Abandonware DOS title

Aleshar World of Ice manual

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                          ALESHAR: THE WORLD OF ICE
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                                   Manual

                            (C) 1997, Hypothermia

                                 Legal stuff

    This is the full version of Aleshar: the World of Ice. No distribution
    or copying of this product is permitted. You have purchased the license
    to use the full version of Aleshar: the World of Ice on one (1) computer
    at any time. You may have two (2) separate copies of Aleshar: the World
    of Ice, so you may back up your game. Hypothermia is not responsible for
    any kind of damage done to you or your system by using Aleshar: the World
    of Ice. You use the product on your own risk. No part of Aleshar: the
    World of Ice may be decompiled or modified.




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                                  CONTENTS
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Introduction                                            1
        Aleshar?                                        1.1
        Story and background                            1.2
        Credits                                         1.3

Getting started                                         2
        System requirements                             2.1
        Setting up the game                             2.2
        Loading the game                                2.3
        Troubleshooting                                 2.4 (NEW) 

Playing the game                                        3
        Outdoors                                        3.1
        Cities and dungeons                             3.2
        The inventory                                   3.3
        Combat                                          3.4
          Damage                                        3.41
          Weapons                                       3.42
          Armor                                         3.43
        Magic                                           3.5
        Hazards                                         3.6
        The "rules"                                     3.7
        
Registering                                             4
        Why should I register?                          4.1
        How to register                                 4.2
        
Questions and answers                                   5
Hints and tips                                          6
Quick start                                             7

Weapon statistics                                       Appendix A
Armor statistics                                        Appendix B



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                                INTRODUCTION
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1.1  HYPOTHERMIA

  Contact us:

  Via EMail:    hypothermia@usa.net
  Via WWW:      www.netti.fi/~vnorilo
  Via modem:    +358-9-376989    (Finland: 09 376989)
                +358-9-85454082  (Finland: 09 85454082)

  Via mail:

    Hypothermia C/O Honkanen
    Korpinkatu 17
    04230 Kerava
    Finland
    Europe


  Credits for Aleshar: the World of Ice

  Design:       Ossi Honkanen  
  Graphics:     Janne Pulkkinen
  Programming:  Vesa Norilo  
  Music:        Vesa Norilo
 
  Sound system: Silvio Turello
  Compression:  Fabrice Bellard
  Playtesting:  Tuomas Koivusalo and the Aleshar Beta Crew


1.2 ALESHAR?

  We came up with the concept of Aleshar in December 1995. The original idea
  was to make a game called Cryosphere. Cryosphere was supposed to be a game
  in an icy, cold, post-holocaust world. The game started forming after Vesa
  created a scrolling fractal landscape. After about half a year of passive
  working, we were about to scrap the whole project. Too many if's and but's
  had driven us in to a dead end. Then one day, when Vesa and Ossi were
  trying to think of a way to make the concept work, they got an idea.
  The whole project was reshaped and rewritten. The cold, futuristic world
  of Cryosphere was turned into a distant island of Aleshar. A whole new
  world was created. 

1.3  STORY AND BACKGROUND   

  You were born to a minor town mayor and his wife. Right from the beginning
  they knew you were somehow different from other kids. And they were right.
  You had the spark of Elemental Powers. Your grandfather once had the same
  spark. And like the vast majority of young who were like you and himself,
  he was to become a priest of the Cult of Wisdom - The only legal user of
  Power.

  Your grandfather abhorred the priest life. He was given a choice. To be
  bereft of the Powers for ever, or to become a priest. He chose neither.
  With the support of some of his friends, he managed to escape the priests.
  But he was too dangerous an example. He was hunted down and executed
  publicly. The priests were farsighted enough to accuse him of several
  horrible crimes, to prevent uprising by Alesharians.

  Most people still believe the Cult is the only answer to their everyday
  religious needs. But your father knew the truth. The Cult had many good men,
  true keepers of wisdom, but as every power does, even wisdom corrupts. 

  Cult leaders often became ambitious and greedy.

  And some became cruel.

  Knowing this, and remembering his thraumatic experience from childhood, 
  the execution of his own father, he would never allow you to become 
  a Priest. Neither would he allow you to meet the fate of your grandfather. 

  The Townspeople were loyal to your father, and so they arranged you to
  'disappear'. In truth you were sent to an old man, elementalist himself
  by some claims. To avoid suspicion, he lived far distant from any larger
  settlement. He was forgotten by the cult.

  Your father hoped you would be forgotten as well.








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                               GETTING STARTED
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2.1  SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS                       

  Aleshar - world of ice requires the following:

  - 80386 processor
  - VGA compatible display adapter and monitor
  - 380 kb of conventional memory
  - 4 megabytes of memory
  - 4 megabytes of hard disk space
  - MS-DOS 3.0 or higher

  Recommended:
  - 80486/66MHz
  - EMM386 or compatible EMS manager
  - 512k SVGA adapter capable of 640x400 256c mode
  - 8 megabytes of memory (so you can load a disk cache program)
  - 512k Gravis Ultrasound or compatible
  

2.2  SETTING UP THE GAME

  Before you begin to play the game, you must configure the game to match 
  your system. Execute the configuration-program in your Aleshar directory.

