MEDIEVALAND: THE FATES OF TWINION Fates of Twinion is the sequel to The Shadow of Yserbius, the most sophisticated on-line multi-player role-playing game currently available. You create a character and journey either alone or as a member of a multi-person party. Characters can be a member of eight races and six guilds, as well as be male or female and aligned with harmony or chaos. You see the game from a first-person perspective as you journey through the halls and rooms in the volcano Yserbius that overlooks the tiny town of Twinion. The story behind the game is revealed slowly as your character advances in power and as you access hidden areas of the volcano. Twinion is another place for players to experience unique fun on ImagiNation. ENTERING MEDIEVALAND 1. Click on the volcano near the top of the screen from the main map. You will be offered a choice to enter either The Shadow of Yserbius or The Fates of Twinion. You must click on which game you'd like to play. 2. A window will pop up with a choice of places that you can enter to play Twinion. Click on one of these boxes and you will be transported to the Gallery. 3. The Gallery is where you create and select the characters you will use to explore Twinion. If you want to use an existing character, click on the left and right arrows (or use your left and right arrow keys on your keyboard) to select scroll through the portraits until you find the one you the character slot you want. Then click on the PLAY button or hit the ENTER (return) key and you will very shortly find yourself at the main screen for Twinion. If you want to create a character, click on the left and right arrows to find an empty slot, or click on the DELETE button while the portrait for the character you wish to eliminate is on the screen. Click on REPLACE to create a new character in that position. New players may want to click on HELP, which gives some important information about beginning the game. You can get information throughout the game by RIGHT clicking on various buttons. When you begin the creation process, the program prompts you for the character's name, epithet (the brave, the loyal, the bold, etc.), sex, race, guild and alignment. Click on the left and right arrows to provide this information about your new character. Descriptions of the character options are available in the Appendices of this document. The next screen is the attributes screen. The attributes are: Strength, Defense, Agility and Initiative. These attributes will be based on your selection of guild and race. You will also have some points that you can assign to these attributes as you see fit to increase one or more of them. Dexterity, Health and Mana are also on this screen, but they increase automatically when you rise in experience. You will earn more points to assign to the four attributes later on in the game. You can get descriptions of the attributes by clicking on their names. The next screen is the appearance screen. Like the facemaker program in the Clubhouse, you can create the look of your Twinion character. The spell screen is next. You may have extra points that you can assign to the available spells. You can get a description of the spells by clicking on their names. The final screen in the creation process is the skills screen. You pick up more skills throughout the game, but this screen simply tells you what skills you have available from the start. Click on DONE to save the character and prepare for adventure. NOTE: Each Guild has a distinctive color that you can see used in the text of their messages and in their icon in the party. These colors and Guilds are: brown (barbarian), orange (knight), green (ranger), red (thief), blue (cleric) and purple (wizard). SOUND AND MUSIC You should have at least 610,000 bytes of free memory to run both sound and music. The program will alert you if it does not have enough memory. If you have only the PC Speaker, you will be able to get only audio cues. There are enhanced sound effects when you use the ROLAND MT32 sound card or the SoundBlaster cards. BACKING UP YOUR CHARACTER Your characters are stored in the TWINCHAR.DAT file and the maps in AUTOMAPS.DAT file. It is recommended that you make back-ups of these two files after every game session. OVERVIEW There are three place you can go in The Fates of Twinion. First is the Twinion Tavern, where you can chat with other players and read & post messages. Second is the Guild Hall, where you can buy and sell items and spend the points you earn when you advance levels. Third is the Dungeon itself, where you go adventuring. When you enter Fates of Twinion, you will see a picture of a volcano, the Tavern, and the Guild Hall. Enter the volcano, Tavern or Guild Hall by clicking on its picture with the left mouse button. If you click on the pathway at the bottom of the screen, you will exit to the ImagiNation main map. The dungeon is inside the volcano, and there are two entrances. The top entrance (The Queen's Palace) is open to everyone and starts you off at the top of the dungeon; if you ever die in the game, you must re-enter the dungeon through the top entrance. The bottom entrance (The Ancient Skull) takes you back to the location where your character was last saved. THE TAVERN The Tavern uses the same visual format as the ImagiNation Clubhouse. Here you will find other players with whom you can chat and decide to form parties. Party formation takes place inside the dungeon. From the Tavern you can chat with up to 10 players at a time. Just click on the names of the players you wish to talk to. Players in the Tavern and the Guild Hall have their names in color; players in the dungeon have grayed-out names. When the chat box is active, you can use the mouse to position the cursor in the text to edit it. You can also use the left and right arrows to scroll through your message. Press HOME and END on the numeric keypad to go to the beginning or end of a message. Hold down the CONTROL (CTRL) key and press the left or right arrow to go back one word or forward. Use BACKSPACE or DELETE to delete letters. If you use the numeric keypad, make sure the NUM LOCK is off. The POSTS button brings up the Twinion bulletin board where you can read and post messages to fellow adventurers. The SORT button is used to separate players into smaller groups by name, guild, race, etc. You can then view these sorted groups by using the SHOW SORT button. The OPTIONS button allows you to customize your screen color, save your character, post a complaint, or leave Twinion by returning to the ImagiNation map or DOS. The PLACES button takes you back to the Twinion map. THE GUILD HALL The Guild Hall is where you allocate Attribute, Skill, and Spell points. It also contains a store where you can buy extra equipment for your character and sell items you find in the dungeon. Many items found in the dungeon cannot be purchased in the store, but the shop owner is usually willing to buy items you want to sell. Items that are shown in red type