Minoc

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Minoc
Lc-Minoc.png
Location of Minoc
Located in: Britannia
Type: town
Minoc.jpg
Minoc in Ultima VII

Minoc [meye-nock] is a city in the mountainous north of Britannia's mainland, bordering the eastern shores of Lost Hope Bay and situated north of the Bloody Plains.

Description[edit]

Minoc is dedicated to the virtue of Sacrifice and has long been known for its craftsmen, tinkers and artisans. Throughout the ages, a culture of traditional craftsmenship has emerged in Minoc, with the artists and tradesmen of the city eventually forming a guild to promote their crafts and to negotiate collectively with suppliers. Purveyors of textiles, glassware, metalwork, armaments and ships abound in the city of Sacrifice, and numerous goods and handiwork can be found there by discerning buyers. In the spirit of its cardinal virtue, Minoc is also notable for having established the first homeless shelter in the realm, although this institution sadly did not long stand the test of time.

Eventually, Minoc became noted as a mining town as well, as the Britannian Mining Company established its major branch there, plumbing the depths of the cavernous dungeon Covetous for ore. It was also around this same time that the gypsies of Britannia appeared to settle in the region, putting an end to their wanderings and becoming a distinct part of Minoxian society.

History[edit]

Minoc was founded sometime after the destruction of Exodus, during Lord British's renaissance of arts and sciences that heralded in the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment.

Age of Enlightenment[edit]

In Ultima IV, with the development of the Quest of the Avatar and the spread of the Eight Virtues, the city became devoted to Sacrifice. In the spirit of this virtue, a house for the poor was erected in the town, and was under the management of a tinker known as Julia at the time that the Stranger first appeared in the city. After the hero agreed to help in Julia's mission,[1] the fiery-spirited woman joined the adventurer in the quest for Avatarhood, and eventually became one of the champion of Virtues' fast friends.

By the time of Ultima V, the city, like most of Britannia's major settlements, fell victim to the Shadowlords. At this time, Captain Blyth, a tyrannical shipwright, appeared to have a hold on a large portion of the city's economy, and employed virtually enslaved workers to sew his ships' sails. Fiona, the last elected member of the Great Council from Minoc, remained within the city walls, tending to the impoverished there while her daughter Rew labored in Blyth's workshop. She eventually imparted the Word of Power to the questing Avatar, enabling the hero to unseal the dungeon Covetous.

By Ultima VI the city's economy was again blossoming, free of the tyranny of Blackthorn's rule. The nascent Artisan's Guild had been founded by this age, and was under the leadership of a man named Selganor when the Avatar came to the city. Lady Isabella, the mayor of the town at this time, also greeted the hero, gladdened by the legendary champion's reappearance.

Age of Armageddon[edit]

Over the next two centuries, the Britannian Mining Company began prospecting in the area, eventually establishing their head branch in Minoc when veins of gold, lead, iron and blackrock were found within dungeon Covetous. Prior to the Avatar's arrival once more in the realm, an ambitious shipwright known as Owen established himself within the city, enjoying a meteoric rise to fame with the bolstering influence of the Fellowship and eventually commissioning a great statue to be built in his honor. The politics of the city, however, were such that the Fellowship-sponsored monument excluded members of the now powerful Artisan's Guild under Gladstone as contributors to the project, and fear was rampant that the increased demand for ships the statue would herald in may drive up prices on materials to such an extent that the guild would lose financial solvency.

In the days immediately before the coming of the Avatar, a kumpania of gypsies appeared in Minoc, under the leadership of a man named Frederico – whose disapproval of the Fellowship sparked tensions between his people and the settled citizens of the area. As the champion of the virtues finally arrived in the city, the gypsy king and his wife, Tania, were found horrifically butchered on the floor of Minoc's sawmill – victims of the assassin, Hook.

