           TYPED BY SHARD -=A((ESS=-  22 AUGUST 1993   22:46

          BLADE OF DESTINY FULL MANUAL AND INSTALLATION GUIDE
          ===================================================

			        Part 1


INSTALLATION GUIDE AMIGA
------------------------

To  play  Realms  of  Arkania  - Blade of Destiny you'll need the following
equipment

. Amiga with at least 1 MB memory

Further  we  recommend  the  following  equipment  which  Will allow easier
handling and will increase the games overall playability, or simply make it
more enjoyable.

. Expansion memory
. Additional Disk Drives or a Hard disk

Hard disk-Installation:

. Normally boot your machine from the hard disk

. You must have at least 9 MB of free space on your hard drive to ensure a
  proper installation of the program

. Insert your ROA-Blade of Destiny DISK 1 in the disk drive and start the
  program Hard disk install from the Workbench

. Select  a  partition  of  your  hard  disk  where  the game's directory
  ROA-Blade shall be placed on

. The  program takes over all the installation.  This might take a couple
  of minutes, depending on the type of your machine. During this 
  installation you will be requested to change the disks. Please make 
  sure that you always insert the disk requested and press a key 
  afterwards.

. Should  any  error occur during the installation, the program will tell
  you.  Try to rectify this error and restart the installation

. After the program has successfully finished installation, you can start
  your adventure.  Supplied with the game there is a band of characters 
  so that you can jump into action right away. If, you prefer to create 
  your heros you should enter the Character Generation program. To start
  the game itself start the program called ROA-Main from your workbench

Creating a backup copy:

. Your games disks are not copy protected so that you can make copies of
  it quite easily with the Diskcopy command from your workbench or CLI

. Take care that your disks have the correct names ("ROA BLADE #" 
  where # indicates the disk number). Should this not be the case, 
  rename them with the Rename command from your CLI or workbench

. NEVER play with the original disks !

. Your game's disks should ALWAYS be write protected

Creating Save Game disks (needed for playing without hard disk only):

. To play ROA-Blade of Destiny, you'll need a disk to save your games

. Format a blank disk from your workbench or CLI, naming it EMPTY

. Start the Character Generation and select the option Make Save Game 
  Disk

. The Save Game disk will always be created in the internal drive DF0: 
  and it is best to use this drive to load and save your games, as well.

. ALWAYS make sure that the Save Game Disk is not write protected !

Command keys:

CTRL-P Pause. Toggles between pause and game mode. 

CTRL-X. Toggles between 50 and 60 frames/sec

What to do if running out of memory?

. The most proper solution would definitely be the purchase of a Memory
   Expansion !

. Remove external drives

. Remove all tools from your Startup Sequence, User Startup and WB 
  Startup of your hard disk or boot disk

. Reduce the number of buffers used for your drives

A note about the disk usage:

. To make playing the game as swap less as possible, you should try to
  ensure to have the following disks in your drives according to the 
  games situation

Situation      Important disks
Intro                  1,2
Character Generation   1,2
Start of Game          1,3 (5,8)
Towns                  3,4
Info Screen            3
Stone Caves            3,4
Marble Caves           3,5
Ship of Death          3,8
Combats                5,6,7,8

And do not forget that there also is a Clue-Book already available for this
game.  Ask your dealer today!


    BLADE OF DESTINY - REALMS OF ARKANIA FULL MANUAL
    ------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS

Introduction
  Geography of Arkania
  Politics and History
  Mythology of the Gods
  Gerbods Diary

Beginning: Blade of Destiny
  The Novice and the Advanced Game
  How should you create your party?
  The Four Methods to create a Party

Character Generation
  Creating your Characters
  Deciding on an Archetype for your character
  Selecting a Name
  Selecting a Gender
  Choosing your course of action
  Selecting New Attributes
  Selecting positive attributes
  Selecting negative attributes
  Select Archetype
  Change Attributes
  Choose Archetype
  Choosing your Arcane lore
  Choosing a Portrait
  Additional character/ Archetype Attributes
  For Novice Mode
  For Advanced Mode
  Increasing Skill Values
  Changing attack & Parry values
  Understanding the values
  Modifying the values
  Increasing spell values
  Saving your character
  A New Hero
  Exit Program

Character Development
  Gaining levels
  In the advanced game

Towns, Cities and Villages
  Visiting Temples
  The Review Screen
  New statistics
  The value of statistics
  Eating & Drinking
  Examining Items
  Items in the Backpack
  Items on the body
  Equipping characters
  The left & right hand
  Review Options
  Trading Items
  Merging Items
  Managing your Funds
  The main play screen
  Main screen options
  Visiting the markets & merchants
  Inns & Taverns
  More Tavern options
  Visiting a Healers Shop
  Blacksmiths shop
  Leaving Town

Dungeons
  Dungeon options
  Travelling tips

Leaving Town: Ports & Trails
  Packing your bags
  Leaving town via a ship
  Heading out on foot
  Travelling Time

Adventuring
  Hunger & thirst
  Elements
  Terrain
  A good place to rest
  Forced march
  Camping on route

Arkanias Residents
  Talking with NPCs
  Travelling with NPCs

Combat
  Whos on First?
  Ouch. Quit it
  Making your move
  Entering the combat screen
  The combat options
  move
  attack
  guard
  cast spell
  use item
  change weapon
  exchange item
  check values
  wait
  repeat options
  computer fight
  quit & reload

Arcane Lore
  Casting Spells
  Spell Charts
  Spell Descriptions 
  Wand Spells
  House Spells

Appendices
  A: Archetypes
  B: Skills
  C: Arkanias Deities
  D: Herbs & Poisons
  E: Diseases
  F: Role Playing Terms
  G: Arkanian Terms
  H: Customer Service
  I: Hints & Tips

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ARKANIA

INTRODUCTION
------------

"It  stretches  from  the  rocks  of  Windhag to the coast of Mendena, from
Ifirn's Ice Mountains to the damp woods of the Moha, and true enough, it is
a  strange  land.  It is lovely at times, mild and full of good men, but it
remains  bleak  and  hostile  most of the time, not tolerating any innocent
wanderers.  Of its regions, there are some travelled only by those who know
how  to  wield  a  sword;  others,  still  more  fierce,  welcome  only the
courageous  and  crazy.   Whonever  goes there typically finds, nothing but
death and horrors to freeze the mind.  The forests in Borland too, with the
giant Milzenis amidst, is a place much like that, and so, too is the desert
Khorn,  the land off pagans.  The Lord Praios himself haunts man and animal
there,  and sends the land heat to make every herb wither and all creatures
skinsburn.

To  the  North,  it  is no better.  Praios' grim brother, Firun, covers the
land  with  an icy shield and blows a wind so cold that birds fall from the
skies  dead  and  rigid He who travels this land successfully from north to
south  might  be  pleased  and  wonder  how  he survived.  But we shall not
quarrel  with  the land.  Arkania called, for the Twelve Divines have given
it  to  us  and  surely  they  know  why  they  created  it  as  is and not
differently."

From the book The Healing Herb - How to Find and Prepare
written by the Peraine Devoted
Sister Larissa in Mendena, 80v.11.

Geography of Arkania
--------------------

The  region  of  Arkania  is one of the smaller lands of Ethra, a primitive
world,  and  land which most Arkanians suppose to be flat.  Although in the
past  years the hypothesis arose that Ethra was a sphere, none ever managed
to prove it.  Even today, no Arkanian has succeeded in crossing the world

To  the  east  the  Arkanian  continent  is limited by the "Iron Sword," an
almost  invincible  mountain range that rises to more than 30,000 feet.  To
the  west  is the "Sea of Seven Winds," a treacherous ocean unnavigabile by
Arkania's  meagre  flotilla.   Beyond  this lies a legendary continent, the
"Golden  Land".   Whether  the  world ends at the Golden Land is beyond the
kndowledge of Arkanian geographers

To the north of Arkania - provided it is not covered in ice - are both deep
woods  and  long,  treeless plains.  Settlements are rarely found here, but
those  that  do  remain  belong  to  the  Nivese,  groups of steppe nomads,
following the trail of the huge Karen herds through its plains

To  the  northwest,  there  is Orcland, highlands enclosed by many mountain
ranges  and  aptly  littered  with  numerous Orc tribes.  Relentlessly, the
multiple  tribes  engage  one  another in bloody feuds for hunting grounds,
pastures or servants

Sporadically  the tribes will join together, and, as one massive unit, they
will  force  their  wayv South.  And so it is again ...  as these lines are
written,  the  people of Arkania are witness to another Orcish raid, one of
the  most  horrible  in  recorded history.  The dark furred hordes, full of
blood  lust,  have left unspeakable devasstation in their wake.  But what's
more, they have reached the gates of the imperial city, Gareth.

To  the far west of Orchland is Thorwal, the empire of a race of pugnacious
and  rapacious  seafarers.   With their light, single masted ships, locally
referred  to  as  "ottas,"  the Thorwalians travel the coasts of Arkania in
search  of new goods and traders.  Finding small, unfortified harbours, the
Thorwalians  are  quick  to  raid  yet  the  red haired giants will attempt
trading should they meet with any resistance from the harbour's citizens

Beyond  Arkatnia's  northeastern  corner  is Borland, a densely wooded area
which  like  Arkania's  eastern side, ends abruptly where it meets the Iron
Sword Mountains.  Borland is well-known for its harsh winters and poor, but
hard-  working,  farming  communities  who  make  life sorrowless for their
barons,  counts  and  princes.  Festum, the land's capital and residence of
the noble's marshal is known to be one of the most gorgeous and pleasurable
harbour towns in all Arkania

South  of Borland's forests are the Red and Black Sickle Mountains.  Though
not  as  treacherous or steep as the Iron Sword, the mountains are infested
with  goblins  and  rarely  traveled.  Between the two ranges is the Middle
Reich,  a zone of moderate climate.  Many settlements and clearings dot its
hills  and  a  smattering  of roads connect the communities to one another.
Gareth,  Arkania's  largest  town  with  approximately 120,000 citizens, is
Middle Reich's capital, and serves as the nerve centre of the area.  On the
outskirts  of  the  Middle Reich, dense forests grow and meet with those of
the  Sickle  Mountains.   According  to  the dwellers Dwarves inhabit these
woods, making travel through their realm foolish at best

An  island proivince of the Middle Reich, Maraskan, lies to the east of the
Arkanian  continent  in  the  Sea  of  Pearls and is rich with mountainous,
wooded  beauty.  It is normally a quiet land where conflicts seldom occurs.
The  rest  of  Arkania often makejokes about the status of supplies in this
area,  knowing  full  well  that  nothing  much else is worth the words its
people,  secreted  and  of their own, are now seeking independence from the
powers of the Middle Reich.  Their goal of freedom, some say, is not so far
off.

South  of  the  Middle  Reich lies the desert Khorn, home of the Novadis, a
proud race of desert nomads.  The desert is met by the Etern and High Etern
Mountains  to  its west, slopes which shield the Khorn from the rain clouds
that drift west with the winds toward the "Lovely Field."

A  rich  and fertile land, Lovely Field is bright with the seasons, blooms,
and is home to numerous Arkanian residents, most of which live in Vinsault,
the  capital city.  Other towns in Lovely Field, including Grangor, Kuslik,
Belhanka  and  Sihas,  are  said  to  be  the  most fertile lands in all of
Arkania.   Naturally,  most  of Lovely Field`s residents farm by trade, and
their  settlements  flourish with an abundance of food and grains.  Most of
the  villages  in  Lovely  Field are well fortified to protect their bounty
from  the  endless  raids  drawn by its wealth.  From its eastern side, the
Novadi  tribes  attack  the  province again and again, while the coasts are
plagued by the Thorwalian ottas.

Southwest of the Etern Mountains, Arkania's tropical area begins.  The land
is marked by the high peaks of the Rain Mountains, whose tips jut above the
dense  jungle.   Aborigines and settlers from northern Arkania populate the
area,  but  remain  apart as much possible.  Generally, only trading brings
them  together.   The  Arkanian  settlenments  decorate  the  shoreline and
support  flourishing  trade.   On  the  other  hand  the aborigines, called
"Moha",  live  deep  within  the jungle in small villages secured on stilts
high  above  the  jungle's  sometimes dangerous floor.  They are experts in
herbs,  poisons, tinctures and animal preparations, and are sought after by
alchemists throughout Arkania.

In  the  Southern  territories  of Arkania, slavery is widespread.  In many
houses,  it  is  impressive to have a real "Woodsman" as a servant or maid.
Al'Anfa,  the  city  state  at  the  southern end of the east coast, is the
center  of  slavery  commerce and long ago earned the nickname "Town of Red
Gold."  It  has,  however,  drawn another name, "Plague Spot of the South,"
from those opposed to slavery.  The most prominent adversary of Al'Anfa and
its  policies is the small kingdom of Trahelia.  Located on the south coast
of  Arkania,  Trahelia recently fought for and was granted its independence
from the Middle Reich.

The  southwestern  point  of the Arkanian continent leads to an archipelago
whose  largest islands, Token, Iltoken and Benbukkuha, are highly respected
as suppliers of various spices

Arkania  itself  measures  up  to  3,000  miles  from its very north to the
jungles at its southern tip not a very long distance for a continent it may
seem,  but  it  would  take  an  Arkanian at least three months of constant
traveling to cross it.  Only a very few men and women would relish the idea
of  such  a  daring  journey .....  transversing wide areas without hope of
seeing another human face for months on end, crossing hostile lands overrun
by  Orcs  and  Ogres,  surviving  the  imminent  danger of such encounters,
perhaps only to fall prey to simple, wild animals

It is into this world that your party arrives.

Politics and History
--------------------

"From  the  landman  be  it  farmer  or  knight, in this world, there is no
right!"

From  the  song The Knight and the Maiden written by an unknown worker from
Lovely Field

"In  the name of Lord Praios, His Sister Rondra and the other immortal Ten,
in the name of Honor, Courage and Divine Might, in the name of Loyalty, the
Reich  and  Imperial  Majesty  in the name of Love and Respect for any good
natured  creature  I  do  lower this Blade onto, your shoulders so it shall
carry an honorable but heavy burden Raise now, Knight...."

From a formula used to confer knighthood in many parts of Arkania


A  democratic  state is no climate for dragons, orcs and goblins to thrive.
Instead  there  are  rulers, people who wear crowns and are called princes,
emperors  queens,  kings and counts.  The most common type of government in
Arkania  is  monarchy,  but  Arkanian  rulers are by no means comparable to
Kings  from  fairy tales who do little but stroke their beards and fear for
the destiny of their disappeared daughters.

The  state  of Arkania is much like Earth's early Renaissance period.  Just
as  rulers  on  Earth  behhaved during this time, so too do the monarchs of
Arkania; they use any means and methods offered ...  diplomacy, corruption,
war  and  intrigue.   Still the well being of their people and their empire
reigns above all, and nearly all are divinely honored by their citizens.

Among the states and their monarchs, however, Middle Reich and Lovely Field
are  considered  the  most  important.   Both  are  now reigned by a single
empress,  Amene III, who has less than a year's experience in the monarchy.
The  original emperor of Midddle Reich, Had I, disappeared under mysterious
circumsrances a short time ago and Amene III assumed his rule.  Both states
are organized in a classic feudal system
 
As  your  characters  enter into this political system, their position in
society  depends upon their origins.  A noble warrior or knight will likely
hold  the  honour  of  his  or  her  emperor highly.  A rogue raised in the
gutters of Gareth, on the other hand, will be more interested in collecting
ducats  than  respect.   A  magician might have, the wish to serve Arkanian
sciences,  while  an  ernstwhile  elf  may  leave home early to explore his
world.   A  social career is open to any of these individuals; each will be
recognized for their deeds in time, and emperors might grant them a reward,
a medal knighthood or even a small barony.

Mythology of the Gods
---------------------

"For   see,   the   blasphemers   and  assassins,  the  pillaging  mob  and
well-poisoners and what ever riff raff there be, the stubborn and hardened,
who  know  neither  remorse  nor penance, will not be given the key to open
heavenly gates by Boron.

From The Twelve Divine Paradises by Ahrik v.  Angbar, Praios 12Hal

No  matter  how  mighty  some  Arkanian monarchs are, they are not the real
guides  of history, the world or the people.  A multitude of gods hold this
power.   The  deities  draw their might from the faith of those who worship
them, but are not simple visions or created images.  They are, rather, very
real  and  powerful  creatures  who  present themselves to their believers,
perform  miracles  and  intervene  in  the  events  of the world.  The most
accepted belief in Arkania is in the Twelve Divines.  They are:

Praios..........Sun, Might and Rule
Effered.........Rain, Sea and Voyage
Boron...........Sleep and Death
Firun...........Hunting and Winter
Phex............Trade and Band of Thieves
Ingerimm........Fire, Skill of Iron Work
Rondra..........War, Lightning and Thunder
Travia..........Hospitality and Marriage
Hesinde.........Arts, Science and Magic
Tsa.............Renewal and Youth
Peraine.........Seeding and Healing
Rahja...........Love, Ecstasy and Wine


These  gods  are worshipped in Borland, Middle Reich, Lovely Field and many
other  regions  of the continent.  Even the months of the Arkanian calender
are named after them.  Of the other gods, there is Rastullah, worshipped by
the  desert  people, Novadi, and the Divine Twins, Rur and Gror, worshipped
by the citizens of Maraskan.

Between  all  these  gods,  which  are  complemented  by  an  assortment of
demigods,  there  is  occasionally a dispute or serious fight, but all have
one common enemy - The God With out a Name.  Even this one, epitome of evil
and  depravity that he maybe, has lured a number of worshippers in Arkania,
bribing them with the riches and power other gods do not willingly give.

Temples  are  found  in  nearly  every  Arkanian  village,  and  offer your
character  respite from his or her adventure.  Your characters will develop
a  following  for  one god or another, and will be guided in the god's way.
However,  gods,  virtuous  as they are will not turn away those who worship
any one of the Twelve.

Gerbods Diary
-------------

Thorwal,  on  the  23rd  day  of  Travia in this year 15 in the rule of his
divine magnificence, Emperor Hal I of Gareth ......

Arrived here late yesterday evening aboard the Storm Swalhow apparently the
last  ship  going to Thorwal before winter.  The harbor was full of vessels
from  all  corners  of the world, but the most common were the dragon ships
(or  ottas,  as they appear to be called around here).  Many of them seemed
to  originate in Thorwal, Prem and Olport judging by some of the flags they
were flying.

It  didn't take long to find that the inns were full up to the last bale of
straw  so  I  took  shelter  in  the Temple of Travia, obviously a place of
worship  to  the  Arkanian deity of the same name.  A house to our Mistress
Rondra  would have been more to my liking, not that I could find fault with
the  hospitality  of the people here.  The temple wasn't the most spacious,
so  I  did what I could to stash my few belongings in a corner.  Not having
an abundance of gear, just my trusty sword and a few writing imphements, it
didn't take long before I was comfortably wrapped in blankets.

A  group  of adventurers soon arrived and settled themselves down very near
to  my corner.  They seemed a remarkable sort of group whose minds were not
on continuous prayer, judging by the conversations I could overhear.  As if
sensing  my  interest, they were kind enough to invite me over to join into
their conversation.

Delo a young mage from Andergast, seemed to have just finished his studies.
Swanja,  a sailor maid from Prem seems to possess enormous strength; in the
course  of  her story telling, she easily hefted up an axe that my fighting
instructor  Alrik  would  have been hard pressed to lift!  Gurbosch, Son of
Gradobar of the Little people, left his spot only long enough to refill his
tankard  with  stout  from a seemingly endless supply in his backpacks.  He
constantly  hummed a bawdy miner's tune, stopping only when his tankard met
his  lips.  Rhenaya obviously an other magician of some kind, spent much of
her  time  sorting  her little bags of aromatic fresh herbs.  Finally there
was  Erinniha,  an  elf  woman  of  such  unreal beauty that I could hardly
believe  my eyes.  Through not much for words she occasionally responded to
Gurbosch's incessant humming with little more than an upturned eyebrow

It didn't take long to learn that they too were strangers, and so it seemed
natural that we explore the town together tomorrow.

The  night  of  talking  didn't stop us from leaving the temple at dawn.  A
tremendous  crowd  was  gathered  in  the square just outside the temple in
spite  of  the  early morning hour.  Seems that a daily market is held here
and  it's  quite  possible  that  the early attendees hoped to beat out the
latecomers  to  the  most  choice  items that the merchants had on display.
There  was  at  least  one  stall  for  every type of merchant that you can
imagine  but  it  is  said  that  the  quality  of  the  merchandise varies
enormously from one day to the next.  At least there is a market here daily
though,  even  in winter, since in some of the settlements further into the
wilderness it may be weeks between visits from a travelling merchant

Erinnila  found a marvelous lute and we each chipped in a few silver crowns
toward its purchase.  We figured that she would earn it back from her first
performance  in  one  of  the local taverns.  It was quite an experience to
watch Gurbosch do his part to haggle the merchant down.  I suspect that the
merchant  was  so dazzled he is only now realizing that he was paid a third
of the asking price.

Feeling quite triumphant with our success in the market, we left to explore
the  streets  of  Thorwal.   we  found  an  abundance  of  outfitters, arms
merchants  and  herbalists not to mention a number of healers and smiths as
well.   There were plenty of temples to the different Arkanian deities, but
I  could`nt  find  one  dedicated  to  our  Mistress Rondra.  I made due at
Swafnir's hall to give thanks for our rewarding journey.

A  freak accident marred our explorations today.  Rhenaya was debating with
a  herb merchant about the quality of his whirlweed when a supply cart came
barreling   around   the  corner  with  such  tremendous  speed  it  almost
overturned.   Thanks  be  to Rondra for her quick reflexes!  Rhenaya barely
saved  herself  from the cart's wheels by diving head first into a potter's
display.   Unfortunately, she was left with a number of scratches, although
not nearly as many as suffered by the potter's wares.

Her  wounds  were  serious  enough  to make us search out the services of a
healer.   We  found Noro Mystico in the "Strangers Quarter," located in the
western part of Thorwal where few locals reside.  The look of the place did
nothing  to  inspire  our  trust,  but he seemed to know his trade.  To his
credit, Rhenaya is already feeling much better.
 
We have moved our belongings to an inn called the "Hetman Oremo" near the
Temple  of Peraine.  We decided that we would be more comfortable here even
though  it's  somewhat  on the expensive side.  But it is clean and we each
have a decent bed to sleep in.  Maybe tomorrow we'll have the chance to let
Erinnila try out her lute in one of the taverns.

We  made it into one of the taverns yesterday, and Erinnila proved to be as
much  a success as we thought she would be.  I'm thinking of paying a visit
to  that  healer myself as my head feels as if someone has been pounding on
it  with a war hammer.  These Thorwalians can drink like fish, only its not
water  that they toss back.  I met two, Sir Shaun of Crispy, a regal knight
of his kingdom and Sir Ian of Metavira, a mere jester in his.  Nonetheless,
they  travel together bringing unique brews to the taverns where they stop.
They  specialize  in  producing  something  they  call  "Fire" and "Premian
Brandy," both pretty potent brews

Swanja was certainly enjoying both of them and she drank the vicious liquid
without even batting an eyelid.  I have a hazy recollection of her dragging
the rest of us back to Hetman Oremo.  sir Shaun, meanwhile, spent the night
near  his horse, and Ian the jester was found outside his room, still sound
asleep,  just this morn.  Swanja who happened upon him said he was mumbling
incoherent  things  about  trees  and fruit and his aim being off.  Indeed,
Thorwal is a strange town.

Nonetheless,  the  adventures  at the Four Winds last night were well worth
this  morning's  pain.   A  lot  of  seafaring  folk  gather there, and the
boatswains  and  sailors  tell  many  hair  raising  tales.   I  was  quite
fascinated by the story of the ghost ship rumoured to be sailing the waters
around Arkania.

