
*********

The Project 64 etext of the Nine Princes in Amber manual. Original
document released 9/85 by Spinnaker under the "Telarium" label.
Converted by Paul David Doherty <h0142kdd@rz.hu-berlin.de>.

9AMBER10.TXT, May 1996, etext #33

*********

=====================================================================
                       The Pattern of Amber
=====================================================================

Always will ambitious men in the shadow of a throne reach for the
power of the throne; as this was true for Chaos, so it is for Amber.
There are many paths to Amber, and I, Dworkin, know them all. For I
am the Pattern, and it is the Pattern which casts the myriad shadows
which surround Amber -- Amber, the one true world, created as the
powers of Chaos raged and despaired. The immortal children of Oberon
walk the shadows at will, but dissatisfied, return ever and anon to
Amber's gates. For they need to rule as fire needs air, and only in
Amber will they find the challenge -- and the power -- they seek.

   These are my notes; there are darker secrets than those inscribed
here which I dare not entrust to paper. All around me, the royal sons
and daughters of Oberon plot and scheme to place themselves nearest
their father's throne, and in their hands the knowledge I bear would
surely open the gate to Chaos, the realm of oblivion....

                               ***

Ah, Amber
   ...golden queen, wrested from Chaos with toil and blood. Those who
   seek to rule you have no understanding of your nature, and I fear
   for you in their hands.

=====================================================================
                        The Royal Conflict
=====================================================================

So the children of Oberon plot for the throne...let them plot
forever. Their plots are as the nipping of lion cubs at their sire's
heels, for none will rule so long as Oberon wears the crown. Still
they scheme, waiting for the end of Oberon's day. They make alliances
in an attempt to secure their positions. The one who finally sits on
the throne will come to it on the shoulders of those with whom he
allies. But he must take care; many agree to join forces only to
betray an ally at their convenience.

   Not all are like this. Some are more honorable than others --
Benedict is faithful to Amber alone, and will protect it with his
life. But Corwin and Eric, it would seem, have declared a blood feud
on one another. There is more than the throne between them, though
they will not admit it; neither one will rest until the other is dead
or disgraced. Bleys and Brand, those of Clarissa's lot, seem to have
reached an agreement of some kind; I do not trust those two minds
when joined in common cause. Of all the women, only Fiona seems to
bear any interest in the throne. As for the rest, they lack either
the will or the desire to take the throne for themselves; they are
content to ally with the strongest candidate.

   All dealings with the offspring of Oberon are hazardous, for each
is dangerous after the manner of individuals. Secrets I might trust
with one I would never give to another; I deal with each according to
his nature.

=====================================================================
                        The Paths to Amber
=====================================================================

Even as all roads lead to Amber, many paths lead to the throne. With
each decision made, some paths will open up, others become forever
sealed. Should two members of the royal house of Amber meet, they
will alter the paths to the throne irrevocably; the fruit of that
meeting may not become clear until the throne of Amber is within a
prince's sight. In Amber one can always return to a meeting and try
to change history; it may open up new, untravelled paths. A princess,
if spared, may return to kill her brother. It is a wise prince who
searches for different alternatives.

=====================================================================
       Physical Diplomacy    The Politics of the Sword(*)
=====================================================================

Although the royal siblings may choose verbal sparring with each
other, they do not hesitate to resort to physical persuasion as well.
Random and Julian, it seems, must be dragged apart nearly every day.
This is potentially deadly play, as the royalty of Amber has learned
well how to use a sword. All have learned the basic skills; some,
however, have gone beyond their masters. A prince of Amber can
protect himself -- or avenge an insult.

(*) See functional documentation for instructions.

=====================================================================
           The Rite of Passage:  Walking the Pattern(*)
=====================================================================

As each member of the royal house of Amber comes of age, he must
prove himself to be a prince of the blood by negotiating the Pattern.
Walking the Pattern is not a task lightly taken, for once begun, even
I can do naught but continue forward to the finish, or face oblivion.
The Pattern gives the knowledge that a prince of Amber must have to
fulfill his destiny.

