PCPP Game Guide 2/PCPP_GG2.iso/PCPP/strategy/obitus.txt

Text File | 1998-06-02 | 35KB | 721 lines

                        Obitus Complete Documentation

                                  OBITUS
                                  ~~~~~~
Obitus is a gripping combination of RPG and arcade action.  It places you in
the role of Wil Mason as he finds himself mysteriously transported to
Middlemere: a world of knights, trolls, dungeons, castles, wizards,
princesses... and death.  This world, although not his own, is disturbingly
familiar, and it is one from which he must escape.

As Mason explores the four shires of Middlemere, he interacts with indigenous
characters and objects in an effort to discover where he is and how he can
get out.

THE LAND THAT TIME REMEMBERED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Middlemere was a prosperous land.  It thrived under the rule of King
Cirkassia, its people were happy and everything in the garden seemed rosy.
But even though the king was pleased with his empire and for his subjects, he
was not a happy man.  He craved children; an heir to his throne, someone to
watch over the kingdom he had so proudly built and skilfully cultivated.
Unfortunately, he coveted a son so badly that it was to be the undoing of his
prosperous dynasty:

Deep in the bowels of Castle Drakehurst, DomaKk the dark wizard worked his
wicked ways.  He hated to see a thriving land and so plotted to bring King
Cirkassia's domain crashing down.  The news that the king craved children
was just the opportunity DomaKk had been waiting for.  He visited the
king in the guise of a human being and most loyal subject, and, spouting
incantations around the throneroom, promised Cirkassia a wife and heirs.  The
king was dubious but at the same time joyfully expectant.  DomaKk kept his
wicked word and he 'fashioned' a romantic encounter for the king.  The ensuing
marriage was a spectacular affair the like of which Middlemere had never seen
before.

Cirkassia became the proud father of four sons.  However, as the boys grew,
the envious trait evoked into them by DomaKk grew also.  They learned to
hate one another.  In fact they detested each other so much that when
eventually the king passed away the brothers began warring for possession of
the land.  None gained from the conflict and Middlemere was torn asunder,
poverty and degradation was the result.  The war continued for years, there
seemed no end in sight.  Meanwhile, DomaKk smiled and left for another
temporal plane in which to cause havoc.

Then, one day, as if by magic, a strange contraption appeared in the exact
centre of Middlemere.  Dread of the strange machine quickly spread and the
four warloards cowered in their castles for fear of retribution.  But nothing
happened, the machine merely existed.  Eventually the more learned of the
land realized the machine was no threat, in fact the warlords themselves saw
the potential in it.

Individually the four brothers visited the machine and took parts of it away.
Each now in possession of a section of the machine, they discovered that
ruling became easier as their subjects were so afraid of the strange
contraption: those who held it, held power.

Soon the warring ceased and a truce was signed.  The remains of the machine
were securely stored and the lords divided Middlemere equally into four
shires.  They were suddenly and strangely content to rule one quarter of the
land each, although the shires remained heavily patrolled... just in case.

A RAINY NIGHT IN MIDDLEMERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wil Mason cruises safely through the winding roads of Middlemere towards
home.  Night driving in the country is so much easier than in suburbia.
Street lights dazzle and neons give him a headache, out here there's nothing
to worry about but foxes and the odd nocturnal farmer.

This rain doesn't help much though.  He tries to remember the last time it
was so heavy.  His first and last holiday in Snowdonia probably, it's always
chucking it down there.

His Volvo Estate is built for safety.  Perhaps it is this sense of security
together with his deep thoughts and the poor visibility that Wil fails to
notice the branch in the road until the last minute.  Snapping out of his
musings, Wil overreacts and swerves madly to avoid hitting the branch... he
succeeds and careens into a ditch.

Slightly stunned, Mason quells a burst of anger as he attempts to restart
his seemingly undamaged vehicle and fails.  For some minutes he continues to
turn the key only to hear a progressively less healthy battery struggling to
bring the engine to life.

