Dave LeCompte

Ron AlpertAArrtt DDiirreeccttoorr ffoorr SSppeecciiaall EEddiittiioonnDarrin Horbal

PPrroodduuccttiioonn aanndd DDeevveellooppmmeenntt

AAssssiissttaanncceeBrett LevinAlain de LeonardisHans WangDoug GonyaGerald (PapaJ) Jones

DDiiaalloogguuee EEddiittiinnggJennifer Wells

DDooccuummeennttaattiioonnWayne McCaulJohn McAuleyAllison Lassieur

QQuuaalliittyy AAssssuurraannccee MMaannaaggeerrJon Payne

LLeeaadd TTeesstteerrJohn McAuley

TTeesstteerrssKen ParkerPete SantomGreg SheppardMatt WilliamsHans Wang

CCrreeaattiivvee DDiirreeccttoorrChris Beatrice

DDeessiiggnneerrssJeff FiskeSteve SerafinoGregor Koomey

LLeeaadd PPrrooggrraammmmeerrMike Gingerich

PPrrooggrraammmmeerrssChris GurskiThanh PhamJason BenhamDave LeCompteJim SolomonScott Delekta

SSoouunndd && VViiddeeooEd Saltzman

MMuussiiccKeith Zizza

AArrttiissttssHeidi MannMike MaloneAdam CarriuoloBob CurtisPeter CraftsDennis Rose

3

CCrreeddiittss

CCrreeddiittssEduardo FloresGabriel Nanda

VVooiiccee TTaalleennttFran BrillRalph ByersKeith CharlesThom ChristopherFrank Dolan Raymond DutchBob FeldmanSam FreedEdmund F. GilbertJo HadenLarry KeithWillliam LobleyRobert TarlowKaren Woodward

AAddddiittiioonnaall tteessttiinngg bbyyJoseph (Chezni) Cherlin Michael (Quarantine) Collins Kevin CrowleyPhilip (Wildzword) Daay Tim (Lord Gek) JordanCharles B. HoldenAndrew (Syrneus) KenneyGlen LeeCutter (ORK!) Matlock Terry A. McKelveyDoug McGetchinBrian (Gilgamesh) OttScott (furfoot) Schrank Micki (Lady of Magic)

SimondsPete (WindWalker) Simonds

WWeebb DDeessiiggnneerrJeremy (Reed) Freyholtz

TThhaannkkss ttoo SSoonniiccss SSttuuddiiooss

SSppeecciiaall TThhaannkkssImpressions Software and theentire Lords of Magic teamwould like to make a specialmention of the incrediblecommunity that has devel-oped in support of Lords of Magic on the impresionsgames.com mes-sage board. This is an unusu-al group, both in their dedica-tion to the game but also intheir loyalty to each other asmembers of the gaming com-munity. The support of thisgroup has been a major dri-ving force, helping us to bringyou this Special Edition. Wethank you from the bottomof our hearts.

CChhaapptteerr 44:: CCoommbbaattExperience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Unit Selection & Information . . . . . . . . . . .93Grouping Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94Unit Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94Getting the Battle Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95Giving Orders:

Using the Combat Interface . . . . . . . . . .97Champions in Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Thieving Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Outdoor Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Combat in Dungeons & Buildings . . . . . . .102Combat in Capitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Naval Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Mob Rules, Flank and Rear Attacks . . . . . .104After Combat Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Rest and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiiccSpells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Type of Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Selecting a Spell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Casting Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Gaining Arcane Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . .111Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113Magic Scrolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115Potions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

CChhaapptteerr 66:: AAddvvaanncceedd FFeeaattuurreessIntelligence & Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120Intelligence Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120Alliances & Political Opinions . . . . . . . . . .122The Art of the Deal - Parley . . . . . . . . . . . .124Barter Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonnWho Are You in the World? . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Installation & Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Setup & Game Start Options . . . . . . . . . . . .10Choosing a Difficulty Level . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

CChhaapptteerr 11:: GGaammee OOvveerrvviieeww && SSeelleeccttiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrddObjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Lord Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Faith Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

CChhaapptteerr 22:: GGeettttiinngg AArroouunndd UUrraakkViewing the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Selecting & Moving Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . .59The Party Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Grouping Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Terrain and Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

CChhaapptteerr 33:: BBuuiillddiinnggssCapital: Pre-Stronghold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Great Temples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Capitals: Post-Stronghold . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Capital Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Military Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Upgrading Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Villages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Guard Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Great Temples: Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Mysterious Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Primary Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

5

TTaabbllee ooff CCoonntteennttss

TTaabbllee ooff CCoonntteennttss

7Thievery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Spying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131Prisoners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

CChhaapptteerr 77:: MMuullttiippllaayyeerr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

CChhaapptteerr 88:: LLeeggeennddss ooff UUrraakk -- TThhee QQuueessttss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

CChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150CChhaapptteerr 1100:: TThhee LLoorrdd EEddiittoorr

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160CChhaapptteerr 1111::TThhee SSttoorryy ooff UUrraakk

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166Of the Beliefs & Religions of Urak . . . . . . .184

AppendixStrategy Hints & Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Designer�s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210Technical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212Customer Service, Support, & Sales . . . . . .214Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Great Temple Annex Buildings . . . . . . . . . .218Spell Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222Artifact Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Unit Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238

6

Insert the Lords of Magic CD into your CD-ROM drive. If the Autoplay option on yourcomputer is enabled, a panel will automaticallyappear on your screen. Click on the Install but-ton and follow the onscreen instructions. If theAutoplay feature is not active, click on yourWindows Start button and click Run� then typeD:\setup (D being the letter of your CD Drive).

The installation program gives you three installoptions: Standard, Full and Special. TheStandard install will install 190 MB and is recom-mended for P166mhz and up, with 32+ MBRAM. The Full install will install everything toyour hard drive for maximum performance. Thisinstall will take up 390 MB and is recommendedfor P166mhz and up with 32+ MB RAM (youwill still be required to have the CD present toplay the game). The Special Install is recom-mended for machines with a P150mhz or less andat least 16 MB RAM. This install requires 135MB of hard drive space.

Once installed, you can launch Lords Of Magicby clicking on your Start Button and selectingSierra - >Lords Of Magic.If the Autoplay function is enabled, wheneveryou load the CD, you will be given the option tolaunch the game. You can also access the directo-ry on your hard drive where you have installedthe game and double click on LOM.exe.

These are black days for Urak. Evil envelops theland and the people cry out for a savior. Is thereno one who can stop Balkoth's march of deathand destruction?

For a thousand years, peace reigned on the pas-toral lands of Urak. Then forces of darkness, ledby the evil sorcerer Balkoth, unleashed a night-mare of war and terrorism that destroyed thepeople and laid waste to the land. Now the citiesare defenseless. The people are starving. TheGreat Temples of the land, once the centers ofbeauty and learning lie crumbling, overrun byworshippers of Balkoth. The people pray for aleader who can defeat Balkoth and end this night-mare.

Are you that leader? Do you and your adventur-ers have the courage to defeat the forces of tyran-ny and return Urak to its former glory? You havethe magic of the land and the loyalty of yourcomrades to aid you in this quest. But it will notbe easy. The bloody road to victory will be strewnwith the bodies of the dead and the dying�

Even as you claim small victories, the armies ofDarkness lie in wait. In dungeons, caverns, andeven in the light of day, these forces amass tooppose you. Horrible battles lie ahead.

Can you save Urak from the fiendish hand ofBalkoth? Can you return to the people of Uraktheir beautiful lands? Do you have the courageand power it takes to lead an army into the dark-ness - with any hope of survival?

9WWhhoo AArree YYoouu iinn tthhee WWoorrlldd?? IInnssttaallllaattiioonn && LLooaaddiinngg

them with other Lords of Magic players.(See page151).

Custom - Brings up a list of saved custom mapsfor single player games on user-created maps.

Exit Game - Exits the Game to the Desktop.

SSttaarrttiinngg AA NNeeww GGaammee..

Click on Lords of Magic. This brings up the LordSelection Screen. Here you choose the profes-sion, or class of the Lord you will play in Lords ofMagic. You can choose Warrior, Mage or Thief.Each class has different strengths and weaknessesthat affect gameplay. By choosing one of these

When you first run the game, an introductorymovie plays, followed by a message welcomingyou to Lords of Magic. After this screen youarrive at the Start Options Panel:

Lords of Magic - Starts a new game from scratch.

Legends Of Urak - Allows you to play the spe-cial Lords of Magic quests (see page 146). We rec-ommend that you familiarize yourself with thestandard game of Lords of Magic before attempt-ing one of these.

Last Save - This selection loads the last game thatwas saved, including, the autosave feature thatautomatically saves your game prior to entering anon-autocalculated combat. If you're continuingan epic campaign from your last outing in Urak,just hit this button and you won't have to scrollthrough a list of saved games. Likewise if youwere killed in a battle, you can restart at the pointjust before the combat took place.

Load Game - Brings up a list of saved games.Among these are the tutorial files, used later. (Seepage 22).

Multiplayer - Brings up the Multiplayer OptionsPanel, where you can begin adventuring on-lineand with others.(See page 136).

Map Editor - Opens the World Map Editor.Here you can make infinite new landscapes ofUrak and add whole new dimensions to Lords ofMagic. You can save these maps and exchange

11

SSeettuupp && GGaammee SSttaarrtt OOppttiioonnss


Lord Class Selection Screen

choice. See the sections entitled Quick Start orSelecting Your Lord for more information.

See page 45 for more information on Classes.

CChhoooossiinngg AA DDiiffffiiccuullttyy LLeevveell

EEaassyy

If you choose to play an Easy game, you startwith extra resources, while all of the other Faiths,including Balkoth begin with less. When youconquer a dungeon, you will receive more spoilsthan normal. When other Faiths swear fealty toyou, you receive a larger percentage of theirstanding army - units and resources - than on theother difficulty levels. You may also find extrascrolls throughout the world.

MMeeddiiuumm

This level is designed for players who are familiarwith the game and provides a good challenge fora long time. In a Medium level game, you and theother Faiths begin with fewer resources and expe-rience than in Easy mode. In addition, Balkoth isnot at as much of a disadvantage as he is in anEasy game. Dungeon spoils are even, and a nor-mal amount of parties swear fealty to you whenanother Faith�s Great Temple is liberated.

classes, you are not limiting your entire party tothat particular class. Any party can be comprisedof a combination of these characters, but thestrategy of your Faith will be influenced by thekind of Lord you choose to play.At any time during the selection process, you canclick on Back in the lower left corner of thescreen to return to the previous screen.Once you have chosen a class, you will be askedto select the Faith that you will play. This isanother important decision since each Faith alsohas its own strengths and weaknesses. The kindof game you will play depends largely on this

12 13

SSeettuupp && GGaammee SSttaarrtt OOppttiioonnssSSeettuupp && GGaammee SSttaarrtt OOppttiioonnss

Faith Selection Screen

QQuuiicckk SSttaarrttHHaarrdd

This is, understandably, the most difficult level toplay. You and the other Faiths start with fewerresources while Balkoth gains an extraChampion. You'll find fewer dungeon spoils forthe same work, and there aren't as many scrolls inthe world. When an other Faith swear fealty toyou, you receive only a small percentage of itsstanding army. This level is not for the shy orinexperienced. Good luck.

SSeettttiinngg UUpp MMuullttiippllaayyeerr GGaammeess

See Chapter 7: Multiplayer Games.

14 15


So you're chomping at the bit, ready to get outthere and slay a few enemies? Then pick upyour battleaxe and start hacking.

Many avid gamers want to get right to it - theydon't want to waste any precious game timegoing through tutorials and manuals. Take heart,we wrote this section just for you! Here you'llfind what you need to know to start adventuringin Urak as fast as possible. If you need to knowmore, we've added page numbers and referencesdirecting you to more detailed information. Ifyou want to learn even more about playing thegame, then go to the tutorials on page 22.

CChhoooossee aa CChhaarraacctteerr

In Urak, you can be the adventurer you alwayswanted to be. Start the game, after the introduc-tory story is finished, select Lords of Magic andread the descriptions of the Warrior, Mage andThief that appear on the screen. Select the classthat is closest to the character you wish to por-tray. Next, choose a Faith based on the descrip-tions and start conditions given on the screen.You can always go back a step in the selectionprocess by clicking on the Back button in thelower left corner of the screen. Finally, select thedifficulty level and begin.

See page 47 for more information on FaithsSee page 45 for more information on Champions.

16 17

QQuuiicckk SSttaarrttQQuuiicckk SSttaarrtt

LLooookkiinngg AArroouunndd YYoouurr HHoommee

After loading, you will see your Lord and his orher party in the wilderness of the land.Somewhere close by will be the Capital of yourFaith. Surrounding this is a small cluster ofbuildings: A Barracks, a Mage Tower with a SpellLibrary and a Thieves Guild. You will use all ofthese buildings to hire and train units of yourFaith to help you in your adventures.Somewhere in the area is a large unique ornamen-tal structure. This is your Great Temple, a keyfacility that you will need to liberate from thescourge of evil.

See page 74 for more information on city man-agement.See page 71 for more information on GreatTemples.

EExxpplloorraattiioonn

To explore the darkened regions around yourCapital, move your Lord by left-clicking twice ona destination - once to set the location and againto execute the move. When you move, you'll seemore land and structures revealed as the shroud islifted. Move your cursor over these structuresand a highlight may appear, indicating that theyare objects that can be interacted with. If youleave the cursor over a structure for a few secondsyou will see a description pop-up appear. Keep in mind that these buildings, caves, statues,and other mysterious objects represent potentialhiding places for your enemies.

See page 59 for more information on Movementand Interface.See page 87 for more information on Caves,Dungeons and Towers.

TTrraaddee RReessoouurrcceess && HHiirree aa UUnniitt

Take your leader into your Capital and visit theTavern, Temple, Magistrate, and Marketplace.Clicking directly on the buildings will allow youto conduct business with them. It is here thatyou will be able to manage your resources overtime.

Exit the Capital and go to the Thieves Guild tohire Mercenary Missile (ranged attack) units.Now you are ready to attempt to conquer thatstructure closest to you.

See page 75 for more information on ResourceManagement.

CCoommbbaatt

Combat in Lords of Magic is similar to otherreal-time strategy games. Select units and movethem into combat. However, Lords of Magicallows you to pause the action by pressing thespace bar. In this way you can stop to take amore tactical look around and issue orders tounits while the game is paused. There are three ways to select units: by clickingon them directly, by clicking on the unit icons atthe bottom of the screen, or by cycling throughthem with the + and - keys. Once the unit is

19

QQuuiicckk SSttaarrtt

18


highlighted, you can issue orders in one of twoways: By clicking on the physical destination ortarget, or by using the buttons above the iconsand then clicking on the destinations or targets. Champions take orders as individuals, butMilitary Units (Infantry, Cavalry and MissileTroops) all take orders in squads of three. Youcan, if you wish, select individual Military Unitsby holding down CTRL and clicking on the uniton the map.Once combat ends, the Combat Results panelwill appear. This shows unit losses and the spoilsthat the victor receives. In order to become a recognized Lord, you musthave a Stronghold built in your honor. This isnecessary to gain the resources required to wagea successful campaign against Balkoth. In orderto have this Stronghold built for you, you mustgain enough strength, by conquering dungeonsand hiring Mercenaries, to remove the evil fromyour Great Temple.

See Chapter 4 for more information on Combat.

At any time during the game while on theOverland Map, you can change the game options.Click on the disk icon on the left side of theInterface Panel or hit the ESC key to bring up theOptions Panel. The Options Panel gives you con-trol over the following options.

New Game: Quits the current game and bringsyou back to the Startup Screen to begin anothergame.

Last Save: Loads the last saved game or the lastpoint before you entered a non auto-calculatedcombat.

Save Game: Saves the game in progress andallows it to be loaded later.

Load Game: Allows you to load a game from alist of previously saved games.

Sound: Clicking on this button brings up anoth-er panel from which you can adjust the volumesfor different game sounds.

Music: This allows you to change the volume ofthe music that is played in the background.

Sound FX: The volume of all of the sounds madeby characters, such as walking, spells and combatnoises, can be controlled from here.

Speech: This alters the volume of the verbalreplies that characters give when you select themand give them orders.

21


20 Ambience: This allows you to change the volumeof the background noises that make up theatmosphere of the game such as wind blowing,birds chirping and waves crashing.

Building Speech On/Off: Clicking this buttonselects whether or not you want to hear the state-ments made whenever you enter a Capital orMilitary buildings, such as the Barracks, MageTowers, Thieves Guilds.

Reset Help: When you first start playing Lordsof Magic you receive Help Text when certainevents occurs. You have the option to disableeach of these panels after you view them for thefirst time. If, at some later date, you want to re -enable them again, pressing this button will resetall of the Help Text Panels.

Center Move On/Off: Toggle this button tochoose whether or not you want to have thegame screen constantly center on the currentlymoving party. With this option turned on, thescreen will automatically center on any units thatare moving within any line of sight your partieshave. This is useful for tracking enemy move-ment that may otherwise go unnoticed. Turnedoff, the screen will remain where you have left itand not track any movement. This is a goodoption to have on if you one have one party andwant to keep an eye on it. Leave this optionturned off if you have multiple parties and youwant to scroll around the map looking at them.

The last options that you can adjust are theGame Speed and Combat Speed. Modifying the

Game Speed will change the speed in whicheverything happens on the Overland Map whilechanging the Combat Speed affects the speed atwhich combat takes place. Clicking the Defaultbutton will reset both speeds to their default val-ues.

Finally, you have the options to either Quit orResume the game with your new options.


appears on a panel, with a description of thebuilding (note: it is always a good idea to careful-ly read the descriptions of any buildings or unitsthat you encounter as they give hints to what thisbuilding is suited for and the strengths and weak-nesses of the units found within). After readingthe description of the building, click on theFootmen button to see a description of these dis-ciplined foot soldiers.

You now have two options: Train and Hire Merc.The resources that appear above the Train buttonare the costs associated with training a follower,whereas the resources above the Mercenary(Hire) button pertain to a "pay as you play"method used by the mercenaries. Notice thattraining a Footman unit requires that you have atleast one follower (the little man raising his arm).If the resource display at the bottom of yourscreen on the lower right shows that you have nofollowers available, the only way to acquire anyunits is to hire a mercenary. Click on the HireMerc. button and you will see and hear that themercenary has been hired. Exit the barracksscreen. You now have a new unit to command,and as you can see from your resource display inthe lower right, this mercenary is very costly,requiring four gold and one ale for every day thatthey are in your service.