For  some reason I can't get the story of the ghost ship out of my mind.  I
listened to it again today, drinking somewhat less Fire in the process, and
really  believe that it may be more than just a tall tale.  It just doesn't
sound  like  the tales I've heard in every other tavern.  This story has me
really  curious,  and  since  I`m  beginning to feel the urge to leave town
before  winter  sets in, I believe I'll go down to the harbour tomorrow and
ask around.

I  was  able  to find out quite a lot today.  There is a cutter leaving for
Varnhome  tomorrow.   We'll have to wait another day, but I'm sure that the
sea  and  the  ghost  ship,  will  still  be there.  Gurbosch was less than
thrilled  on  hearing  my plans, but allowed himself to be convinced by the
lure  of the treasure that could be waiting for us on that ghost ship.  The
harbour  master mentioned another ship leaving in three days, but I'm going
to push my companions to be ready to leave tomorrow

So  far  the  journey  to Varnhome has proven to be rather uneventful We've
found  out a little bit more about the ghost ship from some of the sailors,
but there has been no sign of the ship itself.  They claim it usually sails
farther  west across the Seven Winds Ocean.  Well, maybe tomorrow we'll see
the ship's sails at last

Having  reached  Varnhome,  we look back upon a most disappointing journey.
Not  only  did  we not see the ghost ship, but adding insult to injury, the
sea was very rough on the last leg of the passage.  Gutbosch and Delo spent
most of the day leaning on the rails.

Talking  to  the  harbour master in Varnhome has revealed that we dont have
any  chance  of finding a vessel back to Thorwal for at least several days.
Since  we  haven't  really  come across any interesting merchants here, and
we've pretty much had our fill of taverns for the time being, we've decided
to tackle the trek back on foot.

We  spent  most  of yesterday outfitting our group with some basic supplies
required  for the journey, and wasted no time in heaving the boring town of
Varnhome.   Just  as we were heaving the last merchant's shop, he warned us
that  the  Orcs  were  getting  more  and  more  daring, and have even sent
marauding forays out to the coast.  We've seen none of the blackfurs so far
though, but are quite prepared to give them a taste of Swanja's axe if they
show up.

The  marching  is  proving to be slower than we had anticipated.  Our short
legged  friend  finds it hard to keep up and DeLo just doesn't seem to have
the  stamina  to  push on as we would like.  But the weather is fair and we
fally expect to reach Thorwal in a couple of days.

We  finished  our  first  battle  moments  ago!   A  group  of goblins were
harboring  a  delusion  that they had a chance of defeating us!  We lost no
time in proving to them the fatal error of their beliefs!

Their advantage lasted no longer than our first attack as Deho and Erinnila
were  quick to let go with a couple of Lightning bolts, helplessly blinding
two  of the opponents.  The rest of us let our swords speak for us!  Swanja
and  Gurbosch felled their opponents with two blows, and while it took me a
few more than that to dispose of my attacker, he did not hand a single blow
against me

Rhenaya had a close call when her cudgel broke on her first parry, but when
the goblin noticed Erinnila and Delo turning in his direction, he was quick
to  turn  tail and run.  The rest of the cowardly filth took flight seconds
after that

We took a couple minutes to check out their supplies, but true to form they
had  nothing  worthwhile.  Even the food packs seemed contaminated by their
filth.   None  of  us experienced any injuries during the battle, but as we
dragged  the bodies off the road, Swanja received a small wound.  We set up
camp  so  that  we could attend to the wound immediately.  It's not wise to
invite  infection.   We will continue on our way in the morning, and do not
expect any further attacks this close to Thorwal.

We  made  it  back  to  town  and found sleeping in a comfortable bed quite
pleasant  after  our  days  on the road.  Before retiring for the night, we
were  sure  to unwind with a night of carousing at a tavern called the Lost
Bit.  It was a prosperous evening!  We learned more about the town from the
patrons  and  the  tavern  keeper  than from any others we have so far met.
Tomorrow  we'll  have chance to try out the smiths in town as we still need
to  find someone to repair Rhenaya's cudgel and Swanja's axe could use some
attention  and  care.   Any  decent Thorwalian smith should be able to take
care of it though.

I  wasn't  surprised to learn that Thorwal offers a warriors academy in the
southwest  corner  of  town, but I can't say that I'm too excited that it's
run  by  one  of the LittLe People.  Probably all anyone can learn there is
how  to  swing an axe!  Gurbosch, of course, is quite taken with visiting a
distant  relative,  a  definition  which  seems  to  apply to anyone of the
dwarven  race,  and is offering our services to help him out, as is typical
among this chosely knit race.

It  turns out that there are some problems at this academy, at least that's
what  our innkeeper told us this morning.  According to rumour, the faculty
and  students  at  the  "Old  Ungalf," the local name for the academy, have
noticed  some  thieving  on  their  grounds.  It seems that even though the
lower  floors are no longer in use and that the entrances to these sections
have  been  bricked  up,  that  somehow  a band of brigands must have found
access  somewhere in the lower tunnels.  We'll find out the true story soon
enough.

We  visited  Master  Dramosch  at the academy today.  Even though access is
supposed to be restricted, the guards at the academy's gate are rather lax,
and  all  you  need to do is bark at them like you're supposed to be there.
We  found  out  that  not  only  are their supplies being spirited out from
beneath their noses but one of the their students has been missing for some
days now.

Oddly  enough,  the  academy doesn't seem to possess nearly enough fighting
power,  much  less  magical abilities, to investigate the crime.  Turns out
they`re all novices here.

Gurbosch, Delo and Swanja were very taken with the idea of helping out from
the  start,  but Erinnila and Rhenaya took some convincing.  The thought of
spending  several days crawling around dark cellars doesn't appear to be to
their liking.

We  spent the day stocking up on everything we're going to need to properly
explore  the  dungeons  of  the  academy.   We went to the supply stores of
Mr.Stoerrebrandt-Grassberg  and  a  dwarven  arms  merchant known as Grollo
Gumbladsson.   They are both the best, and the most expensive, offering the
finest  selection in town.  We made sure to purchase the best arms we could
afford  in  addition  to  plenty of torches ropes and tinderboxes.  We even
took  care to buy throwing irons, crowbars and shovels, as well as food and
water for several days.

Before  hiking  down  to  the  dungeons with all our supplies we figured we
would  spend this night at the inn to be sure of a good night's rest.  Delo
performed  some  kind of magical ritual on his wand the other night, and is
still  a  little  bit  tired because of it.  But none of us are complaining
about  the  use  of a few soft pillows since who knows when we will next be
able to enjoy a comfortable bed again.

I  don't  imagine  I'll  find  much  time to write of our experiences as we
travel  the  musty  vaults beneath this castle.  I pray to the gods we will
survive  and to Rhondra for our victory.  If we can pass this test we might
be trusted with a truly honourable mission leading us far into the wilds of
the  Orcish lands.  On we must go, and we must never falter.  It is time to
face the darkness.  For Rondra!  For the Hetman!  For Master Dramosch!
 
BEGINNING: BLADE OF DESTINY 
---------------------------

You've just opened the package, installed Blade and are eager to set off on
your  adventure.   With  Blade,  it's  just  a  few  clicks away!  (For the
quickest  route  into Blade, see your reference card.) In this section, you
may  read  about  Blade's  different  levels of play to find the one that's
right for you and that suits your taste in fantasy role playing games.

The Novice And Advanced Game
----------------------------

Beginning  Blade of Destiny, you may choose between a Novice or an Advanced
Game.   While  both levels allow you to get an adventure full of challenge,
each is designed for your gaming preference:

. Novice: The novice level is designed for gamers who want to enjoy the
  game but don't want to juggle all the statistics that are common to any
  role playing game. While playing in Novice mode, your computer
  handles all values for skills and magic (including increases). It also
  highlights the best character for any task your party is asked to perform
  You, may change to Advanced mode any time you restart.

. Advanced: The advanced level offers you complete control over your
  characters, statistics, skills and magic, allowing you to custom tailor
  your characters. You will have full access to all the statistics that 
  role players love to collect. As your characters progress through the 
  game, you may customize these facets even further. While this process 
  of fine tuning takes time, as does any role playing experience, it allows
  you to define your characters to your personal tastes.


Once  you  select  the  Novice or Advanced game, you may choose between the
Main  Program  and  the  Generation.   Since  you're  new  to Blade, select
Generation  to create your party.  You may also select Main Program to play
with a pregeneated party

How Should You Create Your Party?
--------------------------------

Some  people  like to create their own parties.  Others prefer to play with
ready  made  characters.   Whatever your preference, it is here.  There are
four  different  methods,  or  routes,  you  may  follow  to get your party
together  and  off  to  adventure  Depending  on  your  Advanced  or Novice
selection,  you'll  have  certain  choices all of which are detailed on the
next page

Regardless  of which path you take to get you and your party together, it`s
recommended  you  check  out pages 16 and 17 for character attributes along
with  the  Review screen section beginning on page 20.  Here, you can learn
about  your  characters'  statistics  like  LP (life points) and AP (astral
points)  and  other  important  facets  that  are  important  to characters
regardless of their generation history.


            MODE        PARTY       YOU HANDLE      BLADE HANDLES
#1 NOVICE Novice     Pregenerated    Fun            Character Generation
& QUICK                                             Skills (suggest best
                                                    character to perform
                                                    action)
                                                    Magic/Skill increases

TO GET THERE: SELECT NOVICE, MAIN PROGRAM & START.

#2 ADVANCE Advanced Pregenerated     Skills         Character creation
& QUICK                              Magic
                                     Fun

TO GET THERE: SELECT ADVANCED, MAIN PROGRAM AND START

#3 NOVICE Novice     Created         Character      Skills (suggest best
& DETAILED                           Generation     character to perform
                                     Fun            action)
                                                    Magic/Skill Increases

TO GET THERE: SELECT NOVICE, GENERATION AND CHOOSE ARCHETYPE (REALMS
PLACES ATTRIBUTE VALUES) OR NEW ATTRIBUTES (YOU PLACE ATTRIBUTE VALUES
) CREATE SIX CHARACTERS USING APPENDIX A AS A REFERENCE, EXIT GENERATION
AND ADD MEMBER(S) IN TEMPLE

#4 ADVANCE Advanced  Created         Character     Number Crunching
& DETAILED                           Generation
                                     Skills
                                     Magic/Skill
                                     Fun
                                     Everything

TO GET THERE: SELECT ADVANCED, GENERATION AND NEW ATTRIBUTES AND
FOLLOW THE NEXT CHAPTER IT EXPLAINS THE ENTIRE PROCESS STEP BY STEP

CHARACTER GENERATION
--------------------

Creating Your Characters
------------------------
           
Creating  your  own  characters  is  an  important part of any fantasy role
playing  experience.   Nursing  them from level one tots to mighty warriors
provides  a  feeling  and a challenge unlike any other.  In Realms, you may
create  your  party  in any one of four different ways and on two different
levels.   The  Advanced  Mode allows you full control over each character's
statistics  while the Novice Mode provides you with the fastest and easiest
way to create a character.

Once  you begin Realms, just select generation to create your own character
Soon,  you'll  see a generation screen similar to the one below (just click
the  right  mouse  button or press ESC to remove the genetation menu for an
exact  replication).   Here,  you  see all the attributes that make up each
Arkanian woman and man,

Character  generation  in  Realms  allows you to control all facets of your
Characters  development.   You  may  define  their statistics individually,
placing  each  roll  strategically  ...   where  you  feel  it  will make a
difference.   Or,  if  you  prefer the more casual approach, Realms will do
most  of  it  for  you.   Although  Realm`s character generation is "open,"
meaning  you  can  select  the  available options in almost any order, it's
recommended  you  follow  the  order of the manual, at least for your first
time through.

Deciding On An Archetype For Your Character
-------------------------------------------

Before  you begin rolling your characters, it's important to determine what
types  of  characters  you hope to create.  Just as on Earth, characters in
Arkania  have  professions  and  fields of knowledge they follow, learn and
perfect.   Everything  from  a  characters strength to his or her skills is
influenced  by  their profession.  A character's profession is known as his
or  her  Archetype.  In Realms, your characters may pursue anyone of twelve
Archetypes (detailed in Appendix A)

Once you`ve reviewed the Archetypes available and have ideas for your party
make up the actual character creation begins.

Selecting a Name
----------------

Like  most  good adventurers, Arkanian characters don't like to be referred
to as "Hey You," To give characters a name, select the menu option or click
"Name",  on the character screen.  You may name your character anything you
like, but his or her name will be abbreviated if it's over seven letters.

Selecting a Gender
-----------------

Next  select  your  character's  gender  by  choosing the menu option or by
clicking  on  the  gender symbol (the upper right hand corner).  Characters
may  be  male  or  female.  Men and women are equally skilled, talented and
trained  in  Arkania.   You may change their gender anytime prior to saving
the character.

Choosing Your Course Of Action
------------------------------

Depending  on  which  generation  method  you  prefer you may select Choose
Archetype or New Attributes.

.Choose Archetype: Selecting this option, Realms allows you to choose
 the profession your character will follow from any of the twelve
 Archetypes available, and assigns the minimum attribute values for that
 Archetype to the character, If you wish to use Choose Archetype, you
 may skip to the Choose Archetype section of this chapter on page 19.

.New Attributes: Selecting this option, you take the dice into your
 hands. First, decide on an Archetype for your character. but keep
 it in your head for the time being. Then, following the minimum
 entrance requirements for your Archetype as listed in Appendix A, you
 manually distribute the attribute values to qualify for the Archetype.
 Characters who are hand crafted in this manner have higher overall
 attributes than those created with Choose Archetype. If you select this
 option, move to the next section.

Selecting New Attributes
------------------------

Characters  earn  their  mettle when you define their atttibutes.  When you
select  this  option,  Realms  "rolls" values for their positive attributes
(the  left  hand  column)  and  their  negative  attributes (the right hand
column).

Positive Attributes
-------------------

Like  you,  your  characters  have  certain levels of wisdom, dexterity and
strength among other statistics.  In Arkania, the seven positive attributes
are  tracked numerically and, for newly created characters, range from 8 to
13.

. Courage (CR): A high courage influences quick decisions, and provides
  a high amount of willpower. This can be of value in a fight, when trying
  to resist a spell or when conversing.

. Wisdom (WD): This attribute measures the theoretical or "bookish"
  knowledge a character has, memory, ability to plan ahead and to think
  in abstract terms. This makes it the basis of most magic.

. Charisma (CH): A character with a high charisma value will find it
  easier to influence others. Also, his or her team mates will be more open
  to the character's suggestions.

. Dexterity (DX): This atttibute is needed to manipulate small objects. It
  affects disarming traps, opening locks and other maneuvers which
  require slight of hand. It also affects a magician's ability to weave
  a magic spell.

. Agility (AG): This measures the ability to move skillfully and to avoid
  sudden obstacles. It also helps characters to avoid blows in combat.

. Strength (ST): More than just brute muscle power, this is also the
  knowledge of how to use it to the fullest. A necessity for moving heavy
  objects, using heavy weapons, strength also determines a characters
  maximum load.

. Intuition (IN): It's not necessarily anything you heard or anything you
  saw, but something just tells you that something's up. A characters
  intuition affects their ability to perform many skills and also influence
  a magic user's ability.

You`ll  see  Realms  initial roll on your screen.  This roll, a 13 lets say
can be used for any of the seven attributes; you select which one depending
on  the  Archetype you`re hoping to create.  After placing the first value,
Realms  will  roll  again  until  you have placed each roll with a positive
statistic.

Negative Attributes
-------------------

Next you'll assign values for the negative statistics just like you did for
his  or her positive atributes.  Keep in mind that Archetypes have negative
attribute requirements as well.  The seven negative attributes, which range
from 2 to 8 for new characters are;

. Superstition (SN): Characters with high superstition notice certain
  things, black cats and the like, and instantly understand their meaning.
  A high superstition often makes a character particularly susceptible to
  magic.

. Acrophobia (AC): A fear of heights, leading to a distinct feeling of
  vertigo. A large acrophobia value can be a severe handicap when forced
  to cross a suspension bridge or standing at a cliff edge.

. Claustrophobia (CL): The fear of being buried alive which can close
  in when traveling through narrow halls and low corridors.

. Avarice (AV): The urge to gather gold, jewelry and other precious
  items. A character gripped by avarice will often forget all else happening
  around him or her just to loot something that has caught his or her eye.

. Necrophobia (NE): A particularly terifying fear of death and anything
  connected with it, especially the undead, mummies, zombies, and
  skeletons. A character with a high necrophobia value will sometimes
  refuse to fight against undead and may run away instead.

. Curiosity (CU): A healthy amount of cutiosity is something of a
  prerequisite for a true hero, but too much of evetything is a curse, and
  so it is with curiosity. Magicians especially are often overcome with
  curiosity upon discovering old scrolls and magical artifacts.

. Violent Temper (VT): A character with a violent temper is easily
  insulted and quick to draw a weapon to right any perceived wrong.

Select Archetype
----------------

After  assigning your character's attribute values, choose Select Archetype
Realms  will  show  you  alist  of Archetypes your character qualifies for.
Just  select  one to make it official.  At times, however, you may see that
the  character you've created doesn't qualify for any Archetype at all.  In
this  case,  Realms  will  tell  you that you've failed to meet the minimum
entrance  requirements for any Archetype Perhaps, he or she is just a point
or  two  shy where it counts.  You don't need to start over.  just roll the
dice  a  bit more!  Select the Change Attribute option, covered in the next
section,  to  modify his or her current values.  If you find yourself miles
away  from  your  desired  Archetype,  though,  you  may  also  select  New
Attributes and re-roll.

Change Attributes
-----------------

When  you  've  placed  all of your rolls and are still just one point away
from  creating that Silvan Elf that you've been trying for, don't worry ...
you still have another option open to you.  Change Attributes allows you to
alter  both  positive and negative attributes by trading off points between
the two.

For  example,  a  Silvan  Elf requires an agility of 13, but, let's say, in
your attempt to create this Archetype, your agility is only 12.  Otherwise,
you  qualify  for the Archetype.  It's just too close for a re-roll, so you
select  Change  Attributes.   Realms  shows  you  a menu listing all of the
positive attributes.  Select the atribute, agility in this case, and you'll
have  the  option  to  increase  or  decrease  the atribute value Selecting
increase, his agility jumps to 13.

But,  there  is  a  price  .......for  every one point change you make to a
positive  attribute,  you  will be required to make a two point change to a
negative attribute.

After  you  increase  the  positive  atribute,  Realms  shows you a menu of
negative  attributes  ...   and  asks  you  to  trade  off for the positive
increase  in  agility by increasing your negative attributes by two points.
You  may  put  both  increases  in  one attribute or split them between two
different  atttibutes.   Just  be carefull not to alter a negative atribute
above  (or below) the minimum entrance requirement for the Archetype you're
hoping to create.

Change  Attributes  also  allows  you to decrease negative atribute values.
For  example,  say that same Silvan Elf has a 5 for avarice, but needs a 3.
You  can  use  this  option  to  decrease  two  points  from  your negative
attributes by choosing to remove one point from a positive attribute.

Regardless  of  which way you do your point trading, remember that positive
attributes  cannot  be  decreased below 8 or above 13.  Negative attributes
can  not  go below 2 or above 8.  Additionally, once you begin to change an
atttibute  you  may not turn in the other direction values that are lowered
may  not  be  raised later on.  Likewise, values that are raised may not be
lowered.  You may, however continue heading in the same direction.

When  you  have  completed  the  adjustment to your character's negative at
tibutes,  Realms will return you to the character screen.  Just right click
or  hit  PgUp  to return to the menu options.  If you have further changes,
though, select Change attributes again.

Choose Archetype
----------------

If  you  prefer  to  select your Archetype without rolling all the attibute
values yourself Realms will do it for you, by selecting Choose Archetype, A
menu  shows  you a list of all available Archetypes in the land, and allows
you  to  select  the  profession of your choice.  Once you have selected an
Archetype,  Blade  automatically  gives  the character his or her attribute
values.

While  using  choose  Archetype is quick, characters created by this method
have certain drawbacks:

. The characters attribute values will be the minimum amount required 
  for entrance into the Archetype you've selected. Characters created 
  manually tend to benefit from the "roll of the dice."

. Their positive atttibutes will not be above 12, versus 13 for manually 
  created characters

. Their negative attributes will not be below 3, versus 2 for manually 
  created characters

Choosing An Arcane Lore
-----------------------

If  you  created  a magician or magicienne, You will be asked to choose the
character's  preferred arcane lore.  Arcane lore influences the character's
magical  focus  and affects his or her spell casting skill for the selected
category.   The different lores as well as their magical spells are covered
in  the  Arcane  Lore  section  of  this  manual.   In the Advanced mode, a
magician  or a magicienne also has the option to convert increase attempts.
You  may  choose to trade either spell increase attempts for skill attempts
or  vice versa.  Additionally, this Archetype can give up 10 spell increase
attempts  for  an additional 10 astral points (AP).  (For more information,
see page 23).

Choosing A Portrait
-------------------

After  you've chosen your Archetype, a selection of portraits will be shown
appropriate  for  your  Character's Archetype and gender, Just click on the
arrows to scroll through the available portraits.

Additional Character/ Archetype Attributes
------------------------------------------

With  your  character's  Archetype  in place, you'll see that he or she has
several, new attributes.

. Money: As in any World, money is an important commodity in Arkania
  This statistic shows the amount of money your character currently has
  (and, hey, there's no income tax in Arkania).

. Gold Ducats: Are the highest form of currency and are displayed as "D"

. Silver Crowns: 10 Silver Crowns equal a Gold Ducat. Silver Crowns
  are displayed as "S.

. Copper Bits: 10 Copper Bits equal a Silver Crown. Copper Bits are
  displayed as "B."

You may see, for instance, 10D 2C 5B on your character's screen.  He or she
has  10  Ducats, 2 Crowns and 5 Bits, Your character's make up and a bit of
luck determine how much money he or she receives.

. Height and Weight: Help to define the physical aspects of your
  character and are based on the Archetype you selected for your
  character

. Deity: A character's deity is very important in Arkania. Based upon the
  month the character is born, the deity determines the character's
  general way of life and may offer bonuses to attribute or skill values
  (then again, they may not .... deities are funny that way). Throughout
  this world, temples offer respite for travelers, and occasionally, charac
  ters in need may enjoy divine help. Steady worship and sacrifice to their
  deities will go a long way toward making a favorable impression on the
  Gods

. Life Points (LP): Represent the amount of damage a character can take
  before it dies. A character's life points are based upon his or her 
  statistics. and increase with experience. Should the life points reach 
  five or fewer. the character will lose consciousness; he or she will 
  die at Zero. Life points can be regained through sleep, potions or 
  magical intervention.

. Astral Points (AP): All kinds of magic are powered by astral energy
  which is measured in astral points. These points represent the amount
  of magical power your character has and also the amount of points
  available to cast spells. Astral points are also based upon your 
  character's Archetype. Astral points increase with experience and are 
  replenished through sleep, potions or meditation.

. Endurance: Reflects your characters ability to withstand strain and is
  a key factor in the movement points the character has available, and
  how much burden can be tolerated before sacrificing movement points.
  Endurance is based upon a characters life points (LP) and strength (ST)

. Magic Resistance (MR): Represents a characters ability to ward off
  the effects of magical spells. A characters magic resistance is based
  upon his or her courage (CR) wisdom (WD) and superstition (SN)

For Novice Mode
---------------

If  you`re  creating your character in the Novice mode, you`re nearly done.
Skip  to  page  24  to save your future hero.  Your characters have all the
values  that  may  be  customised in the Advanced game, skills, attack, and
parry  values  and magic powers, but Realms automatically handles skill and
spell increases, assigning and tracking all of their calculations for you.

