                                 SKID ROW

                                 presents

                        ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK

                               HORROR GUIDE
                              
Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................. 1
Welcome To My Nightmare ...................................... 6
     The Main Screen ......................................... 7
     Main Window ............................................. 7
     Lower Window ............................................ 9
     Inventories ............................................. 9
     Handling Objects & Weapons ............................. 11
     Command Menu ........................................... 13
Combat ...................................................... 14
     About the Weapons ...................................... 14
     Practice ............................................... 15
     Fighting ............................................... 15
     The Combat Window ...................................... 15
     Magic .................................................. 17
     Running Away ........................................... 17
     Monsters ............................................... 17
Saving & Restoring the Game ................................. 18
     Pause/Quit ............................................. 18
     Save ................................................... 19
     Restore ................................................ 19
Spellcrafting ............................................... 20



Page 1 follows:

KILLBRAGANT

England
September 21

Dear Diary,

That creepy portrait in the castle's front hallway should have
tipped me off right away.  I mean, I'm not used to running
into people who look exactly like me - especially people
who've been dead over 100 years.  So my First Encounter
with Lady Emelda of Killbragant was definitely of the Weird
Kind.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised.  According to
the papers from the attorneys (Dybbuk, Doppelganger,
Wraith, and Eldritch), the resemblance isn't just coinci-
dence: it turns out Lady Emelda was also my Great-Great
Grandmama Emelda.  It also turns out that, with the demise
of my evil Uncle Elmo, I now own this place - lock, stock,
and dungeon.

Apart from the striking family resemblance, I've got to
admire Emelda's taste in clothes: she sure gets a lot of
mileage out of that little black number she's barely wearing
in her portrait.  Too bad I can't say the same for this
rockpile's decor: pretty dusty and musty, but nothing that
can't be fixed with some neon lighting, a couple of 
Naugahyde couches, and a few movie posters alongside
those strange paintings with the shifty eyeballs.

I'd like to turn this place into sort of a macabre bed-and-
breakfast - the kind of place you visit if your idea of "bed"
includes marble slabs, and "breakfast" is blood sausage
and Killer Tomatoes.  After all, there's a hedge maze in the
garden, a kitchen that's better equipped than Dr. Franken-
stein's lab, enough bedrooms upstairs to hold all of Them,
and some great views of the northern English moors from
the roof - so Killbragant should be a wicked place to enter-
tain a few tourists when I get it cleaned up.



Page 2 follows:

October 9

My redecorating project is coming along: we may even get
the place open for the Halloween season.  But these days
life is getting stranger than "The head with two things"...
Uh, I mean "The thing with two heads!"

This afternoon, while crawling through a heap of legal
papers big enough to hide Rodan, I found an old clipping
from the local paper that may explain why the place has
been deserted since the Bloody Mary days.  They ran it as a
Halloween gag, but it reads more like a late-night horror
movie.

It seems that Great-Great Grandmama Emelda was married
to this kinda boring dude.  Sir Eric, who spent a lot of time
on the road managing the family affairs in India.  He left
time with nobody but a few bats to keep her company -
until this guy Lord Beremnd showed up one day, and 
started a little family affair of his own.

Beremond was some sort of evil wizard who had a readl way
with women.  He sure had a way with Grandmama, because
she invited the creep to move in with her.  They wrere a real
fun couple: when they weren't upstairs doing nasty things
to each other, they were downstairs doing nasty things to
the terrorized locals ... or down in the catacombs conjuring
even more nasty things from the Realms Beyond.

Apparently, Beremond thought he
was Evil Incarnate, and everyone
else was inclined to agree, mainly 
because he made the entire
county worship him (kinda like 
some Hollywood producers I've 
known) on pain of violent death.  
Before long, the entire neighbor-
hood looked like a permanent 
Night of the Living Dead.



Page 3 follows:

So, anyway, Beremond and Emelda were the original grue-
some twosome ... until the day Beremond was hit by a stray
arrow during a hunting trip, which punched his one-way
ticket to Goonland.  Emelda took over the operation, with
the help of some unearthly beasties, a handful of ghoulish
Handmaidens, and an army of Palace Guards From Hell.

Of course, the next time Sir Elric checked in, he wasn't
exactly thrilled.  The crops were dead, the tenant farmers  
had been massacred, a gang of goblins was gyrating in his
foyer, and his wife had obviously been getting beauty tips
from the Bride of Frankenstein.  Not that he was around
long enough to gripe about it: shortly after he got home,
Emelda seduced him, suckered him into a compromising
position, and ran him through with the old family sword.

End of problem - except for Elric's little revenge, who was
born nine months later and grew up to be my great grandpa.
Understandably, the kid left home as soon as he was old
enough to be allowed ouside alone after dark.

Emelda died many years later, (much to her own surprise:
she was sure that Satan was going to make her immortal,
which is a line that anyone who's done time in Hollywood
would never fall for).  Instead, she had to settle for resurrec-
tion sometime in the far-off future (a sort of diabolical
don't-call-us-we'll-call-you).  The directions for starting (and
stopping) her resurrection are supposed to be somewhere
here in the castle - part of "The Scroll of Spiritual Mastery"
hidden in an old chest.  The chest takes six keys to unlock.
She gave the keys to her loyal flunkies, and told them that if
they held onto them, they could come back with her the 
second time around - and this time, they'd rule the world.

The neighbors believe that her gang of ghosts and ghouls
still haunt this place.  In fact, the vicar and some of the town
honchos took me to tea this afternoon - nice folks, though
a little eccentric - and were emphatic that the place will
need "a thorough cleaning out" before it's safe to inhabit.

I don't think they mean mopping down the staircase with
Mr. Clean.



Page 4 follows:

Do I believe them?  I'm not sure - the story's weird, but I'm
in show business, and I've heard weirder.  I'm definitely
putting it in the castle's tourist brochure, though: it's bound
to attract the right kind of people.  And as far as my own
safety is concerned, it seems stupid to rent a hotel room in
town when I've got my own castle to stay in.

