A.C.E. 3/ACE CD 3.iso/files/docs/cadaverd.lha/Cadaver.doc

Text File | 1994-11-27 | 29KB | 514 lines

                                CADAVER

Typed by MR.THOMPSON of DEFJAM


THE STORY SO FAR
In the last adventure our hero, Karadoc, defeated Bedwig the Giant in
mortal combat after an epic struggle, suffering many grievous wounds. Even
so, having already vanquished a clutch of terrible Dragons, having cut
the dreaded Carbuncle into a hundred pieces, and having overcome a horde
of eldritch Demons, his confidence was still high. The victory pay for all
these missions was good, and he divided the next two months between resting
and travelling. Eventually he found his way to an unknown land, a place
which hinted at former riches and power: this is where we find him.
Invitably, in his quest for somewhere to spend the remainder of his
hard-earned cash, he changed upon a run-down inn on the border of a vast,
miasmal swamp. There he met with a gang of dwarves he hadn't seen for a
decade : breaking his vow of sobriety, he quicklylost co-ordination and
began to stagger. Was it Fate's hand that guided him towards the quartet of
men debating earnestly at the corner table? Or was it simply one of those
random events that determine our future? Karadoc has never enjoyed the
company of humans after a group of them abandoned him to the mercy of an
Orc ambush many years ago, so he instinctively reached for his axe. Cursing
his luck, he realised it had gone missing in the last few hours, forcing
him to fall back on his wits. He smiled as best he could, composed himself
and delivered a long speech detailing who he was, what he had achieved,
 and how much he charged for his services. When he'd finished, he noticed
that his audience was smiling, as thought they'd found the answer to a
pressing problem...
"Right there." the man said. "Across the swamp."
Even thought it was late morning and the light was good, I squinted (my
eyesight has never been great since my brother Hengest and me had an
eye-crossing competition when he were younger. My mother always said it
 would stay that way). I shook my head.
"Nothing."
I replied.
He looked angrily at me: the corners of his mouth tightened like a leather
belt and his teeth began to grind together like an old sheep chewing grass.
"Across the swamp,"
he insisted, like I was deaf.
"The ruin - Wulf and Carolus?"
I started at him bankly.
"You must remember Dianos?"
It was one of those situations where one more vacant look on my part
would have been rewarded with a knuckle surprise. Checking to see if he
was armed - he wasn't - I feigned a strategic defence posture. He backed
off.
"Let's get down to business."
I said, giving him a winning smile which failed to penetrate his spongey
human skull.
"You're saying if I took a boat across the bog, roughly"
"northwards, thirty miles - "
"-right.You're saying there's a ruined castle there and I can make money."
"You can keep whatever you find."
he snapped, and looked even more annoyed. I waited for him to start
foaming at the mouth but he didn't come.
"It's not that simple, though," he insisted
"You've got to know who you're dealing with."
I shrugged. If someone wants to shell out the readies to do hatchet job,
why ask questions?
"Let's get it over with then,"
I offered. If I'd had my axe handy I'd have left him two toes for standing
on, and gone for another jug and knees-up; but I was in a good mood.
"Spin me the yarn, beanpole."
He glowered: if looks could kill, I'd hev been making the trip home in
a basket.
"It's a long story, but I'll keep it short for you."
He emphasised the word 'short' and looked me up and down. Some people
don't recognice how near they are to a fist in the face. I confined my
annoyance to an exaggerated yawn to keep him fresh: if he got boring I
could always cut his legs off.
He coughed, adopted a rhetorical posture, and began.
"It was many years ago... A much better time, when all was good with
the world."
I stared at him hard. One more wistful musing and my dinner would be
heading for his shoes.
"This is the tale of Wulf and Carolus."
No fanfares came, and it was'nt hard for me to look unimpressed, so he
simply continued.
"Upon the death of his father, Wulf III gained the crown of his land.
On the night of his coronation he exited his half-brother Carolus to
secure the purity of the royal blood-line - and ruled for many years."
"It was not to last. Carolus grew into manhood and arowed to seize the
trone as his. In his middle age he returned, disguesed, to Wulf's castle,
and plotted to overthrow our king. He enlisted the aid od Dianos - a
