Lost Realms of Murkasada: Episode I
role playing game for Commodore 64, 2021
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Use [I] [J] [K] [L] to move!
PROLOGUE
For almost fifty years, Queen Elin Eyrien reigned over
Allorona, a peaceful and welcoming land populated by a vast
array of peoples from across the realm. Aided by her Council of
Elders, Elin ensured all the villages and towns she ruled were
thriving and prosperous.
There were rumors of ordinary looking objects created by the
great wizard Mawdach that helped Elin guide the destiny of
Allorona, powerful objects that were used for the greater good
of all and never with malevolence or malice.
Then the day came when a prodigious threat appeared in the
form of a great army lead by Eaedred, accompanied by the evil
sorcerer Skeskris. A great conflict ensued, more cataclysmic than
anyone could have imagined. Large regions of the realm were
reduced to useless wasteland, covered with permanent ice or
ripped apart to form enormous canyons and mountains.
Elin and Mawdach were defeated and Eaedred became King,
the unpredictable, hostile and callous monarch of the now
devastated Allorona.
Prior to the conquest, Elin tasked her Council of Elders with
hiding the most powerful of Mawdach’s objects across the
realm, lest they fall into possession of Eaedred and Skeskris for
them to learn the secrets of these mystical objects.
That was just over two hundred years ago. Still Eaedred rules
Allorona with a reign of terror, having extended his life by
locating one of the magic objects, the ‘Cloak of Life’. But
Eaedred longs for total supremacy by pursuing more of the
objects.
The cloak was found by a bounty hunter, a fearless and
courageous knight who now questions his service to the King...
1. THE GOLDEN CHALICE
Helfarch was stood on the hoarding of the castle’s main
tower gazing at the nearby Cottlepar Forest, contemplating the
quest recently bestowed on him by King Eaedred. He was
mentally plotting the most efficient route to the nearby village,
using his knowledge of the dense trees and bushes that did their
utmost to obscure the paths that meandered across the realm of
Allorona. His brow was furrowed, but his eyes were wider than
they had ever been.
“Something troubles you, Master?” It was Aled, the squire of
Helfarch. Aled had been in the service of Helfarch for five
years now and was very much attuned to his master’s moods.
“Indeed,” replied Helfarch jadedly, “this latest commandment
from the King bothers me indeed. Or rather, what it could mean
once I have successfully found the chalice he so desperately
desires.”
“It is only a golden chalice is it not?” queried Aled.
Helfarch sighed more loudly than he had intended. “Aled, if
what the Assembly of Seniors has stated is true then this chalice
is no ordinary golden drinking vessel. It purportedly once
belonged to a great wizard called Mawdach and it is so told that
anyone who drinks from it is temporarily granted the power of
invincibility. The King already rules resolutely and such power
would undoubtedly help him further his grip over Allorona and
beyond.”
Aled stood staring at his master. Helfarch could feel the
intense stare as though he was being struck by fiery arrows.
“Surely,” said Aled eventually, “the King has every right to wield
such power? He is the King after all? Surely it is better our King
possesses such a powerful object?”
Helfarch managed to suppress another loud sigh. “I don’t
believe any one person should hold that much power,
particularly if it is not to be used for the good of many!”
5Aled continued to stare, his eyes showing signs of suspicion.
Helfarch realised he needed to choose his words more wisely.
Aled was loyal to him, but would ultimately prove to be more
loyal to the King if pushed too far. At this point in time,
Helfarch had no desire to test the faithfulness of his squire, at
least not until the golden chalice had been found.
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AIM... .. .
The game is played over a series of short episodes, with the
objective of each episode revealed in the corresponding
chapter of the accompanying novella.
STATUS... .. .
Throughout the game, the information panel to the right of the
of the main play area is updated based on your interactions in
the game. It displays your current location, your strength, your
wealth, your current weapon and armor and any useful objects you
are holding.
CONTROL... .. .
Your main character (knight) is moved around the screen using
the keyboard. "I" moves your character north, "K" moves south,
"J" moves west and "L" moves east.
Every 20 moves made decreases your strength by 1 unit.
During play, you may be required to press other keys such as
"SPACE" or answer questions by pressing "Y" or "N".
Keep an eye on the message box at the bottom of the game screen
for prompts.
SEARCH... .. .
Moving on top of barrels or treasure chests to search them may
reveal wealth. Searching wells may reveal drinking water to
boost your strength. Searching wooden logs or tree stumps may
reveal grubs to eat to also increase your strength.
COLLECT... .. .
Some items can be collected by walking on to them. For example,
coins or other forms of treasure increase your wealth. Walking
on and collecting food items increases your strength. Objects
such as keys, potions or cloaks can be collected to be used
later in each episode so watch out for them as you explore.
SHOPS... .. .
Walk on to open doorways of buildings to reveal building types,
such as blacksmiths, armorers, healers, taverns, amongst others.
Follow any instructions in the message box to make purchases.
ENEMIES... .. .
Move your character next to enemies to begin combat.
Messages in the message box describe the battle. You give and
take hits until your character or the enemy is killed.
Buy better weapons and armor from shops to improve your chances
during combat.
HAZARDS... .. .
The environment contains hazards such as poisonous mushrooms
and water whirlpools, amongst others, that drain your strength
on contact.
These hazards may occasionally block short cuts. They can be
passed but will drain your strength, so watch your health.
END... .. .
Each episode ends when you either run out of strength and die
or you complete the episode task as described in the novella.
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_/ _____ _______.----. ___ _____ _______ ___.--. _____
! / \/ \ |/ | / \ | \ | \ \/aNdy/
/ O \ O _/ . / / O \| \ \| |\ \. /
/ : \ : \ \ \/ : \ : \ |/ \ \
\____! |__! \___! \____! |____! |___/___/\ \
!_ `-:;-' `-:;-' `-:;-' `-:;-' `-:;-' `-:;-'
\___ ____ _ . . : :: ::: l A b S :.
\_______/ \______/ \______ ______ ____ ___ __ _ _
\____/
original idea - RAY LEJUEZ
code, gfx, music - ANDY VAISEY
testing - JON MINES
- RYLEY JAMES
- ANDREW FISHER
- VINNY MAINOLFI
title bitmap - HEND
disk loader - KRILL
disk dir art - WBOCHAR
tape loader - MARTIN PIPER
tape software - RICHARD BAYLISS
novella - ANDY VAISEY
special thanks - FUZZ
- MOTION
- MAXLIDE
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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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[PAUSE] - stop/continue game
[F9] - quick load game state
[F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
[F10] - toggle performance meter
[F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
[ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
[PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)