The Dragontorc of Avalon for the Amstrad CPC464 and CPC664 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the World of Adventure Movies. If you are familiar with the Amstrad Computer then load the game and start playing. You will probably soon master the keyboard/joystick controls but if you have difficulty refer to the relevant section of the Detailed Instructions. DRAGONTORC is inhabited by a cascade of people and creatures for you to meet and match - Werewolves in Wolfwood, Wraiths in the Cursed Crypt, Dwarfs on Dreamdown and Bats in Hellsmouth Caverns. It will probably take you several hours of play before you meet them all. Good luck! Hints to Get You Started You start off in Wispwood with the spells MOVE, SERVANT and BANE at your command. To select a spell use Up or Down to wind the scroll. When the arrow indicates the spell you need, press Fire once to select it and a second time to activate it. Notice that it is Maroc's astral projection which moves away - his body is left behind. We suggest that you take the Seal of Merlyn (use SERVANT) because you'll need it later on. The Wispwood is inhabited by Wisps and Elves. You can sample the arcade style features of Dragontorc by selecting BANE and attacking the Wisps but be careful of your energy level. Explore the wood to collect the MISSILE spell, the sickle, the herb and other items. Find the stone slab lying in the forest and use the Seal to get under it and into the Lost Vaults of Locris. Attack the Skeletons in the vaults with MISSILE - collecting further spells as you go. When you have completed Wispwood and the Vaults you'll get a message from Merlyn telling you where to go next. Hints for Experienced Games Players 1) Dragontorc is a whole new world of experience. There are peoples and creatures who have lives of their own. How you deal with them is crucial to your progress. 2) The characters of the other creatures will change as you progress depending on how you treat them. You may be able to win over the most dastardly enemies if you try hard enough - but you may get killed off several times in the process. 3) You can select the MOVE spell very quickly by hitting Left or Right whilst in "scroll" mode. 4) Other creatures are often unfriendly and may try to kill you. You will have to overpower them. Some, like the Elves, are fairly harmless. If you trade with them you will win their confidence and they will become more useful to you. 5) Each stone circle is a separate explorable area. Some circles have underground levels which are accessible through trapdoors etc. 6) If you are killed you return to the beginning of your current area. 7) Leylines connect each area - mark them on the map as you discover them. 8) Make a note of Merlyn's messages as they appear because they usually only appear once. 9) Your score increases as you discover objects or spells, when you defeat enemies or unlock doors etc. 10) Your current rank is displayed posthumously when you are killed. DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS This game has a number of features that you may not have previously encountered and though you will quickly become accustomed to them, these detailed instructions are necessarily lengthy. If you get stuck you are advised to read the relevant instructions carefully. Basic Control The controls for Dragontorc are very straightforward - Up, Down, Left, Right and Fire. You are asked to select your keyboard/joystick preference before the game begins. No other commands are necessary during play although SHIFT P and SHIFT O pause and unpause the game respectively and SHIFT S and SHIFT L can be used to save the current position and load it at a later date. Loading a New Game If you have a joystick plug it into the socket at the rear of your Amstrad. Place the cassette in the player, rewind if necessary and press the Play button. Press CTRL and the small ENTER key at the same time. Wait a few minutes for the game to load and follow the instructions displayed on the screen. Winding the Scroll When Dragontorc has loaded and the initial screens are completed you will be presented with a view of a forest clearing with a pathway on the right hand side. Maroc sits cross-legged in the centre and a large scroll is displayed at the bottom of the screen on which the words MOVE, SERVANT and BANE are written (these are spells). A large arrow points to the spell which will be selected when the 'fire' button is pressed. Moving the joystick up or down scrolls the list of spells slowly at first, then quickly. To scroll very slowly, just repeatedly touch the joystick up or down and the scroll will move one position at a time. When you have many spells it is best to fast scroll until you see the spell you need and then stop. Adjust up or