SKID ROW presents THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN Amiga Data Card System Requirements: DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN will run on an Amiga 500, 1000, 2000, or 3000 with 1 megabyte of system memory and 1 floppy drive. Playing from a hard disk in not required. However, hard disk installation is available on your game disks. Your hard disk must have at least 2 megabytes of available space to install the game. A minimum of 790K of free memory is required to run this program. You may check your free memory by using the MEM command in the CLI shell. Should you not have enough memory, you may do the following: o Close all unnecessary windows in Workbench o Disconnect any external floppy drives o Remove any memory resident programs Before Beginning Play: Make a backup copy of your original disks with the AmigaDOS DISKCOPY command. Be sure to delete the words "Copy of" from your copies. Put your original disks away and install or play the game from your copies. Refer to your computer manual for information on how to use AmigaDOS commands. NOTE: If you do not make copies of your original disks, you will not be able to save your game. Hard Disk Installation: To install DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN to your hard disk, follow these steps, and then follow the prompts that appear on your screen: Step 1: Boot up your system using Workbench 1.2 or higher (Amiga 1000 users: first boot with Kickstart 1.2 or higher). Step 2: Insert Disk 1 into your floppy drive. Step 3: Double click on the Disk 1 icon. Step 4: Double click on the Install_DH0: icon to install the game to DH0: or double-click on the Install_DH1: to install to your DH1: partition. Starting the Game: To play DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN from your hard disk, boot up your computer, open the drawer where the game is currently residing and then double-click on the DARK QUEEN KRYNN icon. If you are playing from floppy disks, insert Disk 1 before booting your system. Turn the Amiga on (Amiga 1000 users: boot your system using the Kickstart disk first, then insert Disk 1). After Disk 1 has loaded, insert Disk 3 in DF0: and Disk 2 in DF1: This reduces the number of disk swaps during game play. Getting Started Quickly: Use the pregenerated party of characters saved as Save Game A. These characters start at the very beginning of the game, but they have already been outfitted with readied weapons and armor. Choose the LOAD SAVED GAME option from the Party Creation menu. The saved game will appear after you choose the TDQK option in the LOAD SAVED GAME menu. Load Save Game A. Choose the BEGIN ADVENTURING option. Saving Games: Saved games are identified by letters. To save or recall a game, select the desired letter. Transferring Characters from DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN: When playing off of the hard disk, select the LOAD SAVED GAME option, then DKK. Choose the saved game you wish to transfer to DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN. This will load all of the characters, all of their equipment, and their money. If you wish to load only one character from DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN, choose the ADD CHARACTER TO PARTY option and then select DKK. A screen with the names of all of the characters will appear. Choose the one to be loaded into the new party. Note: you must have previously removed the character from the party in DKK. The only difference when using the floppy disk version of the game is that the program will ask you to insert the DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN save game disk. When it does, insert the DKK save game disk in DF0: and select the YES option. Moving Around: The party moves through the game in 3D/area, wilderness, and combat modes. Targeting spells and ranged weapons during combat is similar to moving characters. You can use either Keyboard or Mouse Movement. Keyboard Movement: Use the following keyboard controls for both movement and combat: 3D MOVE / ANY MENU MOVE/ COMBAT / AIM ________________________ ________________________ | MENU | | MENU | |\ 7 |8 /|\ |9 / | | UP | MOVE | PG UP | | \ | | | / | |_______|________|_______| |_______|___|____|_______| | TURN | | TURN | |4 |5 |6 | | LEFT | | RIGHT | |<---- | | ----> | |_______|________|_______| |_______|________|_______| | MENU | TURN | MENU | |1 |2 | |3 | | DOWN | BACK | PG DN | | / | | | \ | |_______|________|_______| |/______|__\|/___|______\| An Entry in a vertical list may be highlighted by using the [Menu Up] (7) and [Menu Down] (1) keys on the keypad. If there are more entries in a vertical list than will fit in the window, scroll arrows appear on the right side of the window to move up and down the list a page at a time. The [Menu PgUp] (9) and [Menu PgDn] (3) keys on the keypad also page up and down a list. When altering a character's attribute scores, the Character Display acts as a vertical list. Mouse Movement: The mouse is active throughout the game, and may be used for all input except to answer the Copy Protection question or to enter an amount of money. The mouse pointer changes shapes depending on its function. When it is a sword, it is used to select an option or an entry in a vertical list. It becomes an arrow to indicate direction of movement/attack in combat, movement, or turning in 3-D mode. It is a crosshair when used to select a possible target location in aiming. When the mouse is not active, the pointer becomes a shield. The keyboard may be used for all input except for creating characters or designing or modifying the combat picture of a player-character. To move in 3D mode with a mouse, click the mouse cursor at the edge of the display window in the direction you want to move. To move forward, click at the top of the window. To turn around, click at the bottom. To turn right or left, click at the appropriate side. To move in area/ wilderness mode, click the location you want to enter and the party goes in that direction. To use the mouse for combat targeting and movement, click the mouse cursor over the target square and the cursor moves to the target. If the target is off the screen, first select an intermediate square near the edge of the screen. In combat, the mouse pointer is an arrow which shows the direction of the adjacent space into which the active character will move/attack when a mouse button is pressed. When aiming manually, the mouse pointer becomes a crosshair which is used for selecting any space visible in the window as a target. Clicking a mouse button on the edge of the window scrolls the viewing area in the direction of the edge. Amiga Combat Commands: The following is a list of Amiga specific commands. : exits from any menu. When moving in combat, it "takes back" the move, but does not erase any damage taken during the move. : returns all characters to normal control from QUICK. ALT/M: toggles the magic spells on/off for characters set to QUICK. ALT/Q: sets all characters to QUICK (computer control). ALT/S: toggles sound on/off (may be used any time). ALT/T: toggles music on/off (may be used any time). HINT: If you find combat too easy or difficult, use the LEVEL option (Rule Book page 8). Scrolls: Scrolls may be "joined" into bundles. Up to 10 scrolls can make up one bundle. To join scrolls together, VIEW your character's items, highlight the scroll that you wish to bundle the rest to, and then select the JOIN option. Spell Memorization: To rememorize spells in Camp, select the REST option, then rest for the preallotted time. If you wish to change the selection of spells to be memorized, choose the MEMORIZE option and do not keep the spells ready for rememorization. Follow the rule book instructions for memorizing spells. Copy Protection: To answer the verification question, find the indicated word in the Adventurer's Journal. Type the indicated word and press Enter/Return. Do not count section headings. NOTE: Completely disregard the above paragraph, SKID ROW cracked this bitch. Program Changes: This is a list of specific program changes to DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN that are different from DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. The FIX option only heals the party. It no longer increments time to memorize spells. Use the REST option to memorize all spells. In some areas of the game, the REST and FIX options will not be available in the CAMP menu. If you are using a mouse and you are modifying a character's name, you must use the key to abort the change. The mouse will not work. Non-human races have a distinct disadvantage in this game. The base experience for this game puts most non-human races at their class maximums, even before you start the game. Magic-users should have an intelligence of 18 or they will not be able to use the most powerful spells. NOTE: When transferring characters from DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN, the vault will not transfer. To transfer items from the vault, you must first give them to characters you are transferring. Differences in the Amiga Version: The options for the Amiga version of DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN are slightly different than those described in the Rule Book: The LOAD option has been added to the ENCAMP menu. This allows you to load a saved game at any point in the game. You may only have up to 8 saved games at a time (depending on the amount of space available). There is no MOVE option. This option is no longer necessary. SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW ========================================================================== SKID ROW Presents DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN RULE BOOK INTRODUCTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the official ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS computer product, THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN, a DRAGONLANCE fantasy role-playing epic. This game is based on the rules and background created by TSR, Inc. and a story line created especially for this game. THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN begins two years after the overthrow of Lord Soth in DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. General Laurana, the commander of the united forces which defeated the evil dragons in the War of the Lance, has requested your presence at her headquarters in the city of Palanthas. Responding to her summons brings you face-to-face with the greatest