First off today I walked to Minoc. The first people I meet are some gypsies outside of town. They tell me about another double murder of two of their family which has just happened. This seems to be happening in every town I go to. I also get my fortune told for 20 gold. I get a wealth of information from this. I’m told I will need to join the fellowship to discover their nature.

I’m told a new evil is threatening Britannia – this has got to be linked to the fellowship and the guardian.

Specifically some even will happen soon which is connected with the planets. I’ve no idea what this is but need to talk to someone in Moonglow about it. Thats another quest for the list.

The Time Lord is back and I need to find him also. I don’t think I’ve heard any mention of him since Ultima 3 and he was just a collection of world map tiles in that game.

I need to talk to the Wisps to find out how to meet him somewhere in the woods near Yew.

But I need to talk to the monks in Embath abbey before I can talk to the wisps it seems. Thats a whole string of quests for my money then.

Most of the towns population are gathered around the saw mill when I approach including another of my old companions Julia. My party is full up so I don’t ask her to join.

Aside from the murder the other major event in town is a giant 40 foot statue being built for the towns shipwright Owen. This isn’t very popular among the non fellowship members to say the least and there are rumours that Owen isn’t even a good shipwright.

The murder scene looks much like the last 2. There is a strange candleabra + a serpent dagger on the scene but I don’t find anything else.

The BMC (Britannia Mining Company) is in Minoc and I find their mine while looking for the town center. Aside from a couple of dodgy characters trying to tunnel to New Magincia with spoons there is a gargoyle dosed up on serpent venom trying to mine for blackrock. He hints about a motherlode of blackrock being located somewhere in the mine but I’m unable to find it. I do find a magically locked door which I can’t open. I’m curious as to what would happen if I use the wand I found earlier on the motherlode.

The other 2 miners mention a map given to them by Sullivan which might be worth asking about if I find him. The name seems familiar so I’m not sure I haven’t seen him already.

I take Batlins package to the local fellowship branch and get some money back in return. I keep getting the option to ask about Elizabeth and Abraham (two of Batlins companions) at every town and they have always just left, this time for Paws. I’m not that sure why I want to find them but it does look a little dodgy that they left straight after a murder this time. I’ll ask in Paws next time I’m there.

I’ve been led to believe that the candelabra at the murder was a fellowship design. I ask and she denies any link and says it must be some sort of framing attempt.

Owen is about the last person in town that I find. He has been hearing the voice and using it to guide his life. Its not done his ego any good as he is claiming to be the greatest shipwright that has ever lived.

He does have some helpful clues about the murder though. He did see a man with a hook and the Crown Jewel set sail for Paws. Thats the same location as Elizabeth and Abraham who must be suspects now.

A man in the bar gives me the lowdown on Owen shipbuilding talents. Owens ships are so bad they have caused the deaths of many sailors. He stole Owens ship plans and wants me to show them to Julia who might be able to understand them.

The head of the bar gives me my first solid lead. Hook is a pirate who lives in Bucaneers Den!

After fetching the ship plans from his cabin, I show Julia and she confirms they won’t work. I take them to the mayor.

After a bit of toing and froing the mayor decides to cancel the statue and gives me the pleasant job of telling Owen.

Owen doesn ‘t take this news too well and promptly commits suicide. No one in the bar seems too worried. Its solved a few problems for the town but is not the best of endings for this mini-quest. I’ve run out of people to talk to in Minoc so I moongate back to Britain to tell Batlin I have delivered his package.

He has another quest for me which will take me into my first dungeon by the looks of it, unless you count poking around the mine. I need to fetch some gold from a chest in Destard. I seem to remember at the end of Ultima Underworld that Destard was where the inhabitants had moved to, so I’ll be curious to see if they are around.

The more of this game I play, the more I’m being bombarded with quests and I have no idea which leads I should be following if any. My inclination for now is to attempt Batlins quest and see if Elizabeth and Abraham are in Paws on the way. I have a feeling they will probably just have left…