                        The Magic Circle
                        ----------------


SHORT DESCRIPTION
=================
Well-made text-controlled adventure with a straight-forward map and nice
and fast graphics. The game progress can also be seen in the Magic Circle
"room" as the flashing bar.


PRELUDE
=======
You play the part of Professor Pointer, inventor of the time gate theory. After
years of ridicule from your colleagues you decide to prove your theory by
building a time machine based on your principles and returning from the past
with an artifact to show them. So you gather together a few things you'll need
and press the button on the machine. There is a sudden flash and to your
delight you find yourself in the land of legend. Unfortunatelly, when you are
transported, you realise that the machine didn't follow you and you must set
off on a quest to find a way back to your own world.


VOCABULARY
==========

Only 5 letters of any word are meaningful, the rest is ignored. The words may
contain digits 0-9 (for money, ignored) and characters A-Z.

Upon typing "VOCABULARY", the following words appear.

    These are some of the more commonly used words in this game. The rest
    you'll have to discover for yourself.

Here is the full list of words, understood by the game.
  Move actions:
    D, DESCEND      - Down
    U, UP, ASCEND   - Up
    S, SOUTH        - South, down on the map
    SE,             - South-east
    E, EAST         - East, right on the map
    NE              - North-east
    N, NORTH        - North, up on the map
    NW              - North-west
    W, WEST         - West, left on the map
    SW              - South-west
    ENT, ENTER      - Get into a boat or time gate
    LEA, LEAVE      - Get out of a boat
    GO, RUN, CRAWL  - Description for directions, has no effect

  Item actions:
    INV, INVE, INVENTORY  - What do you carry and wear
    GET, TAKE     - Retrieve an item from the ground: GET ...
                  - Retrieve an item from a storage: GET ... OUT OF ...
    PUT, DROP     - Put the item on the ground: PUT ...
                  - Put the item into the storage: PUT ... INTO ...
    WEAR          - Put something on yourself
    REMOVE        - Put something off yourself
    LOCK          - Lock something: LOCK ... WITH ...
    UNLOCK        - Unlock something: UNLOCK ... WITH ...
    OPEN          - Open an unlocked thing
    CLOSE, SHUT   - Close a thing

  Examine commands:
    R, REDESCRIBE - Repeat location description
    LOOK          - Repeat location description: LOOK
                  - Examine storage contents: LOOK INTO ...
    X, EXAM, EXAMINE, SEARCH  - Look carefully at the item
    READ          - Examine a written text or drawing

  Interaction commands:
    ASK, SAY, SPEAK, TALK, TELL  - Pass on some words: SAY "..." TO ... or
                                   ASK ... "..."
    BUY, PAY      - Get something for money
    SELL          - Get money for something
    GIVE          - Pass on an item: GIVE ... TO ...

  Game control commands:
    AID, ASSIST, HELP  - No use at all except for SAY "HELP" TO ...
    V, VOCABULARY - Short word list
    RAMSAVE       - Remember the current position in the game in RAM
    RAMLOAD       - Restore the current position in the game from RAM
    SAVE          - Remember the current position in the game on tape
    LOAD          - Restore the current position in the game from tape
    SCORE         - % of the game completed
    TURNS         - The number of turns taken (any command is a turn)
    STOP, QUIT    - Restart the game

  Other actions you can do:
    DRINK, EAT    - Consume food or water
    FILL          - Pour water into a bottle
    PUSH, SHOVE   - Move things aside
    ROW           - Use the boat to move
    BREAK, SMASH  - Break things: BREAK ... WITH ...
    RIDE          - Get onto a horse
    DISMO         - Get out of the horse
    PULL          - Pull a lever
    AIM, POINT    - Point the object outwards you
    INSERT, STICK - Put an object into a slot
    CUT, HACK, CHOP - Cut some bushes
    SWEEP, BRUSH  - Clean a surface

  Actions you have to ask to perform:
    FIX, MEND, REPAIR - To repair the suit of armour
    MAKE, BUILD - To make a set of oars
    SHOOT       - Shoot the crossbow
    TRANS MOGRI ... - Transform into ...
    KILL, DIE   - ?

