Bob White Plot

The so-called Bob White plot is the second incarnation of the story for Ultima IX, formulated by early 1995 and surviving largely intact into Ed Del Castillo's tenure as producer in 1998.

While it is often referred to as such, the original draft was in fact co-written by Richard Garriott, Brian Martin, John Watson, and Chuck Zoch, with lead designer Bob White tasked later in the process with polishing it. Planned for epic proportions and complexity, it was largely scrapped when looming deadline pressures necessitated that the game be heavily streamlined after a senior personnel upheaval in mid-1998. However, in December 1999, White himself made public an overview of this plot on the Horizons Tavern forum to demonstrate how much the story had evolved over the course of Ultima IX's development.

On June 21, 2011, he released his entire final revision of the Ultima IX plot treatment—dated July 17, 1997—to Ultima Aiera via Joe Garrity of the Origin Museum.

Some fragments survived in the final game and can be seen at Ultima IX Plot Remnants.

The plot is told here in synopsis, as posted by Bob White in 1999 (with minor corrections). Images have been included that are either given their original context or captured from footage not present in the final game, some of which is sourced from low quality promotional videos.

The Beginning
The Avatar arrives at the start of the game in Britannia. His last thoughts are of being seized by the Guardian in Pagan. Suddenly, he is pulled away and arrives back in LB's realm. Unfortunately he doesn't recognize where he is. Standing on a mountain overlooking the Guardian's keep at Terfin. This is where the Wyrmguard suddenly flies up and incinerates the Avatar.

Cut to scene of dark throne room with Guardian in shadow talking to Blackthorn. Blackthorn is happy at the Avatar's death but Guardian realizes he was teleported away by someone and is now in Stonegate. Blackthorn wants to go after him, but Guardian says to wait. He wants the Avatar to see how he is destroying Britannia and wants the Avatar to despair.

Game opens: Avatar in bed in Stonegate with Hawkwind nursing him. Just to be certain the Avatar is fit and unchanged by his trip to Pagan and the teleport back here, Hawkwind asks the virtue questions, setting up the Avatar character for the game. He then tells the Avatar about what has happened since he left 80 years ago (time in Pagan ran so much slower).

Giant columns appear throughout the land. Somehow the columns are affecting the climate, drying up some areas and flooding others, in addition there are tearing through the ground causing earthquakes and volcanism on a great scale. These climactic changes have caused wide spread famine in some parts of the world. In addition a plague began to run rampant through the land probably caused by the deplorable conditions. The people of Moonglow were able to produce limited quantities of food via magic, some of which they export through the land. Britain monks found that the venom of the Silver Serpents would provide relief from the plague, but was no cure.

Something happened (you discover later) and Britain refused to send Serpentwyne to Moonglow and Moonglow refused to send food to Britain. The army divided and civil war is at hand. He then tells the Avatar to descend into the tunnels under Stonegate and travel via those dungeon passages to Britain and see Lord British. Hawkwind disappears saying he must rest a long time now since the summoning drained him so. The area of Stonegate, now surrounded by mountains and cut off by the sea, provided the training or tutorial area for the new game interface.

Along the way to Britain, the Avatar is knocked unconscious by a teleport area that he must go through. He receives a vision (flic). The Guardian taunts the Avatar and says he is glad he will be able to watch while he shows Lord British what the Avatar was up to in Pagan. LB has a waking dream and sees the Avatar summoning Pyros.

Learning the lay of the land
Once the Avatar arrives in Britain he has already had to deal with one Wyrmguard (Damon) and is probably wearing the armor. People in Britain run from him and once at the castle, Geoffrey asks him to get rid of it. LB confronts the Avatar and wants to know about the dream but accepts the ideas that the Avatar had to do what is necessary, but he seems disturbed none-the-less.

LB informs the Avatar that the world is almost at the brink of civil war. LB's health began to decline rapidly a few years ago so he appointed a tribunal. The leader of Moonglow mages (Verona), the leader of the Valorian knights (Sir Corwin), and the leader of the Britain monks (Amoranth). Things went well at first, but once the columns rose, famine set in and the plague appeared they would feud with each other all the time. then when the shipment of food, bought and paid for) failed to arrive in Britain Amoranth accused Verona of treason and inhumanity, Verona screamed the same story about a serpentwyne shipment. Ever since then the world fractured into a group of city states.

LB is worried since Britain and Moonglow are building armies, one commanded by Corwin's daughter and the other by his son. If it were not for Corwin's cooling factor with their generals, they would already be at war. He implores the Avatar to stop the civil war, stop the famine and plague and he thinks the columns are at the root of it all. LB tires quickly and due to him being so old a frail, he can no longer command the respect of his armies or people anymore and he still thinks the Tribunal is the best thing for the country. LB warns the Avatar to stay away from Asylum, that is run by dangerous, treasonous thugs.

The Avatar finds Shamino in the Abbey in Britain in a trance. He has to use the Bell, Book and Candle to free him. He finds out from Shamino that the rangers disappeared a few years back and he felt an unholy call luring him away. He placed himself in the trance in hopes that if the Avatar returns he could wake him and the call would be no more.

