
=================================
| WRATH of DENETHENOR <PRELUDE> |
=================================

The fire in the great stone fireplace crackled warmly drawing flickering
tounges of light across the faces of the men and women gathered in the
Tavern. One dude that was cloaked and hooded, hunched over a picture of
brew in the corner and seemed really stoned as the storyteller by the
fire began to tell his story. 


"In the beginning, the four major lands of Deledain were ruled
independantly. Lord Solrain ruled over the town of Nisondel, Lord Mirrih
over Cestonia, Lord Estrine over Arveduin and Lord Denethenor over
Mystenor. Usually there was peace ya know, sure sometimes a few little
friendly rivalries and an occasional skirmish with the dudes over at the
Isles of Bregalad, but in general all was really cool and peaceful."

He poured some brew in a glass... 

"Now even then, Lord Denethenor was pretty good at magic and shit, and
he really got off into studying the DARK side of mysticism. He got
really good man and then he started to get greedy. Like he wanted more
than his 1/4th share of Deldain and all the wealth and power that went
with it. That's when the shit hit the fan."

The storyteller took a deep sigh and drank a log swallow of his brew!


"The first that Lord Denethenor attacked was Lord Mirrih, ruler of
Cestiona, who was like geographically right in the middle. Now he and
Lord Estrine were tight and they joined togather to fight Lord
Denethenor. Lord Solrain was chicken-shit and stayed out of it all.
Mirrih and Estrine destroyed the Castle Denethena, but didn't have any
effect on the heavy duty stuff of that evil dude Denethenor. With his
evil magic still growing and getting more powerful, he forced Mirrih and
Estrine back to their own lands and put a shitload of spies and monsters
of his own creation all over their property. Lord Estrine, whose castle
is closest to Mystenor, was a prisnor in his own castle. The only land
to escape the ravages of the war is here in Nisondel dudes and I can
promise ya, knowing that evil asshole Denethenor, it's just a matter of
time before he comes here to Nisondel starting his bullshit."

He took another long swallow of his brew and continued... 

"Now it's been rumored for a long time now, that it dosen't matter how
large or powerful it is, no army will ever defeat Lord Denethenor and
his awesome magic. Instead, it's supposed to be one single dude all
alone with magic and weapons more powerful than his. A lot of brave
dewds have gone out to try to kick his ass and none of them ever came
back here to Nisondel. It's really a bummer cuz every year Denethenor
gets stronger and his stinky shit spreads even more. That chicken-shit
dude Lord Solrain can't fight worth doodleysquat.  If Denethenor comes
here we're doomed!"

The men and women nodded and agreed with the story teller. As awful as
it sounded, they knew he was telling the truth. Then there was a
movement in the corner and the dewd with the cloak that seemed really
stoned came to the fireplace. He threw back his hood and the other
people stared at him. He was of medium height, skinny and had a real
young baby looking face. 

"Well," he said, "so this Denethenor dewd has loads of green huh? Maybe
I'll go and check him out I need some extra cash," he said rubbing his
hands over the heat of the fire."


The storyteller busted out in hearty laughter.... "HAHAHAHA!  You!
Defeat Lord Denethenor? HAHAHA! You don't even look like a warrior or
even a Magician... You look more like a whimp!  Matter of fact, are you
the thief that's been stealing shit from around here lately?"

Some of the other people looked at the guy with hostility while the rest
checked to make sure they still had their wallets and stuff. The young
dewd just smiled and said, "Maybe I'm young and maybe I'm even a thief.
Maybe that's what it takes to kick this dudes ass." He laughed under his
breath.  "After all, how many old farts have tried it and never
returned? In my profession (whatever that might be), I've gotten out of
more dangerous situations than any three warriors or simple minded magic
users with my ass still intact. See, it dosen't matter about how much
danger is involved, it's the amount of dollars that I'm interested in.
Anyway, if I take on challange like this one maybe I'll pick up some
more skills on the way or learn a few more tricks..." His eyes danced
with anticipation as he looked at all the people in the room. Some had
the look of hope in thier eyes. Others wariness but they all could sense
the feeling of confidence that the youngster had. 


