The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Player's Guide
Table of Contents
Player's Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Status Area. . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Character Profile. . . . . . . . . 13
Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Fighter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Paladin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Magician . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Money, Food & Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Exploring Eriosthe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Exploration Commands . . . . . . . . . 22
Quitting & Game Options. . . . . . . . 23
Sanctuaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Grates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Inscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Pits & Roof Openings . . . . . . . . . 25
Secret Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Teleporters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Shops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Temples and Circle . . . . . . . . . . 26
Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Movement Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Fighting Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Combat Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Death of a Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A Letter from the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Book of Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The First Arkana: Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
The Second Arkana: Frost . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The Third Arkana: Protection . . . . . . . . . 43
The Fourth Arkana: Healing . . . . . . . . . . 47
The Fifth Arkana: Knowledge. . . . . . . . . . 50
The Book of Prayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Prayers to Ufthu, God of War . . . . . . . . . 58
Prayers to Drutho, God of the Underworld . . . 59
Prayers to Golthur, God of the Physical Self . 61
Prayers to Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self. 62
The Diary of Mara and Her Party. . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
List of Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
List of Prayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
List of Sanctuaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
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Now enter the throne Room of the Western Council. Elaris himself, leader Of the Council probably the most powerful, figure in the Western Lands, comes down from the podium to greet you and tell you why you have been chosen from all of the new entrants to the Council's training Guild. Elaris bids you to sit at the seats provided for you, and you are held spellbound by his voice and the power of his green eyes.
"You are the most promising of all the Aspirants, but none of you has any training in your arts. This is why you have 6een summoned. Your fate is to become great beyond the skill and abilities of the Council to teach. But your fate is also to walk closer to the darkness than any from the Guild have walked before. We would ask you to walk into Eriosthe itself." Elaris' voice seems humble when he speaks of your power, as though he were in awe of what fate awaits you.
"Eriosthe, as you know, was the greatest city ever constructed. Built hundreds of years ago underneath and spanning the Kalurn mountains it was once the jewel in the crown of the Western Lands. But that is now part of the faded past, Eriosthe has lain abandoned for many decades now since the flight of the Ancients. What you may not know is that the evil that defeated the Ancients has grown incredibly powerful and now seeks to poison the Western lands. That evil is contained in the devilry of one man, once of the Ancients himself: Uukrul," Elaris pauses, watching your faces. You realize that the whispered rumors of trouble in the east were truer than any believed. If Uukrul, whom all presumed dead, were to strike the west, the suffering and destruction would be great if not total.
Uukrul must be stopped now cannot afford to allow his plans to mature! Eighteen months ago we sent a party of powerful Councillors against the evil. None have returned. Leading that party was Mara, who guided the Council for many years before she took up this burden." Elaris is silent a moment and then looks at you with renewed spirit.
"Our mistake was to underestimate our opponent: he was more powerful and more cunning than we had thought. He intercepted our party and trapped them. Their power was not equal to his evil. Since that time we have reflected upon our failure, and upon our enemy's strengths, and we have perceived a road to defeat him. Uukrul has one fatal weakness; it is
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the same flaw that will always defeat evil: his hubris.
"We see now that Uukrul believes himself unbeatable. Any threat by a powerful opponent will play into his hands and will end in our defeat. But he could never foresee defeat by a small party of Aspirants. This is why you have been chosen. If you agree, you will be transported to the west side of Eriosthe and smuggled into the mountain city through a secret entrance. Once within the city, you will be able to learn the skills you need to defeat Uukrul. In his pride he will never suspect such a move against him.
"Once evil has fallen from its throne, you must destroy the eastern passages of Eriosthe so that it never takes root again. Eriosthe is too powerful a citadel to allow evil to grow in.
"I will not send you totally defenseless, although any powerful magic would alert Uukrul to our plans. I have four Soul Amulets, rescued from Eriosthe before it fell., which I can pass to you. Should you die these will capture your souls and allow your bodies to be resurrected. The Amulets will also allow you access to refuges within the Mountain City. These Sanctuaries will only open to a party bearing the Soul Amulets and will protect you from opponents.
"I can also give you this diary. It was being kept by Mara and her party, and was carried out of Eriosthe by an underground stream. Some pages have been torn from it, but it still may contain information to help you in your journey.
There is a Training Guild within Eriosthe. Within it you will be able to find others to aid you in your task. :But I will tell you more of this later.
"Know that if you choose to follow the path into Eriosthe you cannot fail: evil is ever blind to its greatest weakness. This is your fate if you choose it, and the good of the Western Lands lies in your path. Darkness must fall!"
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Introduction
Welcome to The Dark Heart of Uukrul, a game where you will explore a single immense underground city, searching for the means to destroy the incarnation of evil: Uukrul. Your underground world is far richer and more mysterious than any you have explored before. Your adventure will lead you from the simple passages and markets in the west to the final confrontation in the palaces of Adron and the areas of chaos to the east. You will find opponents, challenges, and puzzles of subtlety and depth.
Your party consists of four Aspirants: a Fighter skilled with weapon use, a Paladin who has the ability to lay on hands as well as skill with weapons, a Priest who can call on the gods and elementals to aid the party, and a Magician whose magical skills are vital to the party's success. You are a party of novices, chosen not for your prowess but for your promise. Only as an inconspicuous party can you enter Eriosthe without alerting Uukrul to your presence. Once within it you can gain the strength and experience that you will need to defeat Uukrul.
Within Uukrul's stronghold at the eastern end of Eriosthe and throughout the Mountain City are cunning traps, hostile monsters and myriad dangers; once Uukrul is aware of your presence he will stop at nothing to destroy you.
But all is not dark. Eriosthe is a huge city and Uukrul has not corrupted the whole of it. In the west there are still people who struggle to make an honest living under his shadow. Here you will find a marketplace with a Shop for the purchase and sale of weapons and other items, a Forge for the repair of weapons, a Hospice which will heal your wounds, a Mausoleum where your dead can be resurrected or laid to rest and a Guild where you can meet and recruit other party members. Temples and a Magic Circle allow your Priest and Magician to advance in skills and powers.
"There will be friends that you have within Eriosthe, allies who have braved Uukrul's power to help you. We feel sure that Mara has survived and is imprisoned by Uukrul. And there is another who will help you, an ancient adversary of Uukrul's, who has sworn to stay until Uukrul has fallen."
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Getting Started
PLAYING ON AN APPLE
To play The Dark Heart of Uukrul you will need:
An Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+ or IIGS with at least 128K of memory.
At least one 5.25" or 3.5" disk drive.
Color or monochrome monitor.
The Dark Heart of Uukrul disks are not copy protected, and to be safe you should make copies of them onto your own blank disks, and play with those copies. You can use any standard disk copying utility. If you are using 5.25" disks make sure you copy both sides of each disk, and do not write-protect your "Scenario Disk" copies, since the game will need to write to them during play.
Starting the Game
If you have one disk drive, put the "Boot Disk" in the drive and turn on your computer. If you have two 5.25" disk drives, put the "Boot Disk" in drive 1 and the "Scenario Disk" in drive 2, and turn on your computer. After a few seconds you will see the title screen. Press any key and the title menu will appear. From the title menu, you can Play the game, Generate a party, or go to the game Utilities. There is a default (level 1) party already set up on the disk, so you can start to Play the game immediately if you wish. To generate your own party, choose the Generate a party option and follow the instructions on the screen.
Note for 5.25" disk users: At certain points during the game, you will be prompted to insert a different disk. Never remove a disk while playing except when prompted to change disks. When you boot the game and are prompted to insert the "Scenario Disk," insert the side that you were last playing (side "A" if you are just starting).
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PLAYING ON AN IBM/TANDY
To play The Dark Heart of Uukrul you will need:
IBM PC, PC XT, PC AT, PS 2 or 100% compatible with at least 256K of memory.
At least one 5.25" or 3.5" disk drive.
One of the following graphics cards or compatibles with an appropriate monitor:
VGA, MCGA, EGA, Tandy 16-color, CGA or Hercules Monochrome
MS-DOS or PC-DOS version 2.1 or higher.
The Dark Heart of Uukrul disks are not copy protected, and to be safe you should make copies of them onto your own blank disks, and play with those copies. Do not write protect your "Scenario Disk" copies, since the game will need to write to them during play.
Starting the Game
Boot the machine with MS-DOS or PC-DOS. Put the "Boot Disk" in the drive and start the game by typing UUKRUL. After a few seconds you will see the title screen. Press any key and the title menu will appear. From the title menu, you can Play the game, Generate a party, or go to the game Utilities. There is a default (level 1) party already set up on the disk, so you can start to Play the game immediately if you wish. If you are using 5.25" inch disk drive, you will be asked to insert the "Scenario Disk" at this point. To generate your own party, choose the Generate a party option and follow the instructions on the screen.
If you wish to bypass the title menu and game utilities, start the game by typing UUKRUL -P.
Graphic Modes
The Dark Heart of Uukrul supports the graphic modes listed above, and will automatically try to select the best mode available. When starting the game, you can force the selection of a particular graphics mode by typing a minus sign and the appropriate letter as follows:
UUKRUL -V VGA color graphics.
UUKRUL -M MCGA color graphics. P8
UUKRUL -E EGA color graphics.
UUKRUL -T Tandy 16-color graphics.
UUKRUL -C CGA color graphics.
UUKRUL -H Hercules monochrome
This could be useful if the program doesn't recognize your graphics card. When using a Hercules monochrome adapter, you may need to adjust the height control on your monitor to get the best picture.
Hard Disk Installation
If you have a hard disk, you can install the whole game in a directory on the disk. To do this, put the "Boot Disk" in drive A and type HINSTALL <pathname> giving the pathname of a new directory on your hard disk (for example HINSTALL C:\GAMES\UUKRUL). The utility will create the directory and copy all necessary files into it. To run the game from the hard disk, make sure the C> prompt is displayed on the screen and the proper directory is set, and type UUKRUL
Multiple Parties with a Hard Disk
If playing from a hard disk, you can give a name to each party after creating it, with a maximum of seven characters in the name. Then you can select the party you wish to play with by typing UUKRUL <partyname>, for example UUKRUL MYPARTY when you run the game.
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GAME UTILITIES
Selecting Utilities at the title menu allows you to adjust several game functions as described below:
You can change the name or sex of any of the characters in your party. Doing this won't affect their skills and attributes in any way.
You can restore your game from the last backed-up position. At each Sanctuary you have the option to save a back-up image of the game at that point. If you later restore your game from that back-up with this utility, everything that happened since then will be forgotten. The Dark Heart of Uukrul has been designed so you shouldn't need frequent reference to back-ups, but in case something goes terribly wrong, the feature is available.
You can start the whole game again. This puts the default party back on your disks as it was originally. You can then generate another party of your own.
