Ambrosia
| Ambrosia | |
|---|---|
 Location of Ambrosia | |
| Located in: | Britannia |
| Type: | island |
 The Caddellite meteor of Ambrosia | |
This article is about an island in Ultima III and Ultima VII. For a city in Ultima IX, see Ambrosia (U9).
Ambrosia, sometimes known as the "Lost Continent," is a mysterious land appearing in Sosaria and later Britannia. Once the site of a now extinct civilization, the strange isle and the ruins upon it have figured on occasion into the adventures of the Stranger who eventually became the Avatar.
History[edit]
Early History[edit]
Little is known of the people who settled Ambrosia, but legends purport them to be an advanced and powerful race, who managed to tame the forces of nature such as that they could reconfigure their physical beings to suit their needs. The Gargish people, in their earliest legends, make mention of their world, regarding it as a sort of Edenic paradise and a symbol of good fortune, and believing the entire island to have been formed from the husk of a fallen meteorite.
There are conflicting reports of what eventually led to this culture's destruction, but it appears that the continent, in its earliest iteration, fell prey to natural disaster, destroyed either by another hail of great meteors[1] or laid low by a mighty whirlpool which dragged it into the sea.
Age of Darkness[edit]
Whatever the cause of Ambrosia's fall, it was rediscovered briefly during the time of Exodus, after the Stranger and companions, on the advice of scattered sailors who claimed to have weathered the still extant maelstrom,[2] braved the waters of the whirlpool and made landfall on the lost world. Here, the heroes found the ancient Magic Shrines of Ambrosia, and were able to harness the shrines' technology to bolster their own skills in preparation for battle against the hellspawn. Also in this desolate realm lay the Four Cards – devices which would were critical in enacting the daemon-machine's destruction.
Age of Armageddon[edit]
After Exodus' defeat, Ambrosia was not seen again for many centuries, with sea-farers encountering whirlpools in the nascent years of Britannia foundation finding themselves upon the shores of Cove or lost within the depths of the Underworld. Many years later, however, Ambrosia resurfaced in the Britannian ocean, and during the Avatar’s quest in Ultima VII, the hero had cause to journey to its shores once more – seeking the rare mineral, Caddellite, which lay within the remnants of the meteors which had once wracked the island.
On the re-arisen Ambrosia, the hero found no trace of the archaic shrines that once dotted the landscape, although an abandoned tower, possibly of ancient origin, stood over the island's bay. Notes found therein indicated that one of Britannia's mages, seemingly driven mad by the disrupted ether, had previously sought refuge there.[3] Curiously, the lonely isle was now also home to a strange fey being, known only as Kissme, who claimed herself as a descendant of the original denizens of Ambrosia. Although her puckish and flighty nature left her ill-equipped to detail the history of her people, her vague recollections of Ambrosia's heyday and the of meteor storms which destroyed it offered tantalizing clues as to the realm's past, and her existence itself proved an enigmatic testament to the people who had come before her.[1]
During the Great Cataclysm in the late Age of Armageddon, Ambrosia was destroyed once again, sinking beneath the sea. The increasingly separatist gargoyle population of the realm eventually sought refuge from Britannia's human populace, and calling upon the myths of their forefathers, constructed a city named in honor of the lost land, settling in a great mystical dome deep beneath the sea.
Lore[edit]
| “ | Although I, myself, failed in my search for the Lost Continent, I bring the story oft told by the minstrels who roam the land, in hope that it will aid in thy quest. "Many, many years ago, there lived a strong and sensitive people who inhabited the island-continent of Ambrosia. There people developed great powers over the forced of nature, and 'tis rumoured that even the power to change one's physical being rested within the realms of their knowledge. From these stories grew the legends of the Magic Shrines of Ambrosia. "The Island prospered as the years passed, and the strange power grew in strength. "Then, without warning, there was a great and violent upheavel, and the Earth sank suddenly into the oceans. A great whirlpool pulled the Island beneath the depths of the sea. The whirlpool exists yet, and many claim it to be the path to lost Ambrosia." –Sentri the Seeker – from Secrets of Sosaria (Ultima III)
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| “ | Though "Ambrosia" actually refers to the whole island, its lack of human life results in this name being applied to its dungeons, as a whole. The most unique features, so Nelson of Moonglow tells me, are the meteorite chunks that have struck the terrain. He called the mineral "Caddellite" or some such. My one trip there, however, was spent persuading the three-headed hydra not to eat me, so thou wilt forgive me if I have no useful stories to tell about the island. – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)
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| “ | "In the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom lies the ever spinning tale of Ambrosia. Centuries ago, a meteorite crashed into the sea, and its husk formed an island. To mankind, this island was a bad omen, yet this alien to the world of man drew the gargoyle people, who gave it a name: Ambrosia. Though rarely occupied, the isle of Ambrosia served as a symbol of good fortune, as a land was created where previously there was none. During the Cataclysm, however, this land from another world sank into the sea, and became part of Britannian lore." |
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Inhabitants[edit]
The Ultima 6 Project[edit]
This is an Ultima 6 Project-related article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima VI or other Ultima games.
