There is currently a philosophy within Ultima Online known as the Virtues. The Shrines are named after them, and players can read about the eight Virtues in certain books that are available within the game. But, beyond those small representations, the Virtues have never played a significant role in the world of Ultima Online. A system will be put into play which will reward characters who actively pursue the activities that represent each of the eight Virtues.

Listed below are the details relevant to pursuing the Virtues:

Paperdoll interface: The paperdoll will be modified to allow players to display the steps achieved in each of the Virtues for their characters. Any player will be able to access the display on any character’s paperdoll by pressing a certain “Virtue button.”

• The button used to access this display will be the mailbag icon currently in place on 2D paperdoll gumps.
• A new Virtue symbol icon which will be added to the 3D paperdoll.

Double-clicking the “Virtue button” will present the player with a graphic display, indicating what steps they have attained in the Virtues. There will be eight sections, one for each Virtue, in the form of an engraved stone. There will be a “status” button (see “Status Button Interface,” below) and “cancel” button on this menu.

• For characters who have not yet achieved the first step of a given Virtue, the respective engraving is empty. The engraved symbols for each of the Virtues are listed below. Hovering the cursor over a given Virtue symbol will display the name of that respective Virtue in the center of the Virtue gump.
  • Humility: a shepherd’s crook
  • Sacrifice: a teardrop
  • Honor: a chalice
  • Compassion: a heart
  • Valor: a sword
  • Honesty: a open-palmed hand
  • Spirituality: an ankh
  • Justice: a set of scales
• When characters have achieved the first step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, tinted light gray.
• When characters have achieved the second step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, colored a light tint of that Virtue’s respective color.
  • Humility: a tint of black (“medium grey”)
  • Sacrifice: a tint of orange (“light orange”)
  • Honor: a tint of purple (“light purple”)
  • Compassion: a tint of yellow (“pale yellow”)
  • Valor: a tint of red (“pinkish”)
  • Honesty: a tint of blue (“light blue”)
  • Spirituality: a tint of white (“pale grey”)
  • Justice: a tint of green (“light green”)
• When characters have achieved the third step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, colored in the respective color of that Virtue.
  • Humility: black (“dark grey”)
  • Sacrifice: orange
  • Honor: purple
  • Compassion: yellow
  • Valor: red
  • Honesty: blue
  • Spirituality: white
  • Justice: green
• Progressing any number of steps in a Virtue will grant a character some special abilities. Players will be able to access these abilities by clicking the related Virtue symbol on their own Virtue gump. For example, double-clicking on the symbol for “Sacrifice” will activate the Virtuous ability for Sacrifice.
• When a player moves his cursor over a given Virtue symbol, a title will be displayed under the respective symbol, indicating the step currently achieved for that Virtue by that character.
  • First step: Seeker of [name of that Virtue]
  • Second step: Follower of [name of that Virtue]
  • Third step: Knight of [name of that Virtue]
• A character that has achieved all three steps in all eight Virtues will earn the title “The Virtuous” on their paperdoll.

Status Button Interface: Double-clicking this button will display a special listing of the Virtues, and it will include one button for each of the eight Virtues. Clicking on one of the Virtue buttons will display:

• A series of ten red gems across the top. As your character achieves status in his current step of that respective Virtuous path, the gems will begin changing from red to blue. When all the gems have turned blue, your character will advance to the next step in that Virtue.
• A definition of that Virtue
• A descriptive concerning how close the character is toward achieving the next step of that Virtue
  • "You have not even started on the path of this Virtue."
  • "You have barely begun your journey through the path of this Virtue."
  • "You have progressed in this Virtue, but still have much to do."
  • "Your journey through the path of this Virtue is going well."
  • "You feel very close to achieving your next goal in this Virtue."
  • "You have achieved a goal in this Virtue
• A link to a UO.com Web page which describes the Virtue in greater detail

Players who progress any number of steps on the path of a given Virtue, but do not continue to actively pursue it, may discover that their Virtuous title reduces in steps over time