The latest update to the Ultima Forever Facebook page hasn’t stirred up as much controversy as I, for one, would have expected. In it, Mythic explain that at the time in which the events of Ultima Forever transpire, it Cove — rather than New Magincia — that is the town associated with the Virtue of Humility. Of course, at the time in which Ultima Forever is set, New Magincia does not yet exist, and the ruins of Magincia are still just that: haunted ruins.

Thus, Cove.

In Ultima Forever, Cove is a small fishing town tucked away in the mountains on the southern coast of Lock Lake. Many of the older residents are refugees from the destroyed city of Magincia, which was sunk beneath a tidal wave by daemons who targeted the city and its inhabitants for their prideful ways. Many of the current residents of Cove have acute memories of the disaster, and actively discourage any displays of pride. They are quite happy simply being a small fishing village.

Cove has historically been an obscure, difficult-to-reach retreat hidden away in the mountains, east of Britain. At the time of Ultima IV, Cove was only able to be reached by boat, and that was only possible if would-be visitors were able to successfully brave a dangerous whirlpool. During this time, Cove was known as something of a haven for mystics and philosophers.

In Ultima Forever, the Weep has poisoned much of the water and fish upon which Cove relies for food and profit. There is perhaps no more obvious a physical manifestation of this than a Weep-infected whale that has become beached on the coast of Cove. Many of the older residents see this as a precursor to the kind of disaster that befell Magincia, and they are urging the residents to flee before daemons descend upon the town. The younger townspeople, however, believe fleeing the town to be cowardly, and believe staying to fight the Weep the better option. Older residents argue that this is prideful, while the younger ones argue that this demonstrates courage.

Now, one wonders how the Friday update will be handled, given that Humility has no dungeon which stands in opposition to it?