Strategy note: Mercenaries are a temporary solu-tion at best. It is vital that you do not pay themto sit around idle. Hire them and go and killsomething! For more information on mercenar-ies and how to dismiss them, see pages 58-59.This concludes the tutorial on hiringMercenaries. At this point you should go on tothe next tutorial.

HHiirriinngg MMeerrcceennaarriieess

At the main start screen, choose the LOADoption. Click on the saved game calledMERC.SAV so that it appears in the box at thetop; now click on the word LOAD on the lowerleft side of the pop-up. Follow the instructions asdescribed in the Tutorial below. If for some rea-son you encounter difficulty playing the tutorialand you wish to restart the tutorial, click on thegray diskette at the left side of the main interfaceto access the OPTIONS MENU, click on theLOAD button, and reload the saved game.

When the game begins, you do not have any fol-lowers (people willing to work for you) to trainas new units in your army. However, you do needto increase your forces, so hiring Mercenariesbecomes your only option. Mercenaries are veryexpensive to maintain, so you'll need to keep awatchful eye on your treasury when you havemercenaries in your ranks.

To hire a mercenary, first left-click on your partyto select it and then left-click twice on theBarracks to move the party into the Barracks. Ifyou do not know which structure is the Barracks,you can hold the cursor over buildings, and youwill see mouse help text appear above each struc-ture. Find the structure marked "ArchonBarracks" and left-click twice to enter the build-ing. You will be greeted by a voice welcoming youto the Barracks. An adventurers' viewpoint of theMilitary building that stands before your Lord

22 23

TTuuttoorriiaall

TTuuttoorriiaallss

statue adjacent to the party. enter the GreatTemple and prepare for battle. The battle hasbeen pre-arranged so that there should be littlechallenge. Do not expect it to be this easy in theactual game!

Assuming you win the battle at the Great Temple,a message appears describing the epic event.Scroll the map to your Capital and you now seethe proud presence of a Stronghold waving a ban-ner above the rooftops. Click the End Turn but-ton. Notice that you were on your sixth turn, sothe next turn will be your seventh. At the end ofthe week (seventh turn), another messageappears, informing you of the number of follow-ers who have gathered in the Stronghold to joinyou. Click on the Capital and you can now assignthese followers to do various jobs for you. Assignfollowers to the Marketplace to work as mer-chants to earn gold, to the Tavern to brew ale, tothe Temple to enchant magic crystals, or to theMagistrate to spread the word of your cause andraise your fame (see page 82 for more informa-tion on city and resource management).

LLiibbeerraattiinngg aa GGrreeaatt TTeemmppllee

At the main start screen, choose the LOADoption. Click on the saved game called TEM-PLE.SAV so that it appears in the box at the top;now click on the word LOAD on the lower leftside of the pop-up. Follow the instructions asdescribed in the Tutorial below. If for some rea-son you encounter difficulty playing the tutorialand you wish to restart the tutorial, click on thegray diskette at the left side of the main interfaceto access the OPTIONS MENU, click on theLOAD button, and reload the saved game.

Taking a Great Temple is the single most impor-tant step that you can make in Lords of Magic,short of slaying Balkoth. Freeing the GreatTemple provides you with a five-fold reward:· When you defeat the creatures that infest yourGreat Temple, your people build a Stronghold foryour Lord to use as his or her base of operations. · You will receive an immediate reward of 10 fol-lowers in your Stronghold upon freeing the GreatTemple. · The Great Temple remains as the focal point toattract future followers to join your cause. Aftervisiting the Great Temple, new followers willjourney to your Stronghold every week (seventurns). · Mere possession of the Great Temple spreadsyour name and increases your fame. · The Great Temple will eventually allow you tosummon the most powerful creatures in Urak.

Select the party that is outside the Great Templeby left-clicking on it. Left-click on the massive

24 25

TTuuttoorriiaallTTuuttoorriiaall

The Order Great Temple

RReesseeaarrcchhiinngg aa SSppeellll

At the main start screen, choose the LOADoption. Click on the saved game calledMAGIC.SAV so that it appears in the box at thetop; now click on the word LOAD on the lowerleft side of the pop-up. Follow the instructions asdescribed in the Tutorial below. If for some rea-son you encounter difficulty playing the tutorialand you wish to restart the tutorial, click on thegray diskette at the left side of the main interfaceto access the OPTIONS MENU, click on theLOAD button, and reload the saved game.

The task of learning more powerful spells is han-dled by assigning Mages to research in the spellLibrary. To assign a Mage to begin research on aspell, select the party near the Mage Tower andplace the mouse cursor over the Library. If youare not sure about which building this may be,just leave the cursor over a building for a momentand help text will appear above the structuredescribing it to you. Once you find the Library,left-click to enter. You will immediately be takento the Library interior where you will see yourMage, sitting at a desk, hard at work.

27

TTuuttoorriiaall

Now you must choose which spell you wish toresearch. There are four books on the shelf tochoose from, combat attack, combat defense,overland spells, and general knowledge. Click onthe first book on the left (with the sword on thespine) to open it, and you will see the first com-bat attack spell that your Mage can learn for you(in fact you already know this spell). Left-clickon the right page to turn to the next spell, whichyou do not know. The left page tells you howmany days (turns) it will take to completeresearch on this spell. Exit the Library by clickingon the doorway to the left of the screen and endyour turn. At the start of the next turn, enter theLibrary again by left-clicking on the EnterBuilding button above your Mage. You will nowsee an open book on the bookstand that repre-sents the spell being researched. Left-click on thebook and you will now see the report on the leftpage giving you the current status of the spellbeing researched. This page also tells you thenames and experience levels of the Mages cur-rently researching in the library. Over time youwill notice that the runes on the bottom of theright page become readable, signifying yourprogress in the practical application of this spell.

CCoommbbaatt

At the main start screen, choose the LOADoption. Click on the saved game called COM-BAT.SAV so that it appears in the box at the top;now click on the word LOAD on the lower leftside of the pop-up. Follow the instructions asdescribed in the Tutorial below. If for some rea-son you encounter difficulty playing the tutorial

26

TTuuttoorriiaall

case, however, choose "Enter".

Now you are inside the Large Estate. Combat iscurrently paused so take a moment to lookaround. Using your mouse cursor, scroll to theupper left portion of the screen - there you willsee your enemy. Rest your mouse cursor on oneof the enemy creatures; notice that the selectedenemy is now outlined in brown, and mouse helpappears giving the name and experience level(approximate strength in the case of creatures) ofyour vile enemy. The interface panel on the lowerleft of your screen now provides more detailedstatistics on the abilities of any foe you highlight.Just above the enemy are descending stairs. Thesestairs indicate that this Large Estate containsanother level below the current battle level, withmore wretched inhabitants to oppose you. If youwish to explore deeper into the next level, youmust ensure that you remain healthy enough tocontinue your adventure.

You will also notice two colored flags planted inthe ground and waving above your Mage. To findyour Mage's location (or that of any other unit)on the battle map, right-click on the Mage's iconin the lower panel and you will automatically cen-ter on him. Hold the mouse cursor over the flags;mouse help will appear indicating that this is a"Flee Area". If you ever find yourself facing asuperior enemy and want to leave combat beforeall your troops are exterminated, press the "FleeFrom Combat" button (the picture of the personrunning with upraised hands) located on thelower right side of the interface panel. Giving thisorder will cause all your troops to disengage from

29and you wish to restart the tutorial, click on thegray diskette at the left side of the main interfaceto access the OPTIONS MENU, click on theLOAD button, and reload the saved game.

Success or failure in combat is one of the mostimportant factors in any adventurer's journeythrough Urak. This tutorial is designed to giveyou a basic overview on the capabilities of thevarious troops you will lead into battle. In thistutorial, you command three champions: a LifeMage, a Life Warrior, and a Life Thief as well as aunit of Life Infantry and a unit of Life MissileTroops. Note that the Champions are graphicallyrepresented by only one figure at all times, whileMilitary units (Infantry, Cavalry & MissileTroops) are represented by three figures in com-bat.

Directly above your party on the overland map isa structure with a blue roof and a gray bannerwaving over it. Rest the mouse cursor over it;mouse help will appear indicating that this struc-ture is called a "Large Estate". Double-click onthe Large Estate; a pop-up panel will appear thatdescribes the difficulty level (i.e. difficulty - level1 is the easiest, level 11 is the most difficult) andgives a brief description of who or what awaits tobattle your party within. There are also three but-tons at the bottom of this pop-up: "Enter","Autocalc" and "Retreat". Enter will take yourparty into battle, Autocalc lets the computerdetermine the winner, and Retreat allows youreturn to the overland map unscathed (althoughwhat brave adventurer would ever contemplaterunning away with his tail between legs?). In this

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your Warrior's defense to drop to zero, but willincrease his attack by one half of his originaldefense. This button is only really useful if youeither completely outclass your enemy or if yourenemy is so powerful that you have no otheralternative. Clicking on the Rally button willcause your Warrior to issue a mighty war-cry andwill inspire your military units to fight at plus oneto attack and defense. (Military units are:Infantry, Cavalry, and Missile Troops.)

The next Champion to right-click on is the Thief,which causes a new set of action buttons toappear above the unit icon panel. These buttonsare (from left to right): Subdue, Aimed Attack,Stealth, and Detect Thief. Again, each button hasmouse-help associated with it. Subdue is used tocapture Champions of another faith. Click on theSubdue button and then click on the enemyChampion you want to capture. If your Thiefsuccessfully subdues an enemy, he will becomeyour prisoner of war. See page 133 for furtherinformation on POW options. Please note: sub-due can only be used on Champions belonging toanother "player faith"; it cannot be used on wan-dering monster or renegade champions that livein, or come from caves and dungeons, such as theones in this battle, and it can never be used onnon-champion units. Giving the order for anAimed Attack allows your Thief to cause greaterdamage with her missile attacks, at the expense ofslowing down her rate of fire. Clicking on theStealth button turns your Thief invisible to allenemy units, until detected. Detection is basedon the sneaking thief's level and distance from thedetecting parties. When a sneaking thief either

31combat and make their way to the flee point.Troops who make it to the flee point will returnto overland map. Directly below the "Flee" but-ton is the "Surrender" button. Giving an order tosurrender will kill all of your non-Championtroops and make your Champions prisoners-of-war. The other two buttons are the "PauseCombat" button (the red/green light next to the"Flee" button) and "Autocalc" (the button withthe computer on it).

Now right click on your Warrior (the guy ridingthe green lizard). Notice that a new set of actionbuttons appears above the unit icon panel. Thesebuttons give specific orders to the Warrior thatonly he can carry out. These buttons are (fromleft to right): Attack, Defend, Go Berserk andRally. Notice that each button has mouse- helpassociated with it. Clicking on the Attack buttonand then clicking on a particular enemy unit willmake the Warrior advance to that unit and attackit. Click on the Defend button, and then click ona location on the map or on a particular friendlyunit. Choosing to defend a location will cause theWarrior to move to the specified area and wait forthe enemy to approach. If you choose to defenda particular unit, the Warrior will move near tothe unit he has been ordered to protect, anddefend him if he comes under attack. If you orderthe Warrior to defend himself, he will parry;applying one half of his attack value to hisdefense, and subsequently entirely forfeiting theopportunity to attack. This is useful for infantry,to stall the enemy's approach and hold him at bay,while Mages or Missile Troops attack from afar.Clicking on the Go Berserk button will cause

30


will now appear above the unit icon where theSpirit Arrow button used to be. Right-click onthe button for "Bless" and observe that a red out-line is now surrounding the button for "Bless".Left-click on the button for "Spirit Arrow" to res-elect it and notice that it again appears above theunit icon panel. Left-click on the button for"Spirit Arrow" once more; your cursor will nowturn into a white star to indicate that a spell hasbeenreadied for casting. Scroll over to yourenemy and rest your cursor on one of the blue"Sprites" creatures. The star cursor will begin toanimate and a red outline will appear around thecreature you have targeted. Left-click on thecreature to cast "Spirit Arrow" on this foulenemy. Now unpause the game by hitting thespace bar and watch as your Mage casts "SpiritArrow" on your opponent. After the spell has hitthe targeted creature, notice that his health (rep-resented by the gray bar above the creature) hasbeen reduced. Hit the space bar again to pausethe game and select another target on which tocast "Spirit Arrow". If you want the game to con-tinue in real-time but just want to slow thingsdown a bit, use the "," and "." keys to speed thingsup or down until you find a speed suitable to you.

Notice that after you attack the creatures theybegin to move toward you. While the game is stillpaused, issue orders to set up the positions ofyour troops. It's best to place your Infantry unitsin front of your Missile Troops to protect themand allow them to fire without being attacked.You can give your units orders by either selectingthem in the unit icon panel or left-clicking anddragging a box around their figures on the map.

33gets very close to her enemies, or when thatenemy is of higher level than she, the chance fordetection rises dramatically. The last action but-ton: Detect Thief, allows your Thief to try todetect any enemy Thieves that are in stealthmode, and trying to sneak up on you. Thoughagain the ability of your thief to detect an enemythief in stealth mode depends on the relative lev-els of the thieves, this method of detection offersyour party the best chance at detecting enemythieves.

The final Champion to right-click on is the Mage.Notice that two yellow spell buttons now appearabove the unit icon window. The left button rep-resents combat attack spells, and the right com-bat defense spells. Move your cursor over thesebuttons and notice that mouse help appearsdescribing the spell effects and the mana cost tocast these spells. In the unit statistics area in theleft portion of the interface panel, the middle sta-tistic box on the bottom row tells how muchmana your mage currently has. At the moment,she has 17 mana at her disposal. As she castsspells, the amount mana remaining decreases. Seepage 110 for further information on mana andspell casting. Now place your cursor over the"Spirit Arrow" spell (the yellow button on leftwith an arrow on it) and right click. Notice that apop-up box appears with a button for SpiritArrow and another button for a spell called"Bless". As you learn new spells through researchin the Mage Library they will appear in this pop-up box area. A red outline appears around SpiritArrow because it had been selected spell. Left-click on the button for "Bless" to select it - "Bless"

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receive a panel informing you that you may nowmanipulate artifacts and cast spells. This meansthat if you had any potions or healing spells youcould now use them (see page 116 for details onusing potions). In this case you have neither, soclick on the "Close" button located on the lowerright side of the panel. You now have the optionto return to the overland map (by clicking on theglobe located on the lower right side of thescreen) or proceeding down to the next level ofthe dungeon to clear out the evil inhabitantslocated within. You also have the option of split-ting up your party and sending any severely dam-aged unit back to the surface. This is done by firstsending your stronger units down to do battlewith creatures located below, and then clickingon the flee button for the remaining troops toleave . In this case, however, send all your unitsdown below by selecting them and giving theman order to move to the descending staircase.Once all the units have made it to the staircase,you will be transported to the next level of thedungeon with a whole new group of enemies thatoppose you. Using the knowledge you gainedfrom your previous battle, you should be able toturn these creatures into dragon appetizers in notime. You may notice that as you continue toorder your Mage to cast spells on the enemy thatthe spell buttons gray and out and she can nolonger cast spells. This is because she has run outof mana. Mana can be replenished either by usinga potion (see page 116 for details on using manapotions) or by ending your turn (your Mage willhave full mana on the next day). Once victory isyours, you receive another combat results report,and your party returns to the overland map.

35You can even select individual members of aMilitary Unit by combining a left-click with the<CNTL> key. You can give your units orders tomove (and attack) when the game is paused;however, they will not execute these orders untilthe game is unpaused. Move your troops so thatthe Elven Staffmen are in front of the ElvenArchers and Thief Champion to protect them.Continue to have your Mage cast "Spirit Arrow"on the enemy creatures. Use the Rally button andthen move your Warrior up to attack any strayenemies that might attempt to sneak throughyour defenses.

Once you have dispatched your enemy, youreceive a pop-up informing you of the combatresults: who was killed, what spoils you received,and any units that have increased in experiencelevel. In multi-level encounters, such as this, you

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right-click in an open portion of the overlandmap to deselect it. Now place your cursor on theBarracks and left-click to select the empty build-ing. A pop-up options panel will appear; noticethat next to the "Experience Conferred toRecruits" and "Next Turn" the numbers both indi-cate that zero experience will be conferred to anyunits produced because no Champion is presentto instruct them. Click on the button labeled"Elven Staffmen" in the middle of the upper row.Another panel will appear that gives a briefdescription of the Elven Staffmen as well as theirstatistics (attack, defense, movement, etc.) andtheir cost. Observe that their current experi-ence(shown by the temperature bar underneaththe word "Level") indicates that if you producedthe unit now, it would appear with only Level 1experience, and hence would be quite weak andvulnerable in combat. Hit the "Cancel" buttonand exit the Barracks. Now select your party byleft-clicking on it and order it to move into theBarracks. You will now see that because you havebrought the appropriate Champion (a Warrior)into the Barracks, he will confer 46 points ofexperience onto any units produced in the nextturn. A new line also appeared: "Max With ThisChampion", indicating that a unit produced whileusing this Champion as Steward will receive amaximum of 465 experience points if theChampion remains as Steward for the longestpossible time.

Select the "Elven Staffmen" button again.Observe that the temperature bar underneath theword "Level" now contains two colors: green toindicate the experience level that a unit will pos-

37Notice that a gray banner no longer flies over thelarge estate - all its evil denizens have been exter-minated. If you had failed to defeat the creatureswithin, a gray banner would continue to waveabove the estate.

CCoonnffeerrrriinngg EExxppeerriieennccee ttoo NNeeww UUnniittss

At the main start screen, choose the LOADoption. Click on the saved game called EXPERI-ENCE.SAV so that it appears in the box at thetop; now click on the word LOAD on the lowerleft side of the pop-up. Follow the instructions asdescribed in the Tutorial below. If for some rea-son you encounter difficulty playing the tutorialand you wish to restart the tutorial, click on thegray diskette at the left side of the main interfaceto access the OPTIONS MENU, click on theLOAD button, and reload the saved game.

Having your Champions confer some of theirexperience to new units can be the easiest (not tomention safest) way to acquire units with a high-er experience level, without ever taking them intobattle. This tutorial will show you how to assignChampions as stewards to your military build-ings, to greatly enhance the strength of theforces that your buildings produce for you to leadinto battle.

Find your Elven Barracks - it is to the left of yourparty. You can find your various building by rest-ing the cursor over them to receive mouse help..Do not enter the Barracks with your party; ifyour party is currently selected (i.e. it appears inthe unit icon panel at the bottom of the screen),

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Staffmen have reached their maximum level ofexperience (as indicated by a Level temperaturebar that is all yellow), click on the "Train Unit"button and observe that the newly created unitwill posses Level 3 experience.

