Shamino

Shamino Sallé Dacil [sha-min-oh] is a recurring character. He first appears in Ultima I and is one of the companions of the Avatar.

According to folklore, it was Shamino who first encountered Lord British, when the Earth-born youth was taken to Sosaria by a blue moongate. Surprised at the sudden appearance of the other man, Shamino, who had been cutting wood at the time, accidentally struck his own leg with his axe. He then healed the wound by means of a simple magical cantrip, a feat which astonished the recently arrived earthling. It was Shamino who first befriended the youth, and who gave him his name, "British," in reference to the boy's claim that he came from the "British Isles."

In Ultima I, Shamino was a ruler of one of the eight castles of ancient Sosaria, and along with the King of the White Dragon jointly ruled the Lands of Danger and Despair.

At some point, Shamino gained the affections of Beatrix, the daughter of the King of the White Dragon and was granted permission to take her hand in marriage, with her father even allowing her to move to Shamino's keep in anticipate of their nuptials. The couple never wed. Shamino left the Lands of Danger and Despair to meet with Lord British in his lands and to seek his advice, and never returned to Beatrix. It is assumed that the cataclysmic changes that beset the world of Sosaria after the Stranger's defeat of Mondain barred Shamino's sojourn home, having rent the kingdoms of Sosaria into separate worlds in their own right.

During the time of Exodus, Shamino went on an expedition to explore and document the daemon-machine's stronghold, Castle Death, which stood on the Isle of Fire. His experience on the island left him grievously injured and severely traumatized, although he made it back to the mainland with a crumpled map of the keep on his person, announcing "The stronghold of Exodus. All may enter, none shall leave." before collapsing under the weight of his wounds. It was discovered that the brush with Exodus left Shamino's mind damaged - and it was written that he wandered the groves outside of Lord British's castle in a daze, muttering repeatedly, "From the depths of hell, he comes for vengeance!"

In Ultima III, Shamino could be found by the Stranger at a bar in Montor West along with Sentri. He recommended the food.

In Ultima IV, Shamino was encountered by the Stranger in the city of Skara Brae where he stood near the Ankh of Spirituality contemplating the concept of inner light. He joined with the Stranger in the hero's quest to obtain Avatarhood.

Shamino was declared an outlaw during the time of Blackthorn's regime and was forced, along with many of the Avatar's other companions, into hiding. In Ultima V, after the Avatar was finally summoned back to Britannia through the Codex Coin, Shamino was the first man to greet the returned hero. When the two of them were beset by the Shadowlords, Shamino flung himself in front of a poisoned bolt which was cast at the Avatar. The hero then carried the injured ranger to Iolo's hut in the great forest. Shamino joined with Iolo and the Avatar in the beginning of their quest to topple the tyranny plaguing the land.

Ultima VI, Shamino again helped to rescue the Avatar, along with Iolo and Dupre, when the three companions intervened to rescue the hero from sacrificed at the hands of the gargoyles. After escaping with the freed Avater to the Castle of Lord British through a red moongate, the ranger once more joined in the hero's quest.

In Ultima VII, Shamino was living in Britain and had a budding relationship with an actress named Amber. Shamino was somewhat self conscious regarding his age and Jaana joked that he had finally had reached the venerable age of thirty. He would join the Avatar if asked, and his knowledge again proved useful on the search for what was wrong in Britannia.

In Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle, Shamino accompanied the Avatar to the Serpent Isle, which was eventually discovered to have once been the Lands of Danger and Despair. After hearing stories from gleeman and bards hinting at the fate of his kingdom, Shamino eventually came upon the ruins of his former castle, where he was beset by the vengeful ghost of his former love, Beatrix, who had died, heartbroken, awaiting his return.

It was revealed that after his departure from the land, the goblin hoardes had grown bolder and more belligerent and that both the people of his keep and that of his would be father-in-law feared a coming siege. Eventually, driven mad with grief over Beatrix's death, the King of the White Dragon had turned against his subjects, inviting them all to a grand banquet for the Solstice Festival where he had them all slowly tortured to death within his castle. After all of his people lay dead, he flung himself from the tower of his castle.

During the course of the Avatar's adventures in the Serpent Isle, Shamino was possessed by the Bane of Anarchy, causing him to become Shamino the Anarch and to slaughter many of the inhabitants of the city of Moonshade. He was eventually struck down and cured of his possession (and the resultant insanity it imbued him with) by the Avatar.

In Ultima IX, Shamino was trapped in the Spirit Realm by the Guardian. A major portion of the game was spent trying to free him.

