                                 BATTLE MASTER

Typed in by SNUSKBUSKE of DUAL CREW. Edited by PARASITE.


FRAGMENTS FROM THE CHRONICLES OF THE LAND
            Year 4160 in The Age of Conflict (author anonymous)

     ..Order is born out of chaos. Systems establish themselves in the
     random swirls of the void, unique, never to be repeated. Life is
     created, exists, then dies. Whole civilisations rise and conquer, then
     tumble into nothing. These are the patterns.

     This world was created, that is all we know for sure; who plucked
     these elements from emptiness and shaped them into this land, this is
     not understood. There are many holes in the jigsaw, too many missing
     pieces for us to comprehend the grand designs. One piece tells us more
     than any other: the ancient Book of Aran, passed down through thousands
     of generations, whispering to us the secrets of the Legend of Creation.
     This is its story.

     In a time before the cruel species crawled from the slime, the Four
     Lords of Creation shaped the world from the random dynamics of time and
     space. Their child was not complete, so they bestowed upon it six gifts,
     that it could grow and prosper in its own perfection. For the gift of
     Weight they gave a compact ball of the densest metal; for the gift of
     Land they gave hard, cold rock; for the gift of the Sea they gave water
     from the skies; for the gift of Breath they gave air, no more; for the
     gift of Life Abundant they gave plants and animals and they spread them
     across the world like a tapestry; lastly, they built the great Tower for
     the gift of Magic, a plce of creation and understanding. Their gifts
     bequeathed, they left this humble land forever to write new lines on the
     page of another Galaxy.

THE AGE OF PEACE
     ..These were the six gifts discovered by the immortal Firstborn as they
     stepped from the Tower in a time beyond recall. Their kind developed,
     and for an age lived in absolute balance, ruled by Aran, the first king
     and potentate of all Magic. It was he who possessed the Keystone of Life
     set deep into a golden crown; with it he determined the flux of Magical
     power. He was the chronicle of this world's past, and his chapters are
     known as the Age of Peace.

     Without motion the river stagnates, choking in its own langour.
     Perfection for the Firstborn was a state of inertia; without fear or
     hope they drifted inevitably to boredom and apathy, and so to despair.
     In time, in desperation, they looked inside themselves for the answer -
     but the body is a casket that should be left locked; it holds the soul,
     and a soul exposed withers. The Firstborn found the answer in suicide,
     and they embraced it like art, like culture, like a friend: it gave
     meaning to the monotony of life.

     There are many tales in the Book of Aran recounting the deaths of the
     Firstborn, tales of beuty and meaning, the most futile thing this world
     has known - but like all tales they unravel to an end, waiting for
     someone to pick up the threads and reshape them. Aran remained, alone;
     his was the greatest and saddest death of all.

     When there was no more to be done, when there was sand where once
     there had been a well of hope, Aran's solitude drove him to madness. He
     wrapped himself, womb-like, in a great clock of swan feathers, and fell
     to the earth in despair. His mind, clinging to ritual, urged him to
     crawl a thousand miles, around the land, memories punishing him as each
     place recalled a p[ast too painfully close to bear. At last he crept
     exhausted to the Tower, where he drew a mantle of Magic arfound himself,
     passing within to the Chamber of Cauldrons deep inside the Tower.
     Crafting a final entry in the Book of Aran, he placed it in a crystal
     case to protect his words from the scars of time. In this primordail
     place he drew together all the Magic of the Tower into a single point,
     and penetrated the fabric of time, casting himself back to the First Day,
     awaiting the Firstborn.

     And there he withnessed what no one has ever seen: his own birth, his
     own self rising from the primeval slime, out of the cauldrons of life
     into the world. The sight was the fist that cracked the shell: as the
     young Aran rose to his feet, the old Aran swung an axe of adamant down
     upon his head. Bone splintered, existence was erased; with it, the
     Keystone of Life set in the crown of the newborn king was shattered,
     splitting into uncounted shards which fell and scattered back into the
     cauldron. Old Aran, torn by the winds of time, ripped apart by forces
     beyond his comprehension, faded and never was. The pattern was broken
     before it had begun; the Firstborn never emerged.

THE AGE OF THE FOUR KINGDOMS
     ...Nothing is told of the darkness before the Age of the Four
     Kingdoms, but life was born again. As rainfall encourages growth from
     the desert sand where there has been nothing for a thousand yers, so an
     unknown hand urged the seed in the cauldrons to germinate into new life.
     From these bubbling pools crawled the four kings of the new races,
     wearing crowns bearing the main shards of the splintered Keystone of
     Life. Each had a queen at his side, all wandered from the Tower to build
     their kingdoms and weave their own tapestry in the world. And in time,
     other dark and nameless creatures crept from the cauldrons, bearing the
     tiny shards of the Keystone that created them, following the kings into
     a new world.

     The four races developed and prospered. All species multiply - slowly,
     at first, then too quickly: when two plants grow close together, one
     must give way and wither, or both shall die. As time passed the four
     territories crossed, and their differences spilled out of the shadows
     into the light of day. This is how it has always been between Elves,
     Dwarves, Humans and Orcs.

     The Elves are closest in kind to the Firstborn. They are a natural
     people, lovong sunlight and forest shade: a tall, fair and elegant
     species, always vigilant against attack. Without much ambition
     themselves, they often proved an easy target for the excesses of other
     races; but they had one skoill on their side - a knowledge Magic that
     grew deep and fast. An elf's inner fire burns more brightly than that of
     any other creature, and they crafted great artifacts of beauty and power,
     protecting their culture with the double-edged sword of defence and art.
     Though they were an unambitious, isolationist people, theirs was the
     first great empire, spawling the central forest of Aldarien and the vast
     tree belt of the Southlands. There are records of woods with Elves
     settlements even up to the south edges of the Great Plain.