39sess next turn, and blue for the maximum amountof experience the unit will receive. Notice that ablue "+1" appears below the number 2 on thelevel temperature bar. This means that the maxi-mum amount of experience the unit will possesswill advance him beyond experience Level 2. Hitthe Exit button to exit the Barracks and thenclick on the end turn gem in the lower right cor-ner to end your turn. At the beginning of yournext turn, go back into your Barracks and select"Elven Staffmen" once again. The temperature barwill now contain three colors: yellow to indicatethe current experience the Staffmen will possessif produced on this turn, green to show howmuch experience they will posses if produced thefollowing turn, and blue to show their maximumexperience. Keep on ending turn until no moreblue remains in the temperature bar, and the baris entirely yellow (10 turns). Notice that theexperience the unit will possess if produced onthis turn will put him just below experience Level3. In addition to the experience of the Championwho is residing as Steward, the upgrade level ofthe Barracks (or Thieves Guild, or Mage Tower)can affect the amount of experience conferredupon new units produced as well. The top of thefirst pop-up panel when you enter the Barracksindicates that this structure is currently atupgrade level 1. Click on the button labeled"Upgrade" on the upper right of this panel. Nowclick on the button for "Elven Staffmen" andobserve that the amount of experience theStaffmen can possess will place them above expe-rience Level 3. Remember that a military build-ing cannot be upgraded higher than the level ofits corresponding Stronghold. Once the Elven

38


CChhaapptteerr 11::

GGaammee OOvveerrvviieeww &&

SSeelleeccttiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrdd

S o you think you've got what it takes todefeat Balkoth? Let me tell you some-thing, my friend. Many have come before

you. All of them are dead. I won't relate the man-ner of their deaths, but let us say that what littleremained of the bodies wouldn't feed a hungrycrow.

- Balathustrius

again, the people will sing your praise and buildyou a Stronghold in your Capital, attractingFollowers who will work for you.

The resources necessary for maintaining yourparties and continuing your campaigns, are Gold,Crystals, and Ale. These can be obtained by clear-ing local structures. While clearing out a cave ordungeon will yield some instant resources, asteady flow can be found by conquering andmaintaining control of a Gold Mine, CrystalMine, Brewery or Statue.

Much of your success in Urak hinges on yourreputation, or Fame. How famous you becomedepends on your actions and your conquests dur-ing the course of the game. As your Fame grows,numerous Followers from across Urak volunteerto help in your campaign. These Followers appearin your Stronghold and await your orders.

Followers can be assigned to the vital tasks ofbrewing ale, running your Marketplace, spreadingthe word of your campaign, and harvesting magiccrystals. Additionally, you can invest resourcesinto training Followers to create powerful unitsin any of the Military buildings on the outskirtsof the Capital. Mercenaries, too, can be hired , ata cost.

Live long enough, and your soldiers andChampions become more experienced and muchmore powerful in combat. Once your Lord hasgained a few levels of experience, you are ready toventure out beyond the relative safety of yourown region and visit your neighbors.

OObbjjeeccttiivveess

When the game begins, it's just you and a fewloyal adventurers in a big, unexplored world.

To defeat Balkoth and restore Urak you will needto build a force great enough to vanquish him.There are many steps that you must take in orderto accomplish this goal.

First you need a base of operations where you canbuild and train your forces. To do this, you willneed to prove yourself a worthy Lord to the goodpeople of the Faith you have chosen to lead. Yourpeople may support you and pray you are suc-cessful, but this does not mean that they willwork for you or lay down their lives for you. Inorder for your people to support you in action,not just in words, you must clear the poison thatGolgoth has summoned within your GreatTemple. When the Great Temple is free once

42 43

CChhaapptteerr 11:: GGaammee OOvveerrvviieeww && SSeelleeccttiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrddCChhaapptteerr 11:: GGaammee OOvveerrvviieeww && SSeelleeccttiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrdd

The Overland Map

your campaigns will be run. An Order Magegame is very different than a Water Thief game.These two choices, Lord Type and FaithSelection, are the most important decisions in thegame.

LLoorrdd TTyyppeess

A Warrior's life is one of loneliness and glory,days spent in the thick of battle, nights aloneon the cold ground with a thin blanket and dis-tant memories of home. The world of a Mage,thick with the dust of spell books and heavywith the perfume of potions, hints of mysteryand foreboding. The romance of a thief's life ismore myth than truth, for Thieves are soughtby all and trusted by none.

- Balathustrius

There are three Lord Types that you may choosefrom: Warrior, Mage, and Thief.

Choose to become a Warrior and your talents lieon the battlefield. Even the most inexperiencedWarriors have superior combat skills, and allWarriors have a powerful charisma that can beused to rally their troops during combat. ManyWarriors ride proud battle-mounts into combat.Choose to study the mystic arts as a Mage, andthe magical abilities you possess can make you apowerful, dangerous leader. It is true that noviceMages starting a campaign are weak, with untriedskills and untested spells fresh from their books.But as a Mage, you have the opportunity to learnadditional spells as the game progresses, makingyou a force to be reckoned with (provided youcan stay alive long enough!).

A word about Bartering: As you encounter theother Faiths in the game, you will meet some thatagree with your cause and some that supportBalkoth in the hopes of sharing the spoils of abroken Urak. Depending on the political attitudeof your neighbors, they may seek your help.

People that you encounter who are sympatheticto your cause can become permanent allies ofyours if you clear out the Great Temple in theirregion. When this is done, the people are sograteful that the Lord of that Faith swears fealtyto you, and his or her people come under yourrule, adding their resources to yours. Any Faiththat swears fealty to you provides you with anHeir that will continue your campaigns if youshould die. Should you encounter hostile Faithswhose opinions cannot be turned, you must con-quer their Capital by force.

Consolidating the power of the peoples of Urakin this way will undoubtedly give you the leverageyou need to face Balkoth. His power is unques-tionably the strongest in Urak. But with perse-verance, cunning, good leadership, and enoughallies fighting alongside you, you may justbecome the savior this land so desperately needs.

SSeelleeccttiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrdd

Before you can lead your army against the dark-ness, you must choose what kind of Lord youwish to become. Choosing the type of Lord thatyou will play may seem like a simple process.However, each decision affects the way in which

44 45


ble-clicking a unit icon on the status bar) younotice that Lords, unlike all other units, costnothing to maintain.

FFaaiitthh SSeelleeccttiioonn

...winning the battle against Dark. For it is thatwhen beliefs coalesce into one, Good will tri-umph and… the shadows will face banishmentforever to the depths of Urak.

- Fragment of a parchment from theProphesy of Urak, Volume 24.

As a Lord, you must choose to lead one of theeight Faiths of Urak before you start your cam-paign. At the beginning of the game, you will seethe Circle of Life. Here is where you will choosewhat Faith to worship. There are eight archways,one for each Faith. Choose carefully, for thisdecision affects everything that comes after it.Each Faith has its own strengths and weaknessesthat distinguish it on the battlefield, and youmust choose a Faith that complements the cam-paign you wish to conduct.

Choose the life of a Thief and you choose to liveamongst the shadows. Thieves embrace an exis-tence of cunning, deception and stealth. GoodThieves can roam the world spying on enemieswithout being detected.

In combat, a Thief has the ability to sneak up toenemy Champions, subdue them and take themprisoner.

Lords carry a double banner on the OverlandMap, enabling their party to stand out from theothers. As a Lord, you wear your personal colors,which are different from those of otherChampions and your enemies. Also, if you lookat the Unit Information Panel (accessed by dou-

46 47


A Lord riding a trusty steed

enemy units, but they make up for this with theirpowerful attacks and impressive collection ofstrong defensive spells.

FFiirreeI annoyed a Fire Giant once. I don't recom-mend it.

- Balathustrius

Worshippers of Fire are just akin to the worship-pers of Chaos. They tend to be strong, and attackwith startling vehemence. Fire mages lovepyrotechnics, and their impressive array of spellsboth look great and can ruin an opponent's dayfrom quite a distance. Their weaknesses are fewbut serious, for Fire worshippers have littledefensive magic, fairly useless armor, and low hitpoints. As a result, a typical strategy for Fire wor-shippers is to torch and run, so expect to seethem attack first.

WWaatteerrIf you're smart, you'll never board one of theleaky tubs that pass for ships on Urak. Markme, the decision to tempt the creatures ofWater may be the last dry choice you make.Not to mention that ship food ranks as thefoulest slop ever to curse a dinner table.

- Balathustrius

From the gentle foam that teases the westerncoast to the crashing waves beneath the Cliffs ofAmshanan, the Water Faith has complete domi-nance of the oceans. Their sea monsters cansmash enemy ships and their land-based lizard

AAiirrDamned Storm Giant mages. It never fails...they always call the rain when I want to workin my garden.

- Balathustrius

Air creatures soar above a battle, striking fast andmoving out quickly. Air creatures don't havemuch in the way of armor, but their agility givesthem an edge against attack. Air Mages have anexceptional library of offensive spells at their dis-posal, and these spellslingers can usually be foundat the rear of an army, throwing lightning boltsfrom long distances (and keeping themselves wellout of the fray). Mages of the Air Faith are leg-endary for their ability to control the weather.

EEaarrtthhI've always liked the Dwarves. They're slowand stubborn, but honorable and good allies ina clinch.

- Balathustrius

Earth followers move like the slow-growingglimmer vines of Urak - you can't really see themmove, then all of a sudden they've covered yourgarden. But don't mistake their lack of speed forlack of brains. Earth creatures have a battle savvythat comes with an intimate knowledge of theterrain, and their superior armor and unmatchedendurance make them difficult to kill. Earth crea-tures can usually be out-maneuvered by faster

49


TThhee EElleemmeennttaall FFaaiitthhss

OOrrddeerrI've never been terribly impressed with the wor-shippers of Order. They're highly disciplined ina way too serious for my taste.

- Balathustrius

To believe in Order is to believe in balance. Orderworshippers embrace the view that everything inthe universe has its place and every event happensfor a reason. On the battlefield, the soldiers ofOrder are renowned for their balance of defense,attack, movement, and hit points. Soldiers theworld over envy the troops of Order, for theirMages are experts at spells that increase the fight-ing abilities of Warriors and that protect the less-er troops from whatever harm is flung their way.

LLiiffeeThe Elves confuse me. On one hand, they'reworshippers of the eternal web of life on Urak.On the other hand, when crossed they can befrighteningly lethal opponents.

- Balathustrius

Elves are agile and quick, with an unmatchedlong-range attack that enables them to inflictserious amounts of damage from a distance. LifeMages employ powerful healing spells that revivewounded troops on the battlefield. Legends,from long ago, speak of Life Mages resurrectingtheir fallen comrades.Unfortunately for the Elves, their melee skillspale in comparison to their ranged prowess. Theirgreatest weaknesses lie in their lack of close-range fighting skills and their distaste for wearingarmor. It's rare to see Life troops in hand-to-hand

men are fast and tough enough to make quickwork of the enemy. Water Mages begin asextremely weak characters, but theirs is a profes-sion that grows in strength as the game progress-es. Over time, Water Mages gain the knowledgeand experience to learn extremely powerfulspells. They are the only Faith with the ability tochange water into land. In times of peace they usethe healing powers of water to restore hit pointsto wounded creatures.

CChhaaoossI've got no patience with Barbarians and theirilk. They're big, they smell of stale ale andhorse droppings, and you never know whichside they'll end up fighting for during the battle.

- Balathustrius

Barbarians make great soldiers because they havesimple needs: warm food, enough ale to addletheir brains, and a dry place to sleep. They'regood in battle situations; they have relatively highhit points and can perform devastating meleeattacks. They don't wear much armor though,and they're not too good with projectile weapons.Chaos Mages have some awe-inspiring spells attheir fingertips. It is rumored that they have thepower to transform themselves and their enemiesinto other creatures. With this power comes tur-moil, however, because magic of this type is high-ly unstable, and therefore unpredictable.

50 51


TThhee AArrccaannee FFaaiitthhss

combat, and only foolish Leaders order Lifetroops to the front lines of battle.

DDeeaatthhNo sane Urakian speaks aloud of theGolgothan troops. The followers of Death lurkin the scorched forests and dank caves ofUrak, and inhabit the nightmares of all that bat-tle to simply live...

- Balathustrius

In order to play as Balkoth, you must first defeathim in single play. The Death Faith is always avail-able in Multiplayer games. The following informa-tion is still relevant to gameplay.

It is known that members of the Dark Faith wieldstunning powers, given to them by the fetidprinces of the nether regions. Death worshippersare well armored and fast, possessing a superiorpower in battle that destroys most of their ene-mies. Death troops tend to be equally skilled atrange and melee attacks. Their Mages overwhelmtheir opponents with some of the most devastat-ing spells known on Urak. These dark elves usesorcery to raise the dead, replenishing theirtroops as the battle rages around them. Thisunspeakable act is a nightmare to see and an eter-nal terror for the pitiful souls who have the mis-fortune to be so reanimated. Death creaturesseem to drain the courage from their enemies;they display such offensive might that it turnsopponents' hearts to jelly and keeps them fromattacking. One should take care to be adequately preparedwhen meeting Death on the battlefield.

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I chose my three best soldiers - Gil Sarve,Kildonan and Sarith - to explore the crum-bling tower before us. They went gladly, as I

knew they would, filled with honor at being pickedby my hand. As their shadows disappeared in theyawing mouth that was once the door, I wonderedif I should ever see them again. As their comman-der, I had to order someone to go inside. As theircomrade, my heart filled with worry for their safety.But I can never let the troops see me hesitate.

- From the war journal of Arius, first Champion of Order forces

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 22::

GGeettttiinngg AArroouunndd UUrraakk

only the most powerful Champion (or, barring aChampion, the most powerful unit) is displayedin each party. Capitals, Great Temples, Mage Towers, ThievesGuilds, Barracks, Mines, Breweries, Statues, andCrystal Mines will always fly the colors of theFaiths that own them. Caves, Huts, Dungeonsand other mysterious places that have not beenexplored have grey banners, indicating that theyare occupied by an unaffiliated or renegade party.Once cleared out, they will have no flag, unlessoccupied by an party, in which case they will dis-play that party's banner..

PPaarrttiieess

My troops are a rowdy crew, for Order wor-shippers. They sometimes drink too much andare overly fond of the dice. But when it's timefor battle, they face the enemy in deadlyearnest.

- From the war journal of Arius, firstChampion of Order forces

The portrait next to the magnifying glasses showsthe Leader of the currently selected party. To theright of the portrait are windows that showeveryone in the party and bars indicating theircurrent health appear above their heads. A singleparty can consist of up to 3 Champions and 9Units. Parties on the Overland Map always carrythe faith-specific colored banners (i.e. Yellow forLife, Blue for Water, Brown for Chaos, etc).Lords carry a double banner. Parties are displayedon the Interface Panel within Unit Windowslocated at the center.

VViieewwiinngg tthhee MMaapp

The tools necessary to command your forces arelocated in the Interface Panel at the bottom ofthe screen. There are three zoom levels for view-ing the scrolling map of Urak. Three magnifyingglasses located on the left of the Interface Panelcontrol the zoom levels. The largest one providesthe closest or "detailed view", the middle onegives a "regional view", and the small magnifyingglass changes the view to a maximum zoom or"World View." At the closest view - the biggestglass - all troop types are displayed on thescrolling map. At the medium and World View,

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CChhaapptteerr 22:: GGeettttiinngg AArroouunndd UUrraakk

MagnifyingGlasses

The Overland Map


values on Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom. You will also see a Dismiss button here. It is rep-resented by a unit with its back turned and a largeX. This allows you to send expensive mercenarytroops on their way, thus saving you some money.

SSeelleeccttiinngg aanndd MMoovviinngg PPaarrttiieess

Selecting which parties to move, deciding whento move them, and choosing the places to exploreare the first steps in your adventure. To move aparty across the Overland world map, you mustfirst select it. Place the cursor over the party. Afaith-specific colored outline (i.e. Yellow for Life,Blue for Water, etc) appears around the units inthe party. Hold the cursor over the party and pop-up textappears. If the party contains a Champion, aname followed by the Faith will appear. If there isno Champion, only the party's Faith will be dis-played.Left-click on one of your own parties and itappears in the Unit Window(s) below. You arenow ready to move this party. Click once on the map where you want the partyto move to. A series of Green Movement Beadsappears with a green X at the end. This tells youthe route the party will take to get to its destina-tion. If the X and some of the beads are Grey, thismeans that the destination is further than theparty can travel in one turn. A pop-up tells how many turns away the destina-tion is.Click again on the X, confirming the movementorder, and the units will begin moving.

Champions always occupy the first slot in eachUnit Window, and there can only be oneChampion per Unit Window. If there is noChampion, this slot will be left open. ThreeUnits may occupy the remaining area of the UnitWindow. Up to three Unit Windows will be dis-played depending on the size of the party.Experience levels are indicated by hash marksbeneath each unit icon. Any equipped artifactsappear under the corresponding Champion (seeArtifacts on page 116). The current number ofliving military unit members (normally three) isindicated underneath that military unit. If youwant more information on a specific party mem-ber, double click directly on his or her icon. Theresulting popup tells everything you need toknow about that unit, including upkeep costs,attack strength, his or her defensive skills, hitpoints, movement, Mana supply, Experience, and

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CChhaapptteerr 22:: GGeettttiinngg AArroouunndd UUrraakkCChhaapptteerr 22:: GGeettttiinngg AArroouunndd UUrraakk

Movement that requires more than one turnMovement

Beads


party. Of course you can always just scrollaround the map until you come across what lookslike one of your guys�

MMoovvee AAllll PPaarrttiieess BBuuttttoonnLocated next to the Fame counter, is a grey but-ton that resembles a trail of footprints. As thegame progresses, you may find that you havemore parties to worry about and often you mayfind that you will set destinations that will taketwo or more turns to reach. Because parties do not automatically proceed totheir destinations when it is your turn again, theMove All Parties button will cause all of your par-ties with movement beads remaining (that is, par-ties that have not reached their destinations inone turn), to move as far as possible to their des-tinations.

PPrreevviioouuss//NNeexxtt PPaarrttyy WWiitthh MMoovveemmeenntt

RReemmaaiinniinngg BBuuttttoonnLeft of the Move All Parties Button , are twoopposing arrows. Clicking on one of these willcycle through your parties that still have move-ment points remaining. This is useful to locate aparty that may have reached its destination butcan still move, or rounding up troops that havebeen idle and getting them moving, just in caseyou've forgotten anyone.

