Lord British

Ultima series creator Richard Garriott acquired the nickname "British" as a teenager from friends at computer camp who claimed his greeting to them, "Hello", was distinct from the usual American "Hi".

Numerous plotlines and side quests in the Ultima games revolve around Lord British's adventures or public works projects.

[6] This phenomenon is the origin of the Lord British Postulate which states: "If it exists as a living creature in an MMORPG, someone, somewhere, will try to kill it.

Shortly before the incident, the server crashed, and Richard Garriott forgot to turn his invulnerability flag on when logging on again.

According to interviewer Shay Addams, "Garriott was less than pleased" that some players had found a way to kill Lord British in Ultima III: Exodus, having taken steps to avoid it.

This was inspired by an incident at the Origin building: a metal bar, attached to the door by a magnet, fell on Garriott's head, warranting a visit to the hospital.

[12] GamesRadar+ staff called it an iconic moment in MMOs, and Wired magazine writer Anne-Marie Ostler felt it was an "event reverberated through the gaming world.