     The Dwarves, too, are a solitary race. They are short and stocky, in
     harmony with the deep earth; but they were (and still are) few in
     number. Creatures of habit - mainly miners, builders and smiths - their
     psyche is governed by a desire to delve forever deeper for the magical
     core metal of the world. In the old days they learned enough of Magic to
     fire their forges and build their halls without despoiling the land, and
     they crafted many fine weapons, some of great power. But they are still
     a disparate, hostile people, going wherever the mining is good, given to
     territorial defence. Their main settlements were close to the Tower, the
     place now known as Naugarth, the Dwarf realm.

     Men are the Land's farmers: their struggle is against nature, for
     control over the beasts and the plants. They breed quickly because their
     lifespan is short; and this makes them more desperate than most. In
     their history whole empires have risen and fallen, their leaders
     overreaching themselves, people suffering. They rejected the power of
     Magic long ago, choosing instead the path of science, building great
     engines of might and anger that belched blackness and death across the
     land. Then, they lived mainly in the southwest, clearing the silver
     woods to make way for production and progress (this was the cause of the
     first wars). They have always been an expansionist species, and they soon
     spread their corruption north into the Great Plain and east into Hardor.

     Finally, this world (like many others) hosts Orcs. These, as has been
     well recorded alsewhere, are warriors: efficient fighting machines who
     live and die by sword and statecraft, craving power and glory in the
     blood of battle or the turbulence of politics. In the heart of every Orc
     lies a true king, and no Orc holds a crown for long. Even bravery is
     subject to ambition - and for this reason the chronicles of the other
     races despise them as cowards and despoilers. Orcs captured in battle
     were  always slain, often after hideous torture; but the Orc burns and
     pillages only to strike fear into theheart of the enemy; it tortures only
     to extract vital information; it never slays a prisoner if there's a
     ransom to be gained. An Orc runs from battle when it calculates that the
     odds are against it: death knows no return, but life holds hope and
     ambition.

     Ambition is a ruthless master, and one that crushes the moral icons of
     any society - but Orcs are willing to pay the price in return for the
     reward. First they settled to the west of the Adunram, the range of
     mountains which separates the Elves of Aldarien from the Men of the
     silver woods. From here, constant raids by Man and Elf forced many to
     migrate north to the mountains of shadow and onwards across the Great
     Plain to the Red Mountains. In time, with patience, they built a great
     empire, most of it in the barren, inaccessible corners of the land where
     they could live unmolested by other races - and during that period many
     of those nameless, terrible fragments of life from the cauldrons settled
     this infertile place, and made pacts with the Orcs. With weaponcraft of
     the highest quality and a shrewd, formidable understanding of Magic
     specialised in the spells of destruction and stealth, they proved
     terrible allies. So the world was divided between the races. The Elves
     ruled the forests, the Dwarves held the underworld. Men ploughed the
     plains and the Orcs held sway over wastes and mountains. Their empires
     grew and knitted, grew and frayed. The Conflict began.

THE AGE OF CONFLICT
     ...As woods are destroyed by a spark and the beating of a butterfly's
     wings can cause a mighty storm, so all wars began from trivial incidents.

     A small band of Men were clearing trees in the silver forest to make
     way for farmland when an Elven princess, Glaswen, came by. Dismayed by
     the slaughter she turned on the cutters and bade them stop; but neither
     culture understood the ways of the other, and the Men simply became
     angry and refused, bringing brands with which to burn the trees.

     Glaswen had no other recourse other than Magic, so she cast a spell of
     enchantment which so enchanced her charm and beauty that no man could
     will against her. By chance Vilira, wife of one of the Men, was hunting
     birds of paradise nearby and stumbled upon the scene: Men, paralysed in
     their own deception, bearing burning brands, impassive. That same
     enchantment which had the Men enthralled pierced her only with jealousy
     and rage; in madness she shot Glaswen through the throat with her
     husband's bow.

     It only takes a toss of the hand to scatter the dragon's teeth, and
     within days the Elves massed a huge army in the hidden pass to Aldarien,
     ready for war. The Men were forced to go for aid to the Orcs, who made
     with them a tryst: in return for sorcery to defeat the Elves, the Men
     would exchange any item held by their king, whatever it might be. In
     desperation, they agreed too readily.

     The Battle of Agarlad began with Elves and Men matched like balanced
     scales: Elven Magic was countered by Human engines of destruction, and
     the Men's weight of numbers was cancelled by the Elves' skill at arms
     and the quality of their weapons.

     When the Orcs struck, the battle, like a boulder poised at the top of
     a hill, could have fallen this way or that. They had forged many pacts
     with the dark creatures of the Tower: one such was with the Norloki, the
     fire dragons from the deeps. Sweeping in a circle of a hundred miles
     across they torched the forest, creating a tightening coil of fire
     around the two armies. Fanned by strong winds and Orcish sorcery, the
     flames swept inward and both armies were lost.

     Some Elves escaped the ring and fled southwest ahead of the flames to
     Gwailon, the Pass to Hardor, which was held by the Dwarves. But the
     Dwarves, fearing the wrath and fire of the Orcs, closed their gates and
     would let none pass. The Elves were burned to death at the Gates of
     Gwailon, a crime not one of their race has forgiven.

     The Orcs had fulfilled their side of the pact: the Elven army was
     destroyed, and with it almost all of the silver woods and much of the
     Human territory. Since that battle this desolated region has been known
     as Bloodwaste, a land shunned by all. Memories may fade, but rituals
     remain.

     When no recompense was forthcoming, the Orcs sent envoys to the king
     of Men and demanded the Shard of the Keystone from the king's crown.
     Even though he didn't fully realise the Orcs' fell purpose - to use the
     gem by sorcery to enslave mankind - the loss of much of his army put him
     in no mood for bargains. The Orcish emissary was burned at the stake.