JJooiinniinngg//SSpplliittttiinngg PPaarrttiieessDuring the course of the game, you will havemany reasons to change the makeup of your par-ties around, such as adding archers to take on a

MMoovveemmeenntt PPooiinnttssAll Units move at different individual rates acrossthe Overland Map. Grouping units into partiesforces the whole party to move at the rate of theslowest unit. Furthermore, parties that do notcontain a Champion do not move quite as fast asthose parties that have a Champion present.Once a party has moved its full movement, it isstill possible to separated units that still havemovement points remaining from the party tocontinue on.

MMoovviinngg IInnttoo AA SSttrruuccttuurreeTo move a party into a structure, select the party,then move the cursor over the structureStructures that you own have your faith-specificcolored outline. Structures that you do not ownalways appear with a red outline. Click twice onthe structure and the units move into it if youown it. A pop up gives other options if the struc-ture is owned by someone else.See Combat beginning on page 91.

LLooccaattiinngg PPaarrttiieessThere are several methods of locating parties onthe Overland map. The Next/Previous PartiesArrows located at the top, center of the InterfacePanel bring up each party, re-centering the mapon their location. Likewise, using the plus andminus keys ( + / - ) will cycle through the partiesin the same way. Another option is to bring upthe Party Roster screen (see page 63 for moreinformation on the Party Roster). From withinthis panel, click on the party�s unit icons, thenselect Go To ->, the screen re-centers on the

60 61


Next/PreviousParty Arrows

Move All PartiesButton

Parties WithMovementRemaining

Arrows

TThhee PPaarrttyy RRoosstteerr

In order to get an overview of what parties cost,where they're located and what they're doing,view the Party Roster screen. This screen displaysyour entire army as it is currently divided. Thegrey icons indicate what each party is currentlydoing.

Footprints: This indicates that the party is out-side on the Overland map.

Greyed Footprints with a Number: This indi-cates that the party is marching to a destinationthat is not reachable in one turn. The number dis-plays how many turns it will take for the party toreach its destination.

House with Zzz: The party is currently restinginside a structure. This could be a building orcave.

House with R: This shows a Mage is Researchinga spell within a Spell Library.

House with TR: This is a Champion that'sTraining new units within a structure such asBarracks, Mage Tower or Thieves Guild.

Selected Party Upkeep: This tells you the costupkeep of the entire party that is currently select-ed.

Total Units: The total number of units underyour command.

pesky dragon, getting that Mage out of active ser-vice to go study spells, breaking the Thief off forsome stealthy reconnaissance.

Parties are limited to a maximum of 3 Championsand 9 other units.

To Add Units:Select the unit(s) you want to join.Move the cursor over the party you wish to jointhem to. The cursor will change from the hand totwo people with a plus sign. This is the join com-mand. Double click on the party, once to set the orderand again to execute the command, and yourunits will walk up and join together.

To Split Units:Select the party you want to separate unit(s)from.Either select an entire party, or in the UnitWindow, click on the icons of the unit(s) youwish to separate. The units will then have a faith-specific color outline around them.Move the cursor away from the party, to the loca-tion you want the separated units to move to.Double click and the separated units will split offfrom the party.

62 63


Selecting an individual party member

The PartyRoster Button


your parties before going into combat to givethem the best starting positions. To do this, sim-ply click and hold on the unit you wish to moveand drag it the new position. You may move anyunit to any other unit position. If the new posi-tion is currently occupied, the units will exchangepositions. You many not move Champions thisway. Moving a Champion, moves the entire win-dow, and can therefore only be exchanged withanother Champion. This changes the leadershipof that party. Units in the first Unit Window will always beUnit Hot Key number One. This position tendsto find itself in more hazardous combat startinglocations.

EExxpplloorraattiioonn

In the distance we saw a single, crumbling col-umn. A mist swirled behind it, looking for all theworld like the fetid breath of some legendaryEarth beast. Although my face remained calm,inside my chest I felt the cold fingers of feargrip my heart.


SShhrroouuddAs no maps of Urak exist, unexplored areas ofthe world are covered with a black shroud that isonly lifted after your troops have explored thearea. However, once your units no longer occupya place, the area becomes grey. You are allowed toview the terrain, but you cannot see any units hatmay be there.

Expenses: This is the total number of Ale,Crystals and Gold that you are currently spend-ing on maintaining your parties.

Income: This is the total amount of incomingFame, Ale, Crystals and Gold that you receiveeach turn.

Followers Arrive in X Turns: The number ofturns until the next batch of followers will beavailable in your stronghold(s).

Next - Prev Party Member: Cycles through theindividual members of each party. Double click-ing on the unit will bring up a unit informationpanel.

GoTo->: Exits Party Roster and returns to theOverland Map centered on the last party high-lighted.

Exit: Exits the Party Roster and returns to theOverland Map where you last left it.

GGrroouuppiinngg PPaarrttiieess

The Unit Windows display how parties aregrouped. When entering combat, Units thatoccupy the same Window as a Champion willstart close to that Champion. Furthermore, alloccupants of a Unit Window will all have thesame Unit Hot Key, when combat begins (seeCombat on page 91) starting with the farthestleft being One, the middle is Two then Three onthe right. While you can reassign numbers and move troopsaround in combat, it can be easier to re-group

64 65


that of their opposite Faith, will experienceextreme disdain for it. Although Fire Giants runthrough lava, for example, they're not too keenabout ice. Life Warriors will move with cautionacross the dark marshes of Death. Earth Dwarvesfind scaling the mountains of Air more difficultthan most.

Units travel farthest on familiar terrain and sufferno ill effects from traversing it

Terrain is a significant factor in movement.Climbing mountains to cross the land will takeconsiderably more time than charging across anopen field.

Before the darkness came, each Faith agreed tobuild roads to its neighbors to help further trade.Travelling upon the remains of these roads signif-icantly speeds up movement. Units will naturallymove towards roads when given long destina-tions.

Water is impassible to all but ships and flyingunits. Exploring with a ship will reveal all coastalareas. Each ship can carry a single sub-party con-sisting of up to one Champion and three otherunits. Ship movement tends to be faster thanoverland.

SSiigghhtt RRaaddiiuussEach unit has its own sight radius; the distancearound itself that a unit can see. The amount ofterrain revealed varies between units. Most Airunits have a wider sight radius than others. Whentravelling across the Overland Map, parties usethe sight radius of their best member to see. Thesight radius can also be enhanced by magic.

SSccoouuttssOne of the best ways to explore Urak is withscouts. When scouts act alone they can cover awider area and move faster than almost any unit.They tend to be small and lack any appreciablefighting skills, but they can locate the enemyquickly, keeping an eye on troop movements oreven makeing first contact with a potential ally.

TTeerrrraaiinn aanndd MMoovveemmeenntt

We didn't expect that the Narrow Pass throughthe Red Mountains would be choked with snowthis early in the season. Personally, I think aStorm Giant Mage sent a blizzard in the passto slow us down. It took all my troops threedays to dig a path through that cold mess. Bythen, all we cared for were warm beds and dryclothes.


Every race of Urak is most comfortable travellinglands similar to that of its homelands. Althoughall Faiths and races can travel throughout Urak,units travelling across enemy terrain, especially

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As our defeated and wounded troops shuf-fled toward the Capital, I wondered ifmany of them would make it. Then, as if

by some magical command, the gray clouds liftedand a beam of late-afternoon sun struck the cityahead of us. I've never seen a more beautiful sight- the whitewashed walls shone, beckoning us for-ward. The change in the troops was instantaneous.Their battered heads lifted, their steps quickened,and soon they all had made it safely home.

- Ilysanth, Life Mage

CChhaapptteerr 33::

BBuuiillddiinnggss

7170

CChhaapptteerr 33:: BBuuiillddiinnggss

CCaappiittaall:: PPrree--SSttrroonngghhoolldd

Every Lord begins the campaign near his or herFaith's Capital. Each Capital contains four build-ings: a Tavern, a Marketplace, a Magistrate, and aTemple. Since you have not yet established your-self in the region, expect the inhabitants of theCapital to be wary of doing business with you.For now, all you can do is visit your Capital toprocure goods and services. Once you have estab-lished yourself in the region, you'll see that theshopkeepers and businesspeople become muchfriendlier toward you and your troops (and theprices get a little better, too).

If you find yourself short on money, going to theMarket allows you to sell some of your supplies.Here you can trade some of your Ale andCrystals for Gold. The merchants can be under-

handed and shrewd, so don't expect to receive thebest price for your exchange.

By utilizing some of your Crystals, a Templepriest can heal a wounded party member or evenexorcise a curse. They also possess the power totransmute your Gold into Crystals.

The Tavern is the place to go to stock up on Ale.Also, if you want to make a name for yourself,you can hold a festival. Buying a round of drinksnever fails to make one popular.

If, through your escapades, you have nothing ofvalue left to trade with, you can always beg formoney at the local Magistrate. Be warned though,beggars are seldom seen as glamorous, so doingthis will cost you some Fame.

GGrreeaatt TTeemmpplleess

No structures are more important to the peopleof Urak than their ancient Great Temples. Theirdesecration by Balkoth and the worshippers ofGolgoth has cast a pall of despair and hopeless-ness across the land. You must raise an army ofyour own and defeat the heretics who have cor-rupted the Great Temple in your region.

When you have completed this task, your peoplewill rise up, embrace you as their Lord, and builda Stronghold for you in the Capital. As news ofyour victory travels across the land, the goodpeople of Urak will make pilgrimages to theGreat Temple to see for themselves that right hastriumphed. Their new-sprung hope in the future

Interior view of city without a Stronghold


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CChhaapptteerr 33:: BBuuiillddiinnggssCChhaapptteerr 33:: BBuuiillddiinnggss

you have constructed them they can be used tocall forth a mythical being. These beings can onlybe summoned once per game but are of suchincredible power that their presence can easilyturn the tide for any Faith that possesses them.

FFaammee

Treat Fame as you would a fickle lover--pursuegently, handle carefully, watch it constantly,and never forget that it can turn on you in theblink of an eye.

- Inscription on the wall of an Earth barracks

You may scorn the idea that what others think ofyou determines your strength on the battlefieldsof Urak, but do not underestimate the power ofFame to your cause. Fame is a crucial factor in thegame of life and death on Urak, for it determinesthe number of Followers who become inspired tojoin you.

Each encounter has the potential to affect Fame,no matter how insignificant that encounter mayseem at the time. When you achieve victoryagainst an enemy on the battlefield, the word ofyour glory spreads quickly and your Fameincreases. Soon you'll find that Followers seekyou out to join your cause. These Followers willperform certain tasks for you in the Capital ortrain to fight alongside you. The greater yourFame becomes, the more Followers join yourcause. If you lose the day on the field of battle, you lose

(and faith in your strength) may fill them withthe desire to join your cause. If this happens, youwill discover that you have many loyal Followersat the doorstep of your Stronghold, offering theirservices to you.

After you have established yourself as a compe-tent leader, you may use your Great Temple toyour benefit. When you have upgraded yourMage Tower to level 3 your Mages will gain theknowledge to summon a Great Creature at yourGreat Temple. These creatures are powerful com-batants that can greatly assist you in battle andusually have resistance to certain types of magic.

As long as you control both the Great Templeand the Stronghold of a region you will be able toattract Followers and assign them to work foryou in the Capital. You can also build an additionto your Great Temple. Doing this creates anannexed structure that provides you with a pow-erful benefit that is determined by your Faith.These buildings are the stuff of legend and once

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RReessoouurrcceessKeep in mind that each area of the Capital hasspecific advantages for you and your Followers.Those assigned to the Marketplace become shop-keepers, who enrich your war chests with Goldby trading and selling supplies. Followers dedi-cated to the peace of Temple life learn to makemagic Crystals for you. Assign Followers to theTavern as brewmeisters to craft Ale for you.Placing Followers in the Magistrate as deputiesearns you greater Fame by spreading the wordabout your campaign against Balkoth. If youdecide to remove Followers from a particularassignment, they will return to the Stronghold toawait further instructions and thereby alsobecome available for training in a MilitaryBuilding.

CCaappiittaall BBuuiillddiinnggss

SSttrroonngghhoollddYour Stronghold is your base of operations. It iswhere your new Followers arrive at your Capital.Clicking on your Stronghold provides you with areport of what you possess and intelligence gath-ered on the other Faiths of Urak. For more infor-mation on the Intelligence Report see page 118.

Once you have a Stronghold, you interact withthe Capital buildings in a different manner.Instead of just going to them to shop and spendyour resources, these buildings now produceresources for you and you can assign people toeach building to increase the amount of resourcesbeing produced there.

more than a few soldiers. News of defeat travelsfast, and your Fame will plummet.

The amount of Fame that is gained or lost in abattle is determined by the strength of youropponent. Defeating a strong enemy will awardyou with a lot of Fame while being overcome bya weaker enemy will subtract a greater portion ofyour Fame. However, Fame is not always basedon victory. If you are defeated by a more power-ful foe but manage to inflict more damage to himthan he did to you then you will receive a certainamount of additional Fame, so sometimes it's agood idea to stand your ground against a greateradversary.

CCaappiittaall:: PPoosstt--SSttrroonngghhoolldd

FFoolllloowweerrssAfter you liberate your Great Temple, aStronghold is built in your honor. Once you havethis Stronghold, you'll notice that new Followersflock to the Capital once per week (7 turns),offering their services to you and your cause. Atthe start of a turn, if your reputation in the landis good enough, a message appears informing youthat your Fame has brought more Followers toyour side. At this point, it's a good idea to pay avisit to the Capital, for it's up to you to decidewhere to assign the new recruits. Enter theCapital and view the buildings on the Capitalscreen. A panel next to each building shows thename of the building and how many Followershave been assigned there. Click on the Up orDown arrows on these panels to assign yourFollowers to work as you desire.

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Ale


Crystals

a potent elixir and a valuable resource; neverunderestimate its power to keep your peoplehappy. You may also hold a festival at your Tavernto increase your Fame.

MMaaggiissttrraatteeGenerating resources and providing for yourpeople are very important responsibilities, butevery leader needs representatives to maintainlaw and order. The deputies you appoint willensure that all of your decrees are carried out, willhelp to spread the good news of your adventuresand keep you in high standing with your citizens.If your coffers should run low, you can have yourdeputies collect money from your citizens. Thiswill, however, lower your popularity, so do thissparingly.

MMiilliittaarryy BBuuiillddiinnggssWhen you control a Capital you also control thesurrounding Military Buildings: a Barracks, aThieves Guild and a Mage Tower with its Library.In these buildings you can hire Mercenaries orconscript Followers to help you with your con-quests. Hired Mercenaries are expensive andrequire a steady salary but are readily available.Conscripted Followers are much less expensiveand will fight out of loyalty to you rather than forfinancial gains.

TTrraaiinniinngg UUnniittssLoyal Champions come in quite handy once youhave a Stronghold. Champions can becomeStewards at any Military Building by simplyremaining inside. Stewards act as valuable teach-

MMaarrkkeettThe merchants in your Market serve a vital roleof providing your kingdom with the funds youneed to finance your exploits. And if you shouldrun low on Gold you can sell any surplusresources. Entering the Market allows you to sellAle and Crystals for Gold.

TTeemmpplleeIt is here where the truly faithful of your peopleendeavor to spread spirituality to the citizens ofyour kingdom. Through study and discipline,Temple disciples have become proficient in theart of healing the body, the mind and the soul.Utilizing the magic that Crystals possess, TempleFollowers can heal an entire party or just individ-ual members. To choose which members of theparty are to be healed, simply highlight thembefore entering the Temple. Inside, you will beinformed as to how many Crystals it will requireto perform the healing ritual. Disciples are alsoadept at the art of alchemy and you may havethem transform a portion of your Gold intoCrystals. If, through your encounters with otherFaiths, you or one of your troops should fall vic-tim to another Mage's curse, you may have itexorcised here.

TTaavveerrnnWherever people gather to work or live near eachother there will always arise a need for a placewhere they can go to socialize with their neigh-bors. Especially in these dark times, your citizensneed a place to congregate so that they may for-get their troubles and gladden their spirits. Ale is

Gold

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Chaos Barracks

Order ThievesGuild

Water MageTower and

Library

ers to the Followers who have joined your cause,and to the Mercenaries that you hire at yourMilitary Buildings. By placing a Champion in abuilding, his or her experience is gradually con-ferred to that building, and that building willretain that experience even after the Championhas left. Units who train in a Military Buildingoverseen by a skilled Steward start with someknowledge imparted to them by their teacher.The amount of knowledge passed from Stewardto student is dependent on the level of theSteward as well as the level of the MilitaryBuilding. When you put a Champion in his or hercorresponding building you will see a display ofhow much experience is being conferred to thetrainees inside. The top yellow number showshow much experience a new adventurer producedin the current turn will have. The middle greennumber shows the experience an adventurer pro-duced next turn will have (providing that theresiding Steward remains inside). The bottomblue number shows the maximum experience thata new adventurer can have, given the currentSteward and the level of the building.

The level of a building and the experience of theSteward inside of it affect the experience of thetroops that are being trained. Stewards withgreater experience impart their knowledge totheir students and higher level buildings are bet-ter equipted to train recruits. Obviously, thehigher the levels of the Stewards and buildings,the highter the levels of the troops being trainedwithin.

When you click on a particular unit, theTrain/Hire panel uses the same color-coded dis-

play within the level temperature bar. If an adven-turer produced on a subsequent turn would haveexperience exceeding the current range of thetemperature bar, the bar will show the appropri-ate color coded numbers preceded by a "+" plussign.

BBaarrrraacckkssMilitary troops such as Warriors, Infantry, andCavalry train in the Barracks. Their specialty is inthe art of hand-to-hand combat and they serve asthe foundation for any army. This is also whereyou can construct ships to explore the rivers andoceans of Urak.

TThhiieevveess GGuuiillddAspiring thieves and missile units, such asarchers, can be found in the Thieves Guild.Missile troops are invaluable in battle. They candamage enemy units before they even have achance to reach you. Reconnaissance units, alsoknown as scouts, reside here too. Use them, withtheir ability to travel much longer distances thanother members of your army, to explore thecountryside for you.

MMaaggee TToowweerrWhile not adept at combat, Mages have abilitiesthat are priceless to any campaign. No otherChampion can heal wounded Warriors, offermagical protection or damage every enemy unitwith the mere utterance of a magic spell. Anotherbenefit provided by the Mage Tower is the cre-ation of Magic Potions that can restore healthand mana.