For Advanced Mode
-----------------

If  you  created  your  characters  in  the  Advanced mode, you may further
customise  your characters in three areas:  skills, attack and parry values
and,  for magic users magic.  These changes are explained the the following
sections.

Increasing Skill Values 
-----------------------

Arkanian  characters  have  lots  of skills that are needed in their world.
When  you  first  create  your character in the Advanced mode, he or she is
given  a  set  of statistic values that reflect the standard training for a
character  of  that Archetype.  To review your character's skills, click on
either arrow at the bottom of the generation screen until you reach any one
of  the  character's  skill  screens.  Press the arrow again to review more
skills (Skills are fully explained in Appendix B:  Skills.)

At  the  bottom  of  the  skill  screens  between the arrows you`ll notice:
REMAINING ATTEMPTS :  20.  This number may vary depending on the characters
Archetype

Your  characters remaining attempts are a chance for you to increase skills
you consider important for the character and your adventure in Arkania.  To
attempt a skill increase:

. Move to the skill screen that contains the skill you want to increase.

. Press the right mouse button to open the Skill Increase Menu.

. Next, select a skill group.

. From the group you have selected, choose a skill to increase. Blade rolls
  a die to determine your success or failure, and tells you of the out come

. Repeat these steps until all of your skill attempts are used.

While increasing your skills, keep the following things in mind:

. Combat and Intuitive skills cannot be increased by more than one point
  when creating characters or when gaining levels.

. Knowledge skills cannot be increased by more than three points when
  creating characters or when gaining levels.

. All other skills areas cannot be increased by more than two points 
  per level.

. If you increase a Combat skill, you will increase the skill's attack 
  and parry value as well. You may further adjust these values, though 
  this is covered in the following section.

. You have three attempts available to increase any one skill. Should you 
  not succeed in increasing a skill within those three attempts, wait until
  the character gains a level of experience to try again.

. The highest skill value possible is + 18. The lowest value is a -20.

Changing Attack And Parry Values
--------------------------------

A  character's  attack and parry values reflect their statistics and combat
skills and determine how they perform in combat.  In general, there are two
different parts to the attack and parry values.

Understanding The Values
------------------------

1. Basic Values: Overall reflections of the character's ability to fight
   offensively (ATtack) and to protect defensively (PArry).

   AT: The basic value for Attack is based upon your characters
   courage (CR), agility (AG) and strength (ST).

   PA: The basic value for Parry is based upon your characters
   intuition (IN), agility (AG) and strength (ST).

2. Mode Values: Mode Values are based upon the combination of your
   characters actual combat skill (SV, from the skill list) and the
   Basic Values. Like the Basic Values, Mode Values are split into two 
   categories, attack (AT) and parry (PA).

Modifying The Values
--------------------

While  Blade  initially  determines  your  character's Mode Values, you may
change  the  individual  AT (attack) and PA (parry) values to suit your own
taste.   If  you prefer an offensive hack slashing type character, increase
their  AT values.  If, on the other hand, you prefer someone whos better at
protecting him or herself from a blow, increase their PA values.

Increasing values is easy, just remember the total from Step 2 in the above
example  (Naturally.   this  total may be different for your characters and
varies  from  Mode  to  Mode).   To  get  this total, add both Basic Values
together,  and  then  add  the SV (skill value).  You may split this number
between  the Mode's AT and PA values anyway you like so long as they do not
fall  below  the  AT or PA Basic Values.  For instance, if your total is 14
and your Basic Values are both 6, like above, you can have an AT value of 8
and  a  PA  value  of  6  (or 7 AT and 7 PA and so on.As you distribute the
values,  consider  where  you  want  the  character's  proficiency  to lie:
defensive  moves  or  offensive moves.  Though they are calculated the same
way, the values for missile weapons and thrown weapons may not be changed

What  happens  if a character has a negative combat skill value?  You won't
be  able  to  do  any  adjustments  for  starters.   The  negative value is
subtracted,  more or less evenly from the character's Basic Skill values to
produce the AT and PA values.  If the characters skill level is so low that
it  exceeds the total of the Basic Values, he or she would have zero AT and
zero  PA.   He  or  she  will not be able to protect themselves from such a
weapon's attack, and can't attack very well with it either.  (Hey norm, old
buddy.   That  was  a fine trick you pulled with that sword.  Must say I`ve
never  seen  any one miss monsters with such grace and defiance.  You did a
heck  of  a  job  on  those  air  molecules,  though, I can`t tell, they're
hurting)

Increasing Spell Values
-----------------------

Magic  users  in  the  Advanced  mode may also increase their current spell
values  Just like increasing skills, Realms allows your character a certain
amount  of  attempts,  magical  bonus  points  of a sort, to increase spell
values.  Obviously, characters who are not magically gifted won`t have this
option.  To attempt a spell increase:

. Move to the spell screen that contains the spell you want to increase.
  There are seven screens of spells, and each is fully explained in the
  Arcane Lore section of this manual

. Press the right mouse button to open the Spell increase Menu

. Next, select a spell group

. From the group you have selected, choose a spell to increase Realms
  rolls a die to determine your success or failure, and tells you of the
  outcome

. Repeat these steps until all of your spell increase attempts are used


While trying to create a super spell caster, keep these things in mind:

. Depending on your characrer's Archetype, he or she will have a varying
  amount of increase attempts. Magicians and Magiciennes have 40,
  Druids, Druidesses, Warlocks and Witchs have 25. All Elves have 20
  attempts.

. Certain spells have increase limits. After all, a level 1 character who can
  blow up Thorwal and most of the surrounding fauna does not a
  balanced game make. The limits depend on your character's Archetype

. Spells that are part of a character's Archetype can be increased by two
  points when you first create your character and as he or she gains levels
  (See the Arcane Lore section of this manual for further information)

. Spells not in a characrer's Archetype can be increased only a single point
  when you first create your character and as he or she gains levels,

. Magicians and Magiciennes can increase all spells belonging to their
  Arcane Lore by 2 points when you first create them and as they gain levels

. Musicians and Magiciennes also possess certain "house spells" they can
  increase up to 3 points when they're first created and as they gain levels

. You have at most three failed attempts available to increase any one spell
  Should you not succeed in increasing a spell with those three attempts
  wait until the character gains a level to try again.

. Your character cannot use any spell with a value below - 5, (In fact, it
  might be downright dangerous if they could,)

. The highest spell value possible is + 18.

Saving Your Character
---------------------

Once  you're  happy  with  your  character,  select  Save  Hero to add your
character  to  the  ranks  of  the elite, albeit inexperienced adventurers,
awaiting  you.   If  your  character  profile  is incomplete, or if another
character by the same name already exists, Blade will let you know

A New Hero
----------

Once  you,ve  saved  your  character,  select  New  Hero  to create another
character  New Hero is also helpful if your current character isn't cutting
it, and you'd like to begin anew with a fresh slate of attributes

You  may  create  as many characters you like, and select up to six to join
you  in  your  adventure.  The program comes with six pre-rolled characters
that  you  may  use  as well.  Newly created characters maybe added to your
party at the Temple of Travia in Throwal

Exit Program
------------

Select  Exit  Program  to  exit the character generation and autonmatically
enter  the  Realms  of Arkania Blade of Destiny Main Program.  To return to
the character Generation program, you must exit the program and restart.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
---------------------

Gaining Levels
--------------

As your characters travel through Arkania, they will gain experience points
as  they  face  numerous  foes,  perform herculian tasks and overcome other
perils  common  to  daily life in Arkania.  When your characters accumulate
enough  experience  points, they become eligible for new experience levels.
These  levels,  along with all their benefits, are granted in towns.  Here,
citizens  recognize  the importance of your deeds; Orcs in the wilds of the
forests, on the other hand, could not care less

To reach the next level of experience, characters need to gain:

    EP |    LEVEL      EP  |  LEVEL      EP     |  LEVEL
       |                   |                    |
     0 |    1       15000  |  3          50000  |    5
  5000 |    2       30000  |  4          75000  |    6


When your character gains a level, they will enjoy, numerous benefits:
 
. You may choose to increase any positive attribute, followed by a
  decrease of two points to your negative attributes.

. Life points (LP) will increase by up to six points. For magic users, these 
  points may increase by up to eight points

. Magic users may divide these eight points between LP and AP

In The Advanced Game
--------------------

If  you  are playing in the Advanced mode, you will have the opportunity to
use  skill  and  spell  increase  attempts  to  continue to shape the ideal
character,  much  as  you  may  have  or  would  have  done in the Advanced
Character Generation.  Additionally, other factors come into play:

. Archetypes get 20 skill increase attempts except for the Magician and
  Magicienne who receive 15

. When increasing combat skills, you will have the opportunity to adjust
  AT and PA values.

. Spell increase attemnpts depend on Archetype Magicians and Magici-
  ennes receive 40, Druids, Druidesses, Warlocks and Witches recieve
  25 and Elves receive 20

. With the exception of Elves, magic users may convert skill increase
  attempts into spell increase attempts and vice versa

. Magicians and Magiciennes may forgo some spell increase attempts in
  return for astral points

When your chatacters gain a level, it's agood idea to save your game at the
nearest Temple

TOWNS CITIES & VILLAGES
-----------------------

With  your  team  of  heroes eager for adventure, their swords polished and
held  high,  you're  off  to  Arkania to explore all it has to offer.  Your
journey begins in the Temple of Travia located in the heart ofThorwal.

Visiting Temples
----------------

Like  temples  throughout  Arkania,  the Temple of Travia offers your party
respite  from its adventure, a chance to kick back, have a word or two with
a  deity,  and  if  the stars are right, your characters might even benefit
from a miracle.  These Temple options are available to you.

ADD CHARACTER
If  you  created your own characters select this option to form your party.
You`ll  see  a list of characters eager and ready and may select up to six.
You  may  also  use  this option to add one or two characters to your party
(after  removing  the  same  amount  of  course)  at  any  time during your
adventure.

Note:  You may add newly ctreated characters to your party at the Temple of
Travia  in  Thorwol.   At all other Temples you may only add characters who
have been let go at that location.

LET GO CHARACTER
Sometimes  characters  just dont turn out to be all that you had hoped for.
Perhaps your parties Archetype mix could have been a bit better.  If you`re
so  inclined to remove a character from the group, select this option to do
so.   You`ll  see  a list of your parties members and with just a click you
can remove any character from the group.

ERASE CHARACTER
The  permanent  version  of  LET  GO  CHARACTER erase Character removes the
unlucky  one  from Blades register of characters.  Party members may not be
erased  however until they are Let Go from the party.  keep in mind that an
erased character is gone for good.

LOAD GAME
Your  party  has just come from a tavern or rather was summarily thrown out
of  the  tavern  -  after your rogue assured you he could cheat the best of
them  and  only  ended up with someones pocket lint.  Not exactly the plans
you  had  in  mind.   It`s  the  perfect  time to Load Game.  A list of the
currently  saved  games  will  be  shown.  Select the proper game, and your
affairs  will  once  again be in order.  To begin with an empty slate for a
new  party,  select  None,  or select Start to use Blades set of pre-rolled
characters.

SAVE GAME
After  a particularly hectic encounter, or perhaps a good bit of sleuthing,
it's  a  great  idea  to save your game, and Temples are the most rewarding
places  to  save  it.  Parties brave enough to travel from temple to temple
between  saves  recieve the full value of their experience points.  Parties
who  save  outside  of  temples  lose 50 experience points per save (saving
every other step doesnt an adventurer make).  When you select Save Game you
will  be  shown the list of current saves (if you`ve just begun, you`ll see
the  start, Game 1 and so on).  Select any game slot and customize its name
if you wish.

END GAME
Select  this  option  to end your travels in Arkania.  This option will not
save your game.  Select Save Game first if you wish to do so.

ASK FOR MIRACLE
It never hurts to hope for a bit of divine assisstance When your party asks
for a miracle, two factors come into play:

1. Does any character worship this particular deity? Who?

2. Has your party paid their due respects to the deity?

If  your  character  is  successful,  he or she may recieve the benefits of
their pious worship (or their generous contributions).  Keep in mind though
that like here on earth, miracles in Arkania are not a common occurance

DONATE
It never hurts to butter up your favourite deity, and donating a few silver
crowns  to  his  or  her  cause  is one of the best ways to do it, When you
select  Donate, you will be asked to enter your tithe in silver crowns, and
will remove the money from your packs

LEAVE TEMPLE
When  you've finished worship, select Leave Temple to return to the streets
of the city.

The Review Screen
-----------------

After youve rounded up your party and take a minute or two to review one of
your  characters  (just double click on their portrait), you'll notice that
he or she has several new attributes that weren't apparent during character
generation.   Additionally,  when  you  review your characters, you'll also
have new options available to you.

The  character  review  screen  shows you everything you need to know about
your  character,  and also allows for their feeding and care.  Nearly every
section of the review screen offers some kind of informtaion.

New Statistics
--------------

Once  characters  are  generated  and  have joined your party, they acquire
three  new,  secondary  statistics, each of which are seen in the character
review.

. Encumbrance (ENC): A character can only carry so much before his
  knees start to buckle and his back gives out. Encumbrance tracks this
  load, and tells you how many ounces of armour, weapons and supplies
  a character carries - At most, a character can carry 100 x strength (ST)
  ounces, However, characters who push the limit or exceed it are not
  able to move as quickly or as much, and lose movement points.

. Movement Points (MP): A character's movement points determine
  how far they can travel and how many actions they can perform in one
  round of combat. The higher the movement points the better
  Characters with low movement points may be carrying too much
  around.

. Armour Class (AR): A characters armour class shows you how well he
  or she is protected against a creatures attack. Armour class ranges from
  0 (stark naked) to 11 (scale mail over chain mail covered with plate
  armour and a bullet proof vest).

The Value Of Statistics
-----------------------

When  you  review your characters, you`ll notice that their statistics have
two values:  a base value and the current value.

. Base Value (right): The statistics normal level.
  This value changes only when characters gain a
  level. It serves as a reminder of the actual values peak level.

. Current Value (left): the current level of the
  statistic that changes as characters become hurt or
  suffer a malady or are influenced by magic, potions or herbs.

As characters travel through Arkania, the values for certain attributes may
change.   When  a  character is hurt by a monster, for instance, the actual
value  of  LP (life points) will decrease.  Other times, the atttibutes are
affected.    Charisma   for  example,  goes  down  when  characters  become
intoxicated.

Eating And Drinking
-------------------

After  a  hard  day's travel, your characters are hungry, their throats are
parched  and  they're  all  looking  forward  to  a good meal.  To serve up
dinner, just review your character.  Characters eat "rations," picnic style
meals with good helpings from each food group, Nearly every chandler's shop
offers rations, and your party may occasionally find several left behind by
wandering  groups  or  hunt  down  dinner in the wild.  Along with rations,
characters  take  water to soothe their palates.  Carrying their waterskins
everywhere,  characters  may  refill  their  skins  at the many streams and
rivers that weave through Arkania.
 
To  feed  your  characters  or to give them drink, pick up an approptiate
item  (a  waterskin  for example) from the inventory by clicking on it with
the  left mouse button.  Next click on the mouth icon and it hits the spot.
The characters hunger or thirst lines, depending on what you fed them, will
reflect  the  satisfaction  of  these  basic needs.  This icon is also used
should you wish to consume a herb or potion.

Unlike  Earth,  characters in Arkania can eat all they like withour gaining
weight  However  if  you  try  to  feed  a  character a something thats not
normally  eaten  (Thanks but I`ll pass on the filet of leather boot) Realms
will let you know.

Examining Items
---------------

To  look at an item in your character's possession, click on it followed by
the eye icon.  You will be told what it is, and what condition it is in.

Items In The Backpack
---------------------

Every Arkanian character has a backpack, a place where they can store up to
16  items.   By  left  clicking on an item to select it, it highlights red.
Characters  can  drop it, give it to another player or use it in some other
way.   Handling  items,  in all different ways, is covered later on in this
section under Review Options.

Items On The Body - Equipping Characters
----------------------------------------

In  addition  to  their backpacks characters may carry seven items on their
body.   These items are considered "equipped" and at the ready.  Obviously,
a  sword  in the backpack won't be nearly as as useful in combat as a sword
in  the hand (unless you fall backward onto a monster.  that is) Items such
as swords affect your character's performance in combat.

Items that cover parts of the body work to improve their armour class (AR).
Each  of  the seven carrying slots represents a part of the body.  To equip
your  character,  just  select  an  item from inventory, and drag it to the
approptiate  body  icon.   Boots,  for example, would go in the Foot Covers
icon.   Should  you  try to equip something your character can't wear, like
pants on his head, Blade will let you know.

The Left & Right Hand
---------------------

While most of the body icons are used for armour and clothing, the left and
right  hand  icons  have  a  special significance.  Only items in those two
boxes can be used instantly.

. Right Hand: The right hand is the weapon hand. This weapon will be at
  the ready should a monster approach. If characters don't have a weapon
  here and are attacked, they will have to arm themselves in the first
  round, losing precious time, or fight unarmed.

. Left Hand: The left hand is the potion, herb, shield or missile hand. The
  items in the left hand are held readied for use at a moment's notice
  during combat (for more information, see Use Item in the combat
  section).

Review Option
-------------

While  reviewing  your  character,  you  have  numerous  options aside from
equipping them or investigating their basic statistics.  To see the options
available  to  you, click the right mouse button You`ll see a menu box.  To
select any option highlight it and press the left mouse button.

. Change Name: Just as it implies you may rename your charcter by
  selecting this option

. Use Object: Some items can be used, like using a tinder box to light a
  torch or using a scroll by reading it. Select the item gfollowed by Use
  Object. If you select an item which cant be used like leather leggings
  Realms will let you know.

. Drop Object: If you're hoping to lower your encumbrance, or if your
  character is pack ratting a lot of junk, you can get rid of it using Drop
  Object. First, select the object you wish to drop, then select Drop
  Object. Items that are dropped are gone for ever. Just in case you made
  a mistake, Realms will ask you if you really want to Drop the item before
  it Disappears.

. Sickness: This Option will only appear on the menu if the character is ill
  After selecting it, you will receive information about the characters
  condition.

. Poisoning: This option will only appear on the menu if the character
  is actually poisoned. After selecting it, you will receive information 
  about the character's condition.

. Use Talent: Certain skills may be used while reviewing your Character
  Generally, these skills are of the healing variety, Treat Wounds for
  example. To use any of the skills available, just select it.

. Cast Spell: To have your character whip off a spell, select Cast 
  Spell. You will be asked to choose the spell group, followed by the 
  actual spell. In general healing or adventure type spells (like light
  spell) are the type that you would cast in review. Detonating a fire 
  ball into empty air, after all, could prove rather hazardous, not to 
  mention a waste of time. 

. ATT/PARRY Values: To toggle between the characters basic values
  and his/her Attack and Parry values select this option. This option
  is only available in the Advanced mode

. Skills: To review a characters skills, select the skill option. This 
  option is only available in the Advanced mode.

. Magic Skills: Magic skills allows you to review your characters magical
  proficiency This option is only available in the Advanced Mode.

. Exit: Selecting this option you leave the characters review and return,
  to the Main Screen.

Trading Items
-------------

That  wand your warrior found would certainly be better used in the handsof
your  Magicienne.   So  naturally he hands it over.  To trade items between
characters,  click  on the item to select it as your cursor.  The inventory
square  will  be  highlighted  in red.  Next, click on the arrows under the
character's  portrait until you reach the character you desire.  Once there
just  deposit  the  item  in  his  or her inventory by clicking on an empty
backpack  icon.  If you place the item over a full inventory spot, however,
the items will swap.

Merging Items
-------------

Items  that are alike and that can be grouped can be merged in Arkania.  To
merge  two items, like two rations for example, click on one item to select
it.   The cursor will shape itself as the ite m, and its inventory box will
be  highlighted  in red.  Next, click on the item to merge it with.  If the
items  may  be  merged, they will join together, occupying only one spot in
your character's inventory, If the items cannot be merged, you'll just swap
one for the other.

Managing Your Funds
-------------------

Arkania  is  an equal opportunity world.  All members of the party, man and
woman  alike  make  an equal amount of money for their efforts.  This money
goes  into  the  partys  coffer  with each character having an equal share.
When  your  party visits a merchant, this money goes into a community slush
fund,  allowing  the  party  to  pool their money for goods that need to be
purchased.

Main Play Screen
----------------

Steppin  out  into  the sunshine and fresh air, your party looks around and
takes  in all they have yet to explore.  welcome to Thorwal.  As you travel
this  town  as in any other town, the screen and options below will be your
guide.

Each  section of the Main Play Screen offers you a bit of information about
your  adventure,  takes  you to another place or allows you access to other
features

The  Main Window:  Through the main window you'll see everything around you
and to your sides.  Moving the mouse pointer up, down or to the sides shows
the directions you may travel, and a click will get you on your way.

Credits:   Click the Realms of Arkania Logo to reveal the people behind the
game.

Time:   Your  characters  have  places  to  go  and  things  to do, so they
naturally need a watch to go by.  As the days pass, you'll see the sun rise
and set; the moon will come to take its place Clicking on the time tracker,
will tell you the current day, month, year and time.

Direction  Indicator:   The compass tracks your every move and reports your
party's current bearing - North, South, East or West.

Location  &  Info:   The  program  allows  your party to know their current
whereabouts  whether  it be a town, Thorwal for example or a place within a
town,  Temple  of  Travia,"  and  reports  it  in the Location & Info line.
You'll also see other important messages here.
 
Character  Icon :  All characters in your party have their own icons that
show their most important attributes.  Besides a character's name, life and
astral points, an icon also has two other important functions:

Moving  a  Character:   Click  once on a characters icon and it will follow
your  mouse.   Now  click  again on another character's icon.  The two will
change places.

Reviewing  a Character:  To get the complete scoop on any character, double
click on the character's portrait to move to the character screen.  You may
review  your  character  almost  anytime during play.  For the complete run
down  on a character's review see "Reviewing Your Charac- ter" beginning on
page 29 of this manual.

NPC:  Occasionally a non-player character (NPC) may wish to join your party
for  a  stretch  of its adventure.  When you have such an NPC along, his or
her  icon  will  appear  here  (See  the Arkania's Residents section of the
manual for further information.)

Main Screen Options
-------------------

The  movers  and shakers of the main play screen are the Game Option Icons.
Here you can do almost anything.

Split  Team:  There are times when adventurers are torn between two or more
different  quests  that  call  their attention.  At other times it may be a
member  of  the  party  who is unable to travel.  Each seems important Each
warrents  attention.   Not a problem.  Split the team.  Realms allows.  you
to  separate  your party into two or more independant groups, each of which
travels  as they please.  Selecting this option you will see a list of your
current  perty  members.   Just  select  those  players  who  will form the
separate team.  When you opt to separate your group keep in mind:

1. You can control only one team at a time.

2. Active team members icons will appear as usual. Characters
   in other teams will have shaded icons.

3. Time passes simulaneously for the separate teams.

4. You can unite teams using the Unite Team option only
   when they are both at the same location.

5. Occasionally, splitting the team will allow the party to travel
   more quickly, and infinetly easier, than with a full team.

6. In the automap mode the team you`re not with will appear as a purple
   arrow.

Unite  Team:  It`s been a long hard road for both teams, and the reunion is
at  long last here.  When you`ve split your team, use the Unite Team option
to  re-group.   When  the two teams are at the same location the Unite Team
icon  will be available; at all other times, it is crossed out.  Just click
to join the two teams together.

Next  Team:   While your party is split, you can easily flip from one party
to another.  Clicking the Next Team icon you instantly join the other party
(at  which  point they put away their laptop and get ready for some serious
stuff).   if  your  party  is  split  into three or more groups this option
scrolls from one to another in the order they were split.

