Father Antos
| Father Antos | |||||||||||||||
 Father Antos, from Ultima IV | |||||||||||||||
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This article is about an NPC in Ultima II and Ultima IV. For the NPC in Ultima V: Lazarus, see Antos (Lazarus).
Father Antos is a sage who has twice given crucial aid to the Stranger, first in Ultima II and again in Ultima IV. Originally found on the mysterious Planet X, Antos is an enigmatic figure whose significance in the multiverse is unknown.
History[edit]
In Ultima II, Father Antos could be found on Planet X in the twenty-second century A.D. of Minax's dystopic timeline, living within King Ozymandias' Castle Barataria. The Stranger, in earlier centuries on Earth, was exhorted by Antos' son, Brother Antos, to seek out his father among the stars,[1] and it later became evident that Father Antos' blessing was necessary to attain the favor of a nameless old man who featured in the prophecies of the oracles. It was only once Antos conferred this honor upon the Stranger that the elder would bestow the hero with his force field ring, whose powers were necessary to assail Minax's keep of Shadowguard in the Time of Legends.
When the Stranger became an aspirant to the title of Avatar in Ultima IV, an old and frail Father Antos could be found in Britannia, dwelling within the Lycaeum. His son, Brother Antos, was living at Empath Abbey at the time, and a Sister Antos (presumably his daughter) resided at Serpent's Hold.
While the now aged mystic claimed he had seen many quests, he gave no hint as to his origins or past. He did, however, assist the hero in locating the fabled Book of Truth in the library, if asked.[2]
Trivia[edit]
- In Ultima IV, Father Antos is described as "strangely familiar", alluding to the Stranger's encounter with the sage in Ultima II.
- According to Vargaz's Stories of Legend in Ultima VII, Father Antos was also responsible for predicting a plague of locusts coming from the northlands at some point in Sosarian/Britannian history.[3] In reality, the book serves to provide a tongue-in-cheek rationale for the sudden rarity of north and west-facing entrances, a design practicality arising from the game's fixed oblique perspective.
- In the novelization of Ultima IV in Ultima: The Avatar Adventures, Brother Antos claims that rather than being his parent, Father Antos is his twin.[4]
- In the Nintendo remake of Ultima IV, Father Antos may be found in Lord Robert Frasier’s throne room, rather than in the Lycaeum halls.[5]
- A character who is quite likely meant to be Father Antos is featured in Yoko Tanaka's manga re-telling of Ultima IV. In this comic, the mystic meets the protagonist, Deane, at the Lycaeum and tells him news of his brother, Shiva, who had previously studied at the keep of Truth. He reveals that the young man had ventured in search of the Skull of Mondain, which was necessary to gain entry to the Abyss in this narrative.[6]
Gallery[edit]
Father Antos as he appears in the manga
NES remake
References[edit]
- ↑ Brother Antos. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima II transcript. Ultima II.
- ↑ Father Antos. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima IV transcript. Ultima IV. "book, health, knowledge".
- ↑ Vargaz. Vargaz's Stories of Legend (Ultima VII – in-game).
- ↑ DeMaria, Russel et al. "Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar". Ultima: The Avatar Adventures (Ultima IV). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Page 76.
- ↑ Ultima IV transcript by subject
- ↑ Tanaka, Yuko. Quest of the Avatar (Ultima IV). JICC: August 29, 1989. Pages 142-143.