In the years that followed, the gypsies, in spite of the prejudices that had led to the double-homicide, appeared to settle in Minoc, which eventually expanded to include the people of Cove. The Great Cataclysm that resulted from the rise of the Guardian's columns destroyed Minoc, Cove, and Vesper with much of eastern Britannia falling into the sea. The survivors from these towns rebuilt on the remaining land mass; however, the people of both cities were soon driven into a violent riot, destroying much of the new settlements and killing numerous people. In the wake of these events, Minoc was left almost entirely a gypsy settlement, with the gaje of the area uniting under a "First Citizen," who dictated the law in what became known as "Cove." By the time the Avatar arrived in Minoc and Cove during the events of Ultima IX, the column had so twisted the ethics of Raxos, Cove's "first citizen," that human sacrifice was encouraged for the sake of restoring the virtue's despoiled Shrine. In the meantime, the gypsies, under Rom Baro Laszlo, were roundly cursed by the returned Blackthorn, bringing a death by magical flame to all who aided the hero.

Eventually, with the assistance of Lazlo, who endured the fires of the curse that the Avatar might triumph, the city's Shrine was cleansed, and the depravity of the column was driven at last from the hearts of the Minoxian people. Raxos, horrified at the murders on his hands eventually retired to a life as a simple hermit and the once greed-filled traders of the land quit their avarice with the virtue's restoration.

Lore[edit]

TinkerUU.gif
“ Lost Hope Bay lies to the north of here, with the sturdy town of Minoc perched on its shore. Minoc is home to some of the finest craftsmen in the realm. The Tinkers of Minoc are known for their skill. A tired traveler will also find a refreshing place to rest at the Wayfarer's Inn.
“ This towne in north central Britannia is renowned for the fine metalwork and the armour of its tinkers. Minoc is the centre for studying the virtue of Sacrifice. The homeless of Britannia are welcomed in Minoc; here they find refuge in the Mission of the Helpless, with ready access to a find and charitable healer. Located on the northern coast, Minoc has a large shipwright as well as its famous armoury.
“ Stretched across the mouth of Lost Hope Bay in northern Britannia, Minoc has committed itself to the plight of the needy and homeless. Minoc is also well known for its artisans who excel in the crafts of metalworking, armouring, glassblowing and clock making.
“ I suppose I should get to Minoc more than I do, as it is the home of the artisans guild. The glassblower, the clockmaker, the basket weaver, they all go to Selganor for guidance, and I must admit I've picked up a tip or two from the man myself. Absent-minded he may be, but he knows how to coax magic out of a lute. I hear your old friend Gwenno is helping out with guild business, and Julia is living up there as well.
“ This thriving seaport is located in northern Britannia at the mouth of Lost Hope Bay. Minoc, also known as the City of Sacrifice, has an active sawmill, armourer, shipwright and branch of the Britannian Mining Company. It is the home of the Artist's Guild, where craftsmen of all types display their craft. In Minoc there is also an active branch of The Fellowship.
“ Minoc, the town of artisans, is now flourishing, thanks to a rebalance of trade practices in that town. Mayor Burnside reports that work is also in progress to reform labor policy in the nearby mines.
“ Trial breeds solidarity with those who share it. Founded by tinkers and miners, Minoc grew upon the backs of their labors on the harsh coast of Lost Hope Bay. Their skills were put to the supreme test when the Cataclysm destroyed their city. Yet the city of Sacrifice bundled its energies and tools to found the new city on Dagger Isle north of Moonglow. Minoc and Cove share this lonely isle from which most have fled. Of those who did not, many more were lost in the blackrock mines below ground. Where Minoc, the town of sacrifice, once stood now stands an encampment of gypsies. Where sacrifice reigned, the sense of self has knocked it over. Artisan battles artisan for customers, and neighbors quibble over perceived slights. No longer can one have a fortune read by the gypsies for a reasonable price. The more prosperous seers claim that the emanations from the the mines aides their sight into future's void. Yet, the gypsies find themselves in in conflict with the citizens of Cove and amongst themselves. In Minoc, this trial is borne alone on the back of this once fair city, which is now too weak to carry that burden.


Inhabitants[edit]

Ultima IV[edit]

Map of Minoc in Ultima IV

Services:


Ultima V[edit]

Minoc level 1
Minoc level 2

Ultima V: Lazarus[edit]

This is an Ultima V: Lazarus-related article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima V or other Ultima games.

