Fortress of the Guardian
The Fortress of the Guardian, located on the island of Terfin, is the Guardian’s base of operations in Britannia during Ultima IX. It is additionally manned by hordes of Wyrmguards along with gargoyles and a wealth of other monsters. The throne room is easy enough to access through the main entrance, but at the closing of the Avatar’s long struggle against the Guardian, a less direct route through the labyrinth below the fortress was necessary.
Description[edit]
The outside of the fortress is cut out of the rock, looking like a huge Guardian-head, with the mouth acting as the entrance. High walls surround it as protection against intruders. Inside is a huge complex, well-manned by the Guardian’s armed vassals. The biggest room is the throne room, where the Guardian is located when on Britannia, together with his Mirror of Darkness. The Avatar first entered the fortress after being summoned (and subsequently dismissed) by the Guardian. Later, the Avatar entered it through a secret passage that Raven revealed to reach the throne room and prepare for the final confrontation with the Guardian.
Trivia[edit]
- According to Pentology, the megalithic monument of the Guardian seen at the end of Ultima VIII was originally intended to be located on his homeworld, before this continuity was altered in Ultima IX to have the structure become his fortress on Terfin.[1]
- In early drafts of Ultima IX, the fortress of the Guardian is known as the Tower of Exaltation (alternatively, "Exultation").[2] While it is also labelled as such in Prima's Official Guide to Ultima IX: Ascension,[3] this name does not appear in the final game.
- The final dungeon inside the fortress can be skipped by using Teleport to pass through the narrow gap in the gate to the yard.
- A predecessor to the Guardian's throne room can be seen in Hythloth in Ultima VII.
Gallery[edit]
The monument in Ultima VIII which would evolve into the fortress
The throne room
The fortress in-game
Ultima IX concept art of the outside of the fortress
The predecessor throne room in Hythloth in Ultima VII
References[edit]
- ↑ Mead, Melissa. Pentology (Ultima VIII). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1994. Page 92.
- ↑ White, Robert. Ultima IX: Ascension - Plot Treatment. July 17, 1997.
- ↑ McGubbin, Chris et al. Prima's Official Guide to Ultima IX: Ascension (Ultima IX). Prima Publishing: 1999. Page 148.