Vortigyrn

Vortigyrn is a traveling bard in Cove in Ultima V: Lazarus.

This confused and despondent bard had found his way to Cove, for the supposed reason of visiting the Temple of Virtue to find inspiration for his newest composition, but was actually possessed by the daemon Sarkael, who was controlling the bard to spy for Elistaria and Blackthorn. Vortigyrn told the hero that he made his living by traveling from town to town performing, but was unwilling to perform while possessed by Sarkael, and even failed to remember Iolo, whom he had met at a concert several months back. Vortigyrn sought to be close to the Shrine of Compassion, and asked the hero for the Mantra of Compassion, to help work on his song. If the Avatar gave the Mantra, Sarkael will use this information to destroy the Shrine.

While possessed, Vortigyrn claimed to know very little about Jessica, but he did admit to knowing Ava and Leona, but only because he sometimes met the girls when he went to the Temple of Virtue to work on his compositions. Vortigyrn further claimed to not know Enlor, even though the mage mentioned they had spoken several times. The confused bard would immediately change the subject if questioned about Ivar, the traveling tinker. Ava felt that Vortigyrn was filled with a burning rage towards Blackthorn, and Leona had had visions of Vortigyrn as a being of darkness with flaming eyes. Carolyn felt the bard was despondent and moody, but Enlor remarked that the bard had an unusually canny knowledge of the magical arts.

If the Avatar destroyed Sarkael, thus severing his possession of the bard, Vortigyrn would once again return to his senses. He told the hero how he had snuck into Castle Blackthorn looking for proof of the king's evil, but had been captured. He had been dragged to Windemere, where Elistaria had summoned Sarkael to possess him. Sarkael had controlled Vortigyrn's actions for many months, dulling his senses with wine and sleeping potions, and used him to spy upon the people of Britannia, even planning on using the bard to assassinate Ava and Leona. With the death of Sarkael, Vortigyrn had once again found his voice and song.