despicable, vengeful creature who had thus for served Wulf as Chief
Advisor - and persuaded the Captains of the Guard through bribery and
threats to take his side."
I hate to say it, but I was beginning to like this tale. Cheating,
vengeance bitterness - a few gold coins and a bucket of blood and it
would have made essential bedtime listening. The only part I didn't like
was the storyteller, but he went on regardless:
"Carolus was appointed Ward Marshall, holding supreme responibility for
the castle's military organisation. Thus he was able to organise with
ruthless efficiency the rebellion that would place him in power."
"Somehow Wulf got wind of the plot, and when the conspirators stormed his
court one evening, his loyal personal bodyguard met the attack and a
terrible struggle ensued. Three days of blood and anger spread throught
the castle, setting many traps behind him and unleashing his personal
menagerie of hideous monsters to thwart the rebels."
"All was in vain. The Necromancer Dianos had anticipated the king and
lurked in waiting on the upper floor of the castle. Using the
unmentionable powers of the dead he destroyed the remaining bodyguard and
left Wulf exposed to the mortal blows of Carolus, avenged at last."
Carolus sounded like the kind of man you would'nt want with a knife in
his hand when your back was turned - I liked him. But all good things must
come to an end - which is why this story went on :
"But revenge was not sweet. With Wulf dead Carolus was placed on the
throne, where he reigned for a year and a day in a castle that never saw
peace - it was a time torn with dispute, with conflict.Jealous Captains
vied for power; bands of warriors forged and broke alliances in their
quest for dominance."
"On the anniversary night of Carolus' victory a feast was held; but a
great evil befell the celebrations.Without warning all the warriors were
seized with madness and more blood was spilled. Like a flame devouring
what it will, none cared whom they killed in their quest to quench an
overwhelming urge to destroy. Carolus, sad Carolus, battled for his life
but was trapped and fell under the sword of his own Captain."
"Daybreak brought calm, but it was a hellish peace. Only a few of the
castle's occupants remained alive - myself amongst them. My companions
and I fled in terror of the prevous night. As far as we know only Dianos
remains."
For a brief second I thought the story was finished, and i begin to pick
up my rucksack. Unfortunately, the teller was merely pausing for effect,
his eyes wandering as he did so. He coughed again, and continued:
"Over the last two years Dianos has lived alone in the dark castle within
this swamp. Ignorance has spawned rumour: some say the castle is still
full of monsters, some say it is filled with Lord Carolus' treasure. All
agree on one matter: Dianos is now the slave of his Necromantic art, an
insane creature possessed by evil. We have reason to believe he has been
abducting people from surrounding villages to satisfy his black practices.
He paused again, and corrected himself.
"But we can't be sure, without further investigation; nor can we be
certain that it was he who was responsible for the events of that dreadful
night when Carolus died. All we know is that Dianos is a powerful magician,
and a terrible opponent. You must not undertake your task lightly."
I shrugged again - giants, Necromancers, what's the difference? Up to this
moment no figures had been mentioned, so I got straight to the point,
"And the payment?"
"As I said, some say the castle is filled with Carolus' treasure. This is
no rumours: Carolus himself used enslaved dwarves to mine a large fortune
in emeralds from below the castle, and there is more gold there than you
will see again in your lifetime. Unravel the mystery, purify the castle,
avenge us if you will - the treasure is yours to keep."
So, Carolus was a dwarf-basher? I might have guessed. At another time I
would have kissed the man goodbye with a boot 'n' forehead sandwich - but
he'd mentioned gold, he'd mentioned emeralds; and he'd said they were
mine for the taking. What was the catch?
In the time I had been thinking of these things he'd drawn a battered book
from his leather bag, stained brown with old blood. He offered it to me:
"Take this,"
he said, smiling in a way i didn't enjoy.
"Study it wisely. It could prove the difference between a life of riches
and an early death." I took it, and my human companion offered his
farewell. When he was gone, I opened the book to the first page. It read
'This is the journal of Anselm'.
I read no more: it was getting late, and I had a rowing boat to steal.