I'd write more, but it's getting dark out, and there's a lot to
get done around here.  Also, I think I hear someone walking
around downstairs, so I'm gonna go check it out.  Later -

Halloween Eve

That little fable about
Grandmama Emelda
was a cute story -
but not that cute.
When I decided to open the place up for "Elvira's Horror
Weekends," I hoped the place would be full from basement
to battlements by Halloween.  It is - but this isn't quite the
kind of company I had in mind.

For one thing, these guests aren't paying.

For another, they're not even alive.

None of this, of course, has stopped them from taking over
the place, like they owned it or something.

It started out a few weeks back, when a few odd monks
started wandering around downstairs in the middle of the
night.  I enjoy meeting men of the cloth, and figured I'd be
friendly with them, until I realized that there was nothing
under the cloth.  I'm talking incorporeal.  (And I don't know
what incorporeal means!)

The monks turned out to be the advance men for a growing 
army of creepy critters - gremlins who like to play hide-
and-seek in the hedge maze, soldiers guarding the bed-
rooms, skeletons doing Grateful Dead impersonations in the
catacombs downstairs - and busloads of more beasties 
arriving every day.



Page 5 follows:

Worst of all (at least of all the ones I know about) is the
incorporeal corporal who's manning th gatehouse out front 
24 hours a day ... sort of Gomer Pyle meets the Marquis de
Sade.  Because of him, I can't get out of here - and if I
could, I wouldn't get back in alive.  In fact, with all the traffic 
in the hallways.  I'm sort of stuck in the kitchen with nothing
but a few cookbooks to keep me company.

It's clear to me now that this little creature convention has
been called in my honor.  Seems that in the course of the
restoration, I've also revived Emelda's memory - along
with several hundred of her closest freinds.  The sordid little
legend of Emelda the Evil is becoming more real every day.
And if things continue, I may soon get to meet her face-to-
fangs - not my idea of a warm family reunion.

I've got to shake down my houseguests until I find those six
keys, get my hands on Emelda's chest, and find out how to 
put a stop to Grandmama's imminent return.

But I may not have to do it all alone.  Help should be arriv-
ing any minute.  The last time I ventured out of Killbragant, I
picked up a copy of "Broomsticks Weekly" and got in touch
with one of the freelance ghostbusters who advertise in the
back pages.  They agreed to come over today and give me an
estimate.  If they're smart enough to let themselves into the
castle - and avoid the Freddy Krueger clone at the
gatehouse - we have a slim chance of stopping Emelda's
return, and reclaiming Killbragant (and maybe the whole world)
for the living.

I just might be in business after all.



Page 6 follows:

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE

Nice-looking castle, isn't it?  Almost sorta sweet, with the
little gate out front, and the flowers on the front lawn.
You'd hardly guess that I'm going to have to go on the
warpath against about 999 Goons from the Seventh Dimen-
sion to reclaim what's mine in the first place - the right to
a decent night's sleep in my own house.

Anyway, I'm glad that somebody was interested enough to
answer my ad and help me out.  I was kinda hoping for
someone a little taller, maybe with armor and a sword.
Instead, I get a computer freak who keeps trying to tell me
that swords and spells are no match for a trusty two-button
mouse.

I'll believe that when I see it.  In the meantime, let me show
you around the place, and tell you how things work.



Page 7 follows:

The Main Screen

Everything that happens at Killbragant happens on the Main
Screen, which consists of the following:

   Inventories
   Main Window
   Command Menu
   Directional Arrows
   Exit Commands
   Stats Bard
   Lower Window

What do you mean, "I don't get it!??"  The Adventurers'
Union said that you were an experienced castle-cleaner,
a real fantasy-games stud.  And now you want me to explain
a simple computer interface.  This does wonders for my 
confidence.

Oh, all right.  Here's how it works:

Main Window

This is where all the action occurs:  exploration, mystery,
plunder, carnage, and a little cooking on the side.

The Main Window represents your point of view.  Although
most movements is accomplished by clicking on the direc-
tional arrows at the left of the screen, there are special 
instances when clicking directly on objects in the Main
Window will get you closer to your goal.

Doors 

As you explore the castle and its surroundings, you'll come
across many closed doors.  Click on a door to open it.  But
be wary!  You never know who or what might be lurking
behind the doors in this place.



Page 8 follows:

Objects, Etc.

You'll also discover lots of important objects, weapons,
notes, portraits, etc. as you walk around the castle.  By
clicking on the object in the Main Window, you'll get the
name of the object.  To get a description of the object, click
on the object and then click on EXAMINE in the right-hand 
Command Menu.

The Red "R"

Occasionally, you'll get an "up-close & personal" look at
some item when you click on an object or location on the 
screen.  These can be deliciously gruesome - bodies with
their throats torn out, that sort of thing.

There might be objects you want in these close-ups.  Pick
them up as explained (see Collecting Things just below).
You'll also see a large red "R" in the lower right hand corner
of the Main Window.  Click on the red "R" to return to a 
regular perspective view.

Collecting Things

if an object looks interesting or important, pick it up.  Sim-
ply click & hold on the object, then drag the cursor to the
inventory icon at the upper left of the screen.  Release the
mouse button, and the object will disappear from the screen
and appear in your inventory.

For more on Inventories and Handling Objects & Weapons,
read on.



Page 9 follows:

Lower Window

The Lower Window does several things.  Depending on your
situation, it may:

o   Display the items in your personal inventory or
    weapons inventory.
o   Show which items in a room are removable.
o   Give specific information on individual items and
    entities you encounter in the game.
o   Serve as a dialog box.

Inventories

The three inventory commands in the upper left corner give
you control over all movable objects in the game.  (To
manipulate the objects, see Handling Objects & Weapons
on page 11.)

ROOM

When you click this command once with the left mouse
button, all movable objects in the room that you have
clicked on (in the Main Window) appear in the Lower Window.

o   If there are many objects available, red scroll arrows
    appear at the right side of the Lower Window.  Click on
    the arrows to scroll through all of the movable objects
    in the room.
o   Double-click on any objects to get a description of that
    object.  Click on the Lower Window one more time to
    clear the description and return to the Inventory Window.



