Ultima 6: The False Prophet ZAP By: ZAP

Storyline:

I am Lord British, king and creator of Britannia. I take up my pen to inform thee, Avatar, of a serious problem which we now confront. I wish to enlist thy help to save our land. As thou remembers time and time again, Britannia has been cast into crisis by the resurgent influence of wickedness. Thou hast answered my call every time. Recently thou brought back the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom and helped me to escape from the Underworld. In order for thee to clearly understand the magnitude of this adventure, let us cast a glance at Britannia's history.

The Dark Ages The wicked wizard Mondain and his malevolent disciple, the enchantress Minax, were erased from the world. Yet Exodus, their vile brain child, was left behind. Neither human nor machine, his terrible power spread, until four bravve warriors, including thou, answered my call and destroyed him.

The Age of the Avatar With the Dark Ages over, Britannia's culture flourished around the eight major cities. In order to properly guide Britannian cultural advancement, a role model was necessary. We waited for such a person; a person who would show us the way to all virtues. Thou responded to this call. To explain the difficult concept of the virtues, thou brought forth the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom from the Abyss. Currently the Codex is housed in the Shrine of Avatar Island, created after a great cataclysm.

The Shadowlord Conspiracy Unfortunately, removing the Codex from the Underworld upset the balance of the Universe and resulted in the emergence of the three Shadowlords from the splinters of Mondain's black jewel. I was imprisoned in the Underworld and the once-trusted Blackthorn ruled Britannia in my stead. Full of malice, Blackthorn's rule of tyranny began. Again, thou rescued us from this crisis. With the principles of truth, love, and courage, thou succeeded in driving back the Shadowlords and unseating the nefarious Blackthorn. My return brought about a huge tectonic cataclysm and the destruction of the Underworld.

And Now the Menace of the Gargoyles In the wake of the underground upheaval, the Gargoyles, once thought to be creatures of legend, suddenly invaded Britannia. At first, the Gargoyle army occupied our shrines, but then they started to make sneak night attacks on villages and homes. The forces of Britannia are desperately struggling to oppose them, but the Gargoyle Army far exceeds them in physical strength, and the situation looks grim. If we analyze the Gargoyle strategy, it seems like they are looking for something important. It is also rumored that thy end is one of their objectives, although I cannot guess the reason. I entreat thee once more to find some way to save our land in this time of crisis.

On this journey your limitless knowledge of truth, love and courage will be the key. Thy destiny awaits thee at the end of this journey, as it has been foretold since time beyond memory. "One who possesses the power of an army, the eye of a seer and the heart of a generous person shall come forth. This one shall lead to the end of the struggle between dark and light."

Thus I call upon thee once again. It is thy destiny to fulfill this prophecy. Shouldst thou fail, the light will be extinguished and the world will be plunged into everlasting darkness.

I bid thee to fight bravely.

Lord British

--From the SNES Ultima 6: The False Prophet instruction manual.