Iolo

Iolo FitzOwen (pronounced 'yo-lo') is a recurring character. He first appears in Ultima I and is one of the Companions of the Avatar.

He is one of the most famed Bards in Britannia, and a bower famous for his crossbows. He is married to Gwenno, a woman of very diverse skill (she has been a tinker, a bard, and a scholar). Iolo wrote the extremely popular Britannian song Stones, for which Gwenno wrote lyrics. This song, about Stonehenge, is very popular in Britannia and is known to be Lord British's favorite song.

Like many of the Avatar's companions, the Iolo character has a real-life counterpart, also a bower by trade-- David R. Watson of Texas. He wrote the Stones song; his late wife Kathleen Jones (who appeared in games as Gwenno) wrote the lyrics.

Iolo is originally from Earth. He can first be found as a ubiquitous town jester in Sosaria in Ultima I, one of the few times he was not seen with Gwenno. By Ultima II, the pair were apparently together and could be found in New San Antonio (circa 1990) on Earth.

When he first came to Britannia he resided in the town of Britain, however after his great adventuring partner was deemed the Avatar, he moved into a house in the Deep Forest outside Yew, where he keeps his talking horse, Smith (Iolo constantly scolds the horse for his sarcastic comments to the Avatar).

He is also an excellent bowsman and a bowyer, and invented the triple crossbow, a weapon capable of firing up to three crossbow bolts at once. He had two Iolo's Bows shops in Britannia at the height of success, around the time the Fellowship tried to help the Guardian enter Britannia.

Among the oldest of The Avatar's companions, by the time the Avatar made his final journey to Britannia, Iolo was an old man. He moved to a woodland estate east of Britain and fell under the Guardian's control in an expedition to Dungeon Despise. The Avatar freed Iolo, who eventually repaid the Avatar by teaching him an advanced bow skill, and placing the rune of compassion inside the tower at Despise -- facilitating the destruction of the Guardian's evil chokehold on the land.

Iolo's current whereabouts are uncertain.

Trivia

 * In Ultima VI, you can access a cheat menu by talking to Iolo. See Cheating in Ultima VI for more information.