Paws

From Ultima Codex
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Paws
Lc-Paws.png
Location of Paws
Located in: Britannia
Type: village
Paws.jpg
The fields of Paws

Paws is a small coastal village south of Britain and north of the Fens of the Dead.

Description[edit]

Long noted for its horses, this hamlet eventually grew into a farming community, mainly supplying the capital of Britannia with produce. Due to its proximity to Britain, Paws never grew much beyond its original size, excess population growth being absorbed by the attractive capital instead. Tragically, an economic crisis brought upon its agricultural industry during a seven year drought led Paws to became synonymous with poverty and destitution.

History[edit]

Paws is one of the oldest settlements of Britannia, its history reaching back to the earliest Age of Darkness.

Age of Darkness[edit]

Paws likely had its origins in the early Age of Darkness, as a city bearing this name could be found in the Lands of Lord British, seemingly within the fiefdom of the Castle of the Lost King. At this era, Paws was situated within a forest a little ways south of the Dungeon of Montor, where it sported a number of shops, in addition to magical waters which often gifted those casting coins into them with boons of wealth or magic.

It is unknown if this original Paws was lost to the strange sundering of Sosaria which followed the defeat of Mondain, or if it was simply abandoned and relocated. Whatever the cause, a settlement called by its name was not seen again until the early Age of Enlightenment in Ultima IV.

Age of Enlightenment[edit]

After Lord British's rechristening of the land as Britannia and the ensuing renaissance of the arts and sciences, Paws became a village known for its horses – and was one of the only locales in the nascent realm with animals for sale, in addition to being home to the legendary talking stallion, Smith. During the Quest of the Avatar, the nobles Sir Simon and Lady Tessa could also be found in this small community, guarding the secrets of the Mystic Weapons and Armour.

By the time of the oppressive reign of Lord Blackthorn in Ultima V, Paws had changed little, and was still a place of equestrians and stable-tenders. During this time, it appeared that some of the magic of old Paws' waters carried on through the ages, as the well which sprang from the ground at Wishing Well Horses still had the potency to grant wishes – like many other such springs in the land. As the years passed, Paws diversified its trades such that it developed thriving textile and agricultural industries and was home for several decades to the Cat's Lair, an establishment run by the noted gamester and felinophile, Dr. Cat.

Age of Armageddon[edit]

Some twenty years before Ultima VII, Paws, by then largely a farming community, was hit severely by the seven-year drought, which rendered many farm workers destitute or homeless. As Britain expanded southward, the contrast in the two cities economies became increasingly pointed, with Paws slowly developing into a suburban slum of Britannia's capital. In this state of hardship and struggle, Paws became host to the Fellowship workers Feridwyn and Brita, who built and maintained a homeless shelter to provide relief to the community. The regulations of this home for the poor, however, were such that it only took in persons who joined the shelter's parent organization, a rule which created tension with those wary of the Fellowship's aims.

After the eventual disbandment of the Fellowship which followed the Avatar's destruction of the Black Gate, the shelter was closed, and while Feridwyn was intent on reopening it independently of the now banned society, it was never established if this came to fruition. Whatever occurred regarding this, the majority of the village was flooded during the Great Cataclysm, leaving no more than a few scattered huts standing on foul swampland.

By the time of Ultima IX, Paws was a ghettoized colony of exiles who had been sentenced to expulsion from Britain by the greater city's mayor, Aidon. This man, under the influence of the Guardian's columns, had taken to displacing those under his jurisdiction who suffered too greatly from sickness or poverty, using the veneer of compassionate public interest to justify their forcible relocation to Paws. Eventually, the Avatar was able to restore the Shrine of Compassion and to convince Aidon to abandon such practices, although Paws, itself, remained a barely habitable mire.

Lore[edit]

Bauer.png
“ The Folley Tavern in Paws is famed far and wide as a most congenial spot wherein to hoist a tankard, while the stable in Paws is famed for its thoroughbreds. There is also rumored to be a special shop in the towne where herbs for the practice of magics can be purchased, although I cannot say I have ever seen such a place with mine own eyes.
“ A village nestled on a cove near the southern edge of the Fens of the Dead, midway between Britain and Trinsic, Paws provides food and shelter for the traveler, as well as a change of horses.
“ This quaint coastal village lies halfway between the towns of Britain and Trinsic, where the weary traveler can obtain food, shelter and a change of horse. The mysterious islands known as the Fens of the Dead can barely be seen offshore near Paws. In these Fens, mages ofttimes seek the rare mandrake root and nightshade so necessary to their potent concoctions.
“ This is a simple town, truth to be told, with little use to a seasoned adventurer. There are no dungeons under the town, no weapon shops, nor even idle warriors who might be willing to join you. You will find plenty of good hard-working people, though. And for any who's willing to spend some time playing the merchant, there's money to be made here as well. Buy low and sell high, as they say.
“ Paws is a small coastal village that, because of the continuous expansion of the capital city, has essentially merged with Britain. While there was a time when this village held a quaint rustic charm, in more recent years the village of Paws has languished in poverty. A terrible, seven-year drought has forced the closure of many of the local farms. The industry of Paws consists primarily of milling flour, dairy farming and meat curing. Paws is where The Fellowship runs its shelter for the poor.
“ In the small farming community of Paws, the fall of The Fellowship had one regrettable consequence: the closing of Feridwyn's shelter for the poor. Though embittered by the loss, Feridwyn and his wife are hard at work raising the money necessary to reopen the establishment, this time without the policy of exclusion to non-Fellowship members.
“ Never was there a sadder tale than that of the village of Paws. Once a steady farming community, Paws was washed away in the Great Cataclysm. All that remains are a few unsteady huts clutching at the fringe of the muck. To this fetid place, the mayor of Britain has sent the sick, the tired, and the poor wherein he claims they might live in peace and dignity. It is a cruel joke. While the citizens of Britain enjoy their freedom from sickness and poverty, the people of Paws call for their king whose attentions have been occupied by other matters. Promises of food and tools from Britain have yet to be fulfilled.

