Princesses

During the events of Ultima I, eight princesses have been imprisoned by the eight kings of Sosaria, for reasons unknown. These women, whatever their crimes, prove essential to the Stranger's quest to slay Mondain, revealing to the hero the location of the fabled time machine.

Description
Little is known about this company of women, or their relations to the kings which hold them in bondage. Given their implied noble blood, it is possible that the eight princesses were victims of the ongoing feuds between the city-states of old Sosaria, having been taken captive to exact leverage over the rulers of other lands. Their ability to restore the health of others certainly bears similarity to the service which the kings of Sosaria provided in such an age. Whatever the reasons for their imprisonment, such women were held in captivity within every fief, even within the domains of seemingly virtuous men such as Lord British and Shamino Salle' Dacil.

The key to the princesses' chambers was held by the ubiquitous jester "Gwino" (possibly a bastardization of Gwenno) in each keep, and to free any of their number it became necessary for the Stranger to slay the fool, earning the immediate ire of the castle guards and the displeasure of the lord. Once free, each woman would reward the hero with gold and healing, and upon the hero's attainment of the title of "Space Ace," (an appellation gained by slaying twenty of Mondain's "star-walking" allies) the princesses would surrender the secret of the time machine.

Names and Captors
The names of the eight princesses and those of their captors are listed in the chart below.

Hypothesis
Facts:
 * The eight princesses are the only characters in Ultima who know the secret time machine;
 * The eight princesses are not willing to tell such secret easily.

Hypothesis:
 * The eight princesses came from the future of Ultima using the time machine.

Anachronisms and facts explained by the hypothesis:
 * Possible reasons for imprisoning the princesses:
 * 1. They could have started divulgating their superior technology, thus threatening the power of the kings;
 * 2. Vice versa, they could have refused to tell their technological secrets to the kings;
 * 3. Lord British needed to learn the location of the time machine so to send the Stranger from Another World back in time and defeat Mondain.
 * Laser-armed aircars, space shuttles, vacuum suits and reflect suits were built using the technology learned or extorted from the princesses.
 * The anachronistic weapons were hidden by the princesses at the Pillars of the Argonauts.

Trivia

 * It is unknown if Princess Julia bears any relation to the later famed companion of the Avatar, although it is known that Richard Garriott once dated a woman named Julia, which may explain the eponymous princess within  Lord British's castle.
 * A Lori Ogwulu is credited for her graphic design work in the manual for the 1988 remake of Ultima I. It is possible that she is the real world analogue for Princess Lori.