THE JOURNAL OF ANSELM (Extracts)

THIRD DAY
Two days since I entered; two days without the sun. A long row across the
black swamp, then I found a cavemouth at the base of the rock on which
this ruin stands. It was a secret exit in Wulf's reign - he intended to
use it in time of siege, though he couldn't have known about the enemy
within the castle walls. There was too much peace until the last weeks;
too much complacency. Like a tree heavy with fruit, we were ripe for
shaking..
The cavemouth led to the old minings. The place is a labyrinth now, and
sights I once took as familiar landmarks - corners of stone, an iron stain
on a wall, a patch of wild fungus - are now alien to me. The mine reeks
of death: I find bones and old clothes everywhere, of people I may have
known a dozen years ago when Carolus was killed. Memory patters fade.
Things change: even when the slaves were here the mine was alive, full of
sounds and activity.It's too quiet now, too calm.

FIFTH DAY
Another new development. Yesterday I thought I heard sounds like a great
forge bellows, like some gigantic animal crying to be set free; but I
was'nt sure. Today I know that those sounds are real. At noon I was
sitting by a still pool picking at scraps of food when the roar rose again,
quite audibly - but it was muffled, and it must be some distance away.
At its passing a half-felt breeze stole through the caves, warm and sweet.

SIXTH DAY
Is Dianos still here? I can find little evidence of his presence. Some
of the old traps are still active, some of them Wulf's, others much newer
and more devious. Many of the doors are now locked by mechanical and
magical means, and I must continue to be vigilant if I'm to unlock this
labyrinth's secrets. Sometimes there are clues hidden in old parchments
left here after the conflict; sometimes a switch helps - there has been
nothing so far that I couldn't solve after some minutes' thought.
But why so many traps and tricks at every turn? Is it a sick man's dying
joke, or does someone still not want prying minds to penetrate the castle
walls? I must persevere and not let the atmosphere of this place fill my
bones: the castle itself cannot be far away - just a few more twists and
doors, a few more shadowed chambers. And when I reach it, what then?
There isn't much food left, although there appears to be a plentiful
supply of ale - I drink too much of it! I have found too many dead rats: I
was almost tempted to catch them at first, but they are gross, bloated
things, many times natural size.
There are monsters here too, I am sure of it. Their tracks are everywhere:
some I recognise as those of Wulf's own horde (or mutated species close
in kind); others have crawled from the swamp and made this place their
home and hunting ground. And then there are new ones, creatures I have
never seen before, unnatural. I think I killed one this morning, but it
scurried away, leaving only a foul-smelling bloody trail and half of one
of its limbs. The struggle drained my strenght; I don't know how much
longer I can continue. If I am in dire need, there are plenty of old
weapons still around, many of them in good condition.

SEVENTH DAY
Some of these caverns lie below the waterline,and in the wet season(as now)
are partially flooded. Last night I slept by a pool of water trapped
underground, stagnant and too dark to fathom. I should have known better,
but I was tired. It seemed like a few moments later when I was wakened
from a terrible dream by waves lapping against my face. Long years of
living as a gugitive have trained me to respond to danger with speed: I
looked up to see a huge snake-like creature about a strike. My fingers
were on the crossbow before I blinked; it was dead before I blinked again.
It sank below the water with barely a ripple.
But at that point of discovered salvation: hidden amongst the rocks by
that same pool there were two potions still corked fresh in their
flasks - perhaps left there by the dwarves? The faded script on one of them
indicated that it would increase my stamina: I drank it and feel much
refreshed. The other one has no label, and I cannot trust to taste it yet.
There will come a time.

NINTH DAY
This has been the most enlightening of all my days underground. I found a
room that must have been an old guard-post in the past (though I can't
recall it): it contained many useful finds. The emeralds and gold are
worthless treasures - but there was armour there in the green and white
colours of Lord Carolus; and a spell written on parchment. I cast it, and
the words of the spell faded; in their place was a vision of the
underground labyrinth, mapped out in its entirety. Necromancy, to be
sure - but invaluable. I am now more hopeful: there's nothing between me
and the castle but a few traps set to catch the unwary. I will not be
caught: now that I know the way ahead, I will travel more slowly, examine
everything more carefully. I felt the breeze once more, much closer now,
and much warmer. I fear this may be a dragon's lair.

