Mondain

Mondain is the main villain of Ultima I (and also of Akalabeth).

Mondain was the second son of the wizard Wolfgang. He was a moody and angry youth, who used to kill animals in the forest and left them to rot in order to sense that he had power over life and death. His father was a respected mage, who was troubled by his son's ways. When Mondain was fifteen, he decided to send him away to an abbey for a year, and promised him to give him a powerful ruby gem when he got back. That same night, Mondain murdered his father and stole his gem of power, which he would later turn into the Gem of Immortality. Because of his rage and immaturity, Mondain caused horrible suffering and sorrow to the people of the land in his lust for power.

Mondain first tried to conquer the kingdom of Akalabeth with his hordes of monsters. He lost the war, mostly thanks to Lord British. Angered by this, he prepared for even more horrors to sweep over Sosaria. It was during that time he found Minax, his lover and apprentice. Together, they created Exodus.

His second assault was brutal. Thanks to his hidden fortress located 1.000 years in Sosaria's past, he was all but invincible, and his foul magic poisoned the land while his hordes roamed the countryside. His end however came in Ultima I; the Stranger managed to get a time machine, penetrate Mondain's fortress, and smash the Gem of Immortality. With the Gem destroyed, Mondain died.

However, even death wasn't his end. His Skull was saved by Minax from dark mages and enshrined to become an item of horrible dark powers. Afterwards his spirit was pulled from the void to be fused by the Gargoyles into the Shrine of Control. It was there where the Avatar found him in Ultima VI, and where Mondain finally confessed he now regretted everything he had done to Sosaria having had enough time to think.

Trivia

 * The Skull of Mondain can be found in Ultima IV and destroys all enemies on a battle, reducing Karma on all virtues drastically.