Belgian Amiga Club - ADF Collection/BS1 part 60.zip/BS1 part 60/LSD 28.adf/KeysOfMaramon.doc.pp/KeysOfMaramon.doc

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                           Keys of Maramon Docs


                          A MESSAGE FROM MARAMON


    Captain Barbos waved reluctantly at the crowd gathered on the
 Knessos pier as his sailors brought The Elven Maid into port.  Barbos
 knew that the Knessos townsfolk were eager for the news from across the
 Sea of Oshmar.  He was not entirely eager to give it to them.

    "What news?" shouted the crowd as the captain descended the
 gangplank.

    "Good news first," replied Barbos.  "The Elven Maid delivered
 her cargo of supplies to the soldiers and workers at Castle Oshcrun.  The
 work there is proceeding well, and King Rebnard should be able to move
 his court to the reclaimed castle as planned."

    A cheer arose from the crowd.  Barbos waited patiently for silence.

    "But there is bad news, too," Barbos continued when the cheering
 died down.  "As many of you know, our return voyage took us past the
 island town of Maramon, where we planned to trade a hold full of leather
 and flour for a supply of the famous Maramon pearls.  I'll keep the story
 short.  Our holds are empty.  We are lucky to escape Maramon with our
 lives, and with Goodman Whelk, here."  A small man hesitantly came down
 the gangplank.

    "Goodman Whelk is an emissary of the Mayor of Maramon.  He will
 explain, while I confer with your town council."  Captain Barbos pushed
 through the crowd, toward the center of town.

    The man introduced as Whelk clambered onto a barrel, cleared his
 throat, and called for the attention in a suprisingly strong voice.
 "Friends of Knessos!"  Heads turned, and many of the dispersing crowd
 stayed to listen.  "I know I can name you friends, if good Captain Barbos
 is like the rest of this town!  So I call on you as friends, and relate
 to you the tale of Maramon's woe!"

    Whelk's voice faded as Barbos strode into town.  He knew what Whelk
 would say.  Gods knew he had heard the story often enough at Maramon and
 on the voyage back.  It started with the news that King Rebnard of Deruvia
 was going to reclaim Castle Oshcrun, the ancient outpost of the Children
 of Light off the western coast of Gurtex, the land of Darkness.  It went
 on with the tale of the youth of Maramon rushing to Rebnard's aid.  "Hard
 to blame them," thought Barbos to himself, "considering how boring Maramon
 used to be.  Up before dawn, eat some fish, catch some fish, eat some fish,
 catch some fish, go to sleep, and on and on.  They even missed all the
 excitement in Deruvia when the magic candle in Fort Berbezza was melting."
 Even pearl diving could be boring after a few years, Barbos imagined.

    "Then disaster struck Maramon!" Whelk's voice came from the direction
 of the docks.  Barbos boggled again at the power of the little man's voice.
 Thirty years of clearing out a tavern at closing time, he supposed.  But
 yes, disaster it was.  The town of Maramon, and all the townsfolk, were in
 dire peril.  Barbos knew they were.  Why else would he have unloaded all
 his cargo as a donation?  Why else would he have agreed to sail back to
 Maramon with supplies from Knessos---and, if Whelk's oration was successful,
 with a hero to save Maramon?

    For, Barbos knew, Goodman Whelk was now telling the crowd that the
 minions of Darkness had begun to destroy Maramon.  That, just after the
 volunteers had left Maramon for Castle Oshcrun, goblins and orcs began to
 appear from nowhere in the dead of night to set Maramon to the torch.
 That the townsfolk could do nothing but attempt to repair during the daylight
 hours the damage done after nightfall.  There was almost no time for fishing.
 Pearl diving was out of the question.  No help could come from Castle
 Oshcrun: all the volunteers, and more, were needed there.  Maramon was
 desperate.

    Whelk pled for supplies.  Not just Whelk, the whole poor little
 pitiful town of Maramon needed supplies.  And a hero.  Definitely a hero.
 "Why am I going back?  What is Maramon to me?" Barbos asked himself. "It
 must be the pearls.  I'm a greedy old sea captain, and Maramon has the finest
 pearls in the world.  That must be why I'm worried about the place."

