[News] The Savage in You

[Merci d'Rue]

As you run thru Central Ilshenar, it may be said that there are many deadly things to encounter. Today I would like to highlight one in particular, the Savage. Savages can be found in many places but they originated in Ilshenar. One of their first encampments can be found near Blackthorn's Ilshenar Castle. .

Savages are cunning and crafty, wearing not much more than a bit of bone armor on their arms and legs and oft times are seen carrying a spear. They are tattooed with primitive markings and cover their skin with a paint made of tribal berries. They live in small villages adorned by grass huts. They are ruled by a chieftain and are a close-knit group. Within their tribes, are fierce warriors that ride the savage ridgebacks. Savage Shamans are the magic wielders of the tribe. I found this out the hard way as my Savage Kin Paint began to wear, and a powerful bolt of lightning style magic laid me low.

As spears whizzed past my head, it soon became clear that I should indeed begin a hasty retreat. It was at this point, as I scurried from their lands, that I began to wonder, will I be caught and made into a fine stew? Yet more importantly, what role do the savages hold in Sosarian History? This of course lead me to a late night research party at the Britannian Library to which I was the only guest. However after many hours, my search paid off, and I found the information I sought.

In the days of Blackthorn and Exodus, and their reign of terror, the Savages were manipulated to invade Britannia. They started with the Orcs driving them from their caves. Yet it did not stop there, they also began an assualt upon the human establishment of Cove. A rare three-sided battle ensued, with humans, Orcs and Savages all struggling for survival. As fate would have it, the Savage attacks were nothing more than a distraction to hide the work of Exodus and Blackthorn. All three sides mere pawns fighting for a wasted purpose.

Being a warrior myself, I feel a keen admiration for both Savage and Orc, the two enemies that have battled each other throughout time. Upon receiving word, that there was a tribe of Savages living within a settlement upon the Chesapeake Shard, I decided it was time to seek out perhaps friendlier types. I arrived in Kijustsu Anei Village thru the Homare-Jima gate with a grand tumble upon its grounds. There I soon was lead to the tavern and areas where the Tonkaweya tribe resided.

At last, I met Niva their Chieftan, and with a fierce Hooo-aaahh she invited me into her Tavern. It was not your typical wood establishment, it still held all the grassy savage elements of home as well as a bit of stonework intermixed for solidity.

A grateful and thirsty traveler, I gladly accepted the Savage ale that Niva herself offered. This ale made of tribal berries was delicious and I proceeded to drink two bottles of it. I am glad I took the ale, as there was some talk of the savage's wine gaining its reddish hue from actual blood added to it. Of course, no one would really tell me who or whats blood was used, it was just best I didnt know. Niva also pointed out a boiling pot and offered us the house specialty, Orc Stew. While I am a person of fortitude I had to pass, as I find Orc meat to usually be a bit tough. All in all, the eve was pleasant and ended with a tour of the settlement's of Kijustsu Anei Village and PaxOku. I will have to visit again maybe bring some of the ale back home for others to try. I would like to thank Niva and the the people of these settlements for their warm hospitality.

Reporters Log: If you would like to learn more about Savages, and their lore, you can refer to ORIGIN - Ultima Online - Main and Savages - UOGuide, the Ultima Online encyclopedia which I used for research myself and gave a good description of savages and their part in Ultima History.​

 

[Cear Dallben Dragon]

!!!!
Cool!

 

[Bryelle Vaughn]

Thank you for the informative article! Savages are played on a lot of shards, Pacific included. I am sure they will get a kick out of this as well!

 

[Trebr Drab]

I'm not well versed on the goings on during the later stages of the Savage events. And I didn't realize that they were connected with Exodus. With the Savages having attacked the Orcs, do we know for a fact if the Orcs are allied with any one force? Like Minax?

If so, what does it say about the relationship between Exodus and Minax, or whoever the Orcs camp is in?

 

[WarderDragon]

I picture Orcs as being consistant with the various tribes of Dark Age Europe. A culture that adheres to a merit caste system and engages in a combination of Animism and Ancestor Worship with a Shaman / Warchief at its head.

But that is where I ignore established canon - that is Ultima I-IX - and prefer the contribution of Orc Roleplayers.

In Ultima Canon the Orc is the creation of Mondain - one quote I read describes them as the mating of a Man and Boar - in his perverted attempt to become the God of Sosaria. These Orcs were short, weak and easily dispatched, nothing like the hardened warriors and fiersome brutes we are accustomed to. Being created by Mondain would also have left them no more than a human generation to develop language, a culture, religion and a caste system. That I find rather ... unlikely.

