Virtues
From Editable Codex
Virtue.... the way of life to find inner fulfillment and give the best to the people around you. At least, this is, when the virtues are well-meaning. Virtue can also be twisted into something different, to tighten the grip of tyranny. The systems of virtue, in good as in bad encountered throughout the ages, are shown on this page of the Codex, giving insight into the basics of a society.
Contents |
[edit] General
The Ultima series featured a Virtue system that the player was required to follow in the game as the Avatar. These Virtues were inspired in part by the codes of chivalry and the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, and were created specifically for Ultima.
Strangely enough, The Wizard of Oz also played a part in the creation of the virtues, with designer Richard Garriott stating at one time that the three companions of Dorothy Gale could be linked to the three principles — Scarecrow (Truth), Tin Woodsman (Love) and Cowardly Lion (Courage). This is also alluded to in Ultima VI and Ultima VII, where one can find a copy of the book - the description blurb the game gives alludes to this relationship as well. Lord British claims it is his favourite book.
[edit] The Virtues of Britannia
The virtue system of Britannia is complex enough to need an explanation in a separate article.
See The Eight Virtues.
[edit] Lord Blackthorn's Code of Virtues
In Ultima V, Lord Blackthorn, the tyrant who ruled in Lord British's absence, codified the Britannian Virtues into a set of draconian laws.
| Virtue | Law |
|---|---|
| Honesty | Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue. |
| Compassion | Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need. |
| Valor | Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward. |
| Justice | Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer its just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death. |
| Sacrifice | Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income. |
| Honor | If thou dost lose thine own honour, thou shalt take thine own life. |
| Spirituality | Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic. |
| Humility | Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath. |
Blackthorn's Code is a good illustration of the fact that the Virtues always come from one's own self rather than the norms of society; codifying ethics into law does not automatically make evil people good. Further, unethical lawmakers can take the Virtues and turn them into something that is quite contrary to what Virtues actually stand for.
[edit] The Principles of the Shadowlords
In Ultima V, each of the Shadowlords opposed one of the three Principles.
| Principle | Opposing principle | Shadowlord |
|---|---|---|
| Cowardice | Courage | Nosfentor |
| Hatred | Love | Astaroth |
| Falsehood | Truth | Faulinei |
[edit] The Virtues of Mandrake
The joyful Mandrake the bard, in Ultima VI, has his own set of three Principles, which also form eight Virtues.
| Principle |
|---|
| Wine |
| Women |
| Song |
Eight of the virtues are derived from these three principles:
| Virtue | Principle |
|---|---|
| Drunkenness | Wine |
| Sensuality | Women |
| Harmony | Song |
| Lust | Wine, Women |
| Laziness | Wine, Song |
| Dance | Women, Song |
| Indulgence | Wine, Women, Song |
| Happiness | Absence of Wine, Women, Song |
The relationships between the Virtues and Principles is not explained in the game, but the one presented in the table is the only logical deduction that has been made.
Presumably Happiness, just like Humility is to Pride, is the opposite of Sadness.
Somewhat related to this, in Ultima V it is explained that the mantra of eating is "yum".
[edit] The Gargoyle Virtues
The Virtues of the Gargoyles were first explored in detail in Ultima VI.
The Gargoyles have three principles based on Order, and its opposite, Chaos.
| Principle | Mantra | Embodiment | Dungeon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | UN | Mondain | Shrine of Control |
| Passion | OR | Minax | Shrine of Passion |
| Diligence | US | Exodus | Shrine of Diligence |
The Gargoyles have eight virtues based on their three principles.
| Virtue | Principles |
|---|---|
| Direction | Control |
| Feeling | Passion |
| Persistence | Diligence |
| Balance | Control, Passion |
| Achievement | Passion, Diligence |
| Precision | Control, Diligence |
| Order | Absence of Control, Passion, Diligence |
| Singularity | Control, Passion, Diligence |
[edit] The Ophidian Virtues
The Virtue system of the Ophidians, in Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle, 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 spiralling 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 follow:
| 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:
| 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. |
[edit] Triad of Inner Strength
The Fellowship, in Ultima VII, followed the Triad of Inner Strength, consisting of three rules:
- Strive For Unity
- Trust Thy Brother
- Worthiness Precedes Reward
However, if someone looks a little further behind these words, the true meaning of them become obvious, as Alagner in Ultima VII discovered. In his notes about these three rules, he writes this:
The first `value' is Strive For Unity. This implies that that we should all work together in harmony and towards one goal in life. However, careful examination of this tenet reveals that members of The Fellowship consider themselves an elite group, and a prejudicial one at that. They tend to believe that if one is not for them, then they are indeed against them! And if one is against them, then may fortune be with that person, for he/she may very well come to a bad end!
The second `value' is Trust Thy Brother. This implies that each member trusts implicitly other Fellowship members, and that each will do favors or deeds for another without question. On the other hand, this might mean that a member should do what another says REGARDLESS of the implications of the act. In other words, `do as I say and do not question it!' seems to be the underlying subtext of this tenet.
The third `value' is Worthiness Precedes Reward. If one does good deeds for The Fellowship, then one will be rewarded. The other side of the coin, of course, is that if one does NOT do good deeds for The Fellowship, then one will get his JUST reward! In The Fellowship, a `reward' can be either `good' or `bad'!
This reveals the Triad of Inner Strength as extremist rules, that reflect the true purpose of the Fellowship. A tool of the Guardian to undermine Britannia's society before he would grab the power.
[edit] Killorn Keep
In Ultima Underworld II, the inhabitants of Killorn Keep -- a parallel universe to Britannia -- observe the Guardian's eight virtues. These were created by the Guardian to hold maximum control over his subjects and prevent any kind of doubt against his rule over his already conquered worlds.
| Virtue | Description | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Sobriety | Sobriety is the state all followers of the Guardian should maintain. It is one free of any chemical or magical substances that may impede the Inner Voice from being heard. | Empty Bottle |
| Punctuality | Punctuality is a habit to be formed by all those who call the Guardian their Master. It is the commitment to being prepared on a moment's notice to carry out the Guardian's orders. | Clock |
| Obedience | Obedience is something required of all the Guardian's servants. It is complete submission to any and all the Guardian's demands and wants. | Closed Fist |
| Vigilance | Vigilance is the constant state of mind any servant of the Guardian should maintain. It is the backbone of the Guardian's defenses, to watch for foreign and domestic foes. | Open Eye |
| Conformity | Conformity is complete acceptance of all the Guardian's beliefs and values. It is the lack of desire to succeed or surpass any person's accomplishments or ideas. | Guardian Mask |
| Efficiency | Efficiency is the prevention of any waste. It applies to every function of life, from food, energy, money, even lives. | Abacus |
| Silence | Silence is the need for all the Guardian's servants to not speak against the order. It is essential for the stability and safety of our world. | Closed Mouth |
| Diligence | Diligence is the ability to seek out a goal and continue toward it. It is especially important to the armies of the Guardian to ensure victory. | Sword |
[edit] Trivia
- Amusingly, a real life Correctional Facility called Guardians of the Threshold have adapted the Guardian's virtues for their own use. We can only wonder if they realise the Guardian was an evil megalomaniac.
This article includes material originally taken from Wikipedia article Virtues of Ultima. Wikipedia material is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License.
