Gladstone
| Gladstone | |||||
 Gladstone, from Ultima VII | |||||
| Species: | human | ||||
| Appearances | |||||
| |||||
Gladstone is a glassblower and sculptor who serves as the head of the Minoxian Artisan's Guild in Ultima VII.
Description[edit]
A stoic and driven man, Gladstone faced an uncertain future for his organization at the time of the Avatar's travels through Minoc. While the shock of Frederico and Tania's gruesome murders shook him deeply, the stern craftsman's primary concerns were with the guild, which was struggling to stay financially solvent. Already facing extensive fees from the Britannian Tax Council, Gladstone feared that the collective would not weather the economic changes he expected to result from the erection of Owen's statue, claiming the the boom in ship-building and tourism would drive prices on materials up to such an extent that the guild would be forced into bankruptcy.[1]
Gladstone further felt persecuted by the Fellowship in its backing of the monument, claiming that the philosophical society had branded the artists as adversaries ever since they declined Elynor's requests to join. Thinking that a boycott of the statue would halt its construction only furthered such enmities, and Gladstone found that work on the edifice continued, regardless of the feelings of the city's community of craftsmen.[2]
Should the Avatar convince mayor Burnside to cancel work on the statue, Gladstone's disposition would grow considerably lighter, and he would reveal that the guild had been asked to create a public work to occupy the space which the monument to Owen would have occupied.[1]
Lore[edit]
| “ | Welcome to Minoc. If thou dost seek a craftsman or craftswoman, thou hast come to the right place. We have a tinker, Julia, who understands the construction of any contraptions thou canst conceive of, a blacksmith who makes the finest horseshoes I have ever seen, a clockmaker, a sawyer, a candlestick maker and a glassblower who also sculpts — me! – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)
|
|---|
Trivia[edit]
- Gladstone's portrait and name are based upon David Gladstone, a winner of the Ultima VI Immortality Contest.[3]
- Should the Avatar speak to Gladstone while wearing a Fellowship medallion, the glassblower will ask whether or not the hero regards him as an enemy, and will be visibly upset should the Avatar affirm this.[2]
- Xanthia's claim that Elynor never invited her to be a part of the Fellowship contradicts Gladstone's assertion that the guild's feud with the group originated when all members of the Artisan's Guild refused an invitation to join.[2]
- Gladstone is the narrator of the Minoc section in Key to the Black Gate, providing its fictional author, Anton, with information about the city.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gladstone. Underworld Dragon's Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "Artist's Guild, events, Minoc, monument, power, worst".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gladstone. Underworld Dragon's Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "Fellowship, statue".
- ↑ Ultima VII: The Black Gate – Characters List. July 2, 1991.