Every Mage Tower has a companion Library forresearching new spells. It's always wise to keepone or more Mages in the Library to researchspells as your parties goes about their pursuits.When a spell has been fully researched, Mages ofthat spell's Faith will acquire the knowledgeimmediately

UUppggrraaddiinngg BBuuiillddiinnggssWhen I was a young man, I once chanced tovisit an Order Mage Tower. I swear to you,even the dust on the shelves was arranged inperfect stacks… gave me the shivers.

- Balathustrius

From time to time you will be able to afford toupgrade any of your buildings. Clicking on theUpgrade button will allow you to improve abuilding if you have the means to pay for it, oth-erwise you will be presented with a panel explain-

ing which resources you lack. Consider spendingthe money, because improvements allow you totrain more highly skilled Champions and otheradventurers. However, you can't upgrade a build-ing to a level higher than that of your Stronghold.A good strategy might be to upgrade theStronghold as soon as you get the opportunity,then upgrade the buildings most suited to yourLord type. For example, if you are a Warrior,upgrade the Barracks before improving theThieves Guild or the Mage Tower. The Librarycannot be upgraded independent of the MageTower, but it automatically receives benefits fromimprovements made to the accompanying MageTower.

Upgrading your Stronghold grants you manymore privileges. The most important advantage isthe ability to support more Followers inside yourCapital, which allows you to produce moreresources. Another benefit is stronger fortifica-tion from enemy attacks. For every level youupgrade your Stronghold, you build a strongerbarrier around your Capital. Level 1 Capitals haveno wall around them at all. Level 2 Capitals havea wall with an entryway, forcing enemies to attackyou from a centralized location and allowing youto shoot at them from the city walls. Upgradingto level 3 gives all the advantages of a level 2 wallbut with a sturdy gate blocking its entrance.Enemies must break down this gate before theycan attack you, but you can still attack them fromatop the walls.

The final benefit of an upgraded Stronghold isthat the region's Capital receives at least oneFollower for every level of the Stronghold -

8180


Interior view of city with a Stronghold

regardless of which player controls the GreatTemple in the region.While you obviously want all of your buildings tobe of the highest possible level, your enemieswould like just the opposite. To this endeavor, itis possible for a building to be demolished by youor your opponents. You can even destroy yourown buildings if you find it necessary. Alldestroyed buildings are considered to be level 0and lose any experience previously conferred tothem from a Steward. You must pay to rebuild astructure back to level 1, so if the structure waspreviously level 2 or 3, its destruction can be adevastating blow.

RReessoouurrccee MMaannaaggeemmeenntt

The moment you are recognized as the rightfulLord of your Faith and your people build you aStronghold, the nature of gameplay in Lords ofMagic changes. No longer are you an aspiringadventurer risking your neck, obligated to no onebut yourself. You become a Lord with Followersand all the responsibilities that go along with it.What to do with all the Gold, Ale, and Crystalyou've worked so hard for is never an easy deci-sion, nor should it be a hasty one. You must havea plan for managing your lands as well as forinvesting in an army.

VViillllaaggeessThe Village I was born in doesn't exist any-more. A party of Dark Elves made short workof the place many years ago. Today, all that'sleft is a black scar in a field where nothinggrows.

- Balathustrius

A Village is a fascinating blend of two cultures.These quiet hamlets usually lie on the border oftwo neighboring regions and are home to peoplesof both beliefs. Because of their distance from theCapitals and Military Buildings of the land, theyare usually the first areas to be taken over by hos-tile forces. Liberating these communities willhelp to alert you to enemy forces on the bordersof your region. When a Champion first enters aliberated Village, the grateful villagers will ask ifthe Champion wishes them to build a MilitaryBuilding appropriate to that Champion's class.

Additionally, the Champion must choosebetween constructing a building dedicated to hisor her Faith or building a structure devoted to theother Faith worshipped in the Village. For exam-ple, if a party that includes a Warrior, Mage andThief walked into a Village situated betweenWater Amazons and Order Humans, this partycould opt to construct one of six different struc-tures. This works strategically, for it allows aweak military Faith (such as Life) to travel to theborder of a militarily strong Faith (such as Earth)and construct a "foreign" Barracks there.

But like everything in life and war, it isn't alwaysthat simple. A single Village can support only oneMilitary structure at a time (although a Library isautomatically constructed with a Mage Tower).Like other Military Buildings, this structure can'tbe upgraded higher than the Stronghold of theneighboring Capital under your control. A nastymaneuver that some may choose to do is to razeVillages. This poisons the land, preventing anyFaiths from rebuilding on these locations again.

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This tactic does not affect Military Buildingsalready constructed by villagers.

GGuuaarrdd TToowweerrssWhen a Village has been liberated or conquered, aChampion may construct a Guard Tower there.These turrets tower high above the land allowingthe owner to see great distances without the needto station units there. This is very useful fordetecting an enemy advancing on one of your

Strongholds. Guard Towers can be upgraded justlike any other building; each subsequent upgradeextending the vision radius of the tower. The typeof Tower constructed is determined by the Faithof the Village. For example, if the Village is aDeath Village on the border of Death and Earth,the Tower must be a Death Guard Tower.

GGrreeaatt TTeemmpplleess:: RReevviissiitteedd

The damned dark soldiers. They desecrateeverything of beauty and laugh about it. What Iwouldn't give to see just one Great Templereturned to its former glory before I die. Doubtit will happen, though. Too many have tried andfailed already.

- Balathustrius

Your Great Temple serves as a source of Fame foryou as well as being the ultimate source of magi-cal power in your region. Once you upgrade yourStronghold and your Mage Tower to level 3, youwill have the ability to use this mystical source ofpower to summon great creatures of legend.

When a Great Temple is freed by any Faith in thegame, this action reverberates throughout Urak.The word quickly spreads to all the Lords in theland. You may occasionally receive messagesinforming you that your fellow Lords are clearingtheir Great Temples as well.

As you explore outside your home region, youmay find many Lords in your neighboring landsparalyzed with fear and inactivity. They mostlikely have not gathered the strength to clear outtheir Great Temples, and their people are desper-ate for a hero they can look up to. If you can clearthe evil scourge from other Great Temples, theirpeople will embrace you as their true leader (aslong as these people have no cause to distrustyou), the Lord of that region swears fealty to youand you gain an Heir. This means that if, at any

The Chaos Great Temple

point in the game, your Lord happens to die, yourHeir swears to continue the cause for you andyou continue to play as that new character.Swearing fealty to you also means that that Lordconverts to your Faith, you gain control of theregion and the people in it. You also acquire a per-centage of their Gold and knowledge of some oftheir spells. However, not all of the Championsand other units of this Faith feel this way. Manywill not join you. The amount that do join yourcause is partially determined by your selection ofthe Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty level at thestart of the game.

Public opinion of you and your cause isn't sharedalike by all the people in Urak. You could be thesavior of one Faith yet reviled as a traitor byanother. If you decide to overtake a Great Templeheld by a Faith who distrusts you (or feels evenworse towards you), be prepared to face the con-sequences. Your enemies will take great offence atyour transgression and will vow to retaliateagainst your Faith.

8786


MMyysstteerriioouuss PPllaacceess

Me, explore a dungeon? I'd rather pick a fightwith a drunken Barbarian. Much more fun, andI'd have a slightly better chance of coming outof it alive.

- Balathustrius

No matter where on Urak your adventures takeyou, you'll surely stumble upon these specialstructures as you uncover new areas on the map.No adventurer can resist exploring one of theselegendary locales - and for good reason. Rumorand myth tell of great treasures and unsurpassedrewards to the brave (some would say foolhardy)souls who enter these places.

When you travel to one of these places, a messageappears on the screen indicating the reputation ofthis locale. It's quite likely that many nasty sur-prises await you right inside the entrance, and theoccupants won't be too happy to see you. Thecreatures that reside in these places are not con-trolled by another Lord, but are the independentinhabitants of Urak; renegade parties and miscre-ants. Dungeons, caves, and towers pulse withpower, and the farther you get from civilization,the more fierce the inhabitants become. Thinkhard before you risk entry into any structure. Youcan return another day, when your forces arestronger and your abilities are greater.

PPrriimmaarryy SSttrruuccttuurreess

In every territory there are basic structures thatare the foremost habitat for its citizens. Thesecan be things such as Caves, Shrines or Huts.These occupied localities are the closest threatsto your kingdom and are usually the simplest toconquer, making them a prime place to build upyour experience and improve your reputation.

MMiinneess && BBrreewweerriieessStrewn throughout Urak are veins of preciousminerals that are the lifeblood of commerce andtrade. To get to these valuable resources one mustenter one of the many mines that are scatteredabout the land. These mines are almost alwaysguarded by greedy renegade parties, eager to taptheir wealth for their own purposes. The samecan be said for the many breweries that produceAle for the residents of the kingdoms.Conquering one of these structures will wrestcontrol away from the villains that overtook itand will transfer its resources to your Faith.

SSttaattuueessThe land of Urak is rich with legend and manystatues have been built to commemorate thedeeds of past heroes. These statues are sources ofinspiration and pride, and their corruption hasdampened the spirits of the populace. Liberatingone of these sculptures will restore the people'shappiness and the tale of your achievement willincrease your Fame for as long as it remains free.

8988


DDuunnggeeoonnss,, TToowweerrss && MMyysstteerriioouuss KKeeeeppssOut beyond the relative safety of the establishedkingdoms lie the wildernesses of Urak. Amidthese uninhabited stretches of land are strangeand dangerous edifices. Being so far from anyonewho might hinder their growth, the parties andcreatures who have taken up residence in thesebuildings have grown strong and powerful. Theseare among the most perilous places in all of Urak.Conquering the enemies within requires a largeand experienced party, but the rewards can begreat. These powerful adversaries have usuallyamassed great fortunes and it is not uncommonfor them to possess some great artifact...

MMuullttii--LLeevveell DDuunnggeeoonnssThe most dangerous structures in all of Urak mayvery well be the dungeons that extend deeper intothe earth. These places present the adventurerwith an even greater challenge. The deeper thelevel of a dungeon, the more menacing itbecomes and the farther your party travels fromthe outside world and the resources that it pro-vides. After defeating the inhabitants of theuppermost level, you will be provided with thechoice to exit the dungeon or descend to the nextlevel. Not every member of your party needs togo down to the lower level. You may instructsome party members to go to the surface whilethe rest move onward. You will remain in the cur-rent dungeon level until all party members haveeither fled to the surface or proceeded to thelower level. Before proceeding to the next levelyou will have the opportunity to use andrearrange any artifacts that you own or cast anyspells that you have access to.

I was not born with naked steel in my hand,nor did I ever believe that I would somedayfell a two headed ogre with nary a scratch. I

did not achieve this feat by my strengths or mywits, but because I had lived through my mistakesand learned from them.

- From the war journal of Aruius, first Champion of Order forces

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 44::

CCoommbbaatt

at the Cathedral of Knighthood). Reconnaissanceunits and all summoned creatures do not gain anylevels of experience, although they are assigned alevel of knowledge indicative of their level ofpower and resistance to magic.

UUnniitt SSeelleeccttiioonn && IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn

Too long since you've bloodied the tip of yoursword? Your arrow points haven't been stainedby the slime of enemy guts in a while? Come tothe Stronghold and discover the thrill of unfet-tered and unrepentant combat.

- Recruitment poster seen on the Barbarian barracks

Combat in Urak is a fairly simple process: whenyou see an enemy party on the Overland Mapthat you wish to confront, simply move one ofyour parties to it. When your party reaches theforeign party, a message appears, asking if youwant to Parley, Fight, or Cancel the engagement.Click on Fight to immediately enter combat. Youmay also choose to have the results of the battlebe instantly calculated automatically by selectingAutocalc, if you feel that it is a sure win on yourpart.

To give orders to your units in combat you mustfirst select them. Select an individual unit byclicking on the small icon in the Unit Window, orsimply left-click on the unit figure on the combatmap. Selection of several units can be made by"lasso-selecting" them, that is by left-clicking andholding down the mouse button as you drag abox around your units on the combat map. You

93EExxppeerriieennccee

Every adventurer in Urak learns from victory onthe battlefield and eventually becomes morepowerful as a result. The amount of experiencegained from a victory in combat depends on thedifficulty of the encounter. Individual survivingparty members receive experience based on howmany of their comrades lived and how strong theopposition was. For instance, if your groupdefeats a much larger party and all of your unitssurvive, all members would share an equal por-tion of a large amount of experience. If only twomembers survive, they would split the entire sumof the experience between them.

Once a unit has gained enough experience, itgains a level of proficiency. Additional Hit Points,Strength, Wisdom, or Agility, depending on thelevel and the type of unit, usually accompany thischange. These experience levels are also used todetermine relative success of special activities, forexample: when a fourth level Thief is trying tosneak past a third level Warrior or when a fifthlevel Mage is trying to turn a sixth level Thief intoa cow.

Lords can learn the most from their experienceand can gain up to twelve levels of knowledge,whereas normal Champions cannot progressabove the tenth level. Military units gain morefighting ability per experience level thanChampions, but progress more slowly and canonly learn a total of five skill levels. (The onlyexception to this rule is that Knights (OrderCavalry) can be made honorary 6th level Warriors

92

CChhaapptteerr 44:: CCoommbbaattCChhaapptteerr 44:: CCoommbbaatt

her Retinue is automatically assigned to a groupin combat and be selected by the 1, 2 or 3 num-ber keys. Units in the left Unit Window are ingroup 1; units in the middle third are in group 2;and units on the right are in group 3. To reassigngroups, press "Ctrl" with any number key and thecurrently selected units will all be assigned to thisgroup regardless of their lotion in the UnitWindows. Press that number key to select thegroup, or press "Alt" plus the number key toselect and center on that group. Group numbersappear above party members' health bars.Holding down "Shift" while selecting units (usingeither the number keys or the mouse) will addunits cumulatively to the current selection, with-out deselecting those already chosen.

When you enter combat with any Military Unit,(Infantry, Cavalry, or Missile Units), in aChampion's Retinue you will notice right awaythat three members appear ready for combat foreach Military Unit that was present on thescrolling map. In the Unit Window, below thatunit's portrait, are three icons representing eachunit; its health bar in the Unit Window repre-sents the health of all three squad members as awhole. These members are all given orders as onegroup, but can fight independently.

GGeettttiinngg tthhee BBaattttllee SSttaarrtteedd

Combat begins in paused mode. This can be tog-gled on and off by hitting the space bar or byclicking on the pause button on the lower right ofthe panel. This is important, because in Lords ofMagic, orders can be given while the action is

95will see a bar appear above the heads of the unitsselected. This bar represents the percent of healthremaining for each unit. When the bar is empty,the unit dies. Health information is also updatedin the Unit Window below. As your mouse cur-sor passes over both friendly and enemy units,their combat statistics appear in the lower left ofyour information panel.

GGrroouuppiinngg UUnniittss

Whenever you enter a combat, your units appearon the Battle Map the way that they are groupedin the Unit Windows. The party members thatare grouped with a given Champion are known asa Sub-party or Retinue. Units in a given Retinuewill begin combat close to one another, which isimportant for protecting your Champions.Therefore, it's a good idea to group your partymembers together before you begin a combat.For instance, if a Mage is the only one in a UnitWindow before entering combat, that Mage willappear on the Battle Map with no other units inthe immediate area; it would be wiser to include afew melee units in that group to balance it out.Group your party members together in a waythat will work the best in a combat situation.

UUnniitt HHoott KKeeyyss

When two parties clash, it can sometime be a lit-tle bit difficult to distinguish one unit fromanother, or to select a unit that is in a crowdedarea. To alleviate this, you can assign units tonumeric hot keys. Each Champion with his or

94


you'd rather let the computer calculate theresults, click on the Autocalc button. If, on theother hand, you foresee your troops losing thisbattle, press the Flee button to make your escapeto the Flee Point, which is indicated by a wavingflag in your faith's color.

GGiivviinngg OOrrddeerrss:: UUssiinngg tthhee CCoommbbaatt IInntteerrffaaccee

As far as I'm concerned, soldiering is the worstway to make a living. It's a life filled with longstretches of mind-numbing boredom punctuat-ed by moments of sheer terror. Yea, that's howI like to spend my days.

- Balathustrius

Combat in Urak seems pretty simple: you decideto attack an enemy (or the enemy attacks you)and one side comes out alive at the end of theengagement or runs away. But the details of com-bat are in constant flux; direction of attack,spells, leadership, and plain good luck constantlychange the odds and can mean the differencebetween a joyful victory or a crushing defeat.Every member of your party has Combat Values,which you should know before you enter intoany battle. These include Attack, Range andRanged Damage, Defense, and Health.

The action buttons above your Party changedepending on the units selected. These buttonsgive you the ability to give complex orders with asingle click. Each unit has its own way of follow-ing orders. For instance, the order to Defend alocation means something slightly different to aMissile Unit than to a Mage.

97paused. If you find yourself frantic, or wantingmore time to peruse which spell to cast or whichbad guy to attack, just tap the space bar and you'llhave all the time that you require to decide yournext set of actions. Although actions will nothappen until the game is unpaused, the cursors doindicate and confirm your orders. This systemallows players unaccustomed to the pace of Real-Time combat to play Combat as a sort of TurnBased/Real-Time hybrid.

Once you've begun the battle your primary con-cerns are attacking the enemy and defending yourown troops. If you feel that victory is certain and

96


Combat

and attack them with everything that you've got.This is what the Berserk command does.Characters in Berserk mode ignore impendingdanger, reducing their Defense to zero. TheirAttack, however, increases by half of their origi-nal Defense. This tactic is recommended whenyou are completely outclassed by an opponentand have no other option, or you want to makequick work of an enemy.

PPaarrrryyUse this command when you want your soldiersto stand their ground. To use the Parry option,click on the Defend button and move the shieldover the unit, thus ordering that unit to simplydefend itself. Parry reduces the unit's Attack andincreases its Defense by half of the Attack value.

When more than one unit is selected, your com-bat buttons will change to group-combat icons.

99AAttttaacckkIssuing the order to Attack will cause soldiers toadvance on an enemy and assail them with what-ever weapon that they are proficient with.Clicking on an area on the map will simply causeyour units to move to that area. Clicking on anenemy unit will cause your troops to move tothat unit, following it if necessary, and engage itin battle. Missile units will not go directly to theenemy but will move within range and attack.

DDeeffeennddThe shield button will give all selected units theorder to Defend a location or a fellow unit,depending on what unit or place on the battle-field is targeted. Defending a location causesunits to move to that area to wait for the enemyto come to them. Defending a unit will have yourtroops guarding a particular unit against theattacks of the enemy, adjusting their location ifnecessary.

