friend and traveller!

No matter what time of day it might be when thou art reading this— no matter
what the hour of the clock—I say good morning to thee because this very moment
brings to thee the coming of the dawn. The dawn, as everyone knows, is the mo­ment when illumination comes. The dawn marks the end of the long dark night,
and a new beginning. It is my humble hope that these words may be for thee a
dawning, or at least, a type of awakening.

I call thee “traveller” no matter if thou hast never left thy home town, no matter
if thou wilst never again leave thy room, because all of us are travellers. I call thee
traveller for truly all of us travel a spiritual or philosophical path—even if it is sim­ply by living the life that we choose to live, or by searching for a new life when our
current one fails to satisfy our needs as thinking spiritual beings.

It is past time that I introduce myself to thee, gentle friend and traveller. My
name is Batlin, and indeed I have been following this quest all of my life. It has been
a long road, but the rewards have been beyond measure. If thou wouldst permit
me, I would very much wish appreciate sharing these rewards with you.

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ii. The Story of Batlin — Part the First

There is much that I have set out to
tell thee in this book. Some small part
of it involves my own personal story.
As that is the least important part of
this book, I shall quickly relate my tale
first, gentle friend and traveller. In that
way we shall soon have it over with
and then be free to pass on to more
important concerns!

I was born in the forests sur­rounding the city of Yew and educated
in the traditions of the Druids. Having
been raised in the city of Justice, I was
taught to always strive for fairness in
dealing with others, and these teach­ings left a lasting impression upon me.

But while I found trees, birds and moons to be very beautiful, I determined to dedi­cate my life to the service of people. So it was I left to seek my fortune in the world.

This was a time when, over Lord British’s objections, unruly lords waged war
against each other, so there was little else to do but become a fighter in the city of
Jhelom. I regret killing, although much of what I did helped bring peace to our land
once more. I learned well how to defend myself and to find the courage one must
have to survive in battle. I also learned respect for those of valor who earn their
wage by combat. Eventually those little wars ended, and I found myself penniless
and without a trade in the capital city of Britain.

I became a Bard simply because a Bard was needed at the Blue Boar. There
were none about, and I had the loudest voice. Never had I considered myself to be
musically inclined, but it was a fair alternative to starvation. My voice was painful.
My mandolin strings would break rather than let me stroke them. After much heck­ling and many a thrown bottle, my talents did slowly develop. As the years passed I
began to feel the deep compassion that bards know when singing of heroic deeds. I
discovered that sharing a spiritual rapport with my audience was very moving.
Several of my ballads are still sung today (although by tradition, the player will no
doubt take credit for composing them himself).

While in Britain, I met two remarkable individuals. They were twins, Elizabeth
and Abraham. They were also well versed students of philosophy, and many were
the hours we spent in discussion and debate. We did raise our voices on occasion,

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gentle friend and traveller, but that did not prevent us from becoming fast friends.
Although I would never presume to intrude upon their privacy by revealing the
many fascinating details I learned about them and their lives, I will say that they
play a truly significant role in the part of this book that is my story.

A mage from Moonglow who had heard me perform came to offer me employ­ment as his assistant. Magic has always fascinated me, and so I became his appren­tice. I will always remember his teaching that if I was to successfully commune with
the invisible world without lapsing into madness, I must ever retain my honesty—if
one is to live outside the laws of reality, one must first be honest. He taught me well.
It was with great sadness that I ended my studies in the magical arts when my mas­ter, who was most elderly, passed away.

While drinking at the Blue Boar soon after his passing, Elizabeth, Abraham,
and I each decided that we needed something to which to dedicate our lives. On a
youthful whim, we made a pact that we would go our separate ways and spend the
next decade travelling throughout the land to find adventure, and to find ourselves
as well. We agreed to reunite at the Blue Boar in exactly ten years. Our departure
was exciting yet melancholy, as my life began a new chapter.

iii. The Old Man and the Bandits

On the road leading out of Britain, I met a man bent with age, but still possessed of
keen wit. As we walked he shared with me his tale, and I in turn shall share it with
thee.

