Britain

Description
Britain is the largest and most prosperous city of Britannia, dedicated to the virtue of Compassion. Situated between Britannia Bay and the Serpent's Spine mountains, Britain has grown over the ages, expanding from a simple towne in the early Age of the Avatar to a sprawling metropolis which came to engulf Castle Britannia and the border of Paws.

At the apex of its development, the northern section of the city, which included Lord British's castle, contained numerous state buildings and royally funded public institutions, such as the Royal Mint, the Museum, the Royal Theatre and the  Hall of Music. It is within Britain that the Great Council held its meetings and the Britannian Tax Council arbitrated the use of the kingdom's funds.

Britain has been famous for its musicians since the days of Exodus, and the bards of the city who strive to embody the virtue of Compassion in their profession. During its early years of Britannia's founding, songsters and entertainers could regularly be found on the public green, educating and amusing the cities children.

The economy of the city has long been one of the strongest in Britannia. It was one of the first regions to boast a shipwright's  workshop and during its heyday it boasted an extensive commercial district. Iolo's Bows, a bowyer's shop startled by the legendary companion of the Avatar was active in the city for centuries, as was the famous Blue Boar Tavern.

A moongate is situated a little east of the city, on the other side of the Britanny River.

History of the city
Britain is a very old city. It was once known as Akalabeth, before it was renamed to its current name. British, after arriving to Sosaria, made Britain his home, and eventually became Lord British, ruling the city from his castle. The city was one of the few to come through the Ages of Darkness with only minor damages.

In Ultima IV, after Lord British united all of Sosaria under a new name, Britannia, Britain became the capital of the kingdom. The city was still roughly the same size as the other major cities of the land. In Ultima V three new suburbs, the Britannys, had grown around Castle Britannia. Like the other cities, Britain was haunted regularly by the Shadowlords. After the time of the Shadowlords was over, the city walls of Britain were razed, to make room for expansion. The three Britannys were integrated into Britain, which began a period of accelerated growth. By Ultima VI, Britain was quite large, and new places like the Museum and the Royal Mint had opened. However, due to the accelerated growth of the city, the streets were left in a state of disrepair.

The city grew even more during the 200 years of peace that followed. By Ultima VII, Paws had become a suburb of Britain, and the city showed off its wealth. Many new buildings were constructed and the roads were paved. Despite a number of damages due to the Imbalance Storms (such as the vanishing of the Royal Mint), the city still thrived.

The city was much smaller in Ultima IX. At that time, Aidon had become the mayor of the city. Having come under the influence of one of the columns, the people became cold-hearted. The Avatar ended this and the city returned to normal.

Lore
 

Ultima IV




Ultima V


Ultima VI

 * Anya: tavernkeeper
 * Ariana: holder of the Rune
 * Arty: shipwright
 * Cullen: baker
 * Daver: bell ringer
 * Efram: guild shop keeper
 * Finn: beggar with a strange humor
 * Fyodor: weaver
 * Gwenneth: shopkeeper at Iolo's Bows
 * Kenneth: bard teacher
 * Kytyn: curator of the Museum
 * Lazeena: bard
 * Linda: farmer
 * Lynn: fletcher
 * Matt: mute man
 * Max: armourer
 * Nan: bard
 * Nema: orchard keeper
 * Peyton: innkeeper
 * Rufus: blacksmith
 * Terri: director of the Royal Mint
 * Tholden: mayor of Britain
 * Tiberius: healer of Britain
 * Wilbur: works in the stables



Ultima VII

 * Amber: actress and Shamino's girlfriend
 * Batlin: leader of the Fellowship
 * Brownie: pumpkin farmer
 * Candice: curator of the Museum
 * Carrocio: overseer of the play ground
 * Clint: shipwright
 * Csil: healer
 * Cynthia: director of the Royal Mint
 * Coop: shopkeeper at Iolo's Bows
 * Denby: trainer in Britain
 * Diane: keeper of the stables
 * Figg: keeper of the Apple Orchard
 * Fred: meat seller
 * Gaye: clothier
 * Gordon: sells Fish n' Chips
 * Grayson: arms seller
 * Greg: owner of the tool shop
 * James: innkeeper
 * Jeanette: barmaid
 * Jesse: actor
 * Judith: director of the Bard Hall
 * Kessler: owner of the Apothecary
 * Kelly: farmer's wife
 * Lucy: barmaid
 * Mack: farmer east of Britain
 * Millie: recruiter for the Fellowship
 * Neno: musician
 * Patterson: mayor of Britain
 * Raymundo: director of the Royal Theatre
 * Sean: jeweler in Britain
 * Sentri: trainer and companion of the Avatar
 * Shamino: companion of the Avatar
 * Snaz: beggar
 * Stuart: actor
 * Willy: baker
 * Zella: trainer



Ultima IX

 * Aidon: mayor
 * Aleena: museum curator
 * Altara: fortune teller
 * Altomar: mage
 * Amoranth: monk
 * Angus: tavern patron
 * Ashling: miller
 * Bailey: provisioner
 * Cameron: jeweler
 * Dara: barmaid
 * Evidious: Avatar look-alike
 * Farmer Bob: farmer
 * Flann: citizen
 * Giovanni: blacksmith
 * Jastral: baker
 * Killigan: mayor's assistant
 * Kimberly: monk
 * Leon: bowyer
 * Margery: street cleaner
 * Maribeth: mayor's daughter
 * Nico: reagent seller
 * Nimrond: city bouncer
 * Olwyn: merchant
 * Orson: warrior
 * Peiter: sailor
 * Renald: beggar
 * Sarah: keeper of the shrine
 * Sir Robin: warrior

Ultima I

 * The Armour Shop of Lord Eldric D'Charbonneux: armoury
 * Li'l Karelia's Finnish Grocery: grocery
 * Mad Chad's Magic Shoppe: spells
 * Pub de Varg: pub
 * Scooter's Super Duper Transport, Inc.: transports
 * The Weapon Shop of Lord Eldric D'Charbonneux: weapon shop

Ultima III

 * Armoury: armoury
 * De Grocer: grocery
 * The Pub: tavern
 * Weapons: weapon shop

Ultima IV

 * Adventure Food
 * Britannia Manor
 * Jolly Spirits
 * Windsor Armour
 * Windsor Weaponry
 * Wound Healing

Ultima V

 * Iolo's Bows
 * Wayfarer's Inn

Ultima VI

 * Blue Boar Tavern
 * Iolo's Bows
 * Wayfarer's Inn

Ultima VII

 * Blue Boar Tavern
 * Iolo's Bows
 * Wayfarer's Inn

Things to see
There are a number of famous sites located in Britannia's capital.


 * Apple Orchard
 * Castle Britannia
 * Hall of Bards
 * Museum
 * Royal Mint
 * Royal Theatre

Trivia

 * In Ultima I, the cities of Britain (in the Lands of Lord British), Arnold (in the Lands of the Feudal Lords), Nassau (in the Lands of the Dark Unknown) and Gorlab (in the Lands of Danger and Despair) were exactly the same. They had the same layout, stores, and people in it. Their only difference was their name and location on the map.