Shadowlands manual
- Shadowlands
- manual
Shadowlands: Complete Game Manual
SHADOWLANDS: The Fall of Koranos
Deep in the heart of the Shadowlands, wrapped in dungeons and
bathed in temples, sat the Overlord, and all the land that his
dark eyes surveyed belonged to him. From the melancholy orchards
at Randril to the grand mazes of Sunassi, this was the realm of
the Overlord. From the point where the sky meets the sea to the
tips of the Gurangas mountains, he was lord of all. The dark
lord surveyed his realm, and he hungered for more.
Tianna awoke at eight, and, surfacing from her dreams, she turned
here head on her pillow to gaze upon the sleeping body of
Vashnar. His smooth breath a calm face pleased her. Vashnar had
been despondent of late, and when he was angry he was so much
more of a warrior, and so much less a prince.
Rumours had reached the great palace of great movements beyond
the mountains, in the sombre realms. Some of the more foolhardy
adventurers of the village had talked of venturing north through
the mountain paths, into the Shadowlands, to investigate, but
Vashnar had forbidden any to venture there, and no-one doubted
the wisdom of Vashnar.
Tianna looked from the windows to the river of Caval, the river
of eternity, whose song played though the village, and who's
waters, it was said, gave energy to the strong of heart. Her
gaze turned up the river, to the giant form of Holias, largest
of the Gurangas mountains, and there she saw a sight that
chilled her. An army, a mass, a deluge of people, moving slowly
down the mountain like a black stain. She took a trembling
breath, and turned to wake the warrior prince.
Fortimer had also seen the dark army. From his farm at the foot
of the mountains it now seemed awesome to him, immense and
unending, wrapping the landscape like a wave of death. His
daughter came to him as he sat on the edge of his farm and
watched them.
Sapphire was eleven years old and already had all of her mother's
wisdom weaved into her face. She spoke little, preferring to
observe, and on the rare occasions she did speak, her voice was
small and light, like birdsong. Fortimer looked at her - his
child, his line, his blood - and pride welled within him with
every breath she took. She spoke to him, and her words cut him
in twain.
"Daddy, are they going to hurt us?"
Fortimer felt tears well up in his eyes. An hour later he and his
family were slain. They were the first victims in the fall of
Koranos.
From Vashnar's address to the army of Koranos:
"This day sees Koranos face it's bitterest test. The dark hand
of the Overlord extends its grasp in our direction, and we in
turn must face ourselves, and the courage that makes us men.
Many of you have fought with me before, at the fields of
Megellin, and at the Llinor pass: on these days we did not fail
- though the enemy seemed more mighty than the gods - and thus
shall it be today.
"I do not attempt to mislead you my people. There will be much
bloodshed in our lands today. But by the spirit which guides the
Caval we shall be sure that none of our deaths shall be without
purpose, and none of us shall battle without honour.
"We ride to the defence of Koranos, which has fed us and housed
us for five generations. We ride so the city may host many
hundreds of generations for all of time. We ride with our hearts
held high, and we ride with right on our side, so we cannot
fail."
As the army moved out of the mail square, smoke was seen on the
horizon. Vashnar cursed under his breath, for he knew the fire
was Fortimer's farm, and he knew that for all his fine words,
he was still mortal, and his life was as temporary as the
harvest fire, and as transient as the beauty of a rose.
Battle was joined five miles after the army crossed the Caval.
From nowhere they seemed to come, as if dropped from the sky by
some mighty fist. The Annubi, the Valkyrie, the Minotaurs, and
the Undead. All these were in the first rank of the Overlord's
armies, and though the men of Koranos fought well, they were
crushed by the size of the dark one's hoards. Vashnar saw his
cousin, Ulun, gorged on the horns of a minotaur, his quartered
body thrown to the Hell Hounds who ripped the still screaming
tongue from his mouth. Durranon, the captain of the guard, was
consumed in one hail of fireballs poured upon the armies.
Through the smoke and heat, Vashnar made out the form of Keenan,
his bravest Paladin, approaching him.
"Vashnar, warrior prince, you must flee this place. We are
defeated. You must not die: you must go and take the name of
Koranos with you. Maybe one day it will be safe to return here
and make Koranos anew. Return to your palace, take Tianna and
head south, away from the Shadowlands. Do not let our deaths be
for nought my prince"
Vashnar turned and drove his horse west, back across the Caval,
to the village. Keenan rode back into the fray, to die in the
defence of his lord.
Rats and scorpions ran though the streets of the village, snakes
climbed the walls of every house. The stench of burning flesh
hung in the air, and though he could net yet see it, Vashnar
knew that the palace was the same.