Game Options:  A click of this icon gets you behind the scenes and lets you
perform  several  game functions.  Moving to the book screen you`ll see the
time  and  date,  a  description of your current location and the following
game options:

Load Game:Just like the Temple options you can load a previously saved game
using this option.  Just select one from the menu of six saves.

Save  Game:  While out on an adventure, it is possible to save your game at
nearly everytime.  Just select this option to do so.  You will be presented
with  your  current  list  of saves.  Select one and rename it if you wish.
Caution:   Its  better  to save your game at a Temple found in nearly every
town  or  city.  Blade rewards players who brave it from town to town those
who  take  the  safe  approach  and  save  outside  of Temples will lose 50
experience points each time.
 
Erase  Character:   Select  this option to permanently remove a character
from the register.  You may only erase characters who are not in the party.
Erased characters are gone forever

Examine  Map:   As  your characters travel through Arkania.  they will come
across  numerous informative map fragments To view them select this option.
Display  the  map pieces your party currently possess are displayed and you
are shown where they fit into the overall, larger map.

View  Diary:  Your characters keep a log of their travels.  You may view it
any time by selecting View Diary.  You'll see a listing of their travels by
Date, month and location.

Adjust Performance:  An option that would have been ideal during final exam
time.   Adjust Performance allows you to slow down or speed up according to
your  system's  speed.  The default setting is 4.  Use setting 1 for faster
combat; use 10 to slow it down.

Toggle Sound:  When you just can't sleep but others can, this allows you to
turn its sound on and off

End  Game:   When  your  day in Arkania is at an end, select this option to
return  to  the  real  world.  This option does not save your Game.  Select
Save Game to do so.

Back To Game:  When you`ve finished saving your game, toggling the sound or
otherwise, click the right mouse button to return to your adventure.
 
Map:  While in towns and dungeons, your party's progress is automatically
tracked.   To  view  your  party's current automap, just select this option
With the map on your screen, you'll note its many colours:

Town & City Automap

Black..........Unexplored Areas
Dark Grey......Street or Path
Bright Orange..Journey Point
Green..........Meadow
Blue...........Water
Purple.........Healer
Light Blue.....Tavern or Inn
Deep Red.......House
Orange.........Temple
Light Gray.....Merchant
Deep Green.....Smithy
Yellow Arrow...Active Team
Purple Arrow...Inactive Team

Dungeon Automap

Black..........Unexplored Areas
Bright Orange..Wall
Light Green....Trap Door in Ceiling
Dark Green.....Trap Door in Floor
Light Blue.....Stairway Up
Blue...........Stairway Down
Deep Red.......Door
Purple.........Teleport Field
Light Brown....Chest
Yellow Arrow...Active Team
Purple Arrow...Inactive Team

While  in  Map  mode,  you  may scroll the map picture to the right or left
should  the  entire map be larger than your screen.  Just select either the
Move  Right  or Move Left icon to do so.  You may also click on the left or
right sides of the map itself.

Back to Game: Select this option to return to Arkania

Cast Spell:  While travelling in town, you may need to cast a healing spell
or  an adventuting spell.  Select the Cast Spell option to do so.  You will
be  asked  to select a character to cast the spell, its group and the spell
name.  (For further information on spells and their casting, see the Arcane
Lore section of the manual.)

Camp:  After a long day trekking through Thorwal's taverns, there's nothing
quite  like a good night's sleep.  When that urge to get some shut eye hits
your characters, click the Camp option.  Out come the sleeping bags as your
characters  drop  in  their  tracks.  remember however that sleeping in the
streets isnt always a good idea.  Aside from its effects on your reputation
as  respectable  heroes,  your  party  may  be  robbed  or otherwise rudely
awakened.

While  your  party  sits discussing the day's events, you will have several
options:

Set  Guard  Duty:   Since  sleeping  characters are all too easy a prey for
looters  and  other creatures of the night (or day, depending on how crispy
you  are),  setting  guard duty is an important task.  You will be asked to
assign  guards  for three different shifts (although the late shift gets no
overtime).   Naturally,  characters assigned to the various shifts will not
get  the  full  benefits  of  sleep  while  guarding.   Keep  in  mind that
characters with high intuition skills make the best guards.

Use  Talent:   While  sitting 'round the campfire, your Char- acters survey
their  wounds and hope for treatment.  By selecting the Use Talent option a
character  may treat others for poison, disease or wounds.  after selecting
the  desired action, you will be asked to select a character to perform the
treatment.   Remember,  characters  with the highest skill levels for Treat
Poison,  Treat  Disease  and  Treat  Wounds are the best performers for the
respective  malady.   In  fact  a  poorly  skilled character may worsen the
situation  by  injuring  the  patient further.  if you`re playing in Novice
mode  the  most  skilled  characters  name will highlight in yellow.  ln Ad
vanced  mode,  you  must  determine  the  best  character your self.  After
selecting  the healer, choose the one who is ill.  The character will apply
his art, and Blade will let you know the outcome.

Use Magic:  Just as in the main Cast Spell option, your characters can cast
day`s end spells while in camp.  You will be asked to select a character to
cast  the  spell,  its  group  and  the spell name.  Protective and healing
spells are especially popular with happy campers.  (For more information on
casting spells see the Arcane Lore section of the manual).

Sleep:   When  all  is  said  and done, the pillows hit the ground and your
characters  drift  off  for the night.  With a click on the Sleep icon, you
will  be  asked how long you want your characters to sleep.  With the hours
known,  your characters head off to la-la land and recieve sleeps potential
benefits;  Healing,  curing  of  sickness and an increase in the characters
astral points (AP)

Back  To  Game:  If you werent really tired after all, but merely wanted to
check  the  status  of your pillows, this option will return you to Arkania
and active adventure.

Pause:  If you need to pause game play at anytime, just press P.  Press any
other key to resume play.

Visit  Market:   Throughout  Arkanias  many  towns  and  cities you`ll find
numerous  vendors  peddling  their  wares  in the cities markets.  In their
booths  you  can find the finest in armour, herbs and other goods that your
party  may  need on an occassional or daily basis.  When you`re in the area
of  such  a  market, the Visit Market icon will be available otherwise this
icon will not appear.  When you opt to enter the market you will be shown a
menu  of  vendors  whose tables are out and about Select one to enter their
booth, Once inside, lots of options are available.

Visiting The Markets & Merchants
--------------------------------

Visiting  a  town's  market  is  often  the  highlight  of many adventures.
Sequestered  in box-filled booths, the vendors wait inside to offer you the
essentials  they have for sale, an inventory which changes as merchant sell
and  get new wares.  When your party enters a market area (see Visit Market
section  above),  the  Visit Market icon will be available.  Just click its
icon to see the vendors waiting for you.  Once you select a booth to enter,
the  browsing  begins, Entering a merchant's shop or a market booth, you'll
see the following options:

Buy Goods:  The merchant allows you to look at his or her wares.  The price
along  with  a picture of each item is shown.  The merchant also identifies
the  item  as  usable  (yellow)  or  unusable  (white) by highlight ing the
characters name.  Of course you`re welcome to take a look around.  Move the
cursor  box  over  an  item  to  see  its price and the item's name, On the
location  and Info line, you'll see:  0 Torch.  The "0" (zero) reflects the
number  of  items  cureently  in your shopping cart for purchase, and torch
tells  you  the  name  of the item.  If you`re interested in the item, just
click  on  it,  and the 0 will turn into a 1.  if you want to purchase two,
click again.  Another click will bring you to three and so on.  Should your
mouse  finger  get  a  bit over eager, just click the right mouse button to
return  an  item  to the shelf.  After you have finished with one item, you
may  move  onto  the  next,  and  make  your selections in the same manner.
Viewing  your  selections  is  just  as  easy.   Just move through the list
holding  the  pointer  over  items  to see 0 of this 2 of that and 1 of yet
another  item.   when you`ve finished making your selections on page one of
the merchants catalog you may move to page two.

Next/  Previous page:  If a merchant has a large selection of goods, it may
take more than one page to present it.  Selecting these options you move to
the next page or the previous page in the merchant's catalogue.

Haggle(PayForGoods):   With  items  in your cart you approach the merchant.
Since  he  or  she  is  the  owner and chief executive officer of this sole
proptietorship  (with no reporting to the taxman), the chance to dicker the
merchants  price  down  is available to your party.  When you select Haggle
you will be asked to enter the discount you`re hoping for and will show you
the  range  of  bearable discount.  After you enter the discount 10 for 10%
for  example,  select  a  person  to  do  the haggling.  Of course a person
skilled  in  Haggle  has  the best chance of making a favourable offer.  In
Novice mode will be highlighted the most skilled; in Advanced mode you have
to  select the character yourself.  With the offer made the vendor mulls it
over.   Depending on your tact, diplomacy and haggling skill, he or she may
accept it, grip at it or, after three insulting offers throw you out of the
shop.   Keep in mind that one ticked off merchant may pass word to another.
Of  course,  if  you feel the merchant's prices are good, or if you wish to
impress  him  or  her,  you  may enter "0" percent to purchase the items at
their shelf price

Leave:   When  you've  finished,  or if you are not interested in the items
offered, select Leave to return to the main market offerings.

Sell:   Maybe  you`re  hard  up  for  Ducats.  Perhaps you have one to many
daggers hanging around your belt.  Whatever the reason you`re interested in
selling  some of your items.  just click Sell followed by a character to do
so.   Soon  you`ll  see a catalogue of your characters items along with the
price  the  vendor is willing to pay you.  In most cases you`ll see several
silver  crowns,  however if the merchant isnt interested, he`ll offer 0 and
will  refuse  to  even  take  whatewver  it  is  off  your hands.  If youre
interested  in  selling  an item just click on it.  For multiple items five
food packets for example, the merchant will ask how many you wish to sell.

Next   /  Previous  Page:   Should  your  character  be  carrying  Arkanias
equivalent to Marks & Spancer, select next page to scroll through the pages
of  items  that  your character is carrying.  previous of course brings you
back.

Haggle:  Once you`ve selected the items you wish to sell, its the merchants
turn  to haggle your offer.  You`ll see his or her offer in the upper right
portion  of  the  screen,  and may take this opportunity to smooth talk him
into  offering  you  a better price.  He may think you`re dreaming when you
ask him to double his offer, but then again he may not.

Another  Character:  If another character wishes to sell items click on his
or her portrait to display the next characters wares.

Leave:  To return to the main market menu, select this option.

Talk:   Arkanias merchants see hundreds of folk every day.  Passing through
their  booths,  the  travellers speak of the tales they have heard while on
the  road,  people  they have spoken with and secrets they hope to uncover.
With  all  this  juicy  news  entering their ears, merchants tend to be the
biggest gossipers in town!  Just select Talk to get in on the action.  Many
times  the merchant will tell you of rumours hes heard.  Other times he may
become  irrated  at  something  offensive you`ve said.  And theres also the
merchants  who  having  spent  years in the market are tuned out to all its
hustle and bustle, and haven't taken in a thing to tell you.

Pick-pocketing A Merchant
-------------------------

If  you  're  a  bit  low  on  cash, you may be able to pickpocket the very
merchant  you're  trying to buy goods from!  Just review a character, right
click  to get the Options Menu select Use Talent and choose Pickpocket.  If
luck  is  with  you,  a  few  of  his or her coins may be yours, If you get
caught, though, it could cost you plenty.

Inns & Taverns
--------------

Arkania's  a world filled with wandering souls, traveling from town to town
to peddle their wares and purchase exotic goods not available on their home
soil.   So to is Arkania filled with hetmen, enterprising warlords who hire
the  brave  to embark on missions they can assign, but havent the mettle to
complete  alone  Around  such travelers, a cottage industry has sprung, and
your  party  will  find evidence of its succcss in virtually every town and
city they enter.

Inns  and  taverns  offer  a  soothing break for any adventurer.  For those
traveling  throughout Arkania's wilderness, the comfort of a soft bed and a
prepared  meal  are  worth twice the price of the ducats paid.  For others,
the  relaxed  conversation  flowing  in  a  town's tavern is welcome enough
change  from  the  campfire  conversations  of  Orc  raids and catastrophic
battles.   Some  adventurers  travel to a towns taverns and inns to collect
information,  and  those  enterprising enough may even be able to swindle a
few silver crowns from patrons.  When your party enters a tavern or an inn,
they'll have all these opportunities and more.

Talk:   Like merchants, the innkeepers and bartenders have seen their share
of  adventurers come and go.  Hidden beyond their entrepreneur - ial spirit
is often a blanket of information awaiting inquisitive visitors.  Selecting
this  option  you  may get the chance to discuss the local gossip.  However
dont  forget  the  barkeep  has a business to run, and doesnt usually stand
around for idle chat.

Eat  and  Drink:  Your characters may order a meal by selecting this option
The  innkeeper  will  tell  you  of the daily special along with his price.
Should you accept, and have the money to pay for it, the meal is served.

While  the  stout  might  be  flowing  like  Niagara, a word to the wise is
"moderation,"  Alcohol's  effects can go beyond medicinal, and too much can
leave  your  characters  without their wits.  Characters who drink too much
can  certainly become drunk and, just as in real life, may suffer temporary
losses  to  their  intelligence  and  charisma  and  other  typical drunken
effects.

Rent  a  Room:  Arkania's rooms range from your finest noble suites to "the
cot  in the closet" shacks.  Depending on your party's taste and funds, you
may  select  the room of your choice.  Room quality varies inn to inn, but,
in  general,  the  better  the  room  the  better the nights sleep (and its
restorative effects).  Selecting this option, the innkeeper will show you a
selection   of  available  suites,  and  will  allow  you  to  select  your
accommodation.   After  you've finished other bedtime tasks (using magic or
talents), select Sleep to head to your rooms for the night.

Use  Talent:  Depending on the inn or tavern and your characters abilities,
Use  Talent  offers  your  party  numerous  options.   From treat Wounds to
Alchemy.   Your  characters  may  perform  necessary  healing and quizzical
chemistry before heading off to bed.  Once you select a talent, you will be
asked  to  choose  a  character to work his or her art and let you know the
outcome.

Use  Magic:  Rolling her crystal ball side to side, your Magicienne watches
as  a  character  vainly  attempts to Treat Wounds to patch a badly wounded
arm.   A  simple spell would do, she knows, and although her magic power is
valuable,  she  weaves  the spell none the less.  Poof you're cured.  Along
with   spells   of  the  healing  variety,  magic  users  may  chant  their
incantations  in  the comfort of an inn.  Selecting this option you will be
asked to choose a character to work the magic, the spell group, and finally
the spell (For further information on magic, see the Arcane Lore section of
this manual).

Sleep:   Your  eyelids weigh a ton, it's been a long day, and it's time for
the  party  to  head to their suites for a little shut eye.  Just click the
Sleep  icon  to  do  so.   Once you select Sleep, provided you have already
booked a room, your party is whisked away by the bellman and brought to the
comfort  of  their  respective  rooms.   Your  party will sleep for as many
nights  as  they  have  paid  for, and will wake at dawn on the last day of
their  stay  Any  restorative  effects will be reported at the end of their
stay.   To  Arkania's  credit, your party does not have to tip the bellman,
nor  are  they  promised  one  of  those  continental  breakfasts,  usually
patterned after a Continent about the size of a ducat.

Leave:  Select this option to return to the out of doors.

Visit  Tavern:   Should  the inn have a tavern as part of the establishment
the  Visit  Tavern icon will be available.  Just select this option to move
into the bar

More Tavern Options
-------------------

Whether  your  party enters a tavern within an inn or a stand-alone saloon,
they  will have additional choices found nowhere else in Arkania.  Like the
gossip,  the  mead and stout flows freely in the taverns, just as it did in
medieval  Earth.   Stepping  up  to  the  bar,  your  party has several new
options.
 
Use  Talent:   In addition to treating wounds, taverns offer your charac-
ters  a  chance to show off some of their more, well, enterprising talents,
While  playing in Novice mode, the best character for the particular talent
will highlight in yellow.

1.  Cheat:  Maybe its a new card trick you learned or one of those I`ll bet
you  that  you  can`t  deals.   Whatever  the  case, Cheat puts one of your
characters  into  action.   Selecting  the character he or she performs the
handiwork  and Blade lets you know the outcome.  Naturally, characters with
the  Cheat skill tend to perform better than those without agile hands.  If
all  goes well a few Silver crowns may come your way.  Should you be caught
in the midst of your trickery, however your party could find themselves out
on  the  street without hopes of entering the establishment again for quite
some time.
 
2.   Acrobatics:   For  those characters skilled in such a talent, a good
show  could  prove profitable.  When you select this option, you choose the
agile  character for such a task.  After the performance, money or boos are
delivered as deserved.

3  Instrument:   Bards are often a welcome sight in Arkania, their melodies
taking  the  battle  worn patrons to relaxing places far removed from their
hectic day-to-day life.  Should your character be skilled in such a talent,
and  if  an instrument is at hand, such a rhapsody could earn the party its
keep.   After  selecting  Instrument and a character to perform, Blade lets
you  know  the  outcome.  As with Acrobatics, cheers and money or cat calls
(if you're really bad) are delivered as warranted by the performance.

Visit  Inn:  If the tavern is part of a larger establishment, you will have
the chance to return to the Inn, Select the Visit Inn icon to do so.

Visiting A Healers Shop
-----------------------

Your Magician's astral points are wiped out and your most skilled healer is
still  trying to shake arrows out of her arm.  It's a tough situation to be
in.   If a character lets a wound go too long, he or she will llkely become
infected  or  diseased  Thankfully,  towns  throughout  Arkania  offer  the
services  of  healers  who  can help your party heal its wounds.  When your
party enters a healer's shop, you'll have a selection of these options.

Treat  Wounds:   After a vicious battle, your proud but worn characters may
have  a  few  wounds  that  need  tending.   Selecting  treat  Wounds and a
character  in  need, the healer surveys his or her damage, notes the price,
and allows you to accept or reject his proposal.  Should you hand over your
crowns,  the  healer begins to work his trade.  Hopefully, if the healer is
skilled, he or she will heal your character.  Certain healers however, have
no medical talent but use the healer banner merely to make money

Treat  Illness:  Characters may incur numerous maladies in Arkania Luckily,
skilled  healers  can offer the proper cure for most any illness Should one
of your characters require such an elixir, select Treat Illness followed by
the  ill  character.   While  the  healer  reviews  symptoms  and  the work
necessary  to cure it, he'll quote you a price which you may take or leave.
Should  you  accept, the mystic begins his handiwork.  If he is successful,
the  fee is collected in full.  If however, the cure is not successful, the
healer will only charge you a portion of his quoted price

Neutralize Poison:  Along with wounds and illnesses, many healers can treat
poison and neutralize its devastating effects.  Just select this option and
the  afflicted  character,  and  the  healer  will suggest a price.  If you
accept,  he  begins  his  work.   As  with  illnesses, if the healer is not
successful, he or she will only ask for a portion of the total amount due.

Leave  Healer:   When  your  characters have been nursed, and their ills no
longer affect them, select this option to return to the out of doors.

Blacksmith Shop
---------------

From  battle to battle, warriors, swords suffer wear and tear.  Their edges
grow  dull and eventually, they may break.  Armour, too, can be broken from
a  strong  blow  Needless  to  say, a breast plate hanging in pieces from a
character's  shoulders  doesn't  do much to protect him; it would, however,
make a nice wind chime.  If your characters' goods are in such a shape, get
them  to  a  smith  to  make  the  repairs  Entering the smith's shop, your
characters will have numerous options:

Talk:   Having  seen  the  battle-worn  pass through their doors smiths can
offer the party a tale or two about combat around the area or an inside tip
on  the  best  way to use a weapon.  The weapons traders who frequent their
establishment  also  leave  behind their news, and the smith might pass the
information along to you .....if he takes a liking to you that is.

Have  Something  Repaired:  That fine two-handed sword you're carrying ....
the  hilt  in one hand the blade in the other....  isnt going to do ypou or
your party much good in combat, although it would make a divine shish-kebab
stick.  To have your sword or armour fixed, select Have Something Repaired.
You  will  see  a list of the characters items and the cost to repair each.
Select  one,  and the smith will quote you his fee.  Whenever money changes
hands, the options don`t stop there.

Haggle:   Think  he`s asking too much to put your armour back together?  If
you  do,  select  haggle,  a  character to do it and finally the percentage
reduction  you`re  looking  for.   If the merchant agrees to your offer, he
will  begin  work.  Of course you may enter 0 if you feel he`s giving you a
good  deal  to  begin with.  Keep in mind that metalwork, like any trade is
not  exacting  nor  does  it happen at the speed of light.  You may have to
leave  your  weapon,  and there is a chance that upon returning you'll find
your  sword or armour is beyond repair or at least beyond the skills of the
smith you're working with.

Next  Page and Previous Page:  If your character is carrying lots of items,
Next  Page will move you further into his inventory.  Previous Page returns
you to the previous page.

Another  Character:   Sometimes your journey has been so long, your battles
so hard, that numerous characters come back with their armour and swords in
pieces, Select the Another character option to bring your characters before
the smith one by one

Exit:  Select Exit to return to the Main Smith options

Leave  The  Smith:   When  you've  finished tending to your swords' wounds,
select Leave The Smith to return to the streets of town

Leaving Town
------------

Your  party has had its fill of town life, and they're itching to be off on
a  more  urgent  quest.   To leave any town, just look for a signpost or an
exit  inside a building (check the AutoMap for a bright orange square), and
you'll  be on your way.  See the Leaving Town:  Ports and Trails section of
this manual for further information.
 
DUNGEONS
--------

Dungeon Options
---------------

Entering  an  otherwise  Normal apartment, you spy a set of stairs.  In all
likelihood  you know, they lead to an underground cavern of some sort.  You
pull a torch from your pack and nervously head down the stairs.

As your party travels through Arkania, you'll come across many dungeons and
caves  just  like  this.  In addition to many of the options covered in the
Game  Options section, like Split and Unite Team, your party will also have
several new options,

Map:  While similar to the map you see in cities, dungeon maps use slightly
different  colouring,  and  only  show  the level of the dungeon your party
currently occupies.  The colours for the map are covered in the map section
of Game Options.

Open  Door:   The old oak is worn, heavy with exposure to the dungeons damp
air.   Your  party stands before it wondering what it conceals....  or what
it  holds back.  Click the Open Door icon to let yourself in.  Some times a
door may be locked, however.  Should you attempt to open a locked door, you
will be presented with the folIowing options:

Break Door Down:  Two of your strongest characters take the front positions
in the party (you may need to move them there) and prepare to slam into the
doors  centre.   Depending  on  the solidity of the door (after all no ones
going  to  break through a 10 foot thick steel plated door), your party may
succeed,  opening  the  pathawy.   Doors  which  are  broken down cannot be
closed.   If  your  characters were particularly strong theres probably not
much left to close anyway.

Pick  The Lock:  Pulling a set of lockpicks from his pocket your Rogue will
need  to move to the front of the party tpo begin work on his exacting art.
Depending  on the complexity of the lock and your Rogues skill you may hear
that fateful click and watch as the door slides open before you.

Cast  Foramen  Spell:   The  rest  of your party moves aside as one of your
magic users begins to weave the incantation that will hopefully get you by.
If  successful,  the lock is magically altered, and will remain permanently
unlocked.

Close  Door:   Your  party  barrels  down a hall with 50 different forms of
dungeon  denizens  hot  on  its trail.  Finally, you reach a room, open the
door  and run inside.  The last thing you want to do is leave the door open
behind you!  Select Close Door Instead.

Open  Chest:  It's a happy sight for tired and battle worn eyes.  It`s what
you've come so far and found so hard to achieve .....  the trinkets nestled
safely  in  a  treasure  chest.  When your party finds a chest, just select
Open Chest to attempt to get inside to the goods.  Just like Open Door, the
character  at  the  front  of  the  party flips the lid on the chest, so if
something blows, it'll be in his or her face.