Accepting the inevitable, Wil grabs his mac from the back seat and struggles
to put it on.  Slapping his hat on his head he leaves the relative comfort of
his car to face the now torrential rain.

Knowing much of things historic and nothing of mechanics, Wil doesn't even
consider opening the bonnet but instead heads off in to the darkness to find
help.  Spending the night in his car does not appeal.

Wil splashes along the road for some twenty minutes.  There is no sign of
life, no sound but for the wind and rain.  Then, off the road to his left he
sees a flickering light.  Scrambling over the fence he heads towards it.
Strangely the light gets no nearer.  Cold and wet, Wil considers turning back
for the road when he comes across a crumbling structure.

Curiosity takes him closer.  The building is a tower, a very old one that,
due to decay, has lost some of its height.  Four doors lead in to the tower,
one of which is ajar.  Wil enters.

Closing the door behind him Wil finds himself in a surprisingly cosy,
circular room with, thankfully, a watertight ceiling.

Removing his sodden mac, he sits on the dry floor and assesses his
situation.  The sound of the wind and the rain is pleasant from within the
sanctuary of the tower... a wave of tiredness flows over Wil.  Sleep soon
follows.

He wakes to the sound of birds.  The rain has stopped.  Looking around he is
surprised to find his mac... gone!  In fact his whole attire has changed.  His
surroundings look the same, a little cleaner perhaps and the four doors look
less worm ridden, but he's definitely still in the same tower.  An attempt to
open the doors confirms his worst fears: all four are jammed... or locked!

Puzzlement, concern then panic washes over Wil as he shouts at the tower and
attacks the four doors in an attempt to escape.  Eventually, worn out, he
sits and thinks... sleep comes again.

Wil has no idea how long he slept but he wakes with a resolve to discover
what's happened to him, where he is and how he can get home.  The first thing
to do is get out of this damn tower...

Is that a key on the floor?

INSTRUCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE GAME
~~~~~~~~
You are Wil Mason.  Your objective is to learn of your whereabouts, discover a
way through Middlemere and find your way home.  It won't be easy - but with a
little effort you should (eventually) achieve success.  Good luck!

AN INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLEMERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The world of Middlemere is a strange and frightening place - but if you're
planning to get out alive, you'll have to become familiar with its ways.  The
first thing to remember is that you're in charge.  Wherever you go, whoever
you meet, you're the one who decides what happens next.  Interaction with the
characters and objects on screen is the key - as long as you're prepared to
take the time to explore this world thoroughly and scrutinize everything you
find, you shouldn't have any difficulties.  Remember to take it slowly - if
you rush about you might miss something vital early on and that could
jeopardize your chances in the future.  Should you encounter any friendly-
looking locals along the way, don't be too proud to simply stop and have a
chat...

THE SCENARIOS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you make your way through the land of Middlemere, you'll encounter three
different types of scenario (see below), each of which needs to be tackled in
a slightly different way.  If at any time you're unsure about what to do next,
don't panic - simply consult the appropriate section in the guide.  It
contains all the information you need.

MAZE SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The game has many maze sections which utilise incredibly smooth
forward-scrolling techniques to portray your first-person-perspective
movement.  Items and characters encountered in these sections are interacted
with via the icons at the base of the screen.

PARALLAX SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You run left or right across amazingly detailed parallax screens, shooting -
with selected weapon - or avoiding adversaries bent on preventing your
progress.  Beware, for they conceal themselves.

INTERIOR SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A combination of the above two sections, Interiors enable you to explore
castles, abbeys and churches during your quest for escape.  Interaction with
characters is possible either via the icons at the base of the screen or by
using whatever you're currently carrying.

For more information about playing each of these sections, consult the
instructions below.

MAZE SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are places you'll have to use all your initiative: dark forests,
sinister mines and gloomy dungeons.  Look where you're going, try to keep a
record of your movements and investigate everything and everyone you see.  If
you're thorough, you're bound to reap the benefits.

THE MAIN SCREEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MAIN WINDOW
~~~~~~~~~~~
Exploration, mystery, battle, conversation - this is where all the real
action occurs, and the main window shows it all as it happens from your
personal viewpoint.  To interact with the characters and objects it displays,
simply click on them using the mouse.

