398 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
398 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
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\/ \/
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/ XYPHUS SOFT-DOX \
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\ /
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/ WRITTEN BY \
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\ /
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/ THE PENGUIN \
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\ /
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/ WRITTEN FOR \
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\ /
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/ THE SOUTH POLE......[312] 677-7140 \
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\ THE OUTPOST.........[312] 441-6957 /
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/ TEMPLE OF DOOM......[805] 682-5148 \
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\ /
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/\ /\
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\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
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The World of Arroya
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Ten thousand southern suns have passed since the Archmage Szhaalin
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tore the very heart from the demon lord Xyphus and hid it in the
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Arroyan continent. His life's work done, the mighty Szhaalin vanished
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into the western wilderness, while the gravely wounded demon lord sunk
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into caverns beneath the Earth to languish in eternal pain. Legend has
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it that pieces of the demon's heart fell to the soil and formed small,
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sword-shaped amulets of violet crystal from whence all magic springs,
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and that somewhere in the very bowels of the Earth itself lies the
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actual heart-a gemstine the size of a human head.
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'Tis said that when the demon lord bled, tribes of goblins sprang from
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the droplets of ichor-the Cotico, the Malakee, the Maripo, the
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Sedento, the Mazanti, and the dread Azulus with their companion
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Hellhounds. All of Arroya was forbidden to human kind by the beasts
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and monsters that still dwell there. poisonous serpents and oversized
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vermin roam the plains, while all manner of the dead-that-walk are to
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be found in the hills and forests. All the men that have ventured into
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the lost continent have vanished without a trace, save for occasional
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survivors sprouting half-mad ramblings that gave birth to legends
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surrounding Arroya.
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Some thirty years ago a conqueror was born. Some men say that Das is
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the descendant of the great wizard Szhaalin, while others scoff at
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such talk, calling it the foolish tales of old women...I tell ye that
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there is much wisdom in the tongues of women, but heed ye what ye
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will. In his short lifetime Das has overrun most of the known world,
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aye, and has brought it to order and justice, albeit with the edge of
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the sword and the purification of the torch. It is said that men need
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a strong leeader to follow, one who holds little in esteem save might
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and force. Das is such a one, a man to be reckoned with, a mover of
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continents and oceans. Perhaps such a ruler is needed before poets
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can sing and painters can render the beauty which abouds in this
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world...
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The progress of Das has come to a halt at the borders of Arroya. While
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his legions were easily capable of subduing the civilized world, they
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came not prepared to face the tribes of goblins and the forces of
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demonic magic that hold sway in the lost continent. Only through the
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use of mercenary troops recruited from the nomadic bands of humans,
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elves, and dwarves that live on the costal plains of Arroya can
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victory come to Das. It is told in song that a small band of
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wizardlings and warriors, no more than four strong, can slay the
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long-suffering demon lord Xyphus and open the lost continent to
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subjugation. As long as Xyphus lives, no matter how sorely wounded,
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his demon minions shall roam the land and Arroya shall never fall to
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mortal hands. Das has promised suzerainty over the Central Steppes of
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Arroya to the one that slays the demon lord. None have managed to
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claim the reward...
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The kingdom waits.
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The Geography of Arroya
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The Lost Continent of Arroya is a subtropical wilderness consisting of
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vast plains and sweeping forests dotted with lakes and crisscrossed
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with swif-flowing rivers. The inland Sea of Mithral is populated with
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rather large serpents and krakens, rendering it impossible to cross
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unless one has wings. There are several major mountain ranges around
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the continent, as well as a few small mountains and dormant volcanos.
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At certain times of the year, some rivers can be crossed, but the
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force of their flow is such that there are no clearly marked fords.
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There are also rumors of underground rivers and lakes, but no one who
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has ventured underground has survived long enough to map them. Many
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of the rivers are surrounded by dismal swamps inhabited by some rather
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unpleasant creatures. While the marshes can be crossed, it is rather
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slow going.
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The Korayan Mountains in the eastern part of Arroya are so tall and
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steep that they have traditionally been considered to be an
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insurmountable barrier. These mountains are the home of the fierce
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Korayan Falcon and the famed Spider People of Selcham Pass, a
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particularly nasty tribe of four-armed mutant orcs.
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But perhaps the most striking aspect of Arroya is the northeastern
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part-the Enchanted Plains. These are broad expanses of sand and
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sawgrass where inexplicable forces seem to be at work. There are
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areas of these plains that no human can cross, yet monsters roam about
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them freely. Philosophers have debated the reasons for such phenomena
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over the centuries, but none has found the solution to the mystery
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posed by this landscape.