Page 10 follows:

INV

Click on this command with the left mouse button to view 
all the items you are carrying.  Your personal inventory
changes instantly as you pick up or drop items.  If you're
hauling a lot of stuff, red scroll arrows appear at the right
of the Lower Window.  To scroll through the inventory, click
on the arrows.

   Note: Any weapon you pick up will appear in
   your personal inventory.  But hand-to-hand
   combat weapons will also appear in your Weapons
   Inventory.

How Much Stuff Can I Carry?

You can carry an amazing amount of stuff, so don't be shy.
help yourself to anything in the castle that isn't staked
down.  On the other hand, greed does have its price ... a 
price paid in strength.  If you're an incurable collector, you'd
better hope you don't run into one of Emelda's extra-power-
ful goons.

Dropping Objects

If you find yourself overburdened with goodies, you can
drop some.  Simply click on the item in your inventory and
drag the cursor onto the Main Window.  Release the mouse
button and the item will be dropped into the room where
you're currently standing.

You may place your hand onto INVENTORY and drag it to
ROOM and clear out your entire inventory.

   Note: It might be a good idea to make a note of
   where you leave items.  They will stay where you
   drop them, and you can always come back and pick
   them up later.

WEAPONS

This works just like the personal inventory (see INV above),
but it only shows the hand-to-hand combat weapons you're
carrying: Swords, daggers, etc.  Remember, these
weapons also appear in your personal inventory.



Page 11 follows:

Handling Objects & Weapons

This is not rocket science - in fact, it's probably even less
complicated than most things.  Bust just to make sure, I'll
explain it.  The directions below apply to weapons and
anything else you may find.

To Examine an Object

There are two ways to do it:

1    Click on the object on the Main Screen.  Click EXAMINE
     on the Command Menu.

2    Double-click on the object in the Main Window.

Either way, a description appears in the Lower Window.

To Pick Up an Object

Put the arrow cursor on the object, and hold down the left
mouse button.  The arrow turns into a hand.  Drag the hand
to one of the inventory commands - INV or WEAPONS to
pick up objects.  ROOM to drop objects.

To Use an Object

Click on the object you want to use.  The item can be in
either the Main Window or the Lower Window.  Move to the
Command Menu, and click USE.  This is important for
selecting and using weapons.  The weapon, or shield you
USE will be the active one.  (Like any other command, the
USE command must be highlighted in white before you can
invoke it.)

To Look In an Object 

Some objects in the game can be opened and looked into
(some can just be looked into).  When you click on an ob-
ject, if you can look into it, the LOOK IN Command will be
highlighted.  Click on that command and a description of
what is inside the object (if anything) will appear in the
Lower Window.



Page 12 follows:

To Drop an Object

Click either INV or WEAPONS in the upper left corner of the
screen to bring up the inventory you're cleaning out.  Move
the cursor to the Lower Window, which now displays all the
items in that inventory.

Click & hold on the item you want to drop.  Drag it up to the
Main Window, and release the mouse button.  The item
stays where you drop it until you move it again.  (You think I
don't have better things to do than pick up after you?)

Direction Arrows

The direction arrows located below the inventory commands 
let you move through the castle.  The directions currently
available to you are highlighted in red.  To move, simply 
click on the arrow that represents the direction you want
to go.

Note that the up/down arrows are highlighted whenever 
you are near a stairway and can go up or down.  Clever, isn't
it?  To go up or down, click on the appropriate arrow and be 
whisked to another level ... or maybe into the Unknown.
(It's kind of hard to keep track of where all these steps go.)

The Stats Bar

The horizontal bar that runs across the middle of the Main
Window displays your current stats.  At the beginning of the
adventure, you start out at a predetermined (wimpy) level.
Exploring and discovering items increases your experience.

STR - Strength

This is the stat that separates Rambo from The Incredible
Mr. Lipet.  There are only wo things you need to know
about it:

o   Using magic can make you stronger.
o   Getting beat up can make you weaker.

Your strength also affects how much damage you can do to
an opponent in combat.  Also, the higher your strength, the
more items you can carry without beeing adversely affected.



Page 13 follows:

RES - Resilience

This stat determines the amount of damage you can take.

DEX - Dexterity

i run with a fast crowd, and you'd better be able to keep up.
Thi stat measures your agility - and your ability to gain
the advantage at the start of a fight.  See me for a spell that
can make you faster than the proverbial speeding bullet.

SKI - Skill

Your base skill level is displayed when you are not carrying
any weapons.  When you pickup a weapon your skill level
shows how good you are with whatever weapon you've got
in your hand.  Your skill level increases with each successful
battle using a particular weapon.  To find out more about 
combat, read the Combat section beginning on page 14.
Skill will vary as you change weapons.

LIF - Life

As in "Life Force."  A high number here means you're defi-
nitely alive.  A lower number means it's getting to be zombie
time.  If it goes to zero, you're dead, the game's over, and
I'm in the markt for a new castle-cleaner.

EXP - Experience

Like I always say, experience counts.  This stat is a percent-
age that reflects how much of the game you've solved.  It
tlls you how far you've come.

Command Menu



Page 14 follows:

Command Menu (continued)

The list on the right side of the Main Screen shows your
action options.  The options are constantly changing,
depending on where you are and what you're doing, but
the currently active options are highlighted in white.

To carry out an action, simply click the word with the left
mouse button.  The options are:

   OPEN              CLOSE            UNLOCK
   LOOK IN           EXAMINE          MIX
   CONSUME           USE              THROW

Other Helpful Commands

There are a few keyboard commands that you may find
helpful:
 
   M       Press the M key to toggle the music on and off.
Spacebar   Press the spacebar before you enter the castle to
           bypass the opening sequence.

