D I S M A L P A S S A G E S
Part I: The Wicked Curse
Created and Copyright (C) 1995 by J. Kintz
Introduction
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For many gray moons an evil of unspeakable magnitude has taken over and
dwelled in the dark underbelly of the land of Vor Terra. You are Brael, son
of Yrael, who has lived like your father in this land, in your house. It had
been six months since you found your love Trenna, who lived as the daughter
of one of your neighbors. Just a few days after you first met her, after
taking her to the brook, you wanted to be forever together. She lived in your
house and help with your crops, that were to be sold or consumed. The local
wise mother even foretold of her becoming fertile and bearing strong sons.
But she did not fortell of the evil that would overcome your life. As the sun
was setting, and a storm approached. A strange bird settled on the grounds
that are yours. The bird, a large crow, pecked hungrily and savagely at the
seeds you had just planted. The tenacity, you felt, to steal your food right
before your eyes. Anger welled up inside you, Brael, and you sought justice.
You ran toward the bird, expecting to fly into the air, frightened of man. But
it did not, it continued to peck the ground almost in defiance of your approach.
As you came near, it half flew, half ran, to a new area, where you werent.
Frustrated, angered, you began to through rocks at the bird. One of them
struck the bird in the wing. You laughed as the bird flopped over and
stumbled around. Then the evil came.
A cold air blew around you, the world seemed to stop and turn on edge.
The bird exploded into light, from the light a shadow of a bent figure
appeared. The light faded out and in its place a ragged hideous woman stood.
Her shriveled eyes stared at you, and she gave a throaty, sick cackle.
'You who stand in the face of evil shall be cursed, I am avenged'
The old woman said, she pointed a finger at you the drew up her hands. The
arms made complex gestures, signs, you did not know what they were, but they
horrified more than anything else had. She put down her arms, looked up to
the now black sky and disappeared.
You crept back into your house silently, and tried to sleep through the
night. Morning came, as you left the house, pretending that yesterday was
a dream, you saw the fields. They were all dead. Brown, rotting, whithered,
the grounds generations of your ancestors lay dead before you, you knew that
yesterday was no dream. You ran to the pen, your chickens were sick, your
livestock lay diseased. Feathers, manure, and blood ran together by your
house. Any remaining animals you slaughtered and burned, you feared their
diseased meat and discarded it. When you went back in the house, the worst
occured. Your wife Trenna, whom you had spoken to just moments before lay
on your bend, covered in sweat, moaning softly, and as pale as the animals
you just killed. You went to the neighbors, to the wise mother, they could
offer no assistance. You know what you have to do, find the witch that
struck this evil curse upon you, beg for forgiveness, or exact revenge.
Installation
------------
The game is best played on a hard drive, if you recieved this game from a
disk, either decompress the files onto one directory on your hard drive or
copy the files onto your hard drive.
Then in the directory type DISMAL and the game will begin.
If you have a Adlib compatible card say 'Y' when asked.
If you have a Soundblaster compatible card say 'Y' when asked.
And if you want to use the mouse and have one installed say 'Y' when asked.
Otherwise type 'N' for no at the question.
Instructions
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With Mouse
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Press the left mouse key to move to the next text screens, after the title
screens. The game will move you into the playing mode. Press the right
mouse button at the title screen to skip the text screens.
To move around using the mouse, move the mouse pointer to the direction you
want to go (north, south, east, west or left, right, up, down) and press
the left mouse button.
To use the commands INV (for inventory) USE (to use objects) FILE (to load
or save games) TALK (to talk to people) EXMN (to examine things)
and QUIT (to quit to dos) just move the arrow pointer on the box that
designates the command and that will issue the command
Here is list of what the commands do:
INV - Gives you an inventory of your objects and your money
USE - Allows you to use the objects that you pick up, point the mouse pointer
to the name of the object, and press the left mouse button. To leave
the use menu press the RIGHT mouse button
FILE - This allows you to load or save a game, but can not be used inside
buildings. After selecting this option choose either load or save
with the mouse pointed and then the name of the game to save
only four possible games can be saved
TALK - Allows you to communication with the inhabitants of Vor Terra, after
selecting this option, another menu will appear to expand on your
conversation, move the mouse pointer to the question you want to
ask. To leave select stop talking.