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There are also rumors of large areas of underground tunnels and
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caverns, where it is said the once-great Demon civilization still
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resides. There may be some truth to these rumors as not very many
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Demons are spotted above ground...Nevertheless, it is common knowledge
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among the Arroyan Dwarves that there are, indeed, numerous tunnels in
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the southwest of the continent, come quite large, while others are so
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narrow that only a human child can pass through them.
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Outposts
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Through the Lost Continent there are scattered forts and trading
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posts. The forts are the only signs of the invasion of Arroya by Das
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the Conqueror, who you serve. In these forts you can rest, be healed
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by skilled conjurors (at no charge) and purchase supplies. Most of the
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forts are hard pressed by the local tribes of goblins, orcs, and
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Demons. Often you will be called upon by the commanders of these
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garrisons to carry messages to other, similar outposts.
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The trading posts are scarce and hard to find. These wilderness stores
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are manned by those who can live with either side in the great war,
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and who pledge allegiance to no ruler. They are permitted to exist in
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Das because they aid his troops and scouts, while local tribes find
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them to be the only source of good metal weapons and armor. Healing
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services are provided at the trading posts as well, at no charge to
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the wounded character.
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Character Races & Professions
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There are three races in Arroya from which player characters can be
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recruited. They are Elf, Human, and Dwarf. Each race has its strengths
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and weaknesses, some of which may not become apparent until later in
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the campaign. Choose your party carefully.
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Elf - The Arroyan elf is not a true native of the continent, but
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rather a descendant of a band of elves that came to Arroya centuries
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earlier under the leadership of the warrior-king Ellanyl. An outcast
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from his homeland, Ellanyl led his colony to the Lost Continent in
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search of a new home. He rashly burnt his three long ships immediately
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upon his arrival on the coastal plains of Arroya and subsequently was
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killed, along with all of his skilled carpenters, in a Demon raid
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within a year of his landing. The surviving elves established small
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settlements in the coastal forests and have managed to eke out a
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meager existence until the present.
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Elves are small people, averaging perhaps five feet in height. They
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are very quick and agile, and are most at home in the woods. They are
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good fighters and spell casters, although they tend to tire quickly if
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using heavy weapons.
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Humans - The Human is the only true Arroyan race from which characters
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may be recruited. For hundreds of centuries they were slaves of the
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Demon civilization, and their numbers diminished yearly under the
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harsh treatment they received at the hands of their cruel masters. The
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slave race of Humans eventually died out, but not before runaways had
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escaped into the mountains and formed small outlaw bands that still
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survive till this day. The Humans of Arroya hate Demons above all else
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and will fight them to their dying breath.
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The Human stands between five and a half and six and a half feet tall,
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usually weighs 150-250 pounds, and is at his or her best wielding
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heavy weapons. They are not as hardy as Dwarves, but a lot tougher
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than Elves.
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Dwarf - The Dwarves of Arroya are recent arrivals to the Lost
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Continent. They first touched her shores a paltry two hundred years
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ago, in search of precious metals. The dwarves are a race of miners,
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and thrive in rocky, mountainous terrain. They are also at home
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underground and are valued for their acute sense of direction in
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subterranean passages. They have no love for Demons or any of the
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goblin tribes that inhabit Arroya, and are handy in a fight.
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The tallest dwarf stands but four feet from head to toe. They are
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uniformly stocky, usually outweighing their Elven counterparts. Common
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wisdom is that a Dwarf can stand three blows for every two another
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race receives in a fight. However, they have very short legs and are
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not fond of running, a trait which makes them laggards on any
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expedition.
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Professions
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There are two classes of player characters in Xyphus: Fighter and
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Spellcaster.
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The Fighter can use any weapon except the Xiphoid Amulet, but may not
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cast spells or use magic other than in the form of magical weapons and
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armor enchantments.
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The Spellcaster can fight a little, using clubs or maces, but is
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unable to wield an edged or advanced weapon. A spellcaster can,
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however, cast spells, provided that he or she possesses a Xiphoid
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Amulet. There are no restrictions on the armor that a spellcaster may
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use, but both armor and spells are expensive in Arroya and gold is
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scarce.
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Character Creation
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One may have up to four characters in Xyphus, although that number is
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not required. To create characters, simply type in their names when
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asked to do so by the program, and choose their professions. Depending
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on their race and profession, they will be given their proper hit
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points, skill factors and movement abilities.
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Should you succeed in winning the game with a party of four, you might
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consider tackling it with fewer player characters...
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Playing the Game
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The game Xyphus consists of six separate scenarios, each one tougher
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than the previous one. The average playing time of a scenario ranges
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from 3 - 12 hours, depending on the skill of the player. There are
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three components to playing Xyphus, the Master Disk, the Scenario
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Disk, and the Game Disk. The Game Disk must be created by you. The
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game is always played on the Game Disk you create. Any number of Game
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Disks can be created with characters unique to that game.
