| rdfs:comment | - When the Gem of Immortality was shattered by the Stranger, three big shards of it went missing. Each of the shards opposed one of the Principles. The shards ended up in the Underworld, but they were safe until the ship 'The Ararat,' under Captain Johne, was sucked into the Underworld through a whirlpool. Johne found the shards, and they drove him to temporary madness. He slew his three companions, and their blood fell on the shards. From it, the Shadowlords were born:
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| abstract | - When the Gem of Immortality was shattered by the Stranger, three big shards of it went missing. Each of the shards opposed one of the Principles. The shards ended up in the Underworld, but they were safe until the ship 'The Ararat,' under Captain Johne, was sucked into the Underworld through a whirlpool. Johne found the shards, and they drove him to temporary madness. He slew his three companions, and their blood fell on the shards. From it, the Shadowlords were born:
* Astaroth, the Shadowlord of Hatred.
* Faulinei, the Shadowlord of Falsehood.
* Nosfentor, the Shadowlord of Cowardice. They wasted no time in spreading their evil. Scattering the three shards in the Underworld, they attacked Lord British in the Underworld below Dungeon Destard during an expedition, capturing him and imprisoning him in the dungeon Doom. On the surface of Britannia, they established their keep, Stonegate, with the daemon Balinor as a doorwarden. They corrupted Lord Blackthorn, making him cruel and twisting his perceptions of the Eight Virtues. The Shadowlords themselves haunted the cities, and their mere presence would infect the peoples' personalities like a disease. It was a dark time for Britannia. While many tried to stand up to the Shadowlords, none prevailed. Those who weren't killed outright suffered the lingering agony of being pierced by the Shadowlords' Black Arrows. Notable examples of this are Shamino, Mariah and Kindor. The Shadowlords hunted specifically for members of the Great Council, as they knew the Words of Power that could unseal the dungeons, perhaps allowing someone to find the shards. They also hunted for the companions of the Avatar, to prevent them from summoning Britannia's hero to their aid. This was the situation when the Avatar arrived in Britannia in Ultima V. After confronted with the fact that the Shadowlords could not be destroyed by conventional means, the hero learned as much about the nature of the Shadowlords as possible. They were finally banished by casting the shards of Hatred, Falsehood, and Cowardice into the Eternal Flames of Love, Truth, and Courage respectively. True evil can't be destroyed, however. The Shadowlords were only physical manifestations of the darkness in men's hearts, where they continue to exist. In Martian Dreams, they even invade the Avatar's dreams.
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