Magic Shop

During the earliest Age of Darkness, the magic shop tended to the needs of the magically enabled adventurer.

Description
As magic had only been rediscovered in Sosaria shortly before the time of Ultima I, the magical community was still in its infancy and the magically skilled adventurer could not learn magic from experienced mages - as these didn't exist yet - nor was a purchase from specialised shops such as an apothecary possible, as these didn't yet exist, either. In order to fill this gap, these crude magic shops were established to sell magic scrolls that at least allowed tapping into the vast powers of magic, but offered little other services.

Pre-History to Akalabeth
In the far history of Sosaria also known as "Akalabeth", a ban came upon the mystic tradition by the lords of lands, because of its corrupting influence upon the general populace.

Age of Darkness
While the practice of magic had once died out in Sosaria, the arcane arts started to reawaken as the second attack on the Realm by the wizard Mondain began its vile influences in the earliest days of the Age of Darkness. In Ultima I, two different chains of these shops existed in Sosaria, with each chain having a different collection of spells available for purchase. In no town were both shops available. By the time of Exodus, magic had become a part of Sosaria again and these crude shops vanished consequently.

Magic on Minax's Earth
Due to disturbances in the timeline of Terran history, the arcane arts began it existence on Earth in  Ultima II. However, at this time the magic shops started to separate their scrolls into wizard and clerical spells and selling them in bunches of five.