cannot be used by members of your Guild. Use the BUY button to purchase equipment and the SELL button to sell items. As you adventure in the dungeon, you gain Experience Points. When you acquire enough points, you go up an Experience Level and you gain Attribute, Skill and Spell Points to spend on your character. You can get descriptions of the Attributes, Skills and Spells by clicking on their names. The first screen in the Guild Hall shows how many experience points you need to rise to the next level. Rises in Experience Level take place only after you leave the dungeon and enter the Guild Hall. You will rise quickly in Experience Level early in the game and then more slowly later on. It is a good idea to know how many Experience Points you need to rise to the next Experience Level. Attribute Points are used to increase your character's Strength, Defense, Agility and Initiative. (Your Dexterity, Health, and Mana rise automatically when you go up a level.) You may assign Attribute Points as you wish, but eventually you will reach limits where points can no longer be assigned to certain characteristics. Spell Points are used to improve your character's magic spells. New spells are acquired automatically as you rise in Experience Level. Each spell can be raised to a maximum of level 12. Skill Points are used to improve your character's skills. New skills are acquired automatically as you rise in Experience Level. You may also find entities in the dungeon who will teach you new skills. Each skill can be raised to a maximum of level 12. (NOTE: Be careful how you spend your Spell Points early in the game. You may make a spell so powerful that you do not have the Mana Points to cast it. You should go into the dungeon after spending a few Spell Points to see how much Mana it will cost to cast your increased spells. Eventually, you will acquire all the spell and skill points you will ever need. Here, only certain guilds get certain spells. Many spells have new powers here and require greater amounts of mana to cast.) THE DUNGEON You will spend most of your time exploring the dungeon and uncovering the many secrets it contains. You are restored to full Health and Mana Points whenever you enter the dungeon through the TOP entrance. If you use the LOWER dungeon entrance, you will return to the spot where your character was last saved (unless you died) but you will not be healed. When you enter the dungeon for the first time, you should dress yourself. You'll find clothing and equipment in your inventory chest. Click and drag the items to the appropriate circles surrounding the outline image on the right. Don't worry - you can't put items where they don't belong. The lower left and right corners should be used for insignias, rings, amulets and medallions to get bonus statistics. The holding spot between the feet is used to receive items from fellow party members. If this spot is occupied, no one can give you items. COMMUNICATING You can communicate with any other player in your MedievaLand area. First, type the name of the player you wish to talk to, making sure you spell the player's name correctly. Type a colon (:) after the name, then type your message. To send the message, press the ENTER key. For example, you could type: "Mordred: I am in the Dungeon Entrance waiting for you." When you're in a party, just type a message and everyone in your party will receive it. If you follow a name with 2 colons (::), the message will be sent to the addressee and everyone in your party. Pressing the F1 function key brings up the name of the last person you sent a message to. You can back up through 10 names by pressing the F1 key repeatedly. THE MOVEMENT SCREEN The movement screen in the upper left corner shows the forward view of the dungeon. Under this view is the chat box in which your conversations and physical descriptions of the dungeon appear. You can scroll through dialogue by using the up and down buttons and pause it with the button that looks like a lock. To review your character's game characteristics, click on your picture with the LEFT mouse button (or use the F2 key) and then click on the STATS button. It is always a good idea to know your current Health and Mana Point levels. The four spaces at the top right of the screen show the members of your party; the leader's picture is at the left. You can view a member in your party by clicking on his or her picture with the left mouse button. You cannot view other players' statistics. The character figure under the party members shows what your character is carrying and wearing. Your character can carry a weapon and shield, wear a hat and body protection, and hold two small items (wands, rings, amulets, etc.). The chest in the left box under the outline figure is used for your standard Inventory Items. You may wish to keep items you actively use during play (extra weapons, magic items, etc.) in the chest. There are 10 spaces for Inventory Items. To view your inventory, click on the chest with the LEFT mouse button. Select CLOSE when you are done viewing the contents. The trash can in the center is used to discard items. The purple bag in the right box is used to hold the Quest Items you find. There are 10 spaces for Quest Items. Click on the purple bag with the LEFT mouse button to bring up its contents. You can freely move items between the chest and purple bag, and you can use items in either place during combat. Using and manipulating items is explained in more detail below. Under the character figure are four action buttons: 1) The MAP button calls up an overhead map of the dungeon. The number 5 on the numeric keypad also brings up this map. 2) The BOOK button calls up your known magic spells. The number next to the spell name indicates how much Mana it costs to cast the spell. 3) The HAMMER button calls up your current skills. The number next to the skill indicates its level. 4) The GAME button calls up game options. These options are the same as those in the tavern. PARTIES You may travel through the dungeon alone. However, it is often more enjoyable, and safer, to join up with other players (from across the country) to explore Twinion and have a better chance to survive the volcano's deadly puzzles. Parties are formed and disbanded inside the dungeon. To form a party: 1) Select the map icon at the bottom of the screen, which brings up the small overhead map of the dungeon. 2) Move into the same spot as the player you want to join. 3) Select the PARTY button to the right of the map. You will see the names of all the players in your space. 