  CD \GAMES\ALESHAR
  INSTALL.EXE

  Because you have already installed the game, select setup. Your current
  setup is shown on the last row of the screen. The default options are
  VGA resolution for graphics and No Sound. You can select a sound card
  for music and sound effects and a higher resolution. We recommend the
  SVGA resolution 640x400, if your display is capable of it. 640x480
  resolution is basically the same, but it has a different aspect ratio
  and will not use the whole screen.
  In order to use high resolutions, you need a high performance video
  adapter. We recommend boosting your graphics capabilities with a driver
  called UniVBE(tm). It is created by SciTech and it will provide extensive
  VESA 2.0 compatible services for your card. You can find a demo version
  of the UniVBE(tm) drivers from almost any FTP site or BBS. You are given
  21 days free testing period, and after that you must register the UniVBE.
  Visit Scitech soft in the WWW: www.scitechsoft.com
  
  If you own a sound card, select Audio Options. Aleshar: the World of
  Ice supports four sound cards. SoundBlaster, SoundBlaster 16, Pro Audio
  Spectrum 16 and Gravis Ultrasound. 
  If you choose SoundBlaster, SoundBlaster 16 or PAS you must select the
  mixing quality. Higher quality requires more CPU horsepower, but also
  sounds better. On SoundBlaster, only rates 11kHz, 16kHz and 22kHz are
  available. On Gravis Ultrasound, only 44kHz is available. Gravis 
  Ultrasound, SB16 and PAS16 produce 16-bit stereo sound, while SB 
  produces 8-bit mono sound. Gravis Ultrasound sound driver doesn't slow 
  your computer down, unlike SB, SB16 and PAS16 drivers.
  Next, you will have to select the sound volumes. Soft music, loud SFXs
  is probably the best option. 


  NOTE!

  Memory requirements will vary according to your soundcard:

  Board        Conventional       EMS       XMS
                              
  No Sound        340kB          2.5MB     2.6MB
  SB (Pro)        600kB          3.2MB      n/a
  SB 16           550kB          3.2MB      n/a
  PAS16           550kB          3.2MB      n/a
  GUS             410kB          2.5MB     2.6MB


  You can use EMS with all configurations, and XMS with GUS or
  No Sound. Using EMS will give much better performance than
  XMS!

  If you are out of memory, check the troubleshooting section.
 


2.3  LOADING THE GAME

  The game can be started by typing the following:

      CD GAMES\ALESHAR   (or whatever your Aleshar-directory is)
      ALESHAR.EXE

  If you know your system doesn't have Upper Memory, or you don't
  want to use it, use the following syntax:

      ALESHAR.EXE /NOUMB

  If you have problems and are using 4DOS(tm) or NDOS(tm), use 
    
      ALESHAR.EXE [/NOUMB] /4DOS

  This switch doesn't use shelling since 4DOS/NDOS shelling seems to
  be unstable in all programs, not only Aleshar. You must execute
  SOUNDDRV.EXE before launching ALESHAR with the /4DOS switch.



2.4  TROUBLESHOOTING

  You should ALWAYS be able to run Aleshar: the World of Ice with
  sounds off and the standard VGA resolution! Try them before 
  deleting the game!

  2.41 The game just hangs!

    There are more than a few possible explanations.

    - Video
      
      If you do not have VGA display, I don't know how the game
      behaves. Certainly not right.
      If you have selected SVGA modes, you should use the UniVBE(tm)
      driver if your VESA is older than 2.0. You can download the
      UniVBE shareware demo from almost any BBS. It gives you 21
      days free trial.
      Hypothermia VESA drivers were developed under UniVBE(tm) 5.1 and
      5.2, so use them or later for optimum performance. They mostly
      function with my Cirrus Logic v1.2 VESA, but not quite with
      the older VESA drivers of the other Hypothermia Members.

    - Audio

      Selecting a wrong soundcard may cause the game to hang.
      As stated earlier, Silvio Turello's SoundSystem seems to be
      unable to report an out of memory -error. This is very trouble-
      some since with software mixing cards (SB, SB16 and PAS) require
      quite much memory. If the game crashes with a black screen after
      the loading screen, the crash might be caused by the sound system.

    - Memory
   
      If you use a software mixing card, be certain you have much memory. 
      Check whether you have upper memory with the MEM command. If it 
      reports 0k, try to install a device driver called EMM386. To do 
      this, simply do the following:

      NOTE! Always back up your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files before
            modifying them!!!
      
      - Open your CONFIG.SYS file with some text editor like DOS's EDIT.

      - Search for a line with something like
        DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS

      - Install a line after that one with the following:
         DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
      or DEVICE = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM

      - Save the file and reboot your computer.

      Now you have upper memory in your system. Aleshar should be able
      to run with some 500-odd kilobytes of base memory, if there is
      more than 100 kilobytes of upper memory free. For No Sound or 
      Gravis Ultrasound, the requirement is about 200 kilobytes less.

      One fault in the otherwise brilliant SoundSystem we use is that it 
      can't play sound effects on SB, PAS or SB16 unless EMS is enabled. 
      Check if you have EMS memory by typing MEM to the command prompt.
      If it reports only XMS memory status, you do not have EMS enabled.
      Open your CONFIG.SYS file with some text editor.

      - Search for a line with something like:
        DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386 ...

      - If there is no such a line, add the following somewhere,
        preferably right after the HIMEM.SYS:

        DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
     or DEVICE = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM

      - If there already is a line with something about EMM386, take
        a look at it. If you find the word "NOEMS" from somewhere along
        the line, replace it with the word "RAM".