threat Krynn has ever known. Your Game Box Should Contain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ o Disks o Adventurer's Journal o Rule Book O Data Card This Rule Book is designed to explain all your options and guide you through playing the game. If you are not familiar with the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game system, you will find helpful information about how things work in the Adventurer's Journal. The Adventurer's Journal contains a variety of information including details about character classes, magic, combat, and an introduction to the adventure story. The Journal also includes the maps, information, rumors, and stories that you need to play the game. As you play the game, you discover for yourself which of the tales you hear are fact and which are fiction. The Data Card explains how to start the game and how to select items and menu commands with your specific computer. It tells you how to transfer characters to THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN from the fantasy role- playing game, DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. It also shows how to get right into the game without having to read through the rules. Transferring Characters from DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN accepts characters who have adventured in DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. (See your Data Card for complete details). Before Beginning Play ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (See your Data Card for complete details). Getting Started Quickly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN comes with a ready-made party that allows you to begin adventuring immediately. Use the instructions on the Data Card to load the saved game that has been provided and being playing. Use this Rule Book to answer any questions during play. Using Menus ~~~~~~~~~~~ All commands are menu based, and menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally. Vertical menus indicate a character, item, or spell to be acted upon. If there are more choices than fit on the screen at one time, use the arrow keys, or the PageUp and PageDown keys to view the additional selections. Example: When purchasing items, they are highlighted on a vertical list then purchased with the BUY command. Horizontal menus list available actions. In this Rule Book, menus are shown with all of their options, although in some cases commands are not available every time a menu appears. Example: TREASURE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE DETECT EXIT The commands TAKE and SHARE only appears if there is treasure to take. The command DETECT only appears if there is treasure and the active character has a detect magic spell available. The Rule Book only shows the general menus. Special menus appear at various times to give you all available options. The concept of the active character is central to the game. Outside of combat the active character's name is highlighted on the vertical menu. During combat the active character begins his combat segment surrounded by a cursor. If a command affects the whole party, just select the command. If the command affects a single character, make that character active and then choose the command. Example: To look at a character's items: highlight the character, then select the VIEW then ITEMS commands. However, to have the entire party camp, simply select the ENCAMP command. BEGINNING TO PLAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To begin playing the game, you must load a saved game or generate characters and band them together into a party. Starting Options This first menu gives you the initial options. STARTING MENU ADD CHARACTER CREATE CHARACTER LOAD SAVED GAME EXIT FROM GAME ADD CHARACTER allows you to add characters to the party from the saved game disk. A party is a group of characters composed of up to six player characters (called PCs) and up to two non-player characters (called NPCs). A party should have a balanced mix of characters with different classes. For more information about building parties see the "Characters and Parties" section in the Adventurer's Journal. There is an ADD FROM WHERE? option that allows you to add characters from either THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN or DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. CREATE CHARACTER is used to build a new character. Detailed information about characters, races, classes and so on is available in the Adventurer's Journal. This command displays a menu to define the following character attributes. DONE is used to proceed to the next menu. * PICK RACE lists the seven races a player-character can be in DRAGONLANCE. * CLASS lists the class or classes the character is qualified for based on race. * ALIGNMENT lists all the possible alignments for the character based on character class. * GENDER lists the sex the character can be. Gender affects the character's maximum strength. After you are done selecting these attributes, the PICK DEITY menu appears if you have a cleric. PICK DEITY lists all of the deities a cleric character can choose to worship. Each deity confers unique powers to its clerics, and determines which alignments a character can be. See the "Deities" section in the Journal for more details. Once all of the attributes have been selected, the computer randomly generates the character's ability scores. If you are not happy with the character's scores, you may REROLL STATS to roll them again. Remember that you can use the MODIFY command to change the character's ability scores and hit points. Next, you must choose a name for the character. CHARACTER NAME provides a 15-letter space to type in the character's name. This name is automatically saved to disk. After naming a character, you must select an icon which will represent the character in combat from the 49 combat icons provided. The standard icon for the character's race, class, and sex is highlighted; the arrow keys or mouse may be used to change the highlighted icon. DONE is used to confirm the selection of the highlighted icon. o EXIT at any time during character creation aborts the creation of the current character and returns you to the Party Creation/Training Hall Menu. LOAD SAVED GAME permits you to resume a game that has been previously saved. The saved game provided with THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN can also be loaded. There is a LOAD FROM WHERE? option that allows you to load saves from either THE DARK QUEEN OR KRYNN OR DEATH KNIGHTS OF KRYNN. EXIT FROM GAME ends play without saving the game. Modifying Characters and Parties ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Party Creation/Training Hall Menu shows the characters currently in your party and lists the commands for creating, modifying, and training the party. Not all of the options are available at all times. PARTY CREATION/TRAINING HALL MENU ADD CHARACTER REMOVE CHARACTER MODIFY CHARACTER TRAIN CHARACTER (Training Hall Only) KNIGHT NEW ORDER (Training Hall Only) VIEW CHARACTER CREATE CHARACTER DELETE CHARACTER LOAD SAVED GAME SAVE CURRENT GAME BEGIN ADVENTURING EXIT FROM GAME REMOVE CHARACTER transfers a character from the party to the saved game disk. MODIFY CHARACTER changes the character's ability scores and hit points. Use MODIFY CHARACTER to change a character generated in THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN to match a favorite AD&D game character. A character cannot be modified once the adventure has begun. TRAIN CHARACTER (from Training Hall Menu only) increases a character's level when he has gained enough experience points (EXP). Choose the character to train and, if he has sufficient EXP, he will be able to advance one level. If a character has gained enough experience to advance more than one level, he will advance only one level and then lose all experience points in excess of one point below that required for advancement to the next level. See the section on "Experience Points" in the Adventurer's Journal for an example. Advancing in levels takes no game time. When magic-users advance, they may add a spell to their spell book. See the "Maximum Level Limits by Race, Class and Prime Requisite" chart in the Adventurer's Journal for level limits. KNIGHT NEW ORDER (from Training Hall Menu only) allows a knight of sufficient experience and abilities to petition for admission into the next higher order. Look under Solamnic Knights in the Adventurer's Journal for more information. VIEW CHARACTER displays a character's ability scores, readied weapon and armor, and more. See the "Viewing Characters" section for more information. DELETE CHARACTER erases a character from the saved game disk. A deleted character may not be recovered. SAVE CURRENT GAME stores the current game to the saved game disk or directory. BEGIN ADVENTURING starts the game. Non-Player Characters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During the game, the party encounters non-player characters (NPCs). There are three kinds of NPCs: those who volunteer to join the party, and those who will only fight. NPCs that join the party are treated like player characters with a few differences. The computer commands NPCs in battle. They also have morale. If things are going badly for the party, NPCs may run. Items can be traded to some NPCs, but they cannot be traded from conscious NPCs to other characters. If an NPC dies, however, you can use the TRADE command on the Items Menu to take his items. Only two NPCs at a time may join the party, and they may take a share of all treasures found. Viewing Characters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Character Summary Screen is displayed anytime you select the VIEW command. This screen displays important information about a character, such as ability scores, current and maximum hit points, readied weapons and armor, and wealth. Characters accumulate wealth in the form of gems, jewelry, and coins as they go. The value of gems and jewelry varies, and can only be determined by having the items appraised in a shop. Encumbrance is the total weight the character is carrying. Combat Movement is how many squares a character can move during a combat segment. This is based on his readied armor, strength, and total encumbrance. Character Status ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OKAY status means that the character has positive hit points and can move and fight normally. UNCONSCIOUS status means that the character has exactly 0 hit points. He