4) Click on the name of the player you wish to join. The player you selected is now the leader of your party. Other players enter your party by joining the same leader. A party can include a maximum of FOUR players. To leave a party bring up the overhead map, click on the PARTY button, and select the LEAVE PARTY option. Clicking the "ALLOWED" button in the PARTY window changes it to "MUTED" and prevents other players from joining your party. There are some areas of the dungeon where you are not allowed to form parties. A message will appear when you attempt to do so in these spots. THE LEADER AND PARTY MOVEMENT The leader controls the movement of the party. When the movement map (the one showing the overhead view of the dungeon) appears, the leader's movement buttons are active; the movement buttons for other members of the party are inactive. The leader uses these buttons to move the party forward or backwards, to the left or right, and to turn 90 degrees to the left or right. All party members' movement maps are updated as the leader moves. The movement buttons are activated either by clicking on them with the mouse or by using the arrow keys (up, down, left and right movement), or the numeric keypad (7=turn left, 8=move forward, 9=turn right, 4=move left, 5=open map, and 6=move right). While the leader handles movement, other party members can talk, use skills, cast spells, rearrange inventory items, and exchange items. THE ENCOUNTER SCREEN If your party enters a space containing monsters, the encounter screen appears. A picture of the lead monster appears over the forward view of the dungeon. The right side of the screen shows your two battle formations. Small pictures of the monsters you encounter appear in the top six boxes, and your party's pictures appear in the bottom six boxes. Numbers under the pictures of the beings you encounter indicate how many are in each position. Numbers under your party's pictures indicate your current Health levels. The benevolent Queen Aeowyn prohibits would-be Champions from preying upon one another in her realm. So decreed by the Queen, let it be known that there shall be no Challenge combats in Twinion. Customarily, the party leader decides how the party will interact in the encounter. The FIGHT button (the crossed sword and axe) begins a fight. The FLEE button (the boot to the right of the pictures) gives the whole party a chance to escape combat. The party leader selects one of these options by clicking on it with the LEFT mouse button. COMBAT If your party initiates a fight or is forced into one, you remain in combat until one side or the other is defeated or flees. You and your opponents use the same battle formations. There are four opposing boxes that form the front row of each battle formation; the two boxes behind are the back row of the formation. A party of four players can have all four members in the front row; three in the front row and one in the back; or two in the front and two in the back. Monsters can occupy all six boxes. You can move to another position in your party formation by LEFT-clicking on an open space and then selecting the action you wish to perform. The move takes effect at the end of the current Round of the encounter. Players in the back row are less susceptible to physical attacks. This method of "hiding" in the back row is frequently used to protect vulnerable members of your party. The GAME option button turns into a purple bag during combat. You gain access to the items in your inventory by clicking on the leather bag with the LEFT mouse button. To use an item in your inventory during combat, click on it with the RIGHT mouse button. The weapon you wield determines which enemies you can attack: 1) Short-Range Weapons: These include swords, clubs, hammers, and axes. These weapons cannot be used by players in the back row to attack back row enemies. 2) Long-Range Weapons: These include staffs, spears and halberds. These weapons can be used by characters in the front and back rows to attack enemies in either row. 3) Missile Weapons: These are primarily bows. They shoot arrows and bolts at the enemy. They can be used by characters in the front and back rows against enemies in either row. Magic spells can be cast by anyone at any time. The nature of a spell determines if it affects an individual, a group, or all the enemy. Many weapons contain a limited number of magic spells. The weapon will act like a normal weapon if you carry it in your hand. If it contains magic spells, it will also show up in the purple bag during battle, and you may RIGHT- click on it to cast the spell. Once the spells are used up, the weapon behaves like a normal weapon. Combat takes place in Rounds. In a Round, you can perform one action. Actions include: 1) attacking with a weapon, 2) casting a spell, 3) using an object in your inventory or purple bag, and 4) activating a skill. A weapon attack, magic spell or object usage takes place in the Round it is selected. A skill becomes activated when selected, but you cannot also attack with a weapon or spell in the same Round. You can move to an empty combat position by clicking on the new position before making your combat action. The party leader has one other available action in a Round: Flee. If the flee attempt succeeds, the whole party eludes the enemy and the combat ends. To cast a spell or activate a skill, click on the Book or Hammer icon with the LEFT mouse button. Then click on the spell or skill with the LEFT mouse button to cast/activate it. You will be prompted if you must target the spell/skill. Move the white cross-hairs to the picture of the intended target and click the LEFT mouse button. You will be alerted when you have completed your action for the round. Once all party members have prepared their actions for the Round, the combat begins. All actions by both sides are then resolved by Initiative level, with the highest level character/enemy going first and the rest going in descending order until all actions are completed. The chat box describes what happens during the Round. Many monsters in the dungeon carry booty. If you defeat the monsters, you will be shown what objects they had. You can move these objects into your inventory if you have room. CHALLENGE COMBAT In Twinion, Challenge combat does not exist. There is no option for players to Challenge or be Challenged from other players at all. DEATH IN THE DUNGEON Inevitably, you will die at some time in the dungeon. If you are alone, your character is automatically saved and you are booted out of the dungeon to the main screen. You do not lose experience points when you die. You come back to life at full Health and Mana when you enter the top dungeon entrance; you will not be able to use the lower dungeon entrance after you die. If you die while in a party, you are not kicked out of the dungeon. Instead, you remain with the party until they split up, you leave the party or you are revived. A Resuscitator revives a dead character of the appropriate Guild, and there is a magic spell that resuscitates dead characters. INVENTORY Your inventory consists of the items you wear (weapons, shield, etc.), your Inventory Items, and your Quest Items. You can have a maximum of 6 worn items and 20 items in your chest and purple bag. To learn the name of an object, click on it with the LEFT mouse button. If your inventory is full when you find another item you want to take, you must