PC-ness über alles
 

It's just ridiculous that in a Medieval-like game, one of the characters is black...

1-Rate!

First off this RPG is not based on real medieval times, it's a fantasy RPG, and frankly medieval RPGs such as TES have even lizards as races, other RPGs have orcs and elves. Giving you more choices and variety is what RPGs are about. Historically you're wrong too, because you're only speaking about the Western European Middle Ages, when in Sub-Saharan Africa, which was also in medieval times, black people were present in the muslim cities.

Rug, are you suggesting that there should be more or less diversity in skin tone?

For the time, this game had a pretty good choice of characters, and certainly for the player character it's important to remember that you're from another world (earth!), and therefore not from any particular local region.

That being said,the world of ultima is an anachronism stew and should in no way be considered an accurate portrayal of medieval times.

Are there shops in this game or anywhere to sell your loot? I am unsure what to keep.
Also, the movements with the mouse seem kind of choppy. I realize this is an ancient game, but wonder if this is normal? I am using DosBox.

Update - I used Ctrl F12 to speed it up, and that seemed to work. The walls, however, seem to sort of "waver" as I pass by. I suppose I am expecting too much.

You can barter (trade) with friendly NPC characters. Some will have gold, others food, or equipment that you might find useful.

Trapped! Forever?
 

I have ran into a huge, huge problem. I am on level 7 and have reached the prisons and the tombs but I haven,t found all vital objects on the previous levels yet. I didn,t think it would matter much if I went to level 7 without having completed the objectives on earlier levels since you have always been allowed to travel between levels anytime you wished.... However, not so this time. I realised I had to make my way back to level 6 and find the vital items I had missed before. But to my utter horror, I realise that the portcullises have closed behind me and blocked my way back! There seems to be no way to reopen the portcullises, the guards refuse to open them and I have no key that fits either. And here comes the really great part: In my naiveity I have overwritten all previous saves before I got myself trapped on level 7! Swell, just swell!

Now I wonder, is there some way to reopen those gates or bypass them or something, anything that will allow me to return to level 6? Or have I sealed my own fate through my immense stupidity? Really gratefull for an answer, thanks in advance.

Tried EX YLEM (Open) spell already? You should have found EX and YLEM runes by this stage already.

Hm level 6 is the one with the mages and the puddles of lava on the walkways?
And level 7 has the mines, and the guard quarters which have portcullis, do you mean this one? The guards body should contain a key after you kill them all.
Failing to find a key try the open spell like Scatty stated, or even a gate travel spell which teleports you to the moonstone on level 2 (vas rel por)

That is, you probably won't have any mana on level 7 to cast spells. In that case you can simply attack the guards (IF you are in one room with them) or pull the switch / level in the same room which opens the gate (and the guards attack you also). Or search for an alternate route back to the stairs for level 6, there should be a way.
Of course, if you have a scroll in the backpack with Gate Travel or Open spell(s), there should be no problems.

If nothing else helps, you can try to remove your weapon and bash the portcullis with bare hands to see if they open after a while. The guards will also turn hostile after that.
Usually doesn't work on portcullis though, only on (most) doors.

The crisis is over, there was a secret passageyway in the tombs that led back to the stairways, phew! However, now I have another small question. Does anyone know on which level you can find a flute? I,m uncertain if I have missed it on any of the previous levels and as fun as this game may be, I really don't feel like going through all the previous levels again.