Armageddon in effect
- Words of Power: VAS CORP BET MANI (Ultima VI); VAS KAL CORP (Ultima UW2); VAS KAL AN MANI IN CORP HUR TYM (Ultima VII, IX)
- Reagents: BM, SA, GS, SS, MR, BP, GA, NS (Ultima VI, VII); None (Ultima IX)
- Circle: 8th
The spell Armageddon is truly devastating. Once it is cast, it destroys all life on the world, with the exception of the spellcaster, leaving only a barren wasteland behind, devoid of any life. Only a great fool would dare to cast this spell, as it would leave them alone on a dead world, with nothing to look forward to except death.
History[]
Over 700,000 years ago, the Xorinite Wisp gave it to a mage named Zog. Zog was foolish enough to cast it, and all life was destroyed. Zog himself then died a short time later.
The spell re-appeared in Britannia in Ultima VI, where the Wisps gave it to the Avatar as a gift.
In Ultima VII, it could be bought from Rudyom in Cove or found in the spellbook of a random evil mage near the end of the game. The spell also appeared in both Underworlds, with the same effect on the environment.
In Ultima IX, Armageddon finally plays a crucial role at the end of the game; the Avatar must cast it to defeat the Guardian, sacrificing his own life in the process. Since the Avatar has first erected the Barrier of Life around himself and the Guardian, no one else is killed, and the spell reflects off the barrier to kill the caster instead.
Trivia[]
- It should go without saying that this spell serves no practical purpose until Ultima IX. It was put in the games merely to tempt the player into using it, just to see what happens.
- The player can use this spell to find their way through the game's mazes first without enemies (provided you save first) and then load previous save game to do it again with enemies.
- In theory, it should still be possible to win Ultima VI even after casting Armageddon. The goal of the game is to return the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom to the Void, and this task is not hindered by the destruction of all life on Britannia. However, the programmers anticipated that players hell-bent on "breaking" the game would try to do exactly that. Therefore, sending the Codex into the Void becomes impossible once Armageddon has been cast. This shouldn't be surprising; after committing global mass murder, failure is the least such an unvirtuous Avatar deserves.
- However, in Ultima VII, it is possible to complete the game after casting Armageddon if the spell is cast after the battle with Hook and before destroying the black gate.
- Some people have immunity to the Armageddon spell, notably Lord British and Batlin.
- In the Ultima Underworld games, Armageddon also destroys all doors and stairways in the maze.
- In Ultima VII Part Two, it is replaced by the much less destructive spell, "Imbalance".
- In Ultima VIII, the spell "Devastation" functions like Armageddon, but it kills the caster as well, making it particularly worthless.
- In the original plot of Ultima IX, Armageddon destroyed Britannia itself, though its inhabitants were spared thanks to the actions of the Avatar and Lord British.
- The spell bears resemblance to the "Deplorable Word" from C.S. Lewis' Narnia series which is a spell that would also destroy all life except the caster.