EXMN - To examine things, basically for inside houses, select examine then
move the mouse pointer to the object you wish to examine, the only
things you can examine are inside houses and the following objects
The cupboard, the dresser, the shelf, under the bed, and the chest,
anything else will just claim nothing to examine.
To leave this press the RIGHT mouse button.
QUIT - Click on this to quit to dos, it will ask you are you sure and select
with the mouse Yes or No
COMBAT with mouse
------
Combat occurs randomly throughout the land, when it does sneak up on you
you have three options, to thrust, to slash, and to block. To select what
you want to do, move the mouse pointer to the box you want to do and press
the left mouse button. Thrust does more damage, but hits occur less often,
slash does little damage, buts hits occur more often, blocking prevents the
creature from hitting you, but you are unable to attack back.
With keyboard
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Mouse is preferred but the keyboard can be used adequately.
To move your character press the corresponding cursor control keys in the
direction you wish to move.
To use the commands INV (for inventory) Press 'I' USE (to use objects)
Press 'U' to load or save press 'L' or 'S' or 'F'to TALK (to talk to people)
press 'T' to examine things press 'E' to quit press 'Q'
After that other options can be give by pressing the corresponding number
or letter to the command
Here is list of what the commands do:
INV - Gives you an inventory of your objects and your money
Press Enter to leave inventory
USE - Allows you to use the objects that you pick up
Press the letter that corresponds to the object you have to use
the object
LOAD - This allows you to load or save a game, but can not be used inside
SAVE buildings. After selecting this option choose either load or save
FILE by pressing the number '1' or '2' or you can press enter and
continue without doing either
TALK - Allows you to communication with the inhabitants of Vor Terra, after
selecting this option, another menu will appear to expand on your
conversation, press the number that coincides with the question
you want to ask.
EXMN - To examine things, basically for inside houses, select 'E' then
you can press the numbers 1 through 6 on the keyboard
1 - examines the dresser
2 - examines the cupboard
3 - examines the shelf
4 - examines under the bed
5 - examines the chest
6 (or enter) exits examining mode
QUIT - Pressing 'Q' lets you quit to dos, press either 1 or 2 as to whether
you are sure or not
COMBAT with keyboard
------
Combat occurs randomly throughout the land, when it does sneak up on you
you have three options, to thrust, to slash, and to block. To select what
you wish to do, either move the left cursor key to thrust, the up cursor
key to slash, or the right arrow key to block.
DISCLAIMER
----------
The author of this product assumes no respondsibility for anything this
program does, whether expressed or implied. In the United States or anyplace
else. The author would also like to aknowledge that real witchs who reside
in this place and time (and in other places and times as well) are not evil
but misunderstood to the general populace, and are not allegied to any force
of ultimate darkness, or supreme evil. The witch in this game, is a fictional
witch and should not be an example of witches in general, or those who
practice any form of paganism.
SHAREWARE
---------
This game is shareware, which means if you enjoyed this game and want the
sequel then by all means send $10.00 check or money order
(payable to J. Kintz) to:
J. Kintz
PO BOX 8811
Waukegan, IL 60079-8811
I also welcome any comments, suggestions, or hint requests as long as they
come with a stamped envelope, which will GUARANTEE a response from the author.
The sequel is called DISMAL PASSAGES Part II: The Horrible Wraith it is bigger
and more complex then part I, has more sound effects, twice as much music,
twice as many creatures, several more different places you can enter, a tower,
a dungeon, and more general quisiness than you can shake a stick at.
If you wish to order, I have included a file called orderfrm.txt, just print
it out and send it in.
DISTRIBUTION
============
If you like this software please distribute to your favorite BBS, user group,
or disk vendor.
Other games
-----------
I am the author of the following other titles
THE DARK CONVERGENCE I
DARK CONVERGENCE II: The Hideous Trigoli
SHAPE SHIFTER
THE BEYOND
TARAGUAM: The Man Untold
a catalog is include with registrations
Some of which may be at a BBS, disk vendor, on-line service near you.
