Lady Tessa

Lady Tessa is a woman of importance throughout the Britannian Age of Enlightenment. Together with her lord, Sir Simon, she has long helped to safeguard Lord British's realm, protecting its relics and standing for its virtues in the face of adversity. She appears in Ultima III through  VI.

Age of Darkness
In the days of ancient Sosaria, a Mistress Tessa was listed as part of an undertaking known as the "Great Work." This project, commissioned by British in his days as king of Sosaria, set out to create a series of detailed maps of his realm resulting from the exploratory travels of various adventurers. To this end, Tessa provided notes and charts describing her travels in the mysterious Dungeon of Time, a strange location which could only be found through the use of the ancient moongates. Within this puzzling labyrinth dwelt the Time Lord, whom the Stranger would eventually have to consult for knowledge as to how to defeat the dreaded Exodus.



Age of Enlightenment
Years later, after Sosaria had been rechristened Britannia and the realm underwent its renaissance of public ethics, Tessa could be found alongside Simon in Pierre's armoury in the hamlet of Paws. Here, she and her lord awaited the coming of a hero who had attained partial Avatarhood in the eight virtues, that she might bestow upon them knowledge of the Mystic Weapons which had been entrusted to her by the smith, Zircon. . When the Stranger at last approached her thus enlightened, she would reveal to them that she had hidden the arms within the Academy of Serpent's Hold.

In the decades after this fated meeting with Britannia's future champion, Tessa and Simon would see the rise of the corrupt Lord Blackthorn, and stalwartly standing against the oppressive regent, they would band together with the kingdom's Resistance, taking to the remote keep of Bordermarch where they did their utmost to persevere against the Oppression's regime. Should the returned Avatar eventually seek her out, Tessa could prove invaluable through her use of the mystic arts, scrying the location of the missing ruler's amulet amongst the graves of valiant warriors in the Underworld. Knowing much of this artifact, the wise lady would further tell the hero that it could light the way through even in the deepest darkness, and that it would be essential in their quest to reach the lair of the Shadowlords. Eventually, her predictions regarding the bauble would prove true, and the Avatar would be able to restore the true king to power.

The collapse of the Underworld that followed the sovereign's rescue, however, would have devastating effects on Simon's castle, and the great earthquakes which marked the years which followed eventually sank the isle of Bordermarch into the Great Sea. Fleeing with her husband to the Isle of Deeds, Tessa went on to succeed Gardner as the keeper of the great Flame of Courage, whilst Simon rose to be Lord of Serpent's Hold. The Avatar could meet with here again during their questing amidst the gargoyle war, and would find the gentle lady of the keep held them in fond remembrance.

Ultima V: Lazarus
In Ultima V: Lazarus, Lady Tessa told the hero that she came from a long line of nobility, predating even Britannia, whom had originally owned a large swath of land in the area between Trinsic and Paws, although, she admitted little of that mattered now that Blackthorn had come to power.

After the fall of Trinsic, Lady Tessa had scryed the location of Bordermarch, and the hidden cave system which led up to the forgotten keep, finding a safe place to hide from Blackthorn's Oppression. A remnant of forgotten wars and ancient history, Bordermarch had served as a safe base for Sir Simon's support of the Resistance. Lady Tessa urged the hero to seek out Lord British's Amulet, located deep in the Underworld where the liege's expedition had finally fallen. She told the hero that the magical powers of the silver serpent amulet would light the hero's way where no other light would suffice.

The Ultima 6 Project
In The Ultima 6 Project, if the Avatar had spoken to Lord Whitsaber about the hooded stranger that had visited him, Lady Tessa mentioned that the same individual had called upon Serpent's Hold. The hooded wanderer approached the night watch, and had asked for assistance contacting the Avatar about a matter of great importance, but was told it could not be done. This unusual traveler was actually Beh Lem, who also asked about pirates in Serpent's Hold, which the guard vehemently denied. Beh Lem was directed to Buccaneer's Den to search for pirates, and soon departed.

Trivia

 * In the Nintendo remake of Ultima IV (where most character names were omitted and dialogue was significantly modified), Lady Tessa can be identified with the woman at the weapons dealer in Vesper. Instead of talking about the Mystic arms, she gives information about the Axe of Legend.
 * There is a barony within the Society for Creative Anarchonism known as Bordermarch, which was founded by a Sir Simon of the Amber Isle and a Lady Tessa of the Gardens. This fief is in the greater kingdom of Ansteorra, where Richard Garriott has been known to participate in the persona of Shamino Salle' Dacil in the barony of Bryn Gwlad. The Ultima character is based upon this Lady Tessa, in accordance with Garriott's penchant for giving his friends in the SCA in-game cameos.