Shrine of the Codex
| Shrine of the Codex | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Shrine of Codex | |
| Located in: | Britannia |
| Type: | shrine |
 The Shrine of the Codex in Ultima VI | |
Located on the southern reaches of the Isle of the Avatar and surrounded by towering mountains, the Shrine of the Codex stands upon the former entrance of the Great Stygian Abyss.
Description[edit]
Two magical Stone Guardians guard the sole entrance to the valley holding the Shrine, granting passage only to those on a sacred quest. The Shrine itself is a simple building, also housing the flames of Infinity and Singularity. The Shrine was erected by the kingdom of Britannia as the repository of the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, though at the end of the Age of Enlightenment is lost that function.
History[edit]
Age of Enlightenment[edit]
Some years after the Stranger descended to the depths of the Stygian Abyss to become the first human to view the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom and, in turn, successfully attain Avatarhood, the Great Council removed the fabled book from deep beneath the land and erected a shrine for it upon the Isle of the Avatar. There, in a valley warded by twin Guardian Statues, the Shrine of the Codex came to protect Britannia's most sacred relic. The seeming geological upheaval of this event appeared to have caused the volcanic Abyss to erupt, only to then fall dormant.
During the regent Lord Blackthorn's despotic reign, only seekers ordained with a sacred quest were permitted by the Guardian Statues to enter the presence of the Codex. The great tome would eventually serve to give the Avatar the Word of Power for Dungeon Doom, and should the hero's companions fall prey to the torture devices of Blackthorn's prison, their cremated ashes could be found in the Shrine's presence.
Two decades later, at the height of the Gargish invasion of Britannia, the Avatar would again have cause to visit the Shrine and, using the Vortex Cube in conjunction with two enchanted lenses to focus the flames of Infinity and Singularity, send the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom to the Ethereal Void as a means to facilitate the forging of peace between kingdoms human and gargoyle. Despite sitting directly atop the Great Stygian Abyss, the eruption of this volcano after the events of Ultima Underworld seemed to have left the Shrine mysteriously unharmed.
Age of Armageddon[edit]
By the time of the Guardian's first attempt to invade Britannia, the Shrine had fallen largely into disuse, with solid metal gates now sealing its entrance. While the flames were no longer present and the Shrine lay empty, the Avatar entered its grounds seeking the entrance to Dungeon Hythloth, which had come to reside therein.
It was during the Avatar's final return to Britannia that the Shrine of the Codex would serve host to the hero's ruminations for the last time. On this occasion, the sanctum had been relocated deep within a cavern on the Isle of the Avatar, and the flames of Singularity and Infinity once again burned brightly. Within, the Avatar was able to access the mystic tome once more with the aid of the human and gargoyle lenses.
Lore[edit]
| “ | While no formal city has ever been built upon the Isle of the Avatar, it is such a place of interest that it is included here in this section. This strange volcanic island—which arose from the tumultuous upheaval of the Great Stygian Abyss—receives numerous visitors on pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Codex. The Shrine is considered to be a national monument of great historical importance to Britannia and as such is under armed guard day and night. – from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)
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Trivia[edit]
- The locations of the Shrine of Humility and the Shrine of the Codex are inverted in Ultima VI, reverting to their original locations in Ultima VII.
- Exult's Keyring Mod for Ultima VII modifies the Shrine of the Codex to bear a greater resemblance to its appearance in Ultima VI. It also adds a sacred quest to relocate the Codex, started by bringing each rune to its corresponding shrine and chanting its mantra three times. Upon visiting the Shrine of the Codex and using the human and gargoyle lenses to bring a vision of the great tome, it will give the sacred quest to the Avatar.
Gallery[edit]
Shrine of the Codex art from Mysterious Sosaria
The shrine in Ultima V
The shrine in Ultima VII
The Shrine of the Codex, as re-envisioned in Exult's Keyring Mod
| 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 |