Ultima VII: The Black Gate/Jhelom

Ship or magic carpet
Jhelom is the city on the Valarian Islands, off the south-west coasts of Britannia.

The most intuitive way to get there would be to purchase a ship from either shipwright: Gargan of ../Trinsic/ or Clint of ../Britain/. Unfortunately, they cost 600 Gold Coins or more.

Remember that Rudyom of ../Cove/ spoke about a magic carpet that was lost on Serpent Spine near Lost River. Now, the Serpent Spine are the mountains all around the city of Britain, and the Lost River has its source in there and flows to the north-west. It is very well visible on the map that you carry around. To get to the magic carpet, you should follow the river towards it source along the east bank.

If the Forge of Virtue is installed, an even better option is available. Lord British gave you a deed for his own ship, that is docked in Vesper (south of the eastern desert). In the ship hold you can also find plenty of food.

Jhelom

 *  Population: 10

Main quest
The town mayor is Joseph, and the town hall is the first building visible coming from the pier. He informs you that Elizabeth and Abraham left already to Britain.

Just west of the town hall is the Library of Scars, a fighting school. Talk to De Snel. If you are carrying a serpentine dagger (found on the murder scene in ../Minoc/), he will eventually attack you, and you will have to kill him. On his body you can find a Fellowship medallion, further proof that he is involved with the murderers.

Cross the bridge westward and enter the south-west building. In there, you can meet Dupre, who will join you. He has great strength, and he can carry a large inventory.

Side quest
De Snel's home is just north of the Library of Scars. A key is in the bedtable. Take it and unlock the door in the aforementioned school. Inside, two chests hold three gold bars and some Fellowship material.

Syria and Vokes are usually found in the Library od Scars, while Timmons sulks outside. They all challenged Sprellic to the death. The latter is hiding in his home, the last house to the west. Accept to be his champion, then go and talk to Kliftin the weapons dealer, whose shop is just east of the bridge. He has a good solution to stop all the duels and save Sprellic's life, but he needs some time. In the meanwhile, go and check some of the caves on the Valarian Islands. Upon completing this side quest, you will earn 100 experience points.

Services

 * Provisioner: Kliftin
 * Innkeeper: Ophelia
 * Tavernkeeper: Daphne

Lore
(All characters in Jhelom have a function.)

Small cave
A small cave can be found just west of Jhelom. Some bandits will attack you.

Loot: 2 gold nuggets, 20 crossbow bolts, a triple crossbow and a hammer.

Heftimus cave
Heftimus cave is the largest underground complex on the largest of the Valarian Islands. It has two entrances: one from the east side an one from the west (near the Moongate).

The two parts are separated by a wall of poison fields, that makes the west portions smaller than the other. A barrier of fire fields is near the other entrance, but the party can easily hug the wall and pass unscathed.

South from the east entrance are some shipwrecked pirates.

Loot:
 * West side: halberd, 4 black pearls, 5 nightshade fungi, 5 blood moss, 2 gold coins, mutton, fowl, 10 crossbow bolts, 1 dagger, 5 torches.
 * East side:
 * South corpse: 2 gold nuggets, swamp boots, gauntlets, mace, chain coif, wooden shield, leather collar.
 * South-west corpse: 2-handed sword, crested helm, backpack, 2 gold nuggets, 2 torches, bread, ring of protection.
 * Corpses near fountain: 1 flaming oil.
 * North-west corpse: sword, wooden shield, dagger, backpack, mutton, carrots.
 * Pirate camp: 5 bananas, bread, dried meat, 3 powder kegs, 2 bed rolls, 3 bags (6+4 gold coins, invisibility ring), 2 locked chests (6+5 fish, bottles and cutlery)

Three islets
Straight north from the cape north-east of the town is a small islet with a hut. Inside, you can get the very valuable skeleton key, that can replace any lockpick and never breaks. If a lock resists this key, you will need a specific key.

West from this island (that is straight north from Jhelom) is an islet with some mountains, but no apparent cave entrance. Actually, there is an illusionary wall on the east side. It looks like another Avatar created a storeroom here.

Further west is a third island (north-west from Jhelom) with a cave entrance in plain view. There are two locked chests, but also the two corresponding keys, inside and under a bag.

Loot:
 * East islet:: skeleton key, protection ring, garlic, 3 ginseng, 4 mandrake roots
 * Center islet:
 * Drawers: musket, chain coif, leather collar, kidney belt, leather gloves, whip, flaming oil, 6 bottles, many clothes
 * Desk: 25 ammunition, 3 ship deeds (Bounty, Golden Hinde, Anne's Revenge), lyre, whistle, sextant, 1 gold nugget, 1 key (opens the nearby chest), 2 rings, 1 ankh, 1 pocketwatch.
 * Chest: 9 gold bars, 400 gold coins, 4 lockets, protection ring, invisibility ring, regeneration ring, 10 black pearls, smoke bomb,
 * West islet: bread, beer, 2 bed rolls, 1 bag with 1 key inside and 1 key underneath, 2 locked chests (2 gold bars, 100 gold coins, magic helmet, 5 silkweb)

In case you ran out of lockpicks before finding the Skeleton key, here is a list of locks in previously visited locations: in Minoc, 1 chest in Gregor's two-floors home, 2 in the shipwright, and 2 chests in the "Old Number One" mine; in Jhelom, 2 locked chests in different houses and 2 in the pirate camp.