Iolo

Iolo FitzOwen [yoh-loh] 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 bowyer 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 composed the popular Britannian ballad, "Stones," for which Gwenno wrote the lyrics. The song—a reminiscence of Stonehenge—is known to be the favorite of Lord British.

Biography
Iolo is originally from Earth. He can first be found as an ubiquitous town jester in Britain in Ultima I, singing "Ho eyo he hum". A character called "Gwino", most likely Gwenno, can be found in Lord British's Castle. By Ultima II, Iolo and Gwenno were apparently together and could be found in New San Antonio on Earth in 1990. In Ultima III Iolo is found in Lord British's Castle, and again a character called "Gwino" can be found nearby.

When he first came to Britannia he resided in the town of Britain; after his great adventuring partner was deemed the Avatar however, Iolo moved into a house in the Deep Forest outside Yew (Iolo's Hut), where he kept 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, giving him his personal bow in the process, and placing the rune of compassion inside the tower at Despise -- facilitating the destruction of the Guardian's evil chokehold on the land.

The Tale of Iolo and the Brigand: A Parable of Compassion
''Iolo was Bard, bowman and freeholder, as well as the trusted friend and champion of Lord British. It was not strange, therefore, that his neighbors should turn to him in time of crisis.''

''The nature of the crisis at hand was a single man named Edric, a brigand by trade, who had come to haunt the trails that cut through the wild forests and hills of that region. He was a most cruel villain, with no thought for the lives or honor of his victims, and robbery was the very least of his depravities.''

See the complete tale at: The Tale of Iolo and the Brigand: a Parable of Hhonesty

Trivia

 * Like many of the Avatar's companions, the Iolo character has a real-life counterpart, also a bowyer by trade -- David R. Watson of Texas. He composed the ballad, "Stones;" his late wife Kathleen Jones (who appeared in games as Gwenno) wrote the lyrics.
 * In Ultima VI, you can access a cheat menu by talking to Iolo. See Cheating in Ultima VI for more information.
 * When meeting Iolo in his dreams in Ultima Underworld II, he looks much younger. Makes it clear that old men do dream of being young...