Children

A child is a human being who has not yet attained adulthood. Children are present in Ultima IV,  V,  VI,  VII,  VII Part Two,   VIII, and  Ultima IX.

Description
The Stranger could first encounter children after the end of the Age of Darkness, where youngsters could often be found wandering the streets of the newly-founded cities of Britannia. Many children during the early Age of Enlightenment were being brought up in the ways of virtue by a populace in the process of adopting Lord British's ethical system, and such youths could frequently be found in the care of the bards of Britain.

Later, during the years of the Oppression, many young people faced victimization under the draconian rule of Lord Blackthorn's regime, and were subject to the same penalties of law as adults - facing torture and execution under the new regime. Children of this era also frequently saw themselves orphaned, and were at times victims of exploitative labor practices. While conditions for Britannian youth improved after the return of Lord British to power, abuses still existed, and were exacerbated in later ages by the rise of the Fellowship and the rise of the Guardian's columns.

Lore
It takes a good deal of compassion to deal with children! - Shalimar in Britain, Ultima IV

''All round the world, little children being born to the world. Got to give them all we can 'til the quest is won, then will the work be done!'' - Linda in Cove, Ultima IV

Notable Examples

 * Barren: a child living in Skara Brae during Ultima IV who knew the mantra of Spirituality
 * Terrin: a fightened child hiding from a bull in Trinsic during Ultima IV; knew the location of the Rune of Honor
 * William: a young boy dwelling in Moonglow during Ultima IV who could reveal the location of the Rune of Honesty
 * Aleyn: a young victim of Blackthorn's laws who could be found in Yew during Ultima V
 * Froed: the son of an imprisoned Resistance fighter living alone in Skara Brae during Ultima V
 * Rew: the daughter of Great Council member Fiona, who worked as an enslaved child laborer in Minoc during Ultima V
 * Ariana: the keeper of the Rune of Compassion during Ultima VI; her encounter with the Avatar would later inspire her to create the Lover's Walk in Cove
 * Ariana: a child raised by cyclopes; could be encountered in the ruins of Stonegate during Ultima VI
 * Catherine: a young girl who befriended the Gargish people in the racially ghettoized Vesper of Ultima VII
 * Garritt: the spoilt son of the philanthropist Feridwyn; appears in Ultima VII
 * Kristy: an orphaned girl in the care of Castle Britannia's Royal Nursery during Ultima VII; is to feature as an adult in the fan game Ultima IX: Redemption
 * Spark: a teenage boy from Trinsic who joined the company of the Avatar during Ultima VII that he might avenge the death of his father
 * Tobias: a sullen farm boy living in Paws during Ultima VII; one of the few adherents to the Eight Virtues in this era.
 * Cantra: a teenage girl living in Monitor during Ultima VII Part Two; her possession by one of the Banes of Chaos and murder at the hands of Batlin are a major plot point
 * Maria: a tortured girl imprisoned on Terfin during Ultima IX; she begs the Avatar to kill her
 * Meribeth: the sickly daughter of Britain's mayor, Aidon, during Ultima IX; her illness eventually forces her into exile in Paws due to her own father's policies

Trivia

 * A greatly controversial part of Ultima lore includes the "killer children" room; first encountered in the dungeon Hythloth in Ultima V (see screenshot at right), this is a part of the game wherein the player is assaulted by multiple children and must somehow deal with them. Richard Garriott originally included this dilemma to force players to consider their actions and hopefully provoke an emotional response... not to promote child abuse.
 * In Ultima VIII, exiting Tenebrae through the northern exit and following the wall heading east will lead the Avatar to a group of children who will approach and attack the hero if they venture too close.