                                 DARKMERE
                                 ========

VIRUS WARNING

This  product  is  guaranteed  by  Core  Design Ltd.  to be virus free Core
Design  Ltd.   accept  no  responsibility for damage caused to this product
through  virus infection.  To avoid the risk of infecting this product with
a virus, please follow these simple procedures:-

1.   Before  loading  the  disks,  make sure that they are write protected.
     This prevents any virus writing itself to them.

2.   Always  switch your machine off for at least 30 seconds before loading
     the  game.   Failure  to do so may result in virus cntamination of the
     master disks.

3.   Never  put  the  disks through a virus killer as this will destroy the
     information on them.

LOADING INSTRUCTIONS

This Game requires an Amiga with at least 1 Meg of RAM.

1.  Turn off your computer

2.  Plug a joystick into port 2

3.  Turn on the computer.

4.  Insert  the  Amiga  Kickstart  disk  if so prompted into the computers
    internal drive (Amiga 1000 only).

5.  When the Workbench icon appears, insert disk 1 and follow the on screen
    instructions.

LOADING TIPS

Should  the  title  screen  not appear within 45 seconds of turning on your
machine,  there  may  be  a  problem with your computer system.  Check your
computer  connections  and  that the above instructions have been correctly
carried  out.   If  you are sure your computer is functioning correctly (ie
other  software  loads successfully) and are still unable to load, then you
may have a faulty disk.

Core  Design  Ltd,  will  replace  free  of  charge  any  disks  that  have
manufacturing  or  duplication  defects.   When returning damaged products,
please  return  DISKS  ONLY  directly  to  Core  Design  Ltd, for immediate
replacement.

THE STORY

High atop the crag the castle sits, bearing silent witness to the evil that
has  overcome  the  land.  Beneath it, the village, bathed in darkness save
for  the  faint  glow  of  the  flickering torches as they struggle to stay
alight.   In  its  deep  shadows  creeps  evil  in  all  its forms.  Whilst
overlooking  it looms the castle.  It's towers seem to reach up, struggling
to  escape  the  darkness that is all around Amongst them screams the wind,
lashing  its  way from spire to spire, seemingly trying to draw the castles
very walls crashing down.  In a tower which the wind seems even more intent
on  destroying,  a  window  is  illuminated by a strange light.  Within its
walls  he  sits,  alone, dying.  His hand rests on a glowing orb, its eerie
light  throws  his drawn features into high relief.  His eyes focus and the
interminable blackness as his mind escapes to happier times.

THE AIM OF THE GAME

You  play  the part of Ebryn on a quest to discover the dark secrets of the
Curse of Darkmere put upon your fathers Kingdom.  Ebryn must find the cause
and  then the cure for the Darkmere.  You will have a real world to explore
with many characters to interact with.  These you must question to find out
information  to  complete  your  quest.  Some will stand in your way whilst
others will help you.  But most will want something in return.

YOUR MAGIC BLADE

Although  you will have only one weapon throughout the game, its powers can
and  must be increased.  Your blade will glow when evil is near and thus be
used as an early warning of danger.

If  you  kill  an  evil  character  with the sword then your energy will be
increased  as  the  blade  draws  power from its victim.  If however a good
character  is  killed  then your energy will be decreased as the sword will
draw  its power for you.  Thus being "good" is rewarded but being "evil" is
punished.

MOVEMENT CONTROLS

Using the Keyboard

To  move  Ebryn in the desired direction you can either use the cursor keys
(up, down, left, and right arrow keys) or

 Q for Up 
 A for Down 
 M for Right 
 N for Left

Whilst  using  either  method pressing the Space Bar will Fire and pressing
the P key will cause the game to pause.

To  access  the  Menu Scroll press the Enter key or hold down the Space Bar
(fire button) for a short period of time.

Using a Joystick.

With  a  Joystick  placed  in port 2 push the Joystick in the direction you
wish  him  to  move.   To  access the Menu Scroll whilst using the Joystick
press the Fire button.

Movement up and down is handled automatically when stairs, ladders or ropes
are walked into.