cannot move or fight, but is in no danger of dying. DEAD status means that the character has died. Non-elf characters have a chance of being resurrected with a raise dead or resurrection spell. The character's chance of being resurrected is influenced by his constitution. See the "Constitution Chart" in the Adventurer's Journal. FLED status means that the character has fled from a battle. After the battle he rejoins the party. DYING (combat only) status indicates the character has between -1 and -9 HP, and is bleeding to death. Use the BANDAGE command to have another character stop the bleeding before the character dies. STONE status means that the character has been turned to stone. The character can be returned to normal with a stone to flesh spell. GONE status means that the character has been totally destroyed. Nothing can bring the character back to life. From the View Menu several options are available to inspect the active character. Not all of these commands are available at all times. VIEW MENU ~~~~~~~~~ ITEMS SPELLS TRADE DROP LAY CURE EXIT ITEMS displays all the equipment the character is carrying and the Items Menu. Items preceded by a YES are ready for use. Not all commands in the Items Menu are always available. ITEMS MENU ~~~~~~~~~~ READY USE TRADE DROP HALVE JOIN EXIT * READY changes the status of a weapon, armor or other item. Only readied items can be used in combat. A character cannot ready more than two hand-held items at once. Arrows and crossbows are assumed to be in a quiver and can be readied at all times. Some items take both hands when readied (bows, quarter staffs, etc.), some take only one (long swords, wands, etc.), and others take no hands (rings, armor, etc.). READY is sometimes abbreviated RDY. * USE activates an item. In combat the Aim Menu appears if the item can be targeted. See the "Combat" section for details about the Aim Menu. * TRADE from the Items Menu transfers an item from one character to another. Highlight an item to trade, select TRADE, then select a character to receive the item. Remember: a conscious NPC will not give up items. * DROP permanently removes items from a character. Dropped items cannot be recovered. * HALVE divides a bundle of like items into two bundles. For example, HALVE would turn one bundle of 42 arrows into two bundles of 21 each. This is handy for dividing items to distribute among party members. * JOIN combines all like items into one group. No more than 255 similar items can be joined. Some items, such as potions, cannot be joined. SPELLS is a listing of the spells a character has memorized and can cast. TRADE from the View Menu transfers coins, gems, and jewelry from one character to another. Select TRADE, choose what type of money and how much to trade, then select the receiving character. DROP permanently removes money from a character. Dropped money cannot be recovered. LAY is a healing ability of paladins. Paladins may lay on hands and heal two hit points per level of damage a day. Select the LAY command, then select the character to be healed. This command is only displayed when a paladin has not yet used it that day. CURE is another healing ability of paladins - they may perform one sure disease per week for every 5 levels. For example, at 1st to 5th levels, a paladin may perform one, at 6th and 10th levels two, etc. This command is only displayed if the paladin has a cure available. ADVENTURING ~~~~~~~~~~~ After setting up your party and reading the background information in the Adventurer's Journal, it is time to head for adventure and glory. The party will engage in fierce battles, find treasures, and sometimes have to stop, recuperate, and memorize spells for future use during adventures. Display Screens and Points of View ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN uses four different points of view: 3-D, Area, Wilderness and Combat. 3-D appears in areas such as towns or underground. This view appears in the top-left view window to show the surrounding area from the party's perspective. Rotate the party's facing and move using the directional controls that are described in your Data Card. Area provides an overhead view of the party's surroundings, replacing the 3-D view. Choose the AREA command from the Adventure Menu. This view is not available in many regions. A cursor in the area display shows the party's position and facing. Simply move the party with the direction controls around the area map. Under the point of the view window are displayed the phases of the three moons of Krynn. Solinari is shown on the left, Lunitari is shown in the center, and Nuitari is shown on the right. For more information about the effects of the moons, see the heading "The Moons of Krynn" in the Adventurer's Journal. To the right of the point of view window is a list of the party members, showing their armor classes and current hit points. Below this list is a compass, showing the direction which the party is facing, and a status window, which displays the party's current location (if known), its current activity (searching, camping, etc.) and the current time. Wilderness view displays a map in a large view window with a cursor indicating the party's current location. You get to this view this when you leave a town or other developed area. Use the direction controls to move around on the map and go from location to location. Combat view occurs automatically whenever the party engages in battle. The combat screen is a detailed view of the area the party was in when the encounter began. Adventuring Options ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following menus controls basic adventuring, moving, encamping, and casting spells. ADVENTURE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AREA CAST VIEW ENCAMP SEARCH LOOK INV The party can use the arrow keys or mouse to turn right or left, turn around or move forward. Normal movement in 3-D or Area mode takes one minute of game time per square. If the party has Search on, each move takes ten minutes. Refer to the Data Card for computer-specific movement information. AREA toggles between the Area (overhead) and 3-D view. This command may not be available in some regions. CAST displays the Cast Menu if the active character is a spellcaster. See the "Magic" section for more information. Remember: Some spells only work in combat, others only while encamped. VIEW displays the Character Summary Screen and the View Menu. ENCAMP displays the Encamp Menu. See the "Encamping" section for a description of the available commands. SEARCH toggles searching on and off. With Search Off, the party takes one minute per move. With Search On, the party takes 10 minutes per move because they are checking for secret doors, traps, etc. When a party has Search on, SEARCHING is displayed on the screen to the right of the point of view window. Because the party is moving very slowly with Search On, the chance for random encounters is greatly increased. LOOK is used to search an individual square. A LOOK command acts as if the party moved into the current square with SEARCH On. INV displays a list of the special items and artifacts which have been acquired by the party. Encamping ~~~~~~~~~ The Encamp Menu includes options such as saving the game, resting to heal and memorize spells, and changing items such as game speed or party order. ENCAMP MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~ VIEW MAGIC REST ALT FIX LOAD SAVE EXIT VIEW displays the View Menu and the character screen of the active character. MAGIC is a very important part of THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN and is described under its own heading on page 8. REST allows characters to memorize spells and to heal naturally. When spells are being memorized, the initial rest time is established by the time necessary to memorize any spells selected with the MEMORIZE command in the Magic Menu. For every 24 uninterrupted hours of rest in camp, each wounded character regains one hit point. Rest may be interrupted by encounters. If possible, find safe places to take long rests, such as an inn or places that you are told are safe during the game. REST MENU ~~~~~~~~~ REST DAYS HOURS MINUTES ADD SUBTRACT EXIT * REST begins resting process. Unless interrupted, the party rests for the indicated time. * DAYS/HOURS/MINUTES selects the unit of time to be changed by the ADD and SUBTRACT commands. * ADD/SUBTRACT increases or decreases the time that the party attempts to rest. Decreasing the time may not allow spellcasters to memorize all of their spells. ALT displays the Alter Menu that is used to change the characters in the party and the parameters of the game. ALTER MENU ~~~~~~~~~~ ORDER DROP SPEED ICON LEVEL EXIT * ORDER changes how the characters are listed on the screen and how they are deployed in combat. Characters at the top of the list tend to be at the front line in combat. * DROP eliminates a character from the party and erases him from the saved game disk. A dropped character is gone forever and may not be recovered. * SPEED controls the rate at which messages are printed on the screen. If the game is running too slowly, use the FASTER command to speed up the displays. * ICON is used to change a character's combat icon. * LEVEL displays the Level Menu that permits you to adjust combat difficulty. Level Menu ~~~~~~~~~~ NOVICE SQUIRE VETERAN ADEPT CHAMPION The game is preset at the Veteran level. This is the level at which we consider the game to be "balanced." To make the combat encounters easier, choose either the NOVICE (easiest) or SQUIRE level. To make the combat more difficult, choose either the ADEPT or CHAMPION (hardest) level. When you choose to make the game more difficult, you are rewarded by receiving more experience points from you combat encounters. When you choose to make the game easier, you are penalized by receiving fewer experience points from your combat encounters. FIX is used to heal many wounded characters with a single command. All characters with at least first level clerical spells memorize as many healing spells as they can, cast them on the party, and then rememorize their previous spells automatically. FIX takes game time and may be interrupted by an encounter. If the party is severely damaged, you may need to select FIX more than once. LOAD allows you to load a saved game to replace your current game without first exiting from THE DARK QUEEN OF KRYNN. This may be desirable if your current game is an untenable position, or if you have accidentally loaded the wrong game. SAVE