The Age of Armageddon (sometimes referred to as The Guardian Saga) refers to the time period of the final trilogy of Ultima games. This time period also includes Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds.
Overview
The Age of Armageddon is the final Ultima age. The world of Britannia is again under attack, this time by a malevolent entity known as The Guardian. His plots, both subtle and blunt, often carried out with the help of willing lackeys, threaten to tear Britannia and other worlds asunder. Only the Avatar, the famed Britannian hero and paragon of the Eight Virtues, can set things right - and in the end, in a way totally unexpected.
Protagonist
Notable Locations
Villains
- The Guardian (in all of them)
- Batlin (Ultima VII, Ultima VII Part Two)
- Mors Gotha (Ultima Underworld II)
- The Elemental Titans: Lithos, Hydros, Stratos and Pyros (Ultima VIII)
Real world notes
This trilogy takes an extremely dark turn. It introduces the Guardian, an extremely powerful and subtle adversary, and also contains a bit more violence and a darker story tone, overall. This is seen very graphically right at the beginning of Ultima VII, with the bloody murder scene.
Ultima VII Part Two and Ultima VIII take place in completely different worlds other than Britannia; Serpent Isle and Pagan, respectively. In interviews, Richard Garriott has stated that he wanted to get away from Britannia for a while after so many games taking place there.
Many fans do not consider Ultima IX truly canon, as many liberties were taken with the Ultima world, and it often contradicts earlier Ultimas. The final realization, and resolution - that the Avatar and the Guardian are two sides of the same coin, that their ascension and absorption is inevitable - is a common concept in many other stories.