Travelling Tips
---------------

While exploring dungeons, keep these things in mind:

. Put your character with high perception, strength and agility
  in the front of your party. They`ll have the best chance to
  notice traps before there set off and will be able to open doors
  with a shove

. Most dungeons are not lit. Be certain you`re carrying torches
  or a lantern and a tinder box to light them. Magically gifted
  characters may also light the way with a Fiat Lux spell or
  Magicians may magically charge their wand to contain an
  automatic, inextingushable light spell.

LEAVING TOWN: PORTS AND TRAILS
------------------------------

It`s  time to break out the adventuring gear and head for the signpost.  As
you  travel  through  Thorwal,  or  any  of Arkanias towns you`ll see posts
pointing  the  way  to  one  destination  or  another.  Typically there are
numerous  posts  in  a single town each leading to a different destination.
Among all the posts though, there are two, basic differences:

Harbours:   Signposts  at  the  water's  edge give you the chance to secure
passage  aboard  ships  traveling to various locales.  Since ships come and
go,  the  destinations found at the seaports change daily.  A word with the
Harbour  Master  can  offer you an expanding look at the harbour's traffic.
When you step up to a port's signpost you'll receive the Port Options.

Path/Road:  Signposts at a villages edge note the way of roads and paths to
other  towns,  and  follow  the  general  layout  of Arkania.  For example,
signposts to the east generally lead to eastern destinations.  When you opt
to travel onfoot you`ll enter the Traveling Options

Packing Your Bags
-----------------

Before  your characters head out of town, spend a few minutes with them, It
may  be several hours (maybe even several days) before they see a town or a
merchant again.  Make certain they're prepared for the trip:

. Check the amount of rations and water each character carries
  you feel it's not enough for the trip, buy more from a merchant
  Pizza places do not deliver to the middle of Orc territory.

. How are your character's hunger and thirst levels holding out. Fill
  their bellies and quensh their thirst before they leave. Otherwise
  you may be forced to stop mid-route when a character complains
  of hunger pangs

. Are all your weapons and armor whole? If not, visit a smith to make
  the necessary reparation.

. Are your characters well rested? If not catch some shut eye.

. Should you make a last-minute trip to a healer to treat disease
  wounds or poison?

. Do you have a good selection of herbs, potions or other things that
  you nmight need? Also, don't ignore adventuring gear.

. Put your best character forward.  If you're traveling in the
  wilderness, characters with strong Nature skills are best to lead
  you party. They will also notice tracks and other landscape
  features that lesser skilled companions might miss. Characters
  traveling by boat are best lead by a character skilled in survival
  skills. As the party waits in cramped corners and shares day to day
  life with the ship's denizens, such skills come in handy.

. Did you remember your travellers cheques?

Leaving Town Via Ship
---------------------

Many of Arkania's settlements grew around bodies of water.  These waterways
allowed  for  easy passage of goods, and generally offered settlers fertile
land  on which to build their homes.  As sailing vessels evolved from small
two  man  crafts  to  giant merchant ships, Arkania's water towns developed
thriving port industries- fishing, cargo and transportation among others.

These  Harbor  towns generally service ships that travel along the coast to
the  next  settlement.   For  the  most part, the vessels travel to sizable
cities, which generally offer good trade, and within a short range of their
home port.  In the large cities, however, there are often many destinations
as  ships come and go from all areas of Arkania to purchase and sell wares.
Some large ports even offer transportation across the Gulf of Prem.

Whether  your  party  travels across the Gulf or just up the coast, it will
encounter all kinds of sailing vessels from the custom cruiser yacht to the
small,  fisherman's  dingy.   The  smallest  ships are generally capable of
travelling  30  miles per day while the large trading ships can cover up to
120  miles per day.  Often, the speed of a ships travel, not to mention its
direct  route,  is  worth  the  price  of a day spent waiting in town for a
faster ship heading to your destination.

As  you  party  nears such a harbor with plans of seafaring, you'll see its
sign, and, stepping onto the dock, will be offered the Harbour options,

Book  a  Passage:   Is your party interested in a bit of seafaring?  Select
Book  a  Passage  to make your reservations.  Blade will show you a list of
ships  at anchor in the harbor and their destinations; this list changes as
ships  depart  and new ships come in (see the Harbour master for a complete
schedule  of expected ships), so check back if nothing available suits you.
If  you`re  interested in a certain destination thats available, select it,
and  the  ships captain will tell you about his ship and your cost to board
it.   While  he  talks,  listen  carefully - the condition of his ship will
affect  your  party  greatly.   The  expensive  ships  generally travel the
fastest  and  luxurious ships offer your party a more restful (and healing)
trip.   Your  party may prefer to forgo passage on a small leaky skiff even
if  its captain offers you free passage to your destination.  On a longship
for instance your characters are expected to man the oars and wont get much
of  a  a  chance  to  rest  during the voyage.  Other times, when your cash
reserves  are  low, or if your party really, really needs to get somewhere,
any old ship will do.

Looking the current offerings over, you may select the boat of your choice.
Should  you accept the captains offer, he`ll note the departure time before
returning to his ship with your fare.  You may board the ship now or at any
time before it leaves port.  If you have a few hours on your hands, you can
head  into  town.   However,  keep  your  eye  on  the time (click the Time
Tracker),  and  return  before  your ship's set to leave Since you're not a
dignitary,  and  the captain already has your money he will not hesitate to
leave without you.

Harbour  Master's  Office:   For a small gratuity, the Harbour Master has a
world  of  information  for the roaming party.  He'll gladly tell you about
all  ships  leaving  the harbour and even those that are expected (within a
reasonable   time   frame  anyway).   For  parties  travelling  to  obscure
destinations  that  are  serviced rarely, the Harbour Master's knowledge is
essential;  he  might  be  able to tell you of a small skiff leaving in two
days that will, at long last, get you to your destination.

Go  On  Board:   If you've booked a passage on a vessel, select Go On Board
when  you're ready to leave town.  After selecting this option you'll spend
your  time chatting with other shipmates or looking for fish over the sides
of  the ship.  Once you board a ship, you are on board until it reaches its
final destination and have no influence on the ships course.

Leave  Harbour:   If  your  ship hasn't come in, or if it's not going to be
leaving for a while, select Leave Harbour to return to town,

Heading Out On Foot
-------------------

Dust  off  the  backpack  and  put  on  your  best  leather  boots ....your
characters  are  out  for a bit of that heel-to-toe shuffle.  Anywhere your
party  finds a land locked signpost, Arkania offers this type of adventure.
Just  step  up  to  the  signpost to discover where the road or path heads.
Keep  in  mind  that  each  city  typically  has more than one signpost, so
checking around, you`ll find roads to more than one destination

When your party reaches such a signpost, you'll see a screen similar to the
one below:

Description:   Move  the pointer to any area on Arkanias map and click with
the  left mouse button.  You`ll, see a description of the area, its peoples
and  its  climate.   While  your party can't travel to any old location you
click  on(  remember,you're  heading  out  on a specific road to a specific
place),  this feature allows you to see Arkanias geography and demographics
quickly.   Reviewing  this  map  can be very useful in planning your routes
across  Arkania  or  for  the curious adventurer finding out about Arkanias
many  towns and cities.  However sometimes dirt tracks or wilderness routes
will  not  be  so  obvious.   It  may  be  necessary  to check the possible
destinations   by  actually  investigating  a  settlements  journey  points
(signposts) to find these hidden routes.

Travelling  Options:   Click  the  right mouse button to show you the paths
available  from  this  signpost's road.  You will see your current location
highlighted  with  a pulsing blue circle, and the targeted destination will
be  highlighted in red.  If the destination is okay with your party, select
it and you're off.  You may also select "BACK" to return to the town you're
currently in.  If you decide to travel, your party's progress will be shown
on  the map, and will deposit you safely at your destination ...unless your
party  experiences  one  of  the  hazards  of traveling.  These hazards are
collectively  grouped  into  the next sections of the manual, "Adventuring"
and "Combat."

Travelling Time
---------------

Under normal circumstances and decent travelling conditions, your party can
cover about 30 miles per day.  Depending on the season and road conditions,
this  distance  could  be  reduced.   Wilderness  travel  along  hidden and
overgrown  routes  can be tremendously difficult, decreasing your maxinmunm
travelling distance to approximately 15 miles per day.

ADVENTURING
-----------

In  a  world  filled with creatures of untamed decorum, things such as easy
trips  and  experience  for  the  asking aren't the norm.  While your party
travels  from  one  point  to  another,  it may encounter certain problems.
Perhaps it's a bandit demanding all the party's ducats.  Yet, it could be a
kindly  old sage, wounded by an Orc attack.  Will you spare all your astral
points  to  heal  him?  And if you do, will he leave you coins in thanks or
will  he crisp you and your companions once he's restored?  These, and many
other questions, face any party out on Arkanias wilds.

Hunger & Thirst
---------------

The  most  common  problems of adventuring are hunger and thirst.  While on
the  trail,  your  characters use energy, and naturally, they need food and
water  to continue their pace.  When your characters are hungry or thirsty,
Blade will let you know.  Although the computer's CPU will not Cowl, you'll
see  a  message  telling you that your characters are in need of nutrition.
Just  click the right mouse button to stop their progress.  Soon, you'll be
at  the  Camp options (covered later in this section) While in camp, review
your characters, fill their bellies and quench their thirst.  If you're out
of  rations  and your skins are dry, try your hand at Replenishing Supplies
(also  covered in the Camp options later in this section) Should you choose
to  ignore  your  characters' hunger and thirst, starvation and dehydration
are virtually inevitable.

Elements
--------

Your  warrior's  limbs  will  barely  move, and your elfs ears have a light
coating  of  frost  on  them.   Welcome  to  the elements.  When your party
travels  through  snow or the scorching heat of summer, the weather affects
them  and  their rate of travel Crossing through the woods in the height of
winter  dressed  in  your Summer gear might cause frostbite, not to mention
the  extra  effort  required  to traverse severn foot high snowbanks.  Make
sure  that your party is appropriately equipped for the weather they may be
traveling  through.   While  traveling  through  such  extremes  check your
characters  often to be certain they're not overly exposed to the elements.
Right click to stop traveling and make Camp, covered later in this section.

Terrain
-------

Walking through (one of Arkania's many fjords, your Magician suddenly drops
from  sight  leaving  only  a  wafting  'Yelp!   ,, and a sliding footprint
behind.   Arkanias crash course in " An Up Close Look at Geography" can hit
your  party  at  any  time  during their adventure.  Whether it be a gaping
cliff  that  your  party  failed to discover in all their merry making or a
simple  step  that triggers an avalanche of snow, such geographic disasters
are not uncommon.  When your party experiences such an event, there will be
a  report  on  the  damage.  Of course your party can defend itself against
such  happenings by appointing a nature lover to head the party.  He or she
is  more  likely  to  notice  such  things, given their appreciation or and
understanding of the out of doors.

A Good Place To Rest
--------------------

Occasionally,  your  characters  will  notice  a  particularly  comfortable
looking  resting  place.   Its grass is mossy green, prodding a comfortable
ground  to  recline  on.  A brook trickles past, and the tracks of watering
game  haunt  its  sides.   You  may decide to set camnp, ending the journey
earlier than planned.  While the party won`t cover the maximum distance for
the  day,  they may rest more easily, enjoy more of its benefits, and awake
the  next morning full of energy, And, if the game is as good as the tracks
hinted, they may well leave with full bellies and packs.

Forced March
------------

Sometimes,  a  tempting camping spot may not be enough to get your party to
stop.   You  know  you can reach your destination before nightfall.  You're
fairly  certain  you  can make it, and so decide on a forced march, keeping
your  party  moving  longer than it nornmaly would.  Just right click while
travelling  on  the Journey Map and select "Force March", to push your pary
on.   Keep  in  mind, however, that there are no guarantees your party will
reach  its  destination  before nightfall or before everyone is tripping on
everyone else from sheer exhaustion.  Camping will then be necessary.  Your
party,  tired from the day's efforts, will likely require more sleep than a
simple  night's rest can offer, and won't be able to exert the extra energy
two nights in a row.

Scouting
--------

As  your  party travels along, the lead character keeps a careful watch for
any  interesting features ...  a neat trove of herbs, a collection of karen
tracks  or  perhaps your party heard a rumour in town about a wild magician
who  roams  these  parts.  Should your character notice anything out of the
ordinary  that  might help your party, or if rumours begin turning to fact,
you will be warned.

Camping On Route
----------------

As  nightfalls,  so  to  do your characters' eyelids, 'Round about 8:OO p.m
your  advanturers  will  make camp for the night.  Although they may not be
tired hungry or otherwise in need of rest, they do know well the dangers of
traversing  Arkania in the dark, and so, being intelligent characters, they
make  camp  for  the  night  automatically at 8:OOp m.  Characters may also
"force"  a Camp at any time mid-route, should they need to gather supplies,
heal  a wounded comrade or dazzle off a magic spell or two to force a Camp,
click  the right mouse button.  When your party forces a camp or settles in
at  8:OOp.m., the marshmallows come out and campfire chatter begins.  While
here, your characters may perform various activities

Set  Guard Duty:  While your characters sleep, who knows what creatures may
creep  out of the forest and into your sleeping bag.  To protect your party
from  ambushes,  rogues  and  other  creatures of the night, Set Guard Duty
before going to sleep for the evening.  When you select this option, select
a  character to stand guard for each of three shifts.  Characters with high
danger  sense  and  intuition make the best guards, but be certain they get
their fair share of sleep, too.  Characters who stand guard cannot do other
activities  like  hunting,  so  you might want to take care of other duties
before setting guards and going off to sleep.

Replenish Stocks:  As your party travels through Arkania's outback they may
use their rations and drain their waterskins dry.  Whenever your characters
make  camp  and  you're  running  low  on  supplies, its a good idea to try
replenishing  your  stores.   Select Replenish Stocks and a character to do
the  hunting,  Generally,  characters skilled in nature and perception have
the  best  chance of success, Keep in mind though, that you can captain two
expeditions in a night, and each character may hunt only once.  If all goes
well,  though,  Blade  will tell you about the grub you found; the food and
water  will  be used immediately or stored for future use, depending on the
needs  of the team.  On the other hand should your attempt fail you're free
to try again, one more time, with another character.

Use  Skill:   Leaning  heavily  against  a  tree, your hunter slowly lowers
himself to the ground, He is wounded, no doubt, and your healer goes to his
side.  Selecting Use Skill, the healer can do wonders:  Treat Wounds, Treat
Disease  or  Treat  Poison.  Select a skill to perform, and if necessary, a
person  to  perform  it on.  Depending on the skill level of the character,
life  points  may  be restored to the wounded, or the poisoned and diseased
may  be  cured.   Characters  wishing  to spend their time brewing magic or
healing  petions  may  opt  to  use  the  Alchemy skill To mix potions, the
character must have:

       An Alchemy set .       All necessary containers
       All necessary herbs    An appropriate recipe

Needless  to  say, a solid skill in Herb Lore and Alchemy helps.  When your
character  mixes  his  brew,  you  will know the outcome Regrettably if the
alchemist  puts  together  a  brew that melts the very jars in which it was
concocted,  he  or  she  will fail the attempt, and all the ingredients and
containers used in the mix will be lost (after all, who wants a potion that
doesn't work or a flask with residue of eau de la attempt on it?)
 
Use  Magic:   Magicians  just aren`t known for laying back during leisure
times  to  gossip.   They are, by the by, not interested in Ian the Brave`s
hacking  of  an  Orc  or Sir Shaun of Crispy's escapades in one of Arkanias
taverns.   Instead,  Magicians  use  the  quiet  of  camp to meditate or to
empower  their  mighty wands.  When you select Use Magic, characters may do
just that.

Meditate:   Generally  reserved  for  Magicians  of  either  sex meditation
focuses a character's energy on his or her magic power so dramatically that
it drains the character physically Doing so, he or she converts life points
(LP) to astral points (AP), Other magic using Archetypes who carry at least
one dose of thonnys in their packs may meditate as well.

Wand Spell:  Available only to Magicians or Magiciennes, this option allows
the magic user to attempt a transfer of some of his or her astral points to
a magical wand.  Cloaked in darkness the Magician spends hours focusing his
mind,  his  magic  and  his energy over the wand until it accepts the spell
itself  Taking  a  lot  of  time, the transfer of energy also consumes many
astral points, but is permanent once charged.  Should your character choose
to  cast  a wand spell, regardless of success or failure, he or she will be
unable  to perform any magic for the remainder of the camp.  (For the exact
method of transfer, refer to the Arcane Lore section of this manual)

Cast  Spell:   During camp, characters may require healing, or other spells
that  may  give  your party an advantage on the elements.  To cast a spell,
select this option, a magically talented character, the spell group and the
spell itself.  (For further information on spells, refer to the Arcane Lore
section of this manual.)
 
Gather  Herbs  :  Used in every alchemist's potion, herbs are a source of
magical  power  for  the  party  and  are  plentiful  in Arkania's forests.
Selecting  this  option,  you`ll choose a character for the search and send
them  off  for  a  time.  While a character's success depends upon the area
searched  those skilled in herb lore and perception find herbs more quickly
and  are  generally  better  at  identifying  herbs  than their less gifted
companions.   When  the  character  returns,  you'll  be told of his or her
discoveries.

Sleep:   Ah.  Rolling back their bedrolls your characters settle in for the
night  to  awaken at 8:00 a.m sharp (those medieval alarm clocks, you could
count  on  them).   Before  opting  to  Sleep, complete all your other camp
business  healing,  meditation,  setting  guard,  etc.   As your characters
sleep,  they  replenish both astral and life points.  But, then again, they
may not sleep so well.  (See Combat for more information in attacks against
sleeping parties.)

ARKANIAS RESIDENTS
------------------

The  residents  of  Arkania  possess much information that may be useful to
your  party.   Sometimes  they  can be persuaded to send a few titbits your
way,  that  is of course, if you strike the right note with them.  Some may
prefer flowery small talk while others would rather get to the point.

Talking With NPCs
-----------------

When  conversing  with  Arkania's  residents,  you  will  be presented with
several  possible  statements  that  your  party  may  make.  Often,you may
progress through several rounds of statements before the two of you reach a
mutual accord.

Travelling With NPCs
--------------------

Non-player  characaters  may be convinced that joining your party is a good
idea  in  much the same way.  Get on their good side, and they'll put their
lives  at  stake  for  you  and  your  party.  Annoy them, and well .  .  .
you'll likely find yourself at the end of their blade.

When  you  meet  an  NPC  who's inclined to join your party, he or she will
offer their services Just like your own characters, you may review the NPC`
study  his or her skills and swap items if you like.  You may not, however,
control the NPCs in combat.

Just  as they freely joined your party, NPCs may leave.  It could be you'll
wake  up  one  morning  to discover the NPC has left ...  leaving only fond
memories

COMBAT
------

On  their journeys through the northern reaches of Arkania, your characters
will  meet  more  than  friendly  fellow travellers.  Brigands, robbers and
starving  wolf  packs  will  conspire  to  deprive  them of their cash, and
possibly  their  lives.  Occasionally, your characters will be passing time
against  their bedrolls, when they are summarily ripped out from under them
(no  doubt  an  embarrassing  event  for  some characters).  When action is
required  and  the  time for polite diplomacy has passed, their Weapons are
forced  to  speak  -  so  begins combat.  For the hack- slasher this is the
ultimate event and sport.

Whos On First?
-------------

Combat  moves forward in rounds - allowing each member of each group, yours
and your opponents, a manoeuvre, whether it be a spell, a thrust of a sword
or  a  parry.   When  your  party and a group of monsters square off, Blade
determines  who  has  initiative  - the first shot.  A character or monster
with  "initiative" is allowed to attack (or move first, and initiative goes
down  the  line until the last character or monster has made a move.  Blade
determines who has initiative by checking out several factors:
 
. Were the characters or the monsters surprised! Surprised combatants
  are usually re-attaching their dropped jaw when the first blade strikes.

. How corageous (CR) are your characters in comparison to their foes!
  Courageous characters leap to the call danger, and have no fear of
  encountering a dangerous beast. Characters who are nor so coura-
  geous, however, tend to hang in the background, anxious that they'll
  break a nail.

. Every character and monster is allowed to act once per combat round.
  He or she may attempt more than one action, but they must all be
  performed back to back, without any other character acting in be-
  tween.

. Your character also automatically parries once per round. Things can
  get hairy, however, if two monsters are attacking your character ... and
  he or she can defend against only one.

. A few monsters of extreme stature can attack more than once per
  round, but they cannot parry more than once.

Ouch. Quit It
-------------

The  sword  swings, cuts your shirt in half, slices through both braces and
leaves a crimson trail across your body.  As your pants fall to the ground,
you discover youve been hit ...  a common occurance in Arkania.

When  a monster attacks a character it may land a successful hit (hopefully
your character will block it, though), and it may cause damage.  Naturally,
a  giant  Ogre  fighting with a club the size of a car is going to do a lot
more  damage  than  a  measly  dwarf  with  a  walking  stick.  If a hit is
successful,  though,  it  may  do  from 1 to 20 points of damage.  However,
depending on the armor worn, the actual amount of damage done may be lower.
Any  damage  taken by the character is removed from his or her life points.
If  his  or  her life points reach 5 or lower, the character will slip into
unconsciousness  and  become  a ridiculously easy target sometimes, though,
the  Opponent  may just leave your character for dead.  If life points fall
to zero, the character will die.

Making Your Move
----------------

Before  the  combat begins or its options are shown, a character's movement
points (MP) are determined.  Since movement takes time, and a rapid transit
system  is  not  yet  available  in Arkania, there is a limit to how much a
character  can do Each characrer may move up to eight squares in the combat
area during each round of combat.  Some characters may have less than eight
points  if  they  are encumbered, however it's a tad hard to zip across the
ground when you`re wearing 300 pounds of armour

Entering The Combat Screen
--------------------------

Movement  points are used for both movement, like stepping to the side, and
for  actions.   Each  action  you  take, whether it be to move your feet to
approach  a  monster  or  to  lift  your arms to fire a bow takes time, and
requires  a  certain  amount of points.  Throughout the combat, Blade tells
you,  the  MP  cost  of  certain  actions  while displaying the character's
remaining points

As the peaceful night passes, your characters suddenly find themselves face
to  face  with  creatures  whose  idea  of  a  good time is slam dancing to
Lawrence  Welk  music.   When your party enters combat, you'll see a screen
similar to the one below

The  Combat  screen  is made of many different parts that combine to show a
realistic view of the action.

Active  Character:  Blade shows you who's currently selecting or acting out
a  particular  move.   In this case, it's Foots who's ready to perform some
action.   However,  it  could  a  monster.  Blade allows everyone a chance,
according  to  their  initiative.   Sleeping  characters however, haven't a
chance  until  they  wake.   The  active  character stands in a highlighted
square.

Inactive  Characters:  Aside from the character currently taking his or her
turn,  all  other characters are inactive and are waiting for their turn to
take  a course.  These characters may be potential targets for a knife or a
spell,  or  they  may  be  party members you'll need to protect.  They will
automatically  parry  the  first  attack  against them, but, since they can
parry  only  once per round, they become sitting ducks afterwards (so don't
let them get surrounded)

Active  Character  Options:   As  each  character  takes his or her turn in
combat, Realms offers combat options to select from.

Active  Character  Position:   The active character stands in a highlighted
square

Combat  Area:   Blades'  combat area is representative of the terrain where
the  encounter  occurred  it  is laid out in a grid, allowing characters to
move  north,  south,  east  or west.  Characters may not move diagonally At
least  one  side of the combat area will always be open allow party members
and monsters a route of escape.

