Paws

Paws
Location of Paws
Located in:	Britannia
Type:	village
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]

“	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. – from The Way of the Avatar (Ultima IV)

“	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. – from The Book of Lore (Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny)

“

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.

– from Compendium (Ultima VI: The False Prophet)

“

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.

– from The Book of Prophecy (Ultima VI)

“

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.

– from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII: The Black Gate)

“

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.

– from A Safe Passage Through Britannia (Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds)

“

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.

– from Journal (Ultima IX: Ascension)

Inhabitants[edit]

Ultima I[edit]

None of which to speak.

Ultima IV[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima IV

Asemly: short jester
Barren: hooded ranger
Damsel: small druid
Francesca: stablehand (renamed Teresa in the NES-port of Ultima IV)
Jingles: young mage
Lady Tessa: wise lady
Little Jon: singing bard
Pix: small girl
Sal: large barmaid
Sir Hobie: tall muscular knight
Sir Simon: wise lord
Smith the Horse: white stallion
Sven: tall and burly lumberjack
Wheatpin: meek shepherd
Wilmoore: chief guard
Zair the Wise: man of many years

Shopkeepers:

Greg: proprietor of the Folley Tavern
Max: proprietor of The Market
Pierre: proprietor of Light Armour
Rob: proprietor of the Folley Tavern
Shiela: proprietor of The Magics
Stablemaster: proprietor of the stables

Ultima: The Avatar Adventures[edit]

Mysterious Moe: a small horse

Ultima V[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima V

Bandaii: mage
Danfits: proprietor of The Guild
Dr. Cat: tavernkeeper at The Cat's Lair
Ferru: stablemaster at Wishing Well Horses
Glinkie: adventurer
Lorien: innkeeper at The Smugglers' Inn

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

Andrea: farmer
Halward: miller
Windfer: druid

Ultima VI[edit]

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

Arbeth: weaver
Dr. Cat: tavernkeeper
Dorin: shepherd
Grison: miller
Hendle: slaughterer
Marissa: clothier
Merideth: child
Mortude: ropemaker
Patrick: bard
Thindle: weaver
Timothy: innkeeper
Ubermon: cheese maker

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

Tower guard: a guard

Ultima VII[edit]

Overview of Paws in Ultima VII

Alina: concerned mother
Andrew: milk seller
Beverlea: shop owner
Brita: wife of Feridwyn
Camille: farmer
Fenn: beggar
Feridwyn: homeless shelter leader
Garritt: child
Komor: beggar
Merrick: former beggar
Morfin: slaughterer
Polly: tavern owner
Thurston: mill owner
Tobias: farmer child

Ultima VII (SNES-Port)[edit]

Bear: dock worker
Benjamin: Fuqua's son; advocate against the Fellowship
Frances: mayor
Fuqua: chief guard
Gaydos: treasurer
Jason: barfly
Laura: provisioner
Loomis: innkeeper
Samuel: Fellowship branch leader

Ultima IX[edit]

Map of Paws in Ultima IX

Bella: windmill operator
Hayley: healer
Jared: orphan child
Melvin: mage
Meribeth: daughter of mayor of Britain
Peg Leg Joe: beggar
Ugh: troll at the entrance bridge

Along the road from Britain:

Altara: blind fortune teller
Barny: burning child, son of Wilma
Robison: bandit
Tristan: bandit leader
Wilma: prisoner, mother of Barny

Services[edit]