   When a child of Oberon walks the Pattern, he must pass through the
five veils. Only then will he stand at the center of the Pattern and
know what it is to be a true prince of Amber. With each veil passed,
the way becomes more treacherous, but the rewards greater; and with
the conquest of the final veil, a prince of Amber will know the
secrets of both shadow and my gift, the Trumps.

(*) See functional documentation for instructions.

=====================================================================
                      The Language of Amber
=====================================================================

Artful communication is of great importance in Amber, and the Thari
language reflects this, for half of our verbs are "communication"
verbs. Though dialogue must be precise and short, by its nature it
suggests a great deal more than is actually spoken.

                                                        Dworkin


=====================================================================
                  FORMULATING COMMANDS IN AMBER
=====================================================================

CONVERSING IN THARI

When speaking in Thari, use short, concise sentences.
For example:
  ALLY WITH DEIRDRE            PROPOSE ALLIANCE WITH ERIC
  ASK RANDOM ABOUT AMBER       AGREE
  LEAVE                        TELL RANDOM ABOUT FLORA

Objects are used in Amber, of course, but their importance has
diminished over the centuries as communication has become more
refined. When working with objects, the verb, directly followed by
the object, will be best understood.
For example:
  TAKE SWORD                   DROP SWORD

In order to see something more closely, EXAMINE THE [object]; to see
what is being carried or worn, check the INVENTORY or INV. In order
to clearly see who is nearby, one should LOOK.

Sentences can be made more complex by combining up to three short
phrases; to do this, the phrases must be separated by the word AND or
THEN.
For example:
  TAKE THE SWORD THEN EXAMINE THE SWORD
  EXAMINE THE DESK AND OPEN THE DRAWERS


THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

As Thari has evolved, communication verbs have been split into
several categories. These divisions reflect the type of verb:
"hostile," "friendly," "neutral," or "response." These verbs have
been codified, in their categories, in the verb list. Action verbs,
such as ATTACK, RETURN, or CALL are listed as well.


SACRED COMMANDS OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF AMBER

Once a prince of Amber has completed walking the Pattern, he will
have the knowledge he needs to use the tools that are his birthright.
Several specialized verbs, used only by the royal blood of Amber, are
listed below.
          CONTACT -- contact using the trumps
            BREAK -- cut contact using the trumps
          IMAGINE -- cast mental images
      WALK SHADOW -- traverse the shadows cast by Amber.

NOTE: one can only "walk shadow" to a person if his/her location is
      known.


TRAVELLING THROUGH AMBER

When travelling through Amber and the shadows it casts, one can move
from one location to another by the use of the commands LEAVE, EXIT,
or GO TO [place]. One may also FOLLOW people who are going in a
direction.
For example: FOLLOW DEIRDRE.


THE BASICS OF SWORD FIGHTING

         CUT -- slashing at the opponent with the blade of the sword.
      THRUST -- lunging at the opponent with the point of the sword.
       FEINT -- pretending to attack one portion of the opponent's
                body in an attempt to force him to protect that spot,
                thereby leaving another area unprotected.
       PARRY -- stopping an opponent's attack.
    HIGH/LOW -- the direction of the movement. High is the head and
                heart; low, the abdomen and legs.

These movements can be combined in the following ways:
  CUT                 FEINT               PARRY CUT HIGH
  CUT HIGH            FEINT HIGH          PARRY CUT LOW
  CUT LOW             FEINT LOW           PARRY THRUST HIGH
  DODGE               FEINT CUT HIGH      PARRY THRUST LOW
  DUCK                FEINT CUT LOW       PARRY PARRY
  THRUST              FEINT THRUST HIGH
  THRUST HIGH         FEINT THRUST LOW
  THRUST LOW          JUMP