Targeted  Opponent:   A  picture of the targeted opponeint appears when you
have selected it for attack from the combat area

Damage  Inflicted:  Sharing the same space as Targeted Opponent, the damage
inflicted  reveals the results of your charaeter's or a, monster's actions.
Appearing  as  different  coloured  stars  the colours and numbers show you
what's happened

Red & Number........Character was hit for # damage
Green & Number......Monster was hit for # damage
Blue................Character fumbled attack or parry
Orange..............Opponent fumbled attack or parry
Light Red...........Hit was absorbed by armour, no damage
Yellow..............Attack was parried
Brown...............Characters weapon was broken
Pink................Character has lost consciousness

The Combat Options
------------------

As  your  party  prepares  to  face  off  against its foes, your magicians,
fighters  and  cutthroats  contemplate  their potential actions.  Will they
fight  the  creatures  before them?  Perhaps your warriors will move into a
better position.  Your magicienne on the other hand, prepares to unleash an
awesome blast of fire.

As your characters move through combat, each of your characters are offered
these choices and more.  Next to each combat option, Blade lists the amount
of movement points that are required to complete the action.

Move
----

The  monster's just out of reach, but dangerously close to your Warlock who
appears to be down for the count.  To get your Warrior's blade within range
of  the  creature's  body, select Move.  Unless encumbered, a character may
move up to eight squares per combat round.  Should you move your character,
keep the following things in mind:

. A character can only move forward, back, to the left or to the right, with
a cost of 1 MP per square entered.

. A character cannot pass through squares already occupied.

. Squares containing walls or certain objects cannot be entered. It's a bit
tough to pass through solid rock.

. Squares containing dead or unconscious characters or opponents can
he entered

. If a character crosses the edge of the combat area, Blade will ask you 
if the character is trying to flee. If you answer yes, the character is out
of the fight for good. This can split your team.

Attack
------

The  Attack  option  engages your characters in the art of physical combat.
To  attack  a  creature, a character must be standing in a square adjoining
the  creature's  square.  The only exception to this is for missile weapons
which  may  be  fired from up to ten squares away at a creature in a direct
line  with  no  obstructions.  When you, select attack, the character pulls
out his or her weapon and physically attacks the creature.

Any  form  of  attack  costs  three  movement  points.   It  also  ends the
characters  actions  for  the  present  combat  round,  no  matter how many
movement points or she may have left.

An attack takes place in one of three modes:

. Aggressive: An aggressive attack takes the character's full concen
tration. Since characters are entirely consumed with their targets they
may not he able to parry a counter attack aimed at them. However, the
attack's momentum will be great and will have a better chance of 
success

. Careful: A careful attack takes all the character's concentration, but
devotes most of it to protection, bettering the chances of successfully
parrying a counter attack. Since the character is concentrating on his
or her own safty as well as the monster, the momentum of the strike
is reduced

Normal: A normal attack gives equal consideration to attack and parry.

Characters  may  also  perform  a missile or throwing attack.  This type of
attack  allows characters to hurl or fire a missile at an opponent up to 10
squares  away.   The  character  must have the missile weapon in his or her
right  hand  and any necessary missiles in the left hand, and must have the
target  in  the line of sight, unblocked by high obstacles or other persons
("You  idiot,  says  the  character  with  an arrow in his arm "Last time I
checked, I did not look like an Orc ")

Guard
-----

Standing  their  ground, a character prepares to attack anything that moves
into  range  adjacent  to  their  square.   Like a careful mode attack, the
character's  parry  is strenthened when he or she opts to guard (after all,
they're standing ground zero with that blood lust in their eyes).  Securing
an  area  costs  three movement points and ends the character's actions for
the present combat round, no matter how many movenment points ,may be left.

Cast Spell
----------

Raising  his hands, your magic user sends a divine blue aura heading toward
a  monster  enveloping  him  in magical power.  When your character selects
Cast Spell he or she can do just that.  To cast a spell at an opponent, the
character  must  have a direct, non-diagonal line of sight to the opponent,
unblocked by high obstacles or other persons.  Not all spells are usable in
combat,  and spell ranges vary.  Casting a spell costs five movement points
and  ends  the  character's actions for the present combat round, no matter
how many movement points he or she may have left.

Use Item
--------

A  character  can use any item held in his or her left hand.  During combat
it's a good idea to have an elixir or (other artifact ready and in the left
hand.   Using  an item costs three movement points and ends the character's
actions for the present combat round, no matter how many movement points he
may have left.

Change Weapon
-------------

Thats  a  fine  piece  of  blade you have there.  Who knows where the other
piece  went  to  but  it's  clear  that  if  you  hope to live through this
encounter,  a  new  weapon  is necessary.  Selecting this option, he or she
puts  the  weapon  back  into  the  inventory and equips a different weapon
instead.   This  action costs two movement points.  Actions may continue if
the character has remaining movement

Exchange Item
-------------

Exchange  Item  is the equivalent of Change Weapon for the character's left
hand  and  costs  two  movement points as well.  Characters may continue to
perform so long as they still have movement points.

Check Values
------------

While  in  combat,  Blade  allows you to check out all the important hack &
slash  statistics  of  the active character.  When you select Check Values,
you'll  see his or her current attack value, parry value, armor class, type
of  weapon,  hit points of weapon, life points, and astral points.  You are
also  shown any poison or enchantment affecting the character.  This option
is  particularly  useful if your character seems to he acting strangely, or
if you're concerned for his or her life.

Wait
----

Sometimes,  doing  nothing  is better .....  waiting it out to see what the
opponents  is  going  to  do.   Select  Wait  to do so, and the character's
actions are ended for the present round of combat.

Repeat Options
--------------

Offered after a round of combat has passed, Repeat Options tells Blade that
you  want  a  character  to  perform  exactly the same actions he performed
during the previous combat round

Computer Fight
--------------

If  you  prefer  to  have Blade control all the intricacies of combat, just
select  Computer  Fight with or without magic.  Then, you can lean back and
watch  the  action  develop.  A computer fight can be especially handy once
you  have  strategically  placed  your  characters or if you've pretty much
trampled  your  opponnents.  You can take the lead again at any time during
combat by simply pressing the left mouse button or any key.  As soon as one
of  your  characters  becomes  active,  you will have all options available
again.

Quit & Reload
-------------

"Oh,  oh,"  you  think  "The  chances  of me surviving this fight are nil."
Should  you come to this conclusion, select Quit and Reload.  The programme
ends your game, and loads it again from any save game you select.

OOOPPPS! The Fumble
-------------------

During  combat,  there's  always  a  chance  of a fumble, resulting in some
serious  consequences  for  the  character  or monster involved.  When your
character juggles his weapon, there are three possible results:

. The fumbling combatant is struck for 1 to 6 hitpoints by his or her own
  weapon

. The fumbling combatant's opponent gets a free strike.

. The fumbling combatant's weapon breaks

After The Fight
---------------

When  all  is  said  and  done, your party wipes their brows of the heat of
combat, and prepares to continue with their adventure.  Before they move on
their  way,  however,  they'll  have a chance to do various things and will
receive others.

Gathering The Goodies
---------------------

If  your Party won the fight, you are shown any loot lying about the combat
area  including  all  weapons  and  items your opponents were carrying.  If
there  is  any  loot  available,  you will be asked to select the items you
want.   Just  choose  any item, and its deposited into your party's bunker.
When  you've  taken  all  the  goodies you want, press the right hand mouse
button or ESC to return to normal game mode.

Getting Extra Experience
-------------------------

When  your  party wins an encounter with monsters, all surviving characters
recieve experience points for their efforts.  The first time they encounter
a  particular  monster, however, they will receive extra points for braving
unknown forces

Returning To Adventure
----------------------

Everyone  looks around The Rogue checks out the Magicienne; she looks back.
The  Warlock  nods to the Warrior in appreciation of his efforts.  And then
the Silven Elf grows concerned.  Someone is missing.

So  it happens when your party returns to adventure and gets their bearings
about  them  following  combat,  characters may find themselves in numerous
positions:

. The team was split when one or more characters ran from the
  encounter. Bring them back together and reunite them as one team.

. One or more characters were wounded or poisoned. Have someone use
  Treat Wounds or Treat Poison on them. This reduces the danger of
  subsequent damage. In case of a fast-acting poison, you will need the
  spell Pure And Clear

. One or more characters have died. Try to leave the scene of combat
  as fast as possible and go look for a temple to pray for a resurrection.

A  well  honed  blade  is  not the only way to face the powers of a fantasy
world  like Arkania.  A well crafted magic spell can work miracles as well.
Your  team  can  use  the  arcane powers of the cosmos for their benefit or
another's demise.

Casting Spells
--------------

Your  characters  may cast spells almost anytime and nearly everywhere.  In
combat,  characters  simply choose Cast Spell.  Clicking the Use Magic icon
while  adventuring  will  provide  the same enchantment.  Remember, though,
that  a  character  can  only  cast a spell if his or her spell value is at
least -5 and preferably better than that.

Blade  allows  you  to  cast  any spell you choose.  Perhaps your eccentric
Warlock  likes  to  throw off little sparklers just to impress the Witch in
the  group.  Whatever the case, your characters have the opportunity to use
nearly any spell they please

While  in  Combat,  though,  characters  have  the option to cast a limited
amount  of  spells.   As  all  combat actions are by necessity spontaneous,
characters  can  only  use spells that require little or no time to prepare
and cast in a fight.

Your  magic using characters learn a variety of different spells, according
to their Archetype.  Spells are grouped by Arcane Lore, the ancient magical
beliefs which formed them and guided their schools of thought.

Every spell in Arkania has an origin ....  a group that long ago sought the
knowledge  of  the  gods  to produce a divine effect.  In this list, you`ll
learn about spells, their and origins.

Magicians  /  Magiciennes,  Elves, Warlocks / Witches and Druid/ Druidesses
know  a  tremendous  amount  of spells grouped into various areas of magic.
The  following  list  contains  all  spells  included in this game with the
attribute  checks  involved The letter in the Lore column gives the spell's
origin:

M ..... Magician/Magicienne
E ..... Elf
D ..... Druid/Druidess
W . ... Warlock/Witch

Although  any  character  may  learn  and  cast almost any spell, the sheer
number of spells available encourages characters to specialize.

SPELL NAME                LORE   ATTRIBUTES        AP       DURATION
CLAIRVOYANCE
Analyse All Arcane Things  M     WD/WD/IN          10       One Use 
Attributes Revealed Be     E     WD/IN/CH           7       One Use
Eagle's Eye and Lynx's Ear E     WD/IN/DX           5       Short
Exposami Creatures Rife    E     WD/WD/IN           5       One Use
Odem Arcanum Sensum Such   E     WD/IN/CH           5       One Use
Penetrating Wood and Stone M     WD/WD/ST           5       One Use
Sensibal Clear and Well    E     WD/IN/CH           5       One Use

COMBAT 
Accurate Eye and Hand True E     IN/AG/DX           5       3 Rounds
Ecliptifactus Darkness     M     CR/WD/ST          10       Combat End
Fulminictus Thunderbolt    E     WD/AG/ST           *       One Use/P*
Ignifaxus Lance of Fire    M     WD/AG/DX           *       One Use/P*
Iron Rust and Rotted Wood  M     WD/CH/AG           5       One Use/P*
Lightning Find Thee        E     WD/IN/AG           5       3 Rounds
Plumbumbarium Brachadead   M     CH/AG/ST           5       Combat End
Terror Broom               W     CR/IN/CH           4       One Use/P*
Terror Power, Terror Might M     CR/IN/CH           V       1-20 Rounds

COMMUNICATION

Necropathia Putrid Head    M     CR/WD/CH           S       Special
Witch`s Eye                W     IN/IN/CH           2       Special

DEMONOLOGY

Banish Spirits             D     CR/CR/CH          13       One Use/P*
Blood And Furor, Dead Fate M     CR/CR/CH          13       Combat End
Conjure Spirits            D     CR/CR/CH           V       Special
Heptagon and Eye of Toad   M     CR/CR/CH          26       Combat End
Skeletarius Air of Doom    M     CR/CR/CH          15       Combat End
Summon Crows               W     CR/CH/CH          13       One Use/P*

DISPELL

Destructibo Arcanite       M     WD/WD/DX           V       Special
Domination Dispell         D     WD/IN/CH        8-20       Permanent
Gardianum Paradee          M     IN/CH/ST           V       Combat End
Illusions Begone           M     WD/IN/CH          **       One Use/P*
Transformation Dispell     W     CR/WD/CH        5-50       P*

DOMINATION

Astral Theft               D     CR/WD/ST           6       Special
Ball and Chain             E     WD/CH/ST          12       Combat End
Bambaladam                 E     IN/CH/CH           8       Combat End
Confusion                  D     WD/WD/CH           8       Combat End
Dance!                     D     CR/WD/CH           6       Combat End
Evil Eye                   D     CR/CH/CH           8       ***
Great Need                 W     WD/IN/CH           8       Combat End
Horriphobus Deadly Fear    M     CR/IN/CH           7       Combat End
Master of Animals          D     CR/CR/CH           8       Combat End
Meekness                   W     CR/CH/CH           5       Combat End
Respondami Veritu          M     WD/IN/CH           5       Special
Somnigravis Thousand Sheep E     WD/CH/CH           8       Combat End

ELEMENTS

Conjure Elemental          D     CR/WD/CH           V       Combat End
Nihilatio Graviti          M     WD/ST/ST          10       1 Turn
Solidirid Rainbows Hue     E     IN/AG/ST          14       10 Rounds

HEALING

Balm of Roond              E     CR/IN/CH        7-up       P*
Heal Animal                W     CR/IN/CH           V       P*
Pure and Clear, Herbal Tea M     WD/WD/CH           V       P*
Rest the Body, Rest Mind   E     WD/CH/ST           7       1 sleep
Witch`s Spit               W     IN/CH/ST           V       P*

ILLUSION

Camoflage                  W     WD/CH/AG           6       Short
Chameleony Mimicry         E     IN/CH/AG           5       Combat End
Duplication Double Me      M     WD/CH/AG           8       Combat End
Witch`s Knot               W     WD/IN/CH           4       Combat End

MOVEMENT 
Acceleratus Speedy Steed   E     WD/AG/ST           7       10 Rounds
Foramen Foraminor          M     WD/WD/DX           V       One Use/P*
Motoricus Motilitens       M     WD/DX/ST           V       Special
Transversalis Telporti     M     WD/ST/ST          15       Immediate
Walk On Ice, Walk nn Snow  E     WD/AG/ST           V       Special
Without a Trace, No Track  E     IN/AG/AG           V       Special

TRANSFORMATION 

Arcano Psychostabilur      M     CR/WD/CH           7       1 Hour
Eagle, Wolf,Grt Wht Shark  E     CR/IN/AG           7       1 Hour
Fire`s Bane                W     CR/CR/ST           7       Lvl x Hours
Increase CR, WD etc        V     WD/CH/****         7       2 Hours
Magic Armor                E     IN/AG/ST          AR*      5 Minutes
On Ocean's Floor, In Lake  E     CR/WD/ST           V       Special
Paralyze Paralone          M     IN/CH/ST          13       P*
Salother Mutother          M     WD/IN/CH           F*      P*
Visibili Vanitene          E     WD/WD/AG           5       Variable

TRANSMUTATION

Abvenenum Bile & Rot       E     WD/WD/DX           5      P*
Aeolitus, Come & Veer      E     WD/CH/ST           5      Special
Burn!                      M     CR/WD/ST        1-20      One Use
Calm the Storm and Still   E     WD/CH/ST           V      Special
Claudibus Clavistibor      M     WD/DX/ST           V      1 Hour
Darkness                   D     WD/WD/DX           3      Lvl + 3 Hours 
Fiat Lux                   E     WD/WD/DX           1      Lvl + 3 Hours
Freeze the Soft            M     CR/WD/ST        1-20      Special
Melt the Solid             M     CR/WD/ST        1-20      Special
Silentium Silentill        E     WD/WD/CH           5      1 Turn


*     =   Equals damage caused
**    =   Level of Illusion x 2
***   =   Until end of combat or until attacked by player
****  =   And the appropriate attribute
V     =   Varies
S     =   Special
P*    =   Permanent
AR    =   AR lowering equal to Astral Points used
F*    =   MR of target times 3 multiplied by Astral Points used

Clairvoyance Spells
-------------------

ANALYZE ALL ARCANE THINGS:
Tell Me What Their Nature Brings Allows the caster to analyze the nature of
a magical artifact

ATTRIBUTES REVEALED BE: Thy
Self Reveal To Me.  Reveals an opponent's combat values

EAGLE'S EYE AND LYNX'S EAR:
Sharpened Senses Tell Me Clear.  Raises the perception value by 7 points.

EXPOSAMI CREATURES RIFE: Show
To Me The Tracks of Life.  Reveals the presence of living beings nearby

ODEM ARCANUM SENSUM SUCH:
Do  I Sense The Magic Touch?  Shows whether an item or person has a magical
aura

PENETRATING WOOD AND
STONE:   Through  The  Walls  I  Look  Alone.   Allows the caster's gaze to
penetrate solid walls.  This reveals a larger area on automapping

SENSIBAL  CLEAR  AND  WELL:  All Feelings I Can Tell.  Allows the caster to
read an Opponent's feelings

COMBAT SPELLS
-------------

ACCURATE  EYE  AND HAND THAT'S TRUE - To The Target, Strike it Do.  Forms a
magic line from the bow to its target, guiding the arrow and helping it hit
the spot it is aimed for

ECLIPTIFACTUS DARKNESS MIGHT:  Fighting Comrade From The Night The caster`s
shadow turns substan tial and fights at his or her side

FULMINICTUS  THUNDERBOLT:   Hit  My  Foe  And  Kill Him.  A magic lightning
strike causing tremendous damage

IGNIFAXUS  LANCE  OF  FIRE:  Al though much is unknown about this spell and
its  origins,  witnesses  say  it  conjures  a lance of fire that burns tbe
opponent tar geted

IRON  RUST AND ROTTED WOOD:  The Teeth Of Time Do Blades No Good.  Makes an
opponent's weapon rot away.  The caster has to touch it first, though

LIGHTNlNG  FIND  THEE:   Lightning  Blind  Thee.  Blinds an opponent with a
harsh, blinding magic light making the opponent unable to attack or parry

PLUMBUMBARUM  BRACHADEAD:   Arms  and Armament Be As Lead.  The arms of the
caster's opponent turn heavy as lead making attacks and parries difficult.

TERROR  BROOM:   Lets a witch's broom or warlock's staff move and attack by
itself

TERROR  POWER,  TERROR MIGHT:  Hit The Foe As None Can.  Pushes the spell's
target  into a berserker-like rage allowing him or her to do more damage to
the opposition

Communications Spells
---------------------

NECROPATHIA  PUTRID HEAD:  Tell Me From Among The Dead Allows the caster to
contact the spirits of the deceased

WITCH'S  EYE:   This  spell allows war- locks and witches to recognize each
other by looking at their eyes

Demonology Spells
-----------------
 
BANISH  SPIRITS:   Banishes ghosts and spirits, removing the magical energy
that allows their presence.

BLOOD  AND  FUROR, DEADLY FATE:  In This Combat, Be My Aide.  Conjures up a
Lower Demon

CONJURE SPIRITS:  Conjures up ghosts and spirits

HEPTAGON  AND  EYE OF TOAD:  Horned- Head Demons, Cross The Moat.  Conjures
up a Horned (i e High) Demon.

SKELETARIUS  AIR  OF  DOOM:   Rise  Up Now From Grave And Tomb.  Allows the
caster to turn killed opponents to undead doing his bidding in combat

SUMMON  CROWS:   Conjures  up  a  flock  of  crows  that attack the casters
opponents

Dispell Spells
--------------

DESTRUCTIBO  ARCANITE:   Magic  Powers, Hide Away.  Draws all astral energy
from a magic artifact, thus turning it into a mundane non magical item

DOMINATION DISPELL:  Removes a "Domination" enchantment

GARIDIANUM  PARADEE:   From  Magic  Harm  Thou  Protect  Me.  Conjures up a
protective  dome  resistant against a great number of magical attacks (such
as Fulminictus or demon attacks)

ILLUSIONS  BEGONE:   Dispells all illu- sions in a small area.  Can be used
against Duplication

TRANSFORMATION DISPELL:  Re- moves a "Transformation" enchantment

Domination Spells
-----------------

ASTRAL  THEFT:   Withdraws astral points from the spell's target and allows
the caster to use these to power a spell.

BALL AND CHAIN:  Keeps the spells target from wandering away.

BAMBALADAM:   Your  Friend  I  Am.   The spell's target thinks the caster a
friend In combat, this means an end to all attacks on him or her

CONFUSION:  This spell results in its target being quite confused, reducing
his or effectiveness in combat

DANCE!:  Forces the target to dance until exhausted

EVIL  EYE:   Turns an Opponent against his or her own companions in combat.
Chara cter must be one square away to cast

GREAT  NEED:   Causes  an  overwhelming  unspecified  desire in the spell's
target causing him or her to ignore anything else

HORRIPHOBUS  DEADLY  FEAR:   All  You See And All You Hear.  Causes a blind
panic  in  the  caster's  opponent.   In combat it causes him or her to run
away.

MASTER OF ANIMALS:  Same effect as Bambaladam, but only on animals.

MEEKNESS:  Allows the caster to tame wild animals.

RESPONDAMI  VERITU:   Tell  Me  Now And Tell Me True.  Forces the target to
speak the truth

SOMNIGRAVIS THOUSAND SHEEP:  So fall down, be fast asleep.  Lets the target
fall asleep.  Can be used in combat.

Elements Spells
---------------

CONJURE ELEMENTAL:  Conjures up an elemental to fight for the party

NIHILATIO  GRAVITI:   Of  All Things Heavy I'll Be Free:  Nullifies gravity
for a while in the area around the caster

SOLIDIRID  RAINBOW'S  HUE:  Carry To My Goal True.  Creates a magic rainbow
bridge of up to 50 paces in length

Healing Spells
--------------
 
BALM  OF ROOND:  Heal This Wound.  Turns astral points of the caster's into
life points of the patient's

HEAL ANIMAL:  Works the same as balm, but only on animals

PURE  AND  CLEAR,  HERBAL  TEA:   Free  From Poison Thou Shalt Be.  Removes
poison from the targets system

REST  THE  BODY, REST THE MIND:  In Healing Sleep New Strength You`ll Find.
Enhances the regeneration attained during the following sleep period

WITCH'S  SPIT:   Used  as  a  Balm, but with different results depending on
whether it is used on poison, illness or wounds

Illusion Spells
---------------

CAMOUFLAGE:   The  easter  appears  to  any observer in some quite harmless
guise, for example as a child or an old woman

CHAMELEONY  MIMICRY:   To  My Foe Disguised I'll Be.  This spell allows the
caster to blend in with the surrounding area, becoming almost invisible, as
long as he or she does not move

DUPLICATION  DOUBLE  ME:  Ac- cursed The Foeman's Eye Shall Be.  The caster
conjures  up  a  ghostly double of himself (herself) which makes him or her
much harder to hit in combat

WITCH'S  KNOT  This spell creates an illusionary barrier that is impassable
for any opponents

Movement Spells
---------------

ACCELERATUS  SPEEDY  STEED:   Fly  Away  With Lightning Speed.  Doubles the
caster's speed, improving his or her combat values

FORAMEN  FORAMINOR:   Open Up, Lock And Door.  Opens the lock on a chest or
door

MOTORICUS MOTILITENS:  Lifeless Item, Get Thee Hence.  Allows the caster to
move small items without touching them

TRANSVERSALIS  TELPORTI:  Get Me Where I Want To Be.  A teleport spell that
can carry the Caster to any place he or she knows.  Difficult to learn.

