Quest for Duodecum Files

Quest for  Duodecum - a DOS RPG
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

by Mark Tuson.

This software is licensed under the GNU GPL.


Getting Started:-
	* Navigate with the arrow keys.
	* Open the menu with <SPACE>, leave with <ESC>.
	* Press letters as directed in-game.

	When you start the game, the first thing you will need to do is make
sure you have food, because if you don't eat regularly, you will start to lose
health, and if you go without food for too long, you are liable to die. The
game will warn you when you are starting to get hungry, and there is a grace
period, so you won't just drop dead two seconds later. You will be fed when you
stay at an inn, too, as well as your health and magic being replenished,
however other status effects are not negated when you sleep at an inn. 
	Battles are simple, and most creatures at the beginning of the game can
be taken out with a single keystroke.
	The status effects aside from hunger are blindness (wherewith you will
not be able to see the world map, as well as being unable to attack), poison
(wherewith you lose health when you move, and you cannot eat), and dead hands
(wherewith you cannot cast magic). Blindness and poison can be remedied with
eyedrops and antidotes, respectively, while dead hands can only wear off
naturally.
	Currently the status effects are there, but there is nothing that can
give you them just yet. I am working on more enemies and more actual content
for proper testing of the game, hopefully for the next release. For this reason
the next release will probably take a couple of weeks to do, so please bear
with me.
	Included with this release is a save file that I've edited ("a"), which
has high health and all of the spells currently available, so you can look at
that for yourself - and maybe contact me with feedback.



Story:-
        The Twelve Isles lie far south from the continents that make up most of
the world of Netersa. Legend has it that in those isles' golden age, they had
much power, wisdom, and magic, and that the great kings of all the world would
seek their rule instead of their own, so much were they humbled.
        But there were others who wished to take that power, to make it their
own and use it to rule the rest of Netersa, as dread Rechsdhoubnom had ruled
Werosain. None of them ever tried, however, for they knew that the powers of
the Twelve Isles were too great to succumb to even the greatest of armies and
magics.
        None, that is, except Elkosom, called by some Maleos, who slowly and
subtly grew in power and strength until he could swipe aside the guarding
powers that held the Twelve Isles safe, and make all but one of the Isles'
kings his slaves.
        The last king was the High King of the Twelve, who was seated at the
most distant of the Isles; whose power in magic and the sword was unsurpassed
by any; who thought himself invincible, until Maleos stole magic itself from
all of the islands.
        News spread across the Twelve Isles, and in time one person came
forward to become the hero that was needed.
        You trekked hard across the Isles, journeying into certain doom to
recover the power stolen by Maleos; along your way taking a Stone of Quudnos,
which holds some magical power that you might be able to use.
        Fleeing Unadecum after fighting hard for the Stone, you stole a small
boat and rowed for five days and nights, until finally you crashed ashore on
the edge of Duodecum. Your boat smashed, you have no choice now but to do or
die.



Quick Guide:-
	The distribution is now three self-contained .zip files - one for DOS,
one for Win32, and just the source and maps. Just download, extract, and go.
	The engine is in its infancy, and much of the content is currently just
placeholder content, for the most part. You can walk around and explore, save
and load games, but bear in mind that the save format is going to change as I
add more to the game.
	The map editor (not included with this version, as it is unchanged from
version 20c) is currently Windows-only and lacking in features. I will probably
improve it as I need; I only did it because I didn't want to spend a month
typing numbers into Notepad. It is Windows-only because it relies on features
(namely colour text in VGA mode), which won't compile on Microsoft BASIC 7.1. I
am distributing it (separately to the game) but don't expect it to make any
sense at all. RTFS if you want to try and use it.