    Barbos paused and looked around.  The Knessos town hall was blocks
 away.  On the other hand, the "Sailor's Haven" was right in front of him.
 His favorite tavern.  Well, the town council would know where to find him.
 He'd thrown away enough gold on this trip; he might even buy the council a
 round.


                               THE HUNTSMAN


    As the emissary from Maramon began his plea for assistance, a rangy
 huntsman sat on his precious pile of rare furs, unable to believe his own
 ears.  No pearls!  Barbos had returned without the Maramon pearls!

    And it didn't sound like Barbos was in the market for his furs,
 either.  What could he do?  In order to get permission from the elves to hunt
 in the forests of Trilliad and Selderad, he had promised Queen Fay three of
 the finest Maramon blue pearls.  If he left Knessos without the pearls, his
 life would be in peril.

    But wait.  What was this Maramon fellow saying?  Goblins in the
 streets...Hero needed...Lifelong gratitude...Bag of pearls...

    A bag of Maramon pearls!  It might be his way out.  Of course, he'd
 have to kill some orcs and goblins, but it couldn't be that much worse than
 killing wolves and wild boars---especially with all the elves in Deruvia
 hunting him.

    First, he'd check out the local market.  He'd have to find a place to
 store his furs, unless he could sell them.  Then he'd talk to this Whelk
 fellow tomorrow morning.


THE BLACKSMITH


    One of the Knessans standing on the pier was a strapping young man
 who worked in the local smithy.  Goodman Whelk's plea for help sounded very
 intriguing.  Very.

    Being a hero would be nice.  Being a rich hero would be very nice.
 Saving a town from a bunch of puny little goblins should be no problem for
 the strongest man in Knessos---and he was the strongest, no matter what that
 braggart Vilad claimed.

    Suddenly, the blacksmith saw his whole future laid out before him.
 Save the town of Maramon.  Sail back in glory with the keys to the town and
 a bag full of pearls.  Buy the smithy from old Rhumbu, and maybe the Sailor's
 Haven, too.  Marry the fair Olelia.  Raise a family.  Live happily ever
 after.

    Yes, that sounded like a fine plan.  He'd sleep on it, then talk to
 Goodman Whelk in the morning.


THE COURIER


    The sun was setting beyond the western mountains as a slim young
 woman loped up to the gates of Knessos.  "Is Captain Barbos in port?" she
 asked one of the guards.

    "Made port today," the guard replied, looking her over.  "And he's
 probably at the Sailor's Haven by now---where he's likely to find someone
 with more meat on her bones than you have!"

    The other guard doubled over in laughter.  The first guard doubled
 over, too, due in large part to a feminine fist striking his solar plexus in
 a very businesslike manner.  By the time the guards had straightened up,
 the woman was halfway down the street into town.  She turned and shouted
 back, "Next time, you might consider giving a little more respect to the
 King's Courier!"

    "It always happens," she thought as she strode up the street.  "They
 always see a bedpartner, maybe a wife, never a person."

    She entered the Sailor's Haven.  Yes, Barbos was there, at a corner
 table with two of the town's councilmen.

    "Pardon me, gentle sirs," she said.  "Captain, I have a pouch for you
 from King Rebnard."

    Barbos looked up at her.  She handed him the pouch.  He motioned
 toward the empty chair at the table, and she sat down.  The barmaid was
 nowhere in sight.  Barbos broke the pouch's seal and opened the drawstring.
 A gleam of gemstones shone from within.  Out of thin air, the barmaid
 appeared.  "Another round!" Barbos shouted.  "And for the lady..."

    "A stoup of ale!" she ordered.  Heads turned.  She ignored them.
 She was not about to order a tiny glass of watered-down wine after a day's
 journey from Lake Shan to Knessos.

