Tenebrae

Tenebrae
Location of Tenebrae
Located in:	Pagan
Type:	town

Tenebrae is a major city on Pagan on the island of Morgaelin, appearing in Ultima VIII. It also is the only city having survived the war between Zealans and Pagans and the following devastation.

Description

Tenebrae, the city of eternal twilight, is the only known city remaining in Pagan after the great war, situated in the south of the island of Morgaelin. To the west lies the Fishermen's Reef where people of said occupation live, to the east the Cemetery and the centre of the Necromancers and to the north the Herdsman's Valley with its Torax farms. Thick walls surround the city and divide it in three parts, silent witness of its war time past.

The central district is dominated by the Palace of the Tempest, where the ruling Tempest lives. It is also the only building in the district, apart from the guard posts. However, access is not restricted and it would be difficult to do so anyway, since it connects the other two parts of the city. In the poverty-stricken western district live the poor and craftsmen of Tenebrae. The river also flows through it. There, the Shattered Skull Tavern, blacksmith and arena for troll battles are found among the houses of the common folk of the city. The district looks run-down and several ruins - culuminating in a recently burnt-down house - show the government cares little for these people. In the grand eastern district live the wealthy and important people of Tenebrae such as the the Tempest's majordomo, the city sorcerer and the captain of the guard. In the eastern districts are also found the gem shop, the library, the training hall and numerous fountains.

History

The city was built by the Zealans long before the war, but they were forced out of it by the Pagans during the war. After the cataclysmic events invoked by the Guardian, Tenebrae was the only known city to survive, becoming the center of life for many. Since then, the Tempest rules from there.

In the early times after the war, Lithos once tried to destroy the city with his army of the undead, since he was enraged that the inhabitants of Tenebrae turned to Hydros for protection instead of him. However, the ruling Tempest, Lord Elsmil, rallied to the city's defense, weilding the mighty magical warhammer Bonecrusher in battle. Even though Lord Elsmil lost his life in the battle, Lithos was forced to withdraw and would never attack the city again after making the pact with the Necromancers. In a twist of events, this later would enrage Hydros, since the city now was ruled by the servants of Lithos, and thus during the rule of Kalen she flooded the city and killed Kalen's beloved. In a strange irony, in the events that followed her followers in the form of the Tempests would come to rule the city, but she had nothing of that victory, being imprisoned at Carthax Lake by said Tempests.

At the time of the Avatar's arrival in Pagan, Mordea ruled with an iron fist, turning Tenebrae essentially into a huge prison for all its inhabitants. Her terror regime - fueled by her paranoia that it could be revealed that she was not the rightful Tempest - executed anyone who dared to speak against her and the people lived in fear, becoming defensive. With her death, normality returned.

Lore

“

Named the City of Eternal Twilight, Tenebrae is the only community excluding the various groups of spellcasters - known still to exist on Morgaelin. It was first built ages ago by our Zealan ancestors, who were forced out during the ancient wars. Despite its heritage, many of the edifices are new, having been reconstructed in recent years. In the central part of the city is the Great Palace, home and court of the reigning Lady. From there she rules with a firm hand, keeping the peace via her very real threat of sending criminals to a watery grave. – from The Chronicle of Pagan (Ultima VIII)

“

The verdant, troubled island of Pagan is inhabited by a wide range of people, from narrow-minded to quietly heroic. Though I have spent much time in the darkness, the natures of this new generation are instantly revealed to me, as true as if they were written in gilt-bound volumes. Some are petty, some seem grander than they have right to claim, while others strive to overcome the myriad obstacles fate has arranged for them. – from Pentology (Ultima VIII)

Inhabitants

• Aramina: chambermaid
• Bentic: scholar
• Beren: city sorcerer and law enforcer
• Darion: captain of the guard
• Devon: fisherman and an aspiring scholar
• Jenna: barmaid
• Korick: blacksmith
• Mordea: ruling Tempest
• Orlok: tavern owner
• Rhian: clothier
• Salkind: Mordea's seneschal
• Shaana: executioner
• Tarna: guard
• Toran: jeweler

Services

• Shattered Skull Tavern
• Rhian - clothing and jewels
• Darion - leather armour
• Korick - metal armour and weapons

Places of Interest

• Palace of the Tempest

Trivia

• Due plot cuts, it was unimplemented that Lithos would attack Tenebrae with his hordes of the undead after the Heart of Earth got removed from its resting place. The event can still be activated with the flag editor, however.
• The gate to Tenebrae actually stays closed until the Avatar has watched Toran's execution, thus forcing the player to follow the plot.
• During playtesting, various items were dumped behind walls in Tenebrae and then left there in the final game, due to the reasoning that they are unreachable. This goes from chairs, over chunks of silver ore, down to a Theurgy focus and an key blank (see Cheating in Ultima VIII). These things can either be moved with explosions, or the walls they are behind can be removed with the hackmover.
• A sketch map of how Tenebrae was originally planned to be structured has turned up (as seen in the gallery). The map is interesting in that it shows how the game originally was planned with a continuous world (as in Ultima VII). Also, the city plan in this sketch is vastly different from the final product.

Gallery

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  Map of Tenebrae

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  Sketch Map of Tenebrae

• 

  The same in better quality

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Geography