     So began the Orcs' campaign of retribution. First they dammed the
     Great River at its cleft and choked the lands and cities below,
     including Adanost, the capital of Men. Soil turned to desert, fivestock
     starved, crops failed, Men died. The Orcs sent a second envoy to the
     king, offering him one last chance to keep faith with the pact. This
     ambassador was tarred and set alight, and goaded screaming through the
     city streets until at last he found the river bank and hurled himself
     onto  its dry and stony bed. There he died; his body, dismembered as a
     gesture of defiance, was returned to its own kind in the waste lands.

     In rage the Orcs unleashed their final act of vengeance: they breached
     the dam at Belecriss, unleashed the mass of blue waters - a vast lake
     that had stretched half way across the Great Plain to the Red Mountains.
     It loosed a colossal wave fifty feet high through the Bloodwaste and
     into the lowlands. All was carried before it and dumped in the western
     sea: villages, towns and the great city of Adanost were caught and
     tossed and crushed like leaves in the wind. A thousand blue veins shaped
     a delta through mud, swamp and steaming fog to the sea. This was a new
     territory into which many of the darker creations from the Tower crawled
     and found a haven - the region that is now known as Durien, the
     darklands.

     Perhaps by sorcery, the king of Men escaped the tragedy and moved
     north to the Great Plain to gather survivors into a new kingdom. Time is
     its own balm, and Elven anger against Men had abated, replaced by pity
     for their plight and wrath against the Orcs. A long and bitter war
     ensued, battle on fearsome battle, and the Orcs were driven out of
     Adunram into the Shadow Mountains. The price was this: the glorious might
     of the Elven empire was spent in that terrible age of conflict.

     In fear the Orcs fled Eredwath, where they killed many Dwarves in
     claiming new territory. The Elves of Hardor, cut off from their kingdom,
     declined - and Men moved in, hacking and burning more forest as the
     generations passed. The new kingdoms of Men on the Great Plain grew
     slowly, and the city of Adanost was rebuilt in the north-east; but it is
     no longer a place of power and glory.

     A wise man must recognise how appalling it will be when all the wealth
     in this world stands waste - as even now randomly throughout this land
     walls are standing, wind-blown, moss-covered, the ramparts storm-beaten.
     Where have the armies gone? Where the great warriors? Where the mighty
     kings? In truth, that time has passed away, has grown dark under the
     helm of night as though it had never been. Storms beat upon heaps of
     stones, and winter and darkness will fall upon us all.

     In this time the Watcher came and settled in the Tower. From warring
     and poverty all four races have slowly declined, their economies and
     towns crumbling in unison. Once there were great cities here, now there
     are villages and settlements; once there were huge nations, now there
     are sdwindling rows of stragglers; once there were empires, now there
     are memories. People everywhere are very few.

     No one knows from where the Watcher came, or why - perhaps he was a
     missive from the Lords of Creation, a restorer of balance? He has
     withdrawn the gift of Magic: wizards have no power, and the only sorcery
     in the land emenates from artifacts fashioned before he arrived. It is a
     time for union; to this end he has cast a spell of apathy upon the four
     kings, and spoken this prophesy:

     "Where there is chaos there will be order; where discord, harmony will
     flourish. From the south will come a hero to conquer the land and unite
     the crowns. Where there were fragments, there will be a whole. then will
     a new age begin."

     If we do not need his words, all this foundation of earth will become
     desolated. The land awaits its hero; it craves balance from instability.
     It yearns order from chaos.

A HERO'S QUEST
     Battlemaster is a fanatsy aracde adventure set in a world of myth and
     feudal strife. The land is in decay: isolated villages, towns and
     castles are divided by areas of chaotic monster-infested wilderness.
     Your task is to restore order by conquering the four kingdoms and
     handing their crowns to the Watcher who inhabits the Tower.

     The four main races in the world are Dwarves, Elves, Humans and Orcs.

     They do not get on, so bear in mind the subtle politics of their
     interaction.

     Dwarves hate Elves and Orcs. Elves hate Dwarves and Orcs.
     Humans like no one but despise Orcs most. Orcs hate everyone.


GETTING STARTED
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     |                        __   __   A_   __   __                        |
     |                       |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |                       |
     |    B_                 |__| |__| |__| |__| |__|                 __    |
     |   |  |                                                        |  |   |
     |   |__|  >---------------------- C -------------------------<  |__|   |
     |           __   __   D_   __   __   __   __   __   __   __            |
     |          |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |           |
     |          |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__|           |
     |                                                                      |
     |         _____________________________________________________        |
     |        |                                                     |       |
     |        |                                                     |       |
     |   E_   |     <This should be a Picture of a A2000 keyboard   |  F_   |
     |  |  |  |      in this box>                                   | |  |  |
     |  |__|  |                                                     | |__|  |
     |        |_____________________________________________________|       |
     |                                                                      |
     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

     A  Leader Selection
     B  Weapon Icons
     C  Character Description
     D  Redefine Keyboard Commands
     E  Load a Saved Game
     F  Start Game

LEADERS:
     At the start of the game, you're required to choose a leader from 16
     candidates, four from each race. Not all the leaders on the Leader
     Selection panel (A) are shown at once - there are two arrow icons to
     scroll through them. Clicking the mouse button on the leader you wish
     to examine reveals his name and a brief description (C), and the
     melee/missile weapons he is carrying (B).

CONTROLS
     The game is controlled via keyboard, joystick or mouse. The default
     keyboard commands use the numeric keypad for direction and fire, with
     the <SPACE BAR> selecting the information screens. These controls can
     be redefined by selecting the function to be changed from the list of
     icons above the keyboard display, and then selecting the key on the
     keyboard which is to hold that function, or typing in your preferred
     alternative (D).

