                     DEATHBRINGER: THE SWORD OF ABADDON


   Archmagician  Nephros,  acting  Grand  Commander  of what remained of the
Society  For  Creative  Armageddon, stood silently watching the faces of the
assembled sorcerors.
   "Fellow  masters  of  the  uttermost  circles  of enchantment", he began.
Someone  sneezed  -  Jarkad  Thorn,  necromancer-general  from the League of
Exceptionally Evil Wizards.


Nephros  glared  at  him,  and  made  a  mental  note that as soon as it was
politically  possible  he  would  turn  the rake-thin Leaguer into something
unspeakably  nasty  - preferably several miles under the ground.  He started
again.
   "Fellow  masters, as we are all well aware, times are not what they were.
In  recent  years  we  have witnessed the complete destruction of such noble
enterprises  as  the  "Alchemists' Anti-Environment Alliance", "Thaumaturges
Against Justice", and even the "Curse of the Month Club".


Our  own  activities  have  been  thwarted  to  such  an  extent that we are
compelled  to  join forces - a situation unprecedented in the annals of both
Society  and  League.   And all this - this mischief, has been caused by one
man - KARN THE BARBARIAN!"
   Nephros paused dramatically, and listened with satisfaction to the murmur
of agreement that ran round the Wizardly throng.
   "Kill him!" shouted one of the Leaguers.  An idiot, thought the Archmage.
His eyes met those of his second-in-command.
   "Yesss...  he should die.  But not quickly," said Melizon the Cruel.

   "Fellows,"  smiled  Nephros.   "Fellows,  I understand your frustration -
believe me, I share it - but this Karn leads a charmed life.  It will not be
as simple to destroy him as you seem to think."
   "Do you then propose that we give up our ways and become merchants?" said
Jarkad Thorn, contempt in his voice.
   "Not  at  all,"  said Nephros, still smiling.  He had been preparing this
speech  for  some time, and was proud of it.  He reached into his pocket for
the all-important letter.


   "Fellows,  I  have just returned from East Thrasnia.  I spoke to the king
who made his position quite clear." He raised the letter.
   "I  have  in  my hand a piece of paper which guarantees Armageddon in our
Time..."

                                 *   *   *

   A  week  had  passed.   His  ritual  impurification complete, Melizon the
Cruel,  demonist extra-ordinaire, strode into the chamber.  This was his big
moment;  the  Archmage  might  have  pulled the rabbit from the hat with his
Grand  Design  for  Vengeance,  but it was Melizon who had to nail it to the
wall.
   King  Aelfric was in for a surprise.  He wanted a magic sword to help him
in his bid for world conquest, and that he was certainly going to get; but a
great  lord  from  the  Netherworld  would  demand a high price for allowing
himself  to  be bound into weapon form.  Melizon was the only demonist alive
who  could  arrange  such  a  transformation, and he, too, would receive his
fee...

   The  imposing  figure  walked  slowly  round  the chamber, inspecting the
complicated pattern painted on the floor.  It resembled nothing so much as a
rat's  lower  intestine,  thought  Melizon...which  meant  that  Nephros was
standing exactly where he belonged.
   Everything  was  in  place.   He  strode up to the altar, raised his arms
wide, and whispered, "Bring in the ssacrificesss..."


In  they  came.  Seven virgins, being carried by a mule; a baby pig; and, of
course,  the  side  salad.  It was amazing how many lesser demonists ignored
the  trimmings  -  it  was one reason there were so few left.  Melizon began
chanting:
 "Yarva demonicusss Abaddon, ofano, oblamo, osspergo, great lord attend!"
   All  the  mumbo-jumbo  was  for the benefit of his audience - Melizon had
privately  arranged  the  manifestation  with  Abaddon's  secretary two days
previously.   Still,  it  got  the  others  good  and frightened, and he was
enjoying every second.


                                 *   *   *

   Ten  minutes passed.  The sacrifices had been drugged to keep them quiet,
but  one  was  beginning  to  recover and was feebly licking at the barbecue
sauce  which  had trickled down her face.  That's odd, she thought; it feels
as if something's licking my hair.  I didn't think my tongue was that long.
   As last thoughts go, it was at least unusual.

                                 *   *   *

   "Mmmm,  I  loove  barbecue sauce", said Abaddon, as he carefully wiped up
the  last  remnants  of  blood and sauce with a piece of lettuce.  "A spread
like  that  must  have  cost  you a pretty packet.  Tell me again about this
DemonSword concept of yours, Archie."
   Nephros  was  visibly  sweating.   Abaddon  had  already supplemented the
sacrificial  offering with three of the lesser wizards, and the Archmage was
beginning  to  suspect  that  Melizon  had  not  been entirely truthful when
showing the rest of them the "safe points" of the pattern.