discard an item being worn by your character or from your inventory before you can take the new object. You can give items to other members of your party by dragging them onto the players picture, or discard them by placing them in the trash can. You have a temporary Holding spot between your character's feet. When another player gives you an item, it appears in this box. You can then move it into the chest or onto your character. You cannot receive another item until you move the first object out of the Holding spot. Many monsters carry booty or guard treasure. If you defeat monsters carrying booty, you will see what items they left behind after the combat ends. Booty appears in five boxes under your normal Inventory Items. You can drag booty items into your inventory or bag, or give them to other players. You may need to discard items in your inventory before taking booty. When you CLOSE the inventory screen, any excess booty is discarded. *************************************************************** Appendix I: THE RACES ON TWINION Eight intelligent races coexist on the island of Twinion. Each race has slightly different beginning character attributes. Humans Humans are first cousins to orcs. Humans have average attack and defense strengths, and they initially have less magic ability than most other races. Humans are arguably the most adaptive people on Twinion, and they can be found working farms, running shops, and venturing deep inside the dungeon. Some humans prefer a solitary existence, but most are social and enjoy mixing with all other races and Guilds. Humans are the standard by which other races evaluate their abilities. Orcs Orcs are first cousins of humans. Orcs, being slightly taller and heavier boned, are stronger than their human cousins and can endure more punishment in combat. While they have age-old experience with the workings of magic, their bulkiness often makes them sitting ducks when attacked by offensive magic. Continued slurs against them have made most orcs taciturn and wary of other peoples - except gremlins, to whom they show remarkable affability. Elves Elves are first cousins of trolls. They tend to be tall and thin, and therefore are less robust in physical combat. They are adept at magic and know well how to defend against magical attacks. Their love of nature and the outdoors makes them natural Rangers, and they usually prefer bows to heavy hand weapons. Though they tend to prefer their own kind, they will work with all other races. The legends about the mutual dislike between dwarfs and elves are somewhat overstated. Trolls Trolls are first cousins of elves, and there is a certain loathing between these cousins. Trolls are as tall as elves, but they are hardier and prefer hand weapons to bows. They are not as proficient in magic as elves, but they are slightly better at it than most humans. Where elves prefer the outdoors, trolls prefer the darkness of caves. Many can be found in the Twinion dungeon. Many unkind jokes have been made about troll intelligence, and trolls bear such impudent humor with remarkable patience. Dwarfs Dwarfs are first cousins of gnomes. Though shorter than humans, they are much, much stronger and they make excellent fighters. They prefer heavy hammers and delight in smashing their enemies flat. Except as Wizards, for which they are renowned, most dwarfs have only average magic ability, and, like orcs, their stockiness makes them more ready targets in magic attacks. Most dwarfs in Twinion have given up their legendary metalworking to settle in as soldiers and adventurers. Their gruff sense of humor is usually, but not always, appreciated by the varied citizens of Twinion. Gnomes Gnomes are first cousins of dwarfs. They are smaller than their cousins, but they brag that they are still heads above the halflings. They are not quite as robust as dwarfs, but they are stronger than humans. Gnomes are perhaps the most serious of the peoples on Twinion, and many have gained great repute as Clerics and Wizards. Gnomes are considered somewhat enigmatic by many, perhaps because they use so many ancient gnomish adages and poetic references in their speech. Their pride makes them seem aloof, but they have repeatedly proven their loyalty in times of danger. Halflings Halflings are first cousins of gremlins. Their diminutive size has put them at a distinct disadvantage among the larger, stronger races on Twinion. What they lack in strength, however, they more than make up for in cunning, and some of the most notorious Thieves in Twinion history were halflings. They have an excellent sense of humor and are as ready to make fun of themselves as they are of anyone else. Most halflings sing very well, and their ability to spin interesting yarns has made them very popular among parties venturing into the menacing dungeon. Gremlins Gremlins are first cousins of halflings. As the smallest race on Twinion, they at first appear to be natural victims for bullies, but bullies soon learn the sting of gremlin magic and leave them alone. Gremlins are often found in the company of orcs; indeed, gremlin magic and orc arms make for a powerful fighting unit. A certain amount of coaxing may cause a gremlin to talk about his people, but they are, as a rule, tight-lipped about themselves. They are without doubt the most secretive of the peoples on Twinion. *************************************************************** Appendix II: THE GUILDS The Guild indicates the career your character will follow in the game. Each Guild offers different initial skills and magic spells. As you progress in levels, you will acquire spells and skills suited to your particular guild. Not all Guilds get all of the spells and skills. The spells and skills you acquire are more suited to your specific Guild, so choose wisely! Barbarian Guild Barbarians are known for their great strength and combat abilities. Their ability to absorb damage makes them ideal for front-line duty in combat. They are experts with clubs and axes, and they prefer light armor and shields that do not restrict their cutting motions. Having favored athletic conditioning over academics, they are slow to learn magic. However, they are single-minded in their pursuit of enemies, and they are sometimes known to lapse into berserker mode, during which they inflict extreme physical damage on an enemy while disregarding injury they sustain. Knight Guild Knights are well-rounded fighters and fair magic casters. While not as strong as barbarians, they have the staying power to hold a front line position in combat. Knights are particularly efficient with swords, and their overall strength and well- proportioned physiques allow them to use all types of armor. Their command of military tactics makes them excellent leaders, and they often direct orders to their comrades while whacking away at an enemy. Their ability to bind minor wounds during combat is of immense benefit. The most renowned knights, just by appearing on the battlefield, have been