| Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Origin Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Origin Systems |
| Designer(s) | Warren Spector, Richard Garriott |
| Engine | Ultima VII Engine |
| Platform(s) | DOS and others through Exult |
| Release date(s) | March 25, 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single Player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (13+) USK: 12+ |
| Media/distribution | 5.25" and 3.5" floppies; later releases on CD-ROM |
Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle is a role-playing video game released in 1993 as part of the core Ultima series. Its story beginning eighteen months after the conclusion of Ultima VII Part One: The Black Gate.
Since most of the game's code was recycled from The Black Gate, it was decided not to call it Ultima VIII; Richard Garriott had stated in interviews around 1988 that no two Ultimas shared the same source code, unlike the then-competing The Bard's Tale series, and he may have felt bound by this statement.
The Avatar follows Batlin to a land called Serpent Isle, finding some three city-states founded by those who left Britannia generations before, and ancient ruins from a lost civilization that was there long before them.
This is the first game in the main Ultima series to completely take place outside Britannia as it has been known since Ultima III. It is also more linear than the earlier parts — unlike the earlier games where the order in which quests were completed was of little concern, the new approach makes it possible to give the game a more carefully plotted storyline, while at the same time somewhat limiting the player's choice.[1] Additionally there are few optional sub-quests; every objective somehow ties into the main quest.
Unlike the four previous Ultimas, the companions do not take issue with theft or murder. The only punishment for such behavior is if characters outside the party witness it. As the world of Serpent Isle does not emphasize the virtues the way Britannia does, guards will sometimes ask for bribes from the Avatar if the player is caught stealing or murdering; bribing the guards was last possible in the game Ultima III.
A clue book was published for the game, titled Balancing the Scales.
Contents |
Back in Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, one section of the game world was known as "The Lands of Danger and Despair". Shamino, a recurring character in the Ultima series, was a ruling lord here. The Lands of Danger and Despair vanished during the cataclysmic events of the first three Ultima games and became Serpent Isle, separated from Britannia as it is known since Ultima IV.
The original inhabitants of Serpent Isle, the Ophidians, had a culture where serpents played a central role. They eventually became polarized as the forces of Order and Chaos, respectively, and fought a great war that destroyed their culture and left their cities and temples in ruins. Order "won" the war, destroying the Chaos Serpent but thereby upsetting the natural balance to the point where the entire universe is unraveling. (It turns out that the Great Earth Serpent that guarded Exodus' fortress in Ultima III was actually the Balance Serpent that he had ripped from the void, triggering the war between Chaos and Order in first place.)
Much later, Serpent Isle was re-settled by humans who had left Britannia voluntarily or had been exiled. Many of them referred to Lord British as "Beast British" and had a very low opinion of the Britannian king. After he united the lands, and with the establishment of the eight virtues, those unhappy with his rule fled to Serpent Isle. Unlike Britannia, which has eight cities representing the eight virtues of the Avatar, Serpent Isle has three city-states, each with their own beliefs, warped versions of the Britannian principles of Truth, Love and Courage:
Those from the city of Moon (later known as Moonglow) built Moonshade, where mages ruled and "mundanes" were regarded as an inferior servant class. Instead of truth, they strove for power.
Those from the city of Fawn champion beauty above all else instead of Love.
Those from the twin cities of East and West Montor established Monitor, a warrior culture ostensibly based on knightly courage but rife with intrigue and betrayal.
After the end of Ultima VII: The Black Gate, the Guardian orders his right-hand man Batlin to follow Iolo's wife Gwenno who went to explore Serpent Isle.[2] This is discovered eighteen months later, and Lord British sends the Avatar and three of his companions (Sir Dupre the knight, Shamino the ranger and Iolo the bard) to Serpent Isle in pursuit of Batlin.
At the beginning of the game, the expedition's ship is beached at Serpent Isle by the magical storms. Soon afterwards they lose most of their equipment to a magical storm that exchanges equipment for seemingly random items, such as a magical helmet exchanged for a fur cap. It turns out that the items switched locations and that the items gained thus are leads to the location of the missing pieces of equipment, such as a penguin egg indicating that the item it it swapped places with will be found among the penguins in the frozen north.
Two overarching plotlines exist within the game: The expedition must reclaim their equipment, as many of the items are required to solve puzzles and subquests in the game; and they must explore Serpent Isle and discover its history to understand the reasons for the magical storms that will destroy the land. Over the course of his adventures, the Avatar and his companions visit the ruins of the lost Ophidian cities, witness the extinction of the peaceful Gwani, and learn that Iolo's wife Gwenno was killed (though later manage to have her revived). Lord Shamino's ruined castle is also visited, and his and his dead fiancé's tragic backstory is revealed.
The storyline can roughly be divided into three parts:
Exploring Serpent Isle while tracking Batlin (and Gwenno), the expedition learns that the world is unraveling. The storms are gradually getting worse and the apocalypse of Serpent Isle is drawing near. The Avatar learns that Batlin is trying to capture three Ophidian demi-gods known as the Banes, but Batlin always remains several steps ahead and the Avatar does not arrive in time to stop him. Batlin was hoping to tie the Banes to his own service to attain god-like powers, betraying the Guardian, but they escape, slay Batlin and possess the Avatar's companions who in turn proceed to devastate the three cities and kill most of the inhabitants.