During a stroll through the woods one day, this man was kidnapped by a
group of vicious bandits. The poor man had just left his nephew’s family and had
no one else in the world. Woe to them who have been kidnapped when they have

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no one to pay their ransom! The bandits soon began to loathe their captive and did
make plans to kill him.

One wanted to hang him, while another wanted to stab him. Still another
wanted to burn him at the stake while yet a fourth wanted to tie rocks about his
waist and throw him in the river. So angry did they wax in their disagreement over
what manner of violence to use, that they did break into an awful, bloody row.

And so it was that this old man did escape from the bandits, who were dis­tracted with their brawling. Upon noticing their victim was gone, they continued to
fight, this time over whose fault it had been, until all of them lay dead, murdered by
each others’ hand.

This old man was later reunited with his nephew’s family and all were joyous
of it. For as he had learned, Unity is essential for survival, and unlike those reckless
bandits, he still wished to live for a good many years yet.

iv. The Story of Batlin — Part the Second

My travels took me to Trinsic, and
there I encountered a group of men at
arms with whom I became most
impressed. Many fighters I have
known were men of valorous heart on
the battlefield, but off it little more
than thugs. These men were not mere
fighters, but Paladins. They were all
skilled swordsmen and expert horse­men, as well as learned scholars and
perfectly mannered gentleman. Above
all, they were devoted to the preserva­tion of honor. It was with eager grati­tude that I accepted their invitation to
join them. The following years were
filled with excitement, as we jour-

neyed through the land, righting wrongs and helping those in need!

During one of our adventures I was injured and forced to remain in Minoc
while my companions rode on. A healer there told me that without the proper
treatments (for which he charged outrageous prices) I would most probably die! I
angrily sent him away. After a time I did mend. I had learned that the healing pro­cess takes place mostly in one’s mind and have since placed no trust in healers who
greedily prey upon the afflicted.

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At that time, the town of Minoc was in need of a Tinker. As I healed, I sup­ported myself by fixing, building and inventing things. I had never before realized
how much a town is reliant upon its Tinker, nor how appreciative the local towns­people are to those who sacrifice themselves to continuously solving the problems
of others. So welcome did they make me feel that I stayed for several years.

Then, filled with the urge to roam and longing for the outdoors once more, I
joined a band of Rangers in Spiritwood. Rangers are a deeply spiritual people. Liv­ing with them reminded me very much of my druid childhood in Yew—with one
big difference. These Rangers drank the most wonderful wine I have ever tasted!
The bottles came from the old winery at Skara Brae, having survived the terrible
fires which ravaged that island. Later I made a pilgrimage to the desolate ruins of
Skara Brae and there I had a spiritual experience so profound that I have vowed
never to relate it to anyone.

Leaving their band, I gave away all of my possessions and for months I wan­dered aimlessly. Eventually, I arrived at New Magincia where I sought employment
as a Shepherd. Most of the following two years was spent in perfect solitude, living
in complete humility. It was an experience that left me significantly changed. When
I noticed that ten years had almost passed, I began the journey back to Britain.

v. The Two Brothers and the Trickster

On the road back to Britain I noticed a small mine being worked by two brothers.
They greeted me suspiciously but eventually shared with me their tale, and I shall
share it with thee.

Their father died and left them a map to some unclaimed land that contained
valuable minerals. By law a claim can only be made in one name, and this led the
brothers into conflict. One brother was the eldest, the other was more worldly—

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both wanted the claim. They became so fearful that the other would make the claim
that each spent all his time spying on the other. No work was done.

One day, they met a stranger who said he was a mining engineer. They did not
trust him at first, but he assured them that their claim was too small to be of inter­est. He was on the way to stake a much larger claim. The stranger turned their
heads with tales of the riches they could have, replacing their distrust with avarice.

The brothers asked the stranger to make their claim for them, and went back to
working their mine. They worked without stopping for months, and afterward
travelled to the mint to sell their ore.

At the mint they learned the stranger had staked their claim in his own name
and then sold it outright for a fortune. As the brothers had taken ore from land they
did not own, they were sent to the prison in Yew for many years.