LOWER WINDOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the part of the screen which provides all the most essential
information (including your inventory and compass) and from which most of
your actions are controlled.

COMMAND ICONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are the controls which enable you to specify how you want to interact
with people and items on the screen.  To performs a command, simply click on
the appropriate icon using the ahdn-shaped pointer controlled by the mouse.

EAT:  To maintain your levels of personal energy, you'll need a steady supply
of food.  Make sure the item you wish to consume is in the inventory window,
click on EAT, then on the food.

PICK:  Enables you to collect items from the ground.  Click first on the icon,
then on the object in the main window you wish to pick up.  The item is
automatically added to your inventory.

DROP:  Allows you to drop any objects in your possession on the main screen.
Scroll through your inventory until the object is displayed in the inventory
window, click on DROP, then on the area of the screen in which you wish the
object to be placed.

TALK:  Middlemere is full of characters ready and willing to give useful
advice.  Click once on the TALK icon, then on the person with whom you wish to
speak.  If he or she has anything to say, it will be displayed in the lower
window.

USE:  Frequently you'll find a use for one of the items in your inventory.
Scroll through the inventory using the scroll arrows until the object is
displayed in the inventory window.  Select USE, then click on the area of the
main screen you want the item to affect.  (eg:  To unlock a door, scroll
through the inventory until the relevant key is displayed.  Select USE, then
click on the door.  It opens automatically.)

SLEEP:  Sleeping is one way of boosting your health and energy.  To rest,
click once on the SLEEP icon.  Like most people though, you can only actually
get to sleep when you're tired enough.

INFO:  To get more information on a particular item it needs to be in your
inventory.  Bring it up in the inventory window, then click on INFO.  A
detailed item description will be displayed.  (For further details see the
selection entitled THE INVENTORY.)

PAUSE:  Pauses the game.

DISK:  Enables you to save and load a game in progress (for more information
see the section entitled SAVING AND LOADING).

THE COMPASS
~~~~~~~~~~~
The compass is the means by which you move about the world of Middlemere.
Clicking on the four compass directions allows you to turn left and right,
walk forwards or backwards.  The direction in which you're facing is always
highlighted in red.

WALKING AROUND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on North to walk forwards and South to walk backwards.  As long as
there's a path to walk along, you'll see the scenery change as you go by.

JUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~
The background of the compass is highlighted whenever there's a junction or
several paths cross.  This is the only time at which you can turn round to
the left or right by clicking on the east and west icons.  By clicking
continuously on either E or W you'll get a full overview of the crossroads
in eight compass directions.  To follow a fresh path, simply make sure
you're facing in the direction you want to go and click on N.

ADVENTURER ICON
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You'll notice at the beginning of the game that there is a small figure
positioned at the centre of the compass.  This icon represents you.  It shows
the direction in which you're facing and represents your distance away from
the nearest crossroads.  Whenever the figure is at the centre of the compass
you're standing at a junction of the ways.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COMPASS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's easy to get lost in Middlemere's mazes - everywhere you go things look
pretty much the same and it's hard to keep track of where you've been.  This
is especially confusing at a junction - once you start twisting round and
examining the exits it's easy to forget from which direction you came.  To
a void this, make a mental note of your initial position whenever you hit
a new crossroads - that way you can at least be sure you won't inadvertently
retrace your steps.  Better still, don't just rely on your memory - draw a
map.

THE INVENTORY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The inhabitants of Middlemere are a careless lot.  They've left dozens of
useful objects lying around on the ground which any self-respecting adventurer
would be glad to place in his inventory: gems, torches, weapons, arrows,
daggers, riches, talismans, chalices, spells, GemStones, keys, food and
strength potions abound.

THE INVENTORY WINDOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The inventory window displays the object you are currently using.  When you
first pick up an object it is automatically displayed in the inventory window
and whenever you want to DROP, EAT, or USE an item it needs to be shown in the
inventory window first.  To scroll through the items currently in your
possession click on the two arrow icons to the right of the window.  To view
all the items you're currently carrying click once on the INFO command icon
and once on the inventory window.

This displays all the items currently in your possession plus special
statistics about the object in the inventory window.  To find out about other
inventory items there's no need to return to the main game screen - simply
click once on the object icon in the inventory and the new stats will be
displayed.

OBJECT STATISTICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some information is more relevant to certain items than others.

Quantity - the number of identical items carried.  Particularly helpful when
keeping tabs on the number of arrows in a quiver or how many throwing daggers
you have left.

Weight - the weight of the individual item.  Carrying a lot of heavy objects
may affect your health and fatigue levels.

Total Weight - this only differs from the individual weight when you possess
two or more identical objects.

Value - the value of each individual item.  Useful for assessing the quality
of coins and jewels.

Total value - the combined value of all the objects of this type.

Nutrition - indicates which food contains most energy.

Mystic - some items have special magical qualities.  This rating gives an
indication of how powerful they are.

YOUR HEALTH
~~~~~~~~~~~
All that running around and exploring tends to wear down your energy -
especially if you happen to get injured on the way.  Check the Health
Indicator for a quick guide to your bodily well-being - the more red you
can see the better you feel.  If the red bar disappears, you're dead or
about to die.  For more information on your physical status click once
on the Health bar to access your personal stats screen.