      If this seems too complicated, select NO SOUND, or upgrade your
      soundcard to a real wavetable card - Gravis Ultrasound. It will
      require about 200 kilobytes less memory and will produce superior
      sound. (No, they didn't pay us anything).

      For additional information, you can consult DOS help with the
      keyword EMM386.EXE, UMB and upper memory. 


  2.42 The Game exits to DOS with an error message

    The messages are most often self-explanatory. Here are some of
    the more confusing ones:

        VESA function 01h (GetModeInfo) returned a bad status

    Your drivers or video card do not support the video mode you
    selected. Reselect the mode, or pick 320x200 to be sure.

        VESA function x (...) returned a bad status.
        VESA function x (...) not supported ...

    These error messages occur when your SVGA drivers are too old for
    Aleshar: the World of Ice. To get perfect performance, you should
    upgrade your drivers to VESA 2.0 compliant ones. There are more
    than one ways of doing this. You can either contact the vendor of
    your video card for new drivers, or search new drivers from the 
    internet or some large BBSes. Hypothermia recommends using the 
    UniVBE(tm) drivers by SciTech software. They are universal, so they
    work with almost any SVGA adapter. In addition, Aleshar is developed
    under UniVBE(tm) 5.1 and 5.2.

        SVGA hardware unable to...

    This means that your video drivers can do what Aleshar wants, but
    your video card is too old. You have no choice but to select different
    video mode.

        SVGA display couldn't be centered. This is not a serious error.

    Some VESA 1.2 or 1.3 drivers just can't seem to center the display in
    640x400 mode. The active portion of the screen will be in the upper
    part of the screen.

        VESA driver not present

    Likely you do not have a SVGA card, or your card doesn't support VESA.
    Select the 320x200 mode.


    2.43 Strange behavior

    You might want to check with the above sections that you have all
    the settings right.

    EMM386 related errors

        - If your DMA buffer size is too small and you use SB, SB16
          or PAS, EMM386 crashes the machine. It gives you detailed
          instructions on how to fix the situation, however.

        - Error #12 means you are out of stack space. See DOS readme 
          for more information and instructions on how to fix the 
          problem.

    MEGAEM related errors

        With Gravis Ultrasound SoundBlaster emulator, Aleshar can't
        produce correct sound. This is not a problem, since Aleshar
        has a built-in support for Gravis Ultrasound. Unload the
        MEGAEM before starting Aleshar by typing MEGAEM -f

    Disk full

        If your hard drive is full, there might be trouble with
        temporary files. Check that you have some 500 kilobytes
        of HD space before launching Aleshar: the World of Ice.


    2.44 Optimum performance

    Aleshar: the World of Ice was tested on many machines from
    a 386/16 to P200. Even 386/16 managed playable speed without
    sound and with the standard VGA resolution. If you think
    Aleshar: the World of Ice works too slowly, read this section
    carefully.

    Reasons for slowdown:

        XMS. XMS-support was built after the initial release of 
        Aleshar. Our XMS driver actually emulates EMS, so the block-
        maps might be dreadfully slow without EMS. The above sections
        concentrate on installing and setting up EMM386.

        Software mixing. Using Sound Blaster slows Aleshar: the World
        of Ice down about 15%. SB16 and PAS are even slower, but sound
        much better. If you want to sacrifice sound quality for speed,
        select regular Sound Blaster in stead of SB16 or PAS, since 
        these cards are compatible with the 8-bit Blaster.
    
        SVGA modes. 320x200 is more than 4 times faster than the 
        640x400 mode.

        16-bit Windows. If you manage to run Aleshar: the World 
        of Ice under Windows 3.1, we congratulate you. Our programmer
        managed this with Gravis Ultrasound sounds on and Windows
        GUS drivers installed! Anyway, running games under 16-bit
        Windows is a hobby of enginerds and a total waste of time.
        We don't recommend using Windows 3.1 as a platform for Aleshar.

        Windows 95. It is better than the 16-bit version, but we
        recommend using DOS 7, via restarting the computer in MS-DOS
        mode. With low resolution and no sounds we managed to run
        Aleshar in a window, but kids, do not try this at home.
        You really need to know many things on Windows 95 to run
        Aleshar in a window. In a DOS box, you should succeed without
        sounds. Sound support under W95 is another matter altogether. 
        Usually W95 doesn't leave enough conventional memory for this 
        and occasionally even the W95 drivers conflict with the running 
        application. Note that Windows 95 functions as EMM386, so you 
        don't have to worry about EMS memory. 

        Cache. You should load SMARTDRIVE if you have enough memory.
        With 4 megabytes we do not advise this but if you have more,
        then absolutely load this wonderful driver by typing SMARTDRV.

        486/25 should be easily enough. But if you do not have a 
        Pentium, we recommend upgrading your computer. You won't
        probably need a PPro 200 to run Aleshar, but most of the
        future games (from Hypothermia also) will require more and
        more horsepower.








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                            3.  PLAYING THE GAME
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3.1  OUTDOORS

  When the game begins, you see a snow-covered landscape with a lonely
  adventurer standing in the middle of nowhere. You are that lonely
  adventurer. You can move around the landscape by pressing the arrows
  on your keyboard. Your movement speed is determined by your Skiing-skill
  (good skiers move faster). When moving up slopes, your speed will be
  determined by your Climbing-skill (better climber, faster movement).