down by the one touch method until the arrow points to the right place. Selecting the MOVE spell To move, first align the MOVE spell with the arrow. Press the Fire button once and the scroll changes to display MOVE in the top left of the scroll - this is the spell you have selected. Three M's to the right of MOVE tell you you have three or more uses of the spell left. On the far right is a staff - this is the carrier of the MOVE spell and you will notice that Maroc is carrying a staff in his right hand. Underneath is the phrase 'project thy soul' which is a clue to the effect of the MOVE spell. Press the Fire button again and the staff on the scroll will flash. This tells you that the MOVE spell is now activated. Pressing the Fire button again de-activates the spell and the scroll returns. There is a second, emergency, method for selecting MOVE. Deselect your current spell by pressing Fire and hit Left or Right. Move is selected immediately. Try selecting and deselecting MOVE by either method a few times. When you have finished make sure the staff on the scroll is flashing. Energy Level Across the bottom of the scroll is a flame. This is a display of the energy you have left. The longer the flame the more your energy. Moving Around You can use the keyboard or joystick (depending on which was originally selected) to move the wizard around. Notice the wizard cannot pass through the trees but he can move down the gravel paths (represented by dots on the "ground") to an adjacent location. Explore the Wispwood Forest. There are magic items for you to collect by moving Maroc so that he passes over them. You will encounter Wisps and Elves as you move around. Below the Forest are the Lost Vaults of Locris. Each location in the Lost Vaults is separated by a door. To open the door take Maroc (the wizard) up to the door knob and the door will open. Now take Maroc through the door. This operation will take a little practice but you will soon master it. Collecting Spells If Maroc collects a magic item the demon at the top of the screen flashes. When this occurs, turn off the MOVE spell by pressing the Fire button. You will usually see that a new spell has been added to your Spell List. Sometimes you will collect a duplicate of a spell which you already have in which case your Spell List will be unchanged. However you will now be able to use the spell more times. For example if you collect more than one copy of the MISSILE spell you will be able to fire it more times before it becomes exhausted. The SERVANT Spell The SERVANT spell gives you control of a sprite who can pick objects up, give them to you or to other characters by way of trade, take things from your sack, throw objects, hit things with objects, etc. He is moved with the control keys or joystick. He cannot release an object unless he is switched off by moving him off the bottom of the screen, or unless Maroc or someone else takes the object. The name of the object appears on the scroll. The sack on Maroc's back can hold a small number of objects. When you have collected a few objects using the SERVANT and placed them in the sack, find a quiet place and experiment taking things from the sack and replacing them. When taking an object from the sack steer it away from Maroc or he will take it back again. You will be able to use the SERVANT to look through the objects in the sack by moving the sprite to and from the sack. Exploring Dragontorc As you move about you will encounter various people and creatures, some friendly who may help you, some unfriendly and dangerous. If they attack you they will drain your energy. You can deal with them by attacking with a spell or object, running away and escaping through a leyline, frightening them, or making friends with them. They may have objects to give you or they may steal objects from the place you are in. You may be able to trade with them. Dragontorc is very complex. There are over 250 rooms, forest clearings, caves, crypts and stone circles to explore, connected by magical leylines. Just like an ordinary adventure you must do the correct sequence of things to progress in the game. Here are some clues to help you: * Many significant objects are coloured differently from the location in which they are found. * Some exits are locked and you must find the key. * Some exits are invisible until you solve a problem. * There are some spells and objects to help you maintain your energy as you penetrate deeper, and also to return you close to your previous position if you are destroyed. * Merlyn will give you instructions whenever he can. This will usually be when you find an artifact with energy - enabling him to transmit his thoughts to you. His instructions will appear on the scroll and you will need to write