PERSONAL HEALTH STATISTICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once you've click on the Health Meter, the lower screen slides away and is
replaced by the stats.  These detail your strength, your currently state of
fatigue and the weight of your inventory.  If you want to find out how you
really feel, this is the place to look.  Both your strength and fatigue bars
are affected by injury, how much you're carrying, and whether or not you've
recently had something to eat.

KEEPING HEALTHY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The best way to stay healthy is to avoid injury and to eat plenty of food.
If you're very weak, it may be a good idea to drop the heaviest items from
your inventory - you can always come back and collect them later when you've
recovered your strength.  If your fatigue bar is high (over 50%) it's a good
idea to get some sleep.

KEEPING TIME
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two other statistics displayed on the health screen are the current date
and time.  Luckily, life in Middlemere runs at a relatively slow pace so time
never actually runs out - but it's obvious that the faster you complete your
quest, the more you'll be held in general esteem.

COMBAT
~~~~~~
There are plenty of characters to meet in Obitus.  Stay in Middlemere long
enough and you'll encounter trolls, slaves, soldiers, knights, mages, wolves,
rogues, impalers and wizards.  They're not all friendly and frequently you
may find yourself getting into a fight.  There is no special combat mode in
the maze sections.  All battle is controlled using the inventory and the USE
icon.  If you want to shoot a knight, for example, you simply select your
quiver from the inventory, click on USE and once on his body.  It may take
more than a single shot before he dies - just keep on firing until he does.

THE PARALLAX SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the parallax journeys that take place between different locations in the
game, your view of the action changes.  You now control a sprite running
through a horizontally scrolling environment.  In these parts of Middlemere
your skill as a fighter will be challenged to the full - dodging missiles and
firing arrows are par for the course.  These sections are best tackled with a
keyboard or joystick.

THE MAIN SCREEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual, this is where the action is.  Wil runs from left to right, throwing
his weapons, jumping and crouching to avoid enemy attack.

WEAPON SELECTION SCREEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This shows the type and number of weapons you are currently carrying.  The
missile you are using at the moment is displayed to the right.  To switch
between weapons, pull down on your joystick and keep the fire button pressed.
On the keyboard press A and the spacebar.

HEALTH METER
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The red energy bar represents your state of health.  It decreases whenever
you take a direct hit.  When it reaches zero, you die.

INTERIOR SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The icon control system in the interior exploration section is identical to
the one used in the mazes.  Only the main action screen is different.  As in
the Parallax sections of the game, you can actually manoeuvre Wil around the
screen.  He can walk about exploring the rooms, avoid other characters, and
make his way through passages and doorways.  You can control this part of the
adventure directly using either the joystick or the keyboard, or with the
mouse using the compass at the base of the screen.  Since, in this case, they
give you greater flexibility and accuracy of movement, we recommend joystick
or keys.

ADVICE FOR NEW ADVENTURERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've never played a game like Obitus before, you may find yourself
wondering where to start.  Here are a few words of advice just in case you
ever find yourself well and truly lost.

* The most important thing to remember is that you're here to explore.
Middlemere is a place of danger and mystery but you won't discover its
secrets unless you seek them out.