Tianna lay naked on the floor of the bedroom, clutching her
stomach and sobbing. As he turned her over, Vashnar could see
that she had been violated and branded by one of the Incendera,
the "burning" men of legend who lived in the Shadowlands. He
wrapped her in sheets and carried her in his arms to his horse.
As they rode south, to follow the river, the blood from her
wounds stained the sheets. By the time they reached the borders
of the Koranos she had stopped sobbing. Long before they reached
the banks of the Caval, she was dead.
Vashnar dismounted, and lay Tianna's body on the ground. He knelt
over the body and began to weep.
"A curse on you Overlord. By all that is good and pure in this
woman I swear I shall not rest until I have revenge on you."
Vashnar list the sheets that surrounded his lover, and stood
silently by her flames. For what seemed like days, he watched her
body give its spirit to the skies and the land. Then he turned,
and headed back northwards, following the river. And his eyes
were like pinpricks in steel, and his frown was as stern as the
clouds.
Three miles Vashnar travelled before he saw three horsemen
approach from the north. His heart froze as he saw they were
servants of the Overlord, dark knights on skeletal steeds. The
undead come in many forms, but surely the most terrible is that
of a skeleton, a rotted human corpse, with its flesh long since
consumed and two empty bottomless holes for eyes. The fixed grin
of the jawbone presented a bitter irony to the warrior. He
smiled, and dismounted.
"Who dares stand before us?", said a cold voice from deep within
the lead skeleton's robes.
"Who asks?", replied Vashnar.
"I am Cthul Tol Anuin. Overlord of the Shadowlands. Keeper of the
Grim Mask of Gythdor. Your new lord and master."
"And I am Vashnar Herenil, son of King Herenil of the Harbour
Lands, bearer of the Staff of Remiros. I challenge your
leadership, Cthul Tol. I have cursed you on the banks of the
River Caval, and I shall destroy you."
"I laugh at your curse, warrior prince, and at your sacred river.
Your river flows northwards into my realm son of Kings, and its
is there that your bones shall rot when you die."
"I am not afraid of you."
"Then we are well matched, Prince Vashnar, for I am not afraid
of you. I am not afraid of you at all."
A shooting pain ran up Vashnar's left side, and he felt the warm
ooze of his own blood on his thigh. He looked down to his side
to see the end of a spear jutting from the right side of his
stomach. Then the pain began. Immeasurable pain, as his kidneys
and intestines and skin and bones and blood all screamed for help
to his mind. And the scream of his body passed from his brain
to his mouth. And Vashnar screamed, a primal scream, and through
the layers of pain Vashnar was aware that the spear was being
twisted and moved, gouging up through his back, and the, finally,
withdrawn.
He stumbled back, clutching his stomach, and saw the standing
form of a skeleton, the spear still in its hand. The grin of the
jaw-bone smiled down at him, and the empty eyes called to him,
and Vashnar saw himself on the ground with the skeleton standing
beside him, and as he began to rise further and further upwards,
he saw the skeleton kick his lifeless body into the River Caval.
He turned away, towards the sky, where the arms of the earth
mother offered to wrap him up and hold him, and he smiled.
"That's the dream?", said Nanock.
"The same every night for the past four days", replied Helver,
"Strange."
They were sitting in one of the many taverns in the City of
Aquanor, capital of the Harbour Lands. The tavern was small but
friendly, and many adventurers came to swap stories and drink
ale. Tonight the tavern was packed, and all the talk was of
Helver's dream, of the fall of Koranos, of the death of Prince
Vashnar, and of why nearly a third of the adventuring community
had experienced the very same dream every night for the past four
days.
"It has to be a call for help. It has to be," proclaimed Rathor,
a powerful cleric whose experience demanded that his words be
taken seriously. "You want my guess, the prince is dead and that
palace hasn't told the people yet."
"Maybe the palace doesn't know yet", interjected Helver. "It's
fourteen days' ride to Koranos, what if he only died four days
ago? That would seem likely. Surely we should seek an audience
with the King, even if only to warn him about the dream."
"If the dream has affected so many of us, I should imagine there
are many in the King's direct service who have also received it.
The King already knows: if he didn't, he wouldn't be King."
"The what do we do, pack our bags and ride north for sixteen days
on the strength of a shared dream? It could be a trap. Stranger
things have been known."
"I would like to speak please", came a soft voice from the back,
and when the adventurers turned they beheld a bright white light,
and in the centre of that light was the spirit of a small girl,
who bore infinite wisdom in her face. The room parted and slowly
she moved, silently, suspended in the air, to the front of the
room. And the she spoke, and her voice was like birdsong:
"I am Sapphire of Koranos, brought here by the power of the River
Caval, to summon you to the aid of Vashnar Herenil, slain by the
Overlord of the Shadowlands, and who lives yet in spirit.
Through the power of the River Caval, the River of Eternity, and
through the power of a curse, made by Vashnar at the side of his
lover, his spirit shall not rest until the Overlord is slain."