     If you already have a saved game, you can load it from this screen
     (E). If this is your first game, selecting a leader enables the Start
     Game icon (F). Click on this to load in the initial scenario and the
     main playscreen.

THE MAIN PLAYSCREEN

     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |   ___________________________________________                        |
     |  |                                           |  F_       G________   |
     |  |                                           | |  |     |_________|  |
     |  |                                           | |__|     |_________|  |
     |  |                                           |  __               __  |
     |  |                                           | |  |    < C >    |  | |
     |  |                                           | |__|             |__| |
     |  |                  A                        |         _____         |
     |  |                                           |        |_____|        |
     |  |                                           |        |_____| < D    |
     |  |                                           |        |_____|        |
     |  |                                           |  ___________________  |
     |  |                                           | |                   | |
     |  |                                           | |        E          | |
     |  |                                           | |                   | |
     |  |___________________________________________| |___________________| |
     |    >------------------ B ------------------<                         |
     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

     A  Main Playing Area
     B  Location Name
     C  Weapon Icon
     D  Formation Options
     E  Scenario Scanner
     F  Character Icon
     G  Status Bars

     The main playing screen is divided into two areas: the information
     section on the right and the scenario landscape on the left. A
     scenario is simply a place on the world map: it could be a village, a
     castle, a mine or just a place in the wilderness. Each scenario is
     populated by one of the races, by monsters or by a mixture of the two;
     but you'll also find traps, puzzles to solve (for example, finding keys
     to open doors or activating switches to deactivate traps) and
     miscellaneous objects. These objects include food to improve your hero's
     health or weapons and magical artifacts to enhance his combat potential.

     The move around the world map looting some scenarios and negotiating
     in others. The ones you loot provide cash either to buy more men to
     replace any casualties you may have suffered, or simply to increase the
     size of your army. Only a strong leader with faitful troops will be able
     to defeat the four kings in the racial capitals and deliver their crowns
     to the Watcher's Tower in the middle of a monster inhabited wilderness.

THE PLAYING AREA (A)
     The play area is a window looking down on the action from a 60 degree
     angle, showing the player and his men, nearby enemies and the
     surrounding terrain. This window scrolls in eight durections as you move,
     keeping you in the centre of the display. Movement is controlled using
     the joystick, mouse or cursor keypad; the fire command fires the missile
     weapon or hacks with the melee weapon, whichever is selected.

     The rest of the screen is taken up by an icon strip which allows you
     to control your men and acess the information screens. Control is
     switched from the play area to the icon strip by pressing the <SPACE
     BAR> or the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTOM. These icons are as follows:

WEAPON (C)
     Clicking on this icon toggles the type of weapon your leader is
     currently using between missile and melee (for example, bow to sword and
     vice versa). Missile weapons have the advantage of long range accuracy
     and surprise, but melee weapons are essential for the quick reflexes of
     hand-to-hand combat.

FORMATION OPTIONS (D)
     The troops you buy are so loyal that they follow you around without
     question and copy your actions. The formation you choose could mean
     the difference between a successful conquest and total annihilation - so
     it's worthwhile thinking about your strategy and watching the enemy
     before deciding how to manoeuvre.

     There are a number of formations you can adopt, selected from the
     three icons here. The top one is Rally: clicking on this recalls troops
     to their current formation - useful when undisciplined followers run off
     on the rampage (usually when morale is high), or when slothful members
     straggle at the back or flee from the enemy (usually when morale is low).

     The second icon cycles through the possible troop formations - Single,
     Column, Line, Wedge, Open and Huddle: it's up to you to decide the best
     circumstances in which to utilise any tactic. The bottom icon selects
     your leader's position in the formation - Front, Rear or Wait. Front and
     Rear are obvious enough - you might be low on strength or not confident
     of your abilities, in which case you're better commanding the action
     from behind; or you might want to inspire your troops with strong
     leadership in a time of crisis, in which case you should charge from the
     front. If, however, you want your troops to remain standing whilst you
     explore the territory, select Wait - if you get attacked you can always
     Rally them into position.

     You can control up to 16 troops in this way - enemies tend to
     congregate and operate in similarly small groups. A good leader will
     respond to situations as they arise.

SCENARIO SCANNER (E)
     The display at the bottom of the information panel is a wider scan
     view: the position of your leader on the current level of the current
     scenario is shown in red, whilst the relative positions of all enemy
     unit leaders are shown as yellow dots.

STATUS (F)
     This icon appears as a picture of your leader with three status bars
     (G) next to it. These bars reveal your leader's health, the average
     health of his troops and troop morale. Clicking on the leader's picture
     accesses the status screen:

     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                                                                      |
     |       _______________________________________________________        |
     |      |___________________________ A _________________________|       |
     |                 B_                                |________|         |
     |                |  |                               |___ C __|         |
     |                |__|                               |________|         |
     |       ___________________________________________________            |
     |      |                                                   |           |
     |      |______________________ D __________________________|           |
     |       __|____|_|     |                           |_______|           |
     |      |         |  E  |                           |__ G __|           |
     |      |_________|_____|                           |_______|           |
     |      | H |                                           | I |           |
     |      |___|        _________________                  |___|           |
     |                  |        J        |                 | K |           |
     |                  |_________________|                 |___|           |
     |                                                                      |
     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

     A  Location Name
     B  Leader Icon
     C  Leader Status
     D  Name of Leader
     E  Followers Icon
     F  Class
     G  Follower Status
     H  Armour
     I  Melee Weapon
     J  Gold Coins
     K  Missile Weapon

     This shows in detail the health, morale and skill both of your leader
     and his troops. The balance of troop morale is a simple one: it's
     increased by killing enemies and decreased by being killed! If morale is
     high, troops confidently act on their own initiative and slaughter at
     will; if it is low, they become uncertain of their actions and require
     leadership. The type and number of weapons and armour currently in use
     are also revealed here.

