A History of Britannia

as told by Rudyom, esteemed mage and researcher, and written in text by the scribe Zachary.

Early History

Ancient Times

Many millions of years ago, there was an advanced society on Britannia. Unfortunately, this was brought to an end when a foolish human acquired the Armageddon spell from the wisps and cast it, wiping out all life on the world.

Lord British's Arrival

Several years before Mondain's first attack, a youth was growing restless in his own world. Believing that there was no good left there, he stepped through the first recorded moongate into Britannia where he met Shamino. Shamino helped the youth, whom he named British, to become a major king in Britannia and he has been ever since.

The Era of Darkness

World of Doom

Many years ago, while the land was under the cumbersome name of Akalabeth, there was a young mage named Mondain whose father had promised him the secret of immortality when he completed his magical studies and proved had his worth to society. But the impatient Mondain would have none of it, so he slew his father and stole the ruby of power, which was the actual source of immortality. With this ruby, Mondain attempted to conquer the realm, but was thwarted by Lord British, master of white magic. British then summoned a stranger to our land to become a knight and fought the evils that still roamed the land. After doing so, the Stranger left the world, which was then renamed Sosaria, in honour of the sorcery used to combat Mondain.

Escape From Mt. Drash

The last quest of the aforementioned knight was to rid one last mountain, the mountain Drash, of its evil inhabitants. The stranger climbed through the depths and destroyed all the fiends that resided within. Following this least-known of the Stranger's adventurers--some say it is merely a jest--our Hero left our world, which was soon renamed Sosoria, in honour of the Sorcery used to destroy Mondain.

The First Age of Darkness

Mondain was gone, and assumed dead. But he had mastered immortality, and came back with a vengeance. This time, he had turned the ruby into a black gem of evil, and his might was too much for even British to bear. Again Lord British summoned the stranger, and again did good triumph over evil. The Stranger chased Mondain through time itself and eventually slew him. The magical aftershock caused the four continents to break apart, and each became a world of its own.

The Revenge of the Enchantress

Mondain was gone, but his legacy was not forgotten. His apprentice-and lover-Minax had survived. Twenty years after her master's death, Minax unleashed hordes of monsters apon Sosaria. In order to prevent the Stranger's interference she travelled to Earth, the homeworld of the Stranger. She disrupted the fabric of time, and caused that world to be destroyed. The Stranger, with the help of Lord British who had moved back to Earth to help the Stranger, narrowly escaped Minax's rain of destruction. The Stranger then travelled throughout time, and with he help of a mysterious old man, and one Father Antos, captured a sword known as the Quicksword, Enilno, and slew Minax in her own castle, Shadowguard. The waves of power released in her defeat altered the land mass that was Sosaria, and reshaped the world yet again.

Exodus

The legacy of Mondain was thought to be ended, but it was soon discovered that the union between Minax and himself had created an entity known as Exodus. Exodus unleashed even more hordes of minions upon Sosaria. Again Lord British summoned the Stranger, and again the Stranger appeared, this time with three friends. They fought their way into the Dungeons, and seared their flesh with four marks. They travelled to Ambrosia, where they meditated at shrines and collected four strange cards. They then banished the Great Earth Serpent, entered Exodus's castle, slew his minions, and finally with the cards destroyed Exodus as well. Exodus's death caused the land to change into the layout it is still in today.

The Era of Light

The Quest of the Avatar

After Exodus's defeat, the Era of Darkness ended and there was finally peace throughout the land, which was renamed Britannia in honour of Lord British. But the peoples of Britannia were misguided, and ununited. To fix this, Lord British created the Eight Virtues, and called for a hero to become an Avatar, the embodiment of good. Again, the Stranger answered this call, demonstrating understanding of all the Principles and Virtues. The Stranger meditated at the shrines, and collected the mystic stones from the dungeons. With seven great companions in company, the Stranger delved into the Great Stygian Abyss, where the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom was unveiled and the Stranger was then known as the Avatar.

