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Yeah... was announced and he was crowned this weekend at the meeting in Va. Lord Blackthorn reigns now
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Nah, this is the "real" Blackthorn, not the "doppleganger" that Exodus had put in place. You know, it's kinda like that season of Dallas years ago that did not exist because that season was all "Pam's dream" because Patrick Duffey had held out for more money and they needed to write him back in the story even though they killed him off lol .. Art imitating art man 
Yeah right, that must be why he has those Chaos symbols on his clothies!Nah, this is the "real" Blackthorn, not the "doppleganger" that Exodus had put in place. You know, it's kinda like that season of Dallas years ago that did not exist because that season was all "Pam's dream" because Patrick Duffey had held out for more money and they needed to write him back in the story even though they killed him off lol .. Art imitating art man
Down with the usurper!
anybody have a link i can view to check out the ultima story line. regrettably its one part of the game im not so up on.
You can find the Awakening story at uo.com if that is what you mean. There are several parts.
Wiki can give you a rundown starting with Ultima I.
The new UO.com seems to have the recent stuff that used to be on the Herald.
To really get into it you'd have to go back and play them all...
UO history spins off from the original storyline a bit starting with the shattering of the gem.
However I still say a copy of Blackthorn is just as untrustworthy as the original.
When Lord British went to the Underworld Blackthorn wasted no time taking over the land.. now he's at his old tricks again.
The new UO.com seems to have the recent stuff that used to be on the Herald.
To really get into it you'd have to go back and play them all...
UO history spins off from the original storyline a bit starting with the shattering of the gem.
However I still say a copy of Blackthorn is just as untrustworthy as the original.
When Lord British went to the Underworld Blackthorn wasted no time taking over the land.. now he's at his old tricks again.
He's good at seeming legit.. he didn't usurp the crown being a bumbling idiot.
Taylor
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Aye. "Legit" slathered in sarcasm.
Read "Forge of Virtue" by Lynn Abbey and you get a feel for Blackthorns true character.
I'm all for starting a resistance.. The French did a good job during WWII.. I'm suggesting something along those lines.
Think about it folks.. the unrest in the cities.. riots.. raiders.. unemployed NPC's..
Then Blackthorn comes along as your "saviour" ..
Your really gonna fall for it?
I'm all for starting a resistance.. The French did a good job during WWII.. I'm suggesting something along those lines.
Think about it folks.. the unrest in the cities.. riots.. raiders.. unemployed NPC's..
Then Blackthorn comes along as your "saviour" ..
Your really gonna fall for it?
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Larisa
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Hey! He helped the Gargoyles find a cure, helped the Gargoyle Queen and her daughter...worked closely with us and Dupre to fix the moongate...he's a good guy!
LONG LIVE KING BLACKTHORN......I don't know it doesn't have the same ring to it....does it? Eh..I like the guy well enough....for now
LONG LIVE KING BLACKTHORN......I don't know it doesn't have the same ring to it....does it? Eh..I like the guy well enough....for now
All hail Lord Blackthorn, king of all Sosaria!
My loyalty lies to him, as that British guy simply vanished, and "Lord" Shamino wasn't brave enough to claim the throne and fix things.
So much for having your own kingdown before the gem of immortality was shattered, eh, Brave, Brave Lord Shamino.
My loyalty lies to him, as that British guy simply vanished, and "Lord" Shamino wasn't brave enough to claim the throne and fix things.
So much for having your own kingdown before the gem of immortality was shattered, eh, Brave, Brave Lord Shamino.
Nope. Freedom, with all its inherent risks, trumps voluntary subjugation any day.
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The event fiction and other things (the friendship between the LBs prior to 3D) show strongly that this Blackthorn wasn't the evil Blackthorn from U5. That's a whole other alternate universe.
Order and Chaos are not the same as good & evil. Even ignoring the precedent of D&D's 2-axis alignment system, one can see debates over Order & Chaos in classical writings, and even in the Erasmus/Luther debates in Christianity over Predestination vs. Free Will.
Blackthorn's position, prior to Exodus' involvement, was that trying to place "Order" on actions by defining the virtues would (and did) lead to use of the Virtues to justify very un-virtuous behavior.
In fact, many of the U5 Blackthorn's evil actions could be considered Order taken to extremes, not Chaos.
Order and Chaos are not the same as good & evil. Even ignoring the precedent of D&D's 2-axis alignment system, one can see debates over Order & Chaos in classical writings, and even in the Erasmus/Luther debates in Christianity over Predestination vs. Free Will.
Blackthorn's position, prior to Exodus' involvement, was that trying to place "Order" on actions by defining the virtues would (and did) lead to use of the Virtues to justify very un-virtuous behavior.
In fact, many of the U5 Blackthorn's evil actions could be considered Order taken to extremes, not Chaos.
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Regarding Blackthorn. (This is essentially a re-post from last week.)