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To begin boot the Master Disk. You will be presented with two
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choices:
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(A) - CREATE NEW GAME DISKETTE (B) - CONTINUE EXISTING GAME
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Select (A). You will then be asked to enter the number of characters
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(1-4) for this game. Using four characters is recommended the first
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time through. Less than four makes for a very difficult game.
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Once you have selected the number of characters in your party, you
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will then be asked: ENTER THE NAME OF CHARACTER 1. Upon naming your
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first character, you will be asked: SELECT RACE: H)UMAN D)WARF E)LF.
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Choose your race carefully and remember that balanced parties are the
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key to success in Xyphus.
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Upon choosing the character race, you will be asked: SELECT F)IGHTER
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OR S)PELLCASTER. Choose the profession you wish that character to be.
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Finally, you will be shown the character as it exists and asked:
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CHARACTER OK? (Y OR N). Type "Y" if you are satisfied with the
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character or "N" if you wish to start over.
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Repeat the sequence for the remaining characters in your party.
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Once you have created your party, you will be asked: ENTER NUMBER OF
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DISK DRIVES (1 OR 2)? Type in the appropriate number.
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If you have one disk drive, you will be told to put a blank diskette
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in the drive. This will be your Game Disk. Press the spacebar to
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continue here, and throughout the process of creating the Game Disk.
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You will be told to insert the Scenario Disk at the appropriate times.
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Be patient, there is a lot of data on the Scenario Disk and you will
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have to swap disks a number of times. The program will always tell you
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when to do so.
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If you have two disk drives, you will be told to put a blank in Drive
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two and the Scenario Disk in Drive one. The program will then create
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your Game Disk.
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Once you have created your Game Disk, you will always use it to play
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Xyphus. Each time you boot up the Master Disk, choose the (B) CONTINUE
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EXISTING GAME option and insert your Game Disk when asked to do so.
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NOTE: During the play of Xyphus there will be pauses after battles and
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victories to allow you to read displayed messages. The computer is
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waiting for a keypress. Pressing the spacebar will continue the game.
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Controls
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Xyphus can be played with the keyboard (Macintosh users should see
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special instructions). The map in Xyphus is based on a system of
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hexagons, thus you may move any of your characters in any of six
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directions - Northeast, East, Southeast, Southwest, West, and
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Northwest. The keys to use are:
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Y - Northeast
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H - East
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B - Southeast
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V - Southwest
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F - West
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T - Northwest
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G - Remain for one turn in the same spot.
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NOTE: Should you wish to move the entire party as a group instead of
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moving your characters, simply hold down the CTRL key while pressing
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the key for your chosen direction. Common sense should tell you that
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any party can only move as quickly as its slowest member. This is true
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for Xyphus.
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Combat
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The keys for combat are the same as for movement. Combat takes place
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when a player chracters moves next to a creature and then chooses to
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strike at it by attempting to move through it. Should you attempt to
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fight something using group movement capability (holding down the CTRL
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key in conjunction with a direction key), your party may move, but
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will refuse to engage in combat.
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Other Important Keys
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0 - Rest & Heal. This command will put the player character into a
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trance of approximately 10 moves, during which his or her endurance
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level will return to full strength and 4 points of damage will be
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healed. However, a character in a trance is extremely vulnerable to
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and will be unable to defend against an attack until he or she
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awakens.
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P - Purchase. The purchase command serves two very important
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functions. Whenever it is invoked, the current Experience Point total
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of the character is checked to see if a new level has been reached. If
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so, you will be advised of the advancement and your chatacter will be
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awarded extra Hit Points. It is a good practice to hit "P" whenever
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you enter a trading post or a fort, regardless of whether you intend
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to purchase anything or not.
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Also, whenever you enter a trading post or a fort, you have the option
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of purchasing new weapons, spells, or armor. Pressing the "P" key will
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enable you to do so. You will then be shown a menu:
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(A) ARMORY SHOP
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(W) WEAPONS SHOP
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(M) MAGIC SHOP
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(/) CHARACTER STATUS
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(SPC) EXIT
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Choosing any of the above options will in turn lead to a new menu.
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Entering the Weapons, Armor, or Magic shop will show you a list of
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available merchandise and the current prices for each item. You may
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choose to buy whatever you canb afford.
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Finally, when your party has completed assigned tasks in the scenarios
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and are all gathered in the destination fort, selecting "P" will end
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the current scenario and move the party to the next one.
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Choosing (/) - Character status - will provide the following two or
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three screens of information (This option may be chosen at any time
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during the game):
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