    Barbos pulled a scroll from the pouch, opened it, and perused it
 silently.  "Well.  Good news for the Elven Maid."  He turned to the courier.
 "Thank you my dear."  She clasped her tongue between her teeth.  Barbos was
 a good man, and a fine shipmaster.  This was not the time to argue that she
 was neither a lady nor his "dear."  She wanted to know what was written on
 that scroll she had carried all the way from Pheron, and why Barbos and the
 two councilmen had looked so serious when she walked in.  To her good
 fortune, they seemed willing to include her in their conversation.

    Barbos continued, "King Rebnard has sent me a pouch of gems to buy
 more supplies for the troops and workers at Castle Oshcrun.  At least I am
 assured, gods willing, that I can afford another voyage across the Sea of
 Oshmar.  And, of course, I will be able to dock at Maramon on the way, to
 return Goodman Whelk, unload the emergency supplies, and disembark the hero,
 if Whelk can recruit such."

    She could hold her tongue no longer.  "Pardon me again, but I just
 arrived in Knessos this evening.  Your talk of Maramon, emergencies, and
 Goodman Whelk---whoever he might be---is all new to me.  Would you explain?"

    And so she learned the story.  The smallest of Rebnard's gems kept the
 table well-supplied past closing time.  At the end, she spoke her mind. "If
 Maramon needs help, I'm willing to go!"  Barbos mumbled something about
 Maramon expecting a hero, not a heroine.  "Fine!  Then call me a 'Hero'!
 I'll talk to your Goodman Whelk in the morning!"


THE SCHOLAR


    Dawn was breaking as the scholar opened the last of his books of
 ancient arcana.  "Maramon, Maramon..." he mumbled as he thumbed through the
 the pages.  "Ah, here it is.  Hmmm...Not much...but enough!  Definitely
 enough!"

    The scholar had been passing by the pier the afternoon before, and
 had heard Goodman Whelk's plea---or enough of it to remember that there
 was something about Maramon.  A nights' research had convinced him that
 there was more to this Maramon situation than Whelk was saying.

    In fact, there was probably more than Whelk even suspected.  The
 legends told of hidden caverns beneath the island of Maramon, even beneath
 the very Sea of Oshmar.  And magic.  Powerful magic.  His palms began to
 itch.  "This is the chance of a lifetime!" the scholar announced to his
 piles of books.  "Whelk wants a hero.  Well, I can be a hero!  I practice
 my fencing thrice a week..." He grabbed his saber from above the mantel,
 and swished it back and forth.  "And I have other methods, as well" he
 said to himself, as he thought of the magic herbs and mushrooms in the
 cupboard---and of the flamewand and fearwand that were wrapped in
 lambswool and hidden under the floorboards.

    "So it's settled," he said to the embers in the fireplace.  "I will
 offer my services to Goodman Whelk of Maramon in the morning."

    He glanced at the window, Morning already!  The scholar donned his
 robes and rushed out the door.


                           THE VOYAGE TO MARAMON


    Whelk awoke.  A strange bed, a strange room---but a basin of steaming
 water, and a bowl of fresh vegatables.  Knessos.  With volunteers waiting.
 Whelk lifted himself out of bed, washed himself and some turnips ("Turnips
 for breakfast?" he said to himself) and went down the stairs to meet the
 volunteers.

    Four volunteers.  Only four.  A big-shouldered youth in a blacksmith's
 apron.  A robed man older than Whelk himself.  A raggedy fellow with a bow
 and a hatchet, and a strange haunted look in his eyes.  The fourth volunteer
 was a woman.

    Well, he hadn't really expected Lord Rexor or the Great Eflun.  Better
 to make the best of what he had than to wish for miracles...

    As he interviewed the volunteers, Whelk began to feel his hopes
 reviving.  He still wouldn't trust any of the four to save the world, gods
 knew.  But the town of Maramon, perhaps.  The young smith, for example, was
 one of the strongest men Goodman Whelk had ever met---certainly stronger than
 anyone remaining in Maramon, even Tamur.  Not very quick of foot---or of
 thought---but strong as a bull.