PARLEY (H)
     When you fist enter a (non-monster) scenario you have the option to
     Parley rather than fight. Selecting this icon allows access to the
     Parley Screen.

     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                                                                      |
     |     _______________________               ______________________     |
     |    |                       |             |                      |    |
     |    |                       |             |                      |    |
     |    |            A          |             |           B          |    |
     |    |                       |             |                      |    |
     |    |_______________________|             |______________________|    |
     |                                                                      |
     |                                                                      |
     |                       _________               ________________       |
     |                      |         |             |                |      |
     |                      |         |             |                |      |
     |                      |    C    |             |       D        |      |
     |                      |         |             |                |      |
     |                      |_________|             |                |      |
     |                                              |________________|      |
     |                                                                      |
     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

     A  Buy Troops
     B  Buy Free Passage
     C  Buy Objects
     D  Current Cash Level

     In Parley mode your leader has three main options: he can recruit
     troops if the race in the scenario is the same as his (A); buy free
     passage through the scenario if he has enough money (B); or simply
     purchase items from the area's resident population (C).

     This screen is not available in monster-only scenarios, and as soon as
     hostilities start it is disabled. At the end of a scenario it changes
     into the Travel icon, which accesses the world map, allowing you to
     choose another scenario to go to.

INVENTORY (I)
     Selecting this icon allows access to the Inventory Screen:

     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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     |             __    __    __    A_    __    __    __                   |
     |            |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |                  |
     |            |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|                  |
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     |                   B_    C_    D_    E_    F_                         |
     |                  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |                        |
     |                  |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|  |__|                        |
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     +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

     A  Items Carried
     B  Select armour icon
     C  Select melee weapon
     D  Select missile weapon
     E  Eat Icon
     F  Trash Can Icon

     This simply shows the total contents of your inventory, the currently
     selected armour, melee and missile weapons, and the loot in the current
     scenario. Icons allow items to be moved from inventory to the trash can
     and out of the game. There is a limit to what you can carry.

     The basic rule for manipulating items is to click on the item, (using
     the arrows to scroll through the inventory) and then click on one of the
     icons. To eat an apple you would click on the apple and then on the Eat
     Icon. To select a wand as your missile weapon click on the wand and then
     the Select Missile Weapon icon.

THE WORLD MAP
     This is only accessible once a scenario has been completed. It allows
     you to choose which of the adjacent scenarios you want to move to. Once
     an adjacent scenario has been selected it us loaded and the whole
     process of combat or negotiation begins again.

BATTLEMASTER

A GUIDED TOUR FOR BEGINNERS.
     You now have all the information you need to become a battlemaster. If
     you're familiar with games of this type, you'll probably want to plunge
     straight into the action. For those who would prefer a little more
     advice this is a guided tour of the early scenarios. Whichever leader
     you choose either Dorins Delve or Dullham will be adjacent to your home
     town.

DORINS DELVE
     Select your leader as described above. Note that different leaders
     start with different numbers of men. Warriors start on their own. For
     the purpose of this walk through it's best if you don't pick an elf or
     human as these races actually inhabit the first two scenarios. Once you
     have selected a leader, the world map appears and you must select a
     scenario to your home town. Choose Dorins Delve (or Dullham). The
     scenario will then load. If you selected Dorins Delve you will arrive in
     a rocky landscape. If yoy are trying Dullham, see the section below.
     Check the scanner for the position of the enemy (yellow dots) and decide
     on your party formation. A wedge shape with the leader at the rear is
     one of the safest while you're still familiarising yourself with the
     battle tactics.

     Analyse where it would be best to strike against the enemy. If there
     are several groups huddled together wait until they separate. It's
     much harder to deal with groups of soldiers at once than one at a time.
     Use bows at long-range but be prepared to switch quickly to hand-to-hand
     weapons if the enemy comes close. Scan the countryside for suitable
     cover: enemy arrows can't pass through trees or rocks, so use these to
     hide behind when things get dangerous. In Dorins Delve they keep a
     sentry hidden behind some bushes to the west of the path. If you just
     march straight up the middle he will raise the alarm and Dwarves will
     arrive in force. If however you sneak up through the bushes as far left
     as you can get, you can surprise the sentry and will have considerably
     less enemies to fight at the hidden cave entrance.

     Once you've wiped out most of the opposing army you can loot the
     surrounding countryside. From your starting point continue east until
     you reach an opening in the crag - pick up the chest carefully keeping
     close to the wall; there's a pit-trap just opposite the cave entrance.

     Walk straight up the path through the centre of the landscape to the
     north. As you reach the cliff ahead you'll notice that new entrance has
     appeared in the wall. The fact that you you're still alive to step
     through it is proof that your first campaign of action has been a
     success.

DULLHAM
     You enter a peaceful scene just at the point where a bridge crosses a
     river. Use your skills as a fighter and battle leader to kill the
     inhabitants; attacking the enemy from the southern bank of the river
     gives you more chance of dodging their, but there are more opportunities
     for cover on the other bank.

     Once you've wiped out the villagers, cross over the bridge (if you
     haven't already done so) and walk straight up the pathway towards
     Dullham. Before you get into the centre of the village veer to the left
     or right (there's a pit-trap right at the end of the path). Enter the
     village houses and collect any food or loot that you find. In a hut to
     the north-east or amongst the possessions you've already looted, you
     should find a key; use it to enter the house with the locked door to the
     east.

     Inside the hut use the stairs to the left of the door to visit the
     cellar. Be careful as you're likely to encounter a few die-hard
     residents. Loot whatever they've left lying around and head off to the
     next scenario.

     If you'd like to practise parleying, choose an Dwarf as your leader
     from the start and negotiate for more troops or free passage through the
     first scenario. Alternatively, pick a human and negotiate for passage
     through the village of Dullham.