AAiimmeedd MMiissssiilleeThis increases a Missile Unit's Attack damage byhalf, but watch out, because the extra time ittakes to aim makes this method valuable only inlimited circumstances. When a Missile Unit triesto hit a moving target, it will try to predict thetarget's final destination, with a limited degree ofsuccess.

BBeerrsseerrkkSometimes the best way to defeat an enemy is tojust charge them, ignoring any danger to yourself,

98


Berserk

Aimed Attack

Parry

Defend

Attack

101GGrroouupp AAttttaacckkIf you give this command, everyone selectedadvances on the enemy with an all-out attack anddoes what they must to defeat the enemy. YourMilitary units go charge the enemy, your missileunits commence aimed attacks and so on�

GGrroouupp DDeeffeennddThis command simply tells all of the selectedunits to defend a specific target unit or location.

GGrroouupp AAiimmeedd MMiissssiilleeIssue this command when you want all of yourMissile units to attack an enemy.

FFlleeeeWhen you give this command, you've lost allhope of victory. All party members still alive willrun for their lives to the Flee Point.

GGrroouupp SSuurrrreennddeerrThis destroys all non-Champion units and handsover your Champion units to the enemy as pris-oners of war. Make sure that you don't surrenderyour Lord without having an heir or else yourgame will be over.

AAuuttoo--ccaallccuullaattee ((AAuuttooccaallcc))When the outcome of a battle is a foregone con-clusion and you just don't feel like asking yoursoldiers to chase the enemy around the combatarea, use this option. Based on the strength of

100your melee, missile, and spell casting troops com-pared with thoses of your opponent,the comput-er automatically calculates the results of the bat-tle for you.

CChhaammppiioonnss iinn CCoommbbaatt

Champions have many more advantages than thecommon soldier does. One important advantagethat they possess is the ability to wield magicalartifacts. Another privilege they enjoy are specialabilities that they use in combat. Selecting aChampion brings up its own specialized ActionButtons.

RRaallllyyOnce per day (turn) a Warrior may Rally thetroops, blowing a horn or howling a battle yell,inspiring his or her immediate followers (thethree characters who comprise the Champion'sretinue) to redouble their efforts in battle.

SSppeellllssSelecting a Mage will allow you to cast any one ofa number of spells. See Chapter Five: Spells formore information on casting spells.

TThhiieevviinngg AAbbiilliittiieess

Thieves have several special abilities that makethem deadly opponents in combat. Thieves can


Group Surrender

Auto Calc

Flee

Rally

Group Defend

Group Missile

Group Attack

CCoommbbaatt iinn aa CCaappiittaall

Combat in a Capital may at first appear the sameas overland combat - depending on the level ofthe Stronghold. If it's a level one Stronghold, ithas no walls and is very much like outdoor com-bat. A Capital with a Stronghold at level two issurrounded by a wall with an opening in thefront. This gives the defender a significant advan-tage, because the walls can't be destroyed. To getto the enemy, the attacker must enter through anarrow "kill zone" defended by the town's inhab-itants. The defender can also put missile units onthe wall and rain terror on the attacker. With athird level Stronghold, a town's defenses areimproved additionally by adding a gate to theentrance in the Capital's walls. Now an attackermust break down the gate before engaging theinhabitants in melee combat. The defender hasthe option to open the gates. To do this, simplyright click on the gates to open and close them.This can be useful if you want to send sometroops outside of the gates to deal with theinvaders while your reserve troops wait inside.

NNaavvaall UUnniittss

All Faiths have access to at least one naval unit,which allows them to explore the waterways ofUrak and transport troops. Ships are equippedwith weaponry that may be used to attack enemyparties and sea creatures. If your ship is destroyedduring combat, all survivors will make their wayto the nearest shoreline. The Water Faith also hastheir Kraken and Sea Serpent units to employ inthe water.

103sneak around the battlefield undetected, and getinto a good position for ranged attacks from hid-ing. In the right circumstances, a Thief canSubdue a Champion (with or without help fromothers) by sneaking up and using the SubdueAttack. Lastly, a Thief can stand still and try todetect other Thieves. See Chapter Six: AdvancedFeatures for information on Thievery.

Combat can take place in a variety of locations.While the rules of combat remain constant, dif-ferent environments affect combat in slightly dif-ferent ways.

OOuuttddoooorr CCoommbbaatt

When you fight your battles outdoors, the part ofthe world occupied by your troops enlarges intoa close-up combat screen. Outdoor combat is themost direct form of battle, with the two opposingarmies having little choice but to advance on oneanother.

CCoommbbaatt iinn DDuunnggeeoonnss && BBuuiillddiinnggss

Fighting inside dungeons and buildings is differ-ent from outdoor combat in that interior settingshave a wide diversity of areas that can affect yourunits' tactical advantage during the melee. Thereare objects to obstruct missiles and terrain thatmust be maneuvered around. Sometimes fightingcan become confined to small sections of thecombat area while other times you must negoti-ate choke points to reach the enemy.

102


in the next combat. While resting in the wilder-ness will regain lost hit points, resting inside astructure (building, mine, cave, etc.) will regainmore per turn. Strategically, resting in a structureremoves your party from the Overland Map. Thestructure will fly your party's banner, but the sizeand strength of your party will be unknownunless directly confronted, thus affording yousome measure of secrecy. Your party may alsorecover its strength through the use of spells,scrolls and potions.

105MMoobb RRuulleess,, FFllaannkk,, aanndd RReeaarr AAttttaacckkss

Flank and rear attacks usually do more damage,so seriously consider flank moves as part of anybattle strategy. Thieves sneaking up from the rear(even if armed only with bows and knives) have amuch greater chance of making a critical strikeand doing serious damage to the enemy. Keep inmind that this goes for the enemy as well.Ganging up on a single party member forces thatparty member to either get hit or block everyattack. This interrupts the ability to strike back.So a mighty Warrior who could handle fifty skele-tons one at a time may wind up getting killedwhen ten surround him. Gang attack is a goodtactic to use with fast, nimble units such as Elvesand Fairies.

AAfftteerr CCoommbbaatt RReessuullttss

When the fighting is over, you will be presentedwith an Combat Results Report. This displaysthe outcome of the battle: who won, which unitswere killed and what spoils were won or lost. Italso shows which units advanced to another level.

RReesstt aanndd RReeccoovveerryy

When the dust settles it may be a good idea foryou to head for the nearest building or cave thatyou control, or is otherwise unoccupied, toregain your health. Generally, troops that do notmove take time to regain lost hit points. Troopsconsistently on the march will have little time totreat the wounded and will be that much weaker

104

Combat Results Screen


S pells are highly overrated. I mean, youspend half your life shut up in a dustytower pouring over unintelligible tomes,

and for what? A few minutes of glory on the battle-field and a permanent case of eye strain.

- Balathustrius

CChhaapptteerr 55::

MMaaggiicc

party's movement, increase the production ofresources in your Capital or even alter the land-scape itself, terraforming it into the environmentthat is preferred by your Faith. Some Overlandspells can even be used to attack other Faiths out-side of combat. All Faiths share some of the sameGeneral Knowledge spells which include, but arenot limited to: Teleport Artifact, Dispel Magic,detecting their opposing Faith and increasingtheir party's rate of healing.

SSeelleeccttiinngg AA SSppeellll

When you select a Mage, you'll see two ActionButtons displayed above its Unit Icon. These areyour selected spells from those available in yourspell books. In combat situations the left buttonwill be your Attack Spells and the right one willbe your Defense Spells. On the Overland Mapthe left button will be your Overland Spells whilethe button on the right is for your GeneralKnowledge Spells.

109SSppeellllss

There isn't an adventurer alive who isn't drawn tothe mystery and romance of a good spell wellthrown. Each Faith has its own Library of spells,and the Mages of Urak have more than 160 spellsat their disposal - everything from the benignGuardian Winds to the truly nasty Inferno.Among the elite of Urak, however, only Mageshave the skill and knowledge to cast spells.

TTyyppeess ooff SSppeellllss

Magical spells are divided into four Spell Books:Attack, Defense, Overland and GeneralKnowledge. These categories determine howspells are researched, as well as when they can becast. Attack and Defense spells can only be usedin combat while Overland and GeneralKnowledge spells can only be used on theOverland Map. A few spells fit into more thanone of these categories, like healing spells thatcan aid both in and out of combat.

Attack and Defense spell books are accessibleduring combat to defeat your enemies and pre-vent damage to your troops. Attack spells causedamage to the opposing party. Defensive spellscan protect you in various ways: they can increasea unit's hit points and/or armor, create barriers inthe landscape, shield the Mage from arrows, etc.

Overland and General Knowledge spell books areavailable outside of combat to perform numeroustasks. Overland spells can be used to extend your

108

CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiicc CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiicc

Cure Wounds

Ice Bolt

in its text description. Once you have clicked onyour chosen spell and selected a target, the spellwill be cast. It's a good idea to be completelyfamiliar with all the spells that you have availableso that you can combat the enemy as effectivelyas possible. For example, some spells do damageto everyone on the battlefield including membersof your own party, while other spells increasesome attributes while decreasing others. Also, becareful whom you select to be on the receivingend of your sorcery. It's as possible to bestow abeneficiary spell on an enemy as it is to inadver-tantly attack your own units with your magic.Aim carefully! Also, many creatures have someform of magical resistance, so don't expect aDragon to fall lifeless from the sky if you shoot aFireball at it. When a unit comes under the effectsof a spell you will be able to see just which spellwas cast by resting your cursor on that unit,bringing up a pop-up text. This text is helpful inreminding you of which spells you have cast andfor discovering what spells an enemy has cast onyou.

GGaaiinniinngg AArrccaannee KKnnoowwlleeddggee

Most Mages are very protective of their knowl-edge, rarely sharing their secrets with any butothers of their own Faith. The only sure way tolearn the arcane arts is to assign one or moreMage to the task of researching spells in yourLibrary. In order to do this, you must alreadyhave a Stronghold in the corresponding regionbefore you can ask a Mage to research for you.Libraries are automatically upgraded when thecorresponding Mage Tower is upgraded. The

111To see what other spells the Mage has in his orher repertoire, simply right-click on the spell but-tons. All spells known for that category will bedisplayed. Left-click on an icon to set it as yourselected spell.

To see a detailed description of a spell at any timejust rest the pointer on top of its icon for amoment and a text description will automaticallybe displayed.

CCaassttiinngg SSppeellllss

In order for any Mage to cast a spell, he or shemust have enough Mana for the particular spell.Mana is the mystical energy that is the powersource for all magic. Every time a spell is cast, acertain amount of Mana is expended. When a

Mage uses up his or her supply of Mana, heor she can no longer cast any

more spells until the Manahas been replenished. Mana iscompletely restored at the

beginning of each day (turn)and can also be restored through theuse of potions.

To cast a spell, first select a Mage. Thiswill bring up your selected spell bookicons. Any spell icon that is dark-ened is known to you, but isunavailable due to insufficientMana. Some spells require a targetwhile others will be cast automat-ically. Spells that require a target

will have that information listed

110

CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiiccCChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiicc

Blades Of Fury

Chain Lightning

one tower of the same Faith, make sure that theyare researching different spells, otherwiseyour time will have been wasted.

MMaaggiiccaall IItteemmss

A mage down on his luck once tried tosell me an Amulet of Protection. Goodthing I never bought it, because Ifound out later that he'd gotten it offa dead Halfling burglar.

- Balathustrius

Locking yourself in a library researchingspells is one way to learn the esoteric art ofmagic, but for those who choose to pursueother avenues there are alternatives.Through the use of scrolls, potions andartifacts a Champion can gain some of theadvantages of spells without the lengthy processof learning magic.

Only Champions can use artifacts and may onlywield two at a time. A display located below aChampion shows what artifacts he or she iswielding. Double-click on the Champion to dis-play the Unit Information Display, which showsall artifacts in possession. To view a detaileddescription of an item, double-click on its iconfrom within your Champion's Unit InformationDisplay to bring up a screen that includes a pic-ture of the magic item, icons representing thevarious bonuses and statistics for the item, and adescription of what it does. It is wise to take alook at this screen before you use an item, so youdon't accidentally turn one of your units into aGoat!

113numbers of desks in a Library reflects the numberof Mages that can work in it.Once your Mage gets to the Library, you mustdecide which spells to work on. First, choose abook from the bookshelf by clicking on it. Oncea book is open, you can look through it by click-ing on each page. You'll see a brief description ofa spell on each page. Mages stationed in theLibrary must research spells in order, within eachindividual book-hierarchy.

When you've chosen a spell to research, click onthe Research button on the spell page to beginthe study. The book will not return to the shelf,but will appear open on the bookstand, indicatingthat a spell in it is being researched. As youresearch the spells, the runic text begins to clearand you'll learn what the precise effects of eachspell will be when it is cast. On the opposite pageyou'll be informed of how your work is progress-ing, how many turns it will take to complete theresearch and how fast your Mages are working.The amount of time that it takes to research aspell depends on the number of Mages you haveworking on it and their experience levels. When aplayer gains access to a spell (either by study orutilizing an acquired scroll), all the Mages of thatFaith serving that player automatically know thespell and can use it providing they have enoughMana to cover the casting cost. The gemstoneson the side of the bookstand can be clicked on toview the research in other Libraries that you con-trol.

Note: it is possible, through the conquering ofvillages, to build more than one Mage Tower ofhe same Faith. If you have Mages in more than

112

CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiiccCChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiicc

Curse

Possession

double-click on the Champion carrying the arti-fact in the Unit Information Display. Then clickon the artifact icon and, while holding down themouse button, drag the artifact icon to anotherChampion's open hand, in his or her UnitInformation Display.

MMaaggiiccaall SSccrroollllss

In days past, when a Mage wished to preserve aspell to be used at a later date, he or she wouldmagically inscribe it onto a roll of parchment.That scroll would be imbued with the veryessence of the incantation and could then be usedby any other Mage that possessed it. The art ofmagical inscription has all but been lost, but therestill exist the odd enchanted scroll to be discov-ered by a fortunate conjurer. Magical scrolls canbe used by Mages of all Faiths without beingresearched, which makes scrolls handy to have -particularly during battle. Scrolls require thesame amount of Mana as the particular spellwould normally cost, so be sure that your casteris up to the task before trying to use one. If thespell on the scroll is of the same Faith as the Magewho is carrying it, the spell becomes commonknowledge to the entire Faith after the Mage hascast it. If the spell is of another Faith, the Magecan still use it (and cast the spell as often as he orshe has the Mana to do so) but its secrets remainhidden to the rest of the Faith.

115114

CChhaapptteerr 55:: MMaaggiicc

Ray Of Hope

Fireball


When you want a Champion to wield a magicitem, drag it into one of the hands at the bottomof the panel. One caution: a Champion cannotwield two magical weapons or two magical pro-tective devices (such as magical suits of armor orshields) at once, as all weapons can be wieldedonly in the right hand and armor can be wieldedonly in the left. Champions can wield rings andamulets in either hand when they are ready to usethem.

Party members can trade and exchange itemsamong themselves. All units may carry artifactsbut only Champions may use them. To do this,

limited to that Faith, but some artifacts are moreuseful to specific Champions and have morepower when someone of the same Faith wieldsthem. For example, an Earth Warrior can bran-dish an Axe of Mauling with much more effec-tiveness than a Chaos Warrior can.

Some of the Greater Artifacts must be used bysomeone of the appropriate class and Faith, and arare few artifacts will cause damage to someoneof the wrong Faith who tries to wield them. Soexamine that strange sword you found beforeyou swing it at an enemy's back, otherwise youmight be the one who is surprised.

Some artifacts allow a Champion to cast a spell. Ifyou want a Champion to use an artifact spell,click on the artifact spell button located abovethe portraits on the interface panel. Championsuse artifacts the same way as spells.

117PPoottiioonnss

Potions are enchanted concoctions permeatedwith the magic force that is contained withincrystals. Using magic and alchemy, Mages pro-duce these elixirs to replenish their energies, bothphysical and magical.

There are two types of potions: Potions ofHealing and Potions of Mana, that can beobtained at your Mage Towers. Potions are basi-cally restorative items, and when purchasingthem you can select the amount of health orMana they rejuvenate. The cost is 1 crystal perrecovery point. But there is only so much magicthat can be contained in such a small vessel andtherefore no one potion can contain more than12 points of restoration. Only Mages can use aPotion of Mana but any Champion can use aPotion of Healing. Potions can be used only oncefor the full amount of recovery that they contain.

AArrttiiffaaccttss

Mages may be the only ones with the capabilityfor casting spells, but there are objects in Urakwhich have their own magical properties that oth-ers can use. Most adventurers can find a magicalartifact or two during their exploration through-out Urak. Artifacts can be such things as specialweapons, armor, magical rings, amulets, staffs,and chalices.

Each artifacts is aligned to both a class and aFaith. This doesn't mean that its usefulness is

116


Knife of LifeStealing

Amulet ofIndecision


Potions Button

In this wretched world, my friend, neverunderestimate the power of an enemy or thepotential treachery of a friend.

- Balathustrius

CChhaapptteerr 66::

AAddvvaanncceedd FFeeaattuurreess

goods that you wish to procure, you will want toanticipate the needs of the Faith that you will beBartering with. Thus, if you have accurate eco-nomic or military information about a potentialtrade partner you can anticipate his or her needfor a resource that you have in surplus. For moreinformation about Bartering, see The Art of theDeal on page 124.

No matter how you get your information, it isn'tvalid forever. The accuracy of information on thispanel is based on your latest encounter with aparticular Faith. Those other Faiths are constant-ly pursuing their own interests, so the longer you

121IInntteelllliiggeennccee && RReeppoorrttss

It is vital to become knowledgeable of yourneighbors while you venture forth into theunknown, encountering others, making bothfriends and enemies. Whenever you encounterthe people of another Faith, your trusty scribesrecord any information about its culture andarmy that you may have learned. A wise Lordevaluates his neighbors as soon as possible andseeks to keep information current; thereby avoid-ing strategic blunders based on old information.

IInntteelllliiggeennccee RReeppoorrttThis information can be accessed by clicking onthe Intelligence Report button on the interface,or by clicking on the Stronghold in your Capital,once your people have constructed one. Yourreports can give you a pretty good idea of yourenemies' strength, their current resources &income, level of spell knowledge, and any arti-facts that you know they possess. Perhaps themost practical part of the Intelligence Report isthat it gives vital and up to date informationabout your current opinion of all Faiths in thegame and their attitude toward you. Remember,just because you like someone does not mean heor she likes you. Not only can you access dataabout the other seven Faiths in the game, but youalso get a very good overview of your own Faith.