Warriors of Destiny

The rising of the Codex from the Abyss created an imbalance in the world, and because of this, three manevolent Shadowlords, the antithesis of virtue, sprung from the shards of Mondain's gem. They captured Lord British, imprisoned him in the Underworld, and corrupted the new king Blackthorn, who had ascended the throne. He installed a new system of government by enforcing the virtues with cruel and unfair laws. This time, it was the Companions that summoned the Avatar, and who joined the quest to save Lord British. They journeyed deep into the Underworld and returned with Mondain's shards. With these they destroyed the Shadowlords. Then, with Lord British's crown, sceptre, and amulet, they survived the Dungeon Doom and Lord British was set free. After being disposed as king, Blackthorn chose to live in exile from Britannia, and disappeared.

The False Prophet

The Shadowlords were not the only result of the the retrieval of the Codex. The gargoyles, a developed race living in the Underworld, attacked our land claiming that the Codex was theirs, and believed that the Avatar was an evil being who would destroy their race. In accordance with their beliefs, they attempted to kill the Avatar by setting a moongate trap. Fortunately, the Avatar was saved by the Companions. In time, the Avatar learned of the the Gargoyles' true motives, and that they were not truly evil. The Avatar then became familiar with their philosophy, which was quite similar to the Britannian Virtues. After meditating at their shrines, the Avatar promised to be sacrificed to prevent the destruction of their people. Fortunately, the Avatar found another way out. By using the Vortex Cune and putting the Codex in the void, the Avatar ensured that all could view its wisdom. The gargoyles were evacuated from their home and continued on to live in Britannia.

The Savage Empire

The Avatar returned home, and was summoned again by Lord British, this time to another land. In a place called Eodon, a race of insectoid creatures called the Myrmidex were using an Orb of the Moons for evil purposes. Unfortunately, the tribes of this land were constantly warring with each other and were unable to neutralise the threat themselves. The Avatar journeyed through here, rescued a princess, and united the many tribes. With their help, the Avatar attacked the Myrmidex and defeated their queen. The Avatar then destroyed the Orb of the Moons and returned to Earth.

Martian Dreams

There is a world near Earth that long ago was home to an advanced race known as Martians. Unfortunately, this race was killed off by cataclysmic planet-wide changes, hundreds of Earth years ago. While at home, the Avatar was visited by an unknown woman and given a "photograph" from a hundred years earlier where the Avatar was pictured with several long dead historical figures. It was soon discovered that in what was apparently an alternate timeline, several important Earthen persons were launched to Mars just prior to the Martians' world's destruction. In order to save the people, the Avatar journeyed to that world and found out that dreams could be one's greatest enemy. With the aid of a "Dream Machine" he conquered the terrible dreams and fears, and returned the historical figures to Earth, and then went home.

The Era of Armageddon

The Stygian Abyss

During the Avatar's two hundred year absence, a society of knights and other folk attempted to tame the Great Stygian Abyss. Lead by Sir Cabirus, these noble adventurers formed a society of virtue in the Abyss. But as the Abyss exudes evil, the society collapsed and the Abyss was soon transformed into a prison. The Avatar was pressured by a dream to return to Britannia because the dream had claimed that a "great evil" was present in the Abyss. After being transported to the Isle of the Avatar, the Avatar was thrown in the Abyss, falsely accused of kidnapping. Their the Avatar made peace with all the monsters and civilised folk, and collected Cabirus's eight Talismans of Virtue. As it turned out, an evil demon called the Slasher of Veils was brought into this realm by a foolhardy wizard named Tyball. The Avatar used the talisman's to banish the creature, and escaped back to Britannia and then to Earth.

The Black Gate

180 years after the Avatar united the Britannian and the Gargoyle cultures,A druid named Batlin organised a society called the fellowship. Slowly, they gained strength throughout the land. Also, a group of ritualistic murderers began to stalk the world. Then the Avatar appeared, even though there was no known threat to Britannia. It was soon discovered that the Fellowship was the root of the problems and murders, and were planning to open a black moongate through which an evil entity known as the Guardian would enter and conquer Britannia. With the help of the Time Lord, the Avatar destroyed the three generators that the Guardian used to control the world, and proceeded to track Batlin and his cohorts to the Isle of the Avatar, where the Avatar slew them and destroyed the black gate. However, Batlin had escaped.

