Britannia



Britannia are the lands that remained of old Sosaria, after the defeat of Mondain unleashed untold energies that sundered the world's four continents apart. Formerly known as the "The Lands of Lord British", and later on simply as "Sosaria", the land was renamed into "Britannia" after the defeat of Exodus (some time before Ultima IV) to honor Lord British, the monarch who called the hero to defeat the evil creature and who rebuilt the lands after the destructions caused by Exodus' defeat.

History
Due to the sheer length the history of the lands of Britannia holds, and the wish to not cut down on the details of said history, it has been moved into its separate article. Thus, for the history of the land, see History of Britannia.

Geography
In the times of old Sosaria, the land that now is Britannia was only one of the four continents of old Sosaria, named The Lands of Lord British. The other three were The Lands of the Dark Unknown, The Lands of the Feudal Lords, and the Lands of Danger and Despair, later known as the Serpent Isle. When the Stranger defeated Mondain the Wizard in Ultima I, untold energies were set free and the world was thundered apart. The other three continents were thought lost - though it was later proven they still have to exist in some place. With the one known continent being altered by this cataclysmic event, the Lands of Lord British were rechristened to simply Sosaria.

By the time of Ultima III however, Sosaria was under attack by Exodus. the evil creation of Mondain and Minax. Again the Stranger had to intervene and led a campaign against the dark creature that held power over the very processes of the planet itself. When the Stranger and his companions defeated this new threat, a huge cataclysm re-shaped the land once again, this time into its current, well-known formation. Only some time thereafter the Kingdom of Britannia was declared with Lord British as it lone ruling monarch.

From before the beginning of the Quest of the Avatar to after the time of the Black Gate, the lands of Britannia only changed very little geographically, having finally found profound stability after two massive re-shapings, although various islands seem to have a habit of appearing and disappearing due to volcanic or seismic disturbances.

Britannia is a world full of interesting places, cities and areas. Note that "Terrain" covers the various terrain forms found in the land.

The Eight Cities of Virtue
These are the big eight cities, of which one each represents and practices one of the Eight Virtues especially. These eight cities generally are the big population centers of Britannia, holding the most significance culturally and economically among the settlements of Britannia.


 * Britain - dedicated to Compassion
 * Jhelom (later rebuilt as Valoria) - dedicated to Valor
 * Minoc - dedicated to Sacrifice
 * Moonglow - dedicated to Honesty
 * New Magincia (built on the ruins of Magincia) - dedicated to Humility
 * Skara Brae - dedicated to Spirituality
 * Trinsic - dedicated to Honor
 * Yew - dedicated to Justice

Towns
Villages and other smaller settlements outside of the eight cities are mostly small and only of secondary importance in the whole of Britannia, and thus are collected into this separate category.


 * Britanny West, North and East
 * Buccaneer's Den
 * Cove
 * Dawn
 * Paws
 * Terfin
 * Vesper

Castles
Besides Castle Britannia itself, where Lord British resides and the seat of government is located, there also exist the thee main keeps of the Principles of Truth, Love and Courage, as well as numerous smaller keeps of only minor and local importance.


 * Bordermarch
 * Castle Britannia - the administrative center of Britannia
 * Castle of Fire
 * Dawn
 * Empath Abbey - the keep of Love
 * Farthing
 * Lycaeum - the keep of Truth
 * Serpent's Hold - the keep of Courage
 * Stonegate
 * Windemere

Lighthouses
These are buildings designed to safely guide ships through the dangerous seas at night with their long-reaching bright light, lighthouses are single structures, often situated far from settlements.


 * Fogsbane
 * Greyhaven
 * Stormcrow
 * Waveguide

Shrines
To each of the Eight Virtues a shrine is dedicated to. These shrines are one of the central pieces in the system of Virtues in Britannia and act as places for pilgrims to meditate and gain insight into the virtue each shrine represents. Thes are often removed from civilization to make the journey to the shrines an experience in itself.


 * Shrine of Compassion
 * Shrine of Honesty
 * Shrine of Honor
 * Shrine of Humility
 * Shrine of Justice
 * Shrine of Sacrifice
 * Shrine of Spirituality
 * Shrine of the Codex
 * Shrine of Valor

Dungeons
Without any doubt these are the major holes of evil in Britannia; the place where creatures of darkness retreat to when the surface world becomes to bright for their tastes. Eight of these exist, seven opposing a single virtue, while the eighth one - the Abyss itself - opposes all of them at the same time. It's not recommended to enter these, unless having a good reason to.


 * Covetous - opposing the virtue of Sacrifice
 * Deceit - opposing the virtue of Honesty
 * Despise - opposing the virtue of Compassion
 * Destard - opposing the virtue of Valor
 * Doom
 * The Great Stygian Abyss - opposing all of the virtues
 * Hythloth - opposing the virtue of Spirituality
 * Shame - opposing the virtue of Honor
 * Wrong - opposing the virtue of Justice

Caves
Only minor holes of evil compared to the major eight dungeons these cave system may be, but entering them still is not recommended, unless one is prepared for the serious troubles that await within these caves.


 * Ant Mound
 * Bee Cave
 * Buccaneer's Cave
 * Cyclops Cave
 * Desert Dungeon
 * Heftimus Cave
 * Heroes' Hole
 * Moonglow Catacombs
 * Spirit Tunnels
 * Spider Cave
 * Swamp Cave
 * Vesper Mines

Islands
Britannia consists of more than just the main continent itself. There are many islands in the realm - some big, some small - and most of them actually hold significat importance and history, though only the biggest of them are continually inhabited.


 * Ambrosia
 * Dagger Isle
 * Deadman's Island
 * Isle of Deeds
 * Isle of Fire
 * Isle of the Avatar
 * Janus Island
 * Marsor's Isle
 * Spektran
 * Valarian Islands
 * Valorian Isles
 * Verity Isle

Interesting Areas
These are areas of Britannia that don't fall into any of the above categories, and are therefore listed as their own category. Mostly areas of the main continent and the sea, though some don't follow that pattern.


 * Bloody Plains
 * Bog of Desolation
 * Britanny Bay
 * Cape of Heroes
 * Channel of Lost Hope
 * Deep Forest
 * Drylands
 * Fens of the Dead
 * Realm of the Gargoyles
 * High Steppes
 * Lake Generosity
 * Lock Lake
 * Lost Hope Bay
 * Lost Lake
 * Serpent's Spine
 * Spiritwood
 * Underworld

Realm of the Gargoyles
The Realm of the Gargoyles - a world once connected to Britannia in strange and mystical ways - does no longer exist, having been torn apart by the void in the late Age of Enlightenment. These locations are therefore stricly for historical purposes only and can no longer be accessed.


 * Realm of the Gargoyles
 * Shrine of Control
 * Shrine of Diligence
 * Shrine of Passion
 * Temple of Singularity
 * Tomb of Kings

Calendar

 * For information on the Britannian calendar, see Britannian Calendar.

Ultima Saga
Lynn Abbey's Ultima Saga is set in Britannia shortly before the events of Ultima V.