Avatar

The Way of the Avatar

The one who shall tread the path of the Avatar to full revelation is not only brave, but honest and filled with compassion for all living things. Britannia needs one who can show how to fight the forces of Evil found both outside of and within the individual. The Way of the Avatar is not to be of one profession, but using the best of all of them, living the virtues and showing the people of the Land the way to enlightenment.

The Quest of the Avatar is never ending, always the virtues are tested and challenges have to be mastered to prove the worth to be the Avatar. Only one person had ever managed to become an Avatar, no one after that managed this feat. The Avatar has no penalties on weapons and armor.

Overview
The Avatar is the name used to refer to the protagonist (the player) of the Ultima games after Ultima IV.

In Ultima IV, The Stranger completes a series of quests and becomes The Avatar, the embodiment of The Eight Virtues and a true hero of Britannia. The concept of the Avatar was to go against the darkness in one's nature and eternally strive for Virtue, highlighted by the phrase "The Quest of the Avatar is Forever." The Avatar was meant to be an example to everyone in Britannia of what could be accomplished if one but tried. S/he was never perfect, was never infallible, was only ever human, capable of both good and evil acts.

At the end of Ultima IX however, Lord British suggests that, in essence, the Quest of the Avatar had been a failure - because while he had originally envisioned the Avatar as becoming an example for all of them to emulate, the Britannians ended up counting on the Avatar to solve all their problems, rather than following in his/her footsteps and trying to solve crises by themselves.

From Ultima IV to Ultima VII/2, the Avatar could be male or female, under any name the player wished. Portraits were available from Ultima VI to Ultima VII/2, though Ultima VII and Martian Dreams only offered one possible choice for each sex.

In Savage Empire, Ultima VIII and Ultima IX these options were removed, and though the Avatar could still be named, he was always a blond white male.

The Avatar in Ultima IX: Ascension
In Ultima IX the Avatar is called to Britannia once again to re-establish the virtues. He must do this by himself because his old companions have been corrupted. We know from the beginning that the Guardian is responsible for the corruption of the Shrines and the creation of the columns. The Avatar must adventure alone into the dungeons of Britannia to bring about the final defeat of the Guardian.

Unlike previous Ultima games the Avatar in Ascension is as good as his armor and weapons. Magic comes to him as he is able to use it. After he has cleansed half the shrines and restored their virtues he is powerful enough to finish the rest of the adventure without worrying about being killed at every turn.

Though some former players feel that the idea of the Guardian (as a manifestation of the Avatar's evil parts that were stripped away when he became the Avatar) completely destroys the purity of the Avatar, it is necessary remember that this is the final game of the series and it had to be wrapped up somehow. The team at Origin were pressured by the guys at Electronic Arts to finish the game and get it to market. This rush, rush, rush, was despised by the Origin team and led to the buggiest game of the series.

However, the basic line still is the Avatar is destroyed totally.

Lore
''Embodying the fortitude of a fighter, the quickness, and quick-wittedness, of a bard and the mystic insights of a mage, you have spent long years mastering the principles of virtue. Many are the times you have savored the syllables of the mantras and the spicy scent of incense during morning meditation. But you are equally stirred by the sounds and smells of combat, being as much at home on the field of battle as in a solemn shrine. A paragon of integrity, you have always sought total understanding of the world around you, often journeying to the libraries of the Lycaeum or conferring with the scholars of Moonglow and Yew. However, your love of scholarly pursuits does not weaken your ties to the world outside the cloistered halls of academe. Your devotion to your companions and those in need is total, and you are ever aware that the principles of virtue are designed to guide us in our relationships with our fellow man. Your path offers both great risk and grand reward, but you are concerned with neither. Driven to follow this, the highest path, by forces unknown and unknowable, you follow the Way of the Avatar to whatever end destiny has decreed.''

- from "Compendium", Ultima VI