With one quick movement he turned and walked jauntily out of the door. 

=======================
= WRATH-GENERAL NOTES =
=======================

The objective of the game is to be the freewheeling traveler that
defeats the Evil Lord Denethenor and loots his treasure house. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

After the game loads, select "1" from the menu to create you character.
You may only have one character at a time so after you create him take
good care of him (or her). You don't have to specify a profession for
your character because before you can succeed in your quest you will
have to be different things at different times: Fighter, thief, magic
user: Just give your character a name. As you play the game, your
character's health is reflected in "HITS" (quantity of physical damage
you can sustain), and stamina (your vitality, wich can only be
replentished thru nourshiment). These are both displayed during game
play. The star between your hits and stamina represent your internal
magical energy. The casting of any spell (AFTER YOU LEARN THEM), will
drain some portion of this energy from you, preventing you from further
use of magic for a period of time.

Other character attributes are visable when you press "P" to [P]rint
status.  These include Strength, which reflects the damage you can
inflict on enemies; Intelligence, which reflects the power of your
spells; and Gold, with which you can buy supplies and information. Also
listed will be any of your possesions including weapons, armor, any
adventure begins on the NE penisula on the continent of Nisondel. There
are no high order beasts or monsters on Nisondel and the ones you do
meet will hit you with greatly reduced force.  Therefore, use this as a
training ground cuz fer sure you're gonna need training later. You can
also get used to Maize travel and the differences between Day and Night
and traveling thru dimension doors. The first thing you should do when
getting started is to find a town and buy a weapon and maybe some food.
You have enuf gold to buy the bare minimum when you 1st start out.  If
you pick up a little by robbing travelers and monsters before you find
the 1st town then you can buy a little more. 

Your game progress is saved to disk each time you enter a town, castle
or maize, dimension door and etc. You can also save your game at any
time by pressing "Q" for [Q]uit. If you die you will be prompted to
resume your game where it was last saved on disk. (If ya wanna take a
rest at this point you can reload the program and it will continue at
the last save)..... 

Of course, if your game was last save while you were in a shitty
condition ie:  surrounded by monsters or close to death you may chose to
reload the program and restore your character, which will send you back
to the beginning of the game (POSSIBLY) with some of what yopu earned in
the meantime... The first town you will probably find is Backwoods.
There is a diner, a weapons shop and the only trading post in Nisondel.
(Trading posts let you sell some of your items if you're hard up for
cash.) You need some weapons and some food from the appropriate vendors.
You will that the stores keep regular hours so don't wait til the end of
the day to do your shopping. To buy something (or sell something) just
go up to the counter and stand in front of the merchant, press [C] to
[C]onverse and indicate the direction key so he'll know you're taking to
him. The merchant will offer you choices--- Follow his prompts to make
your selection. He will quote you a price and you can either agree by
pressing [Y]es or [N]o... Don't forget you need both a weapon AND food
to start with so don't spend so much in one store and not be able to
afford what you need in another. Every time you buy a new weapon (or
later on) don't forget to press [E] to [E]quip yourself. You will
automatically ready your most powerful weapon and your most protective
armor, if you have any. 

When you're traveling around the countryside, ANYTHING GOES... But when
you step into a town or Castle Boundry, you are expected to behave in a
civilized manner. If you act different from the other people there (and
sometimes you have to) be prepared to take the consequences. Most
townies just mind their own business. But the REBEL UNDERGROUND NETWORK
has heard that you were coming and in most towns there will be FREEDOM
FIGHTERS that will help you along the way. [C]onverse with everyone to
identify your allies and save valuable information. Make an attempt to
be friendly because no one likes Lord Denethenor and you can have
valuable allies that you can rely on later. 