"That could take a long time", whispered Nanock to Helver. The
light moved towards him.
"That, Nanock of Duannar, is why the curser is often the cursed.
Many of you will have already received messages telling of the
fall of Koranos, and of the death of Vashnar. Vashnar asks four
of the noblest warriors to become bears for his spirit and
guidance, and to venture into the Shadowlands to retrieve his
bones, and to exact his vengeance on Cthul Tol Anuin. Do any
accept?"
"And what about afterwards?", asked Rathor, "When this task is
done? How are we to be rewarded? How is the spirit of Vashnar
to leave our bodies and reward us?"
"In the inner sanctum of the Shadowlands", the spirit whispered,
"past the dungeons and temples, past the undead and the dogs of
hell, beyond the mazes and the pyramids, lies the Overlord's dark
Temple, and in this temple there is an altar of regeneration.
It is thus that the Overlord has held his reign for so long.
Place the bones of Vashnar upon the altar, take the key held by
the Overlord, and return Vashnar to life. Then you will see
reward from this warrior prince. Reward such as you have never
known."
"I'm convinced", said Nanock. "How will we know if we've been
chosen?"
"You will know", breathed Sapphire, and vanished as silently as
she had arrived.
The banks of the river Caval were lined from the entrance into
the Shadowlands to the burned out husk that was once Koranos.
Many people ventured to the Caval that day, some out of loyalty
to the once and future warrior-prince, some out of more material
motives, and many out of curiosity, but none expected the events
of the afternoon.
As the sun began to be eclipsed by Holias, largest of the
Gurangas mountains, the sky began to darken and a rumbling began
from deep in the earth. The River Caval began to moan, and its
moans were the cries of loss, the moans of those whose lives are
taken as they follow their hearts, and the tears of those who
mourn the loss of an innocent. And the river began to flow
faster, and began to foam and wave, and burst its banks, and all
those who were touched by the waters were frozen. And those who
tried to flee were also caught by the waters, and soon, all stood
silent and frozen.
Nanock felt a presence deep within him, searching him, sensing
everything about him, and then, as quickly as the sensation had
appeared, it vanished, and the waters began to recede to the
river, and the sky began to grow lighter, and the people began
to move.
And everyone who was present left the place immediately, and in
silence. When asked afterwards no-one could report why they had
left so quickly. Roaming homewards, to new adventures, to
lovers, battles or children and families, all left the banks of
the River Caval. All, that is, except four adventurers, chosen
by Vashnar Herenil, Warrior Prince of Koranos, to be his
avengers, and his delivers.
ENTERING THE SHADOWLANDS
Shadowlands is a challenging and absorbing RPG (Role Playing
Game) but thanks to its advanced interface design it's extremely
easy to play. The quest may take you months, but the controls
will be at your fingertips after only a few minutes.
Shadowlands is choc-a-bloc with traps, adversaries and
conundrums. Your objective is to guide your Four Warriors
through these obstacles to confront The Keeper - the Undead
Guardian of Your Physical Self. Defeat him and you can undergo
the process of reintegration, uniting your physical and spiritual
selves in the process of Self Realisation.
Remember: the Sprit may be Willing, but the Flesh is Extremely
Weak!
A. STARTING OPTIONS
When first starting the game you are presented with three options
- GENERATE CHARACTERS, QUICK START or LOAD A SAVED GAME.
1. GENERATE CHARACTERS
When you begin Shadowlands for the first time, you will need to
create your party of warriors. These four physical beings will
be your eyes, ears, hands and feet - they are the means by which
your Spiritual Self can interact with the Physical World and, by
eventually retrieving your body form the Undead, complete the
game.
Clicking on the (1) icon will invoke the Generate Characters
screen. Along the bottom of the display are four character
portraits and you use these to determine the appearance and
characteristics of your Warriors. Initially, the left hand
character is highlighted (with a border around its portrait),
ready for you to edit. You can edit any of the characters at any
time on this screen by first clicking on one of these portraits.
a) CHANGE CHARACTER APPEARANCE
The currently selected character's face is copied to the larger
portrait window at the left of the screen. To the right of this
portrait are four small icons for hair, eyes, nose and mouth.
Successively clicking on any one of these small icons will cycle
through the available features for that character. You can
customise any of the characters in this fashion.
b) CHANGE CHARACTER NAME
You can also name the currently selected character - the cursor
can be seen in the panel beneath the four bar charts at the top
right of the display. Type the desired name for your character
and press RETURN. The name will appear beneath the portrait of
the character at the bottom of the screen.
c) CHANGE CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES
In common with other Role Playing Games, each Warrior has a set
of attributes that determine how he or she performs during the
game. In Shadowlands, characters start with a certain amount of
points relating to their STRENGTH, COMBAT ability, MAGIK level,
and HEALTH.
