Death Vortex

From UO Community

The Death Vortex is an interesting phenomenon found throughout Ultima Online. It's a swirling black mist but it has no known effect in-game.

Story

The Death Vortex beneath Uzeraan's Palace seems to be an ancient phenomenon unearthed by the miners. Uzeraan was hoping to find diamonds, like his neighbors to the north but instead found the vortex. This generated interest from the Shadowlords who organized an army of hordelings and other creatures to assault Haven Isle. This was primarily a diversion as the Shadowlords sought to tunnel from the Underworld into the mines themselves, thereby granting them access to the Vortex. In our story, the Vortex will be leftover from Aritoth's time. It was created by Aritoth and his minions to help battle the priests of virtue. In the new player quest, the vortex seemed to have slain many of the miners, transforming them into restless souls. Thus Aritoth sought to create an army to battle the priests by casting unwilling captives into the vortex, transforming them immediately into undead. Why was it created at New Haven? He sought to protect the diamond mines of Magincia for this was where he unearthed the large black diamond that he would transform into the Dark Jewel.

Meanwhile, in Blood Dungeon and Ice Dungeon, the Death Vortices work a little differently. Victims who are cast into the vortex are immediately possessed by daemons, their flesh erupting into the monstrous creatures they have become.

Locations

Blood Dungeon

Ice Dungeon

The Mines beneath Uzeraan's Palace in Haven

Ultima VII Spell

In Ultima VII, Death Vortex was a spell of the 8th circle. Its description was as follows:

VAS CORP HUR (Death Vortex) Reagents: Mandrake Root, Nightshade, Sulfurous Ash, Blood Moss This spell creates a swirling black vortex at the point the mage designates, which will thereafter move at random. Everyone within this vortex will be continuously struck by lightning.