Their sad fate taught them to be more trusting of each other, for a man who
does not trust his brother is always vulnerable. After hearing their tale, I went to the
mint, for I was curious which of the two brothers held the claim to their new mine.
I had tried to guess and was quite surprised when I saw the answer. It was in the
name of their father.

vi. The Creation of The Fellowship

I was overjoyed when Elizabeth and Abraham both arrived at the Blue Boar safe and
sound. It was a splendid reunion. The tales they told me were truly astounding,
gentle friend and traveller. But as I have mentioned, I do not wish this tome to be
an intrusion upon their privacy.

Not all of our memories were pleasant ones. Most of the people of Britannia, it
seemed, were more interested in helping themselves than in helping their fellow

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person. As travellers—strangers wherever we went—we had become used to the
cold eye of suspicion upon us. Everywhere there were people who expected some­thing for nothing, as if owed a debt by the world. Most of all, each of us had met
many people who were fundamentally unhappy. Everywhere there were people
who knew that they needed something in their lives, gentle friend and traveller, but
that they had not a hope of finding it.

The three of us had learned much of history. There was once a time when life
was infinitely more fragile, but was cherished much more dearly. We yearned to
recapture that aspect of Britannia’s former glory. After much discussion, we decided
to found a society called The Fellowship. At this time I was also conceiving what
would become its philosophy, but that will be discussed further in another chapter.
It was Abraham who suggested that I propose The Fellowship to Lord British. I
agreed, little realizing the task I was undertaking.

vii. The Ratification of Wise Lord British

It was with much anxiety that I stood before the throne of wise Lord British. I was
in a long line of subjects as our Liege made numerous pronouncements. Although I
had been waiting for hours when I at last had my audience, I still felt unprepared.
His unwavering glance fell upon me.

I said that I had a modest proposal. My colleagues and I sought to establish a
philosophical society known as The Fellowship. Lord British asked me who would
see the benefits of this Fellowship. I replied that no one would benefit from it, for it
would not be run for profit. With a word I was dismissed. I found myself leaving
the throne room before it had even sunk in that I had been refused.

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By the look on my face Elizabeth and Abraham knew I was not the bearer of
good news. In discussing the matter, Elizabeth suggested that Lord British had
desired a tribute from us. If we could present an impressive enough tribute, he
would grant his favor. After a time we raised a thousand gold pieces by selling
nearly every possession we owned. With renewed confidence I returned to the
castle.

This time there were several workmen with me to carry the chests of gold that
were our tribute. As I reached the front of the line I spoke boldly. I said that I
wished to discuss The Fellowship, but first wished to present Lord British with
suitable tribute. With consternation I realized that I had spoken before Lord British
had finished reading an important looking scroll placed before him by one of his
advisors. He signed it as he spoke, not even bothering to look up at me. First he
ordered my workmen to remove the boxes. Then he ordered the workmen to re­move me as well!

Angrily I stormed from the throne room. Once more did I face my two friends.
We were most disappointed. The dream we shared now seemed to have no hope of
becoming reality. I spent days somberly brooding over my failure. One morning
found me so completely lost in my thoughts that I did not hear the passing beggar
approach. When at last I noticed him he spoke. “A coin for one denied the rewards
of worthiness.” The illumination was pure and instantaneous. He thought I had
gone mad when I gave him my chest of gold. I ran back to the palace as fast as I
could.

At first, Lord British would not see me, but I implored him. He looked me
over, and seemed to see something different about me. He listened as I spoke.

“Our society, The Fellowship, will be a union of spiritual seekers that shall
strive to bring Unity to our fractured society. We will promote Trust and under­standing among all the people of Britannia. With your approval our society will
teach one to seek Worthiness, rather than mere personal reward. To that end, I seek
your recognition of The Fellowship.”

After a long moment, Lord British replied.

“Batlin, thou dost know the meaning of perseverance. I care not for what thy
Fellowship dost wish of me and I care even less for what thy Fellowship would seek
to do for me. But if thy Fellowship would seek to serve the subjects of my land then
my support for thee is unequivocal.”

Thus was born The Fellowship.