Minoc – Ultima V: Lazarus map


Ultima VI[edit]

Map of Minoc in Ultima VI

The Ultima 6 Project[edit]

This is an Ultima 6 Project-related article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima VI or other Ultima games.

Minoc – The Ultima 6 Project map


Ultima VII[edit]

Map of Minoc in Ultima VII

Ultima VII (SNES-Port)[edit]


Ultima IX[edit]

Map of Minoc/Cove in Ultima IX

Gypsy encampment (North, on the map):

House-settled (South, outside the map):

Services[edit]

Ultima IV[edit]

Ultima V[edit]

Ultima VI[edit]

Ultima VII[edit]

Ultima IX[edit]

Places of Interest[edit]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Julia. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima IV transcript. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar. "poor".
Geography
Britannia
Cities Yew ☥ Minoc ☥ Skara Brae ☥ Britain ☥ New Magincia ☥ Moonglow ☥ Jhelom ☥ Trinsic ☥ Magincia
Valoria
Castles Castle Britannia ☥ Empath Abbey ☥ Lycaeum ☥ Serpent's Hold
Bordermarch ☥ Farthing ☥ Windemere ☥ Stonegate
Towns Britannys ☥ Buccaneer's Den ☥ Cove ☥ Dawn ☥ Paws ☥ Terfin ☥ Vesper
Shrines Compassion ☥ Honesty ☥ Honor ☥ Humility ☥ Justice ☥ Sacrifice ☥ Valor ☥ Spirituality
Shrine of the Codex
Dungeons The Abyss ☥ Covetous ☥ Deceit ☥ Despise ☥ Destard ☥ Doom ☥ Hythloth ☥ Shame ☥ Wrong
Lighthouses Fogsbane ☥ Greyhaven ☥ Stormcrow ☥ Waveguide
Caves Ant mound ☥ Bee cave ☥ Buccaneer's Cave ☥ Cyclops Cave ☥ Desert Dungeon ☥ Heftimus Cave
Heroes' Hole ☥ Moonglow catacombs ☥ Pirate Cave ☥ Spirit Tunnels ☥ Spider Cave ☥ Swamp Cave
Vesper mine
Islands Ambrosia ☥ Isle of the Avatar ☥ Dagger Isle ☥ Deadman's Island ☥ Isle of Deeds
Isle of Fire ☥ Janus Island ☥ Marsor's Isle ☥ Spektran ☥ Valarian Islands ☥ Valorian Isles
Verity Isle
Lakes Lake Generosity ☥ Lock Lake ☥ Lost Lake
Major Areas Bloody Plains ☥ Bog of Desolation ☥ Britanny Bay ☥ Cape of Heroes ☥ Channel of Lost Hope
Deep Forest ☥ Drylands ☥ Fens of the Dead ☥ High Steppes ☥ Lost Hope Bay
Realm of the Gargoyles ☥ Serpent's Spine ☥ Spiritwood ☥ Underworld
Serpent Isle
Cities Fawn ☥ Monitor ☥ Moonshade
Settlements Inn of the Sleeping Bull ☥ Isles of the Mad Mage ☥ Monk Isle ☥ Northern Encampment
Dungeons Skullcrusher ☥ Spinebreaker ☥ Furnace ☥ Knight's Test ☥ Mountains of Freedom
Ruins Shamino's Castle ☥ Castle of the White Dragon ☥ Shrine of Balance ☥ Temple of Discipline
Temple of Emotion ☥ Temple of Enthusiasm ☥ Temple of Ethicality ☥ Temple of Logic
Temple of Tolerance
Islands Isle of Beyond ☥ Claw ☥ Isle of Crypts ☥ Gwani Death Temple ☥ Ice dragons’ lair
Isles of the Mad Mage ☥ Monk Isle ☥ Penguin Island ☥ Sunrise Isle
Interesting Areas Gorlab Swamp ☥ Great Northern Forest ☥ Ice Plains ☥ Knight's Forest
Serpent Isle Guard Towers ☥ Western Forest
The Silver Seed Abandoned Outpost ☥ Aram-Dol’s lair ☥ Issik's Maze ☥ Serpent's Fang ☥ The Fiend's Domain
Pagan
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
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