Castle Britannia

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Description

Castle Britannia

Castle Britannia lies at the north end of Britain, south of Serpent's Spine. The castle is surrounded by a moat, and is heavily guarded. Castle Britannia is not only where Lord British, king of all of Britannia, lives, but also has long served as the political heart of the country. Here, the Great Council meets to debate the problems of the land and find solutions. In fact, it is here where virtually all important decisions of the realm are made. Also, once a week, Lord British gives public audiences where everyone can bring his or her matters before the king, as long as he or she waits in the line.

Two major sights within the keep are the great hall, where feasts and celebrations are held; and the throne room, where Lord British holds audiences. Castle Britannia is also the symbol of Infinity: the encompassing axiom which includes the Eight Virtues and three Principles.

History

Castle Britannia in Ultima I
The Castle's location in Sosaria

The Age of Darkness

In Ultima I, the Castle of Lord British was a single-story structure, and was of fairly spartan devising compared to the its incarnations in later Ages. It had storehouses for armour, weaponry and food, as well as a prison with a modest two cells. Within its confines, there lay the imprisoned Princess Julia, whom the Stranger could rescue.

In Ultima II, Lord British's castle in Sosaria was not seen. Due to either temporal meddling of the sorceress Minax or due to the king's own attempts to impact events on the planet, however, Castle Britannia somehow existed in multiple time-zones on Earth, and was present in both Earth (1423 B.C.) and in Earth (1990 A.D.). During this time, the castle housed a chapel, a mess hall and kitchen, a vault and a prison. In the 3,413 years that separated the two temporal instances of the castle, nothing changed in its environs, save for its inhabitants.

In Ultima III, the castle housed a healer and an Oracle. Additionally, the royal store rooms were now sealed off by an energy field, and the prison now contained a torture chamber, which was later removed.

When Exodus was destroyed, the foundations of Sosaria were rocked by cataclysmic changes. Whether the old castle was destroyed by these events and rebuilt, or stood strong against the twisting geography has been lost to history. In the end however, the castle found its way to the centre of Britannia on the shores of the Britanny Bay.

The Age of Enlightenment

In Ultima IV, the castle was located outside of the urban region, in the wilderness a short distance from Britain. The building was now a two-storied structure, sporting a barracks and a special chamber which housed the Seer, Hawkwind. A hidden entrance to dungeon Hythloth existed behind the castle at this time, although this later disappeared. It was during this age that the castle was named "Castle Britannia", as Britannia had just been unified under Lord British's rule and given its name - previously, the structure had simply been known as "Lord British's Castle".

In Ultima V, the Britannys had expanded around the castle, which now sported a forge, a basement, stables, and numerous new storerooms and bedchambers. During this time of Lord British's disappearance and Blackthorn's dictatorship, the absent king's bedchamber, which contained the king's sandalwood box and the fabled magic carpet, was kept under close guard.

The Age of Armageddon

The Great Hall

In Ultima VI and later in Ultima VII, Britain, which now included what was formerly the Britannys continued to expand around the castle, such as that it eventually became part of the city. Renovations on the castle continued thoughout the centuries, returning the castle to a single story, adding chambers for a court magician and for an expanded serving staff, and (despite Lord British's objections) inserting a royal nursery, which housed children of the members of the Great Council. It was during this time that the Castle's sewer systems began to expand into pre-extant tunnels beneath the earth, creating a vast underground dungeon-like expanse beneath the castle - although access to these sewers was not available during the Avatar's initial quest regarding the Fellowship and the construction of the Black Gate.

In Ultima Underworld II, most of the action took place within the confines of the castle, which had been cut off from the rest of Britannia by the Blackrock Dome by the Guardian during a feast which celebrated the Reconstruction following the disbanding of the Fellowship. The castle had changed significantly in the year since the destruction of the Black Gate, with the sewers once more opening onto an expansive underworld, several of the castles chambers seemingly converted for the use of guests, and Lord British's throne notably absent.