stores the characters and current game disk or directory. Saved games may be loaded either from the Starting Menu when you start the game or from the Party Creation/Training Hall Menu. Save often- especially after surviving really tough encounters. EXIT returns to the Adventuring Menu. Magic ~~~~~ To get the Magic Menu options, the active character must be able to cast spells. Spellcasters can get a list of their memorized spells from the CAST command of the Magic Menu or from the SPELLS command of the View Menu. Magic-users can get a list of their spells on scrolls from the SCRIBE command in the Magic Menu. Spells are defined by who can cast them, when they can be cast, their range, duration, area of effect, and, of course, their actual effect. The "Spell Parameters List" in the Adventurer's Journal summarizes all of the available spells. When using spells from the Encamp Menu or the Adventure Menu (such as find traps or haste), remember that one round equals one minute of game time (one normal move), and one turn equals ten minutes of game time (ten normal moves). Look in the Adventurer's Journal for more information on spells land magic. MAGIC MENU ~~~~~~~~~~ CAST MEMORIZE SCRIBE DISPLAY REST EXIT CAST displays the Cast Menu and the character's list of memorized spells. Select the spell to cast and then indicate the target of the spell. Once a spell is cast, it is gone from memory until it is memorized again. Some spells only have an effect when cast during combat and others may only be cast while encamped. MEMORIZE displays the Memorize Menu, the character's spell book or clerical spell list, and how many spells of each level the spellcaster may memorize. Once all characters have selected the spells they want to memorize, choose the REST command to actually memorize the spells. Remember that spellcasters can have the same spell memorized multiple times, and they can automatically rememorize used spells simply by selecting the REST command. MEMORIZE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHOOSE SPELL: MEMORIZE EXIT * MEMORIZE selects a spell to be memorized. A spell is not actually memorized until it has been chosen from the Memorize Menu and the character has rested long enough to imprint the spell on his or her mind. After selecting the spells to memorize, the computer verifies your choices. SCRIBE displays the Scribe Menu and a list of all of the spells on magic-user scrolls. Before spells can be scribed, they must either be identified at a shop or the magic-user must cast read magic. To scribe, select any spells to be scribed into the character's spell book and select REST to actually scribe the spells. Scribing a spell takes the same amount of time as memorizing the same spell. SCRIBE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~ CHOOSE SPELL: SCRIBE EXIT * SCRIBE selects a spell to transfer from a magic-user scroll into a spell book. DISPLAY lists the magic that currently affects the party. This includes spells like bless or invisibility, plus effects like diseases. This is an important command because diseased characters cannot regain hit points until they have a cure disease spell cast on them. REST is identical to the Encamp Menu command. Remember: A character's spells are not memorized until he has rested the necessary time. CIVILIZATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Towns provide many valuable services and supplies for the adventurer. In these places you find inns, shops, training halls, temples, and taverns. Go to town not only to adventure, but also to purchase new equipment and magic items, and to rest and regain spells and hit points. Inns are safe resting places where party members can recuperate and regain spells and hit points. Shops are places to buy and sell equipment using the Shop Menu. SHOP MENU ~~~~~~~~~ BUY VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE APPRAISE EXIT BUY displays the items available in the shop. Highlight the items that the active character will buy and select BUY. VIEW displays the character screen with the SELL and ID commands available in the Items Menu. * SELL causes the shopkeeper to make an offer on the highlighted item. Sold items may not be recovered. * ID is used to identify an item. The shop charges 20 steel pieces for the service. TAKE is used to pick up coins from the party's money pool. Select TAKE and choose the type and amount of coins, gems, or jewelry to take. POOL places all of the party members' coins, gems and jewelry into a pool which any member may use to make purchases. Use the TAKE or SHARE commands to pick up coins, gems, and jewelry from the money pool. SHARE picks up all the coins, gems, and jewelry from the pool and distributes even shares among the party. APPRAISE determines the monetary value of any gems or jewelry the character has. Select Appraise, then choose a gem or item of jewelry, and an appraisal and purchase offer is made. Accept the offer and the item is sold. Reject the offer and the gem or piece of jewelry becomes an item on the character's item list. Gems and jewelry cannot be used directly for purchases, they must be appraised and sold first. Temples offer healing spells and perform other clerical services. Temple services are free. TEMPLE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~ HEAL VIEW REPAIR EXIT HEAL displays a list of the temple's healing spells. Select HEAL, choose the character on whom to cast the spell, and then the spell to be cast. VIEW is identical to the Adventure Menu command. REPAIR has the clerics cast all of the healing and restorative spells needed to return your party to full strength and health. EXIT returns you to the street outside the temple. Taverns are rowdy places full of gossip, stories and information. Buy a round of drinks and listen to the stories. Banks are used to store items and money for you. The following menu appears when you select this command. BANK MENU VIEW TAKE POOL MONEY ITEMS EXIT VIEW is identical to the Adventure Menu command except that in the Items Menu, DROP is replaced by DEPOSIT, which places items in storage. To store, select ITEMS, highlight an item, then select DEPOSIT. TAKE allows you to retrieve items and money from storage. Select TAKE, then select what to retrieve. POOL places all of the party members' coins, gems, and jewelry into storage. MONEY is used to deposit money in storage. ITEMS takes you directly to the Items Menu of the active character where you can store items. EXIT returns you to the street outside of the bank. ENCOUNTERS ~~~~~~~~~~ When a party comes across monsters or NPCs, an encounter occurs. If the party attacks immediately, it may receive a bonus to combat initiative. If the monsters surprise the party, the monsters can attack immediately and get a bonus to their combat initiative. If the monsters do no attack immediately, the party can react by choosing from an Encounter Menu. Encounter menus vary, listing options for each situation. SAMPLE ENCOUNTER MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMBAT WAIT FLEE ADVANCE In this sample menu you have opportunities to fight immediately, wait and see, run away, or move forward. COMBAT ~~~~~~ In this sample menu you have opportunities to fight immediately, wait and see, run away, or move forward. Combat In combat the computer chooses the active character. Characters with higher dexterity tend to go before characters with lower dexterity. A character may hold his action until later with the DELAY command. There is more detailed description of combat in the Adventurer's Journal. The active character is centered on the screen at the start of his combat segment. The active character's name, hit points, AC, and current weapon are displayed. The Combat Menu lists the character's options. COMBAT MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~ AIM USE CAST TURN GUARD QUICK DELAY BANDAGE YELL VIEW SPEED END The arrow keys or mouse may be used to move a character to adjacent squares. While moving, the number of squares of available movement remaining is displayed, as are the options UNDO and DONE. UNDO returns the character to his original square, but leaves intact any damage suffered by the character during the cancelled move. DONE concludes the character's movement and allows the selection of another option; the character may subsequently continue moving with any remaining movement allowance if no other option is selected. AIM allows weapons or spells to be targeted. When aiming a ranged weapon, the range to the target is displayed above the menu bar. If a character moves adjacent to an enemy, and has no more movement remaining, the AIM command can be used to attack with a melee weapon (sword, mace, etc.). The AIM command can also be used to survey the condition of your party and enemies. As you move the aim cursor over a character or monster, information about him is displayed on the right of your screen- use this to survey the battlefield. AIM MENU ~~~~~~~~ NEXT PREV MANUAL TARGET CENTER EXIT * NEXT is used to look at all possible targets, starting with the closest target and then going to the next farthest and so on. NEXT and PREV only indicates targets in the character's line of sight. * PREV (Previous) is the opposite of the NEXT command. Use this command to look at the possible targets with the farthest target and working back toward the character. This command is most often used to select a target for a missile or magical attack. * MANUAL permits the player to aim anywhere on the map. However, only targets in the character's line of sight can actually be fired at. * TARGET is used to fire a missile or spell at the enemy where the cursor is currently located. This command can also be used to attack an adjacent enemy with a melee weapon (sword, mace, etc.). If this command is not displayed, the target is out of range, not in line of sight, or invisible. * CENTER centers the screen around the cursor. This is helpful when targeting manually. * EXIT returns to the Combat Menu. USE allows a character to activate an item without having to go through the View Menu. Items such as scrolls and wands are then targeted with the Aim Menu. CAST is only available to spellcasters when they have spells available. The spellcaster selects from the list of available spells and then targets with AIM. If the character has been hit recently, his concentration may be broken and the CAST command does not appear. TURN is a clerical power that attempts to destroy undead monsters or drive them away from the party. This affects only