I can't speak for the other shards, but on Great Lakes the Event Moderators have made Blackthorn look really cool. He was reasonable, responsible, did what had to be done, and, to my surprise, easily won over Galen the character, who was extremely skeptical.
Don't use the Ultima single-player games as your examples on this one. Remember that UO Split off from the main Ultima universe following Ultima I. Since then, major events in UO have followed the main Ultima world (called "Ultima Prime") but only very loosely. Ultima 5 had the evil Blackthorn, but we played through those events with a different character, Casca, playing the role of the evil and corrupt King. There are many times when using those games is useful source material but this isn't one of those times.
BT was never evil in UO until his corruption by Exodus. And even that corrupt BT UO from some years back has been shown in the fiction to have been a doppelganger. On some shards, again I single out Great Lakes, the EMs have taken steps to make sure we know this in-character and on-stage.
And finally I remember posts from when Dawn returned and was crowned about how cool it would be if it was Blackthorn instead. I wonder where those people are now.
-Galen's player
I can't speak for the other shards, but on Great Lakes the Event Moderators have made Blackthorn look really cool. He was reasonable, responsible, did what had to be done, and, to my surprise, easily won over Galen the character, who was extremely skeptical.
Don't use the Ultima single-player games as your examples on this one. Remember that UO Split off from the main Ultima universe following Ultima I. Since then, major events in UO have followed the main Ultima world (called "Ultima Prime") but only very loosely. Ultima 5 had the evil Blackthorn, but we played through those events with a different character, Casca, playing the role of the evil and corrupt King. There are many times when using those games is useful source material but this isn't one of those times.
BT was never evil in UO until his corruption by Exodus. And even that corrupt BT UO from some years back has been shown in the fiction to have been a doppelganger. On some shards, again I single out Great Lakes, the EMs have taken steps to make sure we know this in-character and on-stage.
And finally I remember posts from when Dawn returned and was crowned about how cool it would be if it was Blackthorn instead. I wonder where those people are now.
-Galen's player
D
Davin Darkblade
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Am I the only one who isn't entirely keen on Blackthorn as our new king?
Firstly, this has nothing to do with the execution of the story by the devs (always a pleasure) and it has nothing to do with the character himself. It's just the decision in general.
I loved Lord Blackthorn's Revenge. It was a nice way to recycle UO2 content and to steer Ultima towards those unique conventions that Garriott always talked about in his vision. With this "fake" Blackthorn now killed, I can't help but feel this undercuts the past expansion. It feels more like an excuse to bring him back, rather than something deeper and convincing. I remember when Starr Long and Richard Garriott would roam around in-game using these characters. With both of their real counter-parts well and truly departed, this was a chance to introduce someone new and continue in this new direction. Queen Dawn fit this role perfectly although "Lady" Dawn would fit with Lord British's vision of leadership above royalty but it's not that big of a deal.
But anyway, we'll see what happens. And again that's just a personal feeling really.
Firstly, this has nothing to do with the execution of the story by the devs (always a pleasure) and it has nothing to do with the character himself. It's just the decision in general.
I loved Lord Blackthorn's Revenge. It was a nice way to recycle UO2 content and to steer Ultima towards those unique conventions that Garriott always talked about in his vision. With this "fake" Blackthorn now killed, I can't help but feel this undercuts the past expansion. It feels more like an excuse to bring him back, rather than something deeper and convincing. I remember when Starr Long and Richard Garriott would roam around in-game using these characters. With both of their real counter-parts well and truly departed, this was a chance to introduce someone new and continue in this new direction. Queen Dawn fit this role perfectly although "Lady" Dawn would fit with Lord British's vision of leadership above royalty but it's not that big of a deal.
But anyway, we'll see what happens. And again that's just a personal feeling really.
First I'd just like to mention that these are my opinions only and I'm not gonna spend any energy trying to get other people to adhere to my opinions.
But I will voice them..
As I said.. when UO diverged from the regular Ultima world, copies of Blackthorn were made. Exact duplicates according to Ultima Online lore.
Therefore any copy of Blackthorn made when the gem shattered would be just as morally flawed as the original.
He may have schemed his way to the throne but he'll never be a King in my eyes.. just a manipulative backstabbing politician that is only out for himself.
He is good at politics and his tongue does flow pure silver.. that's why so many of you speak for him.. but your being taken in folks.
I still say don't be surprised when the Inquisition starts appearing..
But I will voice them..
As I said.. when UO diverged from the regular Ultima world, copies of Blackthorn were made. Exact duplicates according to Ultima Online lore.
Therefore any copy of Blackthorn made when the gem shattered would be just as morally flawed as the original.
He may have schemed his way to the throne but he'll never be a King in my eyes.. just a manipulative backstabbing politician that is only out for himself.
He is good at politics and his tongue does flow pure silver.. that's why so many of you speak for him.. but your being taken in folks.
I still say don't be surprised when the Inquisition starts appearing..