In The Ultima 6 Project, Ambrosia can once again be found in the far northeastern corner of Britannia. The enigmatic fairy Lili can be found fluttering about the island.
Trivia[edit]
- Ambrosia is the name of the sweet-smelling food of the gods in Greco-Roman mythology.[4]
- In the NES-port of Ultima III, Ambrosia is home to strange and beautiful flowers, which the Stranger may pick and give to Sherry in exchange for a Compass Heart.
- In Seiji Tanaka's manga re-imagining of Ultima III, Ambrosia is the home of the mystic "seals" which awaken the magical powers of the four heroes. It is also the site of a major battle between the protagonist, Genji, and Mondain.[5]
- In Ultima VII, a pattern is found in the grass that is modeled after the iconic serpent symbol in the series.
- In order to enter the secret hideout in Ultima VII, one has to disrupt Kissme's dust, which prevents the usage of Dispel Field to get rid of the force field. A combination of Weather and Time Stop while starting in the caves north makes it possible. However, there is no magical or unique loot in that hideout to make it worth the trouble.
Gallery[edit]
Ambrosia, in Ultima III
The serpent pattern in the grass in Ultima VII
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kissme. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "Ambrosia, lost isle, years ago".
- ↑ . Underworld Dragon’s Ultima III transcript. Ultima III.
- ↑ Garret Moore. The Journal of Garret Moore (Ultima VII – in-game).
- ↑ “Ambrosia”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ↑ Tanaka, Seiji. Exodus (Ultima III). JICC: August 15, 1988. Pages 152-190.
| Geography |
|---|
| Pagan | |
|---|---|
| Settlements | Argentrock Isle ☥ Daemon's Crag ☥ Tenebrae |
| Other | Carthax Lake ☥ Catacombs ☥ Cemetery ☥ Fishermen's Reef ☥ Hall of the Mountain King Herdsman's Valley ☥ Plateau ☥ Shrine of the Ancient Ones ☥ Stone Cove ☥ Treasure Cove Vengeance Bay |
| Sosaria |
|---|
| Lands of Lord British (or "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 ☥ Ambrosian Shrines ☥ Isle of Fire ☥ Mt. Drash |
| Lands of Danger and Despair | |
|---|---|
| Cities | The Brother ☥ Bulldozer ☥ Dextron ☥ Gorlab ☥ Lost Friends ☥ Magic ☥ Turtle ☥ Wheeler |
| Castles | Castle of the White Dragon ☥ Shamino's Castle |
| Landmarks | Grave of the Lost Soul ☥ The Eastern Sign Post |
| Dungeons | The Dead Cat's Life ☥ The Dead Cat's Life II ☥ Dead Man's Walk ☥ The Dungeon of Doom ☥ Free Death Hole The Hole to Hades ☥ The Morbid Adventure ☥ The Skull Smasher ☥ The Spine Breaker |
| Lands of the Feudal Lords | |
|---|---|
| Cities | Arnold ☥ Gerry ☥ Helen ☥ John ☥ Linda ☥ Owen ☥ The Snake ☥ Wolf |
| Castles | Castle Rondorin ☥ Castle Barataria |
| Landmarks | The Pillars of the Argonauts ☥ The Pillar of Ozymandias |
| Dungeons | Advari's Hole ☥ The Dead Warrior's Fight ☥ The Gorgon's Hole ☥ The Horror of the Harpies The Horror of the Harpies II ☥ The Labyrinth ☥ The Savage Place ☥ Scorpion Hole ☥ Where Hercules Died |
| Lands of the Dark Unknown | |
|---|---|
| Cities | Clear Lagoon ☥ Gauntlet☥ Imagination ☥ Nassau ☥ Ponder ☥ Poor ☥ Stout ☥ Wealth |
| Castles | Black Dragon's Castle ☥ Castle of Olympus |
| Landmarks | The Sign Post ☥ The Southern Sign Post |
| Dungeons | The End ☥ The Guild of Death ☥ The Long Death ☥ The Metal Twister ☥ The Slow Death ☥ The Tramp of Doom The Troll's Hole ☥ The Viper's Pit ☥ The Viper's Pit II |