COMBAT

Press and hold the fire button with one of the 3 directions below to fight

Fire + Down          - Crouch and defend yourself 
Fire + Up            - Slash into the air
Fire + Left or Right - Slash at body

These  directions  are  used  regardless of the direction in which Ebryn is
currently facing.

INTERACTION

If the fire button is depressed for more than a second without the Joystick
being  moved  then a Menu Scroll will appear over the play area listing the
available   actions.   Select  which  action  you  wish  to  carry  out  by
highlighting the desired option and pressing fire.

Example-

You  select  the  action  DRINK,  and  press fire.  Another scroll will now
appear detailing the available items which you can drink.  Move to the item
you  wish  to  drink and press fire.  Once this action has been carried out
you  will  return  to  the  main menu once more where another action may be
chosen or exit selected.

In order to effect an item you must either have it in your possession or be
touching it.

Being  able  to  question  other  characters plays an important role in the
quest.  When you begin Ebryn will only have access to a small vocabulary of
words.   As  you progress your vocabulary will be extended.  For example at
the start you will only know the words.

Malthar, Orcs, Darkmere

Now let's say you question a character about the Orcs. You may get the reply

"They live far to west lord,"

The  word  "West"  will  now  be  added to your vocabulary.  On questioning
another character about the West he might reply,

"That's where the Black mountains lay"

So the words "Black Mountains" will be added to your vocabulary, and so you
build your vocabulary as you continue into the quest.

To  aid in the ease of use of the system, only items relevant to the action
selected  will be displayed.  For example, if you select the verb DRINK the
list of items will be reduced to these items which you can drink.

All  these  options  will be displayed as pull down scrolls placed over the
main area of play.

DEATH

Ebryn will die if his energy is reduced to zero.  Energy can be lost in the
following ways.

1. Being hit during a fight 

2. Attacking a good character.

To  replace  lost  energy  one  must find food and drink.  Various strength
potions  may  also  be  found  throughout the quest along with time reverse
potions  and  other useful items which, although not needed to complete the
quest, are useful.

SAVING THE GAME

The game may he saved at anytime if you have a time reverse potion.  Should
you  choose  to drink this potion then when and if you die within the game,
the game will restart from where you drank the potion.  All conditions will
now revert to those when you drunk this potion.

SCREEN LAYOUT

The  main playing screen will be viewed from above in isometric 3D.  At the
bottom  of  the  screen  will  be  the  staus panel.  This will include the
following 6 pieces of information.

1. Your energy (this will glow when you have drunk a potion and will only
   stop when that potions effects have worn off)

2. Your enemies' energy (whilst attacking)

3. A picture of the item or person in which you are in contact with.

4. A description of the item or character ie Manuscript, Hagar the Dwarf

5. Your location description ie "Fennel Street"

6. A picture of Ebryn

TIPS ON PLAYING

examine all objects

re question all other characters, you might have learnt something new

examine corpses

pick up everything but examine them before you use them

examine keys, some open doors other chests
 
Exits  from the screen will either be self obvious, in the case of doors or
lanes or indicated by an arrow if facing South or East.

Except  in  the  case of ORCS, characters that are killed remain on screen.
Their  bodies  gradually  decay  and this will attract scavenging creatures
that  may  not  take too kindly at their meal being disturbed if you return
too quickly after despatching your enemy.

The  only  way  to  increase  Ebryns  knowledge  is to question the various
characters  that  you  find.  Only then can you find the cause and eventual
cure  for  the  Darkmere.   It  will be wise to question them thoroughly as
information that you think unimportant may be of great use later on.

Many  of  the  problems you will face on your journey can be solved in more
than one way.  There is usually a brain or brawn solution for each problem.
It  is  up  to  you  to  discover  what  these are, but the balance will be
different for each player.

Your  father,  Gildorn  can  help you 8 times during your quest.  Press the
help  key  or select help from the menu and Gildorn will advise you on your
next move.

CREDITS

Produced by Jeremy Heath Smith
Game Design by Mark K Jones
Programming by Paul Hodgson, Andrew Buchanan, Stewart Gilray
Graphics by Mark K Jones
Music and Sound Effects by Martin Iveson
Playtesters  Jamie  (Darkmere)  Morton, Troy Horton, Darren Price and David
Ward


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