COMBAT

i hate to be th one to tell you this - but there's going to be
blood.  And we're not talking about a few spots of catsup
artistically arranged here and there by a prop manager.  No,
we're talking about industrial-sized buckets of blood.  The
question is: Will it be theirs (yes indeedy, these beasties do
bleed) - or yours?

About the Weapons

Emelda kept quite an arsenal at Killbragant, and it's all
there for you to use ... once you 1) find the weapons, and 2)
learn how to use them.  With a little practice, you'll soon
discover that each weapon has its advantages and disadvan-
tages.  And the more you use a specific weapon, the more
effective you'll become with it.




Page 15 follows:

Practice

OK.  There's good news and bad news.  The good news is
that you can practice your archery skills.  All you have to do
is figure out where.  Archery is a nice skill to have ... because
with a bow you can dispatch the castle's creatures at sev-
eral paces.

The bad news is that archery's the only thing you can prac-
tice.  With all other weapons, it's strictly on-the-job training.

Fighting

During a fight, you're either on offense or defense.  When
you're in offensive mode, the cursor becomes a sword.  In
defense, the cursor becomes a shield.

The comouter automatically switches between the two 
modes based on how well you or your nemesis has aimed
his/her/its last thrust and how effective the hit was.  You will 
almost always get an attack turn after you successfully fend
off an enemy's attack.

To fight, you can use the Combat Buttons (see page 16).
But you can also wage combat by clicking directly on the
picture of your opponent in the Main Window.  When the
LUNGE/HACK windows appear, click on the left side of the
character to initiate a LUNGE, and on the right side to
HACK the creep.

When the BLOCK/PARRY windows appear, click on the left
side of your opponent to BLOCK a coming blow, and on the
right side to PARRY an insidious advance.

THE COMBAT WINDOW

This window contains combat information.



Page 16 follows:

The Combat Window (continued)

The Combat Window magically appears on the right edge of
the Main Screen whenever you find yourself in a confronta-
tion with an unfriendly entity.  It tells you a few things 
about the battle you're in.

Combat Buttons

Click the two large red-and-white rectangles to take action
during a fight.

o   When you're on the offense (and, from what I've seen so
    far, you're probably offensive most of the time), click
    the LUNGE and HACK buttons to slash the intruder 
    into submission.

o   When you've lost the upper hand, your defensive op-
    tions are to BLOCK and PARRY.  When you've lost it
    completely, the only option is DEATH.

Numbers

The numbers at the top and bottom of the Combat Informa-
tion area indicate the values, based on hit points, of the
damage being inflicted with each move.

o   The number at the bottom describes the damage you're
    doing unto them.

o   The number at the top is the damage that's being done
    unto you.

The Eyes 

In the lower left and right corner of the Main Screen are
"eyes."  Whenever you use magic, in or out of combat, num-
bers appear in this area to let you know how you're doing:

o   Left corner - assesses the damage done to you by
    others' magic.

o   Right corner - shows what your hexes are doing to
    them.



Page 17 follows:

Magic 

You can and should use whatever magic you've got before
engaging in combat.  Just choose a spell or potion from your
personal inventory and click the appropriate command on
the Command Menu at the right side of the screen.  For
more information on magic, see the Spellcrafting section
beginning on page 20.

Running Away

It's often true that "He who fights and runs away may live to
fight another day."  Continuing with the cliches, it's also true
that discretion is the better part of valor ... and sometimes 
the better part of survival, too.

All the creeps who've occupied Killbragant have staked out 
their own little territories (they're practicing dividing up the
world after Emelda's imminent return).  This gives you a
decided advantage.  You can get away from the latest nui-
sance simply by getting off his turf.  In other words, you can
take off, beat it, scram, run away.

Before combat begins, you can run by turning around and
moving away.  But make sure you move far enough away, or
the beast will follow you and beat you up from behind.

Keep this in mind:  If you're hurt, or loaded down with stuff,
you might not get away so easily.  Also note: If you encoun-
ter an Unfriendly and opt to run, the Eye in the lower left
will show the hit points for damage you sustain while being 
hit from behind.

Monsters

You'll run into lots of bizarre characters as you explore the
castle and its grounds.  Here's a little guide to the things
that go bump on your head or slash on your throat.

You'll find that some of the monsters look alike, but dress a 
little differently.  For example, you might find a soldier with
a blue tunic or a green tunic.  The difference between these



Page 18 follows:

Monsters (continued)

guys isn't just one of taste.  Different colors represent differ-
ent levels of expertise and power.  So the blue soldier is
harder to defeat than the green soldier.  This is consistent
through all levels of creatures.

Some special creatures also appear.  And regardless of the 
color they're wearing, they are tough.  Be prepared.  Be
brave.  Be ready to run or bleed.

Below is a list of some of the creatures you'll encounter.
Also listed are some of their stats:

               Skill      Des       Str       Res      Lif

Monks          20-45      50-60     20-40     5-10     60-90
Soldiers       25-50      50-60     30-60     30-50    60-110
Archers        30         55        35        30       65
Knight         50         60        100       50       *
Skeletons      25-50      50-65     35-65     35-55    70-120
Water Beast    40         50        35        40       150
Captain        80         70        80        70       150

* The Knight is invincible in hand-to-hand combat.

SAVING & RESTORING
THE GAME

Pause/Quit

If you want to stop the adventure momentarily - say, to get
a bite to eat, or maybe catch the end of It Came From Outer
Space - click PAUSE once.  A scroll will open on the Main
Window.  Click on CONTINUE to return to where you left off
in the game.  

If you want to leave the program, and exit back to the operat-
ing system - click on PAUSE once.  A scroll will open on
the Main Window.  Click on QUIT to exit the game.  You will
then be asked if you are sure.  Click on YES to exit to the
operating system.  If you really don't want to leave the



Page 19 follows:

game, click on NO and you will be returned to the Pause
Window.  From here you can click on CONTINUE and return
to the game in progress.

Save

Click on SAVE to save the current adventure.  A scroll will
open the Main Window asking you to insert a savegame
data disk.