  You will notice that the viewpoint is a bit tilted. When you press up,
  your character moves towards the upper-left hand corner of your screen.
  Pressing up goes north, down goes south, right goes east and left goes
  west.

  Everything in the outside world happens 'real-time'. The timescale is not
  the same as in real life, but time still goes on. If you wait long enough,
  you will die of starvation. Monsters can ambush you, so when you leave an
  outpost, move fast.

  You can pause the game by pressing the ESC-key. Continue the game by
  selecting the CONTINUE-item. Other selections of this menu will be
  discussed later.

  Heavy loads, bleeding and wounds will slow you down, so keep an eye on
  your encumbrance and health levels. 

  You can see the inventory by pressing the I-key. (see 'the inventory' later)

  By pressing the Z-key you can view your stats, skills, health, money, food
  and fatigue levels. You can select the screen (general, health, skills)
  you want by arrow keys. When you are through checking your status, press
  the space bar or the enter-key.

  You can hunt (or at least try hunting) by pressing the H-key. Your
  Hunting-skill will affect the result. If succesful, you will receive some
  food. This can be really important on long journeys. Notice that some
  food is used during the hunting, too. If you are out of food and trying
  to hunt for long periods, you may die of starvation.

  Note! The game may report that you catch game, but still there is no 
  more food in your inventory. Notice that your character uses food while
  hunting.

  An experienced traveller will survive long times with just the minimum
  amount of rations. The amount of rations you will consume in a certain
  time will be determined by your Survival-skill. If your Survival-skill
  is high, you can travel long distances with small amounts of food.

  When exploring the continent, you can find many places of intrest. Cities,
  dungeons and other interesting places can be found scattered all over the
  continent. As you move away from a city, the houses will disappear. That is
  because you can't see them anymore. Your visual range is determined by your
  Tracking-skill. A character with a high tracking skill can notice items,
  cities and dungeons from far away.

  You can enter cities and dungeons by walking "on top of them" and pressing
  the E-key. (see the Cities and dungeons section later).

  Defeated enemies (and you) will usually leave a pile of items behind. You
  can collect the items from the outdoors terrain by moving on the item and
  pressing the G-key.

  If you own a map, you can view it with the M-key.

  Magic can be used outside, with some exceptions. Only spells that heal or
  remove hunger can be used. Spells like speed can be used, but they will
  expire almost immediately (this is because of the larger timescale) and
  are therefor useless. 
  Casting spells is easy when you can concentrate on the casting process.
  Therefor all spells cast in the outside terrain are automatic successes.

3.2  Cities and dungeons     

  Moving around in the cities and dungeons is easy. You will advance to the
  direction you are facing by pressing the up arrow. You can turn around by
  pressing the left and right arrows. (Just like in Quake(tm) :) Pressing the
  down arrow will make you turn 180 degrees. 

  You can open doors by facing them and pressing the O-key. If the door is
  locked and you do not have a key, you can press the P-key to pick the
  lock (or at least try to). Closed doors can be attacked. If you are strong
  enough, you can bash them open. You can also use keys to unlock doors.

  If you try to pick locks or to bash doors, friendly people may turn 
  hostile. 

  You can talk to people by pressing the T-key. Move the cursor on the
  top of the person you wish to talk to and press enter. You must be
  near enough to the person to talk to him/her. You can end the
  conversation by pressing entering a blank line or saying 'BYE'.
  You can type in sentences or words. The parser will detect certain
  words from your text and use them as keywords. The green words in
  the person's answers are keywords. Typing in these keywords will
  give more information. Note that as the story proceeds, some persons
  will say different things about different subjects.
                             
  In cities you can buy weapons, armor, lodging, food and healing services.
  You must find the supplier (i.e merchant, smith, innkeeper, healer) and
  talk to him/her by pressing the T-key. Say 'BUY' or 'SELL' and a menu will
  appear. Weaponsmiths and traders, unlike innkeepers and healers, do not
  trade when they are off duty.

  In cities and dungeons, time doesn't go on if you do nothing. You can
  'wait' by pressing the space bar.

  Spells can be cast by pressing the C-key. Notice that people are not
  used to magic, and therefor they will consider you a threat. See
  section 3.5, Magic.

3.3  The inventory

  You can access the inventory at any time by pressing the I-key. A listing
  of your belongings will appear along with some commands. After selecting
  the command you must select the item you wish to use/equip/drop.

    EQUIP will ready (or unready) an item. Only weapons and armor can
          be readied. You can ready two weapons at a time, a melee and
          a ranged weapon.
    USE   will use an item. If items such as keys, maps or sextant are
          used, they will function in some way.
    DROP  will drop an item. It will be left where you stand.
    INFO  will display text describing an item, if applicable.
    DONE  will return from the inventory menu.
          
3.4  Combat

  You can encounter hostile creatures during your travels. When you do,
  the game will enter the combat mode. This is much like the city/dungeon
  mode. Your objective is to evade or destroy your enemies. You can use
  either melee weapons or long range weapons. Pressing the R-key will
  select the ranged weapon, if you have one readied. Pressing the M-key
  will ready your melee weapon, or prepare for barehanded combat. Your
  character will use a melee weapon by default.
  When you are using a melee weapon, you can attack enemies by just
  trying to walk over them. You can also attack an enemy by pressing
  the A-key and selecting the opponent you wish to hit.
  If you use a ranged weapon, press the A-key and select the opponent
  you wish to hit. You must be able to see your opponent. Your chances
  of hitting are the smaller the further the enemy is from you.