     These early scenarios are designed to give a gentle introduction to
     the rest of the game. Use them to practise troop formations, develop
     your fighting skills and familiarise yourself with the controls. If you
     find you're dying to often. try slowing down, there's nothing more
     dangerous than rushing into battle unprepared: a good commander knows
     when to watch and wait.

THE BOOK OF MONSTERS
     Long has it been told that the Keystone of Life was the device which
     originally contained the infallible genetic code. When it was planted in
     the cauldrons in the Watcher's Tower, its inner fire was revived and its
     myriad patterns began to shape the perfect race - the Firstborn.

     However, the King of the Firstborn shattered the Keystone and its
     shards fell back into the cauldrons, each fragment initiating its own
     species. The four main shards rapidly developed into the for main
     species: Humans, Orcs, Elves and Dwarves; but there were other shards.
     Even the thiniest sliver eventually produced its own life form: the
     smaller the sliver, the greater the mutation - and the more the thing
     created slipped from perfection.

     The creatures spawned from these fragments were monsters, coorupt in
     mind and body. Some of the more extreme deviants have perished through
     natural selection or through lack of numbers. Of those that remain, this
     list is the one reliable catalogue.

LESSER MONSTERS
     These relatively unintelligent creatures are widespread throughout the
     land, but provide little serious opposition. They are generally simple
     species mutated in unnatural size.

     GIANT SPIDERS

     Appearance:  Spiders, mainly black, 3 feet long
     Armour:      Soft skin
     Attacks:     Bite; some spit poison gas
     Magic:       None
     Rating:      Southern species are relatively harmless; Northern
                  variety are dangerous

     Giant Spiders have only animal interlligence: they're just one of
     those nasty little things you meet in the wilds. They prefer underground
     places but have been known to infiltrate forest areas.


     DRAGON FLIES

     Appearance:  Multicoloured dragonflies, 3 feet long
     Armour:      Soft skin
     Attacks:     Bite
     Magic:       None
     Rating:      Mostly harmless; can get nasty when defending their
                  territory

     More fly than dragon, these creatures pack a nasty nip. Found near
     water in out-of-the-way places.


     FIREDRAGON FLIES

     Appearance:  Multicoloured dragonflies, 3 - 6 feet long
     Armour:      Soft skin
     Attacks:     Bite
     Magic:       Fire Breath
     Rating:      Dangerous

     More dragon than fly, they're very similar in appearence to their
     lesser cousins. They're very aggressive, always attack and are keen on
     nasty surprices: massed groups of them have been known to open up with
     fiery blasts without warning. Found near water in out-of-the-way places.
     Sometimes bred as guards to crisp unwanted visitors.


     SNAKES

     Appearance:  SNAKES, 3 - 6 feet long
     Armour:      Skin
     Attacks:     Poison bite
     Magic:       Rarely
     Rating:      Varies from harmless to very dangerous

     Snackes come in many classes: some are completely harmless but others
     spit poison - and there are even a couple of very rare magic-using
     varieties which are very dangerous. found throughout the land.

Giant Monsters
     More advanced forms of life possess greater intelligenceand strength
     - and are therefore much more accomplished adversaries. Travellers
     must tread cautious steps and plan carefully if they are to survive such
     encounters unharmed.


     SCORPIONS

     Appearance:  Scorpions, 8 feet long
     Armour:      Skin with bony plates
     Attacks:     Spit poison gas; hack with pincers and stinger
     Magic:       None
     Rating:      Very Dangerous

     A large shard greated these creatures, so they almost qualify as a
     race. However, they are socially very different to the main races: as a
     hive society they have little individual will or intelligence. This
     makes them all the more dangerous, since they know no fear, and the
     combined intelligence of the hive can be surprising. In combat they are
     devastating, their plated skins protecting them whilst they attack with
     claw's and tail. The inhabit desert areas exclusively: but rumour has it
     that in the north the Orcs have managed to communicate with them
     sufficiently to establish a form of pact.


     Animals are distinguished by a resilient skin and reliance on
     instinct. Some shards distorted common forms into gross, warped echoes,
     many times normal size. These can cause serious trouble for the unwary.


     GIANT BATS

     Appearance:  Black bats, 4 feet long and larger
     Armour:      Skin
     Attacks:     Bite
     Magic:       None
     Rating:      Bothersome

     Very large and particularly aggressive bats which live underground.
     Often confused with Vampire Bats, but not for long.

THE UNDEAD
     Non-corporeal entities have long been a part of the Land, though there
have been additional species generated since the arrival of the Watcher.
Their unnatural appearance strikes fear into all forms of life - and, at
their worst, they can kill.


     GHOSTS

     Appearance:  Standars white-sheet ghosts
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     By weapon type
     Magic:       Rarely
     Rating:      Varies: mostly harmless to dangerous

     Ordinary by undead standards, these creatures are simply your common
     or garden spook, found in places where people once died (violently).


     GHOST EYES

     Appearance:  Large disembodied eyes
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     Drain health on contact
     Magic:       Lightning bolts
     Rating:      Trouble

     These monsterous beings have only been seen since the arrival of the
     Watcher, and this has led people to believe that he is responsible.
     However, no one has yet been willing to stake ytheir reputation or life
     to prove the point.


     GRINNING GHOST

     Appearance:  Disembodied mouths, 3 feet wide
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     Bite
     Magic:       Yes: type varies
     Rating:      Varies: generally dangerous

     These smilling spooks are said to be the undead spirits of those who
     perished without having a chance to speak the awesome last words they
     had in mind at the time. they are found wherever battles have been
     fought (ie, in most places), and wise people steer clear of the regions
     they haunt.