After his happens, the Avatar must find a means in the post-apocalyptic Serpent Isle to track down the three Banes and free his companions from their influence.
Many parts of the plot were cut for this section. In the game itself, the Banes kill most of the population of Serpent Isle. However, in the original plot documents of the game, the Banes take over each town instead of killing the inhabitants [3].
Finally, after rescuing his companions, the Avatar must use his knowledge about the ancient Ophidian culture to ascend to the position of Hierophant of Balance and restore the lost Chaos Serpent to balance the warring forces of Order and Chaos. It turns out a living soul must be sacrificed for this. The Avatar volunteers, but Dupre, driven by guilt for the deeds he committed while possessed by the Bane of Wantonness, insists on sacrificing himself instead.
The Virtue system of the Ophidians is formed around the following three Principles:
| Principle | Embodiment | Symbols |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Blue Serpent of Order | Diamond, Ice |
| Chaos | Red Serpent of Chaos | Ruby, Fire |
| Balance | Great Earth Serpent | Earth |
In the Ophidian symbology, the Great Earth Serpent is the keeper of Balance, and lies around in a vertical plane; the opposing serpents of Chaos and Order wrap themselves around the Great Earth Serpent, each spiraling in a different direction (a symbol inspired by Caduceus).
The Ophidian system comprises six Forces, three from Order and three from Chaos; the Forces of Order are Ethicality, Discipline and Logic, while the Forces of Chaos are Tolerance, Enthusiasm and Emotion. Their descriptions are as follows:
| Force | Description | Symbols |
|---|---|---|
| Ethicality | The belief that there is great value in abiding by rules of conduct. | A torch |
| Discipline | The drive to complete a task and avoid the distractions that will prevent its completion. | A dagger |
| Logic | Clear, reasoned thought, free from any instinctual biases. | The abacus |
| Tolerance | That which encourages the acceptance of all things. | A chain |
| Enthusiasm | The energy that allows one to perform great tasks. | A rose |
| Emotion | The ability to perceive those feelings that come from the heart, as opposed to coming from the mind. | A heart |
When combined by pairs, these Forces form the Three Principles of Balance (not to be confused with the three Principles of Order, Balance and Chaos above). The Principles of Balance, their descriptions and relations to the Forces of Order and Chaos are illustrated in the table below:
| Principle of Balance | Arises from | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | Ethicality and Tolerance | The ability to be at peace with the self, the individual and the world. |
| Dedication | Discipline and Enthusiasm | That which permits one to surmount obstacles and lead others. |
| Rationality | Logic and Emotion | The ability to comprehend life and understand the world around us. |
There also exists Anti-Forces associated to the Forces of Order and Balance. These Anti-Forces arise from Imbalance between the Forces, and are essentially perversions of their corresponding Forces. The Anti-Forces also manifest themselves as a kind of malevolent spiritual being, collectively called the Banes of Order and the Banes of Chaos.
The Anti-Forces (and Banes) are as follows:
| Anti-Force | Arises from | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prejudice | Ethicality without Tolerance | Disrespect for the beliefs and rights of others. |
| Apathy | Discipline without Enthusiasm | A spirit of hopelessness which retards positive action. |
| Ruthlessness | Logic without Emotion | Taking self-advancing actions without regard to the wants or needs of others. |
| Anarchy | Tolerance without Ethicality | A lack of standards of conduct. |
| Wantonness | Enthusiasm without Discipline | Acting without self-restraint. |
| Insanity | Emotion without Logic | An inability to overcome emotional impulses with rational thoughts. |
The Silver Seed expansion adds the Silver Seed story arc to the game, in which the party visits a subterranean keep in the ancient civilization of Serpent Isle (centuries in the past, during the war between the two sects of Ophidians). The Avatar is given an amulet by the Xenkan Monks when he or she first visits Monk Isle (either by death or by physically going there), and after using this amulet at one of the Serpent Gates, the subquest begins.
Powerful magic items, including a keyring, a ring of unlimited reagents, and an enchanted belt can be found in this area and in nearby dungeons. In later releases of the game, the expansion pack was included, and both games and expansions were released as The Complete Ultima VII.
The Silver Seed expansion was not properly finished due to a rushed release by Electronic Arts; the story told in the expansion does not properly conclude, nor does it seem to 'connect' with the larger plot of Serpent Isle outside of a few incidental 'framing' elements. It is broadly concerned with acquiring and planting a magical silver seed to maintain the balance that holds the world of Serpent Isle together.
Like other Ultima games, Serpent Isle and its expansion pack originally came with cloth maps, and in-universe manuals. It did not, however, come with a trinket. The Ultima VII: Complete Edition (1993) included all the items while The Complete Ultima VII CD (1994) included everything except the cloth maps which were replaced with paper maps. Most other compilations did not include the trinkets and came with electronic versions of the documentation.
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