The program automatically assigns initial values for these
attributes for each character, indicated by the length of the
bars beside each attribute - the longer the bar, the more points
the characters has. However, you can alter these if you want to
adjust the balance of skills within your party. It would be too
easy, however, if you could simply make one character extremely
strong and another a powerful magician from the beginning.
Instead, you click on the CHANGE CARD (labelled with a ? at the
top of the screen) to reshuffle the attribute values for each
character until you are satisfied.
When you're happy with a character's appearance, name and
attributes, just move on to the next one by clicking on its
portrait at the bottom of the screen. When you've edited all the
Warriors, click on the ENTER THE SHADOWLANDS swords icon to begin
the game. You will be prompted to enter the Shadowlands data
disk.
(?) INFORMATION
Don't forget that a character's attributes will change during the
game as he or she grows in experience.
(!) WARNING
You are advised to save your game when you first enter the
Shadowlands. If you die without previously saving your
characters, you will need to re-edit your party before
restarting.
2. QUICK START
You don't have to create a party of characters yourself: the
program will do it for you if you prefer - just select this
option. However, you are advised to create your own team if you
are seriously committed to completing the game as the automatic
team selection may not come up with a set of characters ideally
balanced for you playing style.
3. LOAD SAVED GAME
If you have already played the game on a previous occasion and
wish to recommence from the position you saved, select this
option. You will find yourself where you left off, with your
characters in the same status.
B. PLAYING THE GAME
Once you have entered the game, you will receive a reminder to
save your characters if they are newly created. You are strongly
advised to do so, as new characters are particularly vulnerable
and cannot be resurrected expect by use of the LOAD SAVED GAME
option.
The screen is your window onto the gameworld, presenting your
environment in isometric 3D style. Portraits of the Four
Warriors are overlaid on it along the bottom of the display.
The game is mouse operated and you use the portraits of your
Warriors to issue commands which they will then carry out within
the gameworld. In general, these commands are issued by using
the left mouse button to click upon a part of one of the
portraits location in the gameworld. full details of the command
sequences are given below.
Note that each warrior can only carry out a command involving
objects or destinations that he can actually see - that is,
objects or destinations that are within his RANGE OF VISION.
This range is dependent on distance and intervening obstacles
(e.g. walls).
The range of vision of a character is indicated for you by the
mouse pointer. When an action has been selected, the pointer
shows as a POINTING HAND icon when you are within the character's
range of vision and as an ARROWHEAD when it is outside this
range. The arrowhead can only be used on the portrait.
For example, click on the Red Warrior's (extreme left portrait)
LEFT leg - which is the extended leg on the RIGHT when viewed
from your position. This invokes the 'walk to' command. Now
move the mouse pointer across the screen and select a location
where the mouse pointer icon shows as a pointing hand. Click the
left mouse button again and the Warrior will walk to that
location.
(!) WARNING
In this manual, whenever we refer to the RIGHT or LEFT part of
a portrait, we are referring to it from YOUR point of view, NOT
the character's.
All actions in the game can be accomplished in this manner. In
addition, the portraits also give access to information
(INVENTORY) screens about each warrior - move the mouse pointer
over another portrait and click the RIGHT mouse button. The
inventory screen for that character will now be displayed (but
note that game time continues to pass in this mode - important
to remember if you're involved in combat). The inventory screen
is described elsewhere in this manual. To return o the action
screen, just click again on the right hand mouse button.
(?) INFORMATION
USING THE MOUSE
The mouse is used in two ways in Shadowlands: to select
icons/objects by clicking on them, and for certain other actions
by 'dragging':
- SELECTING ICONS/OBJECTS
To select an icon or object, move the mouse pointer so that it
is positioned over the icon or object and click (depress and
release) the left mouse button.
- DRAGGING
Some more advanced control techniques involve 'dragging' - place
the mouse pointer over the location you want, press and hold the
left mouse button. Now slowly move the mouse in the required
direction, whilst still holding the left mouse button down.
- BUTTONS
The left mouse button is used to select actions, icons, objects
and locations. The right mouse button in Shadowlands is used to
switch between the game screen and the inventory screen whilst
the pointer is over the required character's portrait, and
alternatively to centre on the current character if the pointer
is away from the portraits.
1. THE PORTRAITS
These represent your four warriors and are colour coded to help
you match each portrait with the warrior on-screen it refers to.
The portraits server two principal functions:
First, they enable you to issue commands to the warriors.
Commands are issued to one character at a time by clicking on a
part of the character's anatomy. Full instructions on this are
given later.