     VAMPIRE BATS

     Appearance:  Black bats, 4 feet long and larger
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     Bite
     Magic:       Yes
     Rating:      Very dangerous

     These are not bats at all, but Human mages who have chosen the ways of
     the undead as a path to immortality. Since the arrival of the Watcher
     they have lost their ability to shapechange and are trapped in bat form.

MAGICAL CREATURES:
     Magic is a powerful and mysterious force, occasionally harnessed and
     channelled into a vibrant form which can barely be described as "life".
     Elementals are the most prevalent manifestation, but the most elusive
     and potentis the fearsome Dragon.


     FIRE ELEMENTALS

     Appearance:  Small, mobile orbs of fire with a comet-like tail
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     None
     Magic:       Fire attack
     Rating:      Trouble

     Fire Elementals are either free-willed or bound by a mage. The
     free-willed variety occur near sources of natural fire; the bound
     variety act as guards or servants for a powerful mage, occurring
     wherever he dictates.


     LIGHT ELEMENTALS

     Appearance:  Small, scintillating stars
     Armour:      Non-corporeal
     Attacks:     None
     Magic:       Lightning
     Rating:      Trouble

     These elementals are more difficult to bind than Fire Elementals, so
     most of those you encounter will be free-willed. In this form they are
     also known as "Will o Wisps": they are playful spirits inhabiting swampy
     areas, leading unwary adventurers to untimely ends with a combination
     of combat and quicksand.


     BALL SERVANTS

     Appearance:  Bouncing green balls, 4 feet across
     Armour:      Thick skin
     Attacks:     Bounce
     Magic:       None normally
     Rating:      Bothersome

     The ball monster has for many years been a domesticated pet fovoured
     by all the races: they are loyal, friendly and fun to play with. They
     also quite aggressive against intruders and their bounce can be painful
     and even fatal.

THE BOOK OF ARMAMENTS
     During this years of strife and chaos which have visited terrible
     waste upoon the land, there have been few major records of armour or
     weaponry. This list is the most complete, as it details many of the
     great artificers and weaponsmiths and provides a compendium of their
     major works. Amongst these, seven can truly be said to be masters of
     their art: though the secrets of their design and techniques are now
     lost forever, their artifacts remain. Some of the weapons (such as
     Sulrandir's wands) bestrow magical powers, replacing the wielder's
     skill with a skill of their own; more cenventional weapons such as the
     axes and swords fashioned by Baglin or Feadil's armour add to the skill
     of the warrior using them, increasing his glory in battle. The forges
     are gone, the tools have crumbled to dust, but these works sustain the
     memories, and are a link with our common past. Those seeking power will
     do well to study this book wisely.

CURANDRIL'S RINGS
     The greatest of the artificers was Curandril, Elf smith of Brilmar,
     who wrought the Elemental Rings which give the wearer control over the
     elements. These rings have for many ages helped to guard the Elven
     forests from the incursions of the dragons. Nendil and Gondrim had such
     control over the elements of earth and water that they allowed the
     wearer to bypass rivers and pits.

     Normellon:               + 30 vs fire (Firefriend)
     Sulandir:                + 30 vs gas (Windwanderer)
     Nendil:                  Waterwalking (Lover of Water)
     Gondrim:                 Pitwalking (Stonemarch)
     Fire armour:             + 20 chainmail, + 20 vs fire (special)
     Light armour:            + 20 chainmail, + 20 vs Ltng (special)
     Curandril's Ring:        + 20 (Ring of Battle)

BAGLIN'S BLADES
     Also noteworthy is Baglin Axemaker, a Dwarven smith of great renown
     whose skill in weaponcraft was unrivalled. Altough axes were his
     speciality he also made a number of swords which were given to the Men
     and Elves as part of a peace bid: a war was fought over these weapons
     when the Dwarves demanded their return. The Dragon-slaying blade,
     Norbane, was one of these. His battleaxes led the Dwarves to many
     victories against the Orcs: the great axe, Orcruth, is said to be
     capable of slaying any Orc with a single blow.

     Orcruth:                 + 30 Orcslaying Battleaxe
     Baglin's Blade:          + 10 Orcslaying Battleaxe
     Norbane:                 + 10 Dragonslaying Broadsword
     Lokrist:                 + 0 Dragonslaying Longsword

SULRANDIR'S WANDS
     Sulandirs the Great was an Elf mage whose specialty was enchanted
     wands. He focussed and bound much power into these items, and their
     ability to cast the combat spells of old still persits, even since the
     arrival of the Watcher.

     Firefinger               + 20
     Lightfinger              + 20
     Firehand                 + 40
     Lighthand                + 40
     Firefist                 + 60
     Lightfist                + 60
     Firehammer               + 80
     Lighthammer              + 80
     The hand of Sultrandir   + 100 fire
     Sulandir's Fist          + 120 lightning

PEANDIL'S ARMOUR
     An artificer of great repute was Feadil, who specialised in the crafting
     of armour. Whilst chainmail was his preferred medium, his greatest works
     were in dragonskin, which bestowed upon the wearer all the defensive
     advantages of the Dragon without the social drawbacks which being a
     Dragon usually caused.

     Dragonskin Armour        + 0 Dragonskin
     Feadil's Bladewall       + 20 Dragonskin
     Bladebane                + 30 chainmail
     Bowbane                  + 25 chainmail shirt

THE GEMS OF MALELDIL
     The third most famous Elven smith was Maleldil, the finest worker of
     the power of gems. Her greatest piece was the Diamond Star, a talisman
     which gave the wearer total immunity to the effects of fire. It is,
     alas, believed to have been destroyed by the Dragon of Mount Fang, who
     feared its power. The Ruby Star, its lesser sister, still exists for
     certain.