TENTH DAY
Despair. I found a room I thought contained no trickery: in my eagerness I
rushed across it, and stumbled. The floor opened beneath me, and in the
fall I dropped the map. I had a potion whose label hinted that I would
have great jumping ability; I drank, but the reward was not enough. After
a few hours I managed to find my way out again anyway, but I now have no
guide other than my confused memory. I see lines and doorways in my mind,
but I cannot be sure they aren't imagination. How could I have been
so stupid?

TENTH DAY (EVENING)
There is much magic about this place: I can feel my fingers shiver when I
touch certain objects or enter new caverns. But no magic can help me now:
I am trapped in a corridor hewn from the stone, and the door at its end is
impassable. I have tried for hours to find a way through some hidden
button, some gargoyle's tooth, a key, a gem, a spell to open it - but all
to no avail. The only clue I have is the fungus, which grows everywhere
in the caverns but here spreads at an incredible rate - it seems that each
time I come back to the corridor there is more.

ELEVENTH DAY
In a chest in a hidden cave there were more spells, more potions.I am now
equipped with magic to combat the evil creatures around me: nothing dares
stand against my fireballs, my power to freeze and harm. I can slow their
movements, kill them, do what I like. It seems as if someone ripped up
the Book of Magic and scattered its leaves in these caverns - it's just
a pity the spells have a limited lifespan. The potions are the same: if I
want to run like the wind, I am a mere mouthful away - but I must save
what I have. I might need it for later. Still no way through this door.

THIRTEENTH DAY (MORNING)
The harder I look, the more I find abandoned in this place. Am I being
lured into a larger trap, something beyond these petty dimensions? More
potions to confuse me, to fill the holes in my mind where the map should
be: I am convinced one of the flasks contains poison; another appears to
protect me from attacks. My confidence is high, my strenght is good. If I
could pass this coridor, everything would be simple.
Yesterday evening I came across another rome I hadn't encountered before;
on its walls there were runes and foreign script - a language I had never
experienced. What can I do to understand it? Is it important?
No magic can unlock this door.

THIRTEENTH DAY (AFTERNOON)
I did it! Patience was its own reward: I kept coming back to have another
look at the problem, and now the way is clear. I almost laughed when I
passed through the rough archway: it was so simple! The puzzler's mind is
twisted in ways I cannot begin to comprehend.
The warp wind is nearer now, and stronger. First there is the bellow (now
frighteningly near) - a hollow roar from some pained creature. If it was
the air and the echoes come to life in my mind, I would feel more at ease
with this task; but I know that the sound comes from a living thing. I
have a feeling I may have disturbed something which would rather be left
undisturbed. If I could find my way to the castle, I feel sure the task
would would make more sense. By now my companions will be thinking of
sending a search party - none of us knew that it would be this hard.
Hopefully by the time they arrive we can celebrate together.

THIRTEENTH DAY (EVENING)
The noise grows louder, the air warmer. But I am prepared for anything
Dianos may have set against me. A few more turns, a couple of rooms, and
I will know.


HOW TO PLAY
Cadaver is an isometric 3D arcade adventure, played using a joystick and
keys. As Karadoc the dwarf, you explore the muky dungeons and eerie
corridors of Castle wulf, interacting with hundreds of objects, people,
monsters and puzzles. The ultimate objective is to kill the necromancer,
Dianos; but, as is the tradition with bounty hunters, what you find
along the way is yours to keep.

CONTROLLING YOUR CHARACTER
Karadoc's basic skills include the ability to walk, jump, climb stairs and
fight monsters; by pressing F4 you can toggle between moving in eight
directions and moving in four, according to your personal preference.
There are three major modes of controlling the dwarf and his actions:
basic movement, interacting with objects via icons, and the rucksack.

