Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment refers to the time period of the second trilogy of Ultima games.

Overview
The Age of Enlightenment takes place in a time of prosperity for Sosaria / Britannia. The war in this time period is a spiritual one; the people long for a meaningful foundation on which to base their lives. Other lessons must also be learned about the dangers of racism, prejudice, and the dangers of basing strict laws on an ethical system.

Protagonist

 * The Stranger (until the end of Ultima IV
 * The Avatar

Notable Locations

 * Sosaria (until the end of Ultima IV)
 * Britannia

Villians

 * Your own dark side (Ultima IV)
 * Lord Blackthorn and the Shadowlords (Ultima V)
 * Gargoyles (initially), racism and misunderstanding (Ultima VI)

Real world notes
The Ultima series really began to come into its own in this period. Ultima IV, especially, was hailed as a groundbreaking game for its innovative use of ethical conundrums - the enemy was more often the player's own dark side, and it brought many questions to the forefront. The game could only be won by following The Eight Virtues ... there was no "big bad guy" to defeat.

Ultima V takes on the faults of taking an ethical system and turning it into strict laws, while Ultima VI tackles the concept of racism, and how seemingly-minor misunderstandings can lead to heinous tragedy.