known to intimidate their enemies into turning tail and fleeing. Ranger Guild Rangers, while renowned for their archery, can wield an impressive array of weapons. While their years of survival in the wilderness have given them the stamina to withstand hand- to-hand combat, they much prefer to stay in the back row to fire their bows, and they wear lighter armor that does not impede their firepower. They have an excellent command of magic, ranking just behind clerics and wizards in power. Their outdoors training has taught them to read tracks and so detect the presence of lurking beasts and ambushers. A skilled ranger can weave in and out of battle easily and will often deliver a telling blow to an enemy who thinks himself safely out of harm's reach. Thief Guild Thieves have earned a reputation for treachery and deceit among town folk, and, indeed, their abilities to adeptly pick locks and pockets makes them dubious social companions. However, these same skills, along with their uncanny ability to detect traps and secret doors, make thieves invaluable allies in the treacherous corridors of the dungeon. They are not the best of physical fighters, and the light armor they favor cannot absorb much damage. To offset these disadvantages, thieves usually learn many defense spells early on. They rise quickly in abilities, but then taper off at higher levels. To offset the negative image of thieves, their Guild has encouraged its members to acquire the fine arts of the bard, fully knowing that music weaves its own magic by lulling the enemy and distracting them during combat. Cleric Guild Clerics are well-beloved magic casters, generally using their spells and skills to cure the sick and weak. While they are by nature defensive in their use of magic, they can be ferocious combatants when aroused, and can wield their weapons most effectively. A favored few are instructed in the martial arts, and learn to manipulate exotic weapons of far lands most viciously. The sanctity of their profession offers two distinct advantages in combat. Their numinous nature handily deflects low-order magic, and their pious meditation allows them to fall into a light reverie in the midst of combat and regain Mana. Wizard Guild Wizards are the masters of magic in all its forms. They quickly grasp the essence of all types of spells and quickly grow proficient in casting them. However, since they nurture intelligence before physicality, they prove rather poor fighters. Still a wizard is not welcomed into the Guild until he or she exhibits above average competence with the quarterstaff and the endurance to withstand considerable physical abuse. The concentration acquired by learning to withstand punishment allows a wizard to channel mana more efficiently when casting and to fall into a deep trance during combat so as to restore lost Mana. Many of the secrets of the dungeon have been revealed to wizards who studied the arcane lore of the runes, which were used by ancient peoples in their messages. *************************************************************** Appendix III: ALIGNMENTS Alignments represent basic philosophies of life. Your alignment can affect your association with fellow players and has occasional implications on items you can acquire and use. Harmony Those who follow the way of Harmony believe in the basic order and stability of the universe. They view the deities as benevolent and wise and all peoples as honest and virtuous. They recognize the role of evil in life and are dedicated to removing it - or at least to minimizing its effects on peoples' lives. Those who are one with Harmony are usually unpretentious and very generous by nature. Chaos Those who follow the way of Chaos believe the universe is basically inchoate and incapable of being understood by mere mortals. They view the deities as aloof and indifferent and all other people as self-centered and ungovernable. They know that those who believe that good will inevitably triumph are shortsighted, and while they do not intentionally act evil, they are accustomed to evil happening to them. Those who live by the code of Chaos are usually independent and forethoughtful. ************************************************************** Appendix IV: MAGIC SPELLS Magic spells fall into three categories. Attack spells (shown in red) damage the enemy. Some attack spells affect one enemy, some affect a group of enemies, and some affect all enemies. Defense spells (shown in green) offer protection from attack. Some defense spells protect one character and some protect your whole party. Modifier spells (show in blue) affect one character in your party. Spells are more aligned with what guild your player is in Twinion. With that, you must journey through the Queen's Proving Grounds and into the Night Elf Kingdom to find more magic for your character! Spells cost Mana to cast. Over time, your spells will become increasingly more powerful and will cost more Mana to cast. You will be warned if you do not have enough Mana to cast a spell. If you have no Mana, you cannot cast any spells. Note that spells cast on monsters and rogues that modify them or put debilitating states on them will last throughout a combat. These same spells when cast on other players in Challenge Combat have set durations; when the duration ends, the spell's effect ends. You may notice that, while modifier spells have longer durations at higher levels, defense spells have shorter durations at higher levels. The defense spells known to residents of Twinion at this point in time are far less effective than other spells know to the outside world. ATTACK SPELLS Backfire Backfire is used against one enemy magic caster. The spell may cause the enemy's next attack spell to be reduced in effectiveness or to rebound on the caster. As the spell increases in level, it becomes more likely to cause a backfire. Backfire is an expensive spell to cast, but it can severely reduce damage from magic. Make sure that the enemy you select uses magic, or the spell will be wasted. Blast Blast is used against one enemy. It creates a powerful explosion that causes extensive damage to the target. As the spell increases in level, it causes more damage. Blast is an expensive spell to cast. Control Control temporarily changes the allegiance of the enemy to your side and causes them to attack their former allies. As the spell increases in level, it controls more enemies for a longer time. At levels 1 to 6, it affects one enemy. At levels 7 to 11, it affects one group of enemies. At level 12, it affects all the enemy. Control is an expensive spell to cast, especially at its highest level, but it can give you time to heal yourself while the enemy fight among themselves. Curse Curse is used against one group of enemies. It temporarily reduces the enemies' physical combat capabilities and the damage they cause. It does not affect enemies casting magic. As the spell increases in level, it makes the enemy even less effective for a longer time. Curse is