Secondly, they give you information about the Four Warriors, in
particular their health and their position in the gameworld. The
position is indicated by the appearance of the portrait (see
USING THE PORTRAITS below). The health status of a character is
indicated by a horizontal bar graph at the base of each portrait.
(?) INFORMATION
The layout of the portraits may be changed by means of the LAYOUT
control (the ESCAPE key).
A) USING THE PORTRAITS
At any one time, the portraits may be in one of four conditions:
1) ACTION PORTRAIT
In this mode, the character is shown as an outline of his body,
split into arms, legs and head. If he is carrying an object in
his right hand, this is shown also. This mode is used for
issuing commands to the relevant warrior.
2) FACIAL PORTRAIT
When you see only a warrior's face, that means he or she is
currently of the visible range of the currently selected
character. For example, when you begin the game, click on the
left hand (red) warrior's right leg and continuously walk him
diagonally down the road to the left. As each of the other
characters in turn falls out of the red character's range of
vision, his portrait icon will be replaced with a facial
representation.
3) REVERSED PORTRAIT
If a character has his/her back to you, that means that he/she
is not only out of sight of the currently selected character, but
is on another level of the game.
4) SKULL
SKULLS commemorate those Warriors who are no longer with us.
2. ISSUING COMMANDS
Commands may be issued to one character at a time, although other
characters may still be engaged in tasks from earlier commands,
providing a "multitasking" command structure.
To issue a command to a warrior you must first click on the
portrait - the screen will move to their current location, and
their portrait will become and ACTION PORTRAIT (if it is not
already).
(?) INFORMATION
Clicking on a SKULL portrait of a dead Warrior will show the
location of the body (this may be carried by another character).
You cannot issue commands to a dead Warrior!
The state of the other character portraits may change at this
time, showing their position relative to the current character.
Warriors within visible range of the current character will have
their ACTION PORTRAITS displayed; out of visible range characters
will have FACIAL PORTRAITS, or they will have REVERSED PORTRAITS
if they are on a different level altogether.
Actually issuing commands is simple. All you have to do is click
on the appropriate part of the body to perform the action. There
are five body areas available for this purpose and, as you will
see, the control possibilities are quite logical. The head
controls eating and reading, the feet control the two types of
walking and so on..
a) ACTION HAND
This is always the LEFT hand, i.e. It is actually on the left
side as you look at the Action Portrait and could therefore be
said to be the Warrior's right hand. The action hand is used for
hand to hand combat. Additionally, if an object is held in this
hand, the action hand is selected to USE it. Arrows that appear
above and below the object enable other objects in the
character's inventory to be cycled through, placing each in turn
in the hand without having to use the inventory screen.
b) TRANSIT HAND
This is always the RIGHT hand as viewed from your point of view.
This hand is used for COLLECTING, DROPPING, THROWING, and
OPERATING. Note that the Transit hand always remains free of
objects, even if you have just used it to pick something up (see
collecting objects in the COMMAND SEQUENCES section below).
Objects picked up are immediately transferred to the Action Hand.
The only objects related to the Transit hand are SHIELDS - these
are worn on the Transit hand are SHIELDS - these are worn on the
Transit ARM and are accessed only on the inventory screen.
c) WALK LEG
This is always the RIGHT leg i.e. On the right side as you look
at the Action Portrait. It's only use is to walk the character
from one position to another.
d) LEAD LEG
This is always the LEFT leg as you look at the Action Portrait.
this leg has the same function as the WALK leg, except that when
selected it causes other characters in the selected warrior's
range of vision to follow him wherever he goes. This command is
therefore used to form a SQUAD and the formation that the
characters involved adopt is dictated by the SQUAD FORMATION
option, which is discussed in the INVENTORY SCREEN section.
e) HEAD
There's only one of these for each character! It's used for
READING and EATING.
(?) INFORMATION
There are more complex operations possible that may involve your
warriors in interaction with other objects or characters. These
are accomplished by a mixture of commands - throwing an object,
for example, requires that you click on the object, both hands,
and the destination.
3. COMMAND SEQUENCES
A) WALKING
Select the portrait of the character you wish to command. Click
on the Walk leg. Click on the screen position you wish him to
walk to, within his visible range (i.e. with HAND pointer).
Dragging the pointer will cause the character to follow.
B) LEAD SQUAD
Select the portrait of the character you wish to command. Click
on the Lead leg. Click on the screen position you wish him to
lead on. The character will walk to the position, with other
members of his squad accompanying him in the currently selected
formation, dictated by the Chess Boards (see the INVENTORY SCREEN
section). Characters out of visible range will not join the
squad.
C) EATING AND DRINKING
Each character will require food and water as time progresses.
To replenish these:
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Click on his Head icon.
c) Move the HAND POINTER (which means that the food must be in
visible range) over the food item you wish him to consume until
it flashes, then click on it.
The character will walk over, collect and eat this item.