This report is particularly useful to look at priorto Bartering, as you will want to trade resourcesyou have in surplus for other resources that youneed. In order to ensure the acquisition of any

120

CChhaapptteerr 66:: AAddvvaanncceedd FFeeaattuurreess

IntelligenceReport Button


The Barter Panel

The political conditions between each of theeight Faiths are constantly in flux, ranging fromcomplete trust to mild annoyance to irrationalhatred. Although the information on theIntelligence Report about Faith relations isalways accurate, this does not mean that the rela-tionships will stay this way for long.

When you start a new game, all Faiths have atti-tudes about one another relevant to their beliefs.In other words, all the "good" Faiths (Life, Order,Air, and Water) start out at least neutral towardsone another, as do all of the "evil" Faiths (Death,Chaos, Fire, and Earth) towards one another. Asthe game progresses, expect tensions to rise andplayers to fear and distrust others who wrongthem in some way. In the same fashion, Faithsbegin to build trust and empathy when theybegin to make trades that benefit both partners.

Generally, you fight on the same side as theFaiths with whom you're allied, and it's a bad ideato antagonize anyone who's fighting on yourside. For example, if you're fighting againstBalkoth, you don't want to annoy another Faiththat's also fighting him. In this war, as in all wars,combining armies makes the whole much morepowerful than the sum of its parts.

Trade negotiations are another important aspectof an alliance. Two allied Faiths that tend to havegood trade relations are likely to assist each other.If an ally needs a certain artifact, resource, unit,or spell, for example, it is in your best interests tohelp him out. On the other side of that coin, bewary of trading or Bartering with an enemy--

123go without contact the more inaccurate yourinformation can become. One of the best ways tokeep tabs on your neighbors is to have a cloakedThief follow them and spy on them.

Accessing the Intelligence Report allows you tosee a summary of all of the Faiths, but alwaysstarts with your own. The Intelligence Reportdisplays the level of your Stronghold, yourresources and how much you are currentlyspending, what artifacts you possess, the spellsyou know and your attitude towards the remain-ing Faiths. Click on the Faith Icon Buttons at thetop of the report to choose which Faith to dis-play.

At the bottom of the report is a horizontal barshowing military strength. Two vertical linesbracket the potential range of Faith's militarypower. The space between the two lines is basedon the accuracy of your information. The widerthe distance between them, the less sure you canbe of the information. The military power bar isrelevant to the most powerful Faith in the game,meaning that the strongest army is always repre-sented as a nearly full bar and all other Faiths'strengths are shown relative to that.

AAlllliiaanncceess && PPoolliittiiccaall OOppiinniioonn

If you always remember that there is no suchthing as a true alliance anywhere on Urak, youare less likely to be taken for a fool. Think of analliance as a fragile porcelain vessel, difficult tomake and easy to shatter.

- Balathustrius

122

CChhaapptteerr 66:: AAddvvaanncceedd FFeeaattuurreessCChhaapptteerr 66:: AAddvvaanncceedd FFeeaattuurreess

party or compromise with an enemy. The prima-ry element of Parley is Bartering, exchanging thegoods that you have for those you need. You canBarter anything you possess. Remember that it'sa good idea to check your reports prior to Barterto get an idea of what you want to Barter for.

Barter and Parley represent diplomatic negotia-tions between two Faiths. As a result of this con-cept, everything from units to spell knowledge isup for negotiation. There is a lot of informationon the initial panels, but the functionality is quitesimple. Think of it as a big table in the middle ofyour screen. Your Faith is represented at the bot-tom of the screen and your trading partner is rep-resented opposite you. Whoever initiated theBarter makes the first offer. Buttons representingspells, units, buildings and artifacts on your sideof the table (the bottom) bring up portraits orgraphics of the items that you own. Click onwhat you wish to offer in Barter and it jumpsonto the negotiation table. The same rules applyfor selecting what you want from the oppositeparty. Look at the party sitting across the tablefrom you and you will see they have all of thesame categories for Barter that you do. Keep inmind that information that appears in Barter isbased on your information about your tradingpartner. Now click on anything that you wish toreceive and notice that it now also sits on thenegotiation table. To remove anything from thetable, just click on it.

When adding standard resources, such as gold, tothe table, click on it in your interface panel and aflyout panel will offer you more precise numbersto add to the table.

125your own people might not like the act and theenemy probably won't appreciate the gesture any-way, unless you were very generous.

If you must deal with the enemy, you have a fewoptions to consider that can minimize any politi-cal fallout. For example, offering a gift to appeasean enemy Faith may be a better move thanaccepting a bad trade from them (see the nextsection for more information). Your own peoplewould most likely understand the need for thegift. However, you may have a revolt on yourhands if you trade an important resource or unitfor something you did not need.

Each time you act against an alliance, the allybecomes wary of you and your enemies begin tohave new respect for you. Beware of playing bothsides of the political game, even if you think it'sin your best interest: if you spy on or steal froman ally and get caught, your allies' political opin-ion you of will plummet. Your enemies, on theother hand, won't really care - and they mighteven drink a toast to your ineptitude.

TThhee AArrtt ooff tthhee DDeeaall -- PPaarrlleeyy

Talk is cheap. But if it keeps your belly full andyour grave empty, it's worth more than gold.

- Sign on a merchant stall near the Great Temple of Fire

When your party encounters a party of a differ-ent Faith, you'll have a few options to consider:Fight, Cancel the engagement, or Parley. Parley isa good way to exchange resources with a friendly

124


RReeqquueessttA Request is akin to asking a friend for a loan;and they had better be a friend or you will notreceive much. In addition, once the deal is done,your friend might develop a bad taste in hismouth. You yourself may even lose respect forhim as well. The best thing to do with Requests isto use them sparingly and only on those whomyou know you can trust or repay.

GGiiffttMost trading partners will almost always accept aGift unless they truly hate you. Only a fraction ofthe true value of the Gift will go towards swaying

127BBaarrtteerr rruulleess

Before you can swap that Ring of Protection fora Fire Sword, you need to set the tone of the deal:a plea, request, gift, trade, demand, or threat. Thistone puts the trade in context for the people ofthat Faith, and modifies the chances of successand the political ramifications of any successfulagreement.

Before you decide what type of context the nego-tiations are being governed by, you need to con-sider your current state of political relations.Glance across the negotiating table, and checkthe current political opinion: how that Faith feelsabout your people. From worst to best, the statesof political opinion are: Loathing, Hatred,Hostility, Aversion, Distaste, Neutral, Empathy,Trust, Kinship, Pact and Devotion. These opin-ions are very important if you want to be a savvynegotiator.

PPlleeaaFor those cases when you are absolutely desper-ate for something and you do not have the mus-cle to back it up, getting down on your knees justmight work. Don't expect your fellow Lords tobe generous; this option does not damage theiropinion of you too much, and your opinion ofthem increases quite a lot. Thus if a neighborcomes to you with a Plea for something, and yougive it to him, he will be very grateful to you;much more so than if a normal Trade had takenplace.

126


The Barter Panel


negotiable. Anyone on the receiving end of aBarter may choose to Accept, Decline orRenegotiate the transaction. Either side can alsoenter combat at any point and you may elect tofight it out or Autocalc the battle.

TThhiieevveerryy

Those who choose the life of a Thief should doso with careful thought. Although Thieves havemany impressive skills andtalents, it's a chancy way tomake a living. I've nevermet an old, stupid Thief.

- Balathustrius

Thieves stay alive not throughmilitary prowess but becausethey possess skills unique to theirchosen profession. Having a Thief around, oradding one to a party, is always a good idea.Information gathering techniques of alltypes rank as the Thief's most valuableasset. Thieves use a variety of tools toglean information from an enemy: spy-ing, torture, and interrogation. Lastly,Thieves enjoy a good larceny once inawhile. However, as all Thieves know,stealing is a risky way to earn a living.Getting caught rifling through thepockets of a two-headed ogre canlead to several unpleasant situations.

Thieves have better chances of success in allThievish endeavors the higher their experience iscompared to that of their target. These advan-

129the public opinion if the two Faiths do notrespect one another. Do not offer a Gift and askfor resources at the same time, however, as thiscan cause a severe loss of face for you.

TTrraaddeeThe success of this is partially based on the actu-al value of items being traded and the politicalstate that exists between the two parties. Onceboth sides walk away from the table, if the dealmade was not all that fair, one side will loserespect for the other, depending on the inequityof the deal and the political state between the twoFaiths to begin with.

DDeemmaannddIf you decide that you must have something thatanother Lord (or player) has, you can Demandthat he give it to you. If you are bargaining froma point of strength and he is not too attached tothe goods, he just might give you what you askfor. Offering him something in return might helpto convince him to give you what you want, butwill not decrease the negative feelings that aDemand will generate.

TThhrreeaattWhen you no longer need a player as an ally andyou want something from him you can try aThreat. There is no better way of destroying arelationship with a neighbor than by threateninghim, except killing him.

All of these rules apply to what is being offered.Whether or not a Barter is accepted or declined is

128


other Thieves but must not be moving to do so.To order your Thief to attempt to detect otherThieves, click on the Detect Thief button. An Earwill appear next to the Thief attempting to detectothers.

Every Faith in the game has a spell that detects allunits of a given opposite Faith in a radius aroundthe caster. If you try sneaking past a Mage, he orshe may know you are there - even if you can't beseen.

Highly skilled Thieves can attempt to sneakother party members around with them. Whentrying this risky technique, don't get cocky, stickto the smaller parties - stay away from anythingmagical, big or on a horse.

More is definitely not merrier when it comes tosneaking others about. The risk of getting caughtjumps with each member of a party that is addedto the sneaking party. In addition the non-Thieves slow the Thief down; he or she can moveat only 75% of the speed of the slowest partymember.

SSppyyiinngg

Thieves make great spies. They're sneaky, quick,and subtle. A good Thief can get a great deal ofvital information about the enemy by spying.Any information gained while spying or perform-ing other clandestine activities automaticallyupdates your Intelligence Report. To command aThief to do a little surveillance, your Thief mustbe in stealth mode and sneak up on a party unde-

131tages accelerate when two levels separate the thieffrom the target. Thieves in general offer the bestprotection against having your party robbed orbeing spied on. Thieves are also good at detectingother thieves.

SStteeaalltthh

Crafty Thieves tend to stay alive longer, and oneof a Thief's most useful skills is stealth. Using theStealth button hides a Thief's movements from allother players in the game. Thieves using Stealthin combat situations can surprise an enemy andseverely reduce the chance of the enemy drawingany further breath. When a Thief is cloaked, you see only its shadowon the screen. But using Stealth doesn't always guarantee suc-cess. Whether a Thief runs a higher risk of detec-tion is based on many things, including theThief's personal stealthing abilities, experience,how close he or she is to the enemy, how muchexperience the enemy has and his or her race. Ifyou have been detected, or have detected anotherThief, the shadow will have a red target attachedto it. Unfortunately, if you are the one who isdetected on the Overland Map, you have no wayof knowing which enemy party has detected you.When a player detects a Thief, the detection lastsuntil the beginning of the Thief's next turn. Afterthat, the Thief goes back into Stealth mode.

Sneaking around is a skill that requires some trialand error. The Fairy Air Thief is best at sneakingaround undetected and the Dwarven Fire Thief isworst. Thieves have the best chance to detect

130


Thief in Stealthmode

Detect ThiefButton

Stealth Button

ity during combat can knock enemy Championsunconscious during the heat of battle. Choosingthe Subdue button for the Thief and selecting anenemy Champion for a target, immediately putsthe Thief in Stealth mode. The Thief will thenattempt to sneak up on the Champion and knockhim out. A Champion getting knocked cold dur-ing combat can be fairly devastating to the enemymorale - which you should quickly use to youradvantage. Whichever side wins the battle gainsthe Champion. So, if the Thief's party wins thebattle, the Champion is now a prisoner. Each Thief is limited to 3 prisoners and they mustall be of the same Faith. Thieves cannot takeLords as prisoners. If you manage to subdue aLord and win the battle, that Faith is no longer inthe game. Likewise, you cannot take Renegadechampions as prisoners. Knocking them out andwinning the battle only nets you the normalspoils of any battle (Gold, Ale, Crystals andFame).

PPrriissoonneerrss

Once a Thief has subdued a Champion, he or sheis then a Prisoner of that Thief. The unit's bannerwill change to the color of the Thief and the unitwill trail the Thief, attached to, but not part ofthe party. Clicking on the Prisoner unit brings upthe Prisoner Interface. These buttons will allowyour Thief to interact with the Prisoner. Youroptions include: Knock Out, Execute,Interrogate, Torture and Free This Prisoner.

133tected. If your Thief is detected you will jumpright into combat. If you do encounter a party undetected, a newSpy Menu pop-up will appear with the followingchoices: Steal, Spy, Parley, Fight and Cancel.

Steal: This option brings up a pop-up that con-tains the enemy portraits and three of theresources: Gold, Ale and Crystals (you can't stealfame). Each of these resources will have questionmarks. Clicking on them will display the resourceand the amount you are attempting to steal.Further clicking will increase the amount ofresources you are trying to pilfer, however if youattempt to steal more than the party has, thenyou will, undoubtedly, be caught.

Spy: A successful spying attempt will reveal theparty�s Unit Window. This will allow you to viewall of the stats of the unit(s) as if they were yourown. Also displayed is the total amount of Gold,Ale and Crystal that the party has, which can bestolen. Spying will, sometimes, also reveal infor-mation on the enemy as a whole. The intelligencegained and added to your report varies from arti-facts possessed to military strength to amount ofthe world explored.Parley: This functions exactly like the Parleyoption in the enter panel.

Fight: Enters combat with that party.

Cancel: Voids all actions.

Subdue: Thieves have another special ability:subduing Champions. A Thief who uses this abil-

132


Subdue Button

change more in your favor.

When a Prisoner reveals information (such as thelocation of an enemy Lord) or if a Thief success-fully spies on an enemy, a text message appears onthe debriefing screen alerting you to the newinformation. When a message appears informingyou that you know the location of an enemyparty or Lord, exit the screen and go to theOverland Map. Look for a lighted area that is notoccupied by any of your units. This highlightedarea reveals the enemy location and maybe eventhe Lord of that Faith. When the next turnbegins, this area greys out, hiding the exact loca-tion of the party from you once again. Spellinformation and Military Power appear in yourIntelligence Report.

135Knock Out: Knocks the Prisoner unconsciousand eliminates possible escape.

Execute: This kills the Prisoner instantly. Bewarned; when a Prisoner dies, all the Faiths willlearn of it and there will be political ramifications.Sometimes it can be such a major opinion swingthat relations between two Faiths will be very dif-ficult, or impossible, to repair.

Interrogate: This allows you to attempt to gar-ner information from the Prisoner. The amountof information gained (if any) varies, and some-times takes more than one session to procure.Military units will crack, spilling military strengthinformation, troop locations, where artifacts maybe found, and which areas have already beenexplored. Mages can tell you what spells the Faithknows or where to find some artifacts. Capturingand Interrogating a Thief can yield economicdata, army information, and even where his or herLord might be located. Like Executing a prisoner,a failed attempt at Interrogation can cause politi-cal ramifications.

Torture: This is a more violent form of interro-gation. Thieves who use torture run the risk ofkilling the Prisoner. As with Execute, a deadPrisoner or failed attempt at Torture, will beknown to all Faiths and you're Fame and relationsmay suffer.

Free This Prisoner: Lets the Prisoner go back toits original Lord. Sometimes the a Lord will be sograteful for the return of one of his prized heroesthat his Faith's political opinion of you will

134

Free ThisPrisoner Button

InterrogateButton

Torture Button

Knock OutButton

Execute Button

CChhaapptteerr 77::

MMuullttiippllaayyeerr

To battle against foes that are known iseasy. The known enemy can be expect-ed to act as he always has, protect the

same things and attack with the same tried andtrue forces. But the enemy that is unknown pre-sents a real problem. A leader whos motives can-not be understood is likely to attack from a quarterthat you didn’t know existed and didn’t havedefended.

- Balathustrius

139Lords of Magic can be played by as many as 4people connected through a IPX compatible net-work or over the Internet through Sierra'sWON.NET, or by 2 people connected by modemor null modem cable. A single CD-ROM in thehost computer can support up to 3 otherspawned games. A spawned game is a game thathas been installed onto a computer but is playedwithout the CD inserted in the CD-ROM drive.Spawned games can only play multiplayer gamesas a guest player, which means that they cannothost a game and therefore cannot choose anystating options.

DDiirreecctt SSeerriiaall CCaabblleeSelect this option for a two-player game betweentwo computers connected by a null modem cable.1. From the Main Menu Select Multiplay.2. From the Multiplay Menu select Direct Cable.3. Next you'll see the Create Or Join A NetworkGame screen; there are two boxes here, the topone displays the game that is being created orselected, the bottom one is a list of all availablenetwork games.4. To create a game, type in the game's name inthe upper box and select Create.5. To join a game, click on the name of the gamefrom bottom list and select Join.

MMooddeemmA modem game connects two computers througha modem and phone line.1. From the Main Menu Select Multiplay.2. From the Multiplay Menu select Modem.3. Next you'll see the Create Or Join A NetworkGame screen.

138 4. To create a game, select Create.5. To join a game, type in the host's phone num-ber and select Dial.

LLooccaall AArreeaa NNeettwwoorrkk ((LLAANN//IIPPXX NNeettwwoorrkk))Up to 4 players can play over an IPX compatiblenetwork.1. From the Main Menu Select Multiplay.2. From the Multiplay Menu select Local AreaNetwork.3. Next you'll see the Create Or Join A NetworkGame screen; there are two boxes here, the topone displays the game that is being created orselected, the bottom one is a list of all availablenetwork games.4. To create a game, type in the game's name inthe upper box and select Create.5. To join a game, click on the name of the gamefrom bottom list and select Join.

WWOONN..NNEETT ((IInntteerrnneett))You can play Lords of Magic over the Internetusing Sierra's World Opponent Network (WON)with players from all over the world.1. Make sure that your computer is connected tothe Internet.2. Start Lords of Magic.3. From the Main Menu Select Multiplay.4. From the Multiplay Menu select WON.NET.5. The game will minimize and the WON.NETlogon dialog box will appear. Type your name andpassword and hit Enter. If you do not have aWON.NET account, select Create Member andcomplete the online form.6. From WON.NET you can Create Game orchoose to Join Game.

