Magincia
Magincia | |
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Location of Magincia | |
Located in: | Britannia |
Type: | town |
Ruins of Magincia |
Magincia is a ruined island city that appears in Ultima IV.
History[edit]
Magincia was once a legendary testament to Humility, though not by design. Magincia started out as a thriving merchant community, the envy of all Britannia. A few years after its foundation, the Magincians fell prey to Pride, transforming their town into an opulent and decadent city of vast gardens and marble palaces.
As its citizens grew ever more proud, they fell away from the path of Virtue, attracting the attention of daemons. A daemonic horde, thought by some scholars to originate from the Isle of the Abyss, descended on Magincia, slaughtering most of its citizens and destroying the once-beautiful city. Those who perished continued to haunt Magincia as restless undead, condemned to warn outsiders of the dangers of Pride. At least one person survived the carnage, however: the humble shepherdess Katrina, who remained to watch over the ruined town.
The Stranger visited the ruins of Magincia in Ultima IV while on the Quest of the Avatar, where young Katrina joined the hero's group of Companions. In 136, some years after the Stranger earned the title of "Avatar", the undead within Magincia were finally put to rest, and humble New Magincia was erected upon the ruins.
Lore[edit]
“ | Somewhere, out beyond civilization, is also reputed to lie the ruins of the legendary town of Magincia, which the gods destroyed for the insufferable pride of those that dwelt there. All of the marble palaces and gardens were devastated, and the rich, haughty inhabitants reduced to haunting spirits. No one has ever confirmed this legend, so it may just be a fable to frighten the weak of the heart and instill humility in those who overvalue their own worth. |
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“ | The former towne of Magincia, whose ruins lie on an uncharted isle in the deep uncharted oceans to the east of the Fens of the Dead, is said to have been destroyed many ages ago for its insufferable pride. 'Tis now rumored to be inhabited only by ghosts and the like, although many lend no credence to these legends. Nevertheless, it is indeed a site of some historical significance, and should be visited by any who quest on the path of the Avatar. – from The Way of the Avatar (Ultima IV)
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“ | Curious scholars researched the ancient records of the land, and identified the Isle of the Avatar as the former home — in another age — of the great daemons who destroyed Old Magincia for its lack of humility. The same beings had guarded the Shrine of Humility through the eons, but now the mystic creatures could no longer be found. |
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Inhabitants[edit]
Ultima IV[edit]
- Katrina: a shepherd
- Nate the Snake: mean looking viper
- Virtuebane: horrible ghastly devil
Skeletons:
- Banter: skeleton, once held the Silver Horn
- Bulbous: skeleton, grocer
- Demitry: skeleton, knows of the Silver Horn
- Skullface: jabbering skeleton
- Slim: skinny skeleton
- Splot: weeping skeleton
- Wierdrum: skeleton, knows of Shrine of Humility
Ghosts:
- Boozer: dumpy ghost
- Casperin: small ghost
- Faultless: tall ghost
- Ghostly: shadowy ghost
- Heywood: tall ghost
- Ruskin: blue ghost
In Ultima Online[edit]
In Ultima Online Magincia was a sinful place of exactly the decadence described in The History of Britannia. However, in 2007, the city's sins caught up with it and the hordes of daemons did attack the city, burning it to the ground and devastating the island.
As of July 2011, the daemons have been defeated and rebuilding has begun. However, there is no consensus if the new city again is called Magincia, or following classical Ultima lore, New Magincia.
Geography |
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Pagan | |
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Settlements | Argentrock Isle ☥ Daemon's Crag ☥ Tenebrae |
Other | Carthax Lake ☥ Catacombs ☥ Cemetery ☥ Fishermen's Reef ☥ Hall of the Mountain King Herdsman's Valley ☥ Plateau ☥ Shrine of the Ancient Ones ☥ Stone Cove ☥ Treasure Cove Vengeance Bay |