Captain Johne

Captain Johne is a talented sea captain and a powerful mage.

He was partly responsible for the freeing of the Shadowlords prior to Ultima V, although inadvertently so: His ship, the Ararat, was swallowed by a whirlpool and beached in the Underworld. Stranded and driven nearly insane by the shards, he murdered his three mates, and from their blood, the Shadowlords arose, leaving him alive with his guilt. The Avatar could find the wrecked ship while exploring the Underworld, and learn from his firsthand testimony about the origin and nature of the Shadowlords. Captain Johne was all too eager to join the Avatar's party to be rescued from the Underworld, redeem himself and destroy the Shadowlords.

By Ultima VI, Johne had build a house down in Hythloth, studying the gargoyles and teaching Beh Lem English. He had sent the silver tablet to Mariah so that the humans could understand the motivation of the gargoyles, but had no idea what actually happened to it. Johne begged the Avatar to help the gargoyles, and taught the hero their language.

Ultima V: Lazarus
In Ultima V: Lazarus, Captain Johne could be found beneath Dungeon Despise, stranded with the remains of his vessel, the Ararat. The tormented man longed for the days of when he used to sail the seas of Britannia, but told the Avatar that now he was haunted by the Shadowlords for the sins he had committed.

He confided in the hero with the tale of how he spawned the Shadowlords, telling how he, his loving wife Faulina, his shipmate Nosfentre, a bard named Astarol, and Sutek a traveling mage were dragged beneath the sea by a whirlpool. Captain Johne inadvertently came in contact with the Shards of the Gem of Immortality, and the evil from the gem caused him to descend into madness, doubting and fearing his companions. In his madness, he slew his companions with the shards of the gems, and from their bodies arose the Shadowlords. From this point onward, the Shadowlords tormented him, refusing to allow him to die, and constantly showed him the pain they inflicted upon Britannia to make Captain Johne suffer. They even showed him how they had kidnapped Lord British, and dragged him to the centre of the Underworld.

Trivia

 * The character is based on programmer John Miles.
 * The name of Johne's ship, Ararat, comes from the name of the mountain Noah's ark landed on after the flood according to legend.
 * The Tale of Captain Johne by Michael D. Hilborn is based upon Captain Johne's story from Ultima V and serves as backstory for Ultima V: Lazarus. The complete text can be found at: http://www.biggles2k.com/johne/ttocj_toc.html
 * The Memoirs of Sir Cabirus suggests that the Avatar rescued Captain Johne from the depths of Hythloth, and saved him from the Gargoyles.