moderately expensive to cast, but it can turn even the most powerful enemies into weaklings. Death Darts Death Darts attack all enemies. A barrage of barbed missiles cause massive damage to all opponents. As the spell increases in level, it causes more damage. Death Darts are very expensive to cast. Dissipate Dissipate attacks one group of ghosts or undead. It causes damage to the dead enemies and is particularly useful against those undead that are difficult to hit with weapons. As the spell increases in level, it causes more damage, and starting a level 5, it prevents undead from paralyzing party members. Dissipate is inexpensive to cast. Fireball Fireball attacks one group of enemies. A ball of fire bounces back and forth among the enemy, causing great damage. As the spell increases in level, it causes much more damage. Fireball is very expensive to cast. Hail Hail attacks all enemies. A cloud appears above the enemy and pelters them with large hailstones, causing limited damage. As the spell increases in level, it causes moderately more damage. Hail is one of the least expensive spells, but the damage it causes is modest. Lightning Lightning attacks a single enemy. A flash of lightning strikes the enemy, doing moderate damage. As the spell increases in level, it does moderately more damage. Lightning is inexpensive to cast, but the damage it causes is modest. Petrify Petrify temporarily turns one enemy to stone for a short time. While petrified, the enemy is unable to attack. As the spell increases in level, it petrifies enemies for a longer time. Petrify is inexpensive to cast. Poison Cloud Poison Cloud attacks one group of enemies. A venomous cloud envelops the group and does limited damage when it first poisons them. The poison continues to reduces the enemies' Health until it is removed. As the spell increases in level, it causes more damage. Poison Cloud is moderately expensive to cast. Storm Wind Storm Wind attacks one group of enemies. Violent winds do moderate damage to the enemy. As the spell increases in level, it causes more damage. Storm Wind is inexpensive to cast, but the damage it causes is modest. DEFENSE SPELLS Aura Aura defends all members of your party. A glowing sphere encases your party, temporarily absorbing damage from magic attacks and improving your Agility. As the spell increases in level, it absorbs more damage. Aura is inexpensive to cast. Energy Field Energy Field defends all members of your party. The field surrounds your party and absorbs damage from physical attacks. As the spell increases in level, it absorbs more damage. Energy Field is moderately expensive to cast. Shield Shield defends one member of your party. The magic shield appears in front of the party member and absorbs some damage from physical attacks. As the spell increases in level, it absorbs more damage. Shield is inexpensive to cast. Light Shroud Light Shroud defends all members of your party. A shroud of pure light forms around your party and absorbs physical damage from ghost and undead attacks. As the spell increases in level, it absorbs more damage for a longer time and prevents the undead from inflicting such physically draining effects as poison and paralysis. Light Shroud is inexpensive to cast. MODIFIER SPELLS Bless Bless affects one member of your party. The benediction temporarily increases the party member's effectiveness in combat. As the spell increases in level, it increasingly enhances the member's Attributes for a longer time. Bless is moderately expensive to cast. Cure Cure affects one member of your party. It removes such debilitating effects as poison, paralysis, and petrification. As the spell gains in level, the chance of removing debilitating states increases in likelihood. Cure is inexpensive to cast. Heal Heal affects one member of your party. It restores Health to the party member. As the spell increases in level, it restores more Health. At low levels, the spell is inexpensive to cast, but it becomes very expensive, and powerful, at higher levels. Refresh Refresh restores Health to all members of your party. It is not as effective as the Heal spell, but it can be very useful during combat when all party members are weak. Refresh is an expensive spell to cast. Resist Resist affects one member of your party. It temporarily enhances the member's resistance to enemy magic by reducing damage and increasing Agility. As the spell increases in level, it lasts longer, decreasing more damage from magic attacks and making the member more capable of resisting a spell. Resist is moderately expensive to cast. Teleport Teleport allows your party a chance to leave the dungeon. It can be cast only when your party is not in combat. Teleport is expensive to cast at lower levels, but becomes very inexpensive at higher levels. If you teleport out of the dungeon, you can re-enter the dungeon at the point where you left, IF you use the LOWER dungeon entrance. Resuscitate Resuscitate affects one member of your party. It restores a dead party member to life with reduced Health and limited Mana. As the spell increases in level, it restores more Health and Mana to the revived party member. Resuscitate is one of the most expensive spell to cast. True Seeing True Seeing affects one member of your party. It allows the receiver to detect items of interest in the dungeon, which are shown on the small overhead map. The spell lasts until the party moves. As the spell increases in level, the radius of detection expands in all directions. True Seeing is inexpensive to cast. *************************************************************** Appendix V: SKILLS Each Guild has four unique skills associated with it. You acquire these Guild skills automatically as you rise in Experience Level. And if you are lucky, you may acquire other skills in the dungeon. Barbarian Guild skills are shown in brown. Knight Guild skills are shown in yellow. Ranger Guild skills are shown in green. Thief Guild skills are shown in red. Cleric Guild skills are shown in blue. Wizard Guild skills are shown in purple. Skills either work automatically or must be used. Skills that work automatically - such as weapon skills - are shown in a darker tint of the Guild color. These skills take effect immediately once they are acquired. Some of these automatic skills are effective only when you are the leader of a party. Others take effect only if you are using an appropriate weapon type. Skills that must be used are shown in a lighter tint of the Guild color. You must actively select such a skill to make it work. During combat, it takes one Round to select a skill. BARBARIAN GUILD SKILLS Athletics Athletics are a basic part of the Barbarian Guild's training and include proficiency in boxing, wrestling, and gymnastics. They improve Agility and Initiative. This skill is automatic and takes effect as soon as it is learned. Clubs/Axes Clubs/Axes are the weapons of choice for the Barbarian Guild. A person with this skill has increased Strength and does more damage when wielding an club or axe. This skill is automatic and takes effect when you are armed with the appropriate weapon during combat. Berserker Berserker is a form of madness that is encouraged by the Barbarian Guild. A fighter becomes increasingly more destructive in physical combat when this madness is invoked. However, there is a tradeoff, for the berserker is less concerned about defending his/her person and takes more damage from physical attacks. