Ultima VII: The Black Gate

A long era of peace has gone by in Britannia, with no great threats disturbing the lives of the people. Yet, something is amiss in the land. Magic seems to be dying, with mages becoming mad. The people are unhappy, and feel spiritually-empty and betrayed in life. A new sect called "The Fellowship" expands its membership in the lower classes, and secures influence through their prominent members who ascend to leading positions in society.

The Player again is the Avatar. One evening, a demonic, red face appears on the Avatar's computer screen on Earth, and declares its impending rule over Britannia. Alarmed, the Avatar consults the circle of stones, and finds a moongate already waiting to send the hero to Trinsic. Upon arrival, it transpires that a brutal murder has occurred. Investigating, the Avatar learns of similar past murders, and directly encounters further such killings throughout their travels.

The Fellowship becomes incrementally more suspicious -- in particular their leader, Batlin. Furthermore, a mysterious voice appears periodically to give the Avatar dubious guidance. Finally, after many perils the Avatar is reunited with the Time Lord, who reveals the true nature of recent events: The Fellowship is the puppet of the red-faced being, the Guardian.

The Guardian has put in motion a plot to enter Britannia through a Black Moongate and uses three blackrock Generators to spread his influence preceding his arrival. The Avatar destroys the Generators, then hurries to the Isle of the Avatar to intercept the completion of the Black Gate. In a brutal battle with Batlin and the elusive murderers, the latter are brought to justice while the former escapes by teleportation. Just before the Guardian can come through, the Avatar destroys the Gate.

Britannia is saved at the cost of the Avatar being stranded in the realm with an ominous threat of further turmoil and destruction left by the Guardian. Thus, the Age of Armageddon begins, continuing in Ultima Underworld II and Ultima VII, Part Two: Serpent Isle.

It has been two centuries since the Avatar last appeared in our good kingdom. Some have written that at last it is possible to interpret the tales of the Avatar as they should be, with the proper historical perspective. Some argue that as time moves on, the truth of what actually occurred will fade even further away and that we have a responsibility to preserve the legends as we now know them. However, most agree when it comes to a number of basic theories.

While there are those who maintain that the stories of the Avatar are only myths, practically all credible scholars say that at least some elements of the Avatar’s tales are historical fact. In reality, one need look no further than the Isle of the Avatar to see very persuasive evidence that the Avatar did indeed exist - at least as a person if not as a spiritual being!
It is most likely that there has been more than one Avatar. All of the writings insist that the Avatar who negotiated the peace between Britannia and the gargoyles is the one and same person who first appeared to vanquish the sorcerer Mondain those many years ago. While saying it is most unlikely, historians do not firmly deny the possibility of there having been only on Avatar. After all, our good sovereign monarch, wise Lord British, has himself displayed an amazing longevity!

Whatever interpretation of history proves to be most accurate, it seems undeniable that the Avatar will not return to our fair kingdom. By all indications the age of magic is coming to an end. With the decline on reliability of mages, and with the kingdom turning away from the magical arts, it is doubtful that extreme danger - that which would require an Avatar’s aid to defeat it - will ever return to Britannia. And thankfully so.

Upon us is the age of The Fellowship, in which one does not simply wait in anticipation for a heroic savior when a crisis occurs. In this less spectacular but more practical day, we are left to solve our problems with our own minds and our own will.