    But the other 3 seemed clever enough, thought Whelk.  That huntsman
 in particular, looked half again too clever for his own good.  Was he trying
 to get to Maramon---or to get away from Deruvia?  No denying his
 extraordinary skill with the bow, though.  Could have trained at the side of
 Sir Nehor himself.  And the tricks he did with that little axe!  If he could
 split a gnoll's armor as easily as he did the oak limb..."Just a matter of
 seeing the weak spot and hitting it just so," the huntsman had said.

    Then there was the man in robes.  A "scholar," he called himself.
 Spoke in riddles.  Carried an ancient filigreed sword---said it was his
 "university saber."  Goodman Whelk tried to remember when the last university
 in Deruvia had closed its doors.  Well before Rebnard took the throne,
 surely.  During Ongar's reign?  Earlier?  At any rate, this "scholar" was
 either much older than he looked, or he was pretending to be.  And his normal
 source of income was not clear.  Not clear at all.  But never mind.  He
 wielded his saber well enough: Whelk had called in a town guardsman for a
 fencing match with the old man.  And, if hints and whispers and winks meant
 anything, the old man had some magical surprises in store for the orcs and
 goblins.  At the very least, this "scholar" would impress Mayor Andello and
 Timothy Quint.

    And the woman.  The "King's Courier," Goodman Whelk corrected himself.
 She actually considered herself as a serious contender for the job.  The
 funny thing was that, after this morning, so did Whelk.  He could find no
 fault with her swordplay or archery, even using borrowed weapons.  Or she
 could just stare the monsters back underground, Whelk thought, if she used
 the same glare she gave Whelk when he called her "My dear"!  And she was
 quick as a snake...But what would Mayor Andello say if he brought back a
 woman hero?  Never mind the mayor, what would Whelk's wife say?  Well, Whelk
 reflected, he didn't really know.  Mistress Whelk might just laugh and invite
 her in for a pot of tea.


                                  *  *  *


     Eventually, Goodman Whelk made his selection, the crew loaded the new
 cargo, and The Elven Maid set sail.  The seas were smooth---as smooth, at
 least, as the Sea of Oshmar ever ran---and the nights were clear and
 peaceful.

    These would be the last peaceful nights that Maramon's hired hero
 would have for a long time, Whelk knew.  He used them to prepare the hero as
 best he could for the job ahead.

    The first order of business was the key to the strongrooms.  Whelk
 handed the hero a key ring with a single key.  "There are three flat-roofed
 stone buildings in Maramon," Whelk explained.  "They date from the town's
 founding, when the brave pioneers were driving off the bazards and the last
 dragon.  Now, we use those buildings as strongrooms.  Well, not now---we've
 moved all our supplies out of them during the emergency.  So the strongrooms
 are empty now.  And you're welcome to use them to store things and to rest in
 during the nights---the monsters can't follow you inside.  They're well
 locked, you see.  This si the key.  It fits all three of the strongrooms."

    And the map.  Whelk unrolled a parchment onto the galley table.  "I'm
 sure that you'll have no trouble finding your way around town," said Whelk.
 "But you might find this map useful at first.  My daughter Jenny drew it.
 She has quite an artistic talent, don't you agree?"  The hero showed polite
 appreciation.  "And you can see how everything is marked,"  Whelk continued.
 "Here are the four Dark Towers, where the monsters come from; here's City
 Hall, where Mayor Andello will give you your weekly pay..."

    The hero asked Whelk for more information about the monsters.  Whelk
 liked that: it meant the hero was taking the job seriously.  "Well, their
 strategy is fairly simple," Whelk said.  "At nightfall, they swarm out of
 one of the Dark Towers.  Then they run around town, waving their torches and
 axes, making as much noise as possible, and they break and burn and steal
 things.  At least that's what the orcs and goblins do.  And sometimes the
 domugs, but they're not as noisy."

    "Domugs? asked the hero.

    "Yes," said Whelk, "Little blue monsters.  They come from somewhere
 far away to the east, beyond Gurtex, I understand.  They really aren't
 effective looters, but on the nights that the domugs are on guard duty, they
 can be almost as dangerous as the wolvinga."