Playing From Floppies on the Amiga or Atari ST

If you are playing from floppies on an ST or an Amiga, insert
a formatted disk into the drive.  Then type in the name for
the saved game (no more than 12 characters) and press 
Enter.  The current game will be saved to your formatted disk.

Playing From Hard Disk on PC/Tandy, Amiga or Atari ST

If you are playing from a hard drive, type in a name for the
saved game (no more than 12 characters) and press Enter.
The current game will be saved to your hard drive.

Restore

This command retreives a game saved to a savegame floppy
or to your hard drive.

Playing From Floppies on the Amiga or Atari ST

Click once on the Restore command.  A scroll will open
asking you to insert your savegame disk into the disk drive.
Do so and type in the file name for the game you wish to
restore.  Then press Enter.  The saved game will be restored
and you can continue from that point.

Playing From Hard Disk on PC/Tandy, Amiga or Atari ST

Click once on the Restore command.  A scroll will open
asking you to insert your savegame disk into the disk drive
and to type in the file name for the game you wish to re-
store.  Simply type the name of the game you wish to
restore and press Enter.

  Note: In order to make sure you can restore the
  game you want, it will be helpful to keep a list of  
  the names you have given to games you've stored.



Page 20 follows:

SPELLCRAFTING

Just because I made my reputation as "B" movie queen,
people think that my idea of haute cuisine is stale popcorn,
flat cola, ad rock-hard jujubes.  But I'm actually a pretty
decent cook.  Really.  If you don't believe me, just meet me in
the kitchen, and let's see what we can conjure up together.

In fact, you can't get much done at Killbragant without my
culinary expertise.  The kitchen is where  I whip up all the
magical spells you need to get through.  (If uo need any-
thing else whipped up, I'll catch you in the dungeon later,
and we can discuss it.)

Here's how the magic works:

To Create a Spell

The ingredients for each spell can be collected throughout
the castle, and on the grounds outside.  Since I learned to
cook from my Auntie Virus, who was really crummy with
numbers, the amount of stuff you need to make a spell isn't
real specific - though, after some trial and error (and you
should have some of the errors!)  I discovered that it
seems to work out like this:

A cupful is about the same as a handful.

3 handfuls       -      1 saucepan
4 handfuls       -      1 basketfull
6 glasses        -      1 bottle

All the spells, along with their ingredients, are listed in the
spellbook.  Hold the enclosed magic lens (the red acetate
strip) over spells to read them.

1   Bring your ingredients to the kitchen (I'll be waiting),
    click on me and then choose the MIX command from
    the command display.

2   If you habe a copy of the spell book, it will be diplayed in
    the Main Window.  All of the spells will be listed.  Click
    on the Up or Down Arrows to scroll through the list to
    find the spell you want.  Then click on the Spell Name
    in the list.

3   When you have selected the spell you want me to mix,
    all of the magic ingredients you have collected will be
    displayed on the right hand page of the spell book.  Pick
    the objects you want me to use for the spell by clicking
    on them and dragging each one over to the left hand
    page.  When you have selected all of the ingredients for
    the spell, click on the Mix icon on the lower right hand
    page.

If you've given me the right stuff, I can create your vile
concoction right away - and put it into your inventory,
where it appears as a potion bottle or a scroll.

If you goof, and hand me something that's not on the menu,
or find yourself coming up short, so to speak ... well, I'll be
sure to let you know.

To Use a Spell

1   Just select the scroll or bottle from the inventory list.
    The actions you can take with the spell - usually
    CONSUME or USE - are highlighted in the command
    window.

2   Select the action you want, and watch things start to
    happen.

All good things must come to an end sooner or later.  That
includes my spells too.  When you've exhausted the power
of a given spell, it simply disappears from your inventory
list.  Without so much as a decent goodbye.

   
                              SKID ROW
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                               SKID ROW

                               presents 

                               EMELDA'S
                          RECEIPTS & SPELLES
                               FOR YE OF
                             MAGICKAL ARTES



NOTA BENE

Here is the distillation of my life work in the ancient &
arcane magickal art.  By reading this work thou art become
my successor.

BE WARNED ....

Use only the ingredients listed.  The spelles & receipts within
offer grate power but their use is fraught with grate danger.
Heed my words ... for this is ye magickal ART.

Some of the necessary elementes are common and can be easily
found.  Others, however, will require diligent searching before
they are uncovered.  Be cautious in their use.  Endeavor not to
waste anything as some items, despite their rarity, are needed
by more than one receipt.

Naught is certain so caution is vital or thou wilt pay with thy
body & immortal soul.
 _______________________________________________________________

 WARNING: Please note the Recipes contained in this book are
 for use within the game Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.  Any
 attempt to mix and use the Recipes in real life could result in
 serious consequences.
 _______________________________________________________________


Page 1 follows:

HERBAL HONEY

Required elementes: Honey and Hay

Make a decoction with 2 handfuls of hay.  Boyle for 20
minutes in water and pour liquid into bowl.  Stir in jar of
honey until dissolved and allow to cool before transferring to
suitable container.

Allow 30 minutes for completion of this delicious elixir.
Imbibe to become one with the vitae naturae and gain knowl-
edge of the true names of all plants.


ALPHABET SOUP

Required elementes: Dandelyons, Elderberries & Rose petals

Crush a handful of Elderberries and save the extract.  Steep
the petals frpm 1 rose in water for 1 hour.  Cut the stem from
a dandelyonand allow the white sape tp drip into the
elderberrie extract.  Remove rose petals from liquid & discard.
Add rose water to elderberrie and dandelyon, heate to 62
degrees and stir in dandelyon flowers.  Turn heate off, allow
to stand for 20 minutes and strain into container.

Allow 90 minutes to prepare this potion.  Essential before
understanding of Runes can be gained.


Page 2 follows:

BRAIN ACHE

Required elementes: Poppys, mushrooms and one maggot

Choppe 1 large maggot into small pieces.  Boyle 2 handfuls of
fresh mushrooms until reduced to a mushe and mix in the
seeds from 5 poppys then add the maggot pieces to the result-
ing dough.  Place in a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15
minutes or until golden browne.