  3.41 Damage

    When hit by weapons or magic, different body parts might get damaged.
    If a body part reaches critical damage state, it will cease to function.
    Enough damage will kill your enemy (or you). You can see your own
    condition by pressing the Z-key and selecting the wounds screen. 
    Damaged legs will slow you down, damaged hands will make fighting 
    difficult and damaged head and torso will affect everything you do.
    Your (or your enemies') wounds will bleed. Loss of blood will make you
    feel weaker and thus add to fatigue. If character bleeds, he/she/it will
    leave bloody trails. You can check your own bleeding status by pressing
    the Z-key.
    Bleeding can be stopped with bandages. You can bandage yourself by using
    a bandage. This can be done from the inventory. 
    Herbs can be used to speed up healing.
    You can buy both herbs and bandages from the local healer.

  3.42 Weapons

    Aleshar - the world of ice offers a wide variety of weapons. Swords,
    clubs, maces, axes, spears, bows and others can be bought from the
    local smith.
    There is no such thing as "the best weapon". The accuracy of a weapon
    depends on the character's skills and condition. Lighter weapons are
    easier to use, but heavier weapons will inflict more damage.
    Magic weapons look like ordinary weapons. They will work in the same
    way as any other weapon, but their accuracy and damage might be greater
    than that of the normal weapons. 

  3.43 Armor

    As there is no "best weapon", there is no "best armor" either. Light
    armor won't slow you down, but on the other hand, it won't protect you
    that much. Armor can be bought from the local smith.


  If you want to know precisely how the combat works, see section 3.7.

3.5  Magic

  Magic is an important element in Aleshar - the World of Ice. In the 
  beginning you will not be able to use magic, but don't worry, you will 
  learn soon.

  Casting spells is easy. Press the C-key anywhere in the cities, dungeons,
  combat or outside. You will see a screen with runes. Each rune represents
  an element. The elements and corresponding runes are:

        Fire (a pyramid)
        Water (an ellipse with a horizontal line)
        Air (a three-pointed "star")
        Earth (a hemisphere)
        Spirit (a circle and a dot)

  You can move the selector (blue glow) with the left and right arrow keys.
  Pressing SPACE will activate or deactivate the currently highlighted rune.
  Active runes will begin rotating. Pressing the up and down keys will
  increase or decrease the power of the spell. The more power you direct to
  the spell, the faster the runes will rotate. At extremely high power,
  runes may begin to glow.
  The spells are made up from elements, or flows. Spells are formed by
  combinations of one, two or three runes. If three runes are used, one of
  them must be the spirit rune. 
  There is one exception to this rule, but you must find it out by yourself.
  The effect of a spell depends on the selected combination of runes and the
  alignment of the target. When the flows of water and air are focused on
  a friendly unit, he/she/it will move faster for a period of time depending
  on the power of the spell. When the same flows are targeted on an enemy,
  he/she/it will freeze (for a while).

  Magic is a powerful weapon, but the power must come from somewhere. As you
  cast spells, be aware of your exhaustion levels. If you push yourself too
  far, you will eventually die of overexhaustion. 

  Some combinations are harder and thus more fatiguing to do than others.
  Usually these combinations will result more powerful effects, too. 

  Here are a few general rules:

    - The more runes you use, the more powerful the spell will be
    - The more power you select, the more powerful the spell will be
    - Spells directed against opponents will generally be more exhausting

  Note that the spells have two modes: Hostile and friendly. When you aim
  the spell against an enemy, it will be harmful. When you cast the same
  combination over an ally or yourself, it will be helpful.

  We encourage you to experiment with magic. ANY combination cast against
  your enemies will harm them in some way. You will encounter some 
  situations that are very difficult to handle without magic, so it is 
  good to know how different combinations work.

  Here are some combinations to get you started:

  Flow(s)         Effect on enemies            Effect on friends

  Fire          Causes burning damage         Boosts combat skills
  Earth         Causes physical damage          Gives protection
  Earth+Water       Degeneration                  Regeneration


3.6  Enemies & other hazards

  There are many creatures on Aleshar that will be glad to eat you for their
  supper. Trolls, thieves and bloodthirsty snowgiants will try to kill you
  whenever there's a chance. By knowing your enemies you can survive longer.

    Thieves and raiding parties
        These greedy people will try to kill you and take all of your money.
        They are found everywhere on Aleshar. Thieves usually band up with
        bountyhunters and warriors. Be very careful when you fight thieves!
        They often have quite good equipment and even ranged weapons.
    Trolls
        These large humanoids have been trouble as long as there has been
        life on Aleshar. Taller and stronger than any human, they should
        be considered a threat. Trolls are very slow, though, and can be
        easily avoided. Ranged weapons are good against trolls, but don't
        let them get too near you!
    Goblins
        As the trolls are huge, muscular, ugly and green, the goblins are
        short, skinny, ugly and green. They are usually found in dungeons
        and caves, but some raiding parties will attack traders and
        travellers in hope of finding food. Goblins are not much of a 
        threat by themselves, but they try to come at you in numbers.
        Try to slay enough of them until they surround you.
    Snowgiants
        There are three words describing the snowgiants: big, deadly,
        unfriendly. They are even larger than trolls, towering up to 3 meters
        (10 ft.). They are hostile towards all other species. Deadly.
    Undead
        There are some stories about undead creatures guarding the greatest
        secrets of Aleshar. Stories about guardian spirits may be stories,
        but then, maybe not. If the legends and stories are true, one should
        be really careful with these hostile spirits. But even spirits are
        not immune to your magical powers.