BASIC MOVEMENT
When exploring a location, Karadoc's movement is controlled entirely with
the joystick. Pressing the fire button when he is holding nothing allows
him to jump.
While holding a weapon or spell the fire button fires/casts the item
(providing it has some shots left). Pressing the 'H' key toggles a held
object on and off, allowing the dwarf to jump without having to return a
weapon or spell to the rucksack.
If any other object is being held it is thrown when you press the fire
button (be careful not to accidentally throw items). The item held is
displayed in a large window in the left hand status panel when no other
action is being carried out.

OBJECT INTERACTION
As you explore Castle Wulf you come into contact with the walls, exits and
various objects scattered around the rooms. Walls and floor may contain
relevant decorative effects (or they may not - you'll have to experiment).
Exits are the usual mode of travelling from room to room (though not the
only way): they're generally either simple archways or unlocked doors.
However, some doors may be locked, with magic, an obstruction or a simple
mechanical lock: these can be opened with a key (most of which need to be
inserted into a keyhole), an ovject, or a spell.
Every object has certain characteristics such as weight or a specific
use: on touching an object, the left hand status display reveals a scrics
of icons which represent the actions that can be executed on that item
(for example, searching it, or picking it up). The name of the object are
displayed in the right hand panel.

ICONS
Objects are manipulated using the icons available: these vary according
to the item (you can't drink a spell or cast a potion). The joystick
cycles through the available icons and the fire button activates them.
At the beginning of the game, or at any time during it, you can customise
the icon interaction according to taste, simply by pressing F3 or F2.
F3 toggles between icons being displayed as soon as you touch an item or
after pressing the fire button: F2 toggles between using the fire button
or the ENTER keyto bring up icons. Generally Speaking, if you don't want
to do anything with an object you encounter, simply walk away.

This is a full list of the icons in Cadaver - how you use them will
determine your success in the game.

NAME        FUNCTION
Joystick    Returns your character to movement control.
Search      Provides information about an object: searching a spell, for
            example,reveals its name (if you're clever enough to know it),
            the number of charges remaining, and its power.
Take        Grabs an object and puts it in the rucksack.
Drop        Drops an object.
Drink       Allows you to drink from an object,such as water from a barrel;
            drinking a potion activates it.
Read        Allows you to read an object.
Hold        Allows you to hold an object or return it to the rucksack. Some
            items (such as weapons) need to be held before you can use them.
Cast Spell  Casts a spell on the item being touched.
Switch      Activates objects that behave like switches.
Press       Activates objects that behave like buttons.
Open        Opens and closes containers, such as chests or caskets. You
            won't always be able to do it straightaway!
Insert      Karadoc is able to insert items into other items simply by
            touching them, entering the rucksack, choosing the object to
            be inserted and selecting this icon. Only the right item will
            be accepted.
Full        Allows you to drag an item.
Eat         Karadoc may cat any food that he finds. Some food can be used
            to solve puzzles.
Give        When Karadoc touches certain objects or characters, he may be
            able to give that object/person an item (for example, feeding
            a dying man). This is done by touching the recipient, entering
            the rucksack, choosing the item to give and selecting the'give'
            icon. However, if you give an item to something, it cannot be
            returned even if it was the wrong object - be careful!

THE RUCKSACK
There are two ways of using the rucksack: you can either view individual
items or take a look at the rucksack as a whole.
Pressing the SPACE BAR brings up a large window in the right hand status
display, which shows the last item in your rucksack which you manipulated
or picked up. You can cycle through the icons by moving the joystick.
Pushing the highlight off the extreme left or right of the icon panel
allows the player to cycle through the items in the rucksack, pressing
fire selects the item and returns you to the icons. If you want to return
to the small rucksack display again, move the joystick off the left or
right hand side of the panel. Pressing the RETURN key allows you to view
the entire contents of your rucksack. Initially, you can hold up to a
maximum of 32 objects, 16 of which are displayed on screen at once (you
can scroll through them all using the joystick). As each object is
highlighted, additional information is given. Pressing fire selects the
item, and pressing RETURN a second time returns you to the 'small' rucksack
display. Pressing the SPACE BAR a second time returns you to the game.
The ability to carry more objects is a distinct possibility the further you
progress.

