The official Ultima Online web site fell prey to digital vandals on Friday.

　　Those browsing the site's Guild Hall alphabetical search engine were presented with the image of Ultima creator Richard Gariott's head impaled on a stake, along with the words 'PODW was here' scrawled in "blood" over the title banner image on that same page. The hacked pages also played random sound samples from sources including Beavis and Butt-head, The Simpsons, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

　　Members of the Pirates of Dark Water - one of the dozens of Ultima Online guilds registered on the site - are claiming responsibility. Ultima Online producer Starr Long was informed of the hack by GameSpot News late Friday, and offered no comment.

　　Origin spokesperson Teresa Potts said the hack was "unexpected," and added that "this doesn't make it easier to get out in a timely manner." Potts said the online game remained unaffected by the hack.

　　As this story was being filed, the Ultima Online site was down, and officials could not provide an estimate as to when security would be restored. Meanwhile, members of the Pirates of Dark Water were discussing the hack amongst themselves on their web site's message boards.