Shrine of Humility
| Shrine of Humility | |
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 Location of the Shrine of Humility | |
| Located in: | Britannia |
| Type: | shrine |
 The Shrine of Humility | |
The Shrine of Humility 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[edit]
This shrine in Britannia is dedicated to the virtue of Humility. Standing far from civilization nestled between the mountains of the Isle of the Avatar, only those truly devoted can make the long journey to the shrine. During Ultima VII, a chalice lay on its altar. Strangely enough, in much later ages, the shrine stood on New Magincia itself. Those who meditate at the shrine gain insight into the virtue of Humility, which is is independent of the principles and the opposite of pride, thus being the root of all virtue. Entrance to the shrine at various points in history has required the use of an appropriate rune, and in order for a pilgrim to achieve wisdom from his ministrations there, he must intone the mantra LUM.
History[edit]
Age of Enlightenment[edit]
The Shrine of Humility 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. However, after the fall of Magincia, daemon hordes would guard the shrine, not wanting anyone to become this virtuous. The hero, needing to sojourn there after demonstrating humility and attain ascendance in ways of Humility, used a Silver Horn to temporarily repel the daemons. After meditating on the virtue for three cycles, the shrine granted partial Avatarhood.
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 Humility contained in the enshrined Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. By that time, the demonic hords had been scattered, thus the shrine again was freely available. In the struggle to restore Lord British to his throne, the hero realized that this shrine could not be destroyed by Lord Blackthorn's lackeys, as no Word of Power existed which could destroy the shrine.
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 Humility. With proper experience, the Avatar could draw on the shrine to advance, but stay humble and gain no physical advantages.
Age of Armageddon[edit]
Over the next two centuries, the Shrine of Humility 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 near the time of 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. In doing so, the corresponding rune was twisted into an artifact known as a glyph. While journeying through Britannia for the last time, the Avatar would be able to cleanse the Shrine of Humility of such evils, using the powers of the Crook of Humility to undo the damage wrought by the Destroyer of Worlds. It was found submerged beneath the waves near New Magincia instead of its traditional location on the Isle of the Avatar. While Katrina mentioned that there had been some geographic upheaval since the Avatar's last visit to Britannia, there was no real explanation as to why it had moved or been reconstructed there.
Lore[edit]
| “ | 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)
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| “ | 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)
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| “ | 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)
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Alternate Appearance[edit]
- In Lord of Ultima, a Shrine of Humility can randomly be located in Caledonia.
- In the cancelled Ultima Online 2 and the Technocrat War trilogy, the Shrine of Humility was to be included on the eastern continent of Jukaran.
Trivia[edit]
- The locations of the Shrine of Humility and the Shrine of the Codex were inverted in Ultima VI. They later reverted to their original locations in Ultima VII.
- While there is no explanation in-game for the sudden appearance of the Shrine of Humility on the isle of New Magincia in Ultima IX, this was most likely a design decision in order to have all the related elements of each region of the game close to one another.
- The Keyring Mod for the Ultima VII utility, Exult, gives the Avatar the option to meditate at the Shrine of Humility using its corresponding rune. It will issue a quest for the hero to seek knowledge of Humility from the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, as it had in previous games.
- In Ultima VI, the Shrine of Humility adds no bonuses when advancing a character's level.
Gallery[edit]
Shrine of Humility art from Mysterious Sosaria
A Shrine of Humility in LoU
The Shrine in Ultima IX (cutscene)
The shrine in Ultima IX
| Geography |
|---|
| Pagan | |
|---|---|
| Settlements | Argentrock Isle ☥ Daemon's Crag ☥ Tenebrae |
| Other | Carthax Lake ☥ Catacombs ☥ Cemetery ☥ Fishermen's Reef ☥ Hall of the Mountain King Herdsman's Valley ☥ Plateau ☥ Shrine of the Ancient Ones ☥ Stone Cove ☥ Treasure Cove Vengeance Bay |