Castle of the Lost King

The Castle of the Lost King is one of eight keeps which housed the rulers of the feuding states of old Sosaria during the events of Ultima I. It is located within the Lands of Lord British during that era.

Description
Little is known about the ruler of the Castle of the Lost King or what their relationship was to the well-known future king of Britannia. As some accounts record that British gained half of the established Kingdom of Akalabeth in tribute to his successful rebuffing of Mondain's forces, it may be that this "Lost King" was the original sole ruler of that now forgotten kingdom, although little evidence has arisen to support this. Positioned within the northern lands lands of a continent then named for British's rulership, the exact territory claimed under this keep is unknown, although it shared geographical proximity to the towns of Paws, Grey and Yew.

During the Stranger's quest to defeat Mondain, the hero had need to consult with whomever ruled over this castle, requiring a red gem in their possession in order to activate the time-traveling device necessary to reach the  wizard's stronghold. The lord of the keep granted this to the Stranger, but only after they had proven their mettle by slaying a gelatinous cube.

Also at this time, the imprisoned Princess Cassandra was held within this castle's gaol, and the hero had the option of securing her rescue - although such action proved much to the displeasure of the guards and court.

It is not known what eventually befell the Castle of the Lost King or its master, as the structure was not seen in the ages to come, and in all future ages, the lands which would become Britannia were shown to have belonged to Lord British alone. It may be that the death of Mondain, which is often connected to the disappearance of three major Sosarian continents, reality was impacted such that this place vanished or perhaps never existed to begin with. Whatever the case, records of this palace and its king were absent in the ages to come.