Editing Ultima (series) (section)

====The Age of Darkness: ''Ultima&nbsp;I–III''====

In ''[[Ultima&nbsp;I: The First Age of Darkness]]'' ([[1981 in video gaming|1981]]),<ref>{{citation|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=September–October 1982|volume=2|issue=5|page=2|title=List of Top Sellers}}</ref> the Stranger is first summoned to Sosaria to defeat the evil wizard [[Mondain]] who aims to enslave it. Since Mondain possesses the Gem of [[Immortality]], which makes him invulnerable, the Stranger locates a [[Time travel|time machine]], travels back in time to kill Mondain before he creates the Gem, and shatters the incomplete [[artifact (fantasy)|artifact]].

''[[Ultima&nbsp;II: The Revenge of the Enchantress]]'' ([[1982 in video gaming|1982]]) details Mondain's secret student and lover [[Minax (Ultima)|Minax]]'s attempt to avenge him. When Minax launches an attack on the Stranger's homeworld of Earth, her actions cause doorways to open to various times and locations throughout Earth's history, and brings forth legions of monsters to all of them. The Stranger, after obtaining the Quicksword that alone can harm her, locates the evil sorceress at Castle Shadowguard at the origin of time and defeats her.

''[[Ultima&nbsp;III: Exodus]]'' ([[1983 in video gaming|1983]]) reveals that Mondain and Minax had an offspring, the eponymous Exodus, "neither human, nor machine", according to the later games (it is depicted as a computer at the conclusion of the game, and it appears to be a [[demon]]ic, self-aware [[artificial intelligence]]). Some time after Minax's death, Exodus starts its own attack on Sosaria and the Stranger is summoned once again to destroy it. ''Exodus'' was the first installment of the series featuring a [[role-playing game#Game systems|player party system]], which was used in many later games.