Spyglass
A spyglass or a telescope is useful for seeing various objects and places from afar. Originally appearing in Ultima IV, they can be found in various forms in later installments.
Description[edit]
Ultima IV[edit]
Permanently located in the Britannia Observatory, a large telescope allows the viewer a bird’s-eye view of all the castles and settlements in the land. The wizard Palamar gives rudimentary instructions on its use.
Ultima V[edit]
In Ultima V a portable spyglass is used to view eight planets of the Britannian planetary system and the comets that sometimes approach them. Each comet represents a Shadowlord and the planet, the town this evil wraith is going to attack. This knowledge allows the astronomer to shun these mighty enemies and the people they use like puppets. Using it during the day, under roofs or in caves is impossible – outside during the day actually only resulting in damage.
After learning about it from the apprentice Dufus, the Avatar finally asked Seggallion in Farthing for the spyglass. Receiving it after correctly answering that the planets represent the virtues, the Avatar now had a very useful tool at hand. Watching the sky at night with it, the hero could see the eight planets neighboring Britannia, each representing a city of Britannia.
With all three Shadowlords destroyed, the spyglass lost its usefulness to the Avatar.
Lore[edit]
| “ | Normally used by sailors as a navigational aid, it is possible to study the planets and brighter stars with even a small spyglass. Although seldom found for sale in Britannia’s shoppes, Seggallion of Farthing is known to have a particularly fine instrument and little need of it. – from Paths of Destiny (Ultima V)
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Trivia[edit]
- In Ultima V, another spyglass is found on the roof over Lord British’s room in his castle. Like spyglasses found on various other rooftops, it is not portable.
- In Ultima V using the spyglass during the day will injure the hero.
- Telescopes in later Ultima installments were, strangely, only useful to look at the ground.
Gallery[edit]
The spyglass in Ultima V: Lazarus