* Pick up everything you see - you never know where you could be going
and the most unlikely items may come in useful later on.

* Keep a track of your movements.  If you think you're going round in
circles, take note of your compass directions and start to make a map.

* Keep an eye on your energy.  Rushing into combat when your health is very
low is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.  If you find yourself suffering a lot
under enemy attack it's not always advisable to stand and fight.  Running
could be a better option.

* Beware of the unexpected.  This is an adventure after all and all sorts of
surprises could be lurking in the bushes or hiding under the floors.

YOUR FIRST STEPS IN MIDDLEMERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're still unsure exactly how to start, this is a short walk-through for
the first few screens of Obitus.  If you've played any kind of adventure
before you shouldn't really need a guide and using it may spoil your fun -
read on only if you're genuinely stuck.

Wil Mason's quest begins in a round room with four closed doors.  On the
floor in front of your there's a key.  Get it using the command icon PICK,
and insert it using the command USE, in the north-west door.  If the key
doesn't fit, you're not trying the right door.  Keep turning around until
you're actually facing north-west.

When the door opens, elect to Proceed into Falcon Wood.  You look out on to a
dark, forbidding forest.  Turn once to the west and explore the path that
leads north-west.  Keep clicking N on the Compass until you reach a dead end.
Examining the ground and you'll find an apple.  When you pick it up it
automatically enters your inventory.  You can eat it if you like, using the
EAT command.

You can now explore, pick up objects, and use items from your inventory - and
that's really all you need to know.  Now all you've got to do is find your way
about - happy adventuring!

THE CONTROLS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obitus is very simple to control.  All the icons are manipulated by pointing
and clicking using the hand-shaped pointer that is controlled with the mouse.

All other controls are as follows:

MAZE SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keyboard:
~~~~~~~~~
Q - Walk Forward
A - Walk Backward
O - Turn Left
P - Turn Right
<spacebar> - Fire/Click
Cursor Keys (on the numeric keypad) control the Hand Icon.

Joystick:
~~~~~~~~~
                            Walk Forward
                                /\
                                ||
                                ||
                  Turn Left <===OO===> Turn Right
                                ||
                                ||
                           Walk Backward

Alternatively use the mouse to click on the relevant compass directions (see
COMPASS for more details).

PARALLAX SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joystick:
~~~~~~~~~
                               Jump
                         J Left /\ J Right
                             \\ || //
                              \\||//
                   Run Left <===OO===> Run Right
                                ||\
                                ||  \
                              Crouch  \
                                        \
                                         Button = Use Weapon

Joystick (with fire button):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Move Weapon-Select Left <===OO===> Move Weapon-Select Right
                                ||
                                ||
                           Weapon Select

Keyboard:
~~~~~~~~~
Q - Jump
O - Run Left
A - Crouch
P - Run Right
<spacebar> - Fire
A + <spacebar> - Weapon Select

INTERIOR SECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joystick:
~~~~~~~~~
                         Run Into Screen
                                /\
                                ||
                                ||
                   Run Left <===OO===> Run Right
                                ||\
                                ||  \
                   Run Out Of Screen  \
                                        \
                                         Button = Activate Weapon