MULTIPLE PARTIES
If you want to play the game with several parties, or if there is more than one person playing the game, just make more copies of the "Scenario Disk" and restart each new game from the beginning. The same "Boot/Archive Disk" can be used for all players.
SOUL AMULETS
Included with the game are pictures of the four Soul Amulets your party will use. These reveal, through a code, the names of the Ancients who constructed the Sanctuaries found throughout Eriosthe. Without these Amulets your party would be unable to use the Sanctuaries. To activate a Sanctuary, you will be asked to name one of the Ancients in the following manner.
When you enter a Sanctuary for the first time, you will be given a string of runes, for example, (RUNES1.GIF) and you must find the five-letter English name that the runes translate to. The first symbol tells you which of the four Amulets the name can be found on, and the other five runes translate to English letters. Find the correct Amulet, then start at the center and work outwards, translating one letter at a time. Find the first rune on the innermost ring, and next to it the English letter it translates to. Then follow the line out from that letter to the next ring, and starting from that point move clockwise around that ring until you find the next rune in the string, and so on. Each Amulet has five rings of runes, you will pick
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up one English letter from each ring to give the five-letter name you require. For example,(RUNES2.GIF) becomes "MELEK" and (RUNES1.GIF) becomes "SHANI." Always move clockwise around the rings and always use the first rune you come to that matches, or the answer will be incorrect.
To activate the Sanctuary, type in the English name you have revealed. You only need to activate each Sanctuary once. If you give the wrong answer, you will have to leave the Sanctuary and try again later.
MOVEMENT KEYS
There are two sets of movement keys available during play:
Q W E
A S D
Z X C
("S" key=don't move)
Standard Movement Keys
Use all keys in Combat.
Use "W-A-D" while Exploring.
7 8 9
4 5 6
1 2 3
("5" key=don't move)
Alternate Movement Keys
Use all keys in Combat.
Use "8-4-6" while Exploring.
SPELLS, PRAYERS AND SANCTUARIES
For convenience, a quick reference list of Spells, Prayers and Sanctuaries has been included in the Appendix at the back of this Player's Guide.
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Characters
"Your party consists of four characters, one from each of the ancient disciplines: a fighter, a paladin, a priest, and a Magician. The balance of the four disciplines allows you to use the Soul Amulets and Sanctuaries. Only as a team will you defeat Darkness."
Before you start to explore the city of Eriosthe you must generate your own party of four characters. You are asked several questions about the characters, to shape their personalities. You should consider your answers carefully, as the character attributes determined here are important. If you want to start playing immediately, a preset party is available through the Utilities.
The Status Area
While playing the game a summary of each character is presented in the status area. This is always shown in the order: 1: Fighter; 2: Paladin; 3: Priest; 4: Magician. Each line shows the character's name, armor class, health state and hit bar. More details about each character are available by examining the Character Profile.
(P12.GIF)
A character's armor class determines the chance of being hit and the amount of damage that hit will do. The more armor a character wears, the higher the armor class, and the less damage taken from a hit.
A character's health is shown by a health state and a hit bar. The health state shows whether the character is suffering from any afflictions. The hit bar shows the number of hit points that character has left.
The health states can be:
HEALTHY: the character acts and fights as normal.
WEAK: the character has sustained sufficient wounds to impair his actions somewhat.
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HUNGRY: the character will become starving if food is not found soon.
STARVING: the character will lose hit points and eventually die unless food is found.
STUNNED: the character has been temporarily stunned and cannot fight or act coherently for a short time. Stunned characters may move around normally.
POISONED: the character will lose hit points gradually until the poison wears off or is cured.
PLAGUED: the character will lose hit points steadily unless cured. Plague is contagious and may cause other characters to become infected.
CRITICAL: the character has sustained so many wounds that he is incapable of acting or fighting, and can only move. A critical character is close to death.
DEAD: the character will be carried by the others in the party. A dead character can only be resurrected at the Mausoleum, but the chance of resurrection succeeding declines as the corpse ages. A special corpse bar, replacing the hit bar, shows this state.
The most serious health state for each character is shown in the status area. If any others apply as well, a small triangle will show in the status line, and you can find out all health states in the Character Profile.
The hit bar reflects the amount of damage that the character is able to sustain before being slain. It is divided into three sections, which indicate if the character is CRITICAL, WEAK or HEALTHY respectively. The hit bar shows a character's hit points relative to his maximum, not the actual number of hit points. Thus the same blow would remove more from the hit bar of a Magician than from a Fighter, because the Magician has fewer hit points to lose.
You can find out the exact number of hit points and the maximum in the Character Profile
The Character Profile
Each character is shown in more detail in his Character Profile screen. During exploration or combat you can examine a Character
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Profile by choosing the Examine option.
(P14.GIF)
The Character Profile shows the following information:
Status line: the same information as the status area for this character.
Sex: male or female.
Class: whether the character is a Fighter, Paladin, Priest or Magician.
Sub-class: the character's specialization within his class.
Hit points: the amount of damage the character can sustain.
Encumbrance: the total weight of the items being carried.
Maximum: the maximum weight that the character can carry. The class, skill and strength of the character affect this.
Experience: shows the amount of experience gained by that character since starting the game. Experience is awarded for most achievements, such as fighting a combat, solving a puzzle or avoiding a trap.
Skill level: the overall determiner of progression through a character's abilities. This controls effectiveness in combat, ability to use specialized weapons, gain rings, and many other skills. The skill level increases when the character has gained a certain number of experience points.
The character's attributes show where his strengths and weaknesses lie. Attributes range from 0 to 20, though magic may take them higher. They are:
Strength: affects all characters, especially your Fighter and Paladin, as it is important in fighting.
Intelligence: is especially important for your Magician as intelligence determines progression through magical abilities.
Piety: is particularly important for your Priest as it determines progression through priestly abilities. Piety also affects every
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character's chance of withstanding attacks by undead characters.
Dexterity: determines reaction speed and agility in combat.
Vitality: determines the character's ability to withstand wounds and resist diseases, and is important when resurrecting a character who has died.
In addition, the Character Profile shows other information which is specific to the different character classes. The Fighter and Paladin show their armor worn and weapons wielded, the Priest and Magician show their energy and rings.
From the Character Profile you can look at the items carried by each character by choosing the Inventory option.
Inventory
(P15.GIF)
Each item carried is represented by an index letter, its picture, a name and an indication of whether the item has been identified. If the item can be worn as armor, or used as a weapon, its letter will be highlighted when it is actually being worn or wielded.
When a character finds an item or wins it in a combat, its true identity may not be obvious. Such items have a ? by their letter. Once an object has been identified, the ? is not shown. The name of an unidentified object tells you merely what it appears to be, which might not be what it actually is.
The ? is also used with keys; it means they have not yet been used to unlock anything.
You may Inspect any object. This gives a description of the item and may give clues as to its use.
Items may be broken or used up. For example, swords can break and potions have only so many applications. Once an item is broken or used up, you can't use it. While some weapons can be reforged, potions and similar items are best thrown away when used up.
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A character may Drop an item. Items dropped in the maze are gone forever; but you can store items by dropping them in a Sanctuary, where they are kept in a cache. Items dropped in a Sanctuary remain there safely until you retrieve them from the cache.
Characters may Give items to other characters while exploring Eriosthe.
You can choose new armor for a character using the Armor command. Fighters and Paladins may wear any type of armor, while Priests and Magicians must wear more restricted armor. When a character chooses Armor, all the allowable pieces of armor will be highlighted. If some piece is not highlighted, try giving it to another character.
You can choose a new weapon to fight with using the Weapon command. Fighters and Paladins can fight with any weapon, while Priests and Magicians are only allowed to use certain weapons. Weapons may also require a base level of skill and will be unusable by characters who are not experienced enough. If some weapon is not highlighted when you choose Weapon, give it to another character or try again when your skill has increased.
From the inventory screen, you can exit with RETURN, or go directly to another inventory by pressing 1, 2, 3 or 4.
The Fighter
"Your fighter is your best attack where you cannot use magic: strength and prowess will conquer many foes. And when all others are falling, your Fighter will have the strength to guide you back to safety."
Fighters are the strongest characters, and have fighting abilities above that of all other classes. Your Fighter will prove invaluable in combat.
His strength allows him to carry a greater weight of items, and he can use his brawn in other situations while exploring the Mountain City. This strength is important in carrying the great weight of armor needed to protect Fighters from powerful opponents.
The Fighter can use all heavy and powerful weapons available in Eriosthe. Some weapons are particularly effective against certain monsters, and your Fighter can change weapons instantly to make use of this. This is also useful when changing from a broken weapon to a sound one: a Fighter can strike in the same combat round, while
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a Priest or a Magician would take a full combat round.
The Paladin
"Your paladin is a holy fighter whose virtue conveys special powers. In battle the power of laying hands will often tip the balance in your favor."
Paladins are fighters who have extra powers conveyed to them because of their virtuous nature. Although a Paladin lacks the great strength of a Fighter, his skills in battle are considerable, and he too can use any weapon and armor and change weapons instantly.
Your Paladin's goodness allows him to lay hands on another. A Paladin can only lay hands during combat, as it requires a trance-like state brought on by the presence of an evil enemy.
If the Paladin lays hands on another character, that character will be healed. If the Paladin lays hands on an opponent, the opponent will be wounded. Laying hands will always drain some hit points from the Paladin. The strength of the effect depends on the skill of the Paladin
The Priest
"Your Priest can petition the gods to aid your party in your quest. The forces of the gods flow through his veins and allow him to commune with the proud spirits of the ethereal planes in battle."
Priests may also wage battle with limited weapons, but they will not be as effective as Fighters or Paladins. Their greatest value lies in communion with the gods.
Priests are able to invoke help from the gods through Prayers kept in the Priest's Book of Prayers. The gods may answer such Prayers, but their response is never certain. The Priests are also able to call forth Elementals to fight alongside the party in combat and their holy calling allows Priests to turn undead foes.
A Priest's rings are ranked in order of metal-Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), Platinum (Pt) and finally Crystal (Xt). As your Priest progresses in experience he will be awarded more powerful rings from the Shrines within the Temples: these will give him greater success in his communion with the gods. The rings that your Priest wears are shown in the Character Profile.
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Your Priest will serve four gods:
UFTHU: God of War
DRUTHO: God of the Underworld
GOLTHUR: God of the Physical Self
FSHOFTH: God of the Spiritual Self
Each god has a set of Prayers that a Priest may intone. The chance of a god answering a Prayer depends on the power of the Prayer and the ring that the Priest possesses to that god. The god may choose to ignore the Priest's Prayer, and indeed may choose to punish a lowly Priest in retribution for rash Prayers.