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D
Davin Darkblade
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I agree. And this is where the story was taken with LBR and it's where it was taken with UO2 through the concept work we can find and the three published novels.
Blackthorn was initially a good guy at heart. We saw this in the prime games. But really the shards are still mirroring the real world to some extent. The avatar's companions are all still very similar, the world is quite similar. The shards are just a metagame justification for changing certain elements and at the same time not disturbing any prime single-player games (such as U9 which was still under development at the time and a planned reboot).
If he doesn't go sour, I agree with that too. Because it can be justified by the fact that we're on a different shard and maybe without the corruption of the Shadowlords he might just keep himself together.
M
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So with Blackthorn now king, that means no more tram, right?
I am all for starting a resistance - i cannot trust him and he will never be my King - HIM OR ME, that's all i say!
May this be the true Lord Blackthorn, now King.
One of my favorite works "borrowed" from the libraries of Sosaria, and 'scribed long ago by Lord Blackthorn himself:
One of my favorite works "borrowed" from the libraries of Sosaria, and 'scribed long ago by Lord Blackthorn himself:
A Politic Call to Anarchy
Lord Blackthorn
Let it never be said that I have aught as quarrel with my liege Lord British, for for indeed we be of the best of friends, sharing amicable games of chess 'pon a winter's night, and talking at length into the wee hours of the issues that affect the realm of Britannia.
Yet true friendship doth not prevent true philisophical disagreement either. While I view with approval my lord's affection for his carefully crafted philosophy of the Eight Virtues, wherein moral behavior is encouraged in the populace, I view with less approval the expenditure of public funds upon the construction of 'shrines' to said ideals.
The issue is not one of funds, however, but a disagreement most intellectual over the proper way of humankind in an ethical sense. Surely freedom of decision must be regarded as paramount in any such moral decision? Though none fail to censure the murderer, a subtler question arises when we ask if his behavior would be ethical if he were forced to it.
I say to thee, the reader, quite flatly, that no ethical system shall ever sway over me unless it convinceth me, for that freely made choice is to me the sign that the system has validity.
Whereas the system of "Virtues" that my liege espouses is indeed a compilation of commonly approved virtues, I approve of it. Where it seeks to control the populace and restrict their diversity and their range of behaviors, I quarrel with it. And thus do I issue this politic call to anarchy, whilst humbly begging forgiveness of Lord British for my impertinence:
Celebrate thy differences. Take thy actions according to thy own lights. Question from what source a law, a rule, a judge, and a virtue may arise. 'Twere possible (though I suggest it not seriously) that a daemon planted the seeds of these "Virtues" in my Lord British's mind: 'twere possible that the Shrines were but a plan to destroy this world. Thou canst not know unless thou questioneth, doubteth, and in the end, unless thou relyest upon THYSELF and thy judgement.
I offer these words as mere philisophical musings for those who seek enlightenment, for 'tis the issue that hath occupied mine interest and that of Lord British for some time now.
D
Davin Darkblade
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Well if there was any need for suspicion... have a look at that throne! :O
I've always believed in the old saying.. not sure where it came from but it went something like : " Anybody that actually wants it won't be a good one."aren't they all, Ludes?
Since most political offices don't have much base pay I'm very suspicious of anybody that really wants the job... Especially if they spend huge amounts of gold on getting it.
However.. someone did point out a direction this might be going..
When the gem shattered Blackthorn hadn't actually gone bad yet.. so maybe they are gonna play the whole scenario again.. he is morally flawed as we all know.. maybe the Shadowlords are coming to UO? Or it might be some other scene that tempts Blackthorn into going bad..
We'll see..
Women! WOMEN always temp men into going bad!
Lol... "Young" men..
"I thought we were an autonomous collective" *snickers*
[youtube]5Xd_zkMEgkI[/youtube]
Not in my house Hunters Moon.. I started it, I built it up.. and now I own it..
Everyone on Catskills knows me and my guildmates.
I would never think to be "King".. but they call me Lord in my house and it's a straight up dictatorship.
(Unless Lady Kyra veto's me that is... lol)
Everyone on Catskills knows me and my guildmates.
I would never think to be "King".. but they call me Lord in my house and it's a straight up dictatorship.
(Unless Lady Kyra veto's me that is... lol)
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Goody Two Shoes.
Blackthorn will crush you. And your little dog too...
If Blackthorn crushes the Frarc then we know the true face of this tiran.
If the day come Frarc has to fight this fake king, he will fight with Valor and Honor and even if it would mean to Sacrifice his life, Justice will show the truth about Blackthorn.
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Makes me want to join Shadowlords again. I wish they hadn't hinted about removing factions. It's a great RP opportunity.
The full current story arc can be found here
UO Stratics *New* | Quest and Events
As to how good a king he'll be - maybe we will have to wait and see how his sojourn with Exodus in exile has affected his philosophy
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