     Diamond Star             + 100 to fire resistance
     Ruby Star                + 20 to fire resistance
     Emerald Star             + 20 to gas resistance
     Sapphire Star            + 20 to lightning resistance
     Maleldil's Gem           + 15 to all magic

HOLY WEAPONS
     Edmund of Westhaven was a Human cleric who founded the Vhurch of Man,
     a religious order based on a fanatical hatred of all things non-Human,
     It was for some time very popular and developed a huge following: the
     power of the prayers of most of Humanity was channelled through his
     hands, such that his blessings were of great strength and his curses
     filled their victims with awe. It is said that it is his blessing which
     still lingers in the sword known as Peacebringer, a fabled holy weapon
     which had brought eternal rest to many a wayward soul. Since  the fall
     of Old Adanost, it has been used in many crusades to free the
     Bloodwastes of the undead spirits of those who perished in the
     Dragonfire. Despite these efforts, the Plain remains a place of ghosts.

     Peacebringer             + 30 Holy
     Repentance               + 10 Holy
     Absolution               + 0 Holy
     Holy Necklace            + 10 vs monsters
     Magicbane                + 10 vs magic
     Faith                    Does nothing

LONGBOWS
     The Green Hunter was a Human magician of some standing who studied
     with the Elves and learned much of their craft. He shaped many fine
     longbows, including Vilira's bow, which was used in the slaying of
     Glaswen.

     Vilira's Bow             + 20 Longbow
     The Hunter's Bow         + 10 Longbow, + 30 vs monsters
     Greenfletch              + 0 Bow, + 20 vs monsters


ORC WEAPONARY
     The Orcs have produced few great artifices, and those that they have
     spawned have specialised in weapons of destruction. They generally
     favoured the scimitar as a melee weapon and the heavy crossbow for
     ranged combat. Headbringer, Skullsplitter and Throatmangler are among
     the more imaginative and graphic names given to these weapons: they
     have their place. Orc mages tended to specialise in the manipulation
     of poisonous gases (and still do so), and so the Orcish Battle Wands
     that survive are usually of the gas-throwing variety. The most infamous
     of these was Deathbreath, which was employed in many great battles.

     Headbringer              + 20
     Skullsplitter            + 15
     Throatmangler            + 15
     Gizzard Jobber           + 10
     Spiney Elfslicer         + 10
     Elf Shafter              + 20
     Grum's Bow               + 15
     Geek Bow                 + 10
     Dwarf Nailer             + 10
     Orcish Wand              + 20 Gas
     Skirmisher Wand          + 40 Gas
     Orcish Battle Wand       + 60 Gas
     Orcish Rankbuster        + 80 Gas
     Warmaster                + 100 Gas

OTHER ARTIFACTS
     There are a few other legendary artifacts whose makers remain unknown,
     and whose name is drawn from the reputations of their wielders.
     Dorgrin was a Dwarf whose father was killed by an Orcish arrow in the
     7th Battle of Angaglir. He became so obsessed by the danger of crossbow
     bolts that he commissioned a set of armour to make such attcks a thing
     of the past. Naugar, then the King of the Dwarves, was so impressed by
     the results that he comissioned the still unknown smith to create an
     even better suit for himself.

     Dogrin's Armour          + 5 invincible vs arrows
     Naugar's Armour          + 30 invincible vs arrows

     A further unique item is the armour of the Brown Mage, which consists
     of a leather suit covering the wearer from head to foot. It magically
     provides him air to breathe and so senders him immune to gas attacks; it
     also means that the wearer cannot drown. However, the armour is so heavy
     that swimming is rendered impossible, making it a dubious advantage to
     possess such a suit.

     Brown Mage's Armour      + 5 invincible vs gas

     The origin of Elrin's hunting bow is similarly anonymous, but its
     effectiveness against some of the more warped creatures of the land is
     legendary.

     Elrin's Hunting Bow      +15, +30 vs monsters

MUNDANE ITEMS
     These are items of varying power fashioned by unknown weaponsmiths in
     times long past.

     Dwarven Breastplate      + 25 Breastplate
     Dwarven Plate Armour     + 30 Plate Armour
     Dwarven Chainmail        + 15 Chainmail
     Dwarven Chain Shirt      + 10 Chain Shirt
     Dwarven Battleaxe        + 10 Battleaxe
     Dwarven Runeaxe          + 15 Battleaxe
     Dwarven Crossbow         + 10 Crossbow
     Dwarven Heavy Crossbow   + 15 Crossbow

     Elven Platemail          + 20 Platemail
     Elven Breastplate        + 15 Breastplate
     Elven Chainmail          + 10 Chainmail
     Elven Chainshirt         + 5 Chain Shirt
     Elven Longsword          + 10 Longsword
     Elven Runesword          + 15 Longsword
     Elven Bow                + 20 Bow

     Superior Bow             + 5 Bow
     Fire Ring                + 10 vs fire
     Lightning Ring           + 10 vs lightning
     Lesser Battle Ring       + 10 Ring of Battle
     Ruby Necklace            + 5 vs fire
     Emerald Necklace         + 5 vs gas
     Sapphire Necklace        + 5 vs lightning

     Orcish Leather Jerkin    + 5 Jerkin
     Orcish Leather Armour    + 10 Leather Armour
     Orcish Battle Armour     + 20 Leather Armour
     Orcish Bolt Thrower      + 5 Crossbow
     Orcish Heavy Bolter      + 10 Crossbow
     Orcish Scimitar          + 5 Scimitar
     Orcish Battle Blade      + 10 Scimitar

     Masher                   + 15 Club
     Blue Steel Broadsword    + 5 Broadsword
     Black Steel Broadsword   + 10 Broadsword

     Magic is after all magic. The true power of the magical items
     described above is that they enhance not only the powers of the
     wielder, but also those of his followers. So if a wizard wields the
     wand "Firefist", not only does he cast balls of fire, but the arrows
     of his followers also turn to fire. This has given magic greater
     importance in the battles of past times, and makes it invaluable to
     you.