Every Prayer, successful or not, demands a toll of your Priest's Virtue Points. These represent his spiritual energies, and regenerate slowly to a maximum. The Virtue Points are shown in his Character Profile. If your Priest does not have enough Virtue Points to recite a Prayer, it will not be heard by the god and will not be answered.
To Pray to one of the gods, your Priest must have a ring to that god. He may recite any Prayer regardless of the ring he has: the metal of that ring will influence the chance of the Prayer being successfully answered.
To Pray to one of the gods, choose the Invoke option when it is presented in the menu. Your Priest's remaining Virtue Points are shown, and you can type the name of the Prayer to recite it, or press RETURN to leave without doing anything.
If you are in combat, your Priest can also attempt to Call an Elemental. If you wish to call an Elemental, you are asked to choose which plane. Elemental spirits may be summoned from the four Elemental planes: AIR, EARTH, WATER, FIRE, increasing in power respectively. Elementals fight independently with the party against a common enemy, until the combat has finished or they have discharged their duty.
Your Priest's chance of successfully calling forth an Elemental depends on his skill. Calling demands a toll of your Priest's energies.
Your Priest may also attempt to Turn undead in combat. If successful, this will make undead monsters, such as skeletons and corpses, flee from the party and may damage them. The chance of
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your Priest successfully turning the undead depends on his skill, but can be improved by carrying one of the holy crosses that you may obtain or buy.
The Magician
"Your magician knows magic and its subtle ways. Without magic to protect you and combat your foes, you would surely perish in the devious passages that Uukrul has prepared."
Magicians are not strong of physique and can fight only with light weapons. They are best kept away from the attacks of powerful opponents. Nonetheless, your Magician's skills are vital to your success. A Magician's power lies in his wide range of magical Spells, kept in his Book of Spells. Unlike a Priest's Prayers, a Spell will always work if it is correctly cast.
There are five disciplines of magic:
FIRE: Spells which are weapons of heat and flame, used to combat your enemy.
FROST: Spells which harness the cold power of chaos for combat.
PROTECTION: Spells which protect your party from attack.
HEALING: Spells which heal members of your party and cure disease.
KNOWLEDGE: Spells which extend and augment the mental powers of the Magician.
In order to harness these Spells, your Magician must make use of his rings of power. Each Spell requires a minimum ring to cast. The power of each ring is indicated by its metal, and like Priests' rings, they are ordered-Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), Platinum (Pt) and finally Crystal (Xt).
As your Magician's skills increase, more powerful rings will be awarded at the Circle of Magicians. The rings that your Magician wears are shown in the Character Profile Every Spell demands a toll of your Magician's Psychic Points: if there are not enough Psychic Points to east a Spell it cannot be attempted. Psychic Points will regenerate slowly to a maximum.
To east a Spell, choose the Cast option when it is presented in the
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menu. Your Magician's remaining Psychic Points are shown, and you can type the name of the Spell to cast it, or press RETURN to leave without doing anything.
Money, Food & Items
"Eriosthe is a repository of many items, magical and forgotten. You may find many to suit your purpose, though some will prove dangerous. And there are still those who trade using the old coins, and sell objects of worth to you."
Items
There are many different kinds of items in Eriosthe: simple weapons and armor that are freely available all the way through to the mysterious, magical and special items that have lain hidden for eons.
Many items will have some special effect when used in a particular way. These are called usable items. Things like magic scrolls or poison antidotes are examples. The effect may vary with the way you use the item; for example, a powder may heal wounds when applied to someone's body, but may be poisonous if swallowed. To use an item, choose the Use option when it is presented, then choose the character who is carrying it. A list of his usable items is shown and you can press the letter of the one you want. You then choose which way you want to use the item. For example, with a powder you could choose to Apply it to someone or Swallow it.
Unfortunately, whenever you first find an item you will be unaware of its true use. Fortunately, deep within Eriosthe is a sage who can help you by identifying items and telling you of their uses. Unfortunately, he's getting a little old and seems to have forgotten about a few of the less important ones...
Money
Throughout Eriosthe you will find stores of money which have fallen from memory or which are guarded by monsters or traps. You will also find objects of great value which you may be able to sell. All money that your party has will be pooled among the party members.
The unit of currency within Eriosthe is the "tonk", an old coinage made of small coins of various precious metals. The symbol for this currency is: (P20.GIF).
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Money is important because it is used to buy items and services from the marketplace. Sildar, the shopkeeper, didn't get a monopoly in Eriosthe by his generosity!
Remember that resurrection is expensive and that your party should always carry enough spare money to withstand any unfortunate encounters.
Food
As you walk through the passages, you will gradually use up your food supply. An indication of the food your party carries is shown by pips in the icon area during exploration. Once your food runs out, your characters will become HUNGRY. If you don't find food quickly they will become STARVING and will lose hit points until they die. Food can be bought readily at the Shop, but it's much harder to find in the depths of the maze. There is a limit to the amount of food your party can carry.
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Exploring Eriosthe
"Eriosthe has fallen from its glory. Gone are the jewel-encrusted palaces, gone are the stately marble atriums. Much has fallen into decay, and Uukrul has laid many snares in the passages, corrupting their path. As you explore towards the east, the Sanctuaries will become sparser, the passage forward more obscure, the danger supreme. To survive you will need to be wary of every breath and step."
When you are exploring Eriosthe, the screen is laid out as in the diagram. Walking around is done by moving forward one square, or turning to the left or right on any one square. The arrows in the menu area during exploration indicate which directions you can move. See the Getting Started section for a description of which keys are used for movement.
Exploration Commands
(P22.GIF)
While you are exploring, your Magician may Cast a Spell, your Priest may Invoke the gods through a Prayer, and any character may Use an item being carried.
You can Search walls for secret doors. Secret doors are not visible while walking through the passages, though careful searching where you suspect a secret door will often reveal it. Some secret doors may be hidden with magic and will require a Spell to locate.
Choosing the Search walls option will manually search all the walls of the square your party stands on, thus you may find a door that is not on the wall you are facing. Searching takes time, using up food and making you more likely to be disturbed by wandering monsters.
The party carries a compass which you can consult by doing a Heading check. This will show a compass face with a needle that points in the direction the party is facing.
The character profiles and inventories can be examined by choosing the Examine party option. This will display the party's exact food and money and allow you to look at any of the characters by pressing 1, 2, 3 or 4.
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Quitting & Game Options
While exploring or at a Sanctuary, you can press ESCAPE. This presents several Game Options. Save game will save the current game position and let you continue playing; Quit game finishes your playing session [automatically saving); Keyclick will turn the click feedback off or on. Every time you start playing the game, the game position will be as it was at the last game save. Note that ESCAPE is not listed in the menu.
Eriosthe contains many areas and special features which make exploration challenging and exciting. While a lot of the enjoyment of playing comes from discovering these and determining how they work explanation of some features is necessary.
Sanctuaries
Eriosthe is so large that the Ancients created special rooms to rest in, called Sanctuaries. These are safe havens which evil's power cannot penetrate. Because you possess the Soul Amulets, your party is also able to use these Sanctuaries. Each Sanctuary is indicated by a special symbol on its door.
To enable you to enter the Sanctuaries, you must consult the Soul Amulets the first time you discover each new Sanctuary. The Getting Started section tells you how to do this.
When you enter a Sanctuary for the first time, all the wounds and ills of the party are healed. If you return to a Sanctuary, you may Rest to recuperate and recover strength. This heals a party's wounds, but uses up time and food.
If a character has gained enough experience to make a new skill level, he will be awarded this upon entry to any Sanctuary. To see how far your characters have to go to make the next level, choose the Skill levels option.
Each Sanctuary has a cache that can store up to seven items. To leave an item in a cache, Examine a character's Inventory, and choose to Drop the item. This will place it in the cache. Any items dropped in the Sanctuary will remain untouched until the party returns to pick them up using the Open cache option. This option can also display a list of items stored at all the Sanctuaries you have visited, so you can find out where you left that vital empty potion bottle three weeks ago.
When you choose the Leave sanctuary option, you may leave in one
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of three directions. The Eastern exit leads you further into Eriosthe, while the Western exit will lead you back to your start. You may also choose to leave by the Sanctuary's Teleporter, as each Sanctuary has a teleporter next to it.
In a Sanctuary you can Examine your characters, Cast Spells, Invoke the gods, Use an item, and access the Game Options by pressing ESCAPE. An extra Game Option is available only in Sanctuaries. The Backup game option will save a backup of your current game in a different place on your disk. You can then use the Utilities to revert to this game later on if something goes terribly wrong.
Grates
Grates will block your progress at certain points. You can see through grates, but if they are locked you won't be able to move through them. When you approach a grate, you may try to open it by choosing to Open the grate. You can then try out any keys that your party is carrying. Once unlocked, a grate will remain unlocked.
Keys that have not opened a grate have a ? beside them in the character's inventory.
Inscriptions
The maze has numerous inscriptions carved into the walls at certain places. While some of these are immediately readable, a lot are in arcane (and frustrating!) runic alphabets. Fortunately, there are Spells and Prayers that can translate the runes.
When you face an inscription you will be presented with a Read inscription option. If you choose this option, you will be shown the actual text of the inscription, and given a chance to translate it. You may be able to work out the correct text of an inscription before it has been fully translated. This will save you using up more Spells.
The Translate with NGOS option is a shorthand way of casting the NGOS Spell, and still requires the appropriate ring and Psychic Points Maps and drawings on the walls appear as inscriptions, but do not require translation. Choosing to Read the map will display the map or drawing.
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Pits & Roof Openings
The passages of Eriosthe travel over many levels, usually these are connected by stairs, but sometimes your party will have to contend with Pits and Roof Openings. These lead to other levels, and may extend vertically over several levels.
When you are next to a Pit, you may examine it by choosing the Look down option. This will describe what you see at the bottom, and the ease of the climb. Once you have looked down the Pit you may turn away from it, attempt to Jump over it, or Climb down.
It may be possible to tie a rope at the top of a Pit, making the party's descent safer. Where this is possible and you have a rope there will be a Tie rope to descend option.
If you are standing underneath a Roof Opening, you may Look up to examine the climb. Once you have done this you may walk away or Climb up the Roof Opening.
Climbing through Pits and Roof Openings is always dangerous, as a fall will damage you badly. It is wise to make sure your characters are healed before attempting a difficult climb.
Secret Doors
Throughout the maze are hidden secret doors. If you have located a secret door, you may face it and try to Open the door. A secret door may be opened by various methods, you will probably have to experiment. Force the door open will use brute force; Look for a device will spend time searching for a secret mechanism that opens the door; Speak a word will let you intone a word of power, if you know the right word. You can also apply Spells, Prayers and usable items.