If I assume Ultima Canon then I assume the Orc would perceive Mondain as a Father and by extension have some vestigial loyalties to Minax and perhaps the Shadowlords. Though I don't know that Minax and Exodus are enemies so I don't see the reason for Exodus throwing his forces against those loyal to his 'Mother.' If I disregard Ultima Canon and focus on Ultima Online - whether player lore or the contribution of subsequent developers and event moderators - then the Orcs are opportunists who have no loyalties except to their 'Warboss' and will align based on their goals at the time.

 

[Trebr Drab]

Well, just some thoughts....

Didn't Mondain run around with the Gem of Immortality for a thousand years, or something like that, before the Stranger went back in time to shatter the Gem and destroy Mondain?

In UO, didn't we pick up at the time of just before (or at the beginning of) U4, after British set up the Virtue system? Yet the history was different because Minax had not surfaced yet in UO, nor had Exodus, like they both had in the Stranger's (shard of?) Sosaria.

In UO, hasn't it been established that the Orcs are serving Minax? I can't say why I think this at the moment without digging into past events and doing some research again.

The Savages, are they not the tribal peoples of tattoos that Keeonean came from? And he served Minax, because he was with her when Odric/Ramuz somehow controlled Keeonean to take the Black Necklace ("Mondain's Embrace") from Minax's neck and give it to him.

Yet, the Savages and the Orcs fought the war that we were able to help determine the outcome of in various places around Britannia. Perhaps Keeonean had left his tribe to join up with Minax, while his tribe served Exodus or Blackthorn, I'm not sure which, or if at all.

The Savages have their lands south of Blackthorn's keep in Ilshenar, and Blackthorn had been allied with Exodus (although not totally "with" Exodus). Long ago, there was a story of Blackthorn traveling to a strange land that was black and wasted. I'm still not sure what land that was.

Is there a definite connection between the Savage tribes and any of Sosaria's antagonists? Whether that be Minax, Exodus, Blackthorn after his change to part machine, or the Shadowlords?

 

[WarderDragon]

I understand Mondain as having been defeated three centuries before Ultima Online.

Considering that it has been about one hundred and twenty years since the Fall of Trinsic (10 Earth Years) - and no serious roleplayer I am aware of is representing their Youthful Hero of Trinsic as a Geriatric - I tend to interpret character lifespan and time perception as conforming to Earth. Even if Planet Sosaria circles the Ultima Sun 120 Times the aforementioned character ages a Single Year.

That means to most characters - Lord British amongst them - Mondain was defeated about 'three decades' before the launch of Ultima Online.

I understand Ultima Online as having begun at Ultima 2. What has changed is that the circumstances that prompt Cantabrigian to consolidate the Realm and become its Crowned Monarch - rather than a placeholder for the Wolfgang Dynasty - and Religious Prophet occurs much earlier than Ultima Prime.

Lord Robere rather than Exodus.

In UO, hasn't it been established that the Orcs are serving Minax? I can't say why I think this at the moment without digging into past events and doing some research again.

I am not aware of a point in UO where the Orc - as a racial whole - is depicted as beholden to the Dark Enchantress.

Are Orcs depicted as being in the ranks of her armies? Yes. But then so are Humans. I find the fiction depicts Orcs as possessing the same ... autonomy to develop motivations and goals separate from the 'Greater Evils.'

Then one must consider the Player Contribution. If we consider that - Ultima being a Sandbox World - players have a legitimate right to interpret and impact the outcome and future of the World; then one must consider the numerous RPed Orc Clans who do not serve Minax.

The Savages, are they not the tribal peoples of tattoos that Keeonean came from?

Keeonean is a Savage.

Interestingly the Papuan Natives are depicted as having the same tatoos in the Enhanced Client Roleplay Skins. Coincidence?

Is there a definite connection between the Savage tribes and any of Sosaria's antagonists? Whether that be Minax, Exodus, Blackthorn after his change to part machine, or the Shadowlords?

The Savages were recruited to begin exhausting the Kingdom in preparation for the Third War. Their allegience is to Exodus.

The main purpose of their incursion was to force the Orc Clans - in Trammel and Felucca - from their traditional tribal hunting grounds. When the Orcs began to flee for their lives - en masse - we interpreted this as a Warband and dispatched our own forces to slaughter them; unaware that the true mastermind behind this whole scheme was using it as a diversion while he subjugated the Gargoyles and constructed his Automatons.

There were several discussions - IC and in the later fiction - about whether or not we should align ourselves with the Orcs against the Savages.