Citizens of Britannia have long been used to the tales of mighty heroes of old, the magnificent homes of the Lords and Ladies of the realm, and the feats of the strong and brave. New persons to the lands of Sosaria may find themselves pondering, “I wonder who built this famous castle?” or “Who conceived the idea to begin such a large guild?” or “Who owns this large vendor establishment?” For those who have been around to see the roots and beginnings of these long standing player-run events and establishments, it is their duty to pass along the stories and histories behind them to the newer players. One of the most famous and long standing players on Great Lakes is ULTIMA. If ever there were a “rags to riches” story on the shard, surely Ultima’s past would qualify. A man who took his 1000 gold his parents left in a basket at the sweet dreams inn when they abandoned him there long ago and turned it into an empire. Ultima is now a staple of the rares and specialized communities and has made a name for himself as being a conscientious reseller. I had an opportunity to sit down with the man that has not only created his own fortune and livelihood, but has helped many others do the same over the years.

Like many players before him, Ultima began his journey on the island of Moonglow. Unlike many of the paths that others have chosen, Ultima shied away from the Ettin-bashing and Lich-killing that seemed to characterize much of the population. Ultima began his vendor career in a small marble workshop outside of Moonglow where he would sell reagents to passing mages. As the market for reagents grew, many other establishments sprang up around him also selling magical odd wares. Ultima began looking for a new venture to bring into his growing establishment, and as he says “You always have to stay one step ahead of the fads and competition.” Stay ahead he did as Ultima began to enter the market for which he has become famous: Rares.

Ultima began dealing in what was then a small and undeveloped niche on Great Lakes and brought forward new deals unfounded before. Rares, at that time, did not have the draw that armor and weapons seemed to have. Yet Ultima saw in these baubles an opportunity, the potential for popularity and desire in the general public. As houses became more common, patrons began to desire more and more unique and individual items with which to decorate their new homes, and set himself or herself apart from everyone else. Over the next three years, Ultima would create nearly 6 more locations and would join up with one of his longest standing partners, Zlynn of Great Lakes. Together, these two carved up a sizable share in the rares market and became famous for their generosity and knowledge of current market rates. “People continue to come to me after all of these years because I try to keep up on all of the current prices on all of the rares, not just on a few,” Ultima said. It is this knowledge, and his consistent offering of fair prices to his patrons, that keeps him in the public eye for such a long period of time.

As the Age of Shadows was born, Ultima set his sights on one of the most beautiful and popular locations in the new land of Malas: Luna. “I knew this place would be popular, and it hasn’t disappointed me,” Ultima stated. Ultima began to build a new vendor mall on a scale the public had never seen by opening 3 vendor houses in the northern corner of Luna. As time passed, Ultimas Luna Market had 5 houses in the northern corner, offering hundreds of vendors and thousands of items for sale to the public. “People just keep coming here, it seems to be the most popular place for people to do their shopping, not just on Great Lakes,” Ultima stated. Our vendor baron even has his own guild of experts available for questions about rares, the vendors, or even about the game in general.

Ultimas involvement in Great Lakes doesn’t just stop at his vendor mall. Ultima has been running events and attending many other player-run events for years. He can consistently be seen at many of the local auction houses bidding up a storm or even handing away free checks at his Luna shops.

One of the biggest draws to Ultimas shops is the diversity in its vendors. Many players have some of the best-run vendors here at the Luna emporium. “Many people have been with me for years, selling the best of their wares in the houses,” Ultima continued, “It’s hard to find a shop with so many different types of items in one place.” Another unique feature of Ultimas shops is the popular “Ultimas Lotto.” A common misconception about the lotto is that Ultima makes a profit from it. “All of the money from the lotto goes to buy more items for the lotto itself. It’s a great concept and people love getting unique items from it. I sell out nearly 3 times a day… that’s 180 boxes bought daily,” Ultima said.

With Ultimas Market now established in Luna and many other vendor malls popping up along the street (some of the most notable are Purple’s and Coca-Cola Casino), Ultima is looking to the future and some of the events that he has planned. When asked what his next venture may be, Ultima paused, winked, and said, “You may be seeing a museum popping up… who knows?” With the years of rares collecting under his belt, it is almost a certainty that his museum would be a sight to behold. One thing is for sure, with Ultimas colorful past and bright future, his shops will be around for a long time to come serving the community as only he can.

Thanks to Gina for helping write this up and I want all you shop aficionados to look forward to a month of shop reviews as I move forward to bring the establishments you know best into your living room! On to Yew (guess who is next ;P)

-Mystra