Keep a journal of the things people say to you and who says it even if
it seems unimportant. Later, you may regret not remembering what it was.
When you visit a castle, it's only polite to pay your respects to thje
reigning Lord.  If you don't you could miss out on something valuable
that should have been given to you. In the towns, if you attack anyone
or are caught breaking into a store or vault to rob it, the soldiers
will came after you. If you commit the ultimate sin of murder, a warrant
for your arrest will be posted (dead or alive) in that town... The
greater the crime, the longer the warrant will be valid. Also, the
merchants will not trade with a known criminal. Of course, even if the
warrant expires and you are able to re-enter the town unmolested, the
person you killed may have been the one that had some valuable
information for you. Better hope ya can get along without it cuz it
can't be retrieved. 

================================
= WRATH OF DENETHENOR-THE CAST =
================================

Deledain is a civilization that, to say the least, is unmolested by the
new order of life and wayfarers such as you and I. Rather it remains
quaint in it's customs and habits. Where and how some of the names were
contrived I dunno, but at any rate, here they are. 

:::::::::::::::
: TOWNSPEOPLE :
:::::::::::::::

Includes merchants, soldiers, clerics, wizards, lords and various
others. Most townspeople are friendly and are willing to share advice
with law-abiding travelers. 

::::::::::::
: GHOULIES :
::::::::::::

These little short dudes can only strike a few hits but are known more
for being able to pass thru stone walls. 

::::::::::::
: WORGRECS :
::::::::::::

These are the silly twits... They'll walk into a light barrier and
whacko! No more Worgrecs... hehehe! 

::::::::::::
: KLINKENS :
::::::::::::

They can give you a pretty good whack with a handaxe, but they LOOK more
fierce than they really are.

::::::::::::
: WARRIORS :
::::::::::::

Warriors are some of the few humans that you'll meet outside of
civilazation.  As a rule they aren't so tough but if they get going in
the right direction they can be pretty fierce. 

:::::::::::
: WIZARDS :
:::::::::::

Magic users can be either Good or Bad. (Mostly bad)... They can cast
spells that will throw opponets for long distances... As a friendly tip,
never get caught in a fight between two mad wizards. 

::::::::::
: SHARKS :
::::::::::

As the name implies, the sea traveler will often be found running from a
school of these. Yes! They can do to you here what they can do to you in
real life... 

::::::::::::
: CORSAIRS :
::::::::::::

The dudes are pirates. They pull shit unsuspecting merchant ships and
wayfarers like yourself. (Not me, I'm too smart!) They can take some of
your goodies if you let them. 

::::::::::::::
: BLOOD BATS :
::::::::::::::

They hang out the maizes until dark and then they're everywhere. They're
really pains in the ass! 

::::::::::::
: FIELENAS :
::::::::::::

Dangerous mothers. They're almost never alone and ya have to really use
your wits... Also, they are vicisous (sp) critters that'll rip ya up. 

:::::::::::::
: CYSESTONS :
:::::::::::::

Shit! They have four arms and they can really confuse you when you fight
them.  It's better to just take a long range cannon and wipe 'em out. 

:::::::::::
: OIREGES :
:::::::::::

They look like ostriches and they can be just as fierce... Best to avoid
them if your hits are low. 

::::::::::::::
:TERRAHYDRAS :
::::::::::::::

These are the monsters that originate in the water, but they can also
live on land. There's no way to get away from them other than finding a
good strong door and hiding. 

::::::::::::
: CRACHENS :
::::::::::::

Oherwise known as Turkey-dragons. They have wings but they cannot fly.
Dosen't matter, they can still kick ass. They have the ability to
temporarily blind you and put you in a world of trouble. 

::::::::::
: DEMONS :
::::::::::

Devilish little dudes. The best tip I can give is that their most
powerful weapon is similar to one of the spells that you will learn... 

:::::::::
: DREYX :
:::::::::

One of the most fierce of the things that Lord Denethenor has conjured
up.  They can fly and they'll chase what they're after across either
land or water... <BEWARE>

:::::::::::::::::::
: LORD DENETHENOR :
:::::::::::::::::::

The evil asshole himself! No ou how awesome this dude is cuz he dosen't
(F) around... If he hears that you're coming to challange him, he won't
just sit and wait for ya he'll come after you and conjure up all sorts
of shit to do you in... If you get close to this dudes realm, that's the
time to be MOST CAUTIOUS! And that's my warning o ya! 

 -END-
