Blackthorn's real-life counterpart is Starr Long, one of the long-time Origin employees, best known as the co-creator of Ultima Online. Blackthorn however was NOT modeled after Starr Long as he wasn't an employee of Origin at the time of Ultima V's release - he merely went on to play the character in Ultima Online. Walking through a red Moongate created by Lord British's Orb of the Moons, Blackthorn vanished from Britannia to an unknown location.