Ethereal Void
The Ethereal Void, also known as the Ethereal Plane or Vortex, is an all-encompassing celestial framework within which the cosmos is bound.
Description[edit]
It has been a major presence throughout the Ultima series, enveloping its many worlds and dimensions and drawing vast power from the life-forces of each. Superficially, it is perhaps best described as resembling outer space, yet entirely habitable to forms of life. A higher plane of existence, the Void cannot be reached by physical travel; it is permeated by magic and accessible only by such means. Nevertheless, a number of beings, objects and artificial constructs find their places in this astral domain.
History[edit]
The Ethereal Void was first encountered in Ultima IV, by way of the the Shrine of Spirituality. Similar instances followed in Ultima V and Ultima VI, with the Void taking on its familiar appearance in the latter title and finding itself host to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom at the conclusion. In Ultima Underworld II, a vastly different form of the Void was traversed, consisting of blue, orange, red, yellow and purple zones. Arguably, its most significant appearance came in Ultima VII Part Two, wherein it formed a substantial portion of the lore and, upon the restoration of Balance to Serpent Isle, served as the stage for the Guardian's abduction of the Avatar to the world of Pagan.
Following this event, the Ethereal Void featured in Ultima VIII as a hub to access the respective domains of the four Elemental Titans, all of whom the Avatar had to defeat.
In Ultima IX, the Avatar returned to the Void to restore the desecrated Shrine of Spirituality.
Locations[edit]
- Shrine of Spirituality
- Colored Planes Ultima Underworld II
- Pyramid of Many Colors Ultima Underworld II
- Sigil of Binding Ultima Underworld II
- Dark Path from Ultima VII Part Two
- Dream Realm from Ultima VII Part Two and Martian Dreams
- Mythran's House from Ultima VIII
- Ethereal Plane from Ultima VIII
Inhabitants[edit]
Ultima VII[edit]
- Time Lord: master of time and space
Ultima Underworld II[edit]
- A. I. Crunchowicz: goblin
- Blog: troll
- Borne: goblin
- Iolo: human
- Mokpo: human
- Mystell: human
- Prinx: human mage
- Rawstag: troll
- Spiritual Imp: annoying imp
- Xorinite wisp: energy being
Ultima VII Part Two[edit]
- Chaos Serpent: being of Chaos
- Great Earth Serpent: being of Balance
- Order Serpent: being of Order
Ultima VIII[edit]
- Hydros: Titan of Water
- Lithos: Titan of Earth
- Mythran: human mage
- Pyros: Titan of Fire
- Stratos: Titan of Air
Ultima IX[edit]
- Dupre: Companion of the Avatar
- The Companions of the Avatar
Lore[edit]
| “ | I do not know why the Void looks the way it does, how it came about or what determines its structure. There are many who appear here, and disappear just as suddenly — they claim to be dreaming, and that all they see about them is unreal. And yet, they seem to me to be the unreal ones, as their existence rarely lasts more than an hour — perhaps they are merely random, temporary coagulations of the ether that surrounds us. I know not.
In the beginning, the void was without form, an area composed of undifferentiated ether. After an unreckonable space of time, there was a disturbance in the void: certain areas solidified, acquiring the properties of mass and color. Moongates appeared, and areas became distinct, acquiring a definite order in relation to one another. |
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| “ | In generations past, the features of the ethereal void were known to its travelers as the shapes inside one's house. In the bosom of ether could be found a spiritual weightlessness that cleansed the mind of its many and tiny woes. The assumptions of our world sag outward in the void to link the past with the distant, to connect Old Sosaria with the worlds of tomorrow. In the void, one travels as if by thought, yet sees neither friend nor foe. For the uninitiated, a journey through the void can change one's view of life itself.
With the collapse of the Moongates, however, this retreat has closed. None can pass through the them and into the void. From the befouled Sacred Shrines spills an ether barren of magical purity. Without this pure ether, there is no magic. Without this special link with the void, Britannia has become a barren station. |
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Gallery[edit]
The three Serpents in the Void
The Void in Ultima IX
| Worlds in the Ultima Series | |
|---|---|
| Main Worlds | Britannia ☥ Sosaria ☥ Serpent Isle ☥ Pagan ☥ Earth ☥ Eodon ☥ Mars |
| Worlds of the Blackrock Jewel |
Tarna ☥ Killorn Keep ☥ Anodunos ☥ Talorus ☥ Scintillus Academy ☥ Pits of Carnage ☥ Rhiannon ☥ Ethereal Void |
| Ahistorical Solar System |
Sun ☥ Mercury ☥ Venus ☥ Earth ☥ Mars ☥ Jupiter ☥ Saturn ☥ Uranus ☥ Neptune ☥ Pluto ☥ Planet X |
| Other Worlds | Nexus of the Worlds ☥ Caledonia ☥ Balema ☥ Ashtalarea ☥ Alucinor |