Allow 30 minutes for preparation.  Consuming this cake
allows you to cast Brain Ache spelles to the confusion of your
foes.


MIND LOCKE

Required elementes: Poppys, one maggot and Bloode Root

Choppe 1 large maggot into small pieces and sautee until
brown.  Add sliced bloode root and continue on heate until
soft.  Grinde up seeds from 5 poppys ans sprinkle on surface
and allow to cool.  Grinde mixture into fine paste, make into
small balles and allow to harden.

Eating these balles allows you to cast Mind Locke spelles to
freeze your enemies.  This takes one hour to prepare.


Page 3 follows:

SPAGETTY CONFUSION

Require elementes: Belladonna, Parsley, White Wine &
Witch Hazel

Dry one cup of witch hazel leaves until dry and crisp then
crush to produce a powder.  Add a belladonna flower and a
pinch of parsley to the powder, mixing them together well.
Heate a bottle of white wine to boyling and stirr in the
powdered mixture while continuing to boyle until the mixture
turns into spagetty-like strings which should be formed into
patties and baked for five minutes in a hot oven.

This should take about an hour.  When eaten, the user gains
the Tangled Mind spelle.


SIZZLING EGGES

Required elementes: Bird's egge, Hellebore, Firethorn &
Water Lily

Boyle a large lily leaf in water for 15 minutes, add a cupfull
of firethorn petals and a hellebore flower.  Add the white of a
smalle egge and stirr thoroly for 10 minutes before allowing to
cool.  Drain remaining liquid into suitable container.

This takes about one hour to make a will give user a real 
knockout spelle.


Page 4 follows:

CLOTTED SURPRISE

Required elementes: Spyder's web, Hawthorn & Mosse

Peel a saucepan full of hawthorn berries.  Take great care to
remove all trace of outside skins.  Crushe the berries to pro-
duce a fine puree which should be put to one side.  Wash three
handfuls of common mosse, to remove any dirte and then boyle
in water to cleanse.  The mosse will break down into a green
and slimy substance to which the pureed hawthorn should be
added.  Mix thoroly into a homogenus paste.  This paste
should be liberally spread over a bandage made from spyder's
web.  The bandage thus encrusted should be applied to any cut
area which requires healing.

This poultice takes twenty five minutes to prepare and will
restore your strength and ability.  To use apply to injured
area.  For many minor injuries.


Page 5 follows:

ICED MAGICK

Required elementes: Hawthorn, Thistle and Bloode Lily

Remove all of the petals from a bloode lily flower and discarde
them.  Remove the seed pod and place over a low heate to
encourage it to open up.  When it does so, remove all of the
seeds.  Boyle two handfuls of hawthorn berries for twenty
minutes and drain off the liquid to use.  Discard the boyled
hawthorn pulpe.  Remove the thistle down from one thistle
and add to the liquid from the hawthorns together with the
bloode lily seeds.  Take resulting mixture and place it in
freezer for one hour.  Pour off liquid into suitable container.
To be drunk as required with this recipe providing sufficient 
for two portions.

Will take one and three quarters hours to prepare.  The decoc-
tion should be used for more serious injuries than the previous
poultice.


Page 6 follows:

WOODEN HEART in ALGAE SAUCE

Required elementes: Dogwood, Algae, Bleeding heart and
Honey.

Bake 6 handfuls of dogwood barke for two hours in a hot
oven.  Whilst the bark is baking, prepare the sauce as follows:
Disolve a jar of honey in warm water, add a pint of Pond
algae and one chopped bleeding heart flower.  Simmer for one
hour and pour over the dogwood when baked.  It sets into a
hard jelly and provides enough for three helpings.

Taking two hours to make, each helping is a powerful restor-
ative and healing agent.


PAINFREE

Required elementes: White Wine, Black lotus & Laudnum

Take the flower of a black lotus and remove its petal.  Care-
fully extract the pollen from the remainder of the flower and
mix the pollen into the tincture of laudnum.  Warm a glass of
white wine and mix in the combined black lotus pollen and
laudnum.  This should be stored in a suitable container until
needed.

It takes about half an hour to prepare and will take all pain
away for three hours.


Page 7 follows:

FIRE SPONGE

Required elementes: Plantain, Flame flower & Moss

Add water to 2 handfuls of moss and knead to form a sticky, 
dough like paste.  Remove seed heads from 2 handfuls of
Plantain, add to mixture and set aside for 15 minutes.  The
seeds act as a speedy yeast.  Grate a whole flame flower plant
including leaves, flower & root and add to the moss dough,
after the plantain seeds have done their work.  Ensure an
even dispersal.  Place in baking tray and cook in a warm oven
for 15 minutes.  When cool, slice and serve.

This receipt make sufficient for six slices.  It takes 35 min-
utes to prepare and eating a slice allows the casting of a 10
second Fire Wall.


ICE SPONGE

Required elementes: Plantain, Hawthorn & Moss

Follow instructions for making Fire Sponge but substitute 2
handfuls of grated hawthorn berries for flame flowers.  It
takes the same tyme to prepare but allows the casting of a 20
second Ice Wall.



Page 8 follows:

MAIDENS TURNOVER

Required elementes: Maidenhair, Fern, 3 Spyder's webs &
Honey

Take two handfuls of leaves from the Maiden's Tree and
choppe them finely.  Boyle the finely chopped leaves until
totally dissolved into the water to leave a dirty brown liquid.
Blend into this liquid one jar of honey which acts as both a
sweetener and thickening agent.  Shred a handful of fern
sprigs and stir into the mixture which then forms a thick
dough-like paste.  Shape this paste into small packets and
wrap each one in a spyder web.  There is enough of the mix-
ture to make three packets.

The receipt takes twenty minutes to prepare.  Eating a packet
causes an increase in skin toughness as tho wearing armor.  It
has no effect on magick and provides no protection against
spelles.


MANTICORE FLIP

Required elementes: Maidenhair, Fern, 3 pieces of Manticore
hide & Honey.