Teleporters
Eriosthe contains teleporters which allow your party to transport themselves from one place to another. Teleporters were originally used by the Ancients to move around quickly and are of two types. Named teleporters allow you to travel to any other named teleporter by typing the name of your desired destination. Each Sanctuary has a named teleporter by it. Button teleporters will transport you to a particular location only, by providing you with a number of buttons to press. Beware there may be no teleport-link back!
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Shops
Within the passages of the western side of the mountain range, far from Uukrul's touch, is a marketplace with some shops which still trade. These will be invaluable to your successful progress. The marketplace has the following shops:
Sildar's Supply Shop: Sildar is a pretty sharp operator who buys and sells food, weapons, armor and other miscellaneous items, useful and not-so-useful. He'll tell you his prices are quite reasonable, but as he's the only source for a lot of the goods you need, you may find he has a pretty flexible idea of "reasonable".
Forge: repairs edged and forged weapons that have broken in battle. Regrettably, some weapons such as clubs don't tend to be reforgeable.
Hospice of the White Order: heals wounds and cures diseases such as Plague.
Mausoleum of the White Order: will try to raise dead characters, or lay them to rest if they are beyond resurrection. If one of your characters dies, his Soul Amulet will be passed on to the Guild, where another character can take it, and bond with your party to continue in the stead of the departed one.
Guild: has characters keen to join your party. A suitable member from the Guild will be able to take the Soul Amulet of any character who could not be resurrected. You can drop in here at any time to meet some of the Guild members, and perhaps catch up on the latest gossip.
Temples & Circle
Below the marketplace are the Temples and Magic Circle of Eriosthe. The Temples contain Shrines to each of the Priest's gods. As the Priest grows in skill, the gods will award rings at their Shrines. Further into the mountain there are some remote Altars. These Altars, and the Shrines in the Temples, are places where divine influence is strongly concentrated, and Prayers to the gods here have a greater chance of being answered. There are a few Prayers that can only be answered at an Altar.
The Magic Circle awards rings to your Magician. It also contains the Archives of the Circle. These are valuable documents by the hand of a great Mystic. You can Consult the Archives whenever you are in the Magic Circle, but your Magician will only be allowed to read a
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certain number of chapters. As he gains more powerful rings, more will be revealed.
Mapping
"The passages of Eriosthe are many and tortured, so the Council have provided you with a magical map. This map will record your every step and save you from a lonely fate lost in some forgotten passage. Take care however, for some magics will prevent it from being true."
(P27.GIF)
You can consult your automatic Map while walking through the passages. This shows you a map of all the places that you have passed through. Eriosthe spans a mountain range, following the caverns and passages that it was built upon. The map will spread out in many directions, quite unlike the sort of map you are used to.
When you look at the map, it first shows the immediate area you are in. The party's location is shown by a bullet, and any squares you have walked on are shown highlighted. Features of the passages, such as walls, doors, Sanctuaries, Pits and stairs are shown. Check the diagram to see how they are marked. The map will stop anywhere it runs off the screen, or where the passage passes to another level, such as at stairs.
You can follow the map in any direction by using the arrow keys to place the cursor on any of the highlighted squares and choosing to Map from there. You can put the cursor on a square where there are stairs, and Map from there to follow the map up or down the stairs. You can do the same with Pits and Roof Openings that you have explored.
While looking at any map, you can return to the map of your immediate area by choosing Home.
You can mark special locations on the map for your own reference, labeling them with a letter (A-Z). Label square does this, then you can call them up by using Jump to label; the map will be redrawn from that special location.
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Automatic mapping will save you the tedious task of keeping a record on paper showing everywhere you have been. It won't show you places before you have explored them, and there will be a few areas where you cannot map or the map is more confusing than helpful. Ultimately, it will be your own intellect that will guide you through the final areas of chaos.
Legend for Auto-Mapping Symbols
(P28.GIF)
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Combat
"The passages are no longer safe. Many evil things have crawled into Eriosthe since it fell, and Uukrul has taken the most evil and warped them to his purpose. As you journey east the strength of your opponents and their cunning will increase. To survive you will have to grow in power and fight as a hundred men."
Within the passages of the Mountain City wander countless adversaries ranging from animals and cut-throat thieves to demons, dragons and Uukrul himself. When your party encounters such adversaries a combat will ensue. Once a combat occurs the screen changes to show a top-down view of the room or passage. This combat grid is like a magnified section of the maze, with one square of maze divided into four squares on the grid.
(P29.GIF)
You will see each live character in your own party, and all of your opponents on the grid. The location of your characters and opponents is important, as positional strategy is a crucial part of combat.
Each monster's name is shown along with its hit bar. The hit bar, like your characters' hit bars, indicates the amount of damage that the monsters have sustained relative to full health. When you encounter an adversary, its name will tell you what it looks like: once it has attacked, you will know its true identity.
Occasionally, you will surprise your enemy and have the initiative in combat; this will enable you to make the first move unopposed. Similarly, it is possible for your opponents to surprise you.
Combat is divided into alternating phases: movement and fighting. The movement phase allows you to move and position your characters, while fighting allows you to act against your enemies. In each phase your turns will be interspersed with those of your enemy, although the speed of your foes and some magical Spells will affect this ordering.
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Movement Phase
During movement the characters may be moved around the combat area. The character whose turn it is to move will be highlighted, with the menu area showing the directions he can move. A character can move to any surrounding unoccupied square, including diagonally, unless the move cuts across a corner of the room.
The Getting Started section describes the keys you can use for movement.
Each character can move once per combat round. Pressing a movement key will move the character to a new square. If a character wishes to delay his move till after the other characters, pressing SPACE will skip that character until all others have been given a chance to move. You can press RETURN if you wish to make no further moves in that round.
Your party may Run from combat if one character is next to an exit and the other characters are close enough to escape also. This option only appears in the menu when you are able to escape. Running allows the monsters to strike at you while you flee, but it is often the wisest course of action if a combat will be too difficult. If you get away, your party will regroup on the other side of the exit. Sometimes you will be able to use this to get past a powerful monster without having to fight it.
The monsters move at differing speeds and will adopt different movement strategies when fighting you. Some will move more than once in a round, some will hardly move at all. There are even monsters that do their best to stay away from you.
Once all characters and monsters have moved, the fighting phase will ensue.
Fighting Phase
The fighting phase allows each character to make an action against its opponents or to defend against attacks. Naturally, the monsters will also be doing their best. All characters may strike, parry, use an item, or examine their profile and inventory in a move. In addition, certain characters have special actions available.
Strike opponent: you can strike if an opponent is directly beside you. You cannot strike (or be struck) diagonally. If there is more than one opponent within reach, you will be given a choice of which to attack. Striking uses the weapon you are currently
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wielding; if you are without a weapon, gauntlets or bare hands are used.
Parry attacks: this parries, using your current weapon to deflect the blows being delivered by an opponent. Pressing the SPACE bar will also parry. You will continue to parry blows until your next fighting turn.
Use an item: you can use any of your special usable items.
Examine: any character can examine his profile and inventory during his turn, and from there change his weapon. Examining does not use up the turn. Fighters and Paladins can change a weapon without using up their turns, but changing a weapon will take a move for Priests and Magicians. Note that you can't examine other characters until it is their turn. You cannot give, drop or inspect items, or change your armor during a combat.
Lay on hands: a Paladin may lay his hands on an opponent or one of the party. Touching an opponent will harm it, while touching a party member will heal wounds. Laying on hands will drain some of the Paladin's hits. A Paladin laying on hands can reach any of the surrounding squares, including diagonally, but opponents will try to avoid being touched.
Cast: a Magician can cast Spells during his fighting round.
Invoke: a Priest may invoke the gods through a Prayer.
Call elemental: a Priest may attempt to call forth an Elemental spirit to fight with the party. Elementals range in power from AIR, EARTH, WATER to FIRE.
Turn undead: a Priest may attempt to turn any undead that are present. If successful, this will make the undead flee from the party.
The monsters will also be attacking in their various ways. All will be able to strike, some will also have magic and there are many other special attack devices not available to the party (like fire breath and plague infection). You should identify the sorts of attacks different monsters use, and work out the best strategies to defend against them, while best exploiting the weaknesses in the monsters' defenses.
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Combat Options
Pressing ESCAPE or ? during combat will present the Combat Options. Note that this is not listed in the main combat menu. It shows a summary of the Priest's and Magician's energies, the Message delay time, and allows you to see a Weapon summary or start Auto-combat.
The Message delay time varies the amount of time messages are displayed on the screen before combat continues (the next menu will overwrite the message). Message time may be changed by typing a number from 0 to 9. 0 suppresses unimportant messages, while 1 through to 9 display all messages, increasing the delay time respectively.
The Weapon summary option shows the weapons wielded by each character. Gauntlets will be shown for a Fighter or Paladin if he is wearing them and is not wielding a sound weapon. Remember weapons can break, and a broken weapon is ineffective.
If Auto-combat is chosen, the computer will move and choose actions for your characters. You just sit back and watch. Autocombat will continue until you interrupt it by pressing ESCAPE. This is a good way of fighting simple combats, but you should not use it against powerful enemies as you only get the best results when you are in full control.
Treasure and Experience
A combat will last until all the opponents are vanquished, you manage to run away, or all of your party are slain. Should you successfully defeat your opponents, your party will be able to take away any money or treasure guarded by your foes.
Your characters will gain experience from the combat depending on the amount of valuable work each individual contributed. Less experience is awarded if your party ran away, and there will be no treasure
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Death of a Character
"Uukrul will be doing his evil best to kill each of you. Fortunately, each of you will carry one of the Soul Amulets. Each will preserve the soul of one who dies while wearing it, and allow that body to be taken to the High priest for resurrection."
Often, your objectives can best be served by avoiding dangerous conflicts, applying discretion and caution; but no matter how careful you are, inevitably the enemy will claim a life. When this happens, make your first priority a quick return to the Mausoleum. The Soul Amulet will capture his soul, but it cannot hold a soul forever. As the body decays, the chance of restoring life fades.
If the High Priest can transfer the soul back into the dead body, the character will be alive, but greatly weakened. Such resurrection costs much, and demands a great toll on the character's vitality and experience.
If too much time has passed, the soul has become too weak to revive the flesh. The Priests at the Mausoleum will pass the Soul Amulet to the Guild, where volunteers will gladly bind their destiny to that of your party. You can meet suitable Guild members, and choose an appropriate successor. You must select a new character of the same class as the departed one, to enable the Amulets to function. All the effects and belongings of the lost character will be passed on to the successor you choose.
Should misfortune strike, and your whole party lie slain in the depths of Eriosthe, you had better hope that you have a friend...