3.7  The combat rules

    This section tells you the consequences of your actions and will
    give you a better chance to beat your opponents.

    There are three important factors which affect your combat performance:

    Speed

        - Determined by the character's dexterity attribute
        - Modified by weapon and armour encumbrance attributes
        - Modified by inventory weight
        - Modified by fatigue
        - Modified by damage
        - Modified by magical effects

    Skill

        - Determined by the character's dexterity and combat skills
        - Modified by weapon accuracy attributes
        - Modified by fatigue
        - Modified by damage
        - Modified by magical effects

    Strength

        - Determined by the character's strength attribute
        - Modified by weapon weight
        - Modified by fatigue
        - Modified by damage 
        - Modified by magical effects


    When attacking, the most important factors are in order: skill, speed
    and strength.

    Your fatigue increases whenever you do something like running or
    fighting or casting spells. The armor you wear and the weapon you
    wield will affect your fatigue along with the inventory weight.
    Fatigue saps your strength and speed. You can rest by pressing the
    space bar. The higher your constitution attribute is, the faster 
    you recover your stamina. Fighting constantly without resting will 
    eventually cause your defeat.

    There are two kinds of damage modifications:

    Overrall damage

        Sum of all your wounds. It slightly affects all your actions.

    Disabling damage

        This kind of damage gives you heavy penalties in certain actions.
        When your legs are broken, movement speed is affected by disabling
        damage. When your arms are broken, attacking strength and speed
        are dramatically reduced. You are assumed to use your right arm.
        If it is broken, you will use your left arm with some penalty on
        skill, speed and strength. If you use two-handed weapons and have
        only one functional hand, your attributes are reduced further.


    You have better chances of blocking your opponent's attacks if you 
    are engaged with him. You are engaged with someone if you attacked 
    him the last turn. Moving or doing something else than attacking 
    clears your engaged status. However, when you are engaged, you are 
    more vulnerable to ranged attacks. 

    When a hit is scored, there is a chance of wounding the target.
    There are six different body parts that can be hit.

    Body part            Hits  %
      Head                 10 
      Torso                40
      Hands                10 each
      Legs                 15 each

    Hits to head and torso can be deadly. Hits to limbs can be disabling.
    Your head is the most vulnerable part.

    


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              4.   REGISTERING      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Actually, you don't need to register, since you already have the
    full registered version. But if you have obtained it via illegal
    means, and wish to legalize it, order the full version from us and 
    be freed from guilt. Aleshar really doesn't cost much. If you can't 
    part with 15 bucks then you'd better quit living - it's too expensive.


Why should I register?                                  4.1

  When you register Aleshar - the World of Ice, you will:

  - Aleshar is VERY cheap. Nowadays games like Aleshar cost
    often more than 2-3 times the price of Aleshar!

  - Receive the full version of the game. You have only visited
    about a tenth of Aleshar dungeons! The full version is three
    times as long as the shareware version. It includes many
    dangerous and deadly monsters, lots of graphics and music
    and legendary artifacts of stunning magical power!

  - The complete index of spell combinations. Over 40 spells!

  

How to register?                                        4.2

  There are two ways to register.

  You may use cash or international money orders. Fill in the
  form below, and include either enough cash or a copy of the
  receipt you got from the money order. Always save the original
  receipt!

  Money orders should be directed to:

  Hypothermia

  513205-444765
  Kansallisosakepankki, Kerava

  Consult your local bank.


  Prices in different currencies including shipping and handling:

        FIM             50 mk
        USD             $15
        GBP             �8

  Note!

  We will not answer to invalid orders. We will not return any
  money to you!

  - If your order doesn't include any money or doesn't include
    enough money, we will notify you by Email (if address given).
    We will not return the money.

  - If you include money in another currency than FIM, USD or GBP,
    include a currency exchange fee of 4 USD (or equal amount in
    the currency you sent).

  - If you give wrong or missing information on your address, we
    are not responsible for any lost property. (Money or data)

  If you have anything to ask, please contact us:


  Via EMail:

  hypothermia@usa.net

  or vnorilo@netti.fi, janne.pulkkinen@dlc.fi or ossih@hotmail.com
  

  Via Mail:

  Hypothermia C/O Honkanen
  Korpinkatu 17
  04230 Kerava
  Finland
  Europe


  4.3 Order form

  Fill all these fields:

-- 8< ------------------------- CUT HERE -------------------------------

  Name   :__________________________________________
  Address:__________________________________________
          __________________________________________
          __________________________________________
          __________________________________________
  Method of payment:        [ ]  Cash
                            [ ]  Money order
  Amount of payment:______________
  Currency used    : [ ] FIM
                     [ ] GBP
                     [ ] USD
                     [ ] Other ________
                         (Remember the USD 4 additional
                          currency exchange payment)

  Optional:
  You don't have to fill in these, but it will help us to
  develope games as YOU like them!