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viii. The Value of Virtues and the Virtue of Values

In creating the Fellowship philosophy I had no intention of cobbling together a
collection of platitudes that would be presumptuously intended as a replacement of
the Eight Virtues of The Avatar. I knew there would be those who would accuse me
of doing just that, no matter what philosophy I developed! I hereby wish to state
that The Fellowship fully supports the Eight Virtues of the Avatar, and as one who
has endeavored to follow their example I can personally assure thee of their immea­surable worth.

But as one who has followed the Eight Virtues, I know whereof I speak when I
say that it is impossible to perfectly live up to them. Even the Avatar was unable to
do so continuously and consistently. Can anyone say that they have been honest
every moment of every day of their lives? Can anyone say that they are always com­passionate, valorous, just, sacrificing, honorable, humble or spiritual at all times?
The philosophy of the Eight Virtues does little more than emphasize our own per­sonal deficiencies. I have met many adherents to the ways of the Virtues who are
racked with guilt over what they perceive to be their spiritual failures, for that is
what the Virtues are based upon. Having been shown our weaknesses, now is the
time to strengthen them. The philosophy of The Fellowship has been created to
eradicate the failures from one’s life. It is a philosophy based upon success and it
enhances everything that has come before it. The Fellowship philosophy can be
expressed as three values derived from the personal experiences of my life. They are
known as The Triad of Inner Strength.

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ix. The Triad of Inner Strength

The Triad of Inner Strength is a rigorous mental discipline. It takes concentrated
effort to apply this triad of values to thy life. But in doing so thou will see a change
in thy life so significant that thou shalt no longer be able to look at the world in the
same way again.

The first value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as “Strive For
Unity.” People apply this value to their lives by working together to achieve that
which shall benefit everyone in a state of mutual cooperation. We have seen by the
parable of “The Old Man and the Bandits” how Unity is essential. If we are not
working together then we are certainly working against each other.

The second value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as “Trust Thy
Brother.” People apply this value to their lives by dealing with others without accu­sations or suspicions that limit others and themselves. We have seen by the parable
of “The Two Brothers and the Trickster” just how vulnerable lack of Trust makes
one. Without Trust we restrict ourselves from that which we wish to accomplish.

The third value of The Triad Of Inner Strength is expressed as “Worthiness
Precedes Reward.” People apply this value to their lives by placing a greater empha­sis on their accomplishments rather than on personal gain. We have seen by the
parable of “The Ratification of Wise Lord British” that one must not expect some­thing for nothing. Blindly chasing reward is a path that leads nowhere.

x. The Philosophy of The Fellowship

The scholarly name for the Fellowship philosophy—which I did not personally
coin—is “sanguine cognition.” This is merely an important-sounding way of saying

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“cheerful knowledge,” and that is as accurate a description of The Fellowship phi­losophy as any I can imagine.

As long as one maintains his confidence and hopefulness one is continuously
open to the opportunities that perpetually exist in life. I firmly believe that, gentle
friend and traveller, and thou shouldst believe it as well.

Without confidence, one does not perceive the world correctly and hence one
misses opportunities. This sad state of “fevered” reason currently holds the majority
of the population in its icy grip.

Such “fevered” persons begin to adapt illusory notions to their thinking and
entangle themselves in twisted, conflicting emotions which reinforce their failures.
These sad people become afraid of themselves. They begin to believe that they will
fail, and this belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Such a fevered person, whether he realizes it or not, desperately needs to recog­nize that the world is not a tangled knot of failure. The entire process of thought
needs to be permanently fixed to a confident nature. Such a person needs to “find
the best in himself,” and accept his basic worth. This is rarely an easy task. It re­quires a reflection upon one’s self that can be emotionally painful. But as we say in
The Fellowship, “Sometimes one must face harm in order to find healing.” Upon
achieving Recognition one will follow his own inner voice of reason that will guide
him through life and help him avoid failure.

One of the most difficult things to accept is how reliant we are upon others.
We fear the rejection, the real or imagined hidden motives, and the potential deceit
of others. Accepting our inevitable reliance upon others as an integral part of our
role in this world requires the courage to walk on fire.

To achieve the recognition necessary to break free of the fever, one must dedi­cate every fibre of being to accomplishing that end. We of The Fellowship travel
that path, and I extend my invitation to thee, gentle friend and traveller, to join us.
Together we shall reach our destination.