Keyboard:
~~~~~~~~~
Q - Run Into Screen
O - Run Left
A - Run Out Of Screen
P - Run Right
<spacebar> - Fire/Click
Cursor Keys (on the numeric keypad) control the Hand Icon.

Function Keys:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
F1 - Activate eat icon
F2 - Activate sleep icon
F3 - Activate use icon
F4 - Activate pick icon
F5 - Activate disk icon
F6 - Activate drop icon
F7 - Activate talk icon
F8 - Activate pause icon
F9 - Activate info icon

The following keys (on the numeric pad) emulate your mouse buttons:
7 - Left Button
5 - Middle Button
9 - Right Button

SAVED GAMES
~~~~~~~~~~~
To save a game in progress or load a previously saved game, click on the Disk
icon and follow the on-screen instructions.  If you are saving a game for the
first time on to a floppy disk please ensure you have a blank formatted disk
in your drive.  If you are saving on to your hard drive, the program will
automatically save the game into the Obitus directory.

Please note that you may only save or load a game when the Disk icon is
available to you: i.e. Not during the Parallax Sections.

FALCONWOOD, THE START OF A LONG JOURNEY!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to Obitus!  I am Glyphyx your guide.  I will try to help you get
through Falconwood without harm.  Be warned, however, that I do not know
everything about the wood, and can travel with you no further than the edge
of Hobmoor!  Much of what I have to say may be of general assistance
throughout your adventure, so ready your bow and follow me...

Notice how your COMPASS works: you can see yourself represented within it,
in an overhead view.  The COMPASS direction indicators (N,S,E or W) serve
two purposes: To the tiny figure (you) within the compass, the direction
indicators show the direction you are facing (the direction indicators
illuminate as you face a specific direction and the whole display gets
brighter as you reach the centre of each trail junction).  They are also
action buttons representing directions to move or turn in: N translates to
Move Forward, regardless of what compass direction you are actually facing.
S is Move Backward, W is Turn Left, and E is Turn Right.  You can use the
mouse both for manipulating objects and for moving, or you can use a
combination of mouse and joystick: mouse for object manipulation and joystick
for movement.  Another word of advice to my friend, MAKE A MAP, or use the
one in your manual.  Experienced travellers know the value of a good map.
I have found that parchment ruled with a grid is most handy for charting
one's progress!

Here is the sanctuary of the Tower, you are safe from any danger.  Beyond its
four doors lies a huge realm of mystery.  PICK up that silver key, there on
the floor.  Face each door and try the key in each ("click" on USE and point
to the door to unlock it) it will work in one of them.  There!  Beyond lies
Falconwood, a dark forest of many twisting paths.

We are ready to being our quest.  You have a bow, but lack arrows... You will
find the small map in your manual invaluable.  Refer to it often and use it to
mark your progress.  Let's begin our journey by searching along the Northeast
path; perhaps one of the wood's denizens has dropped something of value there.
Yes, there is a quiver of arrows.  PICK it up, you will find it very helpful,
let's continue on this trail to the next junction.

You can get information about your possessions by entering INFO mode and
"clicking" on the square window to the right of your compass.  Notice that
your bow doesn't show up, even though you really do have one!  You can make
an object you carry "current" (allowing you to USE it quickly) by using the
scroll arrows to the left of the object window, or by selecting the object
from the full inventory display and then exiting back to the main view.

From here we'll follow this path around to the left: follow me to the
Northwest until we get to the next trail junction where we will go West.
Look, there's a coin on the ground.  PICK it up.  We must continue on to
the next trail junction and then proceed Southwest to the next one.  Pause
here and look around.  There, look to the Northwest, I see some cherries.
PICK them up and then proceed to the Southeast, to the next junction.
Let's pause here again and look around.  There to the West, an apple, PICK
it up.  It will taste good when you are very hungry, and this is not the
only fruit which grows in Falconwood.

(Remember this during your travels: just because you follow the path does
not mean that all objects will be conveniently placed in plain view!  When
at junctions, try turning to the left or right to see if you can find objects
off to the sides of the path.)

We have now walked in an almost complete circle.  To the East is the path
back to the Tower and to the West are more apples...

