Serpent Isle


 * This article is about the land. For the game, see Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle.



The Serpent Isle, a land, once known as the Lands of Danger and Despair, which were a part of old Sosaria. However, after Mondain's defeat, and the seperation of all four continents of old Sosaria, the land went it's own way, and its history is very different to Britannia's. This will be about the history of these lands, and their geographic points of interest.

Geographically speaking, there had been only few changes in the shape of the land itself, since the Age of Darkness, the most drastic the freezing of the northern regions of the land. Otherwise, the shape of the land stayed the same.

The History of Serpent Isle
The History of the Serpent Isle is long and complicated, and impossible to tell in all details here. So this here will be a short overview over the history so far.

The Lands of Danger and Despair
In the time of old Sosaria, this land was called the Lands of Danger and Despair. Once only ruled by the Kings of the White Dragon, soon a second kingdom was erected, the Kingdom of Shamino. Both kings lived in peace with each other. The peace however ended, when Mondain started to terrorize the land, like he did with all of Sosaria. Shamino, who was expected to marry the daughter of the King of the White Dragon, Beatrix, travelled to the Lands of Lord British, to assist in the war, promising to return. He should return only far, far later.

With Mondain's defeat, the world of Sosaria was sundered, and the Lands of Danger and Despair became isolated from the other lands. Shortly after, the Goblins started a bloody war against both kingdoms. Beatrix died of a broken heart during the siege of Shamino's Castle, while the King of the White Dragon, sickened with grief over what he believed to be Shamino's betrayal and the death of his daughter, turned mad, and killed everyone in his castle, before comitting suicide.

This was the end of the time of the Lands of Danger and Despair...

The Time of the Ophidians


Destruction threatened to swallow the Lands of Danger and Despair, when suddenly a new way was opened. From the Etheral Void, the three Serpents started to speak to the people. The Red Chaos Serpent, taught them the way of Chaos. The Blue Order Serpent, taught them the way of Order. The Great Earth Serpent was the mediator between these two, and taught how the combination of these two created balance. A new age of enlightenment began for the people who now called themselves Ophidians.

On the Serpent Isle, the new culture was readily accepted. Besides the Shrine of Balance, the cities of Skullcrusher and Spinebreaker were constructed to house the Temples of Chaos and Order, while six smaller temples were erected. The land became wealthy and peaceful. It seemed, that the new way had solved all problems of conflict.

However, it soon became clear that mankind's nature could not be averted for long.

The War of Imbalance


The disaster began, when Exodus ripped the Great Earth Serpent out of the Void to let it guard his castle on the Isle of Fire. With their mediator gone, Chaos and Order started to argue who of them was more worthy. They became more and more agressive to each other, finally attacking each other. Along with this, they also commanded their followers to attack the followers of the other side, with the followers of Balance between all fronts.

Boths sides set to fighting with eagerness. Despite all the years of peace, an enormous hate had built on both sides. Both were convinced that THEIR way was the only right one, and that the others were wrong. This extreme religious intolerance and the commands of both Serpents finally led to the horrible War of Imbalance. Both sides had now only one goal: the total destruction of the other side. Their never-ending hatred devastated the whole land. Chaos's side created horrible beasts, while Order's side created soulless Automatons.

In the end, Order won, and killed all followers of Chaos. They ripped the Serpent of Chaos out of the Void, and hacked it into three parts, the Banes of Chaos, imprisoning them. Then the followers left the destroyed land through the Wall of Lights in the City of Order to a place unknown. The Order Serpent only now became aware what it had done and found itself alone in the Void, with no one to talk to. Its followers gone, a hollow victory was the only result. As Chaos was now gone, Order went insane due to the lack of balance. When the Great Earth Serpent returned, it saw what had happened. Saddened with grief over this and the loss of its brother Chaos. it fell asleep, seeing no reason to exist any further.

Slowly, the now-empty land healed its wounds.

New Settlers from Britannia


During the time of the Quest of the Avatar, the land was finally re-settled. While nominally led by Erstam of Moon, all three major groups had their own reasons to leave Britannia and sail through the Serpent Pillars to the Serpent Isle. The Mages of Moon were a corrupt, dishonest and arrogant pack, feeling superior to everyone else and not wanting to accept Lord British's rule of virtue. The people of old Fawn were totally egotistical and left only because they thought of their shallow belief in beauty as a virtue, while in reality it was pride. The inhabitants of the Montors were unhappy that there were other virtues besides Valor and therefore left.

Arriving, they build their own cities, Monitor, Fawn and Moonshade, never realizing that this was once a part of Sosaria. However, all three major groups still only thought of themselves, and so a central government was never established. Instead, each of the three cities did their own thing, even having their own currency.

Monitor became filled with people for who fighting became a reason in itself, and everything not associated with it became shunned. The Knights of Monitor became pleased with themselves and had little honor left at the end. In Fawn, the people became narcissistic in their belief of beauty, hating everything not beautiful and seeing it as inferior. Moonshade continued its way of corrupt mages, who thought of everyone else as inferior to them. Only the Xenkan Monks of Monk Isle remained humble and virtuous in this sea of vanity and egotism.

The Last Days
The beginning of the end of this part of history came with the arrival of other people from Britannia. While Gwenno wanted to explore the land, Batlin and his followers had far more sinister plans. They freed the Banes of Chaos, before catching them, to use them to become very mighty. However, this started horrible Teleport Storms, the first sign of the beginning imbalance caused by this act.

The Avatar and three of his companions followed Batlin, wanting to stop him. But when they reached him, he was ready to go through the Wall of Lights. The Guardian, seeing Batlin's treachery, killed him right then, and the Banes spung free, possessing the Companions. In an unbelievable holocaust, the Banes of Chaos killed almost the entire population of the Serpent Isle, destroying the cities in the process, before the Avatar was able to catch them again. But the damage was done, and the imbalnce so great, that desperate measures had to be taken. Dupre sacrificed himself to be united with the Chaos Serpent, when the three Banes were put back together. At the Shrine of Balance, the last act was done, and the three Serpents were re-united, restoring the balance.

It is unknown what happened afterwards, but most likely the remaining people were evacuated from the now barren cities, to find refuge in the land of their ancestors.

The Cities

 * Fawn
 * Furnance
 * Monitor
 * Moonshade

Settlements

 * Inn of the Sleeping Bull
 * Isles of the Mad Mage
 * Monk Isle

Old Ruins

 * Shamino's Castle
 * Castle of the White Dragon
 * Shrine of Balance
 * Skullcrusher
 * Spinebreaker
 * Temple of Discipline
 * Temple of Emotion
 * Temple of Enthusiasm
 * Temple of Ethicality
 * Temple of Logic
 * Temple of Tolerance

Interesting Areas

 * Claw
 * Gorlab Swamp
 * Gwani Burial Isle
 * Isle of Crypts
 * Isle of Frost Dragons
 * Knight's Forest
 * Knight's Test
 * Mountains of Freedom
 * Northern Forest
 * Northern Regions
 * Penguin Island
 * Sunrise Isle
 * Valley of the Goblins