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A Letter from the Authors
Eriosthe has been designed to feel like a huge, real place. Its passages don't fit into boxes, but spread out following the caverns and passages of the mountain. Don't be too concerned about moving up and down stairs: the progression in difficulty comes between Sanctuaries rather than up and down "levels."
The game's emphasis is on depth of play and quality of puzzles. It's not just another "bash the monsters" fantasy game. We could give you figures about the number of monsters or maze size, but that's not the point. We hope you find the puzzles challenging and tortuous without them brickwalling you. Nothing pleases us more than watching someone who has already played the game for hours realize that the came has even more subtlety...
The monsters, items and maze elements have been designed to work together to make interlocking puzzles. Don't be afraid to try things out, it's often the only way that you are going to learn how they work.
We can't stop you using backups of your party, but we designed the game so that it will be best when the death of a character really means something: play cautiously, resurrect and make use of the Mausoleum and Guild, rather than going to a backup whenever someone dies. You'll find it a much better game.
We are confident that the climax will prove surprising and fresh for even the most jaded palates. It sure impressed our (very hard to please) playtesters.
If you've just bought a copy of The Dark Heart of Uukrul, we hope that you'll find it the best game you've ever purchased. We've put in an incredible amount of thought and work, not only into design, but also into polishing the code till we see our faces in it. We hope this translates directly into your enjoyment.
Above all, enjoy exploring a new universe and fighting evil in a new guise.
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The Book of Spells
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Now that you have been admitted into the Circle of Magicians and received your first tutelage in the high Arkana, you are ready to progress further in your study as an apprentice of magic. Your training as a Magician involves tutelage in the five Arkana of magic. Each of the Arkana, or disciplines, must be mastered separately, although the skill of a learned Magician will serve you well in any of the Arkana.
Within each Arkana there are many Spells of varying power and effect. Each Spell requires a magic ring of a certain metal to focus the psychic energies of the caster. The simpler Spells only require rings of base metals; while the more powerful Spells need rings of pure and noble metals. These rings have been forged by skilled mystics to control the energies of an Arkana: you must wear a separate ring for each discipline you study.
This book details all the Spells that have been bound to the magic rings made by mortals from the metals Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The simplest of these Spells are those commanded by Iron, the most powerful are commanded by Platinum. Only the most skillful ringforgers can work magic rings from the metals Gold and Platinum.
More powerful again are the rings of the two great mystics of the distant past, Cyqie and Ctietqu, who could work in such a way as to forge magic rings from flawless Crystal. These rings could hold Spells that were so powerful Platinum could not contain them. A few of these treasured rings were passed down to the Circle, where they have been guarded carefully by their keepers. Others have passed from knowledge and from the eyes of men. Each of the Crystal rings is so finely tuned to its own purpose that it can command but one Spell. Only when you have mastered the Arkana of Knowledge can the secrets of these Spells be revealed.
You will wear a separate ring to indicate your mastery of each of the five Arkana, and each of these rings will be placed on a different finger: Fire on the strongest finger, Frost on the middle finger, Healing on the fourth finger, Protection on the fifth finger, and the ring of Knowledge will be placed on the thumb. When your studies and practice have earned you a more powerful ring for one of the Arkana, the Inner Circle of Magicians will award it to you and take from you the lesser one. Each ring will serve to control the Spells of the lesser rings in its Arkana, as well as the new Spells under its command.
To cast a Spell you must point the correct finger at the Spell's target and carefully chant its name, whilst concentrating on the tutelage of the Arkana. Once the essence of the Spell has been
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distilled it will be focused by the ring that you wear and will course from your being.
Each Spell will impose a toll on your psychic energy. The simplest Spells do not require much energy, while the mightiest Spells would bring all but the strongest Magician to exhaustion. Take care then, that you do not tire, for a Magician's psychic energy is his most valued strength, and does not return quickly.
The Spells in this book are grouped by their Arkana and ring level. To guide you in the wise use of your skills, each Spell is listed with a number indicating the psychic demands of the Spell. Learn now the Spells and use them with care.
The First Arkana: Fire
These Spells are weapons, to strike those who stand against you. They are weapons of heat and flame, which can burn deep wounds and cause great damage. The Spells of the First Arkana concentrate heat upon their targets, and will not touch large numbers of foes. Only those creatures born of fire will be resistant to the effects of these Spells.
The Iron Spells
2 AMRAS The Snake of Fire
A bolt of flame shall grow from your staff and strike one foe. This and all snake Spells have speed and range, for they can reach any who would stand against you, but they must follow a straight path: they cannot travel through rock. Though this snake is but iron, it can burn a deep wound.
3 ORLOS The Flame of the Eve
Orlos is the flame minor, and it shall bathe those who stand within five feet of you. The flame shall search their hearts: if they are pure then they shall pass unscathed, if they harbor destruction they shall be burnt.
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The Copper Spells
4 AMRASMUR The Copper Snake of Fire
The copper snake has more strength. Its venom will burn a lesser foe unto ashes, and will course through the veins of stronger foes like fiery sparks.
6 ORLOSMUR The Copper Flame of the Eye
Orlosmur is the flame major, and it too will scald those impure of heart who raise violence against you. The flame is not a reaching one, for it cannot touch those who stand beyond five feet.
The Silver Spells
7 AMRASAKIM The Silver Snake of Fire.
The silver snake is stronger than the copper snake, and its bolt more powerful. In addition, silver is the bane of the undead, and this Spell is much feared by all those of evil called forth from death.
9 KUN The Furnace of the Mind
When Kun is cast the caster's psychic energy becomes a sheet of white hot flame which surges outward in all directions. All enemies within ten feet shall be covered by this flame.
The Gold Spells
11 AMRASTAZAR The Golden Snake of Fire
Few can withstand the searing burn of the golden snake: any victim struck will be seriously wounded, for the fire of gold is indeed great.
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13 KUNLAZAR The Golden Furnace of the Mind
The purity of gold makes Kunlazar a mightier Spell than Kun. Although it has the same range, its effects are far greater, and those immersed by the flame will be badly scalded.
The Platinum Spells
16 AMRASTEL The Platinum Snake of Fire
This is the most powerful of the Fire snakes. Platinum is the noblest of the metals and imparts its rarity to the power of this Spell. Strong indeed is the being that can stand against this bolt of flame.
19 KUNTEL The Platinum Furnace of the Mind
The furnace of Kuntel is so hot that it will melt flesh and incinerate the exposed bones of the enemy. Unless born of fire, all foes within ten feet must undergo these tortuous burns, and all but the strongest will be cremated unto dust.
The Crystal Spell
30 CYQIEKUN The Furnace of the Great Mystic
The tome of the seer will reveal the effects and requirements of this fearsome Spell.
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The Second Arkana: Frost
These are Spells that harness the cold power of chaos for destruction. The Spells are not focused, and cannot be unleashed on one being. Their chaos will spread and fill a large area, causing all foes to undergo their effects. A few creatures will be impervious to Frost, but most will have cause to fear these Spells greatly.
The Iron Spells
1 STRAL The Frozen Hand
All beings within your sight will be immersed in a chilling frost. Their strength will be sapped, they will fight less effectively, and the shock may render them stunned and confused. This is one of the simplest Spells, and can be used frequently.
3 SEHK The Breath of Ice
The Spell allows your breath to freeze those foes who stand against you. Your breath will form around them and will cause numbing wounds. The forces of chaos are powerful and even this lowly Spell demands great control from the caster.
The Copper Spells
4 KRAMUR The Tempest of Chaos
This conjuring calls forth a storm from the lower planes and casts it upon the beings who oppose you. Where the storm passes, many foes will be left stunned and defenseless
5 SEHKMUR The Copper Breath of Ice
Copper is a purer metal than iron, and so Sehkmur is a stronger Spell than Sehk. The wounds caused are more severe, so to is the toll taken of the caster.
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The Silver Spells
7 KRAAKIM The Silver Gale of Chaos
The storm that this Spell calls forth is terrible. Its path is broader and its effect greater than Kramur. Beings who stand in the face of it shall be stunned by its power, unable to fight in any way.
8 SEHKAKIM The Silver Breath of Ice
The caster's breath shall become like unto silver spears striking down foes. This Spell requires more energy from the Spell caster than SeLkmur.
The Gold Spells
10 STRALLAZAR The Golden Hand of Freezing
The hand shall descend on your foes suddenly and will take from them their strength and the skill of their eye in battle. When cast, you will be illuminated with a single beam of golden light, which will draw the heat from the bodies of those around. They will remain weakened and confused until the heat has returned.
16 SEHKLAZAR The Golden Breath of Ice
A wind of extreme cold will blast from the breath of the caster. Damage upon all your foes will be great indeed, few will escape.
The Platinum Spells
15 KRATEL The Platinum Maelstrom of Chaos
This Spell calls forth a great storm from the lowest planes of chaos. In its wake movement itself will be quelled and those exposed to its fury will be frozen into .stillness.
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24 SEHKTEL The Platinum Breath of Ice
Your breath shall seek out your foes and strike them with mighty damage. None shall escape the power of this Spell, and only the most formidable can survive in its path. The wounds caused will cut as icicles to the bone, paralyzing and piercing the heart. This Spell demands much of the caster and only the strongest Magician should attempt it.
The Crystal Spell
45 MUZAQ Cacophonous Oblivion
This is the most fearsome and terrible destructive Spell. You must consult the tome of the seer to learn its effects and requirements.
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The Third Arkana: Protection
The Third Arkana forms a vital part of your skills as a Magician. These Spells and formulae allow you to bend the ethereal forces to deflect the blows and magic of others, and influence their behavior. Do not neglect the powers of this Arkana: they will prove essential if you are to survive for long in hostile areas.
The Iron Spells
2 TEI The Iron Shield
This Spell will strengthen the armor of you and your companions by a moderate amount. Leather will harden and metal become more resilient: even cloth is strengthened by this Spell. The Spell is long-lived, but its powers are modest.
3 SEL The Iron Armor
All those who stand with the caster will have the strength of their armor substantially increased for a brief period. This Spell forms magical armor around each person. Although this armor is strong, it cannot last long.
The Copper Spells
6 SELMUR The Copper Armor
Copper is a nobler metal than iron, and so this Spell is more potent than Sell The strength of its magical armor is such that it will bear twice the damage of Sel's armor. However, like Sel, it is a Spell that is not long lasting.
5 TASRAK The Shell of the Unborn
This highly valuable Spell may only be cast upon yourself. For a brief moment, it will seem as if a cocoon of fine, strong copper fibres entwined with red silk encompasses your body. This magical shell is completely
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impervious to all physical attacks, but it will vanish before long. Use this power when you have strayed into a position of vulnerability near your opponents; but remember that it is far better to avoid such dangers, as Magicians are never of a strong physical constitution, and can withstand only a few wounds to the flesh.
