| Gremlins | |
|---|---|
 Gremlins, from Ultima VII manual | |
| First appearance: | Ultima I |
| Last appearance: | Serpent Isle |
Gremlins are small, evil and very hungry little pests. They roam the land in bigger gangs, and while not a big physical threat to the adventurer, they have the ability to quickly steal and devour their opponents food. However, should a gremlin be defeated, it will dissolve, leaving behind some food.
Gremlins can be found anywhere, but they are mostly be found in forests or dungeons.
After appearing in Ultima I and Ultima II, the gremlins vanished until Ultima IV (though they can steal your food in the dungeons of Ultima III, you cannot see or fight them). They also appeared in Ultima V, VI, VII and VII/2. During that time, they began to look more like small, evil gnomes.
Lore
Mischievous kin of the trolls and lizard men, Gremlins are underground creatures of voracious appetite. A favorite diversion is to stealthily approach unwary travelers and pilfer their food rations. Many an adventurer had been consigned to death by starvation below the surface of Sosaria as a result of the antics of these creatures.
- from The First Age of Darkness (Ultima I)
These hungry denizens of the underworld love to sneak up to unwary travelers and steal all their food. Do not let an evil Gremlin get next to thee!
- from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)
The blow of a gremlin is hardly felt, and he is not very hard to do in; but beware, for he travels in huge packs and he may leave you starving. The gremlin's ability to consume food at an inordinate rate is startling and dismaying. Once overcome, he usually leaves some goods.
- from Book of Lore (Ultima V)
Unimpressive in battle, gremlins usually roam in packs and will attempt to overcome you through sheer force of numbers. Given the chance, these persistent creatures will take whatever food you are carrying in your pack, distributing it amongst themselves in a frenzy of feeding.
- from Compendium (Ultima VI)
This tiny creature travels in a pack and attacks in a large group. Its primary threat is that it likes to steal food.
- from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)
It is difficult to identify individual traits of these bothersome creatures, for they always travel in bands. Quite cowardly, they are a greater threat to one's food supply than to oneself. I have heard of, but not seen, a few who use magic.
- from Beyond the Serpent Pillars (Ultima VII Part Two)
Trivia
- Gremlins were planned for Ultima IX, but dropped during development. One can be found in a lost map. Their appearance (see screenshot) is very similar to the creatures of same name seen in the 1984 movie, "Gremlins."
- Gremlins were also to be included in the cancelled Ultima X. See Ultima X Gremlin