THE PATTERN

When you have reached the Pattern, a screen with five stars will
appear. You must create a path that crosses each in order to complete
the Pattern.
To play the Pattern game:
  1 -- Choose among the five pieces in the bottom left hand corner.
       They are numbered, from left to right, one through five. As a
       piece is chosen, a different piece will replace it.
  2 -- Create a path by connecting the pieces to the existing path,
       beginning in the bottom center of the screen, by choosing the
       number of the piece that will continue the path.
  3 -- To add additional branches, add a "T" piece, and a differently
       colored branch will form off the original path. As each new
       branch is made, a new color will appear at one end of the "T".
       The original color will continue at the other end.
       You may have up to four branches; the first is white, then
       red, blue and black. Paths can cross differently colored
       paths, but if you try to cross the same colored path you are
       on, you will lose the game.
  4 -- To place a piece on a particular path, type the number of the
       piece, followed by the color of the path, e.g. 1 WHITE, 5 RED,
       or 3 BLUE.
  5 -- Choosing a piece which does not fit the path you select will
       cause you to leave the Pattern and lose the game.

=====================================================================

Warranty

If this product should fail to work for any reason whatsoever during
the first 30 days following purchase, return it to the dealer from
whom it was purchased for a free replacement. If it should fail to
work after the first 30 days, mail it to TELARIUM at the address
below. If it has been physically damaged, you will be charged five
dollars for a replacement.

TELARIUM CORP. * One Kendall Square * Cambridge, MA 02139 *
(617) 494-1224

This software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by
TELARIUM CORP. The distribution and sale of this product are intended
for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the
computer system specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby
licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory of a
computer for the purpose of executing this program. Copying,
duplicating, selling or otherwise distributing this product is hereby
expressly forbidden.


NINE PRINCES IN AMBER computer program is a trademark of Telarium
Corp. (c) 1985 Telarium Corp. All rights reserved. Based on the books
Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon, (c) 1970 and (c) 1972
respectively, by Roger Zelazny. By arrangement with Byron Press [sic]
Video Productions. The adventure game Nine Princes in Amber was
written in SAL by Telarium Corp.                               IN-AMB

=====================================================================

             COMMUNICATION VERBS

        HOSTILE               NEUTRAL

        accuse                 *ask*
       challenge              *admit*
         defy                  *beg*
        demand                *bluff*
         deny                 *bribe*
        insult               *confess*
        refuse                discuss
        reject               *explain*
       *shout*                *laugh*
       *snarl*                 *lie*
        *spit*                mention
       *sneer*                 plan
      threaten                *plead*
       *yell*                 propose
                                say
                              *shrug*
                              *smile*
       FRIENDLY               *stall*
                            *surrender*
       *ally*                 *talk*
      *bargain*               *tell*
        calm                  *wait*
     compliment               *wink*
       enlist
      flatter                RESPONSE
       greet
        help                *disagree*
        join                  *maybe*
        hug                    *no*
     negotiate                 *nod*
       offer                   *ok*
      placate                 *sure*
      support                  *yes*


                ACTION VERBS

       *abandon*                  *enter*                 *put*
       *approach*              *escape, flee*            *raise*
   *assassinate, kill,*     *examine, inspect, ex*        read
  *attack, fight, draw,*     *exchange, switch,*      release, free
     *fence, stab,*               *change*               rescue
        *avoid*                *exit, leave*            *remove*
         bend                      extend           *repeat, r, again*
         blow                       face             return, replace
         break                      find                 *run*
   *breathe, inhale*            *fire, shoot*            search
         bring                    *follow*               *send*
      burn, light               *get, take,*             shadow
         carry                      give                 *show*
         chase                   *go, move*               *sit*
   *choose, select*             grab, grasp              *smoke*
        *clap*                   hit, punch              *sneak*
         close                  *hug, kiss*               spare
        *come*                    imagine                *stand*
     contact, call            *inventory, inv*           *stare*
      *continue*                *jump, leap*             *start*
         count                    *kneel*                *stay*
         cover                    *knock*                 steal
        *cower*                  *look, l*                stop
         *cry*                      let             tackle, surprise
       *descend*                    lift                 *think*
         *dig*                    *listen*                throw
        disarm                     lower                   tie
      *dismount*                    make                 *trump*
  *dive, swim, wade*              *onward*               *turn*
        *drink*                     open              unlock, pick
        *drive*                  overthrow                 use
         drop                       play            *walk, traverse*
         *eat*                     *pull*               wear, don
                                   *push*

NOTE: Only those verbs in *BOLD* can be used alone. All other verbs
      require a direct object.