weak undead monsters. GUARD sets a character to stand and attack the first enemy that moves adjacent. GUARD is only an option if a character is armed with a melee weapon. QUICK turns control of the character over to the computer. Under computer control, a fighting character with a readied missile weapon will tends to hang back and attack from a distance. If a character has no readied missile weapon, he readies a melee weapon and charges. Single class magic-users fire missile weapons and cast spells if magic is turned on (see your Data Card for details). They never rush into close combat, even if all of their missile attacks are expended. Consult your Data Card for instructions on regaining manual control and toggling magic on and off for your computer. DELAY causes the character to hold his turn until after the other characters and monsters have acted. BANDAGE gives first aid to a party member who is bleeding to death. BANDAGE stops the bleeding and keeps the character from losing more hit points. YELL (kender only) orders an active kender character to taunt opponents. If the taunt is successful all opponents become enraged, suffer a combat penalty, and direct as many attacks as possible at the yelling character. VIEW displays the character screen for VIEW Menu. The USE command appears on the Items Menu to permit items such as wands to be used in combat. SPEED changes the game speed and is described under the ALT command in the Encamp Menu. END quits a character's turn. After Combat ~~~~~~~~~~~~ When combat is over, you will see how many experience points each character receives and then the Treasure Menu is displayed. Most of the Treasure Menu commands work like the commands in the Shop Menus. TREASURE MENU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE DETECT EXIT VIEW displays the character screen and View Menu. TAKE permits the active character to pick up treasure from defeated monsters. This only appears if the monsters had a treasure or the party has pooled its funds. A character carrying a large number of coins and heavy equipment may be slowed in combat. TAKE MENU ~~~~~~~~~ ITEMS MONEY EXIT * ITEMS lists the equipment in the treasure. Frequently, the weapons and armor used by monsters are not listed because they are poor quality and not worth taking. * MONEY displays the number and type of coins, gems and jewelry in the treasure. Indicate the type then number of items the active character takes. POOL places all of the party members' coins into the treasure. Use the TAKE or SHARE commands to pick up coins from the treasure. SHARE picks up the money treasure, divides it into shares, and distributes it among the party. DETECT has the active character cast a detect magic spell. Magic items in the treasure or party will be marked with an '*'. This command only appears if the active character has a detect magic spell available. EXIT leaves the scene of the battle. If any treasure remains, the option to return to the Treasure Menu is displayed. SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW ============================================================================= Fixed by Baser Evil/Dytec - The Courts of Chaos - 501-336-9661 /\ _ /\ \ _ __________/|\_____ _ _ / \ \/ \/ \ / | \ \/ \ / \ / \/ \ \/ |_/ \ __/ \/ \ / \ \ \ |/ _ \ _\ \ / /\__\ \ \ / |\ | / \ /\/\ / /_/________\_/\_/\__| \__|__/___/_/ \_/ PRESENTS - Dark Queen Of Krynn - Journal Entries - Journal Entry 1: The Hag's Problem "My name is Eshalla. Not long ago. I was shopping in the Imperial City, just mind- ing my own business. All of a sudden, I looked down and saw this coin purse Iying in the street. I innocently picked it up and this brutish minotaur grabbed me by the arm and accused me of stealing his purse! I broke free and called him an ugly cow-faced spawn of a gnome. It was all I could do! He took this quite personal- ly, and roared in anger. He signaled to a mage who was in his attendance, and before I could run away . . . poof! I am as you see me, a withered hag, with bad teeth, and not a friend in the world." Journal Entry 2: Dragonmen Justice The elders of the dragonmen finish their council and the eldest approaches you. "Your talk, no money. Zarketh, no guide. No money. You talk, no money, truth talk?" His speech is hard to understand, but Zarketh translates for you: "You may give witness, but you will get no money in return. And they will not permit me to be guide, as I swore. 'Let the drylanders flounder and sink,' they say." Journal Entry 3: The Guard's Tale "Eons ago, before the minotaurs arrived on the shores o^f Kristophan and claimed the city for their own, my wife and I were member's of royalty. The minotaurs forced us into slavery, and we labored each day with barely enough food to survive. "With our children starving, my beloved wife stole some crusts of bread. An old cow caught her and we were both quickly sentenced to an etemity of agony. My wife was locked in this cell, where each day she perishes anew from hunger. I was condemncd to stand guard at the door, lest anyone try to rescue her from this misery, The only thing that will break the spell is the Heart-Shaped Key, which will unlock the door and unite us again. Alas, the key was hidden ages ago, somewhere in the depths of the Tomb." Journal Entry 4: Treachery You awake with Baldric's strange music still playing over and over in your heads. All of your money is gone, as are several of your magical items. Worst of all, the priceless dragon scale is nowhere to be found. Journal Entry 5: The Elevator Looking up, you see jagged pipes and cracked walls as light trickles out of dozens of hallways every ten feet up. Before you, where some sort of intricate platfonm used to be, sits a huge, hot air bag float- ing above a large basket. Two gnomes, dressed in jackets, caps and white gloves, come to attention at your approach. They awkwardly raise a hand to their foreheads and bid you greetings, Tas says "They're kind of new at this." Other gnomes squeal, "More people to test the new lift!'" The well dressed gnomes usher you in, then nervously climb in with you. The other gnome swings a large pipe over from the wall and sets the end under the bag floating over your heads. Ile yells, "Clear!" and all of the gnomes fall to the floor of the basket just as hot scalding steam gushes out, blasting you in the face. The bag rises, and you bump and crash your way up the shaft. You hear a voice below saying " . . . well, if they weren't so tall.... " Journal Entry 6: Tasselhoff Burrfoot "After the War of the Lance, I was bored and someone told me about the marak kender, here on Taladas, I was curious, and made my way over. There was this ship and such. But have you met the marak? They-they-they're as uninteresting as life gets. They worry and complain and it's hard to believe we're even related. Then a passing dragon mentioned the old elves here in Tualtin. So I came to visit." Journal Entry 7: Thenol King "Many come to tell me that my alliance with the draconians is a mistake. They rant how the draconians have some dark purpose that will kill us all. Balderdash! The power of Thenol is on the rise, and they wish to rush with us to glory. See how carefully they guard my own person and Trandamere, my valued councilor, in Hawkbluff. "These same people used to tell me that the priesthood of Hith was bad for Thenol. And see how wrong they were. Since the Cataclysm, we have been the most resourceful and adaptable of peo- ples. It is the great Thenolian gift." Journal Entry 8: Landed You followed the monsters that landed ashore. They killed and they burned, but also found friends. In the men who bring fact to the dire Sharkmen's Lore. Journal Entry 9: Mirror "We have something in common now, travelers, We are both among the very few to have foiled the careful plans of Raistlin Majere. For that you have my grudging respect, but no less hatred, of course. "You think you have defeated me, but of course you are quite wrong. You are mor- tals, do not dare to think more than mor- tal thoughts, lest you join Raistlin. "One day you will grow old, and weak, or foolish. Meanwhile my malice goes on and on, growing stronger, deeper, more subtle. Which is why I propose this bar- gain to you." Journal Entry 10: Fastillion Speaks "Hmm, well then, I suppose it's a good thing you came after all. There's evil at work in Thenol to the south, you know. Or I suppose you don't know and that's why you're here, isn't it? Well, yes, there's evil at work in Thenol, and Trandamere's probably behind it. He's sworn to conquer all Taladas, actually. Never was such a nice guy, that Trandamere. The draconi- ans are up to no good, and Thenol's involved, no doubt about it. "The Hulderfolk might help. Probably would in fact. You can find them to the east of Trilloman. But the price is high; the price is always high. And you ought to go find the Oracle of Tengur in the Tombs of Kristophan, You can't beat the Oracle for a good augury. And that's what you need most likely, a good augury. I had the keys to the inner chambers of the Tombs here somewhere." Journal Entry 11: A Saddened Captain Daenor "l kept my vow but slew Crysia in its keep- ing. My heart is heavy, for she was all in Krynn that I had. Forgive me, friends, for there is no greater tomment than failure." The captain's eyes rise darkly, "Let these draconians beware, for vengeance lurks within my heart!" Journal Entry 12: Shards - Broken Stone - -reetings.--The Thenol--an spies have---evidently been -uccessful. Trandame----ells us that---will have the Book of Amrocar he----a----wkbluff with---a day or so. With the Book.---e Theno--an generals sh-- be able to focus their eff--rts towan--bur--goals. Prepa--- yourselves to ---- come many---ore of our brethr--- out of the Abyss. Journal Entry 14: Shipwreck "One of our number spied your ship in distress and summoned others. We sped like arrows, but when we arrived the ship was already in pieces. We pulled all the landfolk out, cast spells upon them, and brought them to our city Naulidis. The ship's crew proved to be a superstitious lot, ill-suited to life undersea, and so we sent them back to Ansalon. 