Drinking directly from fountains is achieved the same way.
To consume items already held,
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Place the food item in the Action hand (using scroll arrows
if necessary)
c) Click on the food item.
d) Click on the head icon.
The character will eat the item he is holding. Drinking from
containers is achieved the same way. Filling these objects is
simply a case of USING them on the fountain. (Additionally, food
and drink items may be consumed by the use of the mouth icon on
the inventory screen).
D) READING
To read a message,
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Select the head icon.
c) Highlight the notice you wish him to read with the HAND
POINTER and select it (must be within visible range).
The character will walk over and the message will be read. Click
Left mouse button to clear the message. Note that it is
impossible to read signs in the dark.
E) COLLECTING
To collect an object within the range of the character.
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Select the Transit hand.
c) Highlight and select the object in the game world.
The character will walk over and pick-up the object. It will be
placed in his Action hand and will occupy one slot in his
inventory.
If the character already has a full inventory, he will swap the
item with whichever item that was already held in Action hand.
F) DROPPING and THROWING
To drop an item,
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Place the item to be dropped in the Action hand by use of
scroll arrows if necessary.
c) Select the item.
d) Select the Transit hand.
e) Select the position where you wish him to drop the item
using the HAND POINTER.
If the position is very close to the character, he will simply
walk over and drop the item. If the position is further, he will
throw the item. Note that a Warrior will always attempt to throw
an object to the exact position you indicate; however if he is
too weak or the object is too heavy, it may not quite reach.
G) OPERATING
To operate switches and buttons,
a) Select the portrait of the character you wish to command.
b) Select the Transit hand.
c) Highlight and select the desired object.
The character will walk over and operate the device, i.e push
button, pull lever.
Some devices are operated by means of weight on floor switches;
others are operated by light, darkness or other factors. You
will have to experiment!
H) USING OBJECTS
Any object currently held in the ACTION hand can be used on
another object by first clicking on the object held and then on
the second object. Most objects have specific uses, and may only
be effective if used in the correct way and as a general rule the
game will make it apparent which uses an object has.
For example
1) KEYS
These only work in locks - if you have selected the key for use,
you will only be able to operate it on locks. If the key is
still held after performing this action, then the key does not
fit that particular lock.
2) COINS
These operate coin slots. Several coins may be required. If the
wrong type of coin is being used and does not fit, then the coin
will remain in the character's hand.
3) FLASKS
Flasks work on fountains - they will fill.
(?) INFORMATION
If you attempt a nonsense use, e.g. USE key on FOUNTAIN, you
will find it impossible to highlight the fountain whilst trying
to use the key.
4. INVENTORY SCREEN
Clicking the right mouse button on a portrait will switch the
view to that character's inventory screen.
This screen is divided into 5 areas.
A) BACKPACK ITEMS
These are 16 slots in the top left hand area of the screen. Each
slot may contain a representation of a single object in your
inventory (i.e. carried by the warrior). Objects may be picked
up and placed into other empty slots by clicking them, or
exchanged by clicking over another item. You may sometimes wish
to do this so that certain objects are placed in sequence in the
action hand during play.
The item currently held in the character's Action hand is in a
special slot to the right below the scales, where additional
information about the item is displayed and access to the magik
system (see the section on MAGIK) is allowed.
B) CHARACTER STATISTICS
In the centre of the screen, below the panel showing the
currently held object (if any) you will see a list of five
attribute values followed by three bar charts. Here you can
check up on your character's status.
COMBAT LEVEL
This will grow with experience. Characters generally start at
level one or two.
MAGIK LEVEL
As Combat above but related to Magik power.
STRENGTH
The first figure indicates your current rating; the second
indicates the maximum rating potential for the character.
HEALTH
If a character's health reaches zero, he will die. His health
suffers if he is thirsty, starving, injured or overburdened with
items. The second figure indicates the maximum rating potential
for that character.
ARMOUR
Indicates the degree of protection currently enjoyed by the
character.
FOOD (barchart)
You should keep a careful eye on this. Once a character's food
level becomes critical he will starve and his health will
deteriorate.
WATER (barchart)
As for food, but replenished through drinking.
FORCE (barchart)
Particularly important for Magic and in particular the charging
of spells. See the MAGIK section for more information.
E) CHARACTER PORTRAITS
On the right of the screen, these allow you to examine other
characters' inventories without returning to the main screen.
Clicking on the name of the appropriate portrait will display the
relevant screen.
If characters are standing close to each other, then it is
possible to "hand" items between them on this screen - you must
be able to access their slots (i.e. their boxes must be
highlighted and showing the figure rather than the face only) in
order to do this, therefore the characters must be standing quite
close to each other. The arrows allow you to cycle through the
objects in characters' inventories. To move an object from one
character to another, 'pick up' the object by clicking on it,
move it over the inventory slot of the other character then
'drop' it by clicking again on the left hand mouse button.