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A Reinterpretation of the

HISTORY OF

BRITANNIA

Being in part a collection of historical facts with a modern

interpretation thereof supplied by the author, Batlin of Britain

i. Ancient Sosaria

Long ago, before the formation of the kingdom of Britannia, the land was known as
Sosaria. It was little more than a multitude of warring city-states and feudal fief­doms, and the people of the land suffered for it.

It was wise Lord British, then ruler of the city-state of Britain, who eventually

brought the land and the people of Sosaria together.

ii. The Ages of Darkness

The Ages of Darkness are well named, for they were a time when dark terrors
walked the land. It may also be said that during the Ages of Darkness, the peoples
of Sosaria were the furthest from illumination, for this was truly a time when spiri­tual pursuits were at their ebb.

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iii. The Tale that is Called

‘The First Age of Darkness’

The beginning of the First Age of
Darkness is marked by the com­ing of a sorcerer named
Mondain. The father of Mondain
had refused to share his secret of
immortality with his son, and
their disputes ultimately led to
the father’s death. Torn with
anguish and no doubt by his
fears of persecution, Mondain
turned his dark powers against
the kingdoms of Sosaria.

In desperation, Lord British called forth a champion to rise to the defense of
the realm. The hero who responded to his summons would many years later come
to be known as the Avatar. It was through the actions of this Avatar that Mondain’s
foul gem of power was shattered and Mondain himself did come to a very sad end
indeed.

iv. The Tale That is Called

‘Revenge of the Enchantress’

The triumph of the Avatar did not last long, for in slaying Mondain he brought the
wrath of Minax down upon the land. Minax was the young lover of Mondain and a

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sorceress with magical powers even greater than Mondain’s. She had the power to
command legions of foul creatures, and in her quest for vengeance over the death of
her lover, she brought much misery to the people of Sosaria.

Again the hero who would come to be known as the Avatar returned to Brit­annia in the first recorded use of the Moongates. The Avatar slew Minax’s minions
and did eventually destroy her as well.

While there have been speculations as to the motivations of the Avatar, there is
insufficient evidence to show that the Avatar was driven to violence by jealousy over
Mondain’s romantic involvement with Minax. That being said, such theories are
hereby denounced and should not be given consideration.

v. The Tale that is Called ‘Exodus’

No one in all of Sosaria, not even the Avatar, could have realized that by ending the
lives of Mondain and Minax, the Avatar would be orphaning their only child. The
name of this unusual child was Exodus, and he was neither machine nor human.
Exodus rose from the bottom of the Great Ocean to carry out a campaign of revenge
and destruction against the land of Sosaria.

So terrible were the forces unleashed by Exodus that the hero whom we would
come to know as the Avatar required the assistance of a mysterious being known as
the Time Lord to thwart them. And thus it was that the Avatar did deal with Exodus
in a similar manner as he had dealt with his mother and father.

Since that time much speculation has been given to the potentially immeasur­able good such a creature as Exodus could have brought the land had he been
persuaded to become beneficent, but I wish to formally disagree with those who say
the Avatar should have handled the situation differently.

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vi. The Rise of Britannia

After the smiting of Exodus, the people
of Sosaria, who lived in terror during
the onslaught of these evil magical be­ings, did unite together as a measure of
self-protection under the sovereign rule
of Lord British. Thus was formed the
kingdom of Britannia.

Led by wise Lord British, the land
did come to flourish. The eight major
townships rose upon the foundations of
the old city-states. A renaissance of
culture and civilization was highlighted
by the formation of great institutions
devoted to the study and advancement
of the arts and sciences.

vii. The Tale that is Called ‘Quest of the Avatar’

It was at this time of growth and prosperity in the kingdom of Britannia that Lord
British put out a call for one to show the way of spiritual growth and virtue. The call
was answered by the hero who would come to be known as the Avatar.

It was at this time that the champion of Britannia did come to earn the title of
‘Avatar’ by establishing the Eight Virtues and by seizing the Codex of Ultimate Wis­dom from the depths of the Stygian Abyss.

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