Prepare as Maiden's Turnover but wrap each packet in a piece
of Manticore hide.  Causes greater increase in skin toughness.



Page 9 follows:

KNIGHTYME PLEASURE

Required elementes: Bird Feather, Deadly Nightshade and
beetles

Crush two handfuls of Knightshade berries to extract their 
juice.  Mix juice with the bloode sucked from five live beetles.
Stir the mixture widdershins with the tail feather of a bird
and recite my name backwards.  Store drink in a bottle untill
required.

As the ingredients for this receipt are difficult to obtain at the
same tyme, it is unlikely that more than one portion of this
poyion can be prepared in any one year.  Should you be fortu-
nate enough to obtain the necessary for more than one portion
then a second batch should be stored as though it were fine
wine.

It only takes fifteen minutes to prepare but is most powerful
in its effects.  When consmed it offers total protection to all
non-contact magick weapons and substantial protection from 
any other weapone for a considerable tyme.  It should not be
used lightly but saved until needed.



Page 10 follows:

LUCKY SURPRISE

Required elementes: Nettles & one Four Leaf Clover

Boyle a saucepan full of fresh nettles in water for twenty 
minutes.  Add a sprig of four leaf clover and continue to boyle
for a further five minutes.  Strain off the liquid, bottle it and 
allow to cool whereupon it may be consumed.  This potion 
should be used judiciously as excessive consumption will cause
drowsiness and lethargy.

It takes thirty minutes to prepare.  Use of this portion will
make you react quicker unless taken to excess when it will
tend to cause the opposite effect.


PROPITIOUS SURPRISE

Required elementes: Aconite, Nettles & one Four Leaf Clover

This mixture should be prepared as Lucky Surprise but after
straining off the liquid, add three drops of aconite extract to
the decoction and stir for five minutes before bottling.  It
takes forty minutes to prepare.  This potion has the advantage
of not causing drowsiness but otherwise acts as a Lucky Sur-
prise.  The addition of Aconite must be at the tyme of prepara-
tion.  Later addition makes a deadly poison.



Page 11 follows:

MONSTERA PIE

Required elementes: Monstera, Parsley & Ivy

Line a medium sized baking dish with Ivy leaves.  Clean and
separate a 2 cm. basketful of Monstera petals and slice into 
thumb joint sized strips.  Place the strips into a baking dish,
add the parsley and cover the contents with another layer of
Ivy leaves.  Place the baking dish in a hot oven and cook for
twenty minutes.  This receipt should provide enough for five
portions and takes thirty minutes to prepare.

Eating a slice of this pie will make the eater stronger but 
slightly slow down the eater's reactions.  This slowing is
cummulative for each slice eaten before a previously consumed
slice is fully digested.  Only the foolhardy shude try eating the
whole pie at one sitting because of this side effect.  Used with
due care, consuming a slice of pie will give the eater a useful
boost in strength when it is needed.



Page 12 follows:

GLOWING PRIDE

Required elementes: Thistle, Dandelyon & Flame flower

Remove the petals from one Flamed flower and press them to
remove the oil of which they contain.  Take one Dandelyon and
split its stem.  Allow the milky liquid contained therein to
drip into the previously extracted oil and mix thoroughly.
Pull the down from one Thistle and drop into the oil mixture
so that the down soaks up the mixture.  Roll the down into a
ball.  Thro' practice, tis possible to increase the oil yield from
each flower.

This should take fifteen minutes.  Store the soaked down in
darkness.  As soon as a prepared ball of down is removed from
complete darkness, it will begin to glow.  The length of tyme
that each ball will glow for, is directly proportional to the
user's experience.  If the user is twice as experienced the
second tyme that this magic is used then the light will last for
twice as long.  Useful in those unexpected dark places when
there is no normal light available.



Page 13 follows:

MUSHROOM TENDERNESS

Required elementes: Hellebore, Elderberry & Mushroom

Slice up one bucket of mushrooms and then boyle them untill
reduced to a thick mush.  Crush two handfuls of elderberries
to extract their juice and add the juice to the boyled mush-
rooms.  Choppe up one Hellebore leaf and add to the mixture.
Pour into an appropriate container and drink when required.

Preparation takes 25 minutes and produces enough mixture
for four doses.  Drinking this potion will infuse the user with
superhuman strength for a short period of time.


THORNY SPLINTER

Required elementes: Firethorn & Nettles

Boyle four handfuls of nettles for ten minutes and strain off
the liquid, discarding the nettles.  Add thorns from the 
Firethorn bush and allow to brew for one hour.  Bottle &
drink as soon as cool.  Takes one and a half hours to prepare.

Drinking this potion will arm the drinkers with Fire Dagger
spelles.



Page 14 follows:

FINGERLIGHT

Required elementes: Earwigges, Deadly Knightshade and
Belladonna

Extract the juice from a saucepan full of Nightshade berries,
add five earwigges and one chopped belladonna leaf to the 
juice and allow to stand for twenty minutes.  Drain the liquid
into a bottle and drink immediately.

Preparation takes twenty five minutes.  When drunk this
potion imbues the user with the ability to cast Fingerlight
spelles (lightning boltes).


PALMLIGHT

Required elementes: Centipedes, Mistletoe, Belladonna &
Absinthe

Extract the juice from a saucepan full of Mistletoe berries,
add five centipedes, one chopped belladonna leaf & two
spoonfulls of Absinthe to the juice and allow to stand for
twenty minutes.  Drain the liquid into a bottle and drink
immediately.

Preparation takes forty five minutes.  When drunk this potion
imbues the user with the ability to cast Palmlight spelles
(lightning ball).



Page 15 follows:

CAT & DOG BROTH

Required elementes: Spyder, Horse hair, Lily flower and
Witch Hazel

Take a large lily and finely choppe it.  Add the chopped lily to
a basketful of Witch hazel leaves and simmer over a gentle
heate for one hour.  Drain off the resultant liquid into a
saucepan and discard the remains of the flower & leaves.
Remove the skins from ten common spyders and throw them
away.  Crush the spyders to release their bloode and add to the
liquid in the saucepan.  Stir the mixture thoroughly and then
add a tuft of Horse hair.  Raise the liquid to boyling point and
simmer for twenty minutes or until it thickens.  Pour into a
suitable container.  It may be eaten either hot or cold.