During this crisis, tensions ran high as the castle's well ran dry and its inhabitants were mocked by the voice of the Guardian. Leaving the stranded part-goers to mete out rations and strategy, the Avatar delved into the bowels of the castle's sewers, finding such oddities as a tunnel leading to Buccaneer's Den, through which thieves were attempting to raid the treasury and a tribe of goblins who had become stranded in the tunnels during a fishing expedition. Eventually, the hero found a Blackrock gem echoing the larger structure of the Guardian's devising. It was through this gem that the hero was able access other worlds which had been victimized by the red titan's magic and after numerous adventures in these realms, the champion of virtue managed to free the inhabitants of the castle from the dome - shattering it with the sound of the Horn of Praecor Loth, which the Avatar blew only with the assistance of a trapped air djinni in their lungs. This climactic event was accompanied by an extra-planar siege by the soldiers of the Guardian-controlled Killorn Keep, which eventually was repelled.

In Ultima VII Part Two, the ravages of the Imbalance sent multiple plagues across Britannia, including earthquakes. Lord British, meeting the Avatar briefly in the realm of dreams, told the hero of a crack in the foundation of the castle, and of his fears that the keep would fall.

In Ultima IX, little had been added to the castle, which had apparently either weathered the Imbalance or been rebuilt in the time that followed. It was again two-storied, although the building and it's staff had shrunk in scope. Lord British's throne room now took up most of the bottom floor, with his private chambers moved to the second. A large hedge maze sat to the west of the castle.

Lore

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"Welcome All!" The Royal jester Chuckles issues his greeting inside the entrance to the castle of Lord British. Passing through the main hall, past the fountain and guards, thou dost come upon the Royal Throne Room, and there thee and those with thee are accepted into the presence of His Majesty, Lord British. Only by gaining audience with His Lordship can those adventurers, who wouldst fight for the glory of Sosaria, raise their stature. Within the mighty fortress walls, if ye search well and come prepared, ye may succeed in finding the mystic oracle, who will reveal to thee thy true quest. Ye will find, too, the Royal Store Rooms, well-guarded, of course, by a field of force. Though prisoners are oft evil and corrupt, ye may find them a useful source. Into the prison, then, ye should fare, and speak to all within. And if thou searcheth out of doors, perchance to find a special clue.

- from Secrets of Sosaria (Ultima III)

Lord British's magnificent castle is situated in the centre of the continent, overlooking Britanny Bay. This tall building is the greatest architectural structure of the new age. Loyal subjects may pay homage to His Majesty, and renew fealty whenever they are in the vicinity of his castle.

- from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)

Headquarters and home of Lord British, located on Britanny Bay. Those aspiring to the Way of the Avatar should become familiar with this landmark. The marble and tile castle has been enlarged and improved since the Age of the Avatar. Now five stories, the castle has among its many features two kitchens, and excellent armoury, a rooftop observatory, and the finest stable in the land.

- from Book of Lore (Ultima V)

Chief among the places in Britannia, my keep overlooks the town of Britain from the protected flanks of the Serpent's Spine. Visitors to the castle will find evidence of my many interests and hobbies within its marbled halls. Though my authority extends from the throne to the most remote regions of the Kingdom, none shall be turned away who come to me for counsel in their time of need. And forget not, Avatar, that I have prepared a room for you in my castle that you might find a place of rest from your long journeys abroad.

- from Compendium (Ultima VI)

Inhabitants

Ultima I

Ultima II

Castle Britannia in Ultima II

In all time periods:

Only on Earth (1423 B.C.):

Only on Earth (1990 A.D.):

Ultima III

Castle Britannia in Ultima III


Ultima IV

Castle Britannia level 1
Castle Britannia level 2


Ultima V


Ultima V: Lazarus


Ultima VI

Castle Britannia in Ultima VI

And below in the sewers.


Ultima VII

Castle Britannia in Ultima VII


Ultima Underworld II

The Castle in Ultima Underworld II

And below in the sewers.