  Persons:
    ASSAYER, BOOT, CARPENTER, DRAGON, GORDO, GROTT, GRUFF, HERMIT, LANDLORD,
    OGRE, OLGA, ORACLE, SENTRY, SMITHY

  Question words:
    WHERE, HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHICH

  Nouns:
    AURUM, BOARD, BOAT, BOW, BROOMSTICK, CARROT, CASTLE, CAULDRON, CHAIN,
    CHEST, COIN, COINS, CORRA, CROSS, DAGGER, DIAMOND, DOOR, DRAWER, DUST,
    EMERALD, GATE, HAMMER, KEYS, LEVER, MONEY, MOUTH, OARS, PEARL, PLEDGE,
    POPPY, POTION, ROOMS, ROPE, ROSE, RUBIE, RUBY, SALT, SAPPHIRE, SAWDUST,
    SCALE, SHELF, SHELVES, STONE, STRAW, SWORD, TIME, TRAP, TRAPDOOR, VINE,
    VINES, WAND, WAVE

  Adjectives:
    BIG, BLACK, BLUE, BROKEN, GOLD, GREEN, HARD, IRON, LARGE, LONG, MAGENTA,
    MAGIC, NEW, OLD, PURPLE, RED, SHORT, SILVER, SMALL, SOFT, VIOLET, WHITE,
    YELLOW

  Adverbs:
    CAREFULLY, GENTLY, LOUDLY, QUICKLY, QUITELY, SLOWLY, SOFTLY - no effect

  Cursing words:
    ARSE, ASSHOLE, BASTARD, BUGGE(D|R), CUNT, FART, FUCK, FUCKE(D|R), FUCKING,
    PISH, PISS, PRICK, SHIT, SHITE(D|R) - don't use them

  Other words:
    NORMA, HUMAN, OGRUS, PICS, HELLO, SCROL(L), MISC
    IT, TO, AND, THEM, THEN, FROM, INSIDE, OUT, THROUGH, OVER, UNDER, BY, AT
    ALL, LOT, EVERY

    IN, INTO  - Prepositions to use with LOOK, PUT
    WITH      - Preposition to use with UNLOCK
    ON, OFF   - Adjectives to use with SWITCH
    EXCEPT          \ Joining words: TAKE ALL EXCEPT GREEN BOTTLE
    ALL, EVERYTHING /


ITEM LIST
=========

Here is the list of useful items in the order of usage.

Item                Used for
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Torch               Light in the dark caves
Large rucksack      Carry more things, hide things
Money belt          Store money
Silver buggets      Sell to assayer for 40 mulae
Gold nuggets        Sell to assayer for 50 mulae
Small key           Open chest in Dancing Ogre inn
Green bottle        Store water for journies through the desert for 8 moves
Food                Eat to carry heavy things and push rocks
Staff of power      Bring to Tudaw
Magic torc          See hidden paths
Piece of paper      Having it, say "MAKE OARS" to the carpenter
Some sapphires      Sell to assayer for 80 mulae
Set of oars         Drop onto the boat to row
Magic wand          Bring to Tudaw, then use or transformations
Set of drawers      Holds a crossbow
Witches broomstick  Used to sweep the floor
Straw               Sweep it away
Carrot              Give to the horse
Reed                Put into mouth to walk under water
Iron chest          Holds the gold key and hides the trap door
Large key           Open the trap door in Corra
Hammer              Break Grott's chain
Chain               Break with hammer
Green key           Open the princess room
Crossbow            Ask Grott to shoot the bell
Green lever         Pull to lower the bridge
Gruff's pledge      Bring to Tudaw
Sword               Cut the vines, then insert into a slot
Diamond             Sell to assayer for 90 mulae
Cake of salve       Rub to protect yourself from the flames for 14 moves
Suit of armour      Wear to protect yourself from the dragon's teeth
Some rubies         Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Pearl               Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Golden rose         Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Purple poppy        Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Moss                Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Lump of salt        Ingredient for Boot's cauldron
Love potion         Give to Olga
Purple key          Open the throne room
Corra's pledge      Bring to Tudaw

Gilt edged mirror   The use was not found. "For a young girl"
Enormous emerald    Leave it where it is
Jewelled dagger     Leave it where it is
Rope                Don't touch it
Red lever           Don't touch it
Map                 Plan of the dragon lair, no use in the game
Blue jeans          There is nothing you can do with the jeans
