The Eight Virtues of the Avatar

Origin of the Eight Virtues

"Many years ago, Lord British vanquished the forces of evil to lead Britannia out of the Ages of Darkness into the light of a single, just sovereign. Peace begot prosperity. Heretofore unknown riches spread across the land. Many grew fat and contented. For Lord British, these riches were mere trinkets, glittering baubles of distraction. The noble King sought his riches elsewhere.

In a world without strife, he inquired of himself, what is the purpose of life? How was he to lead the people when he lacked such purpose? Is there value in leadership for its own sake? Like a gathering tornado, these questions spiraled into further questions, the answers to which he had none. He traveled about the kingdom to ask these questions to the wisest scholars and the humblest tradesmen. He journeyed through Moongates to other worlds wherein the truths he sought were perverted by tyrants of many shades. He traveled the byways of his own experience. He gathered, assembled, and pored over these thoughts for a long time.

His mind rallied around a base assumption: it is right to be good. In goodness, we extend beyound our selves, beyond our animal needs, to lend strength to our fellow man. In that shared strength resides greater power than in the individual mights therein. That power will be needed, when selfishness seeks to divide man from woman, parent from child, brother from brother. Thus, the power of virtue must be seeded in the minds of the people.

How, then, to define virtue? What are its properties? Lord British refined his thoughts to three Principles that could not be further divided: Truth, Love, and Courage. These were his seeds. In isolation and in combination, they grew into the eight Virtues."

-- from the journal of the Avatar, Ultima IX: Ascension

Explanation and Organization of the Eight Virtues

"For verily it is known that the three principles are Truth, Love, and Courage;
And that from Truth arises Honesty;
And from Love arises Compassion;
And from Courage arises Valour;
And that Truth comingled with Love gives rise to Justice;
And Love comingled with Courage gives rise to Sacrifice;
And Truth comingled with Courage gives rise to Honour;
And Truth, Love, and Courage all united create Spirituality;
And the absence of all three principles leads to the vice of pride, which leads us to think of the virtue that is its opposite, that of Humility.

And on the quest to become the embodiment of the eight virtues, the Avatar recovered the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, and discovered that the one underlying concept that leads to the three principles which lead to the eight virtues is Infinity. Ponder this well, O Seeker!"

-- from Quest of the Avatar, by Lord British

Embodiments of the Eight Virtues

Soon after Lord British established these virtues, magical shrines were erected in order to honor them. These shrines were built near the eight great cities that had unified under the rule of Lord British. In order to enter each shrine, a rune of entry was required. Also, when one meditated at a shrine, a mantra was chanted in order to purify his thoughts. A sigil is an object that symbolizes a virtue. The Avatar, who was given a profession during the Quest of the Avatar based upon the virtue he favored, had seven companions (who studied the other seven virtues) who enabled him to complete this great quest. Also, eight immense dungeons located near these shrines seemed to take on properties that opposed the eight virtues.

return to main Ultima page...