Shrine of Honesty

Shrine of Honesty
Location of the Shrine of Honesty
Located in:	Britannia
Type:	shrine
The Shrine of Honesty

The Shrine of Honesty is one of the eight holy sites established by the Council of Wizards during the days of Lord British's philosophical renaissance of the early Age of Enlightenment.

Description

This shrine in Britannia is dedicated to the virtue of Honesty. Originally constructed on Dagger Isle and accessible only by ship, this lonely site lies near to the mouth of the foreboding dungeon Deceit and is a slight journey north of Verity Isle, which houses Moonglow and the Lycaeum. During Ultima VII a bell lay on its altar. Those who seek wisdom at this holy site may gain a deeper understanding of the virtue of Honesty, which has its root in the Principle of Truth. Gaining entry to the shrine required the use of a rune at various points in its history, and the mantra ahm was required to fully glean the insights offered at its altar.

History

Age of Enlightenment

The Shrine of Honesty was erected around the time of Britannia's christening, and it would figure into the spiritual quest of the Stranger in the pursuit of Avatarhood. The hero would sojourn here after proving truthful and forthright, and would attain ascendance in ways of Honesty after meditating on the virtue for three cycles.

Later, in the dark days of Lord Blackthorn and the Oppression, the Avatar would travel again to this sacred place, and would be directed by the powers within it to quest after the knowledge of Honesty contained in the enshrined Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. In the struggle to restore Lord British to his throne, the hero would also have to guard this shrine and others and from Blackthorn's attempts to desecrate them, which he would quickly do should he gain access to their mantras. Should the Shrine of Honesty be thus defiled, the Avatar could still restore it, using the word of power, fallax.

After the beginning of the Gargish conflict, this shrine and the other seven would all be seized by gargoyle warriors seeking to thwart the prophecy of the False Prophet. In time, however, the Avatar would liberate it from Draxinusom's troops and could again meditate there on the mysteries of Honesty. The shrine would once again draw the hero into a holy quest in which the Codex would have to be consulted about its signature virtue, and with proper experience, the Avatar could draw on the shrine to gain deeper intellect and greater magical power.

Age of Armageddon

Over the next two centuries, the Shrine of Honesty would fall into disuse, as the seductive philosophies of the Fellowship eventually came to supplant widespread adherence to the Eight Virtues. By the time of the Avatar's eventual return, coinciding with the astronomical alignment, the hero would find the shrine still standing on its remote isle, although none appeared to have made the pilgrimage to it for many years.

Later, during the hero's exile on Pagan, the Guardian and his forces would corrupt the shrine, which is now located South of Moonglow on Verity Isle. In doing so, the corresponding rune was twisted into an artifact known as a glyph. While visiting Britannia for a final quest, the Avatar would be able to cleanse the Shrine of Honesty of such evils, using the powers of the Writ of Honesty to undo the damage wrought by the Destroyer of Worlds.

Lore

“

A good meditation — focusing on a proper Mantra — will sometimes yield valuable visions to those whose patience and powers of concentration are strong. The experience is well worth sampling. ... Many philosophers hold the opinion that the Path is in reality but a series of separate small paths. Each minor path leads to the fulfillment of an aspect of ourselves. Treading one of these minor paths may be construed as a life’s goal, and many people have debated which is the most advantageous to follow. Yet is not the whole much greater than the sum of its parts? Take up the challenge and tread not one but all of the minor paths in thy search for enlightenment and perfection. Perhaps only then will though find the beginnings of the great Path. – from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)

“

Each of Britannia’s eight leading townes celebrates one of the virtues of Avatarhood, and each has raised a shrine to that virtue. The shrines are located in retreats to ensure tranquillity in natural settings, so traveling to some shrines requires a considerable journey from their townes. The only requirement for using a shrine is knowing the mantra for that virtue. A mantra is a sound repeated continuously during meditation, helping to clear the mind and focus the spirit. Each virtue has a specific mantra that works best for it, and sincere meditation can bring great wisdom. Someone in towne will usually divulge the mantra for the towne’s shrine. – from Book of Lore (Ultima V)

“

You can only gain a true appreciation of such increases by returning to one of the Shrines of Virtue and engaging in reflection and meditation. To meditate, learn the mantra of the shrine of your choice. Then talk to the shrine and follow its instructions. ... In compiling information about the daemonic Gargoyles invading our land they have begun to detect a pattern. It appears that our foes are trying to capture the Shrines of Virtue found near the major towns. The moonstones are now in their possession, and, as each new shrine falls, a stone is placed on the altar there. To prevent anyone from removing the stones, the gargoyles have erected impenetrable force fields around the altars. – from Compendium (Ultima VI)

Other Appearances

• In Lord of Ultima, a Shrine of Honesty can randomly be located in Caledonia.
• In the cancelled Ultima Online 2 and the Technocrat War trilogy, the Shrine of Honesty was to be included on the eastern continent of Jukaran.

Trivia

• The Keyring Mod for the Ultima VII utility, Exult, gives the Avatar the option to meditate at the Shrine of Honesty using its corresponding rune. It will issue a quest for the hero to seek knowledge of Honesty from the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, as it had in previous games.
• In Ultima VI, the Shrine of Honesty adds three bonus points to Intelligence when advancing a character's level.

Gallery

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  Shrine of Honesty art from Mysterious Sosaria

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  A Shrine of Honesty in LoU

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  The shrine in Ultima IX

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Geography