Gargoyle War
The Gargoyle War is the conflict between Gargoyles and humans, which takes place before and during Ultima VI.
History[edit]
The War[edit]
The origin of this conflict between the Gargoyles and the humans of Britannia can be traced back to the Great Council removing the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom from the Temple of Singularity, thus fulfilling the first sign of the prophecy of the False Prophet. The second sign was fulfilled when the rescue of Lord British from Dungeon Doom caused a chain reaction, which started the disintegration of the Realm of the Gargoyles, fulfilling the second sign.
Due to the third sign being the utter destruction of the Gargoyle race - a sign that looked very likely to become true due to the continuing erasure of their world - the desperate Gargoyles waged war against Britannia. This not only was due to their own world being sure to disappear fully, but also to find a way to lure the Avatar, whom they had identified as the False Prophet, into a trap and kill the hero.
The course of the war was utterly brutal. The Gargoyles followed no conventions of war and the death toll on the civilian population of Britannia was significant, especially during the noctual raids. The kingdom of course faught back, raising a significant number of soldiers, but losses were heavy, especially due to Gargoyle fighters attacking like berserkers - often thanks to silver serpent venom - with nothing to lose. A blow to the kingdom was the loss of the moonstones, thus making moongate travel impossible, as well as the Gargoyles actually seizing the Shrines of Virtue.
Despite things looking grim, the stalemate was not to the advantage of the Gargoyles, whose numbers were shrinking steadily and whose lands were getting more and more destroyed. Looking at defeat and utter destruction, a desperate gamble by the Gargoyles was to attempt to sacrifice the Avatar, thinking this would turn things around. However, the hero escaped and in a concentrated effort managed to chase the Gargoyles out of Britannia.
However, the war instead of ending by the defeat of an enemy would end by the Avatar proving the prophecy false by sending the Codex back into the void, and the monarchs from both sides learning from it, how this conflict had come to be, starting the true efforts to end the bloodshed.
The Aftermath[edit]
The war had far-reaching consequences for both sides.
The remaining Gargoyle population had to be evacuated to Britannia before the complete destruction of their world. The massive hardships that followed, not only due to the death toll but also due to all the things that got lost with their world, as well as now being trapped in a world whose inhabitants resented them for the war, embittered many Gargoyles in the years to come. Being forced to live on inhospitable and remote Terfin was seen by them how little the people of Britannia wanted to have them around.
On the human side, the losses of the war without a satisfying conclusion like a victory, and suddenly being forced to live together with the former enemy, also caused significant bitterness. That bitterness would morph over the years into various forms, ranging from subtle resentment to the outright racism showcased by the Britannian Purity League.
Lore[edit]
| “ | Though believed to be mythological creatures the existence of Gargoyles was discovered shortly after the first expedition into the geologically unstable underworld. At first, they seemed content to remain in their subterranean domain, but recently they began appearing in our world, seemingly bent on doing us great harm.
These diabolical nemeses have begun to seize our holy shrines and places of enlightenment. Scores of homes and villages in our land have been destroyed during nocturnal raids mounted by the daemonic fiends, while countless others stand empty and deserted. Local and government militias have organized in opposition to the calamitous invasion from below. Whole brigades of skilled warriors from Serpent's Hold have clashed with these tireless foes on the field of battle, but to no avail. – from Compendium (Ultima VI)
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| “ | After the tremors that shook Britannia subsided, gargoyles, inhabitants of the other side of the world who now found their homeland virtually destroyed, began to appear on the Britannian side of the world in increasing numbers as aggressors. They launched vicious attacks against the human race and many were they who lost their lives in defense of our realm. |
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