  Rate Aleshar. 0-10:
  Graphics:__   Music:__        Gameplay:__     Overrall:__

  Comments:
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________________

  Your EMail address:______________________________________
  [ ] Add my address to the Aleshar mailing list

-- 8< ------------------------- CUT HERE -------------------------------

  Print the form above, fill in the necessary information, and send
  the envelope including the order form and the cash or the copy of
  the receipt.
  If you don't have a printer, you can write by hand. Write at least
  your name and address. Please try to write clearly.

  Hypothermia C/O Honkanen
  Korpinkatu 17
  04230 Kerava
  Finland
  Europe

  Please allow up to 4 weeks for handling and delivery!

  If you don't receive your registration, please contact us. 

        
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        5.  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Send your questions to us. They will be added here in the future
    releases!

        hypothermia@usa.net
        vnorilo@netti.fi                (Warder)
        janne.pulkkinen@dlc.fi          (Wisp)



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            6.   HINTS AND TIPS         
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   By following these hints you will survive longer:

   - Always run if you are outnumbered or overpowered.

   - If your character is too weak, go off adventuring.
     There are many 'unnecessary' dungeons in the full
     version. There are no time-critical missions in 
     Aleshar.

   - Visit all the shrines between different missions.
     You are going to be in a serious trouble without
     decent magical skills!
   
   - If you are faster than your opponent, hit and run is
     a good tactic.

   - Always equip yourself properly before setting off.
     Unless you are a good hunter you can die when your
     food runs out. Take sufficient amount of bandages
     and herbs with you.

   - When you loot, take only as much items as you can
     carry without penalty. Weapons are good plunder -
     the are quite light and fetch a good price.

   - Use two-handed weapons only when your strenght is
     good. High strenght allows you to don heavy armor
     without penalty, which is necessary with 2h-weapons, 
     since it is relatively difficult to parry with them.

   - If you are fast but not very strong, avoid heavy
     armor. Encumbrancing armor can actually make
     you more vulnerable!

   - Do not fight many opponents at once if you can
     avoid it. Parrying penalty occurs when you fight
     more than one opponent at a time!

   - Move fast. You will likely encounter fewer monsters
     that way. This is true for both outdoors and indoors
     movement.

   - If you have low magical skills, cast only minimum-power
     spells with one or two runes. Use magic only when your
     fatigue level is not high. Using too much magic can result
     in a heart attack.

   - Experiment with the magic. Try out different combinations.
     Remember that ANY combination aimed on an opponent is harmful -
     and that ANY combination over yourself is helpful!

   - Choose your weapons carefully. Use heavy weapons when you face
     slow and tough opponents like trolls, and light weapons when
     you face agile and weak opponents like goblins.

   - If the townspeople turn hostile and attack you, try to escape
     the town without killing people. People will forgive you sooner,
     and you do not eliminate anyone who might have critical information
     about the later stages of the game.

   - Never kill anybody in a city or a town, unless you are absolutely
     certain you won't be caught. If you kill someone and are detected,
     the people won't forgive you even if you wait a lifetime! If you kill
     someone in a honest combat (ie. you stole something and they attacked
     you) townspeople will eventually forgive you. Just wait!

   - When you wander the outdoors, know where you are going. Always write
     down the sextant coordinates of the town where you left from, so
     you know where to return. Also write down all the coordinates you
     learn. 

   - Learn to use the sextant!

   - Pay attention to what is being said. Never miss anything!
     Write down all the keywords and ask about them from everyone.

   - If you think you are stuck and can't proceed, you must be doing
     something wrong. Try to think of something other than the obvious
     solution (which usually is the brute force).
     Also check these:
        - Have you killed any characters? Some of them
          are vital to the continuity of the game.
        - Have you visited all of the towns you know?
        - Have you talked to everyone?

   
 




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              7.   QUICK START
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


7.1 Summary of all the keys

    7.11 Outdoors

        Arrow keys will move your character.

        Up              North
        Left            West
        Down            South
        Right           East

        Note that north is towars the upper-left hand corner
        of your screen, not straight upwards!

        Additional action keys:

        Esc             Menu/Pause

        C               Cast Spell
        E               Enter City/Dungeon
        H               Hunt for food
        I               Inventory
        M               View the Map.
        Z               View the status of your character.
                        Press right and left in the status
                        screen to select the page.


    7.12 Cities and Dungeons


        Arrow keys will function as follows:

        Up              Walk forwards
        Left            Turn left
        Down            Turn around
        Right           Turn right

        North is upwards.

        Additional keys:


        Esc             Menu, abort aiming
        F1              Display the key list

        A               Attack
        C               Cast Spell
        E               Enter stairs
        G               Get Items
        I               Inventory
        L               Look at
        M               Select the melee weapon
        O               Open a door or a chest
        R               Select the ranged weapon
        Z               View the status

    You can also attack enemies by facing them and pressing forwards.
    This applies only to melee weapons.


