Auston

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Auston
Auston.gif
Auston, from Ultima VII
Species: human
Appearances
Ultima VII
Location: Vesper

Auston is the mayor of Vesper during Ultima VII.

Description[edit]

A dour man with the unenviable burden of mayorship over Vesper, Auston greatly feared the coming violence which he suspected would result from the town's racial hostilities. Like most humans living in the small mining community, he distrusted the gargoyles living on the west bank of the oasis, fearing that they would stage an uprising and attempt to seize the human holdings within the city. However, despite popular opinion to the contrary, Auston did not appear to see fit to take preemptive action, and felt deeply concerned about human agitators such as Blorn, whom he feared might incense the gargish community even further.[1]

Regarded as weak by much of the community and overshadowed by advisers such as Liana and Eldroth, Auston appeared to have little actual power to maintain order within the segregated settlement, and felt justifiably overwhelmed as a result. In spite of this, the mayor seemed to take his responsibilities very seriously and appeared to be genuinely invested in the town he had committed to managing.[2]

Lore[edit]

I know Auston, our mayor, is campaigning to have the Gargoyles removed, but he has not the backbone to pull it off. Frankly, there is little he has done for our community.

Trivia[edit]

  • After Elizabeth and Abraham pass through Vesper, Auston will mention that it is likely that a formal Fellowship branch will soon be established there.[3]
  • Liana, while speaking to Anton, reveals that she believes Auston is pushing toward the forcible deportation of the Gargish population, although the mayor himself gives no indication of this.[4]
  • Dialogue in the Ultima VII usecode appears for Auston which implies that Cador and Mara may be killed in a bar room brawl, similarly to Anmanivas and Foranamo, should the hero claim to be the Avatar when speaking to them – although this incident does not appear to be reproducible in gameplay.[5]
  • In the SNES-port of Ultima VII, Auston complains about having been repeatedly elected mayor despite his wishes. His own racist attitudes toward the gargoyles are greatly understated in this version of the game, and he claims that "gargoyles and humans have a lot to learn about one another," once the affair of Lap-Lem's amulet is resolved.[6]

References[edit]

  1. Auston. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "job, gargoyles, Vesper".
  2. Auston. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "Eldroth, Liana, people".
  3. Auston. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "Elizabeth and Abraham".
  4. Morris, Andrew P.. Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Pages 25.
  5. Auston. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "shame".
  6. Auston. Ultima VII SNES transcriptUltima VII. "mayor, Vesper".