PERSONAL STATUS
The book located in the first room is your personal log book. It reveals
the amount of gold you have collected, your current health, experience
points gained and the percentage of rooms you have visited.
All the money you find (including bags og gold and some gems) is
automatically added to your collection without cluttering up your
rucksack - unless it's needed as part of a puzzle. Keys that are no longer
needed are deleted from your inventory. Experience points are gained by
solving puzzles and killing monsters.

THE MAP
A map of your adventure is automatically drawn as you explore the castle
and its dungeons: to access it, simply press F1. It shows the room that
you are currently in (box with light outline), and the rooms you have
explored (boxes with darker outlines); however, it doesn't show any rooms
that you haven't visited, or the door leading to them. You can scroll
around the map using the joystick, and zoom in/out of it by pressing the
up/down cursor keys. If you want to centre the map display, just press
CLR/HOME (ST) or DEL (Amiga). If you can find it, there is a more
comprehensive way of mapping the levels later in the game.

SPELLS AND POTIONS
Spells are cast with the aid of a variety of items, such as parchment
scrolls, wands, runic stones and orbs.They fall into three main categories:
-- Spells which fire a shot (eg, magic missile, unlock door)
-- Room spells, which affect either the whole level (eg, freeze), or just
   the current room.
-- Object spells (eg, unlock chest, bless weapon)

The first two categories are cast by holding the spell and pressing the
fire button. The object spells are cast by touching the object on which
the spell is to be cast, then entering the rucksack and selecting the
spell you want to use. A Cast Spell icon then appears (See ICONS) which,
when activated, casts the spell.
Potions can be found throughout the game and provide a wide variety of
effects, not all of which are positive. Most potions and spells are
briefly labelled, but some have no identification tag whatsoever:
experimentation establishes the function; Learn Potion allowsyou to use
an unknown spell, and tells you its true name and function; Learn Potion
allows you to discern the nature of a potion if its name is unknown(though
you can still drink the potion and find out for yourself). The Read
Language spell translates foreign scripts: it's used for learning
information written in runes of another tongue.

SAVING AND LOADING
Saving and loading your position in Cadaver is controlled by pressing the
"S" and "L" keys. Saving your position costs gold: the higher the level,
the greater the charge. Loading is free.
You can have maximum of 10 saved positions, numbered from 0-9. When you
press the "S" key you are told the price of the save and asked if you want
to pay, Pressing "Y" deducts this value from your current cash and you
are asked to press a number from 0-9 on the numeric keypad: this stores
all the data about your game up to the moment. When the "L" key is pressed
the player choose the number of the saved game, again from 0-9 on the
numeric keypad. You must insert a blank disk into the drive in order to
save and load the information: this disk is specially formatted, and must
only be used for storing Cadaver saved positions.

JOYSTICK
North: Cycle through items in rucksack / Scroll map up
South: Cycle through items in rucksack / scroll map down
East: Cycle through icons / Scroll map right
West: Cycle through icons / Scroll map left
Fire: Jump / Use weapon / Throw objects

                                  N
     West  North              NW  |  NE
        \    /                 \  |  /
         \  /                   \ | /
          \/                W____\|/____E
          /\                     /|\
         /  \                   / | \
        /    \                 /  |  \
      South East              SW  |  SE
                                  S

KEYBOARD
RETURN       Displays the whole rucksack. When pressed a second time, it
             returns you to the small rucksack display.
SPACE BAR    Displays a single item from the rucksack. When pressed a
             second time it returns you to the main game.
UP/DOWN
CURSOR KEYS  Zoom In/Out of the map
CLR/HOME     Centre the map display (ST)
DEL          Centre the map display (AMIGA)
S            Save the game position(only available if you have enough money)
L            Load a saved game position
H            Toggles a held object on and off
P            Toggles Pause/UnPause
C            Clear all game messages from screen
F1           Map
F2           Toggles between using fire or ENTER to access icons
F3           Toggles between icon displayed as soon as you make contact
             with object, or after first pressing the fire button.
F4           Toggles between moving in 8 directions or moving in 4
             directions
0-9 Numeric  Save/Load a game after the appropriate key has been pressed.

End.