CONTENT

Axil the Able stood in three inches of stagnant water and surveyed one of the most dismal dungeons he had ever been thrown into...30 seconds earlier, he was sitting in front of the ox-roast in that famed haunt of the Occult. The Golden Thurible engaged in his favourate pastime of Wizard-Baiting.

What a good story Axil was telling - a new one about Therion, a certain moon creature and a rather gullible Elf - really, the sudden silence of his audience should have warned him. The crowd parted as Therion strode across the floor, dangerous in all his 10 degrees.

Therion raised a twig-like index finger and flung Axil several hundred leagues across Graumerphy, into the dungeons beneath the dreary castle called Collodon's Pile.

In the dark twilight, Axil tutted - and then took stock. He was, at least, clothed : he carried a large leather pouch, and on a nearby table, there was a book.

The title read as follows:-

The Net of Gugamon - a grimoire : wherein is contained the proper rites for the Convocation of various Demonly Princes, the procurement of lesser spirits, together with sundry workings, conjurations, manifestations, symbols relating to all manner of Astral Phenomena : and so on for several more pages, in the rather turgid style thought necessary for such books.

Unfortunately, apart from the title, there seemed to be little more than a rather tattered contents page. But they did'nt call him Axil the Able for nothing. So, with a flourish, he marched for the door in search of a way out.

Dungeons are fairly unhealthy places, the best way to survive, is to Get Out. There are three seperate exits. To help you locate them you have a book of spells (which you add to) and your wits, to hinder you there are Wandering Monsters, Demons, Traps, Tricks and puzzles.

STARTING UP

You may have noticed that the program has already generated values for stamina, skill and luck. While you can't alter the values themselves you can re-locate them - select option 6 and the values will be re-aligned. It depends if you think skill counts for more than stamina.

When saving of restoring a game, you will be asked for a version letter, so keep a note of version letters.

NOTE : However, that saving a game will deplete your stamina, so that save cannot be used as an easy way of getting around difficult choices, saving and restoring. Axil allows you to save Axil's current experience and Grade, and some items.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communicating with the program is done through window 2 (the middle window) in the section of Merphish.

STATUS

If you run out of stamina, you Die : your stamina and skill together affect the outcome of conflicts : your Luck will influence virtually all your actions.

Combat will reduce your Stamina a lot, most other actions will reduce it a little, but taking food or drink may well increse it: the other objects will enhance your Skill and Luck.

EXPERIENCE

COMBAT

UNLOCKING

STUCK ?

MERPHISH AND HOW TO SPEAK IT

All input is in Merphish.

All commands take the form:
Keyword (Object) followed by Return/Enter.

Keywords are entered as just the first letter (occasionally two letters as in North-East etc.) the names of objects must be entered in full. Unrecognized keywords will be queried. Commands can also be entered as a string, with each seperated by a comma, and a final Return. A single delete will cause the command back to the previous comma of Return to be "forgotten".

There follows a list of Merphish Keywords:

N.North	N.E.North-east	N.W.North-west
S.South	S.E.South-east	S.W.South-west
E.East	W.West	L.Left	R.Right

H.Halt, this will abandon the command being actioned and the rest of any outstanding command string.

Z - a special function to swap the information in Window 1.
O - to return to Option Screen.
X - (Object) Examine the named object.
P - (Object) Pick up the named object.
D - (Object) Drop the named object.

Spells.

I - (Object) Invoke the named Demon.
B - (Object) Blast the named object or Monster.
F - (Object) Freeze the named object or Monster

Here are some Merphish names:
ASMODEE ASTAROT AXIL BELEZBAR BOOK BOX BOTTLE LOAF CANDLE CHAIR DEMON MAGOT OBJECT TABLE WALL MONSTER SWORD ROCK SIGN RUBY

Conversation is carried out as follows -
"name.object"

(the leading quote marks are necessary, the final quotes are optional)

Where name is the name of a Demon, Monster or Thing that you are addressing object is the name of the Demon Monster or Thing that you wish to be attacked or about which you require information or that you wish to locate etc, depending on the nature of the creature you are addressing.

ASMODEE - The great Destroyer whose number is 122
ASTAROT - The spirit of Assemblage whose number is 1376
BELEZBAR - The Master of Flies whose number is 20
MAGOT - The diviner whose number is 443

And the number of Magick is 11, but the number of the Great Abyss is 24.

"BE THOU WARNED - ATTEMPT NO CONJURATION EXCEPT THAT YE POSSESS THE TALISMAN, NEITHER APPROACH NOR TOUCH A SPIRIT, FOR THE DEMONIC FOLK ARE QUICK TO CUT MORTALITY TO THE BONE...."