   "Fourscore  and seven years ago, King Aelfric's father brought forth upon
this land a new nation..."
   "Okay,  okay,  skip the speeches, I'm a busy demon.  The way I understand
it,  you  want  me,  acting as a sword, to kill, maim, rend, tear, hack, and
slash  for  this  Eelface character, and in return I get all the souls I can
drink.  So where's the catch?"
   Nephros  couldn't  understand it.  This wasn't the way he thought a Great
Nether Lord would act!  All his carefully prepared speeches had been shouted
down; he didn't know what to say.

   "There is no, erm, catch, your demonic excellency.  All I ask is that you
do  nothing to harm myself or my fellow wizards, and that when the barbarian
Karn  -  who  will  certainly  try  and  stop  your  campaign of carnage and
slaughter  - erm, that when he has been slain, you should return to your own
domain forthwith."
   "Well,  why didn't you say so at once?" Abaddon seemed immensely pleased.
"Let's  stop  putzing  around and get this down on parchment before you guys
change your mind."
   There  was a dash for the doors, as several wizards decided they ought to
get  out - and, er, get the parchment, of course.  Most paused a fraction of
a  second after stepping out of the painted pattern, realizing what they had
done; Abaddon merely smiled at them.

   Soon  the  contract  was  signed and sealed; the chamber had mysteriously
emptied, until now only Abaddon, Nephros, Melizon and Jarkad Thorn remained.
The  demon  breathed an immense sigh.  "Right, that's that.  Stand back, and
watch me go!"
   Abaddon  took  a deep breath.  His face contorted into the most ludicrous
expression of effort the Archmage had ever seen, and then the demon began to
change.
   "Dith  ibn't ab eaby ab it ookth," groaned Abaddon.  He took another deep
breath, and completed the transformation.  A huge, glowing sword fell to the
ground.
   "Allow  me,"  said Jarkad Thorn.  With a twitch of his hand he summoned a
flying  servant,  who snatched up the sword and carried it away towards King
Aelfric of East Thrasnia.


                                 *   *   *

   The  wind  howled.  That suited Karn the barbarian; it stirred the blood,
and  anyway  he  was  used to it.  Just like the mysterious thunder which so
often seemed to come rolling across clear blue skies for no apparent reason.
The  Wise  Woman Heggra always said it was a poor-tent, but it wasn't a tent
at all, so she was obviously just trying to be mysterious.
   The  mighty-thewed barbarian sat on his horse and concentrated.  This was
something  he  always  found  difficult,  and  his  little friend, the Black
Ratter, wasn't helping by singing some pathetic sort of song.
   "Bar-bar-bar,   bar-barian,"   went   the   little   man.   "Bar-bar-bar,
bar-barian...  oh with a sword, in my hand..."
   "Sssh!" said Karn.  "Karn is thinking."
   "Anything good?"
   The  Hero didn't bother to answer.  Something was wrong, he could feel it
in his belly.  But what?  There was something...  yes.
   "Dinner! Karn is hungry."

   "Again?"  asked the Ratter, amazed.  "Ah well, I'll just have to see what
I can rustle up."
   He unslung his bow, and looked around.

"There!   Look,  that's  a  mighty big bird just to the north.  Hope it's in
season."
   In  one practiced motion, he fitted an arrow to his bow and let fly.  The
bird dropped like a stone.  "Come on, old friend.  Let's get you fed."

   A  short  ride later, they found the body.  Whatever it was, it was not a
bird.
   "I  don't know about you, Karn, but I certainly don't fancy eating that!"
said  the Ratter.  His big friend wasn't listening; he had spotted the glint
of  metal  in  the  undergrowth.   Drawing his own sword, he crept carefully
towards it.
   A sword.  Big.  And unowned.
   With a glad cry, the barbarian tossed away his worn blade and took up the
new.  Energy coursed through his body, making his blood sing and his muscles
pump.  "Hah!  See, Ratter!  Now Karn has even bigger sword!"
   He  swung  the blade to get the feel of it; time slowed, the swing seemed
to  go  on and on, and Karn watched in horror as the weapon in his hand sank
deep  into  the body of his one true friend.  There was a sucking sound, and
then,  with an anguished look of betrayal on his face, the Black Ratter sank
to the ground, dead.

   "Who?"  screamed  the  barbarian  in  anguish.   "Who makes Karn kill his
friend?"
   "The  League  of  Exceptionally Evil Wizards and the Society for Creative
Armageddon," answered a voice.

                                 *   *   *

   Nephros  was  trying  desperately  to  separate  the  other  two wizards.
Melizon  was  attempting to shove his shoe down Jarkad Thorn's throat, while
the necromancer raked his skeletal fingers across his rival's face.
   "Fellows,  fellows,  what does it matter whose fault it is?  We must make
the best of the situation.  At least the sword can do nothing to us - that's
in  the  contract."  Nephros  gestured at the crystal ball, wherein could be
seen Karn staring round him in confusion.
   "Who speaks?" grunted the barbarian.

