The Virtues were established by Lord British in the period historians call the Age of Enlightenment. Lord British issued a call for a hero to come forth and claim the title of Avatar. The Hero of Legend, responsible for the destruction of the Triad of Evil; Mondain, Minax, and Exodus, faced many challenges to become the Avatar. Over time, the Shrines fell into disuse, and with the recent troubles in the lands, the Shrines have been destroyed.
 Compassion is total empathy for all living beings, and is derived from Love. The Shrine of Compassion is located nearby Britain.
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 Honesty is the dedication never to deceive oneself or another, and derives from Truth. The Shrine of Honesty is located north of Moonglow.
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 Honor is the courage to defend and uphold the truth, and derives from Truth and Courage. The Shrine of Honor is located south of Trinsic.
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 Humility is the knowledge of one's place in the world, reached through an understanding of the sanctity of all beings, and exists outside Truth, Love, and Courage. The Shrine of Humility is located nearby New Magincia.
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 Justice is the truth of what is right and wrong in human action and the love of that which is right, and derives from Truth and Love. The Shrine of Justice is located on a northern peninsula east of Yew.
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 Sacrifice is the helping of others at the cost of one's own well-being, and is derived from Love and Courage. The Shrine of Sacrifice is located nearby Minoc.
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 Spirituality is the quest to improve one's own inner being and enlighten and brighten the lives of others, and derives from Truth, Love, and Courage. The Shrine of Spirituality is accessible only via a Moongate, as it is located in the Ethereal Void.
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 Valor is the courage to stand up for your beliefs, even in the face of physical or psychological threat, and derives from Courage. The Shrine of Valor is located on an island nearby Jhelom.
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These Virtues when combined form the Principles of Truth, Love, and Courage.
- Courage is the will to struggle, for beliefs and for others.
Virtues: Honor, Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Valor. - Love is the empathic bond that unites the self to all others.
Virtues: Compassion, Justice, Sacrifice, and Spirituality. - Truth is the objective reality, that which is not false.
Virtues: Honesty, Honor, Justice, and Spirtuality
Three great Castles of Learning were established for each of the Principles:
- The Lycaeum, located near Moonglow, for Truth, home to the Book of Truth
- Empath Abbey, located near Yew, for Love, home to the Candle of Love
- Serpent's Hold, located near Jhelom, for Courage, home of the Bell of Courage
With these three items in hand, the Avatar was able to approach the Codex. But before it could be read, these answers were required:
- The Three-Part Word of Passage: Veramocor
- What quality compels one to share in the journeys of others: Compassion
- What dost thou possess if all may rely upon your every word: Honesty
- What shirks no duty: Honor
- What is that which Serfs are born with but Nobles must strive to obtain:, Humility
- What should be the same for Lord and Serf alike: Justice
- What is loath to place the self above aught else: Sacrifice,
- What, in knowing the true self, knows all: Spirituality
- What answers when great deeds are called for: Valor
- If all else is imaginary, this is real: Truth
- What plunges to the depths, while soaring on the heights: Love
- What turns not away from any peril: Courage
- What is the one thing which encompasses and is the whole of all undeniable Truth, unending Love, and unyielding Courage: Infinity
Following the events of the First Age of Enlightenment, Lord British and his Council of Mages pulled the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom from its home within the Abyss, establishing a Shrine on the newly created Isle of the Avatar. However, during the time of the False Prophet, it was revealed that the gargoyles were the true owners of the Codex, and that with its removal their race was doomed.
Undaunted, the Avatar sent the Codex into the Ethereal Void, and two lenses were given to the leaders, Lord British and King Draxinusom, to view the Codex whenever needed. In order for one to view the Codex, both the convex Red Lens of the Gargoyles and the concave Blue Lens of the Humans had to be combined to open the sacred book.