The Silver Spells
10 SELAKIM The Silver Armor
The strength of Selakim's armor is that of Selmur; the virtue of this Spell is that the purity of silver allows the incantation to last for a much longer time. The Spell is one that is very draining to cast and maintain.
5 RESEN The Globe Of Peace
On casting this Spell, you will be surrounded by a vast shimmering dome. Although this Spell is an ephemeral one, for its duration no magic may harm the party within its circumference. This its a valuable Spell, but beware that it has a very short duration and must be cast many times.
7 FSIRITH The Talisman of Awe
This Spell creates, in the palm of the caster's hand, an illusion of a talisman shaped to the likeness of whichever thing each of your foes dreads the most. This image will, if the enemy is fooled, cause it to flee from you. Those creatures without fear or without a mind of their own cannot be scared away and those of high intelligence may well realize the talisman is just an illusion.
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The Gold Spells
7 TEILAZAR The Golden Shield
Teilazar will substantially strengthen the armor of your party. This preparation is stronger than the Iron Spell and will last for a longer period of time.
5 AROMIR The Water of Waking
Aromir, when cast, will create a small flask of a brilliantly clear liquid. This must be taken immediately, and on swallowing fills the drinkers with a magical energy that will refresh and revitalize them. This increased vitality will help resist disease and minimize the severity of wounds. There is enough liquid in the flask for four people.
16 SILAMEKSH The Silken Shroud of Life
This mysterious Spell will hold the life force of each of your party with a shroud of finest blue silk, so that any physical blow you receive will be deflected. Death shall be denied its toll. Silameksh, once cast, will last for much of a combat's duration
The Platinum Spells
14 RESENTEL The Cyanic Globe of Peace
Resentel is a Spell that requires much greater concentration than Resen. Like Resen it creates a dome within which no Spell may harm the party, but the rarity of platinum allows the dome to endure for a longer time.
20 MUAMAAR Phantasmal Terror
A most horrible vision will be brought to bear upon each creature that threatens you when this Spell is intoned. While the talisman of Fsirith appeared as a likeness of
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the thing most dreaded, this phantasm will seem to have true presence and may assume any proportions. The illusion is so overwhelming that only foes of the most superior intelligence will be able to disbelieve what they see: all others will turn and flee in terror. As the phantasm does not affect you, nothing save a few bluish sparks will be visible to your party.
The Crystal Spell
30 QADIOS The Womb of Infinite Safety
The tome of the seer must be consulted before attempting this great Spell.
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The Fourth Arkana: Healing
No traveler could endure the trials of venturing forth without Healing. The Spells of the Fourth Arkana are devoted to these subtle and cunning arts. These are the true test of your skill, for the magic is the product of the caster's art alone. Know that no Spell is powerful enough to breathe life into the lips of one who has died: only the High Priests of the White Order can restore life where it has ceased to exist.
The Iron Spell
1 SHUM The Simplest Salve
This is the simplest and least draining of all the Healing Spells. On casting the Spell, a magic salve will form over one wound of one person and that wound will be closed.
The Copper Spells
3 SHUMMUR The Copper Salve
This Spell, like Shum, creates a magic salve which can heal the wounds of one person. Shummur is a greater Spell and will heal more serious wounds.
4 HELAS The Many Fingers of Healing
This Spell will apply its gentle ministrations to all in the caster's presence. Those companions, and the caster, will quickly be healed of most light wounds.
5 LUQMAR Waking
This simple Spell can be applied to any person. It will instantly free that being from stunning or paralysis. These adverse effects will normally wear off with time, but it may not be safe to wait.
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The Silver Spells
6 SHUMAKIM The Silver Salve
The silver salve Spell is again more powerful. It will mend skin and flesh, healing serious wounds quickly.
7 ISO Air
This incantation involves drawing the air from one afflicted by poison into the caster's own lungs. This will cure the poisoning.
The Gold Spells
12 SHUMLAZAR The Golden Salve
The most powerful salve Spell will completely heal all the wounds of the recipient, no matter how close to death he was.
11 HELASLAZAR The Many Golden Fingers of Healing
Incantation of Helaslazar will call forth a phantasm of many golden rays of light. These will cover all those in the gaze of the caster and heal any wounds that have not cleaved to the bone.
13 ISUL Cleansing Air
Isul will draw the infected air from one who has been touched by the plague. The Spell is very dangerous to cast: you must draw the plague into your body, and then make an antidote within your own body and pass it into the infected one. This will place you at great risk of being infected yourself, but the plague is a most dreaded disease, and must be cured with urgency.
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The Platinum Spells
23 HELASTEL The Many Platinum Fingers of Healing
This Spell will bathe the caster and those around with a brilliant blue-white flickering light. When the light lifts, all wounds, no matter how serious, will have vanished.
6 SAMECLU Purity of Sanctuary
The Sanctuaries constructed by the Ancients allow all within their walls to be cured of any disease and healed of their wounds when this Spell is cast. It must be cast in the unthreatened ambience of a Sanctuary, and will fail utterly if attempted elsewhere.
The Crystal Spell
33 CYQIETUR Ceaseless Healing
The tome of the seer describes the effects and requirements of this wondrous incantation.
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The Fifth Arkana: Knowledge
The Fifth Arkana, the discipline of Knowledge, provides powers that combine the forces of magic with your own intelligence to amplify and expand the normal abilities of the human mind. These Spells are diverse in nature, but all are effected by the concentration of your superior intelligence upon the tutelage of your craft.
The Iron Spells
1 NGOS The Glowing Script
On casting Ngos, a beam of light will fly from your hand to the closest written word. The light will course along the runes and search for the meaning behind them. Ngos is a simple Spell and has not great power.
3 LUM Light
By your will a bright light will appear in the air directly in front of the party, to guide you through darkened areas. The 1ight will fade and dissipate after a short time.
The Copper Spells
3 NGOSMUR The Glowing Copper Script
Like Ngos, Ngosmur will prise from inscriptions their meaning. Ngosmur is a more powerful Spell, and mighty is the inscription that will not eventually yield its meaning to the glowing copper script.
8 TALIS The Spirit of Observation
Talis will create a chimerical spirit, an extension of your senses, that will hover beside its creator. This spirit has powerful sight, and should it pass by a hidden door, its gaze will attempt to reveal the door to you.
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The Silver Spells
4 ALTIS The Psychic Key
Many secret doors have been bound shut by magic. This Spell will attempt to use a great magical force to open such doors to you and your companions. It can also release doors that are held with some physical obstruction, but this may require more than one application.
5 EZAHM The Water of Strength
Like Aromir, Ezahm distils a magical liquid. This liquid forms in a few precious drops on the staff of the caster. These drops, when placed on the tongue of one, fill the person with a maniacal strength for a short while.
The Gold Spells
8 NGOSLAZAR The Glowing Golden Script
This Spell is the most powerful and advanced translation Spell. Any inscriptions that do not yield their meaning to this Spell had already lost all sense before recorded history.
7 LUMLAZAR Golden Light
This Spell wills a magical light to appear in front of the party of the caster. The Spell uses the power of gold and lasts well
21 REAAM True Revelation
With accession to the higher echelons of the Arkana of Knowledge, you will gain the ability to extract the true identity of any inanimate object that you may carry. All objects carried by the caster when this Spell is used will be accurately identified.
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The Platinum Spells
8 LENTIIS The Holding Heart
This Spell affects the forces that bind time to this world. When cast, the passage of time around the party will be slowed for a moderate period. This dilation of time can affect the severity of poisons, the speed and agility of enemies in combat, your consumption of food, and even the duration of other Spells you have in effect at the time. It is your responsibility to use this valuable Spell where it will be of most benefit to your party. Also, be aware that certain creatures have the ability to control time for their own purposes, reversing the effects of this Spell.
15 SATOR The Mind Siphon
The mysterious powers of your will may, by this incantation, be used to bind and feed upon the psychic energies of a foe of like intelligence. The siphon will seek out from those against you, one who is also capable of the use of magic. If there is such an enemy present, the siphon will attempt to forge a channel between your two minds, through which you may drain-his psychic energy, weakening his powers and restoring your own. While the siphon is attached, he will be incapable of using any magic. Powerful minds will try to resist this fearsome Spell, but it is strong and a highly valuable part of your discipline.
1 ROTAS Suction
This is the Spell that is used to draw psychic energy through the mind siphon. It has no effect unless Sator has first been used to establish a link. While a siphon is attached to an enemy, you must concentrate your complete attention on maintaining its hold. Every time you act, you must cast the Rotas Spell, which will both reinforce the siphon and draw some of the victim's energy through to your mind. This Spell, therefore, increases your psychic energy each time it is successfully cast. The more powerful your foe. the more energy will
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be gained each time it is cast. The mind siphon will eventually break, but if you fail to cast Rotas even once, it will break immediately. Once broken, a siphon cannot be re-established.
The Crystal Spell
27 CYQIEQARAQK The Tome of the Seer
With the final mastery of the Arkana of Knowledge comes the power to consult the tome of the great seer Sieqsiethsh. This mystical work is kept in a sealed bronze case on one of the astral planes. It can never be read by human eye, and its runes would in any case defy translation, but the magic of the Crystal Ring of Knowledge can concentrate the psychic powers of the Magician, from any place of Sanctuary, to form a clairvoyant view of a part of the tome, in a language of the caster's own. The tome contains the secrets of the Crystal Spells in all the Arkana, their purpose, effect, and requirements for casting; along with other prophecies of great wisdom and foresight. Study the writings of the tome carefully, and heed their portent.
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The Book of Prayers
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This tome is dedicated to Althur, Fire of the Abyss, Seer of Mysteries, Saint of the Unholy, Darkest of the Fallen Ones; Golthur, Lamp of the Heavens, Carrier of Strength, Keeper of Souls; Adron, First of the Heroes, Player of Games and Divine Charioteer. You who gaze on, call forth these Prayers: the oldest of the gods wait to hear and ensnare you.
The calling of a Priest is a dangerous one, always paid for by the soul of the Priest. The dealings with gods are fraught with treachery for they are jealous masters, vengeful of powerful or glorious mortals, and impatient with insignificant humans. Their promises are two-edged. The gods gave Prayers to the mortals to bind them in the gods' service; in return for the gods' divine assistance, the Priest must barter with his soul. If a Priest should invoke a god carelessly or incorrectly, the god will punish the Priest by draining that Priest's energy or stealing the Priest's soul. Thus the Prayers must be used with caution.
The Sect of Priests, working with meticulous care, have purchased and discovered many Prayers; few are simple, the strongest are awesome in their demands and powers, labyrinthine in their complexity. The small number in this work are the surest Prayers: most do not require overmuch of the caster. They have been secured by the blood of many Priests; they are for you to use for the glory of your calling.