Inhabitants[edit]

Ultima I[edit]

None of which to speak.

Ultima IV[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima IV

Shopkeepers:

Ultima: The Avatar Adventures[edit]


Ultima V[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima V

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.

Paws – Ultima V: Lazarus map


Ultima VI[edit]

Map of Paws in Ultima VI, from The Book of Prophecy

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.

Paws – The Ultima 6 Project map


Ultima VII[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima VII

Ultima VII (SNES-Port)[edit]


Ultima IX[edit]

Map of Paws in Ultima IX

Along the road from Britain:


Services[edit]

Ultima (Apple II)[edit]

Ultima I[edit]

Ultima IV[edit]

Ultima V[edit]

Ultima VI[edit]

Ultima VII[edit]

Places of Interest[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • In Ultima I, the cities of Paws (in the Lands of Lord British), Owen (in the Lands of the Feudal Lords), Gauntlet (in the Lands of the Dark Unknown), and Wheeler (in the Lands of Danger and Despair) were facsimiles of each other. With identical layouts, stores, and occupants, these four settlements differed only in name and location.
  • The layout of the town in Ultima I allows the player to freely steal food without being stopped by guards after getting caught, but it is less efficient than harvesting monsters in dungeons.
  • Rather than the squalid, bog-ridden colony it eventually became, Paws appears to have once remained the functional and otherwise unremarkable town of previous installments in earlier drafts of Ultima IX: Ascension. A screenshot of the game's world editor, originating from Bob White's tenure as lead designer, indicates little in the way of superficial deterioration in this version of Ascension.

Gallery[edit]

  • Paws art from Mysterious Sosaria

    Paws art from Mysterious Sosaria

  • A view of Paws, shown in Origin’s world editor from an earlier version of Ultima IX

    A view of Paws, shown in Origin’s world editor from an earlier version of Ultima IX

  • Overview of Paws, in Ultima I

    Overview of Paws, in Ultima I

  • Paws in Ultima IX

    Paws in Ultima IX

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
Sosaria
Lands of Lord British (or "Sosaria" in Ultima III)
Cities Britain ☥ Dawn ☥ Death Gulch ☥ Devil Guard ☥ Grey ☥ Montor
Moon ☥ Fawn ☥ Paws ☥ Tune ☥ Yew
Castles Castle of Lord British ☥ Castle of the Lost King
Landmarks The Pillars of Protection ☥ The Tower of Knowledge
Dungeons (Ultima I) Death's Awakening ☥ The Dungeon of Doubt ☥ The Dungeon of Montor ☥ The Dungeon of Perinia
The Lost Caverns ☥ The Mines of Mt. Drash ☥ The Mines of Mt. Drash II ☥ Mondain's Gate to Hell ☥ The Unholy Hole
Dungeons (Ultima III) Dardin's Pit ☥ Dungeon of Doom ☥ Dungeon of Fire ☥ Dungeon of the Snake ☥ Dungeon of Time ☥ Mines of Morinia
Perinian Depths
Islands and Other Sites Ambrosia ☥ Ambrosian Shrines ☥ Isle of Fire ☥ Mt. Drash
Lands of Danger and Despair
Cities The Brother ☥ Bulldozer ☥ Dextron ☥ Gorlab ☥ Lost Friends ☥ Magic ☥ Turtle ☥ Wheeler
Castles Castle of the White Dragon ☥ Shamino's Castle
Landmarks Grave of the Lost Soul ☥ The Eastern Sign Post
Dungeons The Dead Cat's Life ☥ The Dead Cat's Life II ☥ Dead Man's Walk ☥ The Dungeon of Doom ☥ Free Death Hole
The Hole to Hades ☥ The Morbid Adventure ☥ The Skull Smasher ☥ The Spine Breaker
Lands of the Feudal Lords
Cities Arnold ☥ Gerry ☥ Helen ☥ John ☥ Linda ☥ Owen ☥ The Snake ☥ Wolf
Castles Castle Rondorin ☥ Castle Barataria
Landmarks The Pillars of the Argonauts ☥ The Pillar of Ozymandias
Dungeons Advari's Hole ☥ The Dead Warrior's Fight ☥ The Gorgon's Hole ☥ The Horror of the Harpies
The Horror of the Harpies II ☥ The Labyrinth ☥ The Savage Place ☥ Scorpion Hole ☥ Where Hercules Died
Lands of the Dark Unknown
Cities Clear Lagoon ☥ Gauntlet☥ Imagination ☥ Nassau ☥ Ponder ☥ Poor ☥ Stout ☥ Wealth
Castles Black Dragon's Castle ☥ Castle of Olympus
Landmarks The Sign Post ☥ The Southern Sign Post
Dungeons The End ☥ The Guild of Death ☥ The Long Death ☥ The Metal Twister ☥ The Slow Death ☥ The Tramp of Doom
The Troll's Hole ☥ The Viper's Pit ☥ The Viper's Pit II
Retrieved from "https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/index.php?title=Paws&oldid=164866"