=====================================================================
               How to Play Nine Princes in Amber
=====================================================================

                      TO LOAD THE GAME:

Loading instructions for your machine may be found on the enclosed
insert.

The following instructions will help you as you play NINE PRINCES IN
AMBER. It is particularly important to make a Save Disk so that you
can save your game. To do this, follow the instructions under
"Create" as soon as you boot AMBER.

NEWDATA
  Enter NEWDATA when you first load the game to obtain any
  instructions that may have changed since the publication of these
  notes.

CREATE
  NOTE: The program will erase the contents of any disk created as a
        Save Disk.
  The create command will create a Save Disk, which will enable you
  to save at any point in the game. You must create a Save Disk
  before you can save a game. This should be done as soon as you boot
  NINE PRINCES IN AMBER.
  To do this:
  1 -- Enter CREATE. Follow all the instructions on the screen.
  2 -- The words "CREATE complete" will appear when the Save Disk is
       ready.
  3 -- Remove the Save Disk and replace the game disk in the drive.

SAVE
  NOTE: You cannot save or restore during a fencing match or in the
        Pattern Game.
  You can save at any point in the game, and restore back to that
  point later. There are two reasons in particular for saving: first,
  if you are in a life-threatening situation, and second, if you feel
  you might want to restore to that point in order to try a different
  path. To save a game:
  1 -- Enter SAVE.
  2 -- Follow all instructions on the screens (you can type up to 30
       characters identifying your location when you save).

  When the save is complete, you will get a short description of your
  location followed by a cursor. You can continue your game after
  this.

RESTORE
  You can restore to any point you have saved on the Save Disk at any
  time during the game. To do so:
  1 -- Enter RESTORE.
  2 -- Follow all instructions on the screens.

  AMBER will resume from the point you selected, and you can continue
  your game.

  If you have died during the course of the game and wish to restore,
  simply type "R" when the screen asks if you would like to play
  again. Follow the instructions on the screen; AMBER will resume
  from the point you selected, and you can continue your game.

  NOTE: If you change your mind after typing CREATE, SAVE or RESTORE,
        type "*" to cancel the command.

PAUSE
  When you have finished reading a paragraph, press the spacebar to
  continue.

RESTART
  Enter RESTART any time you wish to return to the beginning of the
  game.

QUIT
  Enter QUIT if you wish to end the game before completing it.

PICTURESON/PICTURESOFF
  NINE PRINCES IN AMBER can be played without graphics. If you wish
  to play using text only, enter PICTURESOFF. You can recall the
  graphics to your screen at any time by entering PICTURESON.


=====================================================================

[insert:]

NINE PRINCES IN AMBER (tm)

Loading on the Commodore 64 (tm)

Note: This game uses one disk drive.

1. Arrange your computer with one disk drive and a monitor or
   television. *Do not connect a printer.*
2. Turn on the disk drive and the computer. Make certain that the
   SHIFT LOCK key is up.
3. Insert game Disk Side A into the disk drive and enter:
   LOAD "DISK",8.
4. When the computer responds with READY, enter: RUN.
5. The program will load automatically.

Loading on the Commodore 128 (tm)

1. Turn on the disk drive and the monitor or television.
2. Depress the COMMODORE KEY (lower left) on the keyboard and turn on
   the computer.
3. The screen will display the words "*****COMMODORE 64*****"
4. Insert the game disk Side A into the drive and follow the
   instructions above beginning with the LOAD command.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Commodore 64 and 128 are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd.

I-C6-AMB

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End of the Project 64 etext of the Nine Princes in Amber manual.

*********