The meanings hidden in these Prayers are for you to decipher. A Priest cannot be told the correct meaning of a Prayer: such gnostic experience will come only through the Priest's own dedication. The Prayers in this codex have been translated, with one exception, from the original Hurnash. Although such translation can never match the nuances of the originals, the Prayers retain their strength.
Your skill allows you to serve four of the divine suzerains. You are bound to the gods: Ufthu, God of War; Drutho, God of the Underworld; Golthur, God of the Physical Self; and Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self.
Before you can disturb any of the gods, you must possess an anointed ring to focus your power. Each of these rings was forged in the darkness of the Temple furnaces and dedicated to a single god. The power of the rings comes from the purity of their metal: Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Greater than all of these are the Crystal rings; forged by the gods to bind the most powerful of Priests. Each of the four jealous lords demands a separate ring. You will start with two rings from the basest metals; as you grow in power and in devotion you will be awarded greater rings.
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These rings will be awarded to you in the four Temples of the Sect of Priests within the Mountain City. Each Temple is used to worship one of the proud gods. Within each Temple is a humble Shrine; at this Shrine you will be judged, and if worthy, granted a purer ring to the god ruling the Temple. There are also Altars throughout the Mountain City, places where the power of the gods is stronger. These Altars serve all the gods; within these your Prayers will be heard more favorably, and you may offer supplication to any of the gods.
It is possible for a Priest with the basest ring to recite the greatest Prayers, but be warned: the gods are waiting for the time when your ambition overreaches your power. You should use your power wisely, and within your station. To help you, Prayers for each god are arranged in order from those the most inept acolyte could easily invoke, to those with which only the most experienced adept should dare disturb the gods.
Each Prayer will demand a toll from you. This toll varies according to the god and the Prayer. Every Prayer will deplete your energies; the strongest Prayers would leave a weak Priest broken. Remember this drain, and do not allow your strength to fall too far. It will return, but only slowly.
This, your manual, shall be your guide to communion. Tread carefully within the garden of the gods.
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Prayers to Ufthu, God of War
Ufthu, God of War, Tongue of Iron, Qanak Dasoro, Priest of the Scarlet Assassins, Dragon Lord, Master of the Abyss, is the most powerful of the gods. Proud in his strength, unpredictable in his weakness. Ufthu is a wary god, careful in his dealings with mortals, but his greatest weakness is vanity. Take this warning, but know that Ufthu, Silent Huntsman, will heed the calls of one who serves him truly. These Prayers are yours.
RALKOR Divine Arrow
Ufthu, O Bow of the Stars,
Hear this low voice,
Send down your bolt,
Against the one who stands against you.
KARNH Hammer of Shattering
Ufthu, Sword of the Night, Hammer,
Defend your lowly subject,
Smite those who stand near your servant,
And damn them to the darkness.
DROM Strength to the Sword Arm
Ufthu, Soldier of Misfortune,
Hear your humble Priest,
Send your strength to those on earth,
Who bear steel against the dark foes.
IDRIS Peaceful Bones
Ufthu, Supreme Lord of Corruption,
Through this ring I call your divine essence,
Take back these lifeless bodies that assail us,
That struggle against death's mortal coil.
THOL Mist of Confusion
Ufthu, Jewel of the Desert,
I call on your breath to come from the ether,
To slow your enemy,
To steal from them their skills.
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Prayers to Drutho, God of the I Underworld
Drutho, God of the Underworld, Goddess of Stealth, Seducer of the Earth Spirits, Queen of Corruption, Ethereal Hermaphrodite, Demon Lover, Lord of the Portals, the youngest of the gods, hides far from the light of the older gods. Within the lowermost caverns of Lithane, Temple of Darkness, Drutho's Priests toil to supplicate their god. The work of these shaven Priests has made Drutho grant these Prayers to all who recognize his/her dominion in the dark kingdoms.
UMESH Knowledge Without Wisdom
Drutho, O Worm of the Deep,
Call forth the meaning of these words;
Pass your darkest light over their script,
That they will yield their meaning to me.
HOYAMOQ The Temple Passage
Drutho, Gol Draqur, moraseth kanu,
Open this way for your servants;
Having discovered the portal you had hidden,
We now must pass through.
TAPU Sacred Passage
Drutho, Dark One, hear this Prayer.
Weave your magic around our passage,
That we may walk past traps,
That we mav pass danger in safety.
BYNDU Drawing Together
Ah, Drutho, grant me the power;
Make fast the beckoning sign,
To craw forth opponents unto my presence,
And bind them beside me, to stay as I will.
MORPETH Quiet Walking
Drutho, Mistress of Stealth,
Bind our feet with soft silken cloth,
Silence our voices and muffle our steps,
That we may walk without calling our death.
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BELAMOQ Translucent Passage
Drutho, Lord of the Portals, this way resists
Our most urgent attempts.
Take its outline, hinge and bolt,
And disolve its stubborn form into ether.
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Prayers to Golthur, God of the Physical Self
Golthur, Oldest of the Gods, Rulemaster, Keeper of Souls, Lamp of the Heavens, Carrier of Strength, Maker of the Many Little Candles, is a treacherous master. Golthur, the Spider of Time, lies in wait for those whose souls he can steal. Golthur, the Trapper, has given his Priests these Prayers; you who pray to him, tend your words, that your dark husbandry will not call forth your corruption. Walk the words well, for if you fall he will ensnare you and draw your soul through your nostrils. That is his due for heeding your command.
SIRDHE Patterns of Healing
Golthur of the Labyrinth, we ask your indulgence,
We who are weakened call you,
Send your strength to our weaned limbs,
And we will fight for your glory.
HOLNAK Priestly Strength
Golthur, Silent Lord, I ask your kindness;
Look upon your servant protected by the doyaqur,
Send your power to course through these arms,
That I might serve you better in your designs.
ELIS Walking Into Light
Golthur, you must hear the voice calling from this circle,
To the lowlands, where one needs your help;
Take the failing body you see before you,
And create new and whole its life force.
TELIS Caressing Hands
Golthur, Lamp of the Heavens, here at an Altar,
We come to ask you to give us our strength,
To give us our health and wholeness,
We who would supplicate you.
BEYONG Virginal Sanctity
Golthur, Ancient One, hear your Priest,
Take from our bodies the poison of your experience,
Take from our souls the plague of your knowledge,
That we may walk in the innocence of health again.
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Prayers to Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self
Fshofth, Invisible Mage, Cold Walker, Thief of the Red Cities, Holder of Mysteries, Guardian of the Spirits, Chief of the Eagles, is a strange god. The wild dictates of his worship seem hardly those of a god, and are understood by few. Of all his Prayers these are those that seem to have some chance of being answered by this Master. The untranslatable Prayer of Lairian is included: the Priest who can harness this Prayer would be powerful indeed. None of the Priests of Fshofth have managed to gain its deep secrets.
NULAMIR The Quiet House
Fshofth, On the shore of the lost lake,
There is a house. Though the spell makers talk,
It is quiet still. For though chanting sounds,
It will little disturb the air where they dwell.
TULAR Gaunt Dreams
Fshofth, at an Altar there is a glade,
Green leaves and colored monkeys,
Fruit drop from the vines, and lie
Rotting on the ground.
RULASAIR Gaunt Needs
Fshofth, there is no sound on the rocks,
No wind among the grasses;
The liraya has made its kill,
The pups shall feast tonight.
EMANUI Growing Health
Fshofth, within the smallest quivering cell,
After the cold kiss, there is less life strength,
But growing within the beating heart,
I feel that quickness return.
KUURAOTH The Waking Vision
Fshofth, hark at the kauri branch, a bird dips:
Takes honey from the silvered flowers, and stops,
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Troubled by a dark mirage, far in the forest.
Your glass will shatter the foundations of the dream.
LAIRIAN The Untranslatable Prayer
Umhir deln Fshofth, Du saq mishallfen,
Ersan su stramanlisa du saq verhallfen,
Itor ka skirian, thror qastura taras,
Wur qanar wur stilor wur kas.
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The Diary of Mara and her Party
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The Council have bestowed upon me the greatest of honors and the greatest of tolls. I will lead the party that will reclaim Eriosthe for the Light. Our strength is mighty, yet I know the task will not be an easy one. The dark lord Uukrul has taken control of Adron's Palaces, and we must protect the beacon from evil's hand. This diary will stand as a record of our endeavors.
6th day of Summer
We entered Eriosthe on the anniversary of the first founding: good luck! We came in through the old main gates, fighting two Black Orcs which were guarding the passage. Uukrul has replaced the old entrances with his own construction work: he marble walls have been lined with iron and are heated from within, making them infernally hot: no doubt his creatures are used to the flames. Uukrul has not been expecting us, as he has few guards between his Palaces and the entrance.
We have made good progress through the atrium of the beacon, and used the Ancients' teleporter to enter the Palaces where we know he has hidden. Tonight we shall rest in the Sanctuary and tomorrow we shall start our search for the master of darkness. The Soul Amulets seem to be working, as we have had no problems entering the Sanctuary.
7th day of Summer
The area around the Sanctuary here is unrecognizable. Our maps have been useless. Uukrul has bent the fair Mountain City with his evil will, and now even the passages seem to serve him. I have not recognized the path to the crown rooms, and I have a dread that Uukrul has stopped the access and passage to them.
We have met and vanquished many foes, but they have been inconsequential. It seems that the Council's plan to send in a strong party was well chosen-we are much stronger than those who stand against us.
8th day of Summer
These passages twist upon themselves and hide their secrets well. We have found many strange markings on the walls, but cannot make sense of them.
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. . . it was on a wall in a strange room protected by a panel on the floor; there are so many tricks in these passages . . .
We fought a large battle today. Perhaps Uukrul has heard of our arrival: and marshaled some of his evil minions. They were powerful, but Kiriya called forth a powerful elemental that fought well. The spirits may be proud and hard to summon, but they are mighty when their will is strong. Now we are resting in the Sanctuary to regain our strength.
9th day of Summer
I have decided that Uukrul has changed the Palaces greatly; it appears that he has stopped up any passages between the old halls. We have reached the coronation halls, but cannot find any path past. here are many strange markings on the floor, in the design of dice faces, as though someone were qambling in the halls. We have seen no explanation of these.
Uukrul is hiding from our presence, no doubt assembling a force which he hopes to use against us. He will not find us so easily overcome. Although we spent the day searching, we found little evidence of secret ways connecting these passages to the rest of the Palace. Perhaps tomorrow will bring better fortunes.
