Fissif

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Fissif
Fissif.png
Fissif, from Ultima Underworld II
Species: human
Appearances
Ultima Underworld II

Fissif is a thief native to Buccaneer's Den. He appears in Ultima Underworld II.

Description[edit]

Fissif journeyed to the sewers of Castle Britannia via Buccaneer's Cave, hoping to acquire various commodities of value from the revelers who had gathered for the Feast of the Rebuilding. After he had managed to abscond with a few items (most notably the Avatar's pocketwatch and the key to the keep's armoury) he found himself trapped by the Guardian's blackrock dome, and became stranded in the waterways beneath the castle. Forced to forage on rats, Fissif was left in a desperate situation, and eventually lost the armoury key in his skirmishes with the monsters of the trenches.

Should the Avatar find Fissif and treat him amiably, the thief would prove a font of knowledge, and could tell the hero about the various hazard of the sewers, as well as describing the covert revival of the Fellowship in Buccaneer's Den and confirming Nell's assertion that the incantation used to summon the dome took place at four in the morning. The Avatar would also have the opportunity to confront Fissif about the pilfered watch and could thereby reclaim it, and with sufficient coaxing, could convince the man to turn himself over to Lord British's guards that he might avoid the slow death of starvation eventually awaiting him beneath the castle.

Once in custody, Fissif would remember the Avatar's treatment of him, and if he found the hero's conduct agreeable he would prove willing to offer his services as a trainer in the arts of misappropriation, in addition to providing reasonably priced lockpicks for interested buyers.[1]

Lore[edit]

Fissifpic.gif
So, ye're wantin' the goods on Lord B's castle, eh? Ye've come t'the roight man, mate, I've been down the tunnel three toimes now, never been caught! Don't worry yerself, I won't ask ye what ye want it for — none o' my business, right? Roight!Now, ye've got the money, don't ye? Blimey! Never seen coinage o' this sort before! ... The gold's good, though, so I'll help thee out.


Trivia[edit]

  • Fissif is possibly named for the second-class thief of the same name in Fritz Leiber's swords-and-sorcery story, Ill Met in Lankhmar. A collection of Leiber's stories from the same universe can be found amongst the books in Castle Britannia.[2]
  • Prior to the events of the game, Bishop managed to contact Fissif across dimensions, and paid the thief to give him a record of what the thieves of Buccanneer's Den knew about both Castle Britannia and its sewer system. Bishop later compiled this account, alongside others, into the book known as Gems of Enlightenment which he hoped would prove an aid to those seeking to revolt against the Guardian's inter-dimensional empire.
  • Fissif can provide training in the Acrobat, Picklock, Stealth and Traps skills, if treated well before his imprisonment. If the Avatar threatens or bullies him prior to his incarceration, however, he may refuse to assist.

References[edit]