    "Wolvinga? As in Dark Elves? I don't remember you mentioning any Dark
 Elves when we were back in Knessos," the hero said.

    "Oh, I'm sure I must have.  After all," Whelk explained, "the wolvinga
 are the main reason we lock ourselves in the upper stories of our houses
 after dark.  We could avoid---perhaps even fight---the orcs and goblins, but
 when the wolvinga are standing guard with their deadly longbows...well, it's
 much more sensible to stay completely out of sight.  Of course, the wolvinga
 don't come out every night."

    "Of course not," said the hero, drawing another flagon of ale.

    "No, indeed," continued Goodman Whelk.  "Sometimes, as I said, domugs
 stand guard.  And sometimes gnolls."

    "Gnolls?"

    "In heavy armor," Whelk went on.  "The gnolls seem to be the leaders.
 Or maybe the zorlims are the leaders and the gnolls are their lieutenants."

    "I know you didn't mention zorlims in Knessos!" the hero exclaimed.
 "Those goblin monks use real magic!"

    "Icewands, actually," agreed Whelk.  "Very dangerous.  But there
 aren't very many zorlims...."


                                  *  *  *


    The island of Maramon appeared on the eastern horizon on Sunday
 afternoon.  "It looks like a mountain peak rising out of the sea," said the
 hero, as The Elven Maid drew nearer.

    Goodman Whelk nodded.  "That's how Maramon got its name," he said.
 "It means 'sea mountain' in one of the ancient tongues."

    Captain Barbos joined his two passengers at the rail.  The hero asked
 him, "Will we be docking tonight?"

    "Nay," the captain replied.  "The harbor's tricky, and the tide's
 wrong.  The Elven Maid will anchor until dawn."

    "One more night of rest for you, then," Whelk told the hero. "Monday's
 the best day to start a new job anyway."


                                  *  *  *


    But the hero did not rest.  On this job, daytime, not nighttiime, was
 for resting.  The hero had worked into the pattern, and wouldn't rest tonight
 even if it were possible.

    From the ship's rail, the town of Maramon was easily visible, both by
 the light of the full moon and by the flickers of light from within the town
 itself.  Torchlight, thought the hero.  But there---and there---the light was
 far too bright for torches.  Buildings must be burning.  Whelk did say that
 Sunday nights were the worst....

    As the moon neared the western horizon, the hero went below to pack
 and plan.  This job looked like it was going to amount to more than disposing
 of a few orcs and goblins.  From what Goodman Whelk had said, "hired hero"
 was a lifetime job.  And a lifetime might not be very long...Keeping the
 streets clear of monsters would not be enough to solve Maramon's problems.
 The hero would have to find a way into those Dark Towers, to root out the
 source of the evil and destroy it!

    Back on deck, the captain and crew had been busy.  The Elven Maid was
 even now sailing through the narrow channel into the rockbound harbor.  The
 hero joined Goodman Whelk on the quarterdeck.  They watched the sun rise as
 the ship docked, then climbed to the gates of Maramon.



                                PRICE LISTS

    The shops of Maramon offer their wares at reasonable prices.  But,
 if a shop is damaged by the monsters, prices there will go up to reflect the
 cost of repairs.

     Steele's Armor                 Maramon Weapons

 Leathers....................50                 Hammers and Maces
 Ring Mail..................150
 Chainmail..................500        Hammer........................5
 Steel Plate...............1500        Mace.........................20
 Methreal..................4000        Warhammer....................30

                              Axes

                    Light Axe....................15
    Elmer's Magick            Battleaxe....................80
        Shoppe            Great Axe...................180

                             Swords
 Fire Globe..................10
 Icewand....................150        Shortsword...................20
 Flamewand..................200        Scimitar.....................25
 Fearwand...................300        Longsword....................50
                    Greatsword..................100

                              Bows

    Rosel's Herbal            Shortbow.....................25
              Wonders            Longbow......................60
                     Quiver (20 arrows)...........30
 Gonshi (bag of 12)..........50
 Luffin (bag of 6)...........30
 Mirget (bag of 6)...........40
 Nift (pouch of 12).........100
 Potion (jar of 8)...........50
 Sermin (bag of 12)..........30


                              GETTING STARTED

    The Keys to Maramon is a game of careful planning and quick action.
 Your first careful plan should be to make working copies of your game disk,
 or to install The Keys to Maramon on your hard disk, and then to store your
 original game disk in a safe place.

