Champion of Balance

In Ophidian society, a Champion of Balance was an officer appointed to enforce the decrees of the Great Hierophant of Balance. Because the Great Hierophant was required to remain an impartial judge and was strictly forbidden from acting directly against transgressors, enforcement fell entirely to the Champion – an acolyte selected to bear the Amulet of Balance and do battle on the Hierophant's behalf. Following the death of the last Great Hierophant, Ssithnos, the position remained vacant, evolving into a prophecy that a final Champion would eventually appear to avenge Ssithnos, plant the Silver Seed, and restore equilibrium to Serpent Isle. This prophecy was ultimately fulfilled by the Avatar during the War of Imbalance.

Description

Those who held this station were chosen from among the Great Hierophant's acolytes and were permitted to go and do battle with those who had transgressed against the word of the Hierophant. Status was denoted by an artifact known as the Amulet of Balance, which could be worn by none save such a Champion lest the magical properties of the article strike an unworthy wearer dead.

The last Great Hierophant, Ssithnos, did not appoint a Champion before his death; however, in the days following his demise, a belief grew that someday a final Champion of Balance would appear to both avenge Ssithnos and restore balance to the land. This figure, among other things, was to plant the Silver Seed that would grow into a renewed Tree of Balance, whose presence on Serpent Isle would serve to help renew the Imbalance-stricken world.

Centuries after the fall of Ophidian civilization and shortly prior to the Avatar's arrival on Serpent Isle, the Xenkan Monk Miggim uncovered the Amulet of Balance in the vicinity of Monk Isle's Serpent Gate alongside an ancient scroll that seemingly outlined its significance. The document disintegrated, however, before Miggim could decipher most of it, and the only pieces of information he managed to glean were the name of the Amulet and the notion that it was to be used at a serpent gate.

Thinking that this artifact may be of use to the prophesied "Stranger from Another World," the elder monk Karnax passed the Amulet on to the Avatar, relaying the story of its discovery. The hero, upon using it, was transported through both time and space to the outpost of Serpent's Fang in the final days of the War of Imbalance. Here, the denizens of the keep recognized the Avatar as being the Champion of Balance whose coming had been foretold, although the hero's ignorance of Ophidian culture and history left many of them with doubts as to whether they were correct in this surmise. Ultimately, however, the Avatar would overcome a number of perils, retrieve the magical orbs necessary to secure the Silver Seed, and plant a new Tree of Balance, thus fulfilling the terms of the prophecy.

Lore

“

They are not fond of the Order Forces; they believe in their own distinct prophecies. These monks speak some drivel about destroying the "Pawn of Prophecy." They believe their victim will arrive here through the powers of the Amulet of Balance. I don't know what to make of all their prattle. I don't think they are talking about our hero, the Champion of Balance. If he ever arrives here, I will give him the magic Key Ring as I have been ordered by thee, Calithiss, revered Order Hierophant. – from The Silver Seed Play Guide (Ultima VII Part Two: The Silver Seed)

Trivia

• According to Elissa, there were only four occasions in Ophidian history in which the intervention of a Champion of Balance was necessary. In all of these cases, those who stood in defiance of the Hierophant were among those living outside of the principles of Order and Chaos.
• The Avatar appears to be the only individual to ever serve both as Hierophant of Balance and as Champion of Balance.