7.13 The Beginning of an Adventure

    You will start the game outdoors. You are a short way northeast
    from your destination, the town of Cyan Bay. Press down and left
    to reach the cluster of houses. The lone hut you left behind is
    the burned hut of your trainer. 
    Press the E-key to enter the town of Cyan Bay once you stand in
    it. The screen will change, and you are in a town. 
    In the intro sequence, your trainer told you to find out Master 
    Greymire, who is the innkeeper. The inn is straight to north
    from you. Open the door with the O-key and walk into the inn.
    There are usually more or less people in the Inn. One of them is 
    Master Greymire. You can use the L-key to look at different persons.
    Once you have located Master Greymire, walk next to him. He is
    usually in the common room, but when he is not, you will find him
    in his study adjacent to the common room.
    Press the T-key to begin conversation with Erik Greymire. Type in
    the hotword 'trainer' to tell Erik all that has happened. Erik
    will tell you about the resistance and will give you a key. He
    also gives you the coordinates of a city called Snowhold. Write
    them down! 
    Go to Erik's study and press the I-key to bring up the inventory.
    Select the USE-item and move the highlight on the PLAIN KEY. Press
    ENTER and move the cursor on the locked door. It will be unlocked.
    Go down in Erik's basement and take some weapons, armor and food
    he has stored there. Also pick up the sextant!
    You can now leave the town. You might want to buy some additional
    supplies from Master Greymire. Talk to him and type in 'buy' or
    'sell'. 
    Once you are outdoors, experiment with the sextant until you know 
    how it works. Then set out for the Snowhold. Good luck!
    



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            A.  WEAPON STATISTICS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


��������������������������������������������������������
Small slashing      Type         Wgt  Pow   Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Knife               Cutting        1   *     20   20
Dagger              Cutting        1   *     35   40
Shortsword          Cutting        4   **    60   50
Main Gauche         Cutting        2   *     70   15
Dirk                Cutting        1   *      5   15
Jagged Dagger       Cutting        2   *     40   40
Fist Dagger         Cutting        0   *      0   20
Handaxe             Cutting        4   **    45   50
Small Spear         Cutting        5   **    50   40
��������������������������������������������������������
Big slashing        Type         Wgt  Pow   Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Broadsword          Cutting        6   ***   70   60
Longsword           Cutting        6   ***   75   66
Falchion            Cutting        5   **    80   66
Greataxe            Two-handed     7   ***   50   60
Jagged Sword        Two-handed     7   ****  55   55
2-H Sword           Two-handed    10   ****  40   45
Claymore            Two-handed    11   ***** 33   40
2-H Axe             Two-handed    10   ****  33   30
Battleaxe           Two-handed    11   ****  40   35
Pike                Two-handed    11   ***   66   40
Halberd             Two-handed    10   ***   60   50
Naginata            Two-handed     9   ***   86   50
��������������������������������������������������������
Small crushing      Type         Wgt  Pow   Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Small Club          Crushing       5   **    35   40
Mace                Crushing       5   **    40   40
Spiked Mace         Crushing       5   **    40   45
Hammer              Crushing       4   *     30   35
Small Morningstar   Crushing       9   ****   5    5
Club                Crushing       8   ***   45   40
��������������������������������������������������������
Big crushing        Type         Wgt  Pow   Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Flail               Two-handed    10   ***** 25   33
Morning Star        Two-handed    18   ******15   22
Great Mace          Two-handed     9   ****  30   40
Warhammer           Two-handed     9   ****  30   35
��������������������������������������������������������
Bow                 Type         Wgt  Pow   Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Horn Bow            Bow            5   **    -    50
Longbow             Bow            8   ****  -    60
Ash Bow             Bow            9   ****  -    80
��������������������������������������������������������
Throwing            Type         Wgt   Pow Par % Acc %
��������������������������������������������������������
Throwing Dagger     Throwing       1   *     -    40
Dirk                Throwing       1   *     -    50
Javelin             Throwing       1   **    -    50


Wgt   = Weight
Pow   = Power
Par % = Parrying
Acc % = Accuracy


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            B.   ARMOR STATISTICS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

��������������������������������������������������������
Armor                 Weight  Con   Pen   Enc           
��������������������������������������������������������
Padded Cloth             5    **     *     *
Banded Mail              7    **     **    *
Leather Vest            10    **     ***   **
Tanned Leather          12    **     ***   **
Chain Shirt             30    **     ****  ***
Chain Hauberk           40    ***    ****  ****
Plate Mail              50    ****   ****  *****
Scale Plate             50    *****  ****  ****


Con   = Protection against concussion
Pen   = Protection against penetration
Enc   = Encumbrance

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           ALESHAR: THE WORLD OF ICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   Spell List

                            (C) 1997, Hypothermia


Hostile spells

Spell name        Elements        Misc.

Compulsion        W F S
Sleep         W E S
Chill Storm       W A S
Melt          F E S
Preterstorm       F A S
Chasm         E A S
Balefire        F S
Slow          W S
Paralyze        E S
Entangle        A S
Firebeam        F W
Degenerate        E W
Freeze          A W
Stun          W
Curse         E F
Lightning       A F
Burn          F
Tornado         A E
Damage          E
Wind          A


Friendly Spells

Spell name        Elements        Misc.

Shrinegate        S F E W A
Major Attack boost                      W F S
Complete Heal                           W E S
Stay Hand         W A S
Wardfire        F E S
Acid Touch        F A S
Remove Fatigue                          W S
Major Heal        E S
Invisibility                            A S
Attack boost                            F W
Regenerate        E W
Quick           A W
Refresh         W
Major Protection                        E F
Missile Protection                      A F
Courage         F
Major Deflect                           A E
Protection        E
Deflect         A


S = Spirit
F = Fire
E = Earth
W = Water
A = Air