The Age of Storms

The Age of Storms is a series of in-game books within Shroud of the Avatar. The narration is unfinished, but it seems probable that it chronicles an alternative universe where the events of Ultima IX: Ascension did not take place.

It is still possible, but less likely, that the events described are a new take on what happened in Britannia before Ultima IX: Ascension, while the Avatar was on Pagan.

Book transcript

Volume 1: The Age of Storms

This is a short account of the events that happened in Britannia during the times that would come to be known as the Age of the Storms. During this time unnaturally strong storms hit the land over and over again, drowning small towns in mud and making roads dangerous and treacherous.

The only way people could survive was through cooperation and love with each other. It was also in those times that the group we now know as the Hospitallers was born, to foster compassion into the hearts of the population... but even with their great efforts and those of many other virtuous people (such as the Knight of Compassion, who encouraged and rewarded those compassionate), the roughness of the life made it hard to live a life of virtue.

Most probably helped by this general feeling of despair, the philosophy of chaos had risen in popularity with Lord Blackthorn from Terfin acting as its champion. It found a nurturing home at Buccaneer's Den, from where it spread to Paws, Britain, and then through all the land as the vessels of pirates and thieves sailed the seas of Britannia.

The talk in the town squares about this philosophy was that people shouldn't be enforced to a set of virtues and laws to live their lives, and they should instead follow their instincts, live by their own set of rules and trust each other's choices. Living by the virtues was not the only way of life and the laws of Lord British, built around them, were deprecated and rigid.

This prompted Lord British to tour around the cities, trying to convince people of how the virtues, and the law, are what kept society working as a whole... it was too late, Lord Blackthorn had already done his work. While British gave inspired public speeches in town squares and theaters, the agents of Blackthorn infiltrated the taverns, the slums, the places where the common people lived. And they did this to spread a simple message: Lord British had imposed the tyranny of his virtues for too long, banishing and murdering anyone who proposed a different way of living, and he had to be stopped.

Volume 2: The Clash of Virtue and Chaos

It took only months for civil war to build up, and the realm was now divided. With Lord British still having a loyal following including most of the legendary Dragons and many other people willing to die for the virtues, and Lord Blackthorne who was backed by countless pirates and anarchists.

Being severely outnumbered, since Blackthorne had enlisted many common folk on his ranks, it was crucial that every man in the royal army was much more skilled than their counterparts. Sir Edward Vitralis, an experienced fencer, set on the task of polishing the martial skills of all the army units. He was joined by Vanzilar, a warrior from another world, who imparted discipline on the troops making them wake up early in the morning and training them in unknown combat techniques and even the secrets of levitation for some of the more patient.

Shamus Runeville, the finest siege engineer in the land, also trained the troops for the inevitable: long running sieges which could be made shorter by breaching the castle walls on the keeps.

The realm was at war. There were battles near Jhelom, Trinsic, Britain and south of Minoc, as well as sea battles near the shores of Moonglow and Paws and many, many other smaller skirmishes.

Volume 3: The Battle of Serpent's Hold

After several more months of war, it all came down to a final battle. With Britain and his main castle being lost already, Lord British relocated his headquarters and the remaining of his army to Serpent's Hold, staging an attack to Blackthorn's castle at Terfin.

Blackthorn, on the other hand, assembled a huge fleet and sailed south from Buccaneer's Den with his horde of pirates, rogues and madmen, confident that victory was close.

The fleet of Chaos landed north of Serpent's Hold, and proceeded to assault the garrison meeting the remaining of the royal army. The battle went for hours and hours, and right in the middle of it, a great storm hit the battlefield, quenching the flame wind spells that the royal army was relying on to keep the invaders at bay. Still they fought hard in the muddy field, and the battle went on under the heavy rain until Lord British was hit by a purple lightning ray and disappeared leaving no trace, while its remaining captains fell to the ground, unconscious.

Confused, the royal troops surrendered and were imprisoned in dungeons all around the land... Lord British's daughter, princess Kinga British, had to flee to the deep forest of Yew, the only place safe from forces of Chaos, guarded by Sir Edward Vitralis, his personal bodyguard and bard, the Voyager Dragon, whose knowledge of the land was exceptional, and a small band of ancient rangers who claimed to come from the original Devil's Guard. It is said that the fairies of the forest, being safe from the stone creatures who threatened them, provided protection to the princess by misleading all the parties sent to seek them.

Blackthorn had seized the throne of Britannia, with no one up to challenge him, and within months, the situation for the people didn't become any better.

Volume 4: The Bane of Britannia

With the storms still ravaging and food becoming hard to find people would rather lie to each other on behalf of their personal interests, and ignore what was becoming of their townsfolk in need. They cowardly retreated into their houses while bands of rogues roamed the lands with no one to stop them, and kept what little resources they had for themselves and only themselves, in fear of what was to come. Being bound to serve noone, they step on each other trying to impose their ideals, and the struggle to survive day to day made them forget about their own spiritual facet.

Even then, those who had championed for chaos took pride of their achievements, and tried to convince themselves that given some time, the new society promised by Blackthorn was going to be established. They organised tournaments of petanque, dancing events and beerfests, to try to keep up the spirits of the people, and filled the taverns with beverages of fortitude and even the nectar of the citrus gods.

Having seized control of The Daily Britannian, they used it as a tool to further confuse people, manipulating them with rumors and gossip from their newly created settlement at Vurthol Bay, a place that made Buccaneer's Den seem as virtuous as Yew in comparison.

However, unknown to most of people in the land, there were bigger events being unfolded while the conflict of virtues versus chaos raged.