   "Alas!" said a voice.  "Alas, I am but a poor otherworldly spirit, doomed
to  a  torment of horror and violence.  I have been cursed by those dreadful
sorcerors  of  the Society and League, cursed so that I must take life after
life."
   "Where are you?" said Karn, frowning in concentration.
   "In the sword.  My spirit cries for vengeance!"
   "Sorcerors are Karn's enemies, too.  Come!"
   "Wait!" cried the sword, just as the barbarian was turning to go.  "I can
do nothing to harm the sorcerors." It paused.
   "Oh,  what  the hell.  After all, they didn't insist - they only asked me
not to.  Stupid of them."
      Nephros stared in horror at the parchment in his hand.  It was true.
   "But  that  wasn't  what  I  meant!" He cried.  The others looked at him.
"Erm,  the  Society and League expects that every mage this day shall do his
duty..?"
   Without a word, Melizon and Jarkad Thorn jumped him.

                                 * * *


   The  Sword  hummed happily to itself as Karn rode along the path that led
them  towards the Valley of the Trolls and the first stage of their journey.
It  was  amazing,  really,  how  a body as big as the barbarian's could keep
going on so little brain...
   An old woman stepped out into their path.
   "Hail  to thee, Karn," she said.  "Come into my hut, and I will read your
future in the stones."
   This  must  be  Heggra the Wise Woman, decided Abaddon, as the barbarian,
grunting assent, dismounted and bent to enter the hovel.
   I  hope for her sake that this does not take too long, thought the Sword.
I'm feeling rather peckish...

                                 *   *   *

   Meanwhile, deep in the subterranean tunnels where the remnants of Society
and  League  had set up their command headquarters, Nephros was embarking on
his  most  ambitious  speech yet.  He puffed himself up, looked seriously at
his fellows, and in a strange voice began:
   "We will fight him on the beaches..."

=============================================================================
               Deathbringer - The Sword of Abaddon 



GAME CONTROLS :
-------------

  - Controlling Karn
    We have tried to make controlling Karn as easy as possible while still
    giving you a wide variety of different manoeuvres. So , although there
    are only three basic strikes with the sword , you can ( for instance )
    jump into the air and swing.
    The three strikes takes different lenghts of time to execute , and do
    different amounts of damage accordingly . The diagrams below show Karn
    facing right.
    The controls work in exacly the same way when you are facing left, 
    except that left and right are reserved.



  - Moving KARN (fire not pressed)

                                UP
                          jump streight up

        UP+LEFT                                   UP+RIGHT
      turn & jump                               jump forward
                            \   |   /
  
          LEFT               -  O  -                RIGHT
          turn                                      walk
                            /   |   \

       DOWN+LEFT                                   DOWN+RIGHT
      turn+crouch                                    crouch

                               DOWN
                              crouch


  - Moving KARN (fire pressed)

                                UP
                           overhead cleave

        UP+LEFT                                   UP+RIGHT
    overhead cleave                            overhead cleave
                            \   |   /

          LEFT               -  O  -                RIGHT
        no action                                    jab
                            /   |   \

       DOWN+LEFT                                   DOWN+RIGHT
     underhand swing                             underhand swing

                                DOWN
                           underhand swing


  - keyboard controls
    The key boards controls for the AMIGA are as follows
     PAUSE = H or HELP
     QUIT  = ESC

  - WARNING

    The quit key also exits from the programm when pressed on the little
    screen . In the case , you will be asked whether or not you are sure
    you want to do this. Pressing any key accept 'n', backspace , DELETE
    will quit the program.

GAMEPLAY :
--------

    - Health and souls for lord Abaddon
      If you are woundered, your heath will decrease. This is represented
      as a level of fluid in a crystal ball displayed on the left-hand side
      of the status panel, at the foot of the screen. If this level is 
      reduced to zero, you are DEAD.
      The sword is hungry for souls all the time and the amount of soulpower
      in the sword at any time is shown as blood on the sword- the more blood
      the more souls. These souls are gradually used up, maintaining 
      Abaddon presence on the earthly plane , and must be replayced by
      killing
      things . Be warned , however, some creatures such as the warned, 
      however, some creatures such as the undead HAVE NO SOULS, and will
      not replenish the sword.
      If the sword is filled with souls, it will give you extra power to heal
      you wounds.This is the ONLY WAY you caan regain lost heath, so skill in
      combat is of the utmost importance.
      Furthmore, if the level of souls approaches zero, the sword will go 
      berserk , and you may lose control of you own actions.
      Once the sword has been completely drained of souls, it will start
      to DRAIN YOU HEALTH, and may eventually destroy you.

Finding your way to the Wizards inner sanctum :
---------------------------------------------

      The route to the Wizards' inner Sanctum is trought with peril, and is
      not straightforward . At the start of each level, you can choose to
      fight your way to the right or the left, and each choice will lead you
      down different path. Some of these path are longer than others and some
      even loop back into regions you may already have traveled !
      There are no route which is the right one , the longer path tend to be
      easier , and looping back enables you to remember the path (for draw a
      map) and decide which way you want to go. Some routes concentrate more
      on combat , others require skillful avoidance of traps.

                         HAVE FUN .....   