Additionally, the Transit arm of the character in each portrait
has a special inventory slot which may be given a shield type
when collected. This will provide limited damage protection and
may only be done on the inventory screen.
D) THE CHESS BOARDS
Shadowlands offers a party of four characters and each character
can either operate alone or as a SQUAD in the company of others.
Furthermore, your party can split into two squads with each one
led by a different character.
A squad will form whenever you use the LEAD command (see the
COMMANDS section) - who joins it and what formation they take up
is determined by using the chessboards on the Inventory screen.
You can store up to five squad formations and setups using the
function (Formations) keys 1 to 5. They come with default
settings: to edit them, simply click on the recite Formation
number above the chess boards and proceed as follows:
To create a single squad with all four players, use the left hand
chess board. Click on any of the pawns (each of which represents
one of the warriors - the colour codes are the same as elsewhere)
and move it to the desired square on the board. Repeat this
process with all four characters until the pawns are in the
correct positions relative to each other for your desired squad
formation. Now, whenever you use the Lead command and this
Formation number is selected, the warriors will take up the
positions as indicated.
To split the party into two squads, proceed as above but choose
which warriors you wish to work together and then transfer them
to the right hand chessboard, leaving the other(s) behind to form
the alternative squad. For example, if you place the red and
green warriors in the right hand chess board, then subsequently
invoking the LEAD command on either of these will cause the other
to join him (assuming they are in sight of each other) and take
up the appropriate position relative to his companion. You can
of course alter the relative positions of those left on the other
one. Different formations can be selected at any time during
play using the function keys.
E) SLEEP, EAT, SAVE
In the centre of the screen at the bottom are icons for Sleeping
(an eye), Eating (a mouth) and Save or Load Game (a disk).
1) SLEEP
Clicking on the eye icon to send that particular character to
sleep. His energies will replenish much faster whilst sleeping,
although he will be prone to being attacked. To wake-up a
character, simply issue a new command from his action portrait
o the main game screen.
2) EAT
Getting a character to eat may be done in several different ways:
a) On the main game screen, click on the head of the character
and then on the food item in the gameworld (the item will flash
when the hand pointer is correctly positioned over it).
b) Click on the food item when it is being held, then on the
head icon.
c) Carry the item from a character's inventory slot on the
inventory screen and drop it onto the mouth icon.
3) SAVE GAME
Click on the disk and then follow the instructions. You may
format a blank disk from here if you do not have one already
prepared.
(!) WARNING
Do not save or format onto your game disks , always have a fresh
disk ready.
5) LIGHT
Shadowlands features PHOTOSCAPE, a new realtime system which
realistically lights all areas of the game world, casting shadows
and creating unparalleled sense of atmosphere. The lighting in
the game is of importance for several reasons. Many objects,
traps and adversaries are difficult to see without proper
illumination - as in real life, you will miss important details
or make mistakes if you cannot see properly.
In addition, light plays an active role in many of the areas that
you will find yourself in - it may affect the behaviour of traps
and of creatures. Used wisely, however, it can be turned to your
advantage. Many objects and events create light - torches,
explosions, magikal items, spells and even some creatures.
a) USING TORCHES
Torches vary in their power and will gradually burn down. If you
find a lit torch which you wish to keep for later use, extinguish
it and place it in a backpack.
You can also place a lit torch in your backpack (where it will
be held in a special carrier outside the pack, designed
especially for this purpose). This has the advantage of
generating light but freeing the Action Hand for other uses.
Used in this way, the torch will occupy a normal inventory slot
on the inventory screen.
Any character generating light either from a torch or through the
use of magik has a flame icon in the top right corner of his
Action Portrait, informing you at a glance who in a party is
responsible for the current illumination.
1) Placing a torch on a wall
It is possible to place torches on walls - DROP the torch on the
wall position whilst standing very close.
2) Lighting torches
Select the portrait of the character you wish to control. Place
the lit torch in his Action hand. Click and HOLD on the torch
for 2 seconds. It will burst into flame.
3) Extinguishing torches
This is done in exactly the same way as lighting torches; place
the torch in the Action hand, click and hold on the torch for 2
seconds and it will go out.
6. WEAPONS
There are a variety of weapons in SHADOWLANDS and there are two
ways of using them: GENERAL and SPECIFIC. With the general
method, you select a weapon and destination (see below). Anyone
who comes between your warrior and that destination is liable to
get attacked. On the other hand, specific use involves targeting
a particular ADVERSARY, following which your warrior will
concentrate on that enemy, fighting to the death (or until called
off).
