Moon

Description


Moon was a settlement in early Sosaria which came to be known for its numerous specialists in the mystic arts. Initially located on the far shores of the Lands of Lord British, south of Grey and north of the Dungeon of Doubt, Moon's position on the continent which would become Britannia appeared to change radically following the sundering of the original Sosarian lands. By the time of Exodus' incursions, the city of mages was situated on the far western shores of the land - having either been destroyed and re-founded or moved there by extreme shifting geological forces (not an altogether uncommon occurrence in Sosaria).

History
Already established by the time of Mondain's actions in Ultima I, Moon was a flourishing settlement, outfitted with provisional, weapon-smiths and peddlers of magical supplies. By the time of the Stranger's adventures in Ultima III, Moon had achieved repute as a place of virtue and dedication to the battle against evil, and the Lady Margaret (commissioned by Lord British to chart the city for his "Great Work") spoke highly of it.

Many of the mystics within the city freely gave advice on occult matters to the journeying hero and companions. Here the hero and company could hear descriptions of the phenomenon of Dawn's rising, as well as meeting a survivor of the Ambrosian whirlpool, and being exhorted by a local sage to seek the Shrines of Truth. Less scrupulous members of Moon's populace gave tips on bribing the city guard.

Later, after the destruction of Exodus and the founding of Britannia, the folk of Moon began to experience a divide in ideology with the ambitious Lord British, who was attempting at that time to establish an Age of the Avatar. Believing that magic was an art that relied on illusion, many magicians became distraught with the sovereign's declaration of Honesty as the virtue of mages, feeling this association a contradiction in practice. Among these upset with the coming Age of Enlightenment was Erstam, a wizard of considerable power who rallied many of the Moon-dwelling seers to abandon Britannia in search of lands free from governmental direction of morality. These, along with similarly unhappy citizens from Old Fawn and the twin cities of Montor, emigrated to the shores of the Serpent Isle, where the mages of their company established the city of Moonshade.

It is not known what befell Moon after this exodus. It is possible that the remaining denizens of the city went on to establish the settlement of Moonglow, a town devoted to Honesty with which Moonshade shares an obvious etymological root. It is also possible that Moon, bereft of its citizenry, fell into abandonment and came to vanish from the Britannian landscape. The exact details of what befell this city of magic have been lost to history.

Ultima III (NES Port)

 * Jane
 * John

Ultima I

 * Adventurer's Supply Post: grocery
 * Max's Armoury: armoury
 * Mystic Merlinda's: wizardry shop
 * The Tempered Steel: weapon shop
 * Ye Old Local Pub: tavern

Ultima III

 * Blue Boar Tavern: tavern
 * Capessii Cantom: grocery
 * Le Holy Healing: healer

Ultima III (NES Port)

 * Temple

Trivia

 * In Ultima I, the cities of Moon (in the Lands of Lord British), Linda (in the Lands of the Feudal Lords), Clear Lagoon (in the Lands of the Dark Unknown) and Dextron (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 in the map. They were basically the same city copied over in the different continents.