    The enclosed machine-specific instructions explain how to install or
 copy The Keys to Maramon on your computer system, and how to start the game.

    Follow those instructions, and start a new game.  You will be given
 the opportunityto choose and name your hero from the four characters
 described earlier.  (If you don't want to think up a name, just hit the
 "RETURN" or "ENTER" key, and your hero will be given the name that Mindcraft
 uses: Kelligan, Stavros, Lumelia or Hornbern.)

    When the game has begun, your hero will find himself or herself inside
 the gates of Maramon.  It is early in the morning of Day 1, Monday.  Monday
 is always depressing, but your hero has much to do before nightfall.  Some
 suggestions foloow.  If you'd rather make up your own mind, skip to the next
 chapter.

    Kelligan the Huntsman:

    The huntsman came to Maramon because he couldn't afford to stay in
 Deruvia.  He's low on funds, but well equipped with a longbow, a light axe,
 and some healing potions.  His skill (and yours) might let him save his money
 to buy better armor and a better hand weapon.  Or he might but a few fire
 globes from Elmer Kozak to help him survive the first few nights.

    Stavros the Blacksmith:

    The blacksmith is the strongest of the four.  But he has little
 equipment, and no armor.  He should probably buy leather armor and a pouch
 of sermin mushrooms.  He doesn't need to worry very much about his weapon:
 he can destroy orcs and goblins with his bare hands.

    Lumelia the Courier:

    The courier came to Maramon on a whim.  She has no weapons or armor
 at the start, but she has the most gold.  Buy her some ring mail and a
 longsword.  She'll do well until the monsters start fighting back in earnest.

    Hornbern the Scholar:

    The scholar has the best equipment of the four.  He should  buy better
 armor: he can just afford ring mail.  And he should be wary of using up his
 wands; they are expensive to recharge, and his saber is a formidable enough
 weapon.

    Whichever character you choose, be sure to visit The Flying Fish
 tavern on Day 1 and talk to Captain Barbos before he sails to Castle Oshcrun.


                            MOVEMENT AND COMBAT


    Your hero will spend much of his or her time moving around the town of
 Maramon and the cellars and caverns beneath.  See your machine-specific
 instructions to learn how to use your keyboard, joystick or mouse to move the
 hero around and engage in combat.

MOVEMENT

    Don't worry about drowning in the ponds or breaking bones on stone
 walls.  Your hero simply will not move anyplace impossible.

    To enter a building or strongroom, move into the door. (Some buildings
 do not have any visible doors: they are private homes, and cannot be entered.
 Your hero is not a door-to-door salesman.)  Remember that the shops and
 public buildings of Maramon are all locked tight when night falls.

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

    When holding a hand-to-hand weapon---an axe, hammer, mace or sword---
 your hero must be right next to a monster and facing in its direction.  (Try
 moving toward the monster until it blocks you, then swinging away like mad.)
 Watch the Life Points out of the corner of your eye: they change color when
 they're down to ten, and it's time to retreat for a rest or a potion or some
 sermin mushrooms.

RANGED COMBAT

    Ranged weapons---bows and wands---shoot in the direction your hero is
 facing (north, south, east, west or diagonally).  Their projectiles travel in
 straight lines.  Remember this when shooting at monsters and when the
 monsters are shooting at you.

FIRE GLOBES

    Elmer Kozak sells magical glass spheres called "Fire Globes."  Your
 hero can place these fire globes in strategic locations---perhaps near the
 doors of the Dark Towers.  Then, when the monsters step on them, they
 explode, usually destroying the monster and everything it is carrying.
 (The "USE" command allows your hero to lay a fire globe directly in front
 or himself or herself.)