The Forge of Virtue

During the time the Avatar was tracking Batlin, earthquakes began signalling the rising of an island. This island turned out to be the Isle of Fire, home of Exodus. Here still lay the Dark Core, part of Exodus. This represented a great danger to Britannia, for there would be terrible consequences were the Core misused by the mage of the island. So, after passing several tests of virtue, the Avatar banished the core into the void.

Labyrinth of Worlds

One year after the destruction of the black gate, Lord British held a party to celebrate it's destruction in his castle. That night, a great gem appeared around the castle, trapping the Avatar and other Britannian leaders inside. The Avatar then delved into the sewers, and found a passageway to other worlds. From one of these worlds, an evil Avatar emerged, named Mors Gotha, who lead an attack on Britannia. The Avatar gained the strength and tools necessary to destroy the gem, and killed Mors Gotha when she invaded the castle. The Avatar then released a powerful air daemon into a great war horn, shattering the gem.

Serpent Isle

Six months following the gem's destruction, the Avatar and the Companions were sent in search of Batlin. This journey took them to the Serpent Isle, home to a people who left Britannia due to Lord British's supposedly "tyrranic" virtues, and formerly the Lands of Danger and Despair during Mondain's assault. The Avatar tracked Batlin, whom the Guardian killed as a part of his master plan to destroy the Avatar. This, however, was only the beginning. When Exodus summoned the Great Earth Serpent, it caused a war between two ancient, rival factions on this land. One side won and left the world. All these things combined to form an Imbalance, which the Guardian capitalised on, and used to attack Britannia. The Avatar and Companions repaired the Imbalance, but not without sacrifice: One of the Companions was forced to give his life to save us all. After Balance was restored to the universe, the Guardian sent the Avatar to another world, one already conquered by the Guardian.

The Silver Seed

During the Avatar's tenure on the Serpent Isle, several monks discovered a talisman that was used to send the Avatar back in time to the period of war on Serpent Isle. Apparently, the Avatar was also the "Champion of Balance." The Avatar completed several quests and acquired a Silver Seed in return. The Seed, when planted, helped the Avatar restore Balance.

Pagan

On the other world, the Avatar was forced to survive amidst corruption and evil, with few friends. This world, called Pagan, was under the control of four elemental Titans, who, through different means, all oppressed the people of Pagan. So the Avatar mastered the four elemental magic forms, and used that power against the Titans. In the void, the Avatar was able to destroy the Titans and save Pagan, and leave through a black gate into Britannia.

Other Worlds

Runes of Virtue

This is another unknown adventure. None are sure quite when this took place, however, it appears the Avatar was called by another Lord British twice to another world, to rid the land of a notorious Black Knight, and to rescue the Runes of Virtue from the dungeons. In the first part of this adventure, the Avatar defeated the black knight and retrieved the runes from all of the dungeons.

Runes of Virtue II

This, the second chapter in the story of the Runes of Virtue, the Avatar faced off with the Black Knight once again. This time, however, the Knight also captured all of the mayors of the cities of Britannia. After another adventure through trap-riddled dungeons and powerful monsters, the Avatar once again defeated the Black Knight.

Shattered Legacy

There is another dimension, one in which the Avatar never appeared again after the destruction of Mondain. In this altered version of Britannia, two separate powers vie for control, one led by Lord British, and the other by Lord Blackthorn. The world is continuing to grow, so I will keep this document updated as to the changes in this parallel world.

I have researched for long lengths of time so that I might share this information with you. Hopefully, it will serve to heighten your understanding of the lands in which we live. Now, to give credit where credit is due. I would not have written this document were it not for the following people:

Richard Garriot
Origin Systems
Zac Bond

Signed this day,
Rudyom, mage of Cove