Ghosts

Description
Ghosts are the spirits of people, whose body had died, but whose spirit is unable to go on. There are two sorts of ghosts. If the spirit is strong enough, it will regain form and personality, and thus remain peaceful.

However, should the mind be lost, the ghost will start to look much more ethereal, and become aggressive. Ghosts can float through walls, and attack with magic. And only magical weapons can finally bring these wandering spirits to a final rest.

If Ghosts aren't summoned to do a wizards bidding, they can be found in dungeons, graveyards or the place where they died.

Lore
''The restless spirits of those trapped between planes, ghosts can pass through walls, so use extreme caution when they are thought to be nearby. Evil Ghosts are often found in ruins, battlefields and crypts.''

- from "The History of Britannia", Ultima IV

''Spirits of the uneasy dead, these bodiless creatures compensate for their lack of strength with excellent dexterity and the ability to disappear at will. They do not inflict much damage, but cunning is needed to win.''

- from "The Book of Lore", Ultima V

''Ghosts are generally found in cemeteries and other places of the dead, though their movements are all but unlimited. These ethereal spirits pass easily through solid walls and other obstacles, making them difficult to chase and difficult to elude. Though they do not possess great strength, their mobility and ability to use magic make them a force to be reckoned with.''

- from "Compendium", Ultima VI

''Our Seers have been at a loss to explain the presence of the several types of spectral beings which are sometimes found within the Underworld. We do not know whether these are the spirits of Britannia's dead or merely beasts of an ethereal nature. The typical Ghost is no match for an experienced warrior, as two or three well placed blows will quench its essence, and in such a short fight the specter cannot seriously injure its foe. More dangerous are the rarer, more powerful ghostforms. The White Ghost, which differs from a typical ghost by being opaque and blazingly white in hue, is more substantial in this plane and thus much mor difficult to slay. Therefore, combat against this foe typically takes much longer - and the White Ghost can easily slay its foe in such a span of time!''

- from "The Memoirs of Cabirus", Ultima Underworld

''This magical spirit of the dead has the power to move through solid walls and has been known to use magic. It can appear anywhere, but tends to frequent graveyards or places significant to the life of the deceased.''

- from "Fellowship", Ultima VII

''The dead of Britannia do not always lie quietly. Occasionally, one who has died will not depart in good order, but instead something called a ghost will arise in his place. Ghosts are frequently malevolent, and can sap heat from the human body, as if drawing it off into some infinite reservoir of cold. The pale white ghost is easily dispersed into air, but the dire ghost and the reddish haunt have a more tenacious hold on their unnatural existence.''

- from "A Safe Passage through Britannia", Ultima Underworld II

Evolution in the series

 * First appearance: Ultima IV


 * Last appearance: Ultima IX

Ghosts have basically stayed the same in all Ultimas in Britannia, however in Ultima IX, they attack by draining Mana. In Ultima VI ghosts could turn themselves invisible and attack unseen. In both Ultima VI and VII ghosts had the ability to pass through solid objects. In Pagan, Ghosts could be defeated by using the Grant Peace spell. However, they were still susceptible to melee combat provided the player wielded a magical weapon. Ghosts in Pagan had the ability to summon ghouls to their aid. They would also ambush their enemies by appearing out of thin air. Pagan ghosts could pull their heads off which would in turn seek out the avatar and explode in close proximity. On rare occasions these floating heads could be found independant from their bodies. Ghosts in Pagan are unable to pass through walls. This is most likely due to the limits of the game engine.

In both Ultima Underworlds, we also meet two new Forms of Ghost, which both are much more dangerous. These are the Dire Ghost and the Red Haunt.

Notable examples

 * There are a number of people the Avatar met, who were already dead. Such examples are the people of Skara Brae in Ultima VII, or Beatrix, Shamino's former lover, and the Balance and Chaos Heriophant in Ultima VII/2. Khumash-Gor in Ultima VIII is also a good example.