Morfin

Morfin
Morfin, from Ultima VII
Species:	human
Profession:	butcher
Appearances
Ultima VII Location: Paws

Morfin is a slaughterer living in Paws in Ultima VII, at which time he was one of the few prosperous individuals in the region.

Description

Originally from Buccaneer's Den, Morfin left the small isle after the booming tourist trade created excessive competition, choosing instead to settle in the underdeveloped region of Paws. In addition to raising and slaughtering animals, Morfin traded in additional goods, most notably silver serpent venom, a powerful unlicensed stimulant drug which he sold to the apothecary Kessler for research purposes and to the Britannian Mining Company that they might distribute it to their Gargish laborers – allowing them to work long and arduous hours.

During the Avatar's ventures through Paws, Morfin was the victim of a theft, having been robbed of some of his stock of venom. Despite his relocation to Paws and his status as a Fellowship member, Morfin knew little of the townsfolk. While the amoral merchant initially met the returned hero with mockery and derision, Morfin would ask the Avatar to investigate the crime on his behalf, and the champion of virtue had the option of taking his case and looking into the stolen reagent. With time and persistence, the hero could eventually deduce that the venom had been taken by Garritt, the teenage son of the operators of the local Fellowship homeless shelter, who had taken the stock in the hopes of framing another boy – Tobias – for the crime.

The Avatar was also able to uncover Morfin's storeroom (likely after hearing anecdotes from the dairyman, Andrew), where the hero found evidence of the merchant's contract with the Britannian Mining Company (and a sizable treasure). When confronted with this, Morfin would explain that the current laws did not forbid such sales – joking coldly about the "poor devils" who ended up on the receiving end of his product.

Lore

“

There’s not much in Paws to give reason for a visit. Most of us eke out a passable existence; a few of us even fare a bit better than that. The exception is Morfin. I had no idea butchers do so well, if thou dost catch my meaning. And I never see where all of that serpent venom he sells goes to. Were I a betting woman, I would lay odds that he would have no qualms in selling his own kin were the price right. But, thou didst not hear this from me. – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)

Goods

Prices in Ultima VII are as follows:

Meat

		Cost (gp)
	Beef	2
	Ham	4
	Mutton	3

Trivia

• Like many inhabitants of Britannia, Morfin will react with hostility if the player claims to be the Avatar, deriding the hero as a deluded attention-seeking fool. If this is the case, he will later apologize once the investigation into the venom is complete.
• In keeping synergistic pace with his contributions to the exploitation of Gargish miners, Morfin also has a flier from the racist Britannian Purity League in his house, urging for the deportation of the Gargoyle race.
• Morfin is the author of a book known as The Carver Chronicles, which graphically describes a number of practiced methods for slaughtering livestock.
• Since the three types of meats Morfin sells are some of the most filling foods and his prices are the lowest, if the Avatar is not willing to hunt animals for their meat, he is the best source for food. Due to his low prices, buying mutton from him and selling it to Boots in Castle Britannia nets a profit.
• Morfin is modeled after real-life SCA member Troyce Wilson, a friend of Denis Loubet and Beth Loubet.

Gallery

• 

  The Carver Chronicles, written by Morfin