Fedabiblio
| Fedabiblio | |||||
 Fedabiblio, from Ultima VII Part Two | |||||
| Species: | human | ||||
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Fedabiblio is a Serpent Islander magician who serves as Moonshade's Magister. He appears in Ultima VII Part Two.
Description[edit]
Appointed to the lifetime post of Magister, Fedabiblio was responsible for locating children with magical potential across Serpent Isle and instructing them in the art of magic at Moonshade's Seminarium.[1] As this undertaking often necessitated the separation of young magelings from their Mundane parents (as was the case with Selina and Freli), the Magister came to be regarded by many mainland Serpent Islanders as a sinister figure. While the exact method by which magically gifted children were detected was never made completely clear, there appears to have been some manner of annual examination through which potential mages were selected, although tales were also told of the Magister merely spiriting away children in the middle of the night, leaving a white stone upon their pillows.[2][3][4]
After arriving in Moonshade, the Avatar sought out Fedabiblio in the hopes of obtaining a new spellbook to replace the one that a Teleport Storm had exchanged for their original Britannian one. The Magister agreed to construct one, instructing the hero to bring him three mandrakes from nearby Monk Isle and explaining that only the freshest roots could be used to create the tome. After the Avatar retrieved these and answered a series of questions to prove knowledge of Erstam's Beyond the Serpent Pillars, Fedabiblio crafted the artifact.[5] While in the city of mages, the hero could also consult Fedabiblio on questions pertaining to the natural world, the arcane arts, and some of the political affairs of the Adepts, given the Magister's considerable body of knowledge. Additionally, a crystal ball in his possession would eventually prove vital in untangling the mystery of the shepherd Edrin's transmutation into a parrot, and following the disappearance of Mortegro, Fedabiblio would be appointed to serve on the Council of Mages in his stead.[6]
Much later, after Shamino the Anarch overtook Moonshade, he turned Fedabiblio into a stone statue. The Avatar was able to use a wand known as the Philanderer's Friend, which was found in the possession of the undead Vasculio, to return Fedabiblio to flesh and blood. Thankful, he gave the Avatar a key which had previously belonged to Captain Hawk, allowing the hero to eventually locate the dead sailor's treasure. He also provided the Avatar with copy of the scroll of serpent, which was needed to decipher what course of action to take in the imminent Imbalance.
Lore[edit]
| “ | The other, he told me, was Fedabiblio, headmaster at the Seminarium where mages learn their arts. He said that Fedabiblio was not a bad man, but was still feared and disliked all over Serpent Isle. It falls to him to test each child on the Isle for magical prowess. He brings those that have promise to Moonshade to study at the Seminarium. – from Balancing the Scales (Ultima VII Part Two)
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Trivia[edit]
- The model for Fedabiblio's character portrait is Kazutoshi Takaishi.[7]
- Fedabiblio's questions before getting the spellbook form the second part of the in-game copy protection.
- Should the Avatar ask Bucia about the pumice stone, pinecone, and egg that a Teleport Storm exchanged for a spellbook, a glass sword, and the Magebane without showing her any of these items, she will recommend that the hero consult Fedabiblio regarding them.[8] If he is shown the objects, he will be able to identify the pumice as having been formed deep within the earth, and he will ascertain that the pinecone came directly from the Northern Forests rather than having been washed up on the shoreline, citing the presence of unreleased seeds within it. The blue egg, however, will baffle him, although Freli will chime in to direct the hero to consult either Captain Hawk or Erstam about the object.[9]
- According to early design documents for Serpent Isle, Fedabiblio was to have been in possession of a humanoid feline's skeletal remains, which he recovered during an expedition to the neighboring island of Claw (once intended to be an accessible location in the game). Moreover, his transformation to stone was originally the result of an ill-planned prank by his pupil, Freli. Instead of the Philanderer's Friend breaking the spell, a potion found in Torrissio's home would have been needed as the antidote. The Avatar would either have had to return Torrissio's wand to obtain this potion from the life mage, or stolen it from his mansion.[10]
- All the inhabitants of Moonshade have Italian or Italianish names. The name Fedabiblio probably comes from the Italian word "fede" ("faith") and the Greek word "biblio" ("book"), also used in the Italian word "biblioteca" ("library"). Thus, the etymology of the name "Fedabiblio" could be "book of faith".
References[edit]
- ↑ Fedabiblio. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "Magister".
- ↑ Delin. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "Magister".
- ↑ Lydia. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "Warlock".
- ↑ Olon. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "Alyssand".
- ↑ Fedabiblio. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "spellbook".
- ↑ Fedabiblio. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "Adepts".
- ↑ Armintrout, Bill. Ultima VII, Part Two: THE SERPENT ISLE - Moonshade Townplot (MOONSHAD.DOC) (Ultima VII Part Two). September 8, 1992. Page 18.
- ↑ Bucia. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "blue egg, pinecone, pumice".
- ↑ Fedabiblio. Paul Carr’s Ultima transcripts. Ultima VII Part Two. "blue egg, pinecone, pumice".
- ↑ Armintrout, Bill. Ultima VII, Part Two: THE SERPENT ISLE - Moonshade Townplot (MOONSHAD.DOC) (Ultima VII Part Two). September 8, 1992. Pages 7, 13–14.