Buccaneer's Den

Description
East of the Britannian mainland and West of New Magincia lies Buccaneer's Den, with the isolated Orney Isle bordering the southern side of its harbor. Far from the powers of the British government, this secluded settlement is a well-known haven for the pirates and criminals of the realm and is home to the notorious Guild of Thieves. Given its lawless culture, the island city has long had a significant black market catering to those in search of exotic or illegal goods, and a canny adventurer can often find rare and useful items here, if they know where to look.

Age of Darkness
In the dark ages of old Sosaria, the pirates of the realm formed a unified fleet, which eventually drove all legitimate merchant and military vessels from the ocean around the time of Ultima III. Years later, around the time when the land was unified under Lord British as Britannia, the village of Buccaneer's Den was established.

Age of Enlightenment
By the time of Ultima IV, this secretive community of brigands and outcasts was not yet known to the world of large, and was absent from the maps of the era, despite being a major hub for the now outlawed Guild. When its existence eventually became common knowledge, its illicit dealings gradually became more secretive - with piracy and thievery eventually becoming taboo topics in the towne by the time of Ultima VI. Despite this policy of silence, the Guild of the city nevertheless flourished during these years, and managed to construct extensive tunnels in secret, connecting the island to the sewage systems of Britain and Castle Britannia.

Age of Armageddon
Unlike many of the other cities of the realm, Buccaneer's Den flourished in the years following the ending of human-gargoyle hostilities, with the once hostile freehold slowly transforming itself to a popular resort for tourists and gamblers. Aided by the nascent Fellowship, the residents of Buccaneer's Den built a profitable casino and bathhouse, and the economy of the towne blossomed as travelers came from all corners of the kingdom to partake of the pleasures of the isle. This income, in turn, fattened the purses of the involved Fellowship operatives, allowing the society to finance its agendas. Parts of the tunnel network were eventually refurbished for use by the group, and one of the Fellowship's assassins, Hook, was permanently housed in these labyrinthine caves.

Later, after the discovery of the Fellowship's true nature and the subsequent order for its disbandment, Buccaneer's Den remained within the group's thrall, with those who resisted Lord British's ban flocking to the island and meeting in secret. During the Guardian's assault on Castle Britannia in Ultima Underworld II, a gathering of Fellowship loyalists converged in the city, and were apparently to play a role in the abortive invasion attempt launched by the Red Titan.

While the Fellowship appears to have eventually been driven from Buccaneer's Den in the decades that followed, the volatile port towne nevertheless thrived in the years which saw such catastrophes as the storms of the Imbalance and the Great Cataclysm. By the time of the Avatar's final return to the realm in Ultima IX, Buccaneer's Den was one of the largest cities in Britannia, and thievery, prostitution and slavery were all practiced openly within it, while the Guild ruled openly under its leader, Samhayne.

Lore




Ultima IV

 * Boris (U4): ugly orc
 * Brigant: big, fat troll
 * Dancek: old tinker
 * Green Beard: tall pirate with a green beard
 * Hook (U4): proprietor of Hook's Arms
 * Ignap: tall mage
 * Jeremy James Scirlock: sneaky thief
 * Limpy: proprietor of Basic Armour
 * Marsor: plump wine merchant
 * One Eyed Willey: proprietor of Pirate's Guild
 * Ragnar: solemn ranger
 * Rankbreath: tall, muscular, impressive guard
 * Roofus: mean looking guard
 * Sailor (U4): scruffy sailor
 * Seanna: slinky mage
 * Shannon: proprietor of Magic Mentar
 * Silver John: tall pirate
 * Slysam: nimble thief
 * Sniflet: cowering man
 * Starlight: black-clad mage
 * The Cap'n: proprietor of Captain Black Tavern


 * Ramsel: amoral pirate (NES port only)



Ultima V

 * Bidney: drunk man
 * Daem: guildmaster at The Nemesis
 * Geoffrey: Companion of the Avatar
 * Jones: shipwright at The Rusty Bucket
 * Kitiara: shopkeeper at Buccaneers Booty
 * Lord Dalgrin: pirate lord
 * Nikki: barkeep at The Fallen Virgin
 * Ransack: innkeeper at The King's Ransom
 * Scally: entertainer
 * Sven: pirate
 * Thorkin: blacksmith
 * Tierra: wench

Ultima V: Lazarus

 * Ancient Mariner: watches the sea



Ultima VI

 * Budo: guild master
 * Captain Elad: seaman
 * Captain Fox: seaman
 * Enrik: blacksmith
 * Fentrissa: shipwright
 * Homer: ex-pirate
 * Johann: musician
 * Leodon: adventurer
 * Leonna: adventurer
 * Petroph: innkeeper
 * Shawn: cook



Ultima VII

 * Anton: imprisoned scholar
 * Blacktooth: retired pirate
 * Budo: provisioner
 * Danag: Fellowship interim branch leader
 * Glenno: master of the Baths
 * Gordy: overseer of the House of Games
 * Grod: jailer and torturer
 * Hook: assassin
 * Lucky: trainer
 * Mandy: tavernkeeper
 * Martine: Baths hostess
 * Mole: retired pirate
 * Roberto: Baths host
 * Smithy: croupier at the House of Games
 * Sullivan: imprisoned con artist
 * Sintag: guard at the House of Games
 * Wench: Baths hostess

Ultima VII (SNES Port)

 * Hofa: guard at the House of Games
 * La Fitte: provisioner



Ultima IX

 * Aneassa: tavernkeeper
 * Aria: thief
 * Brutus: bully
 * Bjorn: local drunk
 * Dunston: thief
 * Gabe: thug
 * Herzog: provisioner
 * Jade: prostitute
 * Jonah: salesman
 * Katie: slave girl
 * Keagan: cartographer
 * Linus: slave
 * Montego: slaver
 * Omar: thug
 * Pearli: parrot
 * Raven: pirate
 * Phineus: trainer
 * Samhayne: mayor
 * Sasha: ghost
 * Warrick: guild master



Ultima IV

 * Basic Armour: armoury
 * Captain Black Tavern: tavern
 * Hook's Arms: weapon shop
 * Magic Mentar: apothecary
 * Pirate's Guild: guild shop

Ultima V

 * Buccaneers Booty: weapon shop/armoury
 * The Fallen Virgin: tavern
 * The King's Ransom: inn
 * The Nemesis: guild shop
 * The Rusty Bucket: shipwright

Ultima VI

 * The Fallen Virgin: tavern

Ultima VII

 * House of Baths: brothel
 * House of Games: casino
 * The Fallen Virgin: tavern/inn

Ultima IX

 * The Salty Dog Pub: tavern
 * Keagan's Map World: cartographer
 * Guild House: guild shop
 * Herzog's Supply Warehouse: provisions shop
 * Jade's Pleasure House: prostitute

Things to see

 * Buccaneer's Cave
 * The Baths
 * House of Games

Trivia

 * In the original plans for Ultima IX, Buccaneer's Den was very different. For one, it was called Asylum and no longer was a pirate city (also noted on the concept art). Also it more resembled a normal city, despite some similarities in architecture. The House of Baths also was present in that incarnation of the city.


 * Buccaneer's Den features heavily in Hiroyuki Watanabe's Ultima-inspired manga,  Ultima: The Fall of Magincia. In this comic, the pirates of the city were previously united by Susadora's father, and their fleet allies with the people of Golaia in the battle against the forces of Vitor.