    WARNING: Fire globes are very hard to see. (Otherwise, the monsters
 wouldn't step on them, would they?)  Don't move your hero onto them.  Your
 hero will probably realize what's happening quickly enough to avoid death,
 but serious injury is likely.

THE CONSEQUENCES

    Some monsters carry treasure.  if your hero slays a treasure-bearing
 monster, you will see the monster's bag of loot lying at the spot of the
 monster's demise.  Move your hero onto the bag to gain your well-deserved
 reward.

    At daybreak (0800 hours), if any monsters survive on the streets of
 Maramon, you will find that buildings have been looted, pilaged, burnt, and
 otherwise damaged.  The more surviving monsters, the more damage---not
 necessarily to the buildings your hero saw the monsters attacking.


                             THE STATUS SCREEN


    Press the "0" (zero) key at any time for a report on your hero's
    status.


            ---------------------------
            |                         |
            | Kelligan                |
            | Huntsman                |
            |                         |
            | Day 7 - Sunday          |
            |                         |
            | Life Points      28/35  |
            |                         |
            | Strength         30/30  |
            | Speed            45/40  |
            | Dexterity        50/50  |
            | Magic Skill      10/10  |
            |                         |
            | Armor Rating      6/3   |
            |                         |
            ---------------------------



    As you see in the example, the staus screen starts with the hero's
 name and occupation, followed by the current game date and day of the week.
 (These three lines are not shown when the hero is inside a building or
 dungeon strongroom.)

    The following six lines show the hero's vital statistics: their
 current and "normal" values both.  First is "Life Points," the measure of how
 close your hero is to death.  In the example, Kelligan has suffered some
 combat damage, so his Life Points are not quite up to normal.  They can be
 restored by eating a sermin mushroom (restoring 10 points), taking a potion
 (returning immediately to normal), or by resting either in a Guest House
 (10 points/hour) or in a strongroom (3 points/hour).

    Next is "Strength," the measure of your hero's ability to do damage.
 Strength can be temporarily increased above normal by using mirget leaves.

    "Speed" allows you hero to catch up with (or run away from) monsters
 more quickly.  Eating a gonshi mushroom, as Kelligan has done in the example,
 temporarily increases speed.

    The chance of smitimg a monster in a critical spot, killing it
 instantly, is based on "Dexterity." Luffin flowers give a temporary
 dexterity boost.

    "Magic Skill" has a heavy influence on the effectiveness of magic
 wands.  Unlike strength, speed and dexterity, magic skill cannot be improved
 by herbs and mushrooms.  But, like them, it can improve with experience and
 education.

    Finally, "Armor Rating" shows how well your hero's armor protects him
 or her from damage.  As in the case of Kelligan in the example, protection
 can be improved by the use of the leaves of the nift plant.


                           THE PEOPLE OF MARAMON


    Your hero will meet many of the citizens of Maramon in the shops and
 other public buildings of the town.

    Mayor Andello

    Fioro Andello has been the mayor of Maramon for many years.  He is
    very distressed at the sudden appearance of the monsters, especially
    since it happened only days after his 3 sons sailed eastward to Castle
    Oshcrun.

    The Whelk Family

    Goodman Whelk and his wife own and operate the two taverns of Maramon:
    the Flying Fish near City Hall and the Crab's Claw in the northeast
    corner of town.  They are helped by their two young children, 12 year
     old Jenny and 10 year old Billy.

    Tamur the Brave

    The town of Maramon keeps all its weapons in a building southwest of
     City Hall, where they are maintained by a man named Tamur, who used to
     be known as "Tamur the Brave."  His is a sad story.

    When the monsters first began to appear, Tamur was foremost among the
    town's defenders.  As his companions gradually were lost to crippling
    injuries or death, Tamur continued his nightly battles.

    One morning, Tamur announced that he had found an iron key on the body
     of one of the monsters he had killed the previous night.  The key
    looked like it would fit the lock on the old tower near the weapon
    storehouse; Tamur might be able to descend into the cellars of ancient
    Maramon and defeat the monsters at their source.

