@alice

this map.

when i was a kid, the main way my brother and i bonded was through video games.

the Ultima series was a fine set of games, and the highlight if you ask me was absolutely the Avatar Trilogy — 4, 5, and 6.

many of our games were downloaded thanks to the wonderful software cracking scene of the time, but big brother had gotten ultima 4 in the actual box. it came with a few "feelies", including an ankh, the (appropriated but you don't know these things when you're a kid) symbol of the ingame religion, and this cloth map of the game world.

ultima 4 was like few other games of its time. the goal was not to fight and defeat a big evil guy. you had to go around and learn about the virtues of this world, practice those virtues with NPCs and monsters, and go on a spiritual quest to confirm your status as an Avatar of that virtue. become the Avatar of all eight virtues and you are given a final quest: to find the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom hidden deep in the underworld and bring it to the surface.

the goal of this game is to be a good person. to be a righteous beacon of love, truth, and courage to everyone you meet, and to seek out lost knowledge for the benefit of all.

my brother passed away late 2022. somehow, i found this map still lying around.

a part of him still lives in it.