them down as they may only appear once. Making a Map If you wish to pause to make a map or for any other reason press the SHIFT P key to pause the game and the SHIFT O to unpause it. Each stone circle on the map is the location of a separate explorable area. A separate map can be made for each area. Some areas have underground levels that overlap the ground level requiring two maps. As you discover leylines mark them in on the map of Britain. Spell Display At the top of the spell display is the spell name which is a clue to the spell's use, and a number of magic tokens. This part of the scroll is replaced by the name of the area whenever you arrive at somewhere new. Magic Tokens The number of tokens indicates how many more times the spell may be used. When there are three tokens, the spell may be used three or more times more. When only two tokens appear it warns that you can only use the spell twice more. On the spell's last use, one token is displayed. Background Spells e.g. BANE Background spells when activated last until you switch them off. You are allowed to select another spell while these spells are running, for instance, you can MOVE whilst UNSEEN. When activated, the spell list is displayed. The background spell name, shown on the small scroll on the bottom right of the screen, reminds you that you have a backgound spell running. Energy used by the spell will be deducted every few seconds. To turn background spells off, reselect the spell and press Fire. Foreground Spells e.g. ENERGISE These have an instant effect when activated after which the spell scroll is redisplayed. Cursor Spells e.g. SERVANT These display some form of object whilst active and the object can be directed with the keyboard controls or joystick. To switch the spell off, press Fire or move the object off the bottom of the screen. Missile Spells e.g. "MISSILE" These are rather like cursor spells. The spell energy is fired from Maroc to the cursor by pressing Fire and switches off automatically after firing. The spell may also be switched off without firing by moving the cursor off the bottom of the screen. Scoring A digital score is updated every time you acquire spells, useful objects, defeat enemies, unlock doors etc. Each time your energy is depleted and you return to the first clearing your current rank is displayed. In this game Maroc starts as a Magician. There are eight ranks he can master, each divided into eight stages: STAGES RANKS Apprentice Magician Minor Sage Lesser Lore Master Learned Warlock Master Wizard Chief Sorceror High Guardian of Lore Supreme Lore Lord You start the game as an Apprentice Magician. It is not possible to go down a rank in this game. Saving and Loading the Current Position The game may be saved in its current state at any time by pressing SHIFT P to pause the game, placing a blank cassette in your recorder and pressing SHIFT S. On completion, or if an error is detected or ESC is pressed, press SHIFT O to restart the game. A previously saved position can be reloaded by first loading the original "Dragontorc" cassette and then pressing SHIFT L and loading the cassette on which you saved your previous game. If an error is detected or ESC is pressed then the game resets for you to try again. © Copyright. Hewson Consultants Ltd. 1985 The programs and data on this cassette are copyright and may not be reproduced in part or in whole by any means without the written permission of Hewson Consultants Ltd. All rights reserved. No responsibility is accepted for any errors. Our policy is one of constant improvement. Therefore we reserve the right to modify any product without notice. Other programs for Amstrad computers from Hewson Consultants: Technician Ted CPC464 only £7.95 Heathrow International Air Traffic Control CPC464/664 £7.95 Fantasia Diamond CPC464/664 £7.95 ZAPP Z80 Assembly Programming Package CPC464/664 £14.95 Hewson Consultants Ltd Hewson House 56B Milton Trading Estate Milton ABINGDON Oxon. OX14 4RX.

The Dragontorc of Avalon When sons of Troy did win this land There lived a mighty king called Bran. He carved a realm from shore to shore, Strong in peace and feared in war. But all things change. All men must die As times and seasons pass us by. So he summoned to his side The Lords of Lore from far and wide And bade them forge for his weak son The Dragontorc of Avalon. With utmost skill ne'er since displayed The Dragontorc was wrought as bade And when Bran's mighty soul did pass To dwell within the Isle of Glass A powerful force he gave his son: The Dragontorc of Avalon. But power strong is power to heal And power same the strength to kill. His mortal mind could not restrain The Lore of ages in his brain. A tyrant king in torment spread His bitter reign of fear and dread. The