10th day of Summer
We are now fully rested from our battles two days ago, and have made a much more strenuous effort. I think I have found the meaning of the dice faces: they control movement throughout the Palaces. There is enough of the magic of the Charioteer about them to draw their meanings from the shadows. Unfortunately, though we now understand their intended use, we have no way of making them activate for us.
12th day of Summer
Today was a day of fair fortunes. We surprised and defeated one of Uukrul's captains. Though he cursed us with his dying breath we took from him knowledge of Uukrul's location, and better still the item that activates the dice squares. Without delay we moved through into the rest of the Palaces. Our spirits are high as we move forward after such a long delay.
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We have managed to make it into the huge ring of rooms that is underneath the reception halls. Uukrul does not seem to have prepared any defense against our entering, though he has hidden traps and snares in some locations.
Although we have searched for Uukrul where his captain told us, he seems to have fled our coming There are signs of his hasty retreat: he is so afraid of us that he did not take with him his maps, but left them in a chest for us. kith this information we can see his modfications to the original Palaces. Little indeed remains of the halls and passages of the kings.
13th day of Summer
Uukrul himself stood against us briefly today, but was easily defeated. Before we could capture him however, he cloaked himself in darkness and disappeared from our grasp. is power was not great against ours, and the fight was easy. Once we entrap him he shall be ours like a child.
We continue to make use of the dice squares to move around, and have fought a number of small squirmishes with Uukrul's minions. All have been simple battles, and none have afforded us harm. I begin to think that Uukrul has built around him an army of penny players-not fighters.
14th day of Summer
We have found no trace of Uukrul and indeed his servants even seem to be hiding from us. It is as though they have left the Palaces and have fled from Eriosthe. If feel that Uukrul is hiding, and will remain in the shadows until we find him. His fear is so great that he cannot face up to us.
18th day of Summer
If fear for the West. Uukrul is much more cunning than any had given credit. He arranged an ambush for us and drew us into it unsuspecting. We had thought that we were chasing him, that we were truly stronger than him, yet all this time we were walking unsuspectingly into his snare. Even wieding the hammer we could achieve nought; against its
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mighty power Uukrul stood unscathed. When it struck him the hammer was cleaved into two pieces, and it will never challenge him again.
I have failed, and in my failure have lost all but Kiriya, Esal, Nalusi and myself. We are trapped on the far side of the Palace. His forces are too strong for the four of us, and we will not be able to pass back to our entrance. He has the keys to the ice squares as well, which Orial clutched as she fell under a Titan's blow: the artifact will now live with Uukrul in his dark hold. Uukrul commanded a force greater than we had thought still walked in light. Where he summoned such creatures of dark I know not, but I know that should he command the beacon the Western lands will pass into darkness. We have failed. The Council has failed, and now all will fail.
19th day of Summer
We are trapped. Uukrul has sealed all the passages back and is forcing us far from our entry. We have fled to the carriageway. Kiriya has been very badly wounded, and poisoned by some subtle device. His strength has waned terribly and he can hardly walk. I have drawn it from him, but he has little awareness of what is happening and cannot fight. Fortunately, Nalusi and I are strong and can protect him.
Our only chance is to flee back west to the far end of Eriosthe. Uukrul will trail behind us and hopefully lose us in the passages. The carriageway works-amazingly for such an ancient device. The control rooms are empty, but the hidden mechanisms still work and are in good order.
I have hidden the hammer here and protected it from Uukrul, for I cannot carry it any longer. Though he may find it, he cannot touch it or harm it further. It will serve to finish him, should we ever wield it again.
21st day of Summer
It has been another lay of ill omen. We have passed through an area where Uukrul has constructed prisons and areas of torture. The area proved treacherous for Nalusi. Foolishly I let him stand guard alone
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while I tended the others. A creature of hideous form took him before he could react and drew him into its lair. We had to listen to his cries for a long time, but were unable to reach him. We have tried all we can, but are powerless against the strength of these walls. I know that Nalusi is alive and will be captured by Uukrul, so I must return to free him when I have escaped from Uukrul.
I have failed Nalusi. I have failed all. This area has many of Uukrul's lesser servants: Necromancers and other followers of the arcane arts. Although he seems to have sent word to them they do not stand up to us, even though we are few .. .
28th day of Summer
I have not written for many days. They have been dangerous. We have escaped several traps Uukrul has set for us, but I am not sure whether we will escape the one he has prepared for us ahead. Uukrul has cast mighty spells of magic upon the walls and passages, and they appear twisted as though they could not be carved from this earth. I have never seen such devilry in magic. I can sense an evil presence waiting, a dark shadow at the centre of a web. We are lucky that our pursuers have lost our trail, but I fear it will not be long before they take up our spoor once more. We must strike this trap before it fully set. We must strike it hard. . . . how many of these infernal rooms are there? Our maps lie and are confused. . .
If only we were not so tired, not so weakened.
29th day of Summer
I fear it was the final battle. Uukrul had come far from his Palaces to face us once more. Whole against such evil we would have had little chance, weakened as we were, we had none. Kiriya fell in battle against the dark one. Uukrul laughed as he killed Kiriya, boasting that he could never be slain while his heart lay protected. Esal was poisoned by the dart of Uukrul as she cast the spell that banished him, and lies waxen in
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my care. I, who deserve the death that has been given to all who have followed me, have taken little damage. I see now that Uukrul's plan is to take me alive and unharmed so that he can taunt me with our failure.
We have won this battle, but we will win no other.
Esal has recovered a little, and talks. She is not long for this world though, I fear. Her last spell cost more than she will tell me, and I feel that her contact with the dark lord has left her critically wounded.
We have lain Kiriya under stone. He may rest now.
30th day of Summer
I realize that we have been in Eriosthe for a whole month. Outside the sun will be shining, on fields of crops, and the Council will already know of our fate. I wonder if I will ever see the sun again.
Esal is worsening. I fear that she will not last much longer. We have made it to the caverns. If I can take her just a little further I know that there is a market place used by the villagers. The Hospice there will heal her wounds. I do not know how far it is, but my fears are dark and their shadows deepening,.
31st day of Summer
Uukrul does not chase us himself. Perhaps Esal hurt him fatally. I have thought on his boast though, and I think that nor blow nor magic nor prayer can harm Uukrul while his soul and heart are hidden. If I had known that. If the Council had known, we would have succeeded.
32nd day of Summer
Esal died today. I have no strength to carry her body, and no strength to secret her corpse. I have laid her out and placed an invisibility spell on her. She will rest nov.
I am the last one.
I am the prize that Uukrul wants.
I am his jewel, but he shall not have me.
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36th day of Summer
I have found the marketplace. The people are good, but frightened of Uukrul, though they see little of his works. Some grey-clad figures walk amongst them they say, but nothing more evil. I pray that they see no evil drawn by me. I are not rest now for I know that I am near to the western exit, and cannot wait lest Uukrul catch me. yet I hesitate. What if he is ahead of me? I know now that he is cunning, and that he enjoys my pursuit. I see that he has toyed with us, that he was always more powerful, that we were lead into ambush after ambush. I shall try to reach the exit, and escape to warn the Council of his power, But I must get this diary to the Council, even if I should fail. I will place it in a small underground stream that flows out to the west, and hope it will be carried to the Council. If it is in your hands, read its wisdom and divine its secrets. If you read this, think of Mara who gave her life for the light.
I am afraid to go on.
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Spells
FIRE
Fe AMRAS 2 ORLOS 3 --------------
Cu AMRASMUR 4 ORLOSMUR 6 --------------
Ag AMRASAKIM 7 -------------- KUN 9
Au AMRASLAZAR 11 -------------- KUNLAZAR 13
Pt AMRASTEL 16 -------------- KUNTEL 19
Xt -------------- -------------- CYQIEKUN 30
FROST
Fe SEHK 3 -------------- STRAL 1
Cu SEHKMUR 5 KRAMUR 4 --------------
Ag SEHKAKIM 8 KRAAKIM 7 --------------
Au SEHKLAZAR 16 -------------- STRALLAZAR 10
Pt SEHKTEL 24 KRATEL 15 --------------
Xt ---------- --- -------------- MUZAQ 45
PROTECTION
Fe SEL 3 TEI 2 --------------
Cu SELMUR 6 -------------- TASRAK 5
Ag SELAKIM 10 RESEN 5 FSIRITH 7
Au SILAMEKSH 16 TEILAZAR 7 AROMIR 5
Pt ---------- --- RESENTEL 14 MUAMAAR 20
Xt ---------- --- QADIOS 30 --------------
HEALING
Fe SHUM 1 -------------- --------------
Cu SHUMMUR 3 HELAS 4 LUQMAR 5
Ag SHUMAKIM 8 -------------- ISO 7
Au SHUMLAZAR 12 HELASLAZAR 11 ISUL 13
Pt -------------- HELASTEL 23 SAMECLU 6
Xt -------------- CYQIETUR 33 --------------
KNOWLEDGE
Fe NGOS 1 LUM 3 --------------
Cu NGOSMUR 3 TALIS 8 --------------
Ag -------------- ALTIS 4 EZAHM 5
Au NGOSLAZAR 8 LUMLAZAR 7 REAAM 21
Pt LENTIIS 8 SATOR 15 ROTAS 1
Xt CYQIEQARAQK 27 -------------- --------------
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Prayers
To Ufthu, God of War
RALKOR Divine Arrow
KARNH Hammer of Shattenng
DROM Strength to the Sword Arm
IDRIS Peaceful Bones
THOL Mist of Confusion
To Drutho, God of the Underworld
UMESH Knowledge Without Wisdom
HOYAMOQ The Temple Passage
TAPU Sacred Passage
BYNDU Drawing Together
MORPETH Quiet Walking
BELAMOQ Translucent Passage
To Golthur, God of the Physical Self
SIRDHE Patterns of Healing
HOLNAK Priestly Strength
ELIS Walking Into Light
TELIS Caressing Hands
BEYONG Virginal Sanctity
To Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self
NULAMIR The Quiet House
TULAR Gaunt Dreams
RULASAIR Gaunt Needs
EMANUI Growing Health
KUURAOTH The Waking Vision
LAIRIAN The Untranslatable Prayer
Sanctuaries
URTAS Sanctuary of the Ancients
URLASAR Sanctuary of the Village
URMOR Sanctuary of Deepering Night
URLUSAM Sanctuary of High Vaulted Ceilings
URRAN Sanctuary Beyond Reason
URSHAS Sanctuary of the Dragon
UREAL Sanctuary of Twisted Paths
URTEHLN Sanctuary Beneath the Pyramid
URZHUT Sanctuary of the Great Engineer
URQOL Sanctuary Beneath the Cube
URQASTUR Sanctuary of Adron's Legions
UROQLAMN Sanctuary of Adron s Palace
URXASZEL Sanctuary Beyond the Beacon
