Stellos
| Stellos | |||||
 Stellos, from Ultima VIII | |||||
| Species: | human | ||||
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Stellos is a devotee of Stratos and the founder of the magical school of Theurgy on Pagan.[1] He appears in Ultima VIII.
Description[edit]
Stellos was the son of the healer Veras and her husband Prevan,[2] and grew up on the Argentrock Isle in the early years of Pagan’s third epoch. In his youth, he came to hear the voice of Stratos, Titan of Air, and was empowered by her to heal the sick and wounded.[1]
While many initially dismissed Stellos' claims as deranged ranting, the first Tempest, Kalen, believed in his healing powers and came to him requesting that life be restored to the body of his late wife. While unsure that he could perform such a feat, Stellos was moved to action by Kalen's adore, and implored Stratos to grant him the power to return the grieving man's beloved to life. She gave him this boon, and drew his spirit from his body that it might stand in the glory of the obfuscated Pagan sun, during which time his temporarily lifeless body on the land below breathed life back into the woman. This feat, however, would cost Stellos his vision, finding himself forever blinded by the sight of the unobscured star upon rejoining his earthly body.[1][3][4]
In gratitude for the return of his beloved, Kalen commanded the earth to forge itself into a monastery for Stellos' followers,[3] and the blind Theurgist would go on to tutor many in the healing arts in the years that followed. Sustained by the life-giving powers of Stratos, Stellos was able to live far beyond the normal span of years given to most men, and watched over Argentrock for centuries. For a time, he found love with his fellow Theurgist, the wise Boreas, but she refused his offers to extend her life beyond its natural length, and after her death he never made mention of her.[5]
Upon arriving at the monastery, the Avatar sought to learn the arts of Theurgy, and was guided by the wizened Stellos to learn the magic of Stratos. After passing the various trials necessary to enter the order, the hero would ask the aged monk of the Breath of Air which allowed Stratos to maintain her magical connection to her followers. Honest to a fault, Stellos revealed that it lay hidden near the Titan of Air herself, despite knowing that its theft would mean his death. After the hero commandeered it, the ancient Theurgist could speak but briefly before he expired, overwhelmed by the weight of his years.[6]
Lore[edit]
| “ | Stellos is a wise and kind man for whom the term elderly is more a measure of appearance than chronology, for his dealings with Stratos have left him immortal. Ever concerned for the welfare of others, he is perfectly suited for his role as instructor at the Order of Enlightenment. The only man alive from our tumultuous past, Stellos is a still-breathing legend who matches perfectly the stories of his heroic encounter in the realm of Air. – from The Chronicle of Pagan (Ultima VIII)
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| “ | Quickly it spread through the land that Stellos could aid the sick and draw truth from the lips of liars. Word of his powers reached Kalen, who brought to Stellos the body of his betrothed. The elderly man took Kalen’s love to Windy Point and asked for the power to return her to life.
Stratos explained that the woman’s body had been separated from her spirit for too long. It would be possible to breathe life into her, but only at great cost. Hoping to repay Kalen for his work in ending the rains, Stellos agreed to the unknown fee. Stratos permitted the determined man to send his spirit into the realm of Air. Farther and farther he went, facing tremendous winds. There he finally found a shimmering cloud at the very verge of the sky itself and something he later called the ethereal void. As he entered the cloud, the light of day confronted him; he was the first and, to this day, only Pagan to see sunlight in many generations. On the dark island below, his mouth opened and from it flowed the breath of life into the body of Kalen’s beloved. The old man, prepared to greet the lovers, returned to his body only to discover he had lost his vision — forever blinded by the sight of the sun. – from The Chronicle of Pagan (Ultima VIII)
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Trivia[edit]
- Stellos' name means "stars" in Latin. His mother's name, Veras, means "truths" or "true things." His beloved, Boreas, shares a name with the Greek god of the Northern wind (Βορέας).
- Stellos' mother Veras was the woman who enshrined the Protector to its resting place beneath the Argentrock Monastery.[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mythran. The Objective History of Pagan (Ultima VIII – in-game).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Veras. Journal of Veras the Healer (Ultima VIII – in-game).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Morris, Andrew P.. "History of Pagan". The Chronicle of Pagan (Ultima VIII). Origin Systems Page 8.
- ↑ Stellos. The Spell of Resurrection (Ultima VIII – in-game).
- ↑ Mead, Melissa. "Magic". Pentology (Ultima VIII). Origin Systems: 1994. Page 46.
- ↑ Stellos. Ethereal Software’s Ultima VIII transcript. Ultima VIII.