The Tale of Shamino and the Spirits: A Parable of Spirituality
''The dead of Britannia have always been a restless lot. Why this should be I do not know, but I have sometimes thought that the vitality of the land itself is so great, it bestirs the memory of itself even in lifeless flesh.''

''Be that as it may, my final tale concerns itself with a certain town, where the inhabitants of the graveyard had forgotten their proper decorum. Nor was this a mere aimless revenant or two, but a veritable plague of lifeless stalkers. Most every night was disturbed by a squad or company of the dead making riot, for the creatures did not wander aimlessly, but set themselves about the business of terror and destruction with a methodical efficiency that demanded a malign will behind their excursions. ''

''It was obvious to the villagers that this was not a problem to be dealt with by a few torches and pitchforks, or a cantrip or two. So they sent to Britain to pray the King for aid. ''

''Their call was answered most expeditiously, for Lord British bade none other than Shamino the Ranger, first hero of Britannia and best and oldest friend to His Majesty, to deal with the situation. ''

''Shamino soon arrived, and set immediately about his work with sword, bow and shield. The ranks of the shambling revenants he quickly reduced to a few small piles of putrescent but inanimate flesh. With his way thus cleared, he was able to enter the graveyard itself, where he discovered a newly opened tunnel, which lead to an ancient catacomb far below. ''

''In that dank and haunted place, Shamino found the source of the trouble, a lich, an ancient and potent spirit from the First Age of Darkness. For centuries the evil thing had lain dormant in its stygian tomb, but of late it had bestirred itself, and in its ancient malice had begun the current harassment of the living above. ''

''So Shamino found the thing, and there he slew it, in a night-long battle of blade and spell. And if you think I pass over such an epic battle with undue haste, know that it is merely the prelude to my tale proper. ''

''With the evil wight dead, Shamino elected to remain in the town for a while, to recover from his battle, and to insure that the restless evil was indeed put down. ''

''It was well he did, for scarce two nights after the lich's most recent and final death, a lad of the village was brought before Shamino in a pitiable state of terror and nervous exhaustion. ''

''When the lad had calmed enough to speak at last, he told how he had gone to pass an hour in the graveyard on a dare, thinking the evil all departed. But he had scarce arrived when he was set upon, not by crawling corpses, but by a howling cloud of spirits. He could not understand their gibberings, but so great was the force of the despair and desperation in their voices that he vouchsafed he would have far preferred to face an honest undead body. ''

''Shamino was not overly surprised to discover that the lich's malice had stirred up forces that its destruction had failed to quell, so he spent the day in preparation, and that night took himself again to the graveyard, an hour or so before midnight. ''

''He was through the gate scarcely a minute when he was set upon by the cloud of ghosts, and the sorrow of their incoherent wails and moans tore at his very soul. He sensed no evil in the things, but only a terrible, lonely despair that raked his soul and mind.''

''But Shamino was made of sterner stuff than the village lad, and he shut the howls out of his mind (for the things had no power to touch him physically), and made certain preparations. At last through arts that he knew, the spirits were quieted (albeit temporarily), and held in that place before Shamino. ''

''Then Shamino indicated the first of the spirits, and bade it, "You there, speak now, and tell me plainly why you haunt the night." ''

''"In my life," the spirit sighed, "I was rich, and gloried in my riches, but did nothing to use them to help those around me, and now I see my life meant nothing." ''

''"Your pride was great," said Shamino, "but where is it now? Look about you, you rest in a grave no finer than many of the poor folk you ignored. Rest now, and take comfort in the Humility of death." ''

''And the spirit heard Shamino's words and, acknowledging them, vanished away. (Now it may seem odd that a restless spirit would be banished at a mere word, but Shamino the Ranger was no common man, and when he spoke on matters of Spirituality, he spoke with Authority, so that creatures of the supernatural planes might be compelled by his very words.) ''

''Then the next spirit spoke, and it said, "In my life I put on airs, telling folk that I was a hero, or a noble, or possessed skills that were not mine, hoping thereby to find friendship and fortune. And I see now that everything I gained falsely was itself false." ''

''"And yet," replied Shamino, "you still take on the seeming of that which you are not, for you pass among the living and trouble their lives. Put dishonesty behind you and be what you are. Rest now in the Honesty of death." ''

''"In my life," said the third spirit in its turn, "I thought that I was a wolf among men, and the weak were my prey. I took the little that they had, and thereby accrued much for myself. But now I mourn, for I was most bitterly hated." ''

''"Why then do you still trouble the living?" asked Shamino. You regret your lack of Compassion in life, but I tell you to rest, and thereby learn Compassion from death, which ends all pain and sorrow, even thine." ''

''"In my life," the fourth spirit began, "I ran from danger, while those I cared for stood and fell. Now I see how much finer it would have been to have died in the glory and comfort of their companionship, than to have gone on to the guilty and futile life which I led." ''

''"And you are still running," said Shamino, not without kindness. "Let rest your fear, and Valiantly embrace the mystery of death. Your friends and loved ones await you."''

