User:Abacos

Studies: Degree in Physics, Master in Astrophysics.

Location: France

Known languages: English, French, Lombard, Italian, Spanish ( but also: ancient Latin, a bit of German, a little bit of Swahili).

Hobbies: snowboarding, cooking, French-Belgian bande-dessinée, ...and also making diagrams out of role-playing video-games!

Category: Time Travel and Anachronisms

Timeline of the ages of darkness
Because "REAL" and "OFFICIAL" are often different from each other.

Official nonsense
From this analysis, it is apparent that the official continuity of Ultima 1 includes a plot flaw. See the end of the left timeline. The timeline on the right is self-consistent, and there is no need whatsoever for the self-contradictory timeline on the left.

Real (but unofficial) timeline of the ages of darkness
Criteria:
 * Any time in the past and in the future is the Present sooner or later. There is no privileged point of view along the timeline.
 * I consider "alteration of the past" nothing more than a plot flaw (see above); it can be nice and functional for comedies ("Back to the Future", "Sliding Doors"), but nobody considers Ultima a comedy.
 * I analyze games and add facts to the timeline in this order: Ultima 1, Akalabeth (no time travel), Ultima 2, Ultima 3 (no time travel).
 * I give priority to what is said and shown in the games; I do not trust manuals; I refuse to read "official spoiler books".
 * I try to avoid retroactive corrections to continuity.

Further notes:
 * Ultima 2 takes place in two worlds separate from Sosaria: the "Time of Legend" and "Minax's Alternate Earth". Since these two worlds are separate from Sosaria, their timelines are separate, too.

First age of darkness

 * From the rise of Mondain until his official death


 * Dark age of Akalabeth
 * Mondain, second son of king Wolfgang, spreads terror in Akalabeth. He created deep dungeons, then unleashed evil creatures from their depth.
 * British, "Champion of White Light", fights the minions of Mondain.
 * The "Stranger from another World" travels back in time from the future Sosaria and lands Mondain's fortress. He defeats the evil wizard, then he falls into a magic sleep.
 * British claims victory against Mondain; he is proclaimed Lord British, Protector of Akalabeth.


 * Golden age of time travel
 * After the death of Mondain, time doors appear in Sosaria.
 * Minax steps into a time door, and she leaves Sosaria forever (see: #Time of Legends).
 * For about fifteen years, Sosaria was at peace.
 * Lord British keeps the asleep Stranger secretly hidden.
 * Twenty years later, a lonely orc emerges from a time door in Sosaria. Later, more evil comes out from the time doors.


 * One thousand years
 * Time doors disappear for most of this millenium.
 * Monsters keep spawning from the dungeons. Lord British calls forth champions to clear out the dungeons (Akalabeth).
 * The followers of Mondain spread the rumor that the evil wizard is still alive (indeed, Mondain cannot be killed now, because he died already).
 * Lord British keeps the asleep Stranger secretly hidden.
 * The landlocked region known as Akalabeth fades through history into the larger "Lands of Lord British", one of the four continents of Sosaria.
 * Eight kingdoms emerge in the four continents of Sosaria.

The facts of Ultima 1:
 * Recent years
 * Eight princesses appear in Sosaria. They know about the time machine (and also about the Starwalkers ). Each of them is imprisoned by a different king.
 * Lord British opens the gate known as "Dangerous Seat" ("Siege Perilleux") and summons the "Stranger from Another World".
 * Mondain is nowhere to be found because, obviously he died 1000 years earlier.
 * The "Stranger from Another World" finds the time machine and leaves this age traveling one thousand years to the past.
 * Lord British awakens the "Stranger" he kept hidden in magic sleep for one thousand years.
 * Lord British declares to the population that Mondain was killed by the Stranger in this age. All rumors about Mondain being alive stop.

Second age of darkness

 * From the awakening of the Stranger until the first great land upheaval

The facts of Ultima 2:


 * Time doors appear in Sosaria again. Some Sosarians decide to travel through them (Father Antos, Iolo and Gwenno).
 * Men from Minax's "Alternate Earth" come to Sosaria through a time gate. They tell that Minax caused the devastation of their world.
 * The Stranger volunteers to venture into the time doors, on a pre-emptive quest to defeat Minax before she devastates Sosaria.
 * After the Stranger left Sosaria through a time door, Minax displaces the whole castle of Lord British to the "Alternate Earth".
 * Before the Stranger comes back to Sosaria, Castle British comes back to Sosaria. Father Antos, Iolo and Gwenno come back, too.
 * Some adventurers from Minax's Alternate Earth come to Sosaria: Sentri (from XX century), Chuckles and Dupre (from XXII century).
 * The Stranger comes back to Sosaria (or to his native Earth?) after he defeated Minax. His victory is confirmed by the disappearance of the time doors.
 * One thousand years earlier, the death of Mondain released powerful magic energy that rended space and time . Flowing through time, such energy emerged at the present time and caused the first great land upheaval. The death of Minax released powerful magic energy, too, but Sosarian scholars agree that it did not cause any earthquake in Sosaria (maybe magic energies are confined to their own timeline?).

