This article is about a Britannian spell. For other uses, see Resurrection (disambiguation).
Resurrect
|
|
|
Resurrect is a true wonder of a healing spell; defying death.
Spell Description[edit]
Death is universally considered a insurmountable enemy and only a wonder can return life where death once was. A wonder is not needed once the Resurrect spell is learned! The spellcaster needs much mana and Experience to cast it, but if successful, every critical wound heals and the deceased will return to life. This makes this spell one of the most powerful ever recorded, but also one of the most taxing ones a mage can cast. Resurrect however does not work on victims whose bodies have been turned to ashes, or otherwise destroyed.
History[edit]
Resurrection was unknown to the beginning of the Age of Darkness. It was not until Ultima III that healers learned the art and a spell named Surmandum became available. Even then, the process was not yet perfected and it could happen the body would burn to ashes, in which case only the spell Anju Sermani could help. With the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, resurrection became a feat that could be practiced safely. Not only was it a standard service of healers – though at a hefty price – the spell, though first kept secret, allowed resurrections on the field. Strangely, the spell did vanish after Ultima VII.
Other Worlds[edit]
The ease with which Britannia discovered the power of resurrection is unknown in other worlds. On the Serpent Isle it is a well-kept secret of the Xenkan Monks and otherwise the art of resurrection is unknown. On Pagan, Stratos guards her power of resurrection jealously and only channels it through Stellos and no one else, making the process more difficult than needed to keep her monopoly.
“
|
Many are the monsters and terrors that dwell beneath the surface or in the forests and marshes of Britannia. Even groups of most valiant and fierce warriors are subject to losses too tragic to bear. If a companion is slain by an enemy, all is not lost in the presence of the most accomplished of mages. There exists the means to bring back a companion from the land of the dead – not as an unholy once-dead being – but as a living, breathing creature of flesh and blood restored to life, albeit in an extremely weakened condition. Each wizard must needs [sic] determine the components of this enchantment that work best with their own magic, for the combination is said to be unique to each spellcaster. What is known about weaving this the most potent of all enchantments is that it requires the spellcaster to scatter the reagents to cover the victim’s body, while calling out the name of the slain companion in a voice of thunder. This magic is extraordinarily taxing, and rare is the mage who can continue to weave spells without rest once this enchantment has been successfully cast.
|
“
|
There are many rewards for hard work and concentrated practice. For practiced wizards, having attained the eighth circle, there is the reward of being able to reverse death itself. Resurrection requires such total concentration and peace of mind that it should never be attempted on the harried field of battle. To mix, place a mandrake root in a sieve in a fresh water spring on a sunlit day. One by one, add garlic, to keep away ills and evil, spider silk, for binding the life forces together, ginseng for healing, sulphurous ash for the spark of life, and blood moss to animate the spirit. Remove the sieve from the spring and let the mixture dry. A small crystal will form from the drying mass. To revive a companion, place the crystal on the friend’s forehead and intone In Mani Corp. The resurrected person will be weak and in need of further assistance.
|
“
|
Restores life to a being who was dead.
|
“
|
This spell, when successful, empowers the mage to restore life in one who has died.
|
Ultima Saga[edit]
This article or section is about the Ultima Saga series of novels. The information within may not apply to Ultima V or other Ultima games.
In Lynn Abbey's Ultima Saga, the Inquisitor Lohgrin threatens to use this spell against Althea to thwart her suicide. It is said that this spell could have metaphysical repercussions.[1]
- "I'd die first. I'd kill myself before I'd let you touch me."
- His smile broadened. "Such a waste, Althea." He touched her arm lightly with his smooth, dry fingers, then seized it. "A virtuous magician can restore life, at a price. Death need not be permanent."
- "You wouldn't," Althea whispered. "You wouldn't dare." The Avatar has discovered the secret of Resurrection but the spell confounded destiny in ways neither virtue nor magic could repair. Since the Avatar's withdrawal from Britannia the spell has not been cast.
– from The Temper of Wisdom (Ultima Saga)
- In Ultima IV, the spell is given by Nigel, with a hint to him given by Shazom
- After Ultima VII, the spell falls into disuse, and other methods of resurrection are found.
- The Ultima III spell Anju Sermani is a more powerful version of this spell, to be used on bodies that have been burnt to ashes.
- Care has to be taken to empty a dead party member's corpse of items in Ultima VII before resurrection, since it is entirely possible that items can get lost, due to a bug. Weapons are especially prone to this bug.
See Also[edit]
References[edit]