''The fifth spirit took up the litany, saying, "In my life, I stood up in defense of the guilty, to gain by their friendship, and spoke out against the innocent when so bidden by my masters. Can there be any payment now for the wrong I did?" ''

''"You seek restitution for your deeds, but you flee the judge which all men must face. If you hunger for Justice, you will find the Justice of death, which is the proper sentence of all in the end." ''

''"I was a miser in life," said the sixth, "And I sat alone with my wealth all my days. I did nothing of importance to anyone, not even providing honest work to those whom I might have hired, for I valued my gold above their service. Where is my gold now?" ''

"Gold indeed is forever beyond your reach, but there remains one Sacrifice within your power to make, and that is to Sacrifice this sad unlife to death, which patiently awaits your gift."

''Now only two spirits remained, swirling sadly in the moonlight, and at last one was moved to speak. ''

"In my life, I served a man who loved me, and valued my service and friendship above all else. I betrayed him, seeking greater wealth and power. Now I see that I gained nothing and lost all, for those I came to serve saw me as only the worm which I was."

"The evil you did was very great," Shamino said gravely, "And I cannot offer you absolution. But see now that one final obligation awaits you, which you have yet to fulfill. Will you not Honorably go through the final veil of death? 

''Then only final ghost drifted on the breeze, and seemed little inclined to speech, until at last Shamino broke the silence. ''

"Speak, o spirit, and tell me of the sin which torments you in your unnatural waking."

"I have not sinned," the ghost replied, "for I honor the Virtues to the best of my ability."

''"Be that as it may, why then do you thus linger after your death?" Shamino inquired.''

"I am no dead ghost," the thing replied, "but have been cast out of my own body by the evil thing that formerly haunted this place. Pray reunite me with my body, that I may resume my rightful span of corporeal years."

''Now such things are not unknown, but to the keen sight of Shamino, the difference between a living spirit and an unliving shade is as clear as the difference between a strong young oak and an ancient rotting stump. ''

''"You are mistaken, friend," Shamino said with all gentleness. "You are truly dead, my word and oath on that. You must now go to your final rest, and cease to trouble the living." ''

''"You lie," howled the spirit, "For I move and see and speak. How then can I be dead? I live! I live!" Then it tried to break free of Shamino's binding and assail him, but the wards were well-wrought, and the dismissal of the other spirits had far weakened the ghost's unnatural energies. ''

''Then Shamino knew what kept the spirit bound to earth, for it is the nature of the Spiritual to see the reality of things that are hidden from the less gifted. This creature was most damnably cursed, for its curse was of its own making. Where the other ghosts had been tormented by the knowledge of their sin, this one tortured itself by withholding knowledge. The ghost lied to itself, cowardly running from death, hating itself and its true nature. In this, it rejected all three of the great Principles, which together compose the ultimate Virtue of Spirituality. ''

''Shamino stood for awhile, regarding the pathetic thing, and at last he spoke. "I can do nothing for you. Go about your existence, if such it can be called." And he dispelled his wards and left that place forever. ''

''As for the ghost, it haunted the graveyard thereafter. It no longer had the power to terrorize the living, but only lurked about, moaning and sighing to itself in the darkness of the night, and of its own delusion.''

- from Ultima IX

Trivia

 * Like most of the major Ultima characters, Shamino has a counterpart in reality - Richard Garriott himself. Garriott also appears in the games as Lord British (whom, in-game, Shamino greatly resembles in physical appearance) and sometimes even smaller references.
 * The Shamino character comes from Garriott's activities in Society for Creative Anachronism, though the name was reportedly taken from the Shimano brand of gears in Garriott's bicycle.
 * Although Shamino is from Sosaria/Britannia, he has hardly aged at all since his first appearance. Such a longevity normally belongs to the Companions from Earth or other worlds.
 * After the initial encounter with Beatrix in Ultima VII Part Two, should Shamino ever be injured near to death over the course of the game, Beatrix will reappear and intervene, restoring him to health and forgiving his abandonment. After doing so, she will gift him with a book of love sonnets which she wrote for him and then depart for the void. This book is Shamino's "personal item" which can be used by a Hound of Doskar to track him when he is possessed. Alternatively Iolo's lute or Dupre's enchanted shield may also be used - given that the three Banes are in the same location.