'Tis strange to me that they who spend their life on the sea should be so fearful of what is under- neath it, but so it is." Journal Entry 15: Staff Strike down the gnomes and hesitate not, Wield it's power, exert its might. Strike down the gnomes and hesitate not. Steel your nerve, you task is right. Journal Entry 16: Void You stand upon a vast undulating plain. It seems featureless, but as you look more closely, here and there, a bit of ruin juts above the sand. Suddenly, on a wave of despair, all the lore you've ever heard about the Abyss comes flooding back into your minds. You remember hearing about how whole houses, ships, and cities, doomed by pride, hate, or treachery, have been thrown into the Abyss. And how those doomed to sojoum here, end up begging others for death, a boon that is seldom granted. You recall hearing that the abishai, minions that dwell here, maniacally claw each other to reach the Red Gate of Wyrllish, where they are rein- carnated as draconians. You remember the immense price that the hero lluma made to banish Takhisis, creator of all evil, to this loathsome plane. And finally you recall the folk wisdom about the Abyss: "Easy to get into. Impossible to leave." Journal Entry 17: Tremor "You may think us cowards, but we are the noblest of creatures, toiling under our Burden. Because we chose not to fight . Takhisis' battles for her during the Wars of the Lance, she struck a scale from the chest of Kothar. our leader. and cursed away our confidence. Since then, the leader of the red othlorx has had Kothar's blemish, and our Burden shall remain until the scale returned. "But now the puny Thenolites invade our realm! If not for the Burden, we would drive them back in fear and ruin!" Tremor lowers his head. "lt is not just. Baldranous and the other othlorx defend us. as is only right, but the Burden is so great, we curse Takhisis every day!" As Tremor turns away, you notice a scale missing from his chest. Journal Entry 18: Air Shaft The sounds echo so much they are barely recognizable. Nloises of machinery blend with the clash of weapons and the bellow of fire creatures. Then the unmistakable shout of a kender taunting his foes rever- berates through the shaft. Tasslehoff Burrfoot is going into combat! Journal Entry 19: The Draconians Scrooll "Command Barath - You are hereby granted leave to make any and all arrangements with the Thenolian govemment necessary to acquire their full cooperation. Do not concem yourself with the particulars of promises made, as we have no intention of fulfilling them. Consider the Thenols a tool to be used and discarded when no longer useful. Pass this infommation on as necessary to subordinates, then destroy this message." At the bottom of the scroll is an impres- sive seal. Journal Entry 20: The Black Robed One The hood falls to the shoulders of the black robed figure. The pale mage smiles cruelly,"l see you have received my call. I am glad to see you, my fine champions. I need your help in order to succeed with my plan." He casually waves a thin hand before you. Suddenly, your vision begins to blur and you begin to feel dizzy. "My plan is to stop you before you can inter- fere with Her Highness' plan. I see you will not be a problem . . . not a problem at all." As you fall to your knees, you see the mage's face twist and stretch into the hideous countenance of a draconian. As its coarse laughter fills the chamber, everything goes black. Journal Entry 21: The Great Oracle "Centuries ago, a group of humans marched from Styrillia in search of a new home, Led by the great Kristophus, their trek brought them here, where they began construction of a city. But soon, the Minotaurs arrived from far off Ansalon and clairned this land for their own. "Eragas the Brutish became the new emperor and at his side was the human Oracle of Tengur. The Oracle led the emperor wisely in his conquests, and for this, some have called him a traitor. That is a lie! The Oracle used his position to win rights for the humans and the other conquered races. In exchange for his wis- dom, the Minotaurs swore to enslave only a fraction of those whose lands they annexed. This is a promise that is kept to this day. "When he died, the Oracle's spirit was hidden somewhere within the city walls, until it could be put to good use once again." Journal Entry 22: The Truth "Don't believe everything you hear," con- tinues Lord Trandamere, puffing on his pipe as he relaxes on the sofa. "Fastillion's had it in for me since I boot- ed him out of Thenol for counterfeiting coin of the realm. He made himself a size- able fortune passing around fool's gold, before we wised up to his tricks. Last I heard, he was hanging his hat in a light- house up in the League someplace, mooning after some mermaid doxy. Anyway, I could use your help, controlling these dragonmen which are making life miserable for folks around here. Interested?" Journal Entry 23: The Sensitive Minotaur "Superiority is clearly the right of all mino- taurs. But, do not let this great gift work against you! How easy it is to belittle, insult, or even trample our servants. It is indeed our right to do so, but it may be in our favor to show occasional restraint. "It is natural for other races to be resent- ful, or even to feel hatred toward their betters. These feelings may lead to ineffi- ciency and sloth. So next time, instead of flogging your human slave, try a gentle reprimand, or even a kind word, like, 'I am not angry at you, only at the result of your actions. This will instill more confi- dence in your slave, which may actually blossom into affection towards you. Remember, a happy slave is a productive slave.' "In these modern times, we must be more sensitive to the feelings of those beneath us. It may be time to put behind that old adage; 'If you weren't born with homs, you were bom to be scomed.'" Journal Entry 24: Anthela "We had been holding off the Sharkmen for months. But then the draconians came. They were well ammed and orga- nized, and they soon killed all who resist- ed. When the fighting was over, they went north. They said they would breed more draconians on the shores of the Lava Sea. It is a dreadful prospect. "After the draconians left, the Sharkmen began forcing us to build boats. Hundreds and hundreds of boats. I don't know why they want the boats; It makes no sense. We might have thrown off the yoke of the Sharkmen, but there are dragons in the woods to the north, and no one dares to oppose them. "You must not stay here! Go to the great gnome citadel of Aldinanachru on the northwest of the Lava Sea. The gnomes are enemies to the Minions of Hiteh. Perhaps they can stop the draconians. I love Bai'or dearly, but what is the good of fighting the Sharkmen if the draconians will soon conquer all the lands? Go now and warn the gnomes. Do not incite the wrath of the dragons to the north, or there may be no one left when you retum . . . no one left in Bai'or." Journal Entry 25: Lairs - MAP - Journal Entry 26: Some Relief "And the gnomes really want to help, too. But the King said, "Help is completely out of the question at this point in time!!" Tas raises his head and mimics the King. "Our own situation is a parliament of importance!'" Captain Daenor begins to smile and chuckle, then, as Tasslehoff begins stumbling around the room wig- gling his head and crashing into things, Daenor bursts into hysterical laughter and says, "The good gnome peoples do not appreciate this unwarranted interruption in their daily schedules!" All of the past weeks of worry and frustration pour out of Daenor in waves of laughter. Journal Entry 27: Grunschka's Oath The she-dwarf grins crookedly, as she holds the glowing Grathanitch in her hand My mother once told me, 'Every man for himself!' and my time has come. The Dark Queen is dead, the draconians are all gone- You don't need me anymore or this either," The stone s power courses through the dwarf, filling her until she begins to swell. "It's mine! I feel myself growing stronger, bigger. Soon, I'll be unbeatable. I could be King of the World . . . I mean Queen." Journal Entry 28: Present Find the realm where Tremor is lord. Choose the right present to add to his hoard. Journal Entry 29: Ritual Words Limene: 'We will do that instantly.' Bilbara: 'We politely but firmly decline.' Shuwara: 'We block our ears to language of that sort.' Holbani: 'Your humour is our greatest ttreasure.' Gebene: 'We have peace in our hearts.' Journal Entry 30: First Temple The desolate valley is dominated by a towering pillar of rock-Hawkbluff! Beneath the crag are assembled the shops, offices, and other buildings that serve those who visit the abode of Lord Trandamere, For miles now, there have been a constant stream of zealous pil- grims traveling to the great Temple of Hith, high atop Hawkbluff. And amongst them were the rich and well-armed pro- cessions of Lords and Senators coming to consult with the influential Trandamere. But all on the road give wide berth to the undead legions. Led by Hith fanatics and necromancers, they patrol here and all over Thenol. Journal Entry 31: A Word Of Warning "Let's see, here is the village of Vinlans, and to the east are the Sikoni Mountains. The vast forest to the east of that is the realm of the Hulderfolk. As strangers to these lands, you must be wary of them. Every thief might not be of the Hulderfolh, but every Hulderfolk is a thief. They are renowned for stealing wagons from mov- ing caravans, horses from under riders, and even children from their mother's bosom. Stay far away, else these boons I give you will go for naught. You must use this key to enter the tombs of New Aurim through the temple. Tell the priest that I have sent you and you have come to receive a special blessing." Journal Entry 32: The Hideous Cavern The foul cavern is covered with mounds of filth, decay, and rotting corpses. Some of the corpses are those of enormous spiders and huge bats. Others are of humanoid form. The stench is overwhelm- ing. Torn and rotting flesh is mixed with something even fouler. The only illumina- tion is a pale green light which comes from all around you. By the light of this hideous glow, you suddenly see fomms ris- ing from the mounds of filth. Journal Entry 33: Talhook "I woke. Everyone was gone. Something was wrong! I hid under the bed. Soon some sea-devils came in. One was swim- ming around and around the room, pro- claiming to the others where he would place his possessions, when he came to rule. The others called him Lord Prince Talhook, Then a sea dragon arrived! I could not understand his talk, but Talhook could, 'You will get your eggs back when the elves are under my command,' he said, "Not before. Obey me, or I will cook your progeny.' After the dragon left, the sea-devils all snickered." Journal Entry 34: Friends A dragon you'll meet, more mighty than all. To stop its rampage, seek help from three friends: The black robed, the winged ones, and