WALK  ON  ICE,  WALK ON SNOW:  Just As I Walk On Ground I Know.  The Caster
can move across any frozen surface as if it were solid ground

WITHOUT  A  TRACE, WITHOUT A TRACK:  Be My Step On Sand.  Allows the caster
to move without leaving any trace of his or her passing.

Transformation Spells
---------------------

ARCANO  PSYCHOSTABILUR:   That  Spell  I  Shall  Resist.   Raises the spell
targets magic resistance.  Cannot be cast as self.

EAGLE  WOLF AND GREAT WHITE SHARK:  Like An Animal In The Dark.  Allows the
caster to take on an animal shape

FIRES  BANE:  Makes the caster a lot less suseptible to fire, dragon breath
and the Ignifaxus spell

INCREASE  CR,  WD etc:  Increases the stated attribute value by a number of
points.  Cannot be cast at self

MAGIC  ARMOUR:   Creates  a  magic  armour  of variable strength around the
caster

ON  OCEANS  FLOOR  IN  LAKE  AND  STREAM:  Breathe The Water As In A Dream.
Allows breathing under water.

PARALYZE  PARALONE:  Be Still as Stone.  Petrifies the spell's target for a
long time.

SALOTHER  MUTOTHER:   Be  Another Turns the spell target permanently into a
toadstool

VISIBILI  VANITENE:  Magic Turn Me Unseen.  Turns the entire team invisible
allowing  them  to  explore  a  dungeon  without constant attack by various
monsters

Transmutation Spells
--------------------

ABVENENUM  BILE  AND  ROT:   Leave This Food Without A Spot.  Purifies poi-
soned or spoiled food

AEOLlTUS,  COME  AND  VEER:   Blow The Dust And Smoke From Here.  Creates a
small breeze

BURN!:   Can  be  used  to  light  flammables, for example, torches without
benefit of a tinder box

CALM  THE  STORM  AND  STILL  THE WINDS:  Creates a zone of calm around the
caster, protecting him or her and any within that zone from being harmed by
a gale.

CLAUDIBUS  CLAVISTIBOR:   Locked  And  Bolted  Is My Door.  Magically locks
doors, chests etc.  for a certain time.

DARKNESS:  Creates a magical darkness that is penetratable for no ones eyes
but  the  casters  on whom it is centred.  in combat this spell reduces the
attack  chances of the caster's opponents - unfortunately, it does the same
for his or her companions.

FIAT  LUX:   This  spell  creates  a  magic  source of light resting on the
casters hand and shining with the approximate bright- ness of a torch

FREEZE THE SOFT, STOP THE FLOW:  Turns any fluids into Solid material

MELT  THE SOLID, FLOW THE HARD:  Turns any lifeless materials soft and easy
to shape.

SILENTIUM SILENTILL:  All Is Still Suppresses all sound around the caster

Wand Spells
-----------

These  powerful  rituals  allow  a Magician to "charge" a wand with certain
spells.   Although  the  effort takes immense amounts of astral points, the
charge  is  permanant.   It's assumed that an appropriately charged wand is
used  automati- cally if the situation calls for it.  Further, the wand may
hold more than one spell at a time.

There are four different rituals, or charges, that wands may hold:

#1 Makes a magic wand unbreakable and prepares it to be
   charged with further spells. Any Magician / Magicienne starts
   the game with a wand already containing this charge

#2 After successful completion of this ritual (at a cost of 23 astral
   points) the wand can be used at any time as an undousable
   torch. Blade assumes any Magician with charge #2 uses it
   automatically in dungeons and caves, so no other characters
   need carry a light.

#3 This allows the caster to turn his wand into a rope 1O paces long
   whenever he or she wants to. The rope will attach itself to any
   protruding rock ledge, hook etc when thrown. The ritual has
   a cost of 19 astral points. Blade assumes any Magician with
   charge #3 will automatically use the wand as a rope when in
   an appropriate situation, like climbing for example.

#4 This ritual allows the Magician / Magicienne to cast any spell
   at a cost reduced by 2 AP (minimum cost for any spell: 1 AP).
   This ritual costs 27 astral points.

Arcane Lore: Magicians
----------------------

House Spells
------------

Every  Magician  or  Magicienne  must  decide  which  Arcane Lore he or she
favors,  be  it  demonology,  transformation  or  another.   Based  on this
specialization, he or she gains a "bonus" with certain spell values.  These
spells  are called "house spells" and their value can be increased by up to
three  points  each  when  the  character  reaches  a new experience level.
Magicians  or  Magiciennes may specialize in only one Arcane Lore grouping,
and  will  receive  the  spell  value  bonus  for  that group only.  In the
following  list, you'll see the list of house spells for the various arcane
lores.  Across from each spell, the starting bonus is listed....

Clairvoyance

Analyze ...................... +2
Attributes Revealed Be ....... +1
Eagle's Eye....................+1
Exposami.......................+2
Odem Arcanum...................+2
Penetrating....................+1
Sensibal.......................+2

Combat Spells

Accurate Eye...................+2
Fulminictus....................+2
Ignifazus......................+2
Iron Rust......................+1
Lightning......................+2
Magic Armour...................+1
Plumbumbarum...................+2

Demonology Spells

Banish spirits.................+2
Blood & Furor..................+3
Conjure Elemental..............+2
Heptagon.......................+2
Necropathia....................+1
Skeletarius....................+2

Dispell Spells

Destrucibo.....................+1
Domination.....................+3
Gardianum......................+2
Illusions......................+2
Odem Arcanum...................+1
Transformation.................+3

Domination Spells
 
Bambaladam.....................+3
Horriphobmus...................+4
Respondami.....................+2
Sensibal.......................+1
Somnigravis....................+2

Healing Spells

Arcano.........................+2
Balm...........................+3
IncreaseCR.....................+1
Pure and Clear.................+3
Rest the Body..................+3

Movement Spells

Acceleratus....................+3
Foraumen.......................+3
Motoricus......................+2
Transvetsalis..................+2
Without a Trace................+2

Transformation Spells

Eagle, Wolf....................+3
Magic Armor....................+2
Paralyze.......................+2
Salother.......................+3
Visibili.......................+2

Transmutation Spells

Abvenenum......................+2
Burn!..........................+1
Claudibus......................+1
Darkness.......................+2
Fiat Lux.......................+2
Melt the Solid.................+2
Silentium......................+2

APPENDICES
----------

In  the  appendices,  you'll  find  all the information you need about your
characters,  from  their  Archetypes  and  their skills to the deities that
influence everyday life

APPENDIX A: ARRCHETYPES
-----------------------
 
All   characters   have   certain  backgrounds,  specialties  and  physical
attributes  that  make  them  different  from  each  other.  This diversity
provides for 12 different peoples, or Archetypes, within the program.  When
you  create your characters, you may select their Archetype by placing your
owm  attribute  values  using new attributes and Select Archetype.  You may
also  select  Choose  Archetype to have the program place all the attribute
values  for  you.   This  section contains the low down on archetypes, from
their  specialities  and  the attribute requirements to the characteristics
and  peculiarities of each.  A space is also provided for your notes within
each archetype.

Jester & She-Jester
-------------------
Requirements
CR 12, WD, CH, DX 12, AG 12, IN, ST, SN 7, AC, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Survival Techniques

Magic 
None 

These  men  and  women of the road are well versed in all kinds of survival
techniques.  Having a fair share of experience with rogues and pickpockets,
they well know how to protect themselves and the party

Hunter & Huntress
-----------------
Requirements
CR, WD, CH, DX, AG 12, IN 12, ST, SN, AC, CL 7, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Missile Weapons, Hunting

Magic
None

These   remote   loners   possess   a   thorough   knowledge  of  Arkania's
wilderness,its  game  and  its  dangers,  and through years of training are
incredibly proficient with many kinds of missile weapons

Warrior & She-Warrior
--------------------
Requirements
CR 13, WD, CH, DX, AG, IN, ST 12, SN, AC, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT<4

Special Training
Combat, Survival

Magic 
None

Warriors are masters of armed combat, and are often sorely needed to ensure
a parties survival in these violent times.  Due to their training, they are
a strong and hardy people with the ability to don the heaviest armor and to
carry  two-handed swords.  Members of this Archetype are known to be fairly
laid  back  (drinking only decaf) to keep their awesonme fighting skills in
check.

Rogue & She-Rogue
-----------------
Requirements
CR 12, WD, CH, DX 13, AG 13, IN, ST, SN, AC, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Thievery, Trickery, City Skills

Magic
None

Whether  pickpockets or tricksters, Rogues are at home in crowded towns and
cities  where they have ample opportunity to prove their particular skills.
In the wilderness, however, Rogues are lost, often preferring to stay close
to the party.

Thorwalian
----------
Requirements
CR 12, WD, CH, DX, AG, IN, ST 13, SN 7, AC, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Combat

Magic
None

The hulking Thorwalians, equally honored and feared as sailors and fighters
are  particularly  well  known for good living and a lust for battle (be it
against others or the forces of nature).

Dwarf & Dwarvess
----------------
Requirements
CR, WD, CH, DX 12, AG, IN, ST 13, SN, AC, CL<4, AV 7, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Smithing, Axe / Combat

Magic
None

The  little People of Arkania are excellent smiths, and can value jewelLery
and  other  precious  items  with great accuracy.  Their hands and eyes are
also accurate with an axe; once sighted, a target is seldom missed.

Warlock & Witch
---------------
Requirements
CR, WD, CH 13, DX, AG, IN 12, ST, SN, AC<4, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Nature, Social Intuition

Magic
Non-book
 
In  contrast  to magicians, Witches and Warlocks do not derive their powers
from  the accumulated bookish knowledge of centuries, but from an intuitive
understanding of human and animal nature.

Druid & Druidess
----------------
Requirements
CR 13, WD 12, CH, DX, AG, IN, ST, SN, AC, CL, AV, NE<4, CU, VT

Special Training
Nature

Magic
Dark Spells

The  secretive  Druids are distinguished as much by their knowledge of dark
spells  of  controL  as  by their love of nature in all its aspects.  Their
love  of life may contribute to their reputation as skilled healers.  Their
beliefs  forbid  them  from  using  metal  armour  and  weapons for fear of
destroying their divine power

Magician & Magicienne
---------------------
Requirements
CR, WD 13, CH 12, DX, AG, IN, ST, SN<$, AC, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Survival, Science, Lore

Magic
Formula

The  adepts  of the magical arts consider themselves scientists and delight
in  the  discovery  of  spell  formulas and other arcane mysteries.  Still,
their  sorcerous  skills  allow  them  to  survive under distinctly hostile
circumstances,  even  if their mundane skills would not suggest anything of
the sort.

Green Elves
-----------
Requirements
CR, WD 13, CH, DX, AG 12, IN, ST, SN, AC, CL, AV<$, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Nature, Social, Body, Missile Weapons

Magic
Natural

Of  all  the  elven  folk  in Arkania, the Green Elves have had the closest
contact  with  humans.   They  are  not adverse to sitting 'round campfires
discussing a days events and are occasionally spotted in Thorwal's taverns.
While  slight  of  stature,  Green  Elves possess a great deal of magic and
skill  with  missile  weapons and have much in common with Human mages, who
are  rumored to receive training on occasion from their Elven counterparts.
They are also very self disciplined.

Ice Elves
---------
Requirements
CR, WD, CH, DX, AG 13, IN 12, ST, SN, AC<$, CL, AV, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Nature, Endurance, Perception

Magic
Yes, Unknown

Very  few  members  of  the  Ice  family  have ventured beyond their native
grounds,  and they are seldom seen in southern areas of Arkania.  They seem
to  possess  an almost unknown magical sense, and their spells often puzzle
magic  users  of  a  more traditional mould.  Also a puzzle to outsiders is
their remarkable endurance, and keen sense of perception.  They're also not
too shabby when it comes to using missile weapons.

Silvan Elves
------------
Requirements
CR, WD, CH, DX, AG 13, IN 13, ST, SN, AC, CL, AV<$, NE, CU, VT

Special Training
Nature / Survival, Bow, Intuition

Magic
Yes

Silvan  Elves live a secluded life in the dense forest of northern Arkania.
There  they provide for themselves and are almost entirely self-sufficient.
Needless  to  say,  they  have  developed great nature and survival skills.
They  are  also acknowledged masters of the bow, and possess a well rounded
understanding of the magical elements

APPENDIX B: SKILLS
------------------

All  Arkanian  characters need certain skills to survive in their sometimes
friendly,  often  times hostile, environment.  These skills are broken down
into  seven  groups  which  all  Archetypes  have  the  ability to develep:
Combat, Body, Social, Nature, Lore, Craftsmanship and Intuition

Skills  range from -20 to a +18.  Those on the lower end of the scale would
have  trouble  pickpocketing  an  empty pair of trousers while those on the
high  side could steal money from a man counting it.  Some skills, too, are
harder to increase than others

When  your  characters  attempt  to  perform  certain actions.  The Program
checks  the  action  against  your character's skill level to determine the
action's  success.  A highly skilled character (+18) will likely perform an
action  with  ease  His  inept  companion (-20) will likely fail.  However,
regardless  of  a character's proficiency in a skill, he or she may attempt
to use it.

Combat Skills
-------------

A  characters  Combat  skills  determine  how well he or she holds up, both
offensively  and  defensively,  against  foes.   These  values  are used to
calculate  a  characters  attack (AT) and parry (PA) values.  On reaching a
new level, Combat skills can be raised by 1 point

UNARMED:   This  skill  encompasses boxing, wrestling and kicking.  It is a
skill to fall back on in case the characteres weapon breaks

CUTTING  WEAPONS:   This  skill  governs  the  use of all weapons used in a
striking  fashion  which  includes  the  majority  of  edged weapons (sabre
cutlasse  etc),  and  also  some blunt weapons such as the mace and morning
star

POINTED WEAPONS:  Epee, rapier and foil, as well as all knives and daggers,
are included in this category

SWORDS:   Swords are used as striking weapons, but can be used to pierce as
well.  They are handled easily and are readily available

AXES:   Axes and hatchets are favored weapons of the northern Arkanians and
are  easy  to  find.  Axes, like the orc hook or the barbarian war axe do a
lot of damage, but require a lot of skill to handle

POLE  ARMS:  This skill is used not only for spears and pole arms, but also
for quarterstaves and double fleurs.

TWO-HANDED  SWORDS:   This  skill governs all two-handed swords such as the
tuzakian  or the rondracomb.  Normally, only warriors learn to handle these
awkward weapons.

MISSILE  WEAPONS:  The most common types of missile weapons are the various
types of bows and the crossbow.

THROWING  WEAPONS:  Throwing weapons include all javelins, throwing knives,
throwing stars, and throwing hatchets such as the francesca

Body Skills
-----------

Body  skills  are  used  to regulate all athletic actions such as climbing,
hiding  or riding.  For a character to succeed in an action that requires a
Body  skill, good values for strength and agility are a must.  Depending on
the  skill, other attributes may play a part in an actions success as well.
These  statistics  are  listed  in  parentheses following the skill's name.
When  characters  gain an experience level, Body skills may be increased by
up to 2 points.

ACROBATICS  (CR/AG/ST):   Somersaults  and  cartwheels  are a useful way of
earning  money  by  performing  for  an  audience.   Acrobatic reactions to
unexpected situations rely more on Physical Control skill.

CLIMB  (CR/AG/ST):   Climbing  is always risky, especially at great heights
where  the smallest slip can have grave consequences.  Alone with the skill
level,  success  also  depends  on  whether  the  character  is  using  any
specialized equipment.

PHYSICAL  CONTROL (CR/IN/AG):  A successful check against this skill allows
a  character  to reduce the consequences of a fall, to escape an opponent's
grip or to squeeze through a narrow crack

RIDE  (CH/AG/ST):   This  is  the  ability to ride horse back during daring
maneuvers without falling flat on one's face

STEALTH  (CR/IN/AG):  The ability to move without a sound.  The probability
of  success  also  depends on the ground walked on and on the type of armor
worn.  Little clangs, jingling and creaking, and the crunch of dried leaves
underfoot have a tendency to alert a potential target.

SWIM  (CR/AG/ST):  Determines how long a character can keep his or her head
above water.  Any kind of armor is a large hindrance to the swimmer.

SELF  CONTROL  (CR/ST/ST):   The ability to take damage without letting the
pain  get the better of you.  With a high self control, characters feel the
wound-note  its presence -but do not react to it, allowing them to continue
an action with accuracy and skill.

DANCE  (CH/AG/AG):   Like  Acrobatics,  Dancing  offers  many  a crown to a
sufficiently skilled dancer performing for an appreciative audience.

HIDE (CR/IN/AG):  The ability to find a hiding place quickly and quietly

CAROUSE  (WD/IN/ST):   The  ability to hold oneself in check while visiting
taverns.   It  affects  the amount of beer, brandy and wine a character can
drink before he or she becomes intoxicated

Social Skills
-------------

Social  skills  help  (or  hinder) characters in the social situations they
encounter  in  towns  and  cities.   Attributes  in  parentheses affect the
skill's  chances  of  success.   Social skills aren't much use in the wild,
unless you encounter a particularly talkative rabbit.  When characters gain
a level, Social skills may be increased by up to 2 points

CONVERT (WD/IN/CH):  The ability to convince others that your point of view
is  the  correct  one,  especially  in  regard to religious matters.  ("No,
really,  Norm, Ifirn said that if you gave me your sword, half your rations
and dove head first into that stable over there, you'd be granted a miracle
")

SEDUCE  (IN/CH/CH):   An  ability  to  attract members of the opposite sex.
When looking for assistance, it helps if your target is attracted to you.

HAGGLE (CR/WD/CH):  A good haggler knows how to smooth talk In markets, the
best  hagglers  can  get discounts of up to 50% from a merchant (tax, title
and registration are extra).

STREETWISE (WD/IN/CH):  Helps a character to find his way in a strange town
It also helps him or her find unguarded shortcuts, to avoid the city guards
and where to beg for the highest take.

LIE  (CR/IN/CH):   The  ability  to make your opponent believe anything you
tell  him.   (Ah,  no  That  wasn't  me  who took your money It was, ah, it
evaporated Yeah That's been happening to me a lot, too.)

HUMAN  NATURE  (WD/IN/CH):   Allows  you  to judge the probable reaction of
non-player characters in your party

EVALUATE  (WD/IN/IN):   This  skill helps characters to your party estimate
the value of artifacts and other useful items.

Nature Skills
-------------

Nature  skills  are  a  must  for  survival  in  the wilderness.  They help
characters to feel at home with the land, and are generally used whenever a
party  ventures  outside  of  town.   Following  each  skill's name are the
attributes  that  influence  a  characters  success.   When characters gain
levels, these skills may be increased by up to 2 points.

TRACK  (WD/IN/AG):   This skill is used to find animal tracks and judge the
species that left them (wild pig, karen maybe a human?)

BIND (DX/AG/ST):  Knowledge of ropes and knots helps when tying game and in
freeing oneself should you be bound and gagged by someone else

ORIENTATlON  (WD/IN/IN):   A  well-honed  sense  of  direction  can be very
useful, not just in the wilderness, but also down in the dungeon

HERB  LORE  (WD/IN/DX):  Not just the knowledge of where to find herbs, but
also the ability to correctly identify and prepare them.

ANIMAL  LORE  (CR/WD/IN):   Knowledge of animals is especially important in
combat,  when  knowing  where  to  find  a  vulnerable  spot  can  mean the
difference between life and death.

SURVIVAL  (IN/DX/AG):   Just  the  skill  you  need to find a good spot for
setting up camp, a source of water or rich hunting grounds.

Lore Skills
-----------

Almost  all  knowledge  can  be covered by a Lore skill, and in many cases,
Lore  skills  define a character's art.  Attributes that affect the skill's
performance  follow the skills name.  When characters gain new levels, Lore
skills may be increased by up to 3 points.

ALCHEMY   (CR/WD/DX):    This   skill  governs  the  recognition  and  most
importantly, the preparation of potions and elixirs.

ANCIENT  TONGUES  (WD/WD/IN):   This  skill  will  allow  your character to
identify ancient scrolls

GEOGRAPHY (WD/WLD/IN):  The lore of far-off countries,

HISTORY (WD/WD/IN):  Knowledge of oral and written history

RITUAL  (WD/IN/CH):   Knowledge  of the various rituals connected with the:
Twelve Gods

TACTICS (CR/WD/CH):  Knowledge of successful combat move ment

READ/WRITE  (WD/WD/DX):   The ability to read and write your native tongue.
Quite a rare skill in Arkania.

ARCANE  LORE  (WD/WD/DX):   This  skill  allows  characters to recognize an
artifact or judge a spells effect.  An absolute must for magic users

TONGUES  (WD/IN/CH):   This  skill  determines how many foreign languages a
character speaks, and how well he or she speaks it.

Craftsmanship Skills
--------------------

Craftsmanship  skills  are  based  on  a  character's  ability to influence
situations  or  people with their hands and mind.  All Craftsmanship skills
are  honed  by  constant  use and practice.  Following the skill`s name are
attributes  affecting the skill.  On reaching a new level, these skills may
be increased by up to 2 points.

TRAIN  ANIMALS  (CR/IN/CH):  Used to tame and train animals such as horses,
hounds or falcons.

DRIVE (IN/CH/DX):  The skill of handling carts, coaches and sleds.

CHEAT  (CR/CH/DX):   A  skill that promises substantial monetary rewards as
long  as  no one notices you are playing with a marked deck or loaded dice.
Should that happen though, expect precious little mercy

TREAT   DISEASE   (CR/WD/CH):    TREAT  POISON  (CR/WD/IN):   TREAT  WOUNDS
(WD/CH/DX):   A  number  of  team  members  should be proficient with these
healing  skills,  especially  TREAT  WOUNDS  a very commonly used skill for
adventurers  in  Arkania.   Untreated  Wounds  often  lead to infection and
disease.

INSTRUMENT  (WD/IN/DX):  Using this talent and the appropriate instrument a
character  can  make  some crowns at a tavern - provided he or she hits the
right note and the mood of the audience

LOCKS  (IN/DX/DX):   An essential skill for survival in towns and dungeons.
it includes the picking of locks on doors and chests

PICKPOCKET  (CR/IN/DX):  Using this skill is a risky endeavor with a lot of
promise  for  either  silver  crowns  or gold ...  or a pummeling if you're
caught.

Intuitive Skills
----------------

Intuitive  skills  are not trained but improved primarily through practice.
They  are somewhat, the character's sixth sense.  Because of this, they can
only be improved by 1 point when characters gain a level

DANGER  SENSE  (WD/IN/IN)  This  skill  provides a warning to characters of
immediate danger posed, for instance, by an ambush or a trap

PERCEPTION  (WD/IN/IN) This skill allows you to notice hidden signs, secret
doors, movement on the horizon or sounds behind a locked door.

APPENDIX C: ARKANIAS DEITIES
----------------------------

An  ancient world like Arkania would not be complete without a multitude of
deities.   The  most important among these are the Twelve Gods the pantheon
worshiped  by the vast majority of Arkanians.  There is also another god, a
shadowy  creature  who  inspires  such fear in Arkania's residents that his
name is never spoken and has all but been forgotten.  Only in passing is he
referred to as the God Without A Name

Characters  "meet"  the  individual  divine  providences  when visiting the
temples found in nearly every settlement.  Entering temples, characters may
make  offerings  to  the  deities  out  of  reverence and in hopes that the
temple's cleric, and perhaps even the god, will smile on them.  Needless to
say, the higher the donation the larger the smile it tends to bring.  While
in  temples, characters may also ask for miracles from the deities.  As you
might  expect, however, miracles are a relatively rare occurance and do not
happen  with predictable ease.  Of course miracles, like wishes, might come
true, so be careful what it is you ask for.

