Stranger
The Stranger is a title that refers to the protagonist (the player) of the Ultima series, prior to the character's attainment of Avatarhood in Ultima IV. The proper name of the Stranger is determined by the player.
Gender and Race[edit]
In Akalabeth through Ultima IV, the player had the option to deem that the Stranger was male or female, and the additional choice of "other" in Ultima III.
At times, the player also had the option of selecting the Stranger's race, and could dictate the hero as being a human, elf, dwarf or bobbit, with the additional option of playing a fuzzy becoming available in Ultima III. Given the graphical technology in the earlier games, there was no clear indicator of the character's ethnicity or skin color beyond these broad categories.
History[edit]
The Stranger was the hero responsible for the slaying of Mondain, Minax and Exodus – the three great evils of the Sosarian Age of Darkness. Each time, the Stranger acted in response to a summons by Lord British, who had brought the hero to another world through a simple act of contemplation as he held his amulet of the silver serpent.[1] It is rumored that the Stranger arrived by means of some manner of moongate each time, similar to the one that had brought Lord British to Sosaria.[2]
In Ultima IV, the Stranger arrived in Britannia to participate in the Quest of the Avatar. After the hero gained a steeled soul such that it embodied each of the Eight Virtues, the Stranger descended into the Great Stygian Abyss and read the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom – thus becoming the enlightened champion of Britannian morality, the Avatar.
Continuity[edit]
In the Ultima series, every installment up to and including Ultima VII employs an overt second-person narrative, meaning the Stranger/Avatar is considered to be the player. While this narrative mode provides a consistent identity for Britannia's hero, possible discrepancies nevertheless arise throughout the fiction of entries prior to Ultima VI.
The instruction manual for Ultima II implies the Stranger who vanquished Mondain is the very same now called upon to defeat Minax,[3] before The Book of Play (Ultima III) specifically confirms this person is the protagonist of all three games in the Age of Darkness trilogy.[4] In Ultima IV, however, it is not made explicit whether the Stranger of earlier titles is the same now undertaking the Quest of the Avatar: Lord British shows recognition and addresses the Stranger by name upon first approach, and Father Antos, a character previously encountered in Ultima II, is described as "strangely familiar", whereas the game's introduction sequence suggests the player character has had no prior exposure to Sosaria. Ultima V also makes no clear reference to the Avatar having faced the evils of the Age of Darkness. The manuals included with each of these games (The History of Britannia and The Book of Lore, respectively) may be taken to imply different Strangers assisted Lord British in each of the first three installments, contrary to earlier fiction, and the latter book draws no connection between the Avatar and the Stranger(s) who defeated the Triad of Evil.[5][6]
It is not until Ultima VI onward that the Avatar is unequivocally stated to be the very same person who faced Mondain, Minax, and Exodus, thus creating a stronger continuity between the Age of Darkness trilogy and later games. This is first established in the Ultima VI manual, Compendium,[7] and again in the game itself when the Avatar visits the Gargish Shrines of the Principles: at each shrine, the respective spirits of Mondain, Minax and Exodus provide counsel to the Avatar, causing the hero to remember having defeated them prior to becoming the Champion of Virtue.[8][9][10]
Trivia[edit]
- It is mentioned that the Stranger drives a blue convertible in Ultima: The Avatar Adventures,[11] and a similar car is shown in illustrations in the manual for the Nintendo-port of Ultima IV.
Gallery[edit]
The Stranger arrives, as depicted in Ultima I for FM Towns
References[edit]
- ↑ Garriott, Richard et al. "Folklore". The Book of Lore (Ultima V). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1988. Pages 4.
- ↑ Morris, Andrew. "Lessons of the Past". Beyond the Serpent Pillars (Ultima VII Part Two). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1993. Pages 3.
- ↑ Rollo, Mary Taylor. "The Story of Minax". Ultima II manual (first edition) (Ultima II). Sierra On-Line, Inc.: 1983. Page 14.
- ↑ Adams, Roe R.. The Book of Play (Ultima III). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1983. Page 1.
- ↑ Albert, David. "Political History". The History of Britannia (Ultima IV). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1985. Pages 1–2.
- ↑ Garriott, Richard et al. "Folklore". The Book of Lore (Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1988. Pages 4–5.
- ↑ Malone, Greg. "The Chronicles of Britannia". Compendium (Ultima VI: The False Prophet). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1990. Pages 1–3.
- ↑ Mondain. Ultima VI transcript. Ultima VI.
- ↑ Minax. Ultima VI transcript. Ultima VI.
- ↑ Exodus. Ultima VI transcript. Ultima VI.
- ↑ DeMaria, Rusel et al. "Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar". Ultima: The Avatar Adventures (Ultima IV). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Page 6.