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