The Twelve Major Deities
------------------------

PRAIOS
The  Sun God is also the God of Justice and the patron deity of the Central
Empire, the largest Arkanian state.  He favors courage and truth, and shows
no mercy.

RONDRA
The  Goddess of War, of Storms and of Honorable Duels Guile and cunning are
foreign  to  her  instead courage and the willingness to sacrifice yourself
for your companions are held in the highest regard

EFFERD
The  God  of  Water,  Lord of the Ocean's Waves and Provider of Rain in the
deserts He is considered moody and unpredictable.

TRAVIA
The  Goddess  of  the Hearth and Protectress of the Home is also the patron
deity  of  marriage  and  fidelity.   The  Temples  to  Travia are used for
sanctuary  by  all kinds of fugitives, as no one not even city guards dares
draw a weapon on her hallowed ground

BORON
The Lord of the Dead and one who's not likely to part with any of the souls
in  his  care.   He  is  also the god of Sleep and Provider of Dreams.  His
symbol is the broken wheel, used to mark graves all over Arkania.

HESINDE
The  Goddess of Wisdom and Mistress of All Magic.  Her temples often harbor
huge libraries and treasure troves of magic artifacts.

FIRUN
Lord  of Winter, Master of the Eternal Frost and God of Hunting.  He is the
patron  deity  of hunters, testing their strength agianst the most powerful
of  animals.   Prayers  and  requests  by mere humans have a slim chance of
swaying  him.   Many prefer to pray to his daughter, Ifirn, to intervene on
their behalf

TSA
The  Goddess  of  Life,  Eternal  Creator  and  Lady  of Resurrection.  Her
servants  are  forbidden  to  take  any life, and she herself occassionally
grants  the  return of life to the deceased, wrestling a soul from the grip
of Boron.

PHEX
God  of  Merchants  and Thieves and Lord of the Night.  Nothing Arkarnan is
foreign to Phex, which explains why a heavy purse can go a long way to help
a miracle along in one of his temples

PERAINE
The Goddess of Fertility and Mistress of the Healing Arts is famous for her
mercy  and  love  for  all  living creatures.  Clerics of peraine provide a
large and rather divine influence on Arkania healers

INGERIMM
This  God  of Creating and Destroying Fire and Lord of Smiths is worshipped
most fervently by dwarves often enough, he is the only God they worship

RAHJA
The  Goddess  of  Physical  Love,  Wine  and  Inebriation is famous for the
revelries habitually staged in one of the temples dedicted to her worship

SWAFNIR
The  patron  deity  of  Thorwalians (he`s a half god) iknown to be a son of
Efferd`s  by Rondra.  He is the Protector of Dragonships and a moody God of
Gales  According  to his followers, he travels the oceans in the shape of a
giant whale

IFIRN
The daughter of Firun and perhaps one of the very few who can influence him
in  matter  concerning  Arkanians.  Although she is not a god, temples have
been  built  for  her  in  hopes  that it will increase the likelihood of a
response from Firun.

THE NAMELESS GOD
Very  little is known about this creature Your characters will not find him
or  his clerics in any temple, but they might come across these servants of
the dark somewhere along the way.

APPENDIX D: HERBS & POISONS
---------------------------

Travelling  through Arkanias wilds, your characters will likely come across
a  vast  array  of  herbs  that may prove useful in their adventures.  Some
herbs  can  be  used  without any prior preparation, while others require a
skilled and knowledgeable character before their use becomes apparent.

Herbs can be purchased from Arkania's many herbalists.  Your party may also
find  herbs  throughout  Arkania's wild.  Natutally, a character skilled in
Herb  Lore will have a much better chance to find herbs.  Extremely skilled
characters  may even be able to gather extra herbs as a means to make money
for  the party, selling his or her reserves to one of Arkania's herbalists.
And  for those unlucky enough to have no party member skilled in Herb Lore,
ready made potions are available at Arkania's better herbalists.

Mixed  together with recipe in hand, these herbs can form wonderous healing
agents  and  deadly poisons.  Without a recipe, however, your character may
end  up  making  "Vaporize Party Immediatly" instead of that helpful elixir
you had in mind

ARAX  :   Concentrated  cave spider poison.  Does only light damage, but re
duces an opponent's combat values

ATMON:   This  hardy  flower,  or rather, the salve made from it, has to be
imported from the Khaorn Desert.  Atmon salve increases all Body skills.

BANE  DUST:  A powerful poison that slowly robs magically gifted characters
of their astral energy

BELMART:  The dark green leaves of the belmart bush can be used to con coct
a prevetative medicine against disease and poisons

BLACK  LOTUS:   The pollen of the black lotus is used in the preparation of
an extremely potent inhaled poison

DONF:   Donf  sprigs are a favoured remedy of Arkanian healers, pre scribed
for  just about any affliction.  They work best against paralysis and swamp
fever, though

FEAR  POISON:   A  magical  poison  of  immediate effect identical to a suc
cessful Horriphobus spell.

FINAGE:   An  infusion made from young finage tree sprigs raises attributes
lowered bv magic or disease to their former value

FOUR  LEAF LONEBERRY:  The berries of this bush are amongst the most common
medicinal  herbs of all Arka nia.  They can be eaten raw or used to prepare
a concoction.  They also figure in many recipes for healing potions.

GOLDEN  GLUE:   This  is an acidic contact poison often found on door knobs
and the opening mechanisms of treasure chests

GULMOND:  The leaves of the gulmond bush, found mostly in the Svellt Valley
to  the  east  of  the Orcish Lands, are famous for increasing strength and
endurance.   The pre ferred way to take gulmond is as a tea, but it is also
possible to chew the fresh leaves.

ILMEN  LEAF:   This  is  a weak halluci nogen imported from the south.  The
leaves  are  usually  smoked  and  their  vapors  are  said  to  calm  even
berserkers.

JORUGA:  This yellow root of about finger length is the only known cure for
rabies and valued accordingly.  In northern Arkania, the joruga root can he
found mostly within Nostria

KAIRAN:   This fern plant only grows under water.  It is extremely rare and
is  collected  mostly  along the shores of Nine Eyes Lake, though it can on
occasion be found in other Lakes and ponds

KUKRIS:   A deadly poison of almost immediate effect.  It is extracted from
a southern clinging root and is ex tremely expensive

MANDRAKE:  This common root often grows in approximate man shape and is the
base  of  many magic potions It can be found mostly in forest areas and wet
grasslands.

MENCHAL:   This  cactus  from the edge of the Arkanian deserts is a po tent
antidote to various poisons.

OLGIN  ROOT:   The  roots  of  the  this moss species build up a resistance
against all kinds of poison and disease.  Unfortunately, olgin root is very
rare and thus extremely expensive

SLEEPING POISON:  A mild, magical poison that makes an opponent fall asleep
immediately.   A strike against the afflicted suffices to wake him (or her)
up again

SHURIN  BULB:   The shurin bulb, which is found in the Orcish Lands and the
area around Thorwal, offers a strong but very slow poison.

TARNELE:  This plant, which is very similar in appearance to dandelion, can
be  found almost anywhere in Ar kania and is one of the most basic supplies
any  healer  carries.  An oint ment made from crushed tarnele leaves speeds
up the nightly regenerarion of life energy

THONNYS:   This  homely herb allows elves, witches and druids to use astral
meditation, a practice normally open only to magicians

WHIRLWEED:   Anything said about the four leaf loneberry applies equally to
whirlweed.   This,  too,  is  in  use  all  over Arkania, but its effect is
stronger than the loneberry's.  It should be present in every well supplied
adventurers back pack.

APPENDIX E: DISEASES
--------------------
 
Disease  and  infection  are no strangers to Arkania.  Anything from a bite
from  an  infected animal to a virulent strain of bacteria can bring anyone
of  a  number of ailments your way.  Characters may suffer many afflictions
from  merely  being  drunk  to  sweating  out a raging bout of Swamp Fever.
Contracting  some  illnesses  may simply be a matter of carelessness others
may  possess  such  ramifications  that a speedy treatment is critical lest
your  entire  party become infected by a particularly contagious condition.
Before  a  condition can be treated, however it must first be diagnosed.  A
character  requires  some  amount of Treat Disease still just to figure out
what the problem is ....  much less do anything about it.  A poorly skilled
character may have difflculty recognizing a common cold.

Certain  diseases  may  require a specific herbal treatment for any healing
efforts  to be effective.  Some may be so serious that trying anything less
than the most skilled healer in Arkania will be a futile waste of effort.


BATTLEFIELD  FEVER:   Ghouls  and undead are the carriers of this insidious
disease  which  is  especially  dangerous for elves.  The infection spreads
rapidly and with serious consequences, made worse by a debilitating loss of
strength  and  life  energy.   The  only  known  treatment  is the combined
application of joruga root and gulmond leaves.

BLUE  COUGH:   Blue  Cough  is only pos sible as a consequence of numskull.
The  patient must be confined to bed to prevent the disease from worsening.
If  this  regimen  is kept up, the disease will likely pass.  It may take a
long  time,  but rest and waiting is the only way to get rid of Blue Cough,
once it develops

FROSTBITE:  There is no real treatment for frostbite.  The best thing to do
is  to  prevent  it  by  wearing  good  shoes and warm clothes.  In extreme
weather  conditions  especially in winter, the characters should avoid long
marches

NUMSKULL:  A character suffering from numskull feels weak and listless, and
also  suffers  some  damage.   The biggest danger connected with a numskull
infection  is  the  possibility to develop Blue Cough.  The usual cause for
numskull  is staying in cold water for too long without drying off properly
and  getting  warmed  up  again afterwards.  Almost any healing herb can be
used to treat numskull.

PARALYSITIS:  This Dangerous disease, which can lead to total paralysis, is
mainly transmitted by undead.  The only chance a character with paralysitis
has of being cured lies in fast treatment and application of Donf sprigs
 
RAIBIES:   Rabies is transmitted by bites of wild animals.  It is a rare,
but  often  deadly  disease.   Also,  there  is the danger of the infectecd
character attacking his or her own companions as he or she is driven mad by
the  pain.   For  treatment,  the patient must stay in bed.  The only known
herb of any effect against rabies is joruga root.

TETANUS:   It  is almost certain that the characters will have to deal with
this dangerous disease some time during their adventures.  Tetanus develops
from  in  fected  wounds  made  by  monster  bites  or rusty weapons if not
treated,  the  infection  can cause the character's death.  The char acters
should  therefore  make  a  habit of cleaning and dressing all wounds after
battle

APPENDIX F: ROLE PLAYING TERMS
------------------------------
 
ARCHETYPE:   As  part  of creating a character, you have to choose an Arche
type  to  conform  to.   An  Archetype  de scribes the basic profession and
physical  makeup  of  your character.  There are twelve Archetypes for your
characters.  See Appendix A for complete information on the Archetypes

ARMOUR  CLASS  (AR):   Armour  is meant to protect its wearer from harm The
armour class is Subtracted from the hit points of a weapon when calculating
dam  age.   Unfortunately, armor also restricts its wearer, possibly to the
point of hardly being able to move.

ASTRAL POINTS (AP):  All kinds of magic are powered by astral energy, which
is  measured in astral points.  The amount of astral points a character has
is  an  indi cation of his or her magical powers.  Magi cians / Magieiennes
start the game with 30 AP, all other magic Archetypes start with 25 AP.  AP
can  be  increased  at  new  levels AP can be regained through sleep, magic
potions or meditation.

ATTACK (AT):  Any combat maneuver designed to harm an opponent.  The attack
value has a range from 0 to 20 points and measures the ability to direct an
attack.

ATTRIBUTES:   A  character's  attributes  present  a  profile of his or her
personality  with  strengths  and weaknesses.  Attribute values can change.
Realms  differentiates  between positive attributes and negative attributes
(Superstition, Acrophobia, Claustrophobia, Avarice, Necrophobia, Curiosity,
and Violent Temper)

BREAKING  FACTOR  (BF):   Arkanian  weapons  are  not made to last forever.
Their  deterioration  is  measured  by  means  of the breaking factor.  The
higher  the  BF,  the  more brittle (and thus the more likely to break) the
weapon.

CHARACTER:   An  inhabitant  of  the  fan  tasy  world  of Arkania.  Player
characters,  also  known  as  heroes,  are part of the adventuring team and
controlled by the player

CHECK  (ATTRIBUTE  CHECK,  SKILL CHECK, SPELL CHECK):  Whenever a character
attempts  an action with no pre determined result, there is the possibility
of  a  check  against  the appropriate at tribute, skill or spell value(s).
These  checks  simulate rolling a varying number of twenty sided dice.  The
attributes  listed with each skill or spell are imporrant to the success of
a  check,  giving  a  character with high values in the listed attributes a
better spell check.

EXPERIENCE  POINTS:   (EP)  Experi  ence  points  (also  known as adventure
points)  are  awarded  for  good  role playing, solving difficult tasks and
overcoming  tough  opponents.  Once a character reaches a certain threshold
of  experience  points  he  or she has reached a new level and can increase
various game values.

HITPOINTS  / DAMAGE POINTS (HP / DP):  Whenever an attack is successful and
the  blow  is  not  parried,  it hits the target for damage.  The amount of
damage  depends  on  the  weapon  used  and is measured in hit points.  Any
protection,  like armor, is subtracted from the hit points leaving only the
actual  damage  penetrating  the  armor.   These  points are ultimately sub
tracted from the wounded's life points.

LEVEL:  The experience a character gath ers is expressed in levels

LIFE POINTS (LP):  The sum of life points determines vitality.  The average
character  starts  the  game  with 30 life points.  Magicians / Magiciennes
possess  25  LP and dwarves 40 LP.  Whenever a char acter is wounded, he or
she loses life points Should the life points be lowered to 5, the character
loses  conscionsness.   He  or she dies if the LP reach 0.  Life points are
increased  on  reaching  a  new level.  LP can be regained through sleep or
healing
 
MAGIC  RESlSTANCE  (MR):   Every  liv  ing  being has a certain chance to
resist  a  spell  directed against it.  With intelligent beings, this magic
resistance  is  influenced  by courage, wisdom, superstition and experience
level

NON - PLAYER CHARACTER (NPC):  Inhabitants of the fantasy world of Arka nia
who  are controlled by the game master (or the computer).  They are used as
chance  encounters,  opponents,  or  acquaintances  who  can  be a valuable
addition to the team, for varying amounts of time

PARRY  (PA):   A  protective combat manoeuvre.  The parry value has a range
from 0 to 20 points and measures the ability to parry an attack.
 
SKILLS:   Skills  add  detail  to  a character's personality profile.  In
contrast  to  his  or  her attributes, skills can be learned and im proved.
They  give a precise indication of a character's abilities.  All skills are
grouped   into  combat,  nature,  body,  social,  lore,  craftsmanship  and
intuition skills, For more information see Appendix B:  Skills.

SPELLS:   Magic  comes  in handy to cure your characters, aid them in their
adven  ture and to vanquish creatures bent on your destruction, Magicians /
Magiciennes,  Elves,  Druids / Druidesses, and Warlocks/ Witches can use up
to  84  different  spells in Realms.  These are grouped into various arcane
lores.   How well a character knows a certain spell is expressed by a spell
value  ranging  from a -20 to a + 18, (For more information, see the Arcane
Lore section of this manual,)

APPENDIX G: ARKANIAN TERMS
--------------------------

AL`ANFA:   A  city  state  at  the  shores of the southern ocean, surviving
mainly from the slave trade.  The traditional enemy of Thorwalians

ARKANIA:   One  of  the  continents on Dere the world of Realms of Arkania,
Arkania  is  a bit smaller than Europe, measuring about 3000 miles from the
most  northern  to the most southern coastline, and about 1900 miles across
at its widest point

CALENDAR:   The  Arkanian  year  has  365  days of 24 hours each, There are
twelve  months,  each  with  30 days, bearing the names of the Twelve Gods.
There  are also five days, the dark days, that bear no name as the Nameless
God  bears  none.   The  first  month of the year is Praios.  It is roughly
equivalent to July.  During the winter months of Boron, Hesinde, Firun, and
Tsa,  much of Arkania is covered in snow making travel difficult.  The five
days  between  the 30th of Rahja and the 1st of Praios are called "the days
without a name", and are considered cursed.  Years are generally counted by
the  reign  of  the  emperor  governing the Central Empire.  Another common
counting  method comes from the fall of Bosparan.  At the start of the game
it  is  the  15th  year in the reign of emperor Hal and year 1009 after the
Fall of Bosparan.

CENTRAL  EMPIRE:   An  empire  in the middle of Arkania, covering about one
third of the continent.  At the moment the capital of Gareth is the seat of
His Divine Magnificence, Emperor Hal I of Gareth

CURRENCY:   The  various  Arkanian nations mint their own coins, of course,
but  most  currencies  confirm  to the standard of the Central Empire.  The
largest coin is the gold ducat (D), worth 10 silver crowns (C) - Each crown
is worth 10 copper bits (B).

GARETH:   With  more than 100,000 in habitants, this is the largest city in
Arka  nia.   It  is  also  the  capital  of the Central Empire, the largest
Arkanian  nation  Thor  walians consider all inhabitants of Gareth snobbish
couriers and arrogant fops.

GULF  OF PREM:  A gulf between Thorwal and Prem.  The center of the Thorwal
region,  as  far  as  settlement and ship traffic are concerned.  There are
five  islands situ ated within the gulf, the two biggest being Hjalland and
Runin.

HJALDING  GULF:   A  gulf to the north of the Hjaldor range, protected from
the  open  sea  in  the  west  by  the Overthorn headland and the island of
Manrek.   The coast of the Hjalding Gulf is one of the most important areas
of Thorwalian settle ment, second only to the Gulf the Prem.

HJALIDOR  RANGE:The  Hjaldor  range forms the back of the peninsula between
the Hjalding Gulf and the Gulf of Prem

HJALLAND:   An  island  in  the  Gulf  of Prem.  The only settlement on the
island is the village of Ljasdahl.

MANREK:   An island approximately 40 miles long and 15 miles across, to the
west  of  the  Hjalding  Gulf.   Settlements are the villages of Manrin and
Brendhil
 
NOSTRIA:   A  small  impoverished  king  dom  to  the  south  of Thorwal,
constantly at war with the neighboring state of Andergast

ORCISH  LANDS  /  ORC SKULL STEPPES:  A high plateau covered with plains to
the  east  of  the  Thorwal  region.   It  is  the  home  of the orcs.  The
countryside  is  dominated  by  low, bleak hills and a cover of light green
grasses,  with small copses of birch trees here and there.  Along the Bodir
River  Valley  ruins  bear  witness to failed human attempts at settlement.
Rumor  has  it  that  a  number of orcish tribes are assem bling on the Orc
Skull Steppes to march on Thorwal

PHEXCAER:   A  town of 1100 at the banks of the Bodir River, situated smack
in  the  middle  of  the Orcish Lands.  Phexcaer is dedicated to the God of
Thieves and probably harbors more of them than any other town in Arkania.

PREM:  Situated in a coastal valley and almost unconquerable by land.  Prem
is  the  guardian of the gulf named for the town, The 2350 inhahitarnts are
quite  as mixed as the architecture present - here you can find any kind of
building,  from  a  long house raised on stilts to a round tower built from
rocks.   Prem  is famous for the large hall above the town, the Free Combat
School,  and its Premian Brandy, a very high proof concoction also known as
"fire," possibly because it burns with a red flame if set alight

RUNIN:   An  island 20 miles long and a good 10 miles across in the Gulf of
Prem with no large settlements.

SEA OF SEVEN WINDS:  The vast west ern ocean parting Arkania and the legend
ary  Golden  Coast beyond.  Only the most adventurous of sailors have dared
try  to  cross  the  Sea  of  Seven  Winds,  and very few of them have ever
returned.

STONY  OAK FOREST:  The Stony Oak Forest marks the southern boundary of the
Orcish Lands.  The giant, gnarly trees grow ing there give the place a dark
and  eerie  atmosphere.   Nevertheless, woodcutters enter the area time and
again,  as  the  tough wood of these stony oaks is excellent house and ship
building material.

THORWAL:   A region and town on the north western coast of Arkania, between
the Ingval and Gjalska rivers, bordered in the east by the mountains of the
Orcish  Lands.   The  "Home of Dragonships" is considered a rough area, and
its  inhabit  ants  are  the stuff oflegends.  The towering Thorwalians are
famous  for  their  skill as sailors, but at the same time feared for their
combat  skills  and  love  of  fighting.   The  Free  City of Thorwal (6750
inhabitants)  is  the  largest  settlement  of  the region and the pride of
Thorwallians.   This  is a place where men and women drink ale from barrels
and chug brandy from tankards

TWELVE  GODS:   Most  inhabitants  of  Arkania worship a pantheon of twelve
deities  in constant conflict with their op ponent, the God Without A Name.
For more information see Appendix C.

WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES:  Dis tances are measured in spans, paces and miles.
These  are  Arkanian measurements not consistent with imperial measurements
of the same name.  1 span equals 20cm, 1 pace equals 1m, 1 mile equals 1km.
Weights are given in oz.  (25g) or stones (1 kg)

APPENDIX H: CUSTOMER SERVICE
----------------------------

We appreciate your comments ???????????

APPENDIX I: HINTS & TIPS
------------------------

1.   Read  Gerbod's  Diary  -  there's a host of info about life in Arkania
there and some useful tourist tips about places to visit in Thorwal.

2.   When  creating  your  party,  as in most fantasy role - playing games,
strive for balance and diversity.

You  will  want  at least a couple of characters with good fighting skills,
and  a  couple  different  types of magic users to cover a broader range of
spells  Magicians  and  Magiciennes  offer a couple unique abilities making
them  very  desirable  (don't  forget  about  their wands).  Another really
useful character is one that can use missile weapons.  Hunters are the most
obvious  choice, but don't ignore the Elves.  Dwarves provide good fighting
talent (and also tend to bring funds with them when they join your party).

Plan  ahead  so  that  you  have  characters  proficient  in  the key skill
categories  survival  in  wilderness; perception in dungeons, herb lore and
alchemy haggling in shops travel through towns and on ships, just to name a
few.   And  make  sure  the  leader of your party possesses the appropriate
skills for the area you're traveling in

3 The first thing on your agenda should be to gain some experience to build
your characters.  Master Dramosch can really use your help .....

4 Outfit your characters to the best of your ability.  Don't hold back when
buying  armor  and  weapons,  but  do  try  to outfit as many characters as
possible  Try  to  cover as many "body parts" as possible.  (A bullet-proof
vest  is  great  but  your  bare  feet may give the opponent the opening he
needs.)

5  It's  also  a  really  good  idea to focus some attention on potions and
herbs.   Read carefully what Some of the herbs can do, and whether they can
be  eaten  raw  Healing  potions  are  a  virtual  requirement for any well
supplied  adventurer.  If you have them ready in your characters left hand,
they can be used in a instant, even in the thick of battle.

6 Poison and a magician's wand is a marriage made in heaven.

7  When traveling, be brave and try everything.  Take options to try things
when  given the chance to do so.  It may not always work to your favor, but
you  never  know what you may find (you are adventurers after all).  If you
save your game as often as possible, this curiosity may not kill the cat.

8  Explore  the  towns,  even  the "residences" where possible.  If you get
caught  breaking  into people's houses though, you're going to jail (do not
pass Go do not collect 200 pounds

9  Talk  to  people,  get  them  on  your side, and get the inside scoop on
Arkania

10  Plan  out your combat approach.  Where you position your characters can
mean  life  or death.  A useful tactic can be to tie up an opponent in hand
to  hand  combat  with  a  strong  fighting character (Thorwalian, warrior,
Dwarf)  while  you pelt him from afar with a character using missiles.  Try
to  take  the  opponent  out  of the action with a Lightning or Somnigravis
spell which eliminates their ability to attack.


-----------------------------------END----------------------------------