Hssst!  I hear movement ahead!  To your North stands a Knight, and down the
path to the Southwest lurks one of the King's Bowmen... Knights in their
heavy armour you would do well to avoid, unless you are more practiced with
your bow, but the King's man should be an easy mark.  Select an armor, and
get ready to USE it... Now move Southwest until you can see him clearly...
There he is! Point to him and "click" your left mouse button to loose your
arrow at him.  And again!  Bravo!  For a beginner you are handy with the bow.
PICK up his arrows and add them to your quiver...

Follow me now past his bones to the next junction, and there turn right,
continuing up the Northwest path.  Nearby, there dwells a handsome maid
named Maladina, I'll show you the way to her abode.  Turn to the Southwest
here, and walk to the next junction.  Look to the North, there she is.
She has spoken of your coming, and has a gift for you.  TALK to her, and
collect your gift.

When meeting another in these lands, you must approach closely before
information can be exchanged.  Dangerous in many cases, but it cannot be
avoided... Some folk may seem fierce, yet pose no threat... Others seem
friendly, but will attack before speaking!  (Be prepared!)

Ahh!  The Keys!  A gift of rare worth.  Now follow me Northeast, and hurry,
for time is of the essence.  You should also nock another arrow: Danger may be
closer than you think... Turn North and LOOK OUT!  Another bowman!  Kill him,
collect his quiver, and proceed North.  At this next junction, you have three
choices: To your left, West, is another Knight who holds a torn parchment
(page) you will need.  A second path goes Southwest from here.  And to the
Northeast there are more apples on the path to the centre of the wood.
Realize that not all your enemies can be vanquished with only one or two
arrows!

If you begin to feel fatigued, or suffer many wounds, it would be wise to
stop and eat or, if the situation warrants, sleep for a while.  Fatigue is
normal but may be aggravated by carrying too heavy a load... You can get
detailed information about your health by "clicking" on the Health Indicator
Bar.

You sent the Knight to the skies, I see.  Now stow the parchment, and ready
your bow.  Turn Northeast and go to the next junction.  Pause here for a
moment and look around.  Notice the path heading North: We will return here
soon.  Now continue Northeast, then turn East to find Odin, who will attempt
to block your passage through his domain... He will TALK but must be killed
for you to be able to reach the place where he has hidden a potion.

Odin is no longer.  Good!  I think the potion he hid is nearby, along that
Northeast path ahead... Remember to be aware of your surroundings!  Many a
traveller has overlooked gold while searching for silver!

(Potions may save you, and potions can kill, USE them when the time is
right!)

We must turn back now, for beyond lies Abbotsleigh, for which you are not yet
prepared!  Turn back Southwest to find the centre of the wood.  Follow me
quickly, for I know the way well: Southwest, then West, and Southwest again.
Now North, until the path ends.  Look around.  Beyond the forest to the West
lies Hobmoor.  Turn right and go Northeast to the next junction.  Now turn
East to find Odin's twin, Otto, near the end of this path.  He is as taciturn
as his brother, and he too hides something you will need.  Shoot him quickly
and step over his bones to find a torch.  Turn completely around and return
West, then go Southwest and West again, to enter the central glade.

Here are many paths: to the Northwest lives the Green Man, he too has been
awaiting your arrival.  Go and see what he has for you... A blue gem!
Valuable, but a sizeable load... Keep it safe for trading!  Let's back up
now, and turn right, for North of the centre are more apples.  Search beyond
them for more arrows on a Northeast path, then return here (either back
straight up and turn South, or go to the Abbotsleigh exit and turn Southwest
to retrace your steps).  Southwest from the centre are more arrows, I think
and to the Northeast a villain did drop a silver bar while fleeing a hideous
creature.  Yes, that's it!  Now come this way West, to the western edge of
the wood: I have seen some daggers lying there - take them with you for added
protection!

Here at the edge of Hobmoor, where Eldor waits to advise you now (turn
Northwest), I must leave you to your journey.  Remember all that I have told
you, and do not tarry upon the Moor, for you will be outnumbered there.  Keep
your arrows for Eldon Mines where enemies are few and singly found... It may
be that we will meet again, if ever you return to Falconwood.  'Til then,
Fare well, my friend!