Ultima IX

Runes of Virtue II

Services

Ultima IV

Ultima IV (Nintendo Port)

Ultima V

Trivia

The castle in the manga
  • In no two Ultimas does the interior of the Castle Britannia look the same.
  • In Ultima V, it was possible to repeatedly access the treasure vault without using more than one skull key. If a bed on the same level as the vault was used and the player slept for an hour, the player could return to the vault and find the door still unlocked--but full treasure chests will have reappeared.
  • In the Quest of the Avatar Manga, Castle Britannia looks quite different from its usual appearance, instead resembling a French château constructed over a lake. It appears to have been photoreferenced from the famed manor house of Chenonceau in France's Loire Valley.
  • Corpsers could be found in the moat in Ultima VII, ready to attack the unwary townfolk.
  • Even though the Avatar had private quarters set aside in Ultima VI, Ultima Underworld II, and Ultima IX, his room has mysteriously disappeared during Ultima VII.

See Also

Geography
Britannia
Cities Yew ☥ Minoc ☥ Skara Brae ☥ Britain ☥ New Magincia ☥ Moonglow ☥ Jhelom ☥ Trinsic ☥ Magincia
Castles Castle Britannia ☥ Empath Abbey ☥ Lycaeum ☥ Serpent's Hold
Bordermarch ☥ Farthing ☥ Windemere ☥ Stonegate
Towns Britannys ☥ Buccaneer's Den ☥ Cove ☥ Dawn ☥ Paws ☥ Terfin ☥ Vesper
Shrines Compassion ☥ Honesty ☥ Honor ☥ Humility ☥ Justice ☥ Sacrifice ☥ Valor ☥ Spirituality ☥ Shrine of the Codex
Dungeons The Abyss ☥ Covetous ☥ Deceit ☥ Despise ☥ Destard ☥ Doom ☥ Hythloth ☥ Shame ☥ Wrong
Lighthouses Fogsbane ☥ Greyhaven ☥ Stormcrow ☥ Waveguide
Caves Ant Mound ☥ Bee Cave ☥ Buccaneer's Cave ☥ Cyclops Cave ☥ Desert Dungeon ☥ Heftimus Cave ☥ Heroes' Hole ☥ Spirit Tunnels ☥ Spider Cave ☥ Swamp Cave ☥ Vesper Mines
Islands Ambrosia ☥ Isle of the Avatar ☥ Dagger Isle ☥ Deadman's Island ☥ Isle of Deeds
Isle of Fire ☥ Marsor's Isle ☥ Spektran ☥ Valarian Islands ☥ Valorian Isles ☥ Verity Isle
Lakes Lake Generosity ☥ Lock Lake ☥ Lost Lake
Major Areas Bloody Plains ☥ Bog of Desolation ☥ Britanny Bay ☥ Cape of Heroes ☥ Deep Forest ☥ Drylands ☥ Fens of the Dead ☥ High Steppes ☥ Lost Hope Bay ☥ Realm of the Gargoyles ☥ Serpent's Spine ☥ Spiritwood ☥ Underworld
Sosaria
Lands of Lord British (just Sosaria in Ultima III)
Cities Britain ☥ Dawn ☥ Death Gulch ☥ Devil Guard ☥ Grey ☥ Montor
Moon ☥ Fawn ☥ Paws ☥ Tune ☥ Yew
Castles Castle of Lord British ☥ Castle of the Lost King
Landmarks The Pillars of Protection ☥ The Tower of Knowledge
Dungeons (Ultima I) Death's Awakening ☥ The Dungeon of Doubt ☥ The Dungeon of Montor ☥ The Dungeon of Perinia ☥ The Lost Caverns ☥ The Mines of Mt. Drash ☥ The Mines of Mt. Drash II ☥ Mondain's Gate to Hell ☥ The Unholy Hole
Dungeons (Ultima III) Dardin's Pit ☥ Dungeon of Doom ☥ Dungeon of Fire ☥ Dungeon of the Snake ☥ Dungeon of Time ☥ Mines of Morinia ☥ Perinian Depths
Islands and Other Sites Ambrosia ☥ Isle of Fire ☥ Mt. Drash
Ultima II Time Zones
Pangea Baradin's Town
1423 B.C. Castle of Lord British ☥ Le Jester ☥ Towne Linda
1990 A.D. Castle of Lord British ☥ New San Antonio ☥ Port Bonifice
Aftermath Pirates Harbour
Time of Legends Shadowguard
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