Orb of the Moons

The Orb of the Moons is a ancient artifact, of which no one is sure how it came to be. The power of the Orb lies in it's ability to create a red Moongate, which can transport to places on the same world, or to other worlds. The placement of the Orb relative to the caster is the key to determinate where the red gate will lead to. Travel to other worlds is only possible with much experience how to use the Orb. Therefore, on Britannia the Orb is usually only useful for travels to specific locations.

The Orb of the Moons was encountered the first time in Ultima V. Left behind by Lord British in his Sandalwood Box, the Avatar returned it to its rightful owner. The Orb of the Moons was the only way for Lord British, the Avatar and the Companions to escape from Dungeon Doom. As implied in the game, the Orb was in Lord British's posession for a long time by then.

A second and third Orb of the Moons appeared in Ultima VI. The second Orb appeared in the stone circle behind the house of the Avatar on Earth, as part of a trap from the Gargoyles to catch the False Prophet. After explanations from Lord British, the Avatar used it travel around in Britannia much faster. Since the Avatar wasn't skilled at using the Orb, it wasn't possible to leave Britannia. Later, when the Codex had vanished, a red Moongate revealed that Lord Draxinosum also had a Orb, this the third ever found.

In Savage Empire, an accident with the Orb sent the Avatar to Eodon.

In Ultima VII, the Avatar forgot to take the Orb of the Moons with him/her to Britannia, thus Lord British lent him/her his Orb. It still worked the same, althrough the disturbances from the Sphere Generator sometimes made the Moongate repell the Avatar. Sadly, with the destruction of the Sphere Generator, the Orb ceased to fuction. Lord Draxinosum's Orb even exploded.

This was the supposed end of this great artifact, althrough it can't be ruled out that sometime in the future, it can regain its power.

The Sphere in Ultima IX, which was called an Orb of the Moons, neither resembled the real Orb, nor had it its powers.