Third age of darkness

 * From the the first great land upheaval until the second great land upheaval

The world known as "Time of Legends"

 * The Time of Legends is not part of Sosaria, and therefore it follows a separate timeline.
 * The Ultima 2 manual clearly states that it follows a timeline separate from the Earth and the Alternate Earth, too.


 * Time doors appear in this world. Minax comes in from Akalabeth/Sosaria.
 * Minax builds the castle of Shadowguard.
 * In Shadowguard, Minax generates an army of monsters and opens more time gates connecting this world to different ages of Sosaria and of an Alternate Earth. There is no evidence that Minax reached the home world of the Stranger.
 * Using the time doors, her magic powers and her monsters, Minax heavily influences the history of the Alternate Earth.
 * Using the time doors, her magic powers and her monsters, Minax displaces the Castle of Lord British from Sosaria to the Alternate Earth.
 * The Stranger comes in through a time door connecting to the Alternate Earth. He enters Shadowguard and defeats Minax.
 * As Minax dies, this world collapses. The Stranger manages to leave before the time doors disappear forever.

The world known as "Minax's Alternate Earth"

 * Minax's Alternate Earth is not part of Sosaria, and therefore it follows a separate timeline.

Pangaea age:
 * Time doors appear in this age.
 * Through the time doors, Minax's monsters come in from the Time of Legend and Earthmen come in from the future.
 * Pirates from the future sail the Panthalassa ocean, while other time travelers establish the village of Baradins Town.
 * The Stranger arrives in this age. He visits Baradins Town and learns about the whereabouts of Father Antos and the Planet X.
 * The Stranger leaves this age through a time door.
 * Sooner or later, time doors disappear forever from this age.

1423 B.C.:
 * Time doors appear in this age.
 * Through the time doors, Minax's monsters come in from the Time of Legend and computer programmers come in from the future.
 * The whole castle of Lord British and its occupants are displaced to this age by Minax.
 * The Stranger arrives in this age. He visits the village of Le Jester and receives a clue about the Hotel California. He visits Lord British's castle and meets Brother Antos, who sets him on a quest to find Father Antos.
 * The Stranger leaves this age through a time door.
 * Castle British is displaced from this age to 3400 years in the future. It is unknown whether this is the doing of Minax or Lord British.
 * Sooner or later, time doors disappear forever from this age.

1990 A.D.:
 * Time doors appear in this age.
 * Through the time doors, Minax's monsters come in from the Time of Legend and Earthmen come in from other ages.
 * The whole castle of Lord British and its occupants are displaced to this age. Iolo and Gwenno move to the city of New San Antonio.
 * The Stranger arrives in this age. He visits Lord British's castle (where he meets Brother Antos again), Port Bonifice (where he learns more about Father Antos), and New San Antonio (where he meets the magic clerk of the Hotel California).
 * The Stranger leaves this age through a time door, and he reappears later, after having met Father Antos.
 * The Stranger meets Sentri in the prison of New San Antonio. He purchases the Quickblade and releases the fighter from jail.
 * The Stranger leaves this age through a time door forever.
 * After the last departure of the Stranger, Castle British is displaced from this "Alternate Earth" back to Sosaria. It can be assumed this was due to the magic powers of Lord British. Sentri, Iolo and Gwenno go to Sosaria, too.
 * Sooner or later, time doors disappear forever from this age.

XXII Century A.D.:
 * Earthmen "terraformed" all planets in the Solar System and colonized most of them.
 * Time doors appear in this age.
 * Through the time doors, Minax's monsters come in from the Time of Legend and Sosarians come in from other ages.
 * In 2111 A.D., Minax manages to turn the powers of the Earth against each other. The result is the total devastation of the Earth. Survivors escape to space or through Time Doors. Some time travelers end up in Sosaria.
 * In 2112 A.D., the Stranger arrives in this age. He visits Pirates Harbour and meets Chuckles the jester.
 * The Stranger uses a space rocket from Pirates Harbour and explores the Solar System. He visits Jupiter and meets Dupre in the Village of the Preppies.
 * The Stranger travels to the Planet X, where he meets Father Antos.
 * The Stranger leaves this age through a time door forever.
 * Later, Father Antos, Chuckles and Dupre enter a time door on planet Earth and end up in Sosaria forever.
 * Sooner or later, time doors disappear forever from this age.