also the small. Journal Entry 35: Palace The first thing you notice is that like the rest of New Aurim, the Palace is decrepit. Pools of water stain what once were glossy marble floors. Cracks web the fine stone walls. The smell of decay is every- where. But ahead you see something solid and new. The way is barred by a guard station built of hard stone and gates of cold steel. Journal Entry 36: A Letter From Tandamere "It has come to my attention that the dra- conians being sent by you to their encamp ment at Hawkbluff have not been arriving. Your report that younger creatures are too willful for the Thenol Army is unacceptable. "I have discussed this with Yanorak and he will accept all returned draconians for discipline and indoctrination, In the inter- im, all of your warehouses, taverns, and farms should be regularly patrolled to col- lect these young draconian recruits and return them to the rear door of the palace. "In addition, you are to assign a squad of guards to escort each group of draconians to Hawkbluff to prevent them from wan- dering off. Hopefully this will greatly improe the size of our draconian army." Journal Entry 37: Advise "Travel north, my friends, and soon you will come upon an ancient lighthouse. For eons, the light has guided sailors through the dangerous shoals of the Tiderun. "Legend has it that the tower is deserted, except for whatever magic keeps it glow- ing. But I know that there is a keeper, and his wisdom is profound. Seek his aid and you will be richly rewarded. But be warned, strangers are not welcome in the ancient tower, and reaching its pinnacle may prove to be a dangerous task." Journal Entry 38: Martha Davik chatters incessantly through the grill of the locked door. "Betray my Trandamere, will you? No you won't. No you won't. I'll show you what happens to those who try to betray my Trandamere! I built this place so I should know. I should. Yes, I should. Now Martha here is very old, very nasty when she's hungry. And I dare say it's been many years since she last ate. Yes, I dare say so. But that won't be the case long now, will it be Martha dear? No, not long at all. Not long at all. Ha ha! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!" Journal Entry 39: Sensilan's Final Words Choking back tears, Daenor cradles the old man's head. "Sensilan, my old friend. It's all right now, it's almost over. Soon you'll be back at the town." "Daenor, it gives me great pleasure to see your face again. But, it is too late for me, I only have a few minutes left. Oteef and I tried to escape, but we became lost in the labyrinth. I pray that he has made it to freedom. Daenor, have you found Crysia?" The Captain bows his head in grief. "Yes, we have found her. She is with . . . them." Sensilan clutches his hand. "Daenor, Crysia is caught in a powerful charrn spell. She will flee from you and fight on the side of evil." The old man begins to cough violently, He wipes the blood from his lips and continues, "When you find her, you must break the spell or she will be lost forever." The old man begins to cough again and then he is still. His head slumps against Daenor's chest. The Captain begins to sob quietly. Journal Entry 40: The Bard Your first warning is the tinkling of silver bells, Then, who should walk up but a fat, cheery bard, strumming a strident chord on a Iyre. "Hello! I am Baldric. Pleased to meet you! I was just going out to look for work, but then I saw you. Perhaps I can entertain you? Oh, you may wonder how a mere bard can survive this swamp. Well, I have some small talent for sooth- ing the ruffled beast." With this, he strums another cacophonous chord. Journal Entry 41: Words The bright key opens the door to the crypt. Within you will find some words you should heed. Then find the Book that Amrocar wrote, Within its pages, words you must read. Journal Entry 42: The War Council The king's advisors file into the room and take their seats at the enormous table. King Telemandarklosminarus IV enters, wrapped from head to toe in blankets. "It's fr-eep- freezing in here!" Suddenly, the door bursts open and Baldric stonms into the room. "Friends! I come bearing grave news. The draconian ammy is even larger than we had feared!" Driven by this new inforrnation, the Council agrees to a threefold plan. The elite corps of gnome wan iors. the Company of the Dead, will ride the fire- fleets and attack the lower region of the Tower of Flame. The gnome army. accom- panied by Baldric, Tremor, and Tasslehoff, will march on the draconian camp to the south. Meanwhile, you will ride the wind- ships and infiltrate the Tower from the top balconies while the Dragons guarantee your safe entrance. Just then, a gnome bursts into the room. "The clouds over the Lava Sea have become the face of the dark goddess Erestem." There is no time to lose, the Dark Queen has descended! Journal Entry 43: Barber's Gossip Ah, your hair is long I see, but not as long as one of my recent customers. You see, I cut the hair of Temple prisoners, those prestigious enough to get a last audience with His Lordship Trandamere. Just the other day, I gave Davik the 'royal treatment,' so to speak. You don't know Davik? Why, he's the architect of the Temple. Quite a celebrated man until he, well, you know. Every so often, His Eminent Lordship forgets how to open a secret lock or where a particular passage goes, and hauls Davik out of the dungeon to demonstrate. Davik is a good cus- tomer, he sits still, and doesn't talk much. Well, there you go, fresh as can be!" Journal Entry 44: Glorious Thenol! After our arrny crushed the remains of the Annach invaders surrounded at Neul, the famed Thenolite anmy successfully repulsed the attack by the minotaur cows and their human toadies from across the Drungar Frontier. Gathering the carrion of our enemies, our beloved priests of Hith assembled a massive army of undead minotaurs and humans, Together with specially trained servants of Hith, our forces destroyed two ordines of the League overrun during our advance through the Spindle Gap. With the minotaurs in retreat, our armies are again victorious with the aid of Hith. Peace is at hand, all give thanks to Hid- dukel. You can help preserve the peace with a prayer at the Hith Temple. If you're down on your luck, ask for a special blessing The Church of Hith is always willing to help the less fortunate. Journal Entry 45: Eric Strongbond "Have you seen all the boats in our small harbor? To think that just a few short months ago. Bai'or was an insignificant little village Now just look at us! Why, it makes a man proud to be part of some- thing like this. Soon we'll have a boat for every man, woman, and child in Bai'or, and the gods will reward us with great riches. It just goes to show what can be accomplished when everyone pulls together and works as a team!" Journal Entry 46: Fastillion "One of those opens the inner chambers of the Tombs. That should help." He glances down at his models and seems lost in thought. Then he looks up. "I did notice that you've been fighting beholders. I can see the signs of it on your anmor. There weren't supposed to be evil things in my tower. The gorgons are supposed to keep them out. I bet they were working with the beholders weren't they? Hmff. I really should get around to training them. Oh well, time flies." Journal Entry 47: The Mayor's Story "Thank you. thank you, kind champions. Those monsters destroyed our beautiful town and then herded us on board a ship like cattle. They forced Aolan, a great sailor, to steer the ship, and to sail straight across the ocean. We told them there was nothing there. that they were mad. Then they struck us and told us not to ask questions. "While the monsters were busy fighting among themselves. Aolan steered the ship onto the rocks. hoping to give us a chance to escape. But fate was cruel. the ship did not sink immediately. The mon- sters were able to drag us ashore and into these accursed caves. As for Aolan. they rewarded his brave act by slitting his throat. He died a hero. "These monsters speak freely in front of us. They constantly complain about not being able to complete their great joumey to the other side of the world. They say the Dark Queen will be very displeased with them. I hope she strikes them all dead! "As for that wench, Crysia, I know her well. The traitor! They chose her from among us, and soon we saw her caring and grooming these disgusting monsters. Now they allow her to move around freely, as if she were one of them. She deserves to be sent to the Abyss, where she can spend etemity with her consorts." Journal Entry 48: The Tavern Song There was an old skeleton named Trey, Who comes to life when they pray. His handler cut down, while charging a town, He bounces 'gainst their wall to this day. Journal Entry 49: Teary Goodbye You overhear his wife saying, "You're going to get yourself killed! You've never even flown one of those stupid things before! How am I supposed to raise our children without you? "Perkelanamord whispers, "If I don't go, our children may never get the chance to grow up." On that note, he abruptly turns and crash- es headlong into the band drummer, who falls over, thumping the tuba player in the stomach with his mallet. With an echoing "Pphblaaaat-ooofff," the tuba falls forward knocking the band leader senseless with a thud. The leader falls. arms flailing for balance, and pokes the flutist in the eye with his stick. Grimacing with pain, the woman bites off the end of her flute and swallows it, gasping and wheezing for air. The marching song suddenly turns into a hideous cacophony of groans, wheezes, crashes, and thumps. Perkelanamord hunies away muttering, 'Oops, sorry, I didn't..., sony," as his wife falls screaming to the ground, tears blub- bering down her round, little face. Journal Entry 50: Instructions Of Preparation Of Black Pudding "Black pudding is considered a delicacy in the Fire Fleet, particulary after several months on the Boiling Sea. As black pud- ding is a ravenous cannivore, it first must be caught, before being prepared for con- sumption. Pages 2,976,341 through 3,123,882 of Volume LXXIII of Thrapskaddidlogrumpanaciouslaxzitinity's semi-authoritative study of monster hunt- ing, How people Try to Catch Monsters, contain some 8,647 methods for acquir- ing puddings, Many of these techniques are not recommended, as they leave the black pudding in an inedible fomm. Black pudding must be kept in secure ceramic containers prior to cooking, to limit dam- age to culinary personnel. Special long- handled