supreme lorelord tried in vain To seize the torc, now Halgar's Bane. Scattered remnants of the wise Did seek to mend the Land's demise. Far from the Orient they brought The Crystal Gem of Antithought. While the King in torment slept Into his room the Lore Lords crept. When crystal touched, all power gone, They stole the Torc of Avalon. But as they gazed upon the Torc The sleeper stirred and then awoke. The King's hand reached in action swift And grasped the Torc, that deadly gift. A grim faced warrior drew his blade And with a mighty blow he made A rift between the hand and arm, The Torc fell down amidst alarm. The hand with power lit up the gloom And crawled in terror from the room. Although the Lore Lords searched around That living hand was never found. The Torc could never be unmade Lest all the power of magic fade. So from the Dragontorc they cast Five crowns for sons of Royal caste And carefully they did divide The realm that each might rule in pride. The Torc of Power must ne'er be one - The Dragontorc of Avalon. _ v _ _ /o\ /o\ _ /o\\ _|_ //o\ \ / o\ / > ===| |=== < / \___/ \ \o// | \\o/ \o/ \o/ ^ Scenario Many years have passed since Maroc vanquished the Lord of Chaos and banished him from his earthly realm, freeing the soul entombed within the spell of Avalon Wraithbane. The Rod of Power and the Servant Ring are Maroc's only reminders of this terrible encounter. Long he has wandered, avoiding the affairs of men, living the life of a nomad in the great forests where the old magic still lingers. The fragile peace of Britain had been threatened by many dark forces ever since the last legions of Rome left to shore up their crumbling empire. Vortigern, Lord of the Five Kingdoms of Britain struggled to hold his Lands united in the face of the onslaught of the barbarian nations who were sweeping across the North Sea from the troubled plains of Europe. In desperation he employed a Saxon army, recruited from the very forces of his enemies, to guard the eastern shores. For several years the Saxons fiercely defended the British realm, but Morag the Shapeshifter, Witch Queen of the North, was twisting their hearts, weaving webs of treachery and deceit. At a great feast given by the Saxons for Vortigern and his warrior lords, the hosts turned and treacherously murdered the king and his followers. The night of the long knives threw the five kingdoms into turmoil and the Saxons prepared to conquer them each in turn. Morag the Shape-shifter cared not for Britons or Saxons. Her purpose was to recover the five crowns made for the legendary Dragontorc of Avalon, so that she might remake the Torc of Power. She rejoiced when her evil plan succeeded in giving her the first part, Vortigern's crown, the Crown of Dumnovia. One night, not long after the night of the long knives, Maroc sat gazing into the glowing embers of his camp fire, hypnotised by the dancing patterns as the cold night wind fanned the ashes. As he watched a strange numbness overcame him and he felt touched by some magical presence which faded away as quickly as it had come. He started thinking he had heard a voice but no-one emerged from the gloom. He lay down to sleep but he was restless and could not settle, feeling as if someone or something were trying to break into his consciousness. In the cold hours before the dawn, he surrendered to the alien disturbance, packed his sack and started walking. For many days and nights he travelled, sleeping and restling little. The giddy alien sensation grew each day. He did not know why or where he was going. He travelled until he came to a clearing deep within a great forest. He sensed power emanating from an old tree stump. It was hollow, filled with the sodden leaves of Autumn. He dug amongst the leaves and his hand touched metal, not cool dead metal, but warm vibrating steel with the unmistakable energy of magic. He stared at the artifact he had been drawn to and trembled. It was the great seal of Merlyn, last of the Lore Lords, guardian of the Dragon heir. As he peered into the emblem of the great Dragon, the power passed through his shaking arm, stirring his nerves until it seemed as if he were floating on a bed of warm air. Again he heard a voice. This time it was recognizable, but faint. It was the voice of Merlyn, his old tutor. "Maroc, at last... you are the only one who can help me... listen..." He told Maroc the terrible deeds of Morag, concluding. "For many years I have been her prisoner." Merlyn's voice was weak and his last words as it faded to a murmer were, "Seek the Ley Rod..." Maroc could hear only the rustling of the leaves. He shivered, suddenly aware of the cold damp air. His knees weakened and he slumped to the ground. As he lay recovering, he wondered what lay before him.