This recipe takes an hour and forty minutes to prepare.  When
eaten, this powerful mixture has two effects.  The minor result
of its use, is a boost to strength and general health but the
major effect provides the eater with a large number of
Tunderflash Spelles which can inflict serious damage on the
enemy.



Page 16 follows:

DEMONS BREW

Required elementes: Vampire dust, Dragon's bloode & Deadly
Nightshade

Extract the juice from a saucepan full of Deadly Knightshade
berries and discard the pulp.  Add this juice to one pint of
Dragon's bloode.  Put the Vampire dust in this liquid and
allow it to stand for five minutes.  Drain the mixture through
a muslin cloth to remove all of the sediment and bottle the
resultant liquid.  It is absolutely essential to discard the
sediment on consecrated ground, failing to do so will cause
you moste serious regrets.

This decoction takes twenty five minutes to prepare and
equips anyone who drinks it with a terrible weapon.  For this
reason and because of the ingredients, this is a rare decoction
that you are likely to make only once in a lifetime.  Careless-
ness in making it can also ensure that you only get to make it
once in a lifetime.

Drinking the decoction will provide the drinker with a large
number of Fearful Spelles that do an amazing amount of
damage to any normal creature.



Page 17 follows:

POSTSCRIPTUM


Brain Ache:

When this spelle is cast upon an opponent, it reduces dexterity
by a random amount for the duration of the fight.  It may be
used only once in any single confrontation.

Fearful:

This awesome spelle does terrible damage to any standard
opponent upon whom it is cast.

Fingerlight:

This more potent fight spelle casts a fork of lightning at an
opponent causing damage when it hits.

Fire Dagger:

This spelle appears and acts like a flaming, thrown dagger but
doing three times the damage of a dagger unless the target is
immune to fire.  Used against a mummy, there is a chance of it
catching fire.

Fire Wall:

Lasting for 10 seconds each time it is used, this spelle stops an
opponent attacking and allows the caster to use a ranged
weapone or run away.  It also destroys any ice-based weapon
as well as severely damaging any wooden weapones but these
effects also apply to the caster's weapons.



Page 18 follows:

Ice Wall:

The ice version of Fire Wall, it lasts twice as long but is
almost instantly destroyed by fire-based weapones and only
allows the caster to use ice spelles for its duration.

Identify Plant:

This magickal ability is essential to allow identification of the
many plant ingredients used in the magickal arts.  It is gained
by consuming Herbal Honey.

Knightyme Pleasure:

This is the greatest defensive spelle in that it eliminates all
effects from magickal ranged weapones and halves the effect
of any other weapone.

Lucky Surprise:

This potion increases the imbiber's dexterity by one tenth for
each swig but if more than one swig is taken before an earlier
one wears off this is partially negated by becoming drowsy.

Maiden's Turnover:

This causes a magickal hardening of the eater's skin which
effectively halves sword damage for a tyme.



Page 19 follows:

Manticore Flip:

Similar to Maiden's Turnover but reduces sword damage to
one tenth for a much longer tyme.

Mind Locke:

This spelle is similar to Tangled Mind but of even greater
intensity.

Palmlight:

A more powerful version of Fingerlight that casts ball light-
ning at an opponent for even greater damage.

Propitious Surprise:

Similar effect to Lucky Surprise but without the drowsiness 
disadvantage for multiple swigs.

Runic Reading:

This is the ability to read and understand runic writing which
is necessary to understanding and can be obtained by drinking
Alphabet Soup.

Sizzling Egges:

This gives an offensive spelle equivalent to hitting an oppo-
nent somewhat harder than the deadliest concussive weapon.



Page 20 follows:

Tangled Mind:

Similar to Brain Ache but reduces dexterity by a greater
amount.

Thunderflash:

When cast at an opponent this spelle acts as a percussion
weapon which inflicts extensive damage.


                               SKID ROW
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                              SKID ROW

                              presents

                     ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK

INSTRUCTION CARD FOR AMIGA

Note: This following are installation and loading instructions specifically
for the Amiga.  The enclosed manual should be referred to for all game
play issues (including saving games).

Back Up Your Game Disks!

Before you go any further, it is highly recommended that you make back-
ups of your game disks.  The program comes without on-disk protection,
so doing so is simple.  Make sure to store the originals in a safe place,
and use the copies when playing or installing the game.  Refer to your
Amiga manual on how to copy disks.

Note: Make sure to rename the copies so that they are the same as the
originals.  For example, after copying Disk 1, rename the copy from
"copy of DISK 1" to "DISK 1".  Do the same for the remaining disks. 

System Requirements

To play Elvira, you will need the following:

   o  Amiga 500, 1000 or 2000
   o  1 megabyte of memory.
   o  If loading from a hard drive, you will need 740K of free RAM
      after Workbench is loaded.
   o  A blank formatted disk to save games (if playing from floppy disks).

Hard Drive Installation

To install Elvira onto your hard drive, do the following:

1   Enter the CLI or SHELL.
2   Place Elvira disk 1 in df0:.
3   Type cd df0: and press Return.
4   Type HDINSTALL DHx: (where x indicates the hard drive, i.e., dh0:,
    dh1:, etc.) and press Return.
5   Insert disks 2 through 5 when prompted.
6   To run the game from workbench, double-click on the Mistress folder,
    then double click on the Elvira icon.
7   To run the game from CLI or SHELL, change to the Elvira subdirectory
    and type RUNIT and then press enter.
  
Playing from Floppy Disk

1   With your computer off, insert Elvira Disk 1 into df0: (internal
    disk drive).
2   Turn on the computer.  The program will load automatically.
3   When prompted, insert the proper disk into df0:.

Note: Be sure you are inserting the correct disks when prompted.