asbestos ladles are ideal for transporting black pudding from these containers to the deck of the vessel. They are also used for cooking the black pud- ding. Black pudding is traditionally cooked by immersi^On in boiling lava. (Drikulomengrabaciflatorengulixfreibie, Navigating the Buming Sea, page 323, column 77), although the breath of a cooperative red or gold dragon may be substituted in a pinch. Four to five minutes of immersion per pint of black pudding is a reasonable cooking time; properly cooked black pudding will have a syrupy, gelatinous texture. Extreme Care must be taken not to serve undercooked black pudding; catastrophic cases of indigestion may result from improper preparation. After removing the black pudding from the boiling lava, it must be set aside for about three hours, until the coating of basalt has fully congealed. After chipping off the basalt, the black pudding should be seasoned liberally with celebdil, ground caradhras, and fanuidhol seeds, then served hot- One quart of black pudding should serve two to three gnomes, unless they are especially hungry. Leftover black pudding may be served for several weeks, although its consistency will suffer. Journal Entry 51: The Foethumper "The Foethumper is the weapon of a minoi warrior," says Benikobawoni, "not as random or clumsy as a broadsword- a complicated weapon for a complex era." Journal Entry 52: Things To Do List -Fix the light. [Checked Off] -Find more power. -Block doorway. -Train Gorgona. -Bribery? -Visit Library -Repair broken teleporter. -Install new doors. -Clean the basement. Journal Entry 53: Caramon's Quest "If you know where I can find Raistlin, please tell me. I must find him, something has happened. Without his help Tika will die. I . . . I couldn't go on without her, not after everything that has happened. I'm sure you know where I can find my broth- er. You must tell me!" Tears spring to the big man's eyes as he slowly unsheathes his sword and steps toward you. Journal Entry 54: The General "It has been but a short time since you so valiantly helped us crush the draconian army. Yet, such is the nature of these creatures, that to sever the head from the beast only invites it to grow another. My emissaries have reported that some dra- conian scum may have survived, and are again gathering to the south. We must know if this is true. Every day we wait is foolhardy. for the danger may be growing. "But, the good people of Palanthas deserve the hard-won peace they now enjoy. From time to time, I still see the shadows of old fears fleeting across their faces. I will not add to their troubles by letting this unproven rumor reach their ears. That is why I implore you, brave heroes, to hasten to Caergoth, and dis- cover what truth there is in these fearful reports." Journal Entry 55: The Strange Dragon "I am without hope. Sssuch a thing hasss never been done assss they did to me. Curssse them. "In the Tower of Flame they made my eg,g, by the Ssstone of Grathanich. They wanted a body for Eressstem. A perfect body for a god to enter the world. Ssso the draconiansss made me . . . but I wasss flawed, a missstake, a failure. Yet the foolsss continue. They will make oth- ersss. Finally they will sssuccsseed, and Ssshe will enter. Ssshe will become invin- cible. Ssshe will rule Taladasss, and then Ssshe will rule the world. Curssse them!" Journal Entry 56: Fable Of The Stone "The god Reorx taught the smart gnomoi art of the forge and machine, pleased he be. He taught them to some humans and not pleased he be. Stupid they were with their power so cursed they becamed into the stupid minoi soon. "But the god was good and gave a gift to King Aldinanachru. A stone he filled with the light and power of the big moon l.uminari. The Grathanich they were proud to own. "Then, the bad god Hiteh tricked some lit- tle minoi into letting the stone go. It drifted and burned, wreaked havoc to the west. So to punish these minoi, it was made so they must follow the stone from here to there. And there was the big island, far away, where one day the minoi stopped to live under a mountain. Nevemmind." Journal Entry 57: The Rescue The old woman's eyes light up. "You aren't monsters! You're people! Oh, than Paladine! I escaped from the monsters yesterday and fled into these lower caves, hoping to find a way out. But the draconi- ans pale in comparison to the monsters that fill these cavems, and I was afraid to go further. I found this wand and neck- lace on a body I stumbled upon. With them I was able to send many of these foul creatures back to the Abyss. If the draconians are no longer a threat, I'm sure I can find my way to the mouth of the cave. There is a small village not far from here, and I can take refuge there. Farewell, my friends." She turns to leave, but then adds, "Oh, here, why don't you take this.'" She removes the necklace and hands it to you. "You certainly look like you can handle yourselves, but you may be able to use this." Journal Entry 58: Tas's Final Words Tas grips your arm feebly. "This wasn't suppose to happen! I can't die, I have too many things to do . . . places to go." The kender coughs pitifully, and clutches his chest. "I always thought you could trust gnomes . . . they're just so trustworthy. under a tree, he's calling me . . . Flint . . . I'm coming...." The kender's frail body qoes limp, and quickly qrows cold. Journal Entry 59: Captain's Story "Hundreds of draconians invaded, pillag- ing the town and impounding the entire fleet of ships. Only those who could steer the ships were spared, everyone else either escaped or was slaughtered. "Once they took what they wanted, a horde of blue dragons leveled the build- ings and incinerated anyone trying to take refuge The monsters then sailed out to sea, leaving this village a charred ruin. "I can wait no longer! I must set sail and follow the loathsome beasts. My sister, Crysia, is among those kidnapped!" Journal Entry 60: Greeting From A Hith Temple Servant The man with a shaved head and loosely draped robes approaches you, carrying a large pointed stick in one hand and a bas- ket of flowers in the other. "Hale ye travel- ers from afar, would ye care to donate to the Church of Hiddukel in exchange for a special flower?" Journal Entry 61: Tasselhoff Explains "After you guys left, I had the best time with the elves But once, when we were playing hide-and-seek, I hid so well the elves never could find me! Then I found my new friend- You'll like him, he's look- ing for the draconians, too. He says we need the gnome armies and windships to stop these draconians but King Teleman- something-or-other says he's much too busy to be worrying about dragons. "You see, there are two different kinds of gnomes: the smart Gnomoi, gnomes who do all the inventing and designing, and the fun Minoi gnomes, like the ones in Ansalon, who get stuck doing all the work. Well, the King says he doesn't want his people to be separated into classes anymore, so he had all the gnomes just switch jobs. And, boy, are things crazy in there! And dangerous, too! "Come on, I'll show you where the lift is, or, um . . . was, I guess." Journal Entry 62: Another I see flames and a crack and a head, Then another, and another, and another, and more. She rises up, the Queen of the Dark, She conquers and rules leaving only the dead. Journal Entry 63: Amrocar's Book "The book is a worthless text written one hundred years ago by the wizard Amrocar. Obsessed with the mysteries of the ruins in Blackwater Glade, it is filled with use- less maps and such. "It had lain undisturbed for scores of years, when suddenly one of our most trusted librarians, Bovinus, was caught stealing it. A terrible fight ensued. In the end, three of our guards lay dead, and the librarian had disappeared along with the tome. "That is not all. I just leamed that Bovinus' body has been found in an alley- way with his throat slit. But, who killed him, and where is the book now?" Journal Entry 64: Naulidis, City of the Dragonesti - MAP - Journal Entry 65: Rubble Before you lies the smoldering ruins of Caergoth. Everything is blasted and burned. once sturdy buildings are sagging and melted, their stone runs like candle wax, The sickening odor of bumt can~ion floats on the gentle breeze as vultures circle through the smoke, Then you notice the fuming pools of acid in the streets- Draconians have been here. The only consolation is that some of them paid for this abomination with their lives. Journal Entry 66: The Grathanich You quickly retrieve the small oblong box from behind the mirror. The box contains an oddly-shaped piece of gray stone, plain and unadorned, yet seeming to pulsate with hidden power. "The Grathanich!" gasps Tasslehoff, reaching out to the stone, "With this arti- fact we can end the threat of the Dark Queen right here-we can unmake the race of draconians forever," He grasps the stone and holds it up to the light. "But what fun would that be?", he continues with a crooked grin. Before you can react, he drops the stone into a pocket and scampers off into the darkness. Journal Entry 67: FlameWalls The walls of the Tower's inner core flare brightly, but there is no heat. Whatever mighty spell fommed these walls, holds the living flame trapped inside. After a moment, you see shapes among the dancing flames! You realize that the walls, ceiling, and floor swamn with fire crea- tures, and that they are watching you. Journal Entry 68: Othlorx "Back during the War of the Lance, Takhisis called all her dragon children to fight the forces of good. But here on Taladas, many evil dragons refused her call. Furious, she cursed each kind of evil dragon with a particular affliction. "When the forces of Takhisis stole the eggs from the good dragons, many traveled to Taladas to search for them. When it was discovered that the eggs were on Ansalon being corrupted into draconians, many of the good dragons retumed to Ansalon to fight in the War of the Lance. But not all thought it wise to join in a human's war. Those who stayed are shunned, quite unfairly, by the other good dragons. Over time, we outcast dragons have leamed to work together against common dangers. We call ourselves 'othlorx."' NOTES: This should give you a better understanding of the game. I think it's kind of hard to evaluate an adventure game without understanding the plot. The rest of the manuals are the standard ones included in all the rest of the AD&D games, so I decided not to include that info. here. -DD/ANTHEM- - R E M E M B E R - IF YOU LIKE THIS PROGRAM PLEASE BUY IT!!