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. Pursuit Pursuit is the ability to deter enemies from fleeing from a combat. As a barbarian becomes a better warrior, he/she has a better chance of preventing the enemy from escaping. This skill must be selected and can only be used during combat. KNIGHT GUILD SKILLS Leadership Leadership is one of the basic requirements for a knight. When leading a party, a knight can give combat orders to his/her allies and make them attack more efficiently. It increases the Strength, Defense and Initiative of all party members. This skill must be selected and affects all party members in combat when the leader uses this skill. Fencing Fencing is taught to all knights because the sword is the preferred weapon of the Guild. A person with this skill has increased Strength and does more damage when brandishing a blade weapon. This skill is automatic and takes effect when you are armed with the appropriate weapon during combat. Binding Binding is the ability to heal minor wounds by using whatever items and herbs that are at hand during combat. It restores a limited amount of Health to one party member. This skill must be used, and the target of the healing must be selected. It can be used only when a party is in combat. Intimidate Intimidate is the fame acquired by a knight for his/her many feats of chivalry. The fame of a knight is known to intimidate all opponents, causing them to attack more slowly and to flee more readily. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. RANGER GUILD SKILLS Archery Archery is taught to all rangers because the bow is the preferred weapon of the Guild. A person with this skill has increased Strength and does more damage when using a bow. This skill is automatic and takes effect when you are armed with the appropriate weapon during combat. Stamina Stamina is demanded by the Ranger Guild for all its members, because life in the wilderness can be so fatiguing. It reduces the amount of damage taken during physical combat. This skill is automatic and takes effect as soon as it is acquired. Furtiveness Furtiveness is the ability to weave in and out of combat, so as to attack all the enemy, wherever they are in a battle order. This skill allows a person to attack the enemy in the back row, and it increases the person's Strength and damage done by such attacks. This skill must be select and can be used only during combat. Read Tracks Read Tracks is the ability to detect the presence of potential opponents in the dungeon by studying their spoor. The more proficient a person is with this skill, the further away the opponents can be detected. This skill must be selected and it is used outside of battle. THIEF GUILD SKILLS Bard Bard is the ability to sing enchanting songs in the midst of battle. The strange music often throws one group of enemies into confusion, making them slower to attack and more willing to flee. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. Detect Detect is the ability to find traps before they go off and to locate secret doors. As a person grows more proficient in this skill, he or she is more likely to spot such traps and doors. This skill must be selected, and it is used only outside of combat. Lockpick Lockpick is the ability to open stubborn locks. As a person grows more proficient in this skill, he or she becomes more adept at opening locked doors. This skill must be selected, and it is used only outside of combat. Pickpocket Pickpocket is the ability to steal an item from an opponent even in the thick of battle. As a person grows more proficient in this skill, he or she is more likely to take an item. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. CLERIC GUILD SKILLS Martial Arts Martial Arts are a basic part of the Cleric Guild's training and include proficiency with exotic weapons from far lands. A person with this skill has improved Strength and does more damage when using a katana or nunchuka. This skill is automatic and takes effect when you are armed with the appropriate weapon during combat. Deflect Magic Deflect Magic is the ability to turn away incoming attack spells. It reduces damage from magic attacks and increases a person's Agility. At levels 1 to 6, it affects one member of your party. At levels 7 to 12,it affects your entire party. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. Medic Medic is the skill of healing taught to all clerics. It removes debilitating states - poison, paralysis, and the like - from a party member either during or after combat. This skill must be selected, and the target of the healing must be selected. Reverie Reverie is the ability to momentarily withdraw into oneself so as to draw in Mana from the surroundings. The amount of Mana restored is limited, but it can be a lifesaver during battle. Using this skill lowers the person's Initiative for the rest of the combat. This skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. WIZARD GUILD SKILLS Rune Reading Rune Reading is the ability to translate the ancient mystic symbols found in the dungeon. As a person grows more proficient in this skill, he or she can automatically translate more runes. This skill must be selected, and it is used only outside of combat. Staff Staff is weapon skill taught to all wizards because staffs are the preferred weapon of the Guild. A person with this skill has increased Strength and does more damage when using a staff. This skill is automatic and takes effect when you are armed with the appropriate weapon during combat. Channel Channel is the ability to focus one's use of Mana in combat, making magic attacks more powerful against one enemy. It both increases the amount of damage done and reduces the ability of the enemy to resist a spell. The skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. Deep Trance Deep Trance is the ability to fall into a reverie during the heat of battle so as to draw in Mana from the surroundings. The amount of Mana restored is rather limited. The skill must be selected and can be used only during combat. *************************************************************** Appendix VI: A SHORT HISTORY OF TWINION Chapter I: The Shadow of Yserbius Centuries ago, Twinion was a thriving and prosperous port city, ruled by the human Galabryan dynasty. The Galabryan kings welcomed all races and Guilds to the island, and the people lived in peace under the benevolent protection of the court. A great and ancient wizard, Arnakkian Slowfoot, was lured by the Galabryan kings to the island. In exchange for