Sir Arbuthnot

Sir Arbuthnot
Sir Arbuthnot, from Ultima V: Lazarus
Species:	human
Appearances
Ultima V: Lazarus Profession: retired royal coinmaker Location: Greyhaven Ultima V Sir Arbuthnot, from Ultima V Location: Greyhaven Transcript: Sir Arbuthnot

Sir Arbuthnot is a fugitive knight and royal moneyer ensconced at the remote Greyhaven lighthouse in Ultima V.

Biography

Details of Sir Arbuthnot's early life are not apparent, nor are his exploits as a warrior and knight of the realm. It is clear, nevertheless, that he was a talented artisan and eventually, around the mid-Age of Enlightenment, came to serve the Crown in its prohibitively intricate coining process. The lone individual authorized to mint Britannia's legal tender, Arbuthnot fulfilled his duties until forced into hiding during the totalitarian crisis that followed Lord British's December 137 disappearance from the sprawling Underworld. At some time approaching April 139, the Companions of the Avatar, declared enemies of the realm under regent Lord Blackthorn's corrupted, despotic rule in British's absence, anonymously commissioned Arbuthnot to produce the magical Codex Coin, such that it would comprise part of a summoning ritual to bring the Avatar to Britannia's aid. The coiner's secretive work, though received by the Companions, was not completed without attracting the ire of Blackthorn, however, and Arbuthnot too found himself a target of the dark lord's merciless regime.

Absconding to the southernmost reaches of the mainland, Sir Arbuthnot took refuge from his would-be captors within the confines of Greyhaven on the Cape of Heroes, evidently having aroused no suspicion from lighthouse keeper Charlotte, an ardent supporter of Blackthorn's decreed ethical code. Meanwhile, Arbuthnot's enchanted coin was successfully transposed by Iolo FitzOwen and Shamino Sallé Dacil to the Avatar's home on Earth, where it was then used by the hero to call forth a blue moongate and return to Britannia in the early hours of the fifth day of April.

It was at Greyhaven, passing his waking hours in solitude by the lighthouse's fireplace, that Arbuthnot could be found by the Avatar. Hardened by his recent experiences, Arbuthnot would divulge the specifics of his role in the hero's return only if the Avatar, whose identity was not immediately apparent to him, indicated an unfavorable view of the current rulership.

While Sir Arbuthnot's gamble in crafting the Codex Coin paved the way for Lord British's eventual restoration to the throne, it is unclear what thereafter became of the minter. By the time Gargish armies had begun to impose themselves upon the realm some two decades later in Ultima VI, the man once so instrumental in bringing an end to the reign of Lord Blackthorn would not be encountered by the Avatar, with coining now institutionalized in the form of the Royal Mint and its administrator, Terri.

Ultima V: Lazarus

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This is an Ultima V: Lazarus-related article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima V or other Ultima games.

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In Ultima V: Lazarus, Sir Arbuthnot first only admitted that he was a former knight of the Order of the Silver Serpent of Serpent's Hold and the retired royal coinmaker. He was uncertain of why the silver serpent stood for his order, only knowing the same symbol had graced Lord British's Amulet. He was involved with Kenneth in a supply chain to Serpent's Hold, which was under a blockade of the Oppression.

After being shown the Codex Coin as proof of the Avatar's identity, Sir Arbuthnot shared the entire story of how he had been commissioned to create the magical artifact which summoned the Avatar to Britannia. The knight told the hero that an unknown member of the Resistance had tasked him with creating the magic coin, which he had been able to create using knowledge he had gleaned from his grandfather Azure, who had carved magic Runes during the time of Ultima IV. His access to the Royal Mint gave him cover for his activities. The difficult part had been devising the magic to send the coin to Earth, and while researching this he had alerted Blackthorn to his plans and had been forced to flee. He eventually met a mage that convinced him if he completed his task and gave the Codex Coin to those who had commissioned him, Iolo and Shamino, the coin would eventually reach its desired location. It was shortly after that that members of the Oppression began searching Britain for him, and he was forced to flee to Greyhaven.

Sir Arbuthnot would mention that he learned his skills from his grandparent Azure of Minoc, who talked to the hero about the carving of runes in Ultima IV.

Trivia

• Sir Arbuthnot's counterpart in reality is Bill Jensen (Arbuthnot Dragon of the Ultima Dragons), one of many Ultima-related personalities to have participated alongside series creator Richard Garriott in the Society for Creative Anachronism's (SCA) barony of Bryn Gwlad. Known in the SCA as William Arbuthnot the Moneyer, Jensen was incorporated into Ultima V as a tribute to his minting a coin in commemoration of Ultima IV and presenting it to Garriott. This coin, which displays the Codex symbol on one side and the Bell of Courage, Book of Truth, and Candle of Love on the other, likewise inspired the Codex Coin that both appears in Ultima V and was included with original releases of the game as a physical trinket. Jensen is also alluded to in the Ultima Underworld manual, Memoirs of Sir Cabirus, as "Bill, the humble son of Jenn", the former bearer of the Ring of Humility.