Lady Tessa

Lady Tessa
Lady Tessa, from Ultima VI
Species:	human
Appearances
Ultima VI Location: Serpent's Hold Transcript: Tessa The Ultima 6 Project Lady Tessa, from The Ultima 6 Project Location: Serpent's Hold Ultima V: Lazarus Lady Tessa, from Ultima V: Lazarus Location: Bordermarch Ultima V Lady Tessa, from Ultima V Location: Bordermarch Transcript: Lady Tessa Ultima IV Lady Tessa, from Ultima IV Location: Paws Description: wise lady Transcript: Lady Tessa

Lady Tessa is a woman of importance throughout the Britannian Age of Enlightenment. Together with her lord, Sir Simon, she has long helped to safeguard Lord British's realm, protecting its relics and standing for its virtues in the face of adversity. She appears in Ultima III through Ultima VI.

Description

Age of Darkness

In the days of ancient Sosaria, a Mistress Tessa was listed as part of an undertaking known as the "Great Work." This project, commissioned by British in his days as king of Sosaria, set out to create a series of detailed maps of his realm resulting from the exploratory travels of various adventurers. To this end, Tessa provided notes and charts describing her travels in the mysterious Dungeon of Time, a strange location which could only be found through the use of the ancient moongates. Within this puzzling labyrinth dwelt the Time Lord, whom the Stranger would eventually have to consult for knowledge as to how to defeat the dreaded Exodus.

Age of Enlightenment

Years later, after Sosaria had been rechristened Britannia and the realm underwent its renaissance of public ethics, Tessa could be found alongside Simon in Pierre's armoury in the hamlet of Paws. Here, she and her lord awaited the coming of a hero who had attained partial Avatarhood in the eight virtues, upon whom she intended to bestow knowledge of the Mystic Weapons which had been entrusted to her by the smith, Zircon.. When the Stranger at last approached her thus enlightened, she would reveal that she had hidden the arms within the Academy of Serpent's Hold.

In the decades after this fated meeting with Britannia's future champion, Tessa and Simon would see the rise of the corrupt Lord Blackthorn, and stalwartly standing against the oppressive regent, they would band together with the kingdom's Resistance, taking to the remote keep of Bordermarch where they did their utmost to persevere against the Oppression's regime. Should the returned Avatar eventually seek her out, Tessa could prove invaluable through her use of the mystic arts, scrying the location of the missing ruler's amulet amongst the graves of valiant warriors in the Underworld. Knowing much of this artifact, the wise lady would further tell the hero that it could light the way through even in the deepest darkness, and that it would be essential in the quest to reach the lair of the Shadowlords. Eventually, her predictions regarding the bauble would prove true, and the Avatar would be able to restore the true king to power.

The collapse of the Underworld that followed the sovereign's rescue, however, would have devastating effects on Simon's castle, and the great earthquakes which marked the years which followed eventually sank the isle of Bordermarch into the Great Sea. Fleeing with her husband to the Isle of Deeds, Tessa went on to succeed Gardner as the keeper of the great Flame of Courage, whilst Simon rose to be Lord of Serpent's Hold. The Avatar could meet with her again during the Gargoyle War, and would find the gentle lady of the keep held her old friend in fond remembrance.

Ultima V: Lazarus

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This is an Ultima V: Lazarus-related article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima V or other Ultima games.

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In Ultima V: Lazarus, Lady Tessa told the hero that she came from a long line of nobility, predating even Britannia, whom had originally owned a large swath of land in the area between Trinsic and Paws, although, she admitted little of that mattered now that Blackthorn had come to power.

After the fall of Trinsic, Lady Tessa had scryed the location of Bordermarch, and the hidden cave system which led up to the forgotten keep, finding a safe place to hide from Blackthorn's Oppression. A remnant of forgotten wars and ancient history, Bordermarch had served as a safe base for Sir Simon's support of the Resistance. Lady Tessa urged the hero to seek out Lord British's Amulet, located deep in the Underworld where the liege's expedition had finally fallen. She told the hero that the magical powers of the silver serpent amulet would light the hero's way where no other light would suffice.

The Ultima 6 Project

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This is an Ultima 6 Project-related NPC article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima VI or other Ultima games.

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In The Ultima 6 Project, if the Avatar had spoken to Lord Whitsaber about the hooded stranger that had visited him, Lady Tessa mentioned that the same individual had called upon Serpent's Hold. The hooded wanderer approached the night watch, and had asked for assistance contacting the Avatar about a matter of great importance, but was told it could not be done. This unusual traveler was actually Beh Lem, who also asked about pirates in Serpent's Hold, which the guard vehemently denied. Beh Lem was directed to Buccaneer's Den to search for pirates, and soon departed.

Lore

“	Bordermarch is the fortified retreat of the respected Britannian governors Sir Simon and Lady Tessa. Forced to flee the tyranny of Blackthorn's kingdom because of their steadfast opposition to his rule, the knight and his Lady made their home on a lonely, mountainous island north of Jhelom. – from Paths of Destiny (Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny)

Trivia

• In the Nintendo remake of Ultima IV (where most character names were omitted and dialogue was significantly modified), Lady Tessa can be identified as the woman at the weapons dealer in Vesper. Instead of talking about the mystic arms, she gives information about the Axe of Legend.
• There is a barony within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) known as Bordermarch, which was founded by a Sir Simon of the Amber Isle and a Lady Tessa of the Gardens. This fief is in the greater kingdom of Ansteorra, where Richard Garriott has been known to participate in the persona of Shamino Sallé Dacil in the barony of Bryn Gwlad. The Ultima character is based upon this Lady Tessa, in accordance with Garriott's penchant for giving his friends in the SCA in-game cameos.

Gallery

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  Lady Tessa on the NES

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  NES remake

See Also

Mystic arms thread: Seesha & Scatu → Zircon → Lady Tessa & Sir Simon

NES axe of legend thread: Seesha & Lady Tessa → Zircon