Shrine of Honor
| Shrine of Honor | |
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 Location of the Shrine of Honor | |
| Located in: | Britannia |
| Type: | shrine |
 The Shrine of Honor | |
The Shrine of Honor is one of the eight holy sites established by the Council of Wizards during the days of Lord British's philosophical renaissance of the early Age of Enlightenment.
Description[edit]
This shrine in Britannia is dedicated to the virtue of Honor. Standing near the shores of the Cape of Heroes southwest of Trinsic, this sacred place was initially mired in a hazardous swampland, but in later years these swamps dried up. During Ultima VII, a chalice lay on its altar. Those who meditate at the shrine gain insight into the virtue of Honor, which derives from the Courage to stand for the Truth. Entrance to the shrine at various points in history has required the use of an appropriate rune, and in order for a pilgrim to achieve wisdom from his ministrations there, he must intone the mantra summ.
History[edit]
Age of Enlightenment[edit]
The Shrine of Honor was erected around the time of Britannia's christening, and it would figure into the spiritual quest of the Stranger in the pursuit of Avatarhood. The hero would sojourn here after having performed honest acts, and would attain ascendance in ways of Honesty after meditating on the virtue for three cycles. Journey to the shrine was hazardous due to poisonous swamps.
Later, in the dark days of Lord Blackthorn and the Oppression, the Avatar would travel again to this sacred place, and would be directed by the powers within it to quest after the knowledge of Honor contained in the enshrined Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. In the struggle to restore Lord British to his throne, the hero would also have to guard this shrine and others and from Blackthorn's attempts to desecrate them, which he would quickly do should he gain access to their mantras. Should the Shrine of Honesty be thus defiled, the Avatar could still restore it, using the word of power, infama.
After the beginning of the Gargish conflict, this shrine and the other seven would all be seized by gargoyle warriors seeking to thwart the prophecy of the False Prophet. In time, however, the Avatar would liberate it from Draxinusom's troops, and could again meditate there on the mysteries of Honor. With proper experience, the Avatar could draw on the shrine to gain greater strength and deeper intellect.
Age of Armageddon[edit]
Over the next two centuries, the Shrine of Honor would fall into disuse, as the seductive philosophies of the Fellowship eventually came to supplant widespread adherence to the Eight Virtues. By the time of the Avatar's eventual return near the time of the astronomical alignment, the hero would find the shrine still standing south of Trinsic – though the swamps had dried up – a swarm of harpies having defiled the shrine and abducted the son of Lady Tory to it. The Avatar rescued the child and killed the harpies, cleaning the shrine of their presence.
Later, during the hero's exile on Pagan, the Guardian and his forces would corrupt the shrine. In doing so, the corresponding rune was twisted into an artifact known as a glyph. Whiling journeying through Britannia for the last time, the Avatar would be able to cleanse the Shrine of Honor of such evils, using the powers of the Chalice of Honor to undo the damage wrought by the Destroyer of Worlds. By that time, a woman named Myrea was the keeper of the shrine and explained what was needed to repair the damage done.
Lore[edit]
| “ | A good meditation — focusing on a proper Mantra — will sometimes yield valuable visions to those whose patience and powers of concentration are strong. The experience is well worth sampling. ... Many philosophers hold the opinion that the Path is in reality but a series of separate small paths. Each minor path leads to the fulfillment of an aspect of ourselves. Treading one of these minor paths may be construed as a life's goal, and many people have debated which is the most advantageous to follow. Yet is not the whole much greater than the sum of its parts? Take up the challenge and tread not one but all of the minor paths in thy search for enlightenment and perfection. Perhaps only then will though find the beginnings of the great Path. – from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)
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| “ | Each of Britannia’s eight leading townes celebrates one of the virtues of Avatarhood, and each has raised a shrine to that virtue. The shrines are located in retreats to ensure tranquillity in natural settings, so traveling to some shrines requires a considerable journey from their townes. The only requirement for using a shrine is knowing the mantra for that virtue. A mantra is a sound repeated continuously during meditation, helping to clear the mind and focus the spirit. Each virtue has a specific mantra that works best for it, and sincere meditation can bring great wisdom. Someone in towne will usually divulge the mantra for the towne’s shrine. – from Book of Lore (Ultima V)
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| “ | You can only gain a true appreciation of such increases by returning to one of the Shrines of Virtue and engaging in reflection and meditation. To meditate, learn the mantra of the shrine of your choice. Then talk to the shrine and follow its instructions. ... In compiling information about the daemonic Gargoyles invading our land they have begun to detect a pattern. It appears that our foes are trying to capture the Shrines of Virtue found near the major towns. The moonstones are now in their possession, and, as each new shrine falls, a stone is placed on the altar there. To prevent anyone from removing the stones, the gargoyles have erected impenetrable force fields around the altars. – from Compendium (Ultima VI)
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Alternate Appearance[edit]
- In Lord of Ultima, a Shrine of Honor can randomly be located in Caledonia.
- In the cancelled Ultima Online 2 and the Technocrat War trilogy, the Shrine of Honor was to be included on the southwestern continent of Avenosh.
Trivia[edit]
- The Keyring Mod for the Ultima VII utility, Exult, gives the Avatar the option to meditate at the Shrine of Honor using its corresponding rune. It will issue a quest for the hero to seek knowledge of Honor from the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, as it had in previous games.
- In Ultima VI, the Shrine of Honor adds one bonus point each to Strength and Intelligence when advancing a character's level.
Gallery[edit]
Shrine of Honor art from Mysterious Sosaria
A Shrine of Honor in LoU
The shrine in Ultima IX
| Geography |
|---|
| 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 |