Shamino no longer feels the call and joins up with the Avatar.

Raven and Samhayne
The Avatar sets off for the closest column near Despise. On his way he is confronted by Wyrmguards in camp. During the fight a girl jumps into the fray and ends up spearing a female Wyrmguard through the eye and driving them off. The Avatar is grateful and she introduces herself as Raven. Raven was sent to find the Avatar and bring him back to Asylum (Buc's Den) and meet with her boss Samhayne. He has some clues to the problems and he knows the Avatar is here to help solve them.

In Despise they free one of the corrupt runes of virtue from the column, thus stopping its power.

They journey back to Britain and then on to meet Samhayne.

Samhayne is like a benevolent Don Corleone. He has been running contraband food and serpentwyne throughout the world, even running the blockades of Moonglow and Britain. He knows that the war is closer than anyone thinks, but proof must be taken to LB to get him to dissolve the tribunal and try to assume command. Samhayne is not trustworthy in Shamino's view and he wants proof of what is going on. Samhayne tells the Avatar to journey to Valoria and meet with Corwin. He will tell you the truth. Then come back here and we will get things going.

He travels to Valoria with companions and goes to see Corwin.

Corwin and his new aide Darkblade meet with the Avatar. He explains the situation and confirms Samhayne's suspicions. The Avatar convinces the Lord of Valoria to send word to his kids to disarm and meet at a negotiation table. He agrees once the Avatar gets him over his despair. The Avatar heads back to Asylum and meets with Samhayne. He tells LB that he must get more proof of the war preparations so that LB can confront the factions. The only way he can find out for sure is to make contact with Sam's guild operatives inside Britain and Moonglow and "lift" some papers. Some of the guild objects to an outsider making guild contact so Samhayne talks the Avatar into joining the guild.

The Avatar is branded with the secret sign and is sent on his way to his choice Moonglow or Britain.

During the sea voyage he gets another third person dream (flic) courtesy of the Guardian. This time LB sees the Avatar joining the nefarious Guild and being branded. LB becomes more distraught and is now wondering about the Avatar.

They run to find a ship and get to Sir Corwin as fast as they can, but by the time they arrive it is too late and he is already dead, but the body was stolen also. All that is left behind is an arrow.

Following the clue of the arrow and questioning Fletchers and Apothecaries (it was poisoned) leads to a description of the perpetrator, the female wyrmguard that Raven fought earlier. In addition one of the Apothecary is a medium and through a trance locates the body in the Well of Souls on the Ruined isle of Skara Brae. She tells the Avatar that a spell for speaking with dead cast upon the body would reveal the truth behind the assassination and that she foresees that this could stop the war.

The Avatar and companions head to the Well, retrieve the body, fight a bone dragon lots of undead and turn off another column.

The plot thickens
When they leave the dungeon a messenger arrives telling them the armies have taken the field near the Shrine of Justice.

Avatar and friends hurry to the shrine in time to meet with Amoranth, Verona and the commanders. Verona casts the spell. Dead Corwin reveals that his lackey Darkblade is actually Ebontyne, Shadowbriar and Blackthorn and he is behind the war. Darkblade, who is in the tent, suddenly reverts to his Blackthorn form and the whole area is beset with Wyrmguards and Dragons. During the fight, Blackthorn exits kidnapping Amoranth and Verona and taunting the Avatar to come and get them at Terfin.

At the end of the fight Jaana arrives with word that the other old Companions await the Avatar in the sanctuary of Cove. They think they know where the Plague is coming from and what the columns are doing. The Avatar travels to Cove along the way another dream (flic). LB sees the Avatar stand before the armies of the world and now look to be swearing fealty to him. LB is furious as the Guardian whispers to him that the Avatar is planning to usurp the throne and seize Britannia. He will no longer allow the Avatar inside the Castle unless he has a member of the Tribunal with him.

Once in Cove the Avatar learns that the columns are causing the plague. As long as they are powered the plague will continue. In addition they are like clock springs, winding up. Even if they are unpowered their energy is not released. In time they will "let go" and quite possibly rip apart the world. They also have now received reports that the Guardian is massing his wyrmguard and gargoyle army and is planning on attacking Britain and other cities. They must perform a pre-emptive attack before all of his forces can muster. Samhayne will provide ships and the army is ready but they need an air force and the only thing that could help are the dragons of Destard.

The Avatar journeys to Trinsic and goes to see the Queen of the Dragons in nearby Destard. He has to rescue her and a clutch of eggs from some new wyrmguard raiders after which she agrees to help. Now with all the forces moving to place, the Avatar sets off for the other dungeons in order to turn off the remaining columns, except the Abyss. He needs one of the Gargoyle lenses from LB to open the path.

Once they are done a ship arrives to take Avatar and companions to Terfin to meet the Guardian and Blackthorn.

Armageddon
Lots of fighting and wandering in Terfin, finally the Avatar reaches the throne room and finds Blackthorn there, but the Guardian has already left for parts unknown. Blackthorn grovels and pleads for mercy. Shamino suggest bringing him to LB so he can confess. The Avatar takes Blackthorn to LB and he confesses. LB has Blackthorn put to death.