Talk:Silver serpents

The appearances of the Serpents

I'm confused about when these guys showed up. It seems they were in U6 and U9, but only mentioned in U7. What does it mean? AngusM 03:34, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

Exactly as you say. You see them as actual enemies in VI and IX, but they are only mentioned by people in VII. --Tribun 11:50, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

So they appeared in all 3, but they were an elephant in the room for U6 and U9, as far as the populace goes? Is that important to say? AngusM 19:41, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

I meant with that, that the serpents themselves only appear in VI and IX. In VII, they are only talked about and we have their venom, but no actual serpent is seen. Knowledge of their existence is always there (In VI it is in the Compendium, in VII people talk about them, in IX, people in Britain know of it).--Tribun 19:49, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

Right, "mentioned" only makes a statement about how it was treated in VII. Well, this'll be the last time that mistake will have been made. Banner removed. AngusM 19:58, June 3, 2010 (UTC)

The appearances of venom

Just how often was venom found? AngusM 03:34, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

You find the venom in VI, VII and IX. In VII, you find dozends of vials, that I count as "a lot".--Tribun 11:50, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

If they appear in those places, then I'd say that's enough. I'll remove the banner. AngusM 19:42, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

Sentient Serpents

In "Notable Examples" is the serpent being talked about from U9? Why did it seem to have an actual mind? I don't even remember it being able to move. AngusM 03:34, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

When you open the lock of the prison, the snake does teleport back to the cathedral, and it also is totally cooperative with the monks. Kimberly also mentions in passing that the snake is working with them.--Tribun 11:50, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

Is there anything else? I don't think this is enough. I don't even know that the teleporting was performed by the snake, and to me, both behaviours don't prove that its mental sophistication is any greater than that of an ant (an Earth ant). AngusM 20:05, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

I removed the last bit, no more is an actual mind implied.--Tribun 20:07, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

I'm closing the issue and removing the banner. AngusM 19:58, June 3, 2010 (UTC)

True first appearance in the Manga?

I'm a bit confused about the first appearance of the Silver Serpents. In the history of the games, The Silver serpents are first mentioned in U6, though retroactively they were already around in Sosarian times.

But, I'm currently reading the translated Manga Ultima - Quest of the Avatar, and here we're already introduced to the Silver Serpents. Was that just a choice on the translators part, or did, in fact, silver serpents appear in publication two years before they were introduced in the games? (The manga came out in 1988, U6 in 1990).

Good catch! It hadn't occurred to me that the manga predates U6 and thus "Silver" is the first time we see an actual Silver Serpent instead of a pictorial representation. My guess is that it is actually a Silver Serpent and not a choice on the translator's part and that the writer based it on the existence of the Order of the Silver Serpent that dates back at least to U4. But the icon for the silver serpent itself is based on a serpent medallion Richard Garriott crafted and always wears which predates everything. :)

But I'm sure we'll hear from the translator soon enough. :) -- Fenyx4 11:06, 28 March 2012 (PDT)