Rabindrinath

Long before the Ophidians made Serpent Isle their home, a sorcerer named Rabindrinath swore to destroy the peaceful town of Gorlab when his efforts to take over the town council and rule its people failed, its people rejecting him. Furious, he swore he would make the people of Gorlab respect his powers. He became obsessed with Dream Crystals and gathered as many as he could find, buying them from any gypsy or hedge mage that passed. Because the nature of dream crystals is harmless, the people paid it little mind.

Rabindrinath soon gathered enough to form one large Dream Crystal. It’s unclear what Rabindrinath’s original intentions for the Dream Crystal were, but the spell he cast upon it tore a rift in the fabric of the Dream Realm. The explosion pulled the essence of all the townspeople, including Rabindrinath, into the realm. In the Dream Realm, Rabindrinath pursued the souls of the people and tortured them until each slipped into madness. What was left of their tortured souls was being protected by the once town healer, Siranush, who attempted to hide them and herself from Rabindrinath’s endless searching.

The enchantment on Gorlab Swamp was broken when the Avatar confronted Rabindrinath in Ultima VII Part Two using the Helm of Courage, the Crystal Rose of Love and the Mirror of Truth. Protected by these, The Avatar slew Rabindrinath’s spirit and took the Dream Crystal to Siranush, who destroyed it and freed herself and her people to travel to whatever lies beyond death.

Trivia

 * His name might be a reference to Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali Polymath.