Skara Brae[edit]
Leave Britain from the South and continue West. Later, at the fork, take south, cross a strait, and you are now on the islands of Skara Brae.
Michael's house and the Cyclops Cave are visible near the north-east corner of the map.
| The inhabitants of Skara Brae |
|---|
| Related to the Shrine quest: |
|
|
| Unrelated to the Shrine quest: |
|
|
There is a house on the way between Britain and Skara Brae. The man who lives there is named Michael, but there is no way to learn it from the game. He knows a lot about the people in Skara Brae, as well as they know a lot about him.
| Name | Quest/function | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton | Mantra, Rune, Shrine-1 | Near the well |
| Horance | Merchant: magic; Shrine-2 | Out of town, north |
| Gideon | Merchant: inn | Inn |
| Dezana | Merchant: healer | Healery |
| Yorl | Rune-2 | Pier |
| Marney | Rune-3 | North house |
| Marta | - | Inn |
| Stivius | - | Wine shop |
| Quenton's ghost | - | Vineyard |
| Michael | - | Out of town, north-west |
In Skara Brae, Stivius can sell you bottles of wine, but they have no known use in the game. Unlike the healers on the mainland, Dezana will ask for money even if your Karma is high. You can learn very little from the ghost of Quenton; even the lv.5 spell "Seance" has no effect on him.
Horance lives on an islet just north of town. He sells many direct attack spells, that in other games would be classified as black magic: at this stage of the game, a solid weapon is more convenient. Still, you should buy the "Unlock Magic" spell. He also offers the best price for mandrake roots and black pearls.
The mantra[edit]
The town mayor, Trenton Bell, is easily the first person you may meet in town. He typically stations near the well. His house is just across the square.
Ask Trenton about the Rune, the Mantra and the Shrine. The only thing he knows for sure is the Mantra, and he gives you just a clue about it: read any of the books in town.
The rune[edit]
The mayor Trenton says that the Rune was in care of Quenton, but unfortunately he was murdered by the Gargoyles.
You can ask everyone in town, but all evidence only shows that the gargoyles did not commit the crime. The three best witnesses are Stivius, Gideon and Marta, but they are of little help about the Rune. The killer will be found only in Ultima VII: The Black Gate.
Still, Gideon gives you a clue: Quenton held an amulet in his dead hand, and Yorl took it. Ask the fisherman about it, and he will relay you to Marney, the victim's daughter. Investigate about the past and about Marneys' mother, and she will eventually reveal the location of the Rune, although she ignores it.
The shrine[edit]
The mayor Trenton relays you to Horance. This mage lives on an islet just north of Skara Brae. Ask Marney to borrow the boat and sail. Horance knows that the Shrine of Spirituality can be reached only when both moons are full (as in Ultima IV and Ultima V).
Rather than waiting that long, this is one of the rare occasions where the Orb of the Moons becomes necessary. Drop the Orb of the Moons two steps left and one down from the location of the Avatar. The Shrine is free from the Gargoyles, but a force field surrounds the Moon Stone anyway. Therefore, use the Rune and the Mantra as you learned earlier in Cove.
The Cyclops Cave and Stivius' cellar[edit]
North-west from Skara Brae is a small dungeon. In particular, it is located in the mountains between the crossroads and Michael's house. You can explore it and earn experience before meditating at the Shrine.
The dungeon is on three floors. The following is a list of what you can get:
- Floor 1:
- chest (8 torches), torch, gold nugget, backpack (10 gems), 65 gold coins;
- ladder, ring (yellow), pick, backpack (empty), rake.
- Floor 2: 3 meals (1 cheese, 2 honey jars), rope.
- Floor 3: 15 meals (6 ribs, 6 fish, 3 meat), 18 powder keg.
Remember to look inside every chest, crate and backpack. The most important feature of the dungeon is the amount of powder kegs for free. Every character should carry one or two.
Back to Skara Brae, you can visit Stivius' cellar. You can open the locked doors using lockpicks (Sherry the mouse has top dexterity), or you can blast the most stubborn doors. Anyway, wine counts not as food, and it is not worth neither "borrowing" nor purchasing.