A) GENERAL USE OF A WEAPON
Select the portrait of the character you wish to command. Select
the weapon. Select the position in the game world where you wish
the weapon to be used (within visible range)
If the weapon is a hand weapon (e.g. axe, sword) the character
will walk over to that position and use the weapon on any enemy
who obstructs him. This is particularly good in a "free-for-all"
fight - the weapon will be used on anybody getting in the way.
It is also good when trying to escape from adversaries and clear
you way to an exit.
In the case of a launched weapon (e.g. bow), the character will
fire off one round at the target location.
B) SPECIFIC USE OF A WEAPON
Select the portrait of the character you wish to command. Select
the weapon. Highlight and select the base of the adversary in
the game world on which you wish the weapon to be used (within
visible range)
If the object is a held weapon, the character will pursue the
adversary and will fight to the death (unless ordered away).
If the object is a launched weapon, he will fire off a stream of
attacks until the weapon is depleted or the target is dead.
(?) INFORMATION
Any combination of weapons and modes of use are allowed - three
characters could be firing SPECIFIC aimed weapons at one
adversary, whilst another uses a GENERAL held weapon on the same
(or different) adversary.
7. MAGIK
Spells are found as parchments around the Shadowlands and may
have various effects and alignments. When a spell is used, the
parchment's MAGIK FORCE is drained to a certain degree and
ultimately can become depleted.
You can also find spellbooks within the Shadowlands. Each of
these contains room for six spell pages and parchments may be
placed and carried in these books. If a book is used rather than
an individual parchment, the spells contained within the book
will be cast one after the other in page order. Combine and
order your spells for maximum effect - a good sequence of
offensive spells can subdue even the powerful opponent.
A) USING SPELLS
To use a spell, hold the spell parchment in the Action hand,
select it, then highlight the target for the spell in the game
world using the hand pointer. Some spells (e.g. Light) need to
be targeted on a member of your team.
B) RECHARGING SPELLS
Many objects in the SHADOWLANDS world have a level of enchantment
or MAGIKFORCE. This force is an energy contained within them,
which controls how effective an object is - a sword with a
MAGIKFORCE of 67 is more effective than one with an MF of 12.
An apple with and MF of 34 is more nutritious than one with an
MF of 4.
Your characters will have varying degrees of skill at absorbing
MF energy from objects. This energy is absorbed into their
bodies (the amount is indicated by the FORCE bar on the inventory
screen) and may then be transferred into magik spells to recharge
them.
The Laws of Enchantment state that this energy can only be
absorbed from objects (not charged into them) and only put into
spells (not absorbed from them). This means that objects from
which the MF has been absorbed will become less effective and
cannot be recharged. It also means that, as spells are used
throughout the game, the total Magik Force in the Shadowland
becomes dissipated and material objects will gradually become
more and more useless as they are drained of their MF.
To transfer MF from an object to a spell or spellbook, go to the
inventory screen. Place an enchanted object (i.e. one with a
Magikforce value, eg bread) in the "held" inventory slot (below
the scales and absorb as much energy as required. Remove the
object and place the spell or spellbook in the "held" slot.
Click on the scales to charge the spell up as required. If a
book is charged, then the MF is equally distributed among the
pages.
(?) INFORMATION
More advanced magik users will be able to use the transfer
process more efficiently than novices.
8. TEN GAMEPLAY TIPS
1) Conserve light power, it is a valuable commodity.
2) Keep an eye on food and water levels.
3) Read all the signs.
4) Pick group formations appropriate for the characters and
conditions - do not place poorly shielded characters right at the
forefront of the action, and keep characters with launched
weapons away so that they may be used most effectively.
5) In combat try to "gang-up" on particularly powerful
adversaries - they will be less efficient when fighting several
attacking characters at once. Then move on as a group to the
next adversary - "one-on-one" combat may be fairer, but not
nearly as effective!
6) Place spells in books in strategic order, so that they will
work in conjunction with each other for maximum effect. Also
organise books with certain spell types - place healing spells
together in one volume, and give this to your best Priest as a
"First-Aid" kit if required.
7) Beware of adversaries who have magik spell of their own.
8) Study the gameworld carefully - you may be able to spot
valuable clues in adjacent areas you have not yet encountered.
Forewarned is forearmed.
9) Watch out for objects which are enchanted with magikforce -
they are the sources of pure magik power for your spells.
10) Take nothing for granted.
9. CONTROL SUMMARY SHEET:
LEFT MOUSE BUTTON
Used to select an icon, object or position.
RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON
Used to switch between the gameworld and warrior inventory
screens. Can also be used to centre the gameworld display on the
current warrior.
FUNCTION KEYS 1-5
Used to select group formations (see elsewhere) 1 to 5.
ESCAPE KEY
Used to change the layout position of your warrior's portraits.
PAUSE/UNPAUSE GAME
Depress H.
