Gideon

Gideon is an innkeeper in Skara Brae in Ultima VI.

Description
Gideon, whose name meant "one who spreads the word", was a friendly older man who ran the Haunting Inn along with his wife Marta. A lover of conversation, Gideon was more than happy to chat with the Avatar about his wife, the inhabitants of Skara Brae, and the recent murder of Quenton.

Gideon was happy to relate how he originally fell in love with his wife, claiming they had met at the Shrine of Spirituality. There, the two had sat side by side in silence for several hours, until they overcame their shyness and embraced. He still seemed to care for his wife dearly after these many years, although their harmony seemed somewhat disrupted by the recent apparition of Quenton's ghost, which had severely spooked Marta. The innkeeper explained how the ghost appeared before his wife in their dining room, and had so scared her that she refused to leave their bedroom. Gideon, believing his wife was not one to invent such stories or imbibe in strange Stivius' powerful alcohols, admitted to believing her tale himself.

An old friend of Quenton, the two had come to Skara Brae together many years ago, and he had looked after Quenton's daughter Marney after his wife Elisabeth had been murdered. Gideon told how Quenton and Yorl had been out fishing, when Mondain's henchmen, fleeing Lord British's patrols, had landed on the shores of Skara Brae to take Elisabeth hostage. They had promised to release the young woman after reaching safety, but went back on their word and murdered her instead. With the death of her father, Marney was now alone, and was being helped by the community. Gideon felt the common story that Quenton had been murdered by Gargoyles was unlikely, having heard about the size and nature of the creatures, felt it unlikely they would quietly murder him in the middle of the night and slip away. He had questioned the various patrons of his inn that evening, and none of them had been able to offer useful information pertaining to the murder.

Gideon felt that Trenton was the wrong man to be mayor, and that the mayor should spend more time in New Magincia. He spoke highly of Yorl, and believed that Michael had become tangled up with the wrong crowd.

The Ultima 6 Project
In The Ultima 6 Project, Gideon believed mushrooms were a healthy and delicious food, and was willing to pay the hero for button or Suillus pictus mushrooms.

Trivia

 * It is quite likely Gideon's tale is false since the Shrine of Spirituality is hidden within the Ethereal Void, and few know of its mysterious location.
 * It also seems unlikely that Elisabeth could have been killed by anyone working for Mondain, since he was killed many years before Gideon was even born. The truth was later revealed in Ultima VII.