Sir Simon

Sir Simon is a recurring character. He first appears in the written material for Ultima III. He is the lord of Bordermarch in Ultima V and of Serpent's Hold in Ultima VI.

Early on, a Sir Simon the Slayer was listed as part of a project known as the "Great Work," in which Lord British, then king of Sosaria, commissioned a series of exploratory travels to provide detailed maps of his realm. He explored and mapped the desolate settlement of Death Gulch, a city among the eastern islands of Sosaria known for its criminality and vice.

In Ultima IV, Sir Simon could be found along with Lady Tessa in the armoury of the village of Paws. He had been entrusted by Zircon early with securing the Mystic Armour, and had hidden it in the oak grove in Empath Abbey. He awaited an Avatar, ready to divulge the secret location of the armour when one appeared. When the Stranger approached him, already eight parts an Avatar, Sir Simon revealed the armour's location.

During the time of Ultima V, Sir Simon ruled over Bordermarch, a small island fortress whose inhabitants were dedicated to fighting the tyranny of Lord Blackthorn. When the Avatar visited him, Sir Simon was able to tell the hero of the Crown Jewels, and the importance of retrieving them from the Underworld. He elaborated on the powers of Lord British's Crown, telling of how it could shield its wearer from magical spells, and mentioned also the Sceptre of Lord British, which could dispel any barrier, even those within the realm of the Shadowlords. He advised the Avatar that his wife Lady Tessa knew of Lord British's Amulet.

Sir Simon was forced to flee Bordermarch's island after it sank beneath the ocean during a massive earthquake, following the events at the end of Ultima V. Along with Tessa, he went on to administer Serpent's Hold in Ultima VI.

Ultima V: Lazarus
In Ultima V: Lazarus, Sir Simon had become the Lord Mayor of Trinsic shortly after the Quest of the Avatar. He remained in that office until Lord Blackthorn's Oppression began, when he defied Blackthorn and refused to follow his laws. On the day of the Dark Siege, Lord Blackthorn, Sir Simon, and Lord Malone had sailed against Councillor Windemere's forces on the island of Windemere. Heavily outnumbered, Lord Malone thought they should have surely lost the day, but a dark force arose and wracked Councillor Windemere's ships, leaving Lord Blackthorn untouched. During the carnage, Lord Blackthorn disappeared, and by the time Sir Simon and Lord Malone arrived on the island, the inhabitants had all been slaughtered to a man. Sir Simon, realizing Blackthorn's evil nature fled to Trinsic becoming an outlaw. Blackthorn besieged Trinsic, and eventually conquered it. Sir Simon was then forced to flee to his fortress of Bordermarch. The noble lord lamented that he had once thought Blackthorn an adequate replacement in Lord British's absence, but had been mistaken, feeling he had betrayed Britannia and its true sovereign by initially supporting Blackthorn.

After fleeing to Bordermarch, Sir Simon had continued to oppose the Oppression through the help of Landon, whom Simon praised for his secrecy and efficiency. On Bordermarch, Sir Simon told the hero to speak to all the members of the castle to learn their tale, saying most chose to come together for daily meals except Binthus the cook, who preferred to merely serve, and Norcen, who chose to live by himself. The lord of the keep told the Avatar that Norcen helped guard the keep, and that the hero should mention having spoken to him.

Sir Simon told the hero to speak to his wife Lady Tessa about a secret entrance to Bordermarch that avoided mountain climbing. Sir Simon highly praised his wife's mystic abilities, complimenting her for scrying the location of their new home when they were forced to flee Trinsic.

After speaking to all other inhabitants of Bordermarch, Sir Simon would reveal to the hero that Lord British's Crown was located within Blackthorn's Palace, and that the Shadowlords personally held the Sceptre of Lord British.

Trivia

 * There is a barony within the Society for Creative Anarchonism known as Bordermarch, which was founded by a Sir Simon of the Amber Isle and a Lady Tessa of the Gardens. This fief is in the greater kingdom of Ansteorra - where Richard Garriott has been known to participate in the persona of Shamino Salle' Dacil in the barony of Bryn Gwlad. It is probable that the Ultima character is based upon this Sir Simon, given Garriott's penchant for giving his friends in the SCA in-game cameos.