LOTHLORIEN



MASTERS OF SEREBAL



LOADING:- See details on cassette shell



COMPUTER:- See details on cassette shell





A. Background



In the beginning the land was bare, still and lifeless. No

creature made a mark on its peaceful, undisturbed

surface. As the aeons passed, this remained so until,

slowly and inexorably the land began to draw breath, its

heart began to beat, its muscles flexed. The long

slumber was over, the land was alive and with its

awakening there came the eleven races of the Earth.

Each separate unto itself, each satisfied, peaceful and

content. The ages passed, the nations grew, the

conflict began. The Earth screamed as its heart cried out

for the souls of its lost children, and despair entered the

very fabric of the land itself. A darkness descended

upon the people of the Earth, and with it disease,

famine and floods abounded where there was once

light, peace and tranquility. As the land fell deeper into

despair, the plight of the people increased, and evil

reigned supreme.



With the land in chaos, and its people nearing

extinction, a return to lifeless slumber was nigh. Only

the Serebal Masters stood in opposition to the

corruption and ultimate death of the land. The greatest

of these was named Tolidar, of the human race, who

called together the First Serebal Council. Eleven minds

from eleven races together as one and at one with the

land, they struggled to save the Earth. Time stood still

for the Council, but slowly the land began to heal, as

light banished darkness, good replaced evil and life

once again took precedence over death. The Serebal

Masters had eased the land back from the brink and in

doing so had restored it to its former glory, but their

work was not yet complete.



The Second Serebal Council was called to keep the

forces of evil at bay for ever. The Eleven Scrolls of Law

were drawn up, and one entrusted to the safe keeping

of each of the eleven races. The Scrolls embodied all

that was good in the land, and together their power was

abhorrent to the forces of evil which clawed

interminably at the fringes of the Earth. The land was

the Law, the Law was the Scrolls and to each a Serebal

Master, to each a Guardian Warrior.



As years passed, the Masters died, to be replaced by

their sons; the Guardians died, to be replaced by their

sons in turn. The power of the Scrolls was upheld, the

Law was strong and the Land flourished.



The year is 5016 PT, Tolidar has been dead some 5000

years. The power of the Scrolls is dwindling and

darkness once again threatens destruction of the land.

Evil abounds, barbarism and degeneracy have taken

hold. Most of the eleven races have disappeared, to be

replaced by cross-breeds and mutant species. Indeed,

the races of the Earth now number 400 and more. The

ways of the Masters are almost forgotten, and the care

of the Scrolls neglected.



Of all the races of the Earth, only man has remained true

to their race, and true to the ideals of the First Council.

Only man has used and protected the Scrolls entrusted

to them. It is now the duty of man to find the lost

Scrolls, bring them together and once more restore

order, peace and Law to the land.



For over 5000 years the mantle of Serebal Master was

passed from father to son; the honour now rests with

Altaborn, direct descendant of Tolidar. Likewise, did

the Guardian Warriors train their sons to follow in the

footsteps of their ancestors. You are a Warrior Son ...

The time has come to put to use the training you have

received since birth. Altaborn calls, you must go.





B. Game Objectives



The main objective of the game is to recover the 10 lost

Scrolls of Law. Each scroll contains a clue to the

whereabouts of the next, although the clues can only be

deciphered by the Serebal Master, Altaborn. The first

scroll is held by Altaborn, and you must first travel along

the Great Eastern Road towards the capital, Parasik,

close to where Altaborn's castle lies. All the hidden

scrolls are located in underground caverns.





C. The Status Area



On the right-hand side of the screen is the status area,

which depicts from top to bottom your stamina,

provisions (food and drink), gold, gems, armour,

healing potions and scrolls collected. Each yellow block

indicates one unit, and each magenta block a unit of ten.



Stamina: When this reaches zero you will die.

Stamina may be reduced in a number of ways; eg.

ill health, through losing combat, movement (if no

provisions remaining) and also through various

types of encounters. Stamina may be restored to

its original level by drinking a healing potion, or

resting (when resting two units of provisions will be

consumed for every point of stamina restored).

Stamina increases with level and your age.



Provisions: As you travel across the Land, varying

quantities of provisions will be consumed,

depending on the type of terrain. Provisions (as

well as armour and potions) may be purchased at

any village, town or occasionally from wandering

merchants. You may not carry more provisions

than you have points of stamina remaining.



Gold: Used to purchase provisions, et cetera.



Gems: Each gem is worth 100 in gold, and is used

as for gold.



Armour: Armour gives you protection during

combat. The better your armour, the better your

protection. Together with stamina, armour is used

to determine the number of "hits" you may sustain

before becoming unconscious during combat.

Armour may be purchased as provisions above.



Potions: Healing potions are very expensive. They

are also very powerful, in being able to restore your

stamina to its original level. Each bottle contains

only one draught, and should be used only as a last

resort.



Scrolls: You start with none; your objective is to

collect all eleven.





D. Combat



All combat is highly stylised and conforms to the strict

Law imposed by the Scrolls. All creatures employ the

same weapon, a three-pronged throwing weapon,

known as a triorang. Its use rarely kills, but it is quite

capable of rendering its victim unconscious. As is the

Law, the victor of any combat is entitled to take his

"prize" from the defeated. (This usually consists of a

small amount of gold, food, etc.)



Being a throwing weapon, the triorang cannot be used

at close quarters. Indeed, this feature has been the

object of much tactical discussion over the centuries

among the Warrior Sons.



A word of warning - beware the carnivorous plants -

don't bump into them!





E. The Underground Caverns



The underground caverns may only be entered if you

have found the location of one of the entrances. Each of

the caverns contains not only passages, creatures and a

scroll, but also two secret doors.





F. Control Keys



The game provides the facility for using either the

keyboard or a Kempston joystick.



Map/Cavern Movement: joystick or cursor keys (5,6,7,8)



Combat:              joystick or A            - up

                                 Z            - down

                                 Enter        - right

                                 L            - left

                                 Symbol Shift - fire



Other Control Keys: b - buy provisions, armour,

                        potions at villages, city, etc.

                    d - drink healing potion

                    g - see monster guide (20 pages

                        containing 400 creatures)

                    m - enter underground cavern

                    f - leave underground cavern

                    c - see scroll clue

                    r - rest to regain stamina by

                        using provisions

                    t - key to terrain features

                    s - save game facility





G. Loading



Follow the instructions in the relevant user's manual for

your machine, always ensuring that the cassette

recorder head is clean and the volume control and leads

are correctly adjusted.





H. Copyright



Copyright of this cassette software and self-explanatory

notes resides in M.C.Lothlorien and it is illegal to copy

the programme for disposal to a 3rd party. Similarly the

cassette must not be hired to any 3rd party without the

express written consent of M.C.Lothlorien and no

parts may be used in any other programmes.



It is also sold subject to our standard terms and

conditions of trading, copies of which are available on

request.



          (c) Copyright 1984 M.C.LOTHLORIEN



                    M.C.LOTHLORIEN

      56A Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RE

                  Tel: (0625) 876642

