Filbercio

Filbercio is the Mage Lord of Moonshade, and thus de facto ruler of the city during the time of Ultima VII Part Two.

Description
Filbercio was well-known for his lust and womanizing, having bedded numerous women in Moonshade, including Rotoluncia, the Red Witch; Frigidazzi, the frost sorceress; and (it was rumored) Julia, commander of the rangers. He also attempted to force a tryst upon Columna, the Green Enchantess, using a pair of her moonsilk stockings given to her by her lover Torrissio as blackmail. This plan eventually failed when the stockings were replaced by the blackrock serpent of Order by one of the teleport storms which plagued the land. Outraged at this turn of events, Filbercio banished Stefano, the thief who had been commissioned to steal the stockings and in whose care they had vanished, to the Mountains of Freedom.

When the Avatar arrived in Moonshade, Filbercio had recently taken Frigidazzi as his mistress, a move that earned him Rotoluncia's ire. It was unclear whether he had broken off relations with Rotoluncia because of his desire for Frigidazzi or simply due to fickleness. An accusatory letter written in his hand was found amongst the Red Witch's belongings, citing the reason for ending the affair was Rotoluncia's flirtations with Torrissio.

The Avatar first met Filbercio during a formal banquet to which the Mage Lord magically teleported the hero in grand style. The festivities, however, were dampened by an outburst from Rotoluncia and the untimely arrival of Pothos the apothecary, who bore news that he had failed to locate a sufficient cache of blood moss as the Mage Lord had requested. The meal ended abruptly in light of these proceedings.

Later, one of the Avatar's companions were abducted by Rotoluncia in an attempt to force the hero to reveal to her the art of controlling daemons, which she mistakenly believed was common knowledge to all magic using Britannias due Batlin having one as company (it was actually a gargoyle of which Rotoluncia didn't know anything about). Filbercio eventually revealed to the Avatar that he had built a pleasure retreat for Rotoluncia and himself, and allowed the hero to make use of his magical yacht to investigate the area, where Rotoluncia and the lost companion were discovered.

Later, after the Avatar was found by Filbercio in the bedchambers of his current mistress Frigidazzi, the Mage Lord flew into a rage, convening an immediate trial for the purpose of having the hero banished to the Mountains of Freedom. After the Avatar bested the magical dungeon and obtained the freedom that was promised with escape, Filbercio was absent from his palace, presumably having business or pleasure to attend to elsewhere.

Filbercio could also be encountered in the realm of dreams, where he was suffering torture at the hands of Ensorcio, a vengeful mage whom he had banished from Moonshade.

Eventually, when Shamino the Anarch overtook Moonshade, Filbercio was slain. His body was found alongside that of his lover, Friggidazzi, in her bedchamber.

Trivia

 * The model for Filbercio's character portrait is Ultima VII Part Two programmer, Phil Sulak. Sulak also provides the voice of the Order Serpent.


 * According to the original design documents for Serpent Isle, Filbercio was meant to have survived the coming of Shamino the Anarch and to have been reduced to the position of street-sweeper in the new imbalanced order. Eager to get his throne back, Filbercio was to attempt to recruit the Avatar as an ally, giving the hero one of his Serpent Teeth, if assisted.


 * Also in the original documents, it is mentioned in passing that Filbercio has a daughter of whom he is very proud. Given the absence of other adepts with children, it is possible that this daughter was the woman seduced by Ensorcio.


 * Left-overs in the usecode reveal that Filbercio was reduced to a beggar by Shamino the Anarch and that everyone else was forbidden to give him any kind of help.