his use of magic to benefit the royal line, Arnakkian was offered a great castle near the sea. At first, all was well and Twinion flourished and gained world renown. Then the evils began. Strange, misshapen beasts were spotted on the island and it became dangerous to wander outside the city after nightfall. Arnakkian began recruiting his own troops from among the distant Snow Elves and soon had an elite palace guard who frequently clashed with the king's soldiers. The good king Leowyn Galabryan was assassinated and his weak- minded son Theowayen became king. The wizard Arnakkian soon gained complete control over the profligate Theowayen and became the real ruler of the island in all but name. Twinion might have disappeared from the annals of history under the cruel reign of Theowayen and Arnakkian, but nature intervened. No one knows quite what happened that fateful night, but the legend says that Arnakkian's eldritch magics caused the volcano eruption that almost engulfed Twinion in lava. The wizard's relentless search for immortality, it is said, led him to test the preternatural powers of the Elementals. On the night of the catastrophe, Arnakkian threw a great feast, inviting all the most important citizens of the island to his castle. He enchanted his guests with intriguing games (for the wizard had a passion for such intellectual challenges) and with magic feats. His boast was that he had defeated Time itself and was about to become immortal. No one knows quite what happened that night because no guest returned to report what happened. It is rumored that Arnakkian had trapped an Elemental and tried to force it to obey his will. Somehow the Elemental broke free and unleashed fountains of hot magma, burying Arnakkian's palace and in the process almost destroying the rest of Twinion. Twinion might have sunk into oblivion had it not been for the last of the Galabryan kings, Cleowyn the Cruel. Cleowyn had visions of restoring the island to its glory and set about investigating the secrets of the great volcano. He recruited the "earth wise" Dwarfs to mine the riches of gold, silver and jewels in the volcano, and he had them carve out a palace for himself in the top section of the volcano. As his personal riches grew, so too did Cleowyn's paranoia and cruelty. He distrusted all peoples and filled his palace with pitfalls and traps to catch any intruders. He tortured people relentlessly as he tried to worm out the last bits of information he could learn about Arnakkian. One night, Cleowyn's wail of despair was heard across the island, and the people rushed to the palace to see what had happened. It was empty. The king, his court, his guards, the Dwarf miners, and his prisoners were all gone. Some say Cleowyn had managed to open a passage to the buried remains of Arnakkian's castle and had unleashed the dead spirit of the wizard or perhaps even the Elemental. Rumors of the vast riches accumulated by Cleowyn and the arcane magics of Arnakkian lure the natives of Twinion to try their luck in unraveling the secrets of the volcano. Few return from the quest alive. Most die in the convoluted mazes of the volcano and some... Well, the islanders say, some have managed to survive the rigors of the volcano and are never seen again. Where these few wind up nobody knows. *************************************************************** Chapter II: The Fates of Twinion Eventually, Heroes of Yserbius reached the depths of the volcano and conquered the evil time Elemental En-Li-Kil. This ended the vile writhing volcano's fury, and allowed adventurers ways to new explorations. Time passed quickly after En-Li-Kil's demise. Many of Twinion's inhabitants still traversed the dungeons of Yserbius, searching for some way off the isolated island. One day, in a flash of magic, a sorceress appeared in the midst of the townspeople. So was marked the return of Aeowyn, daughter and sole offspring of the late King Cleowyn, who had come to reclaim the Galabryan throne. Long had she been away from Twinion, off on distant mainlands learning arcane magics and arts. She had returned only to find her father's tomb, and the volcano Yserbius dominating the islanders beliefs and fears. After being told the history of Twinion in her absence, the death of her father, the battle of En-Li-Kil and Arnakkian, and En-Li-Kil's ultimate destruction, she felt a certain responsibility for the inhabitants woes. It was then that she proclaimed herself Queen Aeowyn of Twinion, and began using her powers to build her own palace alongside her father's in the great volcano. During her magical enchantments to carve out this palace, Aeowyn uncovered two ancient scrolls signed by Arnakkian Slowfoot on which he recorded his experiments and his search for immortality. The scrolls detailed his efforts in trapping the Time Elemental, En-Li-Kil, and how he tortured the Elemental into revealing secret ways into the lower depths under Twinion. There were mentions in the scrolls of how En-Li-Kil was servant for the Dralkarians, five guardians who protect a magical gateway -- described as the Portal of Time -- deep under Twinion. The last entry on the scrolls revealed Arnakkian's proud claim that he had found a way into this area. Unfortunately, the wizard never enjoyed his success, for the Dralkarians freed En-Li-Kil from his bonds to wreak havoc and revenge upon his captor and all those who dared seek this mystic Portal. From these scrolls, Aeowyn learned that Yserbius was merely the pinnacle of a great underground maze leading to the gateway which opened a multiverse of dimensions. Aeowyn's own searches led her through an elaborate system of dungeons and labyrinths that none had known existed. During her explorations she encountered an ancient race of elves who dwelled in these dark places of the earth. From them, she came to understand the full meaning of Arnakkian's scrolls and the immense power she could acquire. These dark elves, who Aeowyn came to know as the Night Elves, warned her that any would-be heroes, even those who had dared to destroy En-Li-Kil, would suffer dire consequences if they attempted to face the Dralkarians. The eldest leaders of the dark elves told Aeowyn about the many traps and evil monsters that had been set up to keep outsiders away from the Portal far below. These Night Elves imparted some of their ancient prophecies and beliefs to Aeowyn, which she was able to piece together as the method for getting past the Dralkarians and reaching the Portal of Time. To acquire possession of the Portal of Time, Aeowyn designed areas inside Yserbius where she could test new adventurers and find the Champions who would, unknowingly, help her. Aeowyn sent out a charter requesting any who sought adventure to come and face her tests. Those who pass her tests, she said, will become her Champions and will be richly rewarded for their services. Who knows what reward awaits the Champions if they succeed... ***************************************************************