    As the townsfolk cheered him on, Tamur unlocked the tower door and
    entered.  Hours later, he staggered out, an expression of unalloyed
    fear on his face.  Without a word, he turned and threw the iron key
    over the city wall into the Sea of Oshmar.

    Tamur no longer fights monsters.  To this day, no one knows what he
    saw and did in the ancient cellars of Maramon.

    Timothy Quint

    The librarian, Timothy Quint, is fairly new to Maramon.  He grew up
    Deruvia, a sickly child and an unhealthy young man.  He devoted his
    life to reading and study, while his health continued to worsen.

    On the advice of a professor, Timothy sailed to Maramon to become the
    town's librarian and scribe.  He is not convinced that Maramon's sea
    air is the tonic the professor thought it would be, but he is
    absolutely sure he will never attempt another voyage across the Sea
    of Oshmar.

    Denn and Arbo Steele

    The Steele brothers, Denn and Arbo, are casualties of Maramon's
    struggle against the monster infestation.  Denn was crippled by orcs;
    Arbo was blinded by gnolls.  Denn is now supporting both brothers by
    leather working and, occasionally, selling pieces of the Steele family
     collection of armor.

    Madame Rosel

    Near the town gates lives Madame Rosel, who appeared in Maramon some
    years ago, no one knows from where.  She was an old woman then, and
    she remains an old woman now.  She tends her small garden and wanders
    the island.  Her knowledge of herbs and mushrooms is by far the
    greatest in Maramon.

    Elmer and Dalina Kozak

    The Kozak mansion, just south of Sunrise Park, used to house over a
    dozen Kozak family members.  Now the only two left are old Elmer and
    his unmarried granddaughter Dalina.

    Elmer is thought by many to be the wisest man in town, and by many
    others to be the most foolish.  He has set up Elmer's Magick Shoppe
    in the parlor of the mansion, but has not yet been known to sell
     anything.

    Dalina has inherited a certain amount of strangeness from her
    grandfather.  But while Elmer spends most of his time alone in his
    library with his stacks of books, Dalina spends most of her time alone
    in her boat at sea---or, at least, she did, before the monster
    emergency forced her to join the other townsfolk in continual repair
    work.

    The Guest House Families

    The Belaris family has always provided bed and board for vistors in
    the Sea Breeze Inn at the east edge of town.  Now that the population
    of Maramon is so depleted, the Pickrell and Stoner families have also
    made their spare rooms available for boarders.  Your hero is welcome
    to rest at any one of the 3 guest houses.

    Fishermen

    Most of the other residents of Maramon are fishermen (and fisherwomen
    and fisherchildren).  As Goodman Whelk explained, they are now usually
    busy repairing the damage done nightly by the monsters, and the
    fishing industry is suffering greatly.

    The fishermen are not sociable folk, and your hero is not likely to
    strike up many friendships.  Two exceptions are Old Jonas and Young
    Jonas, who visit The Crab's Claw regularly.


                            THE MARAMON LIBRARY


    The Maramon Library holds much more information than one might expect
 in an isolated town.  The open shelves in the library's main room are full of
 books, sure to be fascinating to your hero.

    The closed stacks behind Timothy Quint's desk contain many interesting
 books (and many boring books), generally textbooks and reference works.  They
 will provide your hero with the opportunity to gain increased strength,
 speed, dexterity and magic skill.  Of course, your hero will need to have
 enough experience to gain the benefits these books will provide.  The "Score"
 on the computer screen will change color when your hero is ready to visit the
 closed stacks.

    The pride of the Maramon Library is its Rare Book Room.  Your hero
 will need to visit the Rare Book Room often, and to study all the subjects
 it offers, in order to complete the Maramon commission.  It is suggested that
 your hero read about keys, mushrooms and towers first.  Reading about wizards
 should be put off as long as possible---but no lnger.



    PLEASE REMEMBER --- If you like this game, buy it!!!