CChhaapptteerr 77:: MMuullttiippllaayyeerrCChhaapptteerr 77:: MMuullttiippllaayyeerr

screen. From this screen players can chat withone another and the game's host can set severalstart conditions.

At the top of the screen are panels where players'Lords and names are displayed. Players are dis-played in the order in which they joined thegame, so there may be some blank spaces until allplayers have joined the game and selected theirLord type.

Below this is the chat dialogue box, where play-ers' chats with each other are displayed. To chatwith other players, left-click on the empty dialogline in the middle of the page, type your messageand hit ENTER.

To the right of the chat dialogue box is the panelwhere the host can elect to either load a previ-

141After you have signed onto WON, you will seethe "Gaming Rooms" screen. Here you can chatwith other online players, join in a game or createyour own game. There are also links to otherSierra web pages that contain hints and tips, dis-cussion groups, technical help and much more. Ifyou want to play exclusively with a group of peo-ple you can create your own private gaming roomwhich can be secured with a password and othervariables.

CCoommppaattiibbiilliittyy IIssssuueess

WON requires a 32-bit Winsock in order to run.If you have Windows 95, then most ISPs will useits 32-bit Winsock to connect to the Internet.Some ISPs use their own Winsock, however,which may not be compatible with WON. If youaren't using a 32-bit Winsock, then you'll get anerror message indicating that WON doesn't rec-ognize your Internet connection. You can be sureyou're using the Windows '95 32-bit Winsock ifyour ISP uses Windows 95's Dial Up Networkingfeature to establish an Internet connection

WWOONN HHeellpp

For further information about WON visit theWON Web page at http://www.won.net or visitSierra's Web page at http://www.sierra.com

MMuullttiippllaayyeerr OOppttiioonnss

When you have entered a multiplayer game youwill be presented with the Multiplayer Options

140

CChhaapptteerr 77:: MMuulliittppllaayyeerrCChhaapptteerr 77:: MMuullttiippllaayyeerr

include only those things in the players' sightradii. Leaving this box unchecked will allow play-ers to see everything that happens on theOverland Map. Take note, however, that the AIplayers are also affected by the Shroud settingand that turning it off will influence their behav-ior.

Resources (Gold, Crystals and Ale): Theamount of beginning resources for all playersmay be selected, ranging from 0 to 1000, in incre-ments of 50.

Turn Limit: This determines the time that anyone player has to perform actions. Times rangefrom Unlimited, 5 Minutes, 3 Minutes, 1 Minuteand 30 Seconds. Choosing Unlimited will allowall players to take as much time as they want forevery turn. Selecting a time limit will display acountdown timer during the last 30 seconds of aplayer's turn. Time spent in combat is not count-ed against a player.

AI Players: Decides the number of AI players.Regardless of the number chosen, all faiths willexist in a game. For every number clicked onhere, one faith will be "active" and seek liberationof their own Great Temple, as well as the destruc-tion of their enemies.

Spells Known: The number of spells that allMages will have knowledge of, ranging from 0 to20, can be selected here. The number of spellsthat you have knowledge of will be given to everyMage that you have of your Faith, whether yourLord is a Mage, you rescue one, you hire a mer-

143ously saved game or start a new game with a cus-tom map. If a custom map is chosen, only custommaps where all eight Faiths are present will bedisplayed. Only eight-player maps are valid, andthe computer automatically assigns AI Lords tothe remaining 4-6 Faiths. If no custom map isselected the game will start with its own defaultmap. If a saved game is loaded, all presets that canbe selected here (including the players' Lordtypes, names and order) will be ignored and theoriginal conditions will be used. The name of themap or saved game is displayed in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

The bottom portion of the screen contains startcondition that the game's host may set.

Shroud: Checking this box will turn on the over-land shroud, which limits the players' visibility to

142


this, sometimes information will reach somecomputers at a different rate than others, andplayers will see slight differences in characters'positions or the speed in which gameplay takesplace. Lords of Magic is designed to handle thesesmall differences and usually all players will beperfectly in sync at the start of every turn. If,however, one computer falls too far behind, allplayers will be notified of the divergence. Playershave the option to exit the game if they wish butthe host computer will have the option to re-syncall of the computers. Re-syncing a game brings allplayers back to the last point where everyone wasin perfect sync, usually the beginning of the turn.

145cenary Mage or recruit one in your Mage Tower.Any Mage of another Faith that you have accessto will not be affected by this start condition. Ifyou are playing as Death take note; Balkoth actu-ally has 21 spells, selecting 20 Spells Known willenable all 21 of Death's spells.

Stronghold: Checking this box will give all of theplayers their Strongholds at the start of the game.Your Stronghold will include 3 beginningFollowers. Reclaiming your Great Temple is notnecessary to receive your Stronghold; you will,however, need to take over your Great Temple toreceive more Followers.

Combat: This allows you to select which battleswill be viewed by all players. Selecting ObserveAll Combat will show every combat that is beingplayed out, including both player and AI combat.Selecting Only Observe Player Combat willshow only those battles engaged in by the playersbut not any by the AI. Selecting Always AutocalcCombat will autocalc every battle that takesplace; you will not see or interact with the insideof any of the dungeons.

Once all of the start conditions have been select-ed, the host starts the game by pressing the PLAYbutton.

DDiivveerrggeenncceess

Sometimes connections between computers canbecome unsynchronized due to various causessuch as phone line noise or large differencesbetween computer processing speeds. Because of

144


CChhaapptteerr 88::

LLeeggeennddss ooff UUrraakk -- TThhee QQuueessttss

W hen I look around and see the statethat our world is in, I try to imaginehow it must have been in the days of

antiquity, back when our world was being shapedand molded by the deeds of our ancestors.Sometimes I wonder, if they had known that itwould all turn out like this, if they would have both-ered to get out of bed at all.

- Balathustrius

a quest, the Roster may be blank, or it might con-tain only one or two item. As you venture furtherinto the quest, additional items will be added tothe Roster. This will help to inform you of all ofthe actions that you need to perform and whichones have been completed. The key objectives ofa quest, called "adventures", can be anything, suchas recovering a lost item, defeating an opposingcharacter, gaining an ally's trust, and so on... Forthe specific rules governing each quest, click onthe ? icon on the Adventure Roster Interface.Completed adventures will be checked off fromthe Roster. You also have the option to hide thecompleted adventures by clicking on the Filtercheck box. When a new adventure has beenassigned to you in the roster, the roster icon willpulse on and off, indicating that you have not yetviewed the latest addition to the list.

Also note that there are some characters anditems that exist in these quests that do not existin the Lords of Magic game proper. Plus, while itis still possible to rename some of your partymembers, many of the main characters can not berenamed. Always remember that this is a legend,enjoy the story-like qualities that it takes on andpay attention to the plot as it unfolds�

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CChhaapptteerr 88:: LLeeggeennddss ooff UUrraakk -- TThhee QQuueessttss

The land of Urak is in itself a magical and leg-endary place, but even its denizens have legendsthat inspire them. Tales of past glories, braveleaders and amazing discoveries are the basis formany of the beliefs and practices of today's citi-zens. Many a person would jump at the chance tobecome one of those mythological characters. Inthis section of the game, you now have thatchance.

When you play one of the quests of Urak youwill, for the most part, be playing the same typeof game that you are used to in Lords of Magic.But this component of the game has its ownunique elements and style of play.

All of these quests take place in the ancient his-tory of Urak, long before Balkoth tried to con-quer the world. The goal of each quest is uniqueand relies less on befriending or subjugatingother Faiths. You will take on the role of analready established character who has his or herown objectives in mind and therefore will besomewhat constrained to that character's leg-endary actions. This may involve your only gain-ing access to certain parts of the world or limitingyour entry into particular buildings until afteryou have performed a designated task. Also,many of these quests will rely more on specificactions than on fighting. You might, for example,be called upon to find a certain item or contact aparticular person to gain information.

Each quest has an accompanying AdventureRoster. This is a list of all of the key objectivesthat you have uncovered so far. When you begin

CChhaapptteerr 88:: LLeeggeennddss ooff UUrraakk -- TThhee QQuueessttss

CChhaapptteerr 99 ::

TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

And then the mountains will crash down,the oceans will boil away and the land willbe torn asunder, creating, in the end, a

landscape foreign to all...

- Fragment of a parchment from the Prophesy of Urak, Volume 8.

world. The following is a list of the terrain typesand which Faiths are best suited to them.

Rough is the terrain where for the creatures ofthe Earth Faith are most comfortable.

Water can be crossed using flying and seagoingunits. Land based units can be transported acrosswater on boats.

Desert is preferred by the Fire Giants. This ter-rain slows down units from the Life, Air andWater races.

Mountain is favored by the Chaos Barbarians. Itslows down units from the Death, Order andWater races.

Meadow is the choice of Life worshipping Eldrenand the Water worshipping Amazons. This ter-rain slows down units from the Death, Chaos andFire races.

Ice is the terrain for the Air Storm Giants. Thisterrain slows down units from the Order and Fireraces.

Plains are enjoyed by the Order worshippingArchons. This terrain slows down units from theChaos and Earth races.

Swamp is the land for the Death Race. This ter-rain slows down units from the Life, Earth andAir races.

Lava slows down units from the Life, Death,Order, Chaos, Water and Air races.

153To create a new world, launch Lords of Magic andchoose Map Editor from the Start Options Panel. The Map Editor displays a default barren world.All Capitals, Great Temples and starting posi-tions for Lords are placed in their default areas.

New - Clears the current map and creates a newdefault map.Load - Brings up the list of maps in theLOM/MAP folder.Save - Allows the user to save the current map.All World Map files have the extension .SCN andare saved in the LOM/MAP folder.Exit - Exits the Map Editor back to the StartOptions Panel

TTeerrrraaiinn EEddiittoorr VVss SSpprriittee EEddiittoorr

Located on the far right are two buttons: Terrainand Sprites. By clicking on each of these, youplace the Map Editor into different modes. TheTerrain Editor allows you to edit the terrain andtopography of the world map, creating wholenew worlds for Lords of Magic. The Sprite Editorallows you to define and place combat encoun-ters, Capitals, Great Temples, and Lords� startinglocations in your world.

TThhee TTiillee SSeettss

In the center of the interface panel are 11 squaresof different textures. These are the terrain typesthat make up the landscapes of Urak. By clickingon one of these, you are ready to Paint orTerraform the basic landscape into your own

CChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr CChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

152

PPaaiinnttiinngg

Painting Mode takes the currently selected tileset and covers the surface of the map withoutaltering the terrain�s elevation. To enter PaintingMode, click on the Terrain Button on the left sideof the interface. Then click on the PaintBrushmountain in the center box, this puts the TerrainEditor in Painting Mode.

Holding the Right or Left mouse button down,will cause the terrain under the cursor to becomepainted with the selected terrain type.

155Impassable This terrain type is used to make landimpassable to all, except flying units.

Roads are specially designed to be connected toeach other in a line or zigzag patterns. Usingthem as a mass terrain will create land that is apatchwork of unconnected road tiles. Therefore,they are unsuitable for widespread use.

TTeerrrraaffoorrmmiinngg

Terraforming is the act of elevating the landscapeto create hills and mountains, or lowering it tocreate valleys or seas. In order to raise or lowerthe terrain, you must be in Terraform Mode. Toenter Terraform Mode, click on the TerrainButton on the left side of the interface, then clickon the WireMesh mountain in the center box.This puts the Terrain Editor in Terraform Mode(the Map Editor default starts in this mode).

Left-clicking with the mouse on the map willcause the terrain under the cursor to raise eleva-tion.Right-clicking with the mouse will cause the ter-rain under the cursor to lower elevation.

The default map begins at just above sea-level.Lowering the terrain beyond sea-level will createwater.

Located to the immediate left of theTerraform/Paint modes, are the 11 terrain-typetiles. By choosing a tile type, then raising/lower-ing terrain, you can create hills and mountains ofthat particular terrain.

154

CChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorrCChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

The Map Editor in Terrain Mode

in when entering the objects you place, removingsome of the randomness. This allows you a greatdeal of control when creating your own worlds,with a more deliberate feel and atmosphere.

To enter Sprite Mode, click on the Sprites buttonlocated on the far left of the interface panel. Thenclick on one of the following buttons to bring upthat sprite group.

Sprites - This group is composed of the regularTerrain Sprites. Mountains, Icebergs, Bones andother generic landmarks.

Special - This group comprises all of the Faiths,Champions, Great Temples and Villages. TheseSprites are not editable and are used to establishstarting conditions.

Dungeon - This group consists of Dungeons,Mines, Towers, Statues, Hamlets, Huts, etc.

The other buttons of importance here are:

Encounter - Sets the type of encounter to whichthe sprite will lead.

Level - Sets the Difficulty Level of the encounter.

SSeettttiinngg SSpprriitteess

To place a sprite on the map, simply click onsprite you wish to use in the center of the inter-face at the lower half of the screen. Then bringthe cursor over the map and left-click again, thiswill plant the sprite on the map.

157The default map is painted with the Rough ter-rain type.

SSpprriittee MMooddee

Sprites are the structures and objects that dot thelandscape of Urak. While some are dungeons,mines, villages and areas that players can enter,other are simply decoration. The Map Editorallows you to decide which objects will containEncounters and which will not. Furthermore,while in Sprite Mode, you are allowed to dictatewhat kinds of Encounters the players will engage

156

CChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorrCChhaapptteerr 99:: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

In Sprite Mode, Placing a Nasty Orc Encounter

PPrrooppeerrttiieess

One other feature of the Map Editor is the abili-ty to turn off the random dungeon generation.By clicking on the Props (Properties) button,you can disable the computer from placing anyadditional Encounter that you have not set. Thismeans that only the Encounters that you havecreated and set down will be placed. GreatTemples, Capitals and their buildings will be pre-sent.

SSaavviinngg aanndd PPllaayyiinngg YYoouurr MMaappss

To save your maps, choose the SAVE button. Allcustom maps are saved to your LOM/MAP fold-er. Maps can be made with any number of Faiths,however, Multiplayer maps must have all eightFaiths present in order to be valid.To play custom maps, from the Start PanelOptions choose the Custom button. This willbring up a list of all maps located in theLOM/MAP folder. Choose your map and clickOK. Lords Of Magic will then load normally, butwith your new map.

159

CChhaapptteerr 99 :: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

You can place as many of the same sprite as youdesire. However, the exceptions to this are theSpecial Sprites. Among the Special Sprites, onlythe Villages can be placed multiple times. TheLords, Capitals and Great Temples are uniqueitems and cannot be placed multiple times.Setting down one of these, per Faith, removes itfrom its previous position.The Lord sprites are the starting points for eachplayer, wherever you place them, that is wherethat Faith - human or AI - will begin.

SSeettttiinngg EEnnccoouunntteerrss

To create an Encounter, click on the Encounterbutton. From the list, choose the encounter typeyou wish (i.e. Water Encounter, Orc Encounter,etc) and click SET. Next, click on Level, this willestablish the Difficulty Level of the Encounter.Choose the Difficulty Level you want theEncounter to be, then click Set. The bottom ofthe center interface displays the Encounter typeand Difficulty Level you have chosen (i.e. WaterEncounter - Level 8).Now choose the object you want the Encounterto take place in by left-clicking on the sprite inthe center of the interface. Left-click on the mapto place the sprite. You have just set an Encounterof your choosing. Place the cursor over the spriteand you will see that it is outlined in red, indicat-ing it is an object that can be interacted with.Note that all Encounters placed subsequentlywill be of the same type and Difficulty Levelunless changed via the Encounter and Level but-tons.

158

CChhaapptteerr 99 :: TThhee MMaapp EEddiittoorr

CChhaapptteerr 1100 ::

TThhee LLoorrdd EEddiittoorr

W hat are those fine qualities that makethe difference between the commonman and a Lord? Maybe it’s divine

intervention, maybe it’s wealth and charisma, ormaybe it’s sheer luck. I think being born of royalblood tends to help.

- Balathustrius

amount it will cost. Double-click on the unit tobring up further information. Click and hold onthe unit you wish to purchase, then drag it to anempty slot in the Units Purchased window.Remember that you are limited to a total of 3Champions and 9 Military Units in your startingparty.

AAddddiinngg SSppeellllssClick on the Spells button to bring up a list of allthe spells in the game arranged according toFaith. By running the cursor over them, a pop-upwill give a description of the spell and its cost.Click and hold then drag the spell to the SpellsPurchased window in the center of the screen.

AAddddiinngg AArrttiiffaaccttssTo purchase Artifacts, click on the Artifact but-ton at the lower left. Like Spells and Units, thereis a graphic list of all the artifacts in the game.Running the cursor over the artifact will give apop-up description of it, and it's cost. Double-click on the Artifact to bring up a more detaileddescription and illustration of it. To purchase anitem, click and hold then drag the Artifact to theArtifacts Purchased window at the top. If yourLord, or any Champion you have purchased, canweild the Artifact, you can equip them as youwould in the game, by selecting the appropriatecharacter and placing it in his or her hands on theleft side of the screen.

163

CChhaapptteerr 1100 :: TThhee LLoorrdd EEddiittoorr

The Lord Editor is a useful tool for creating amore personalized starting Lord and party. TheLord Editor allows you to mix and match unitsfrom all Faiths, change the amount of resourcesyou begin a game with, acquire spells and artifactsand more. Edited Lord files are located in theLOM/CUSTLDR folder.

To create a Lord and party, launch Lords of Magicand choose Lords of Magic. Choose the LordType and click on the Faith you wish to play. Atthe Information Panel pop-up, click on the Editbutton located directly below the Lord�s Portrait.This will bring you to the Lord Editor.

BBaarrtteerr VVaalluuee PPooiinnttssLord Editing is based on Barter Value Points.Depending on what Faith, Lord type and level ofdifficulty you choose to start with affects theamount of points you are given. These points arelocated at the top of the left-hand side. This is thetotal amount that you can spend on spells, arti-facts, units and everything else. Adding values tounits (purchasing spells, adding levels, etc.) willbe deducted from your Points' total, while sub-tracting values (lowering the amount of ale,decreasing a level, etc.) will add Points to yourtotal.

AAddddiinngg UUnniittssTo add units to your party, click on the Unitsbutton located to the lower right. This will bringup a scrollable list of units arranged according toFaith. Placing the cursor over the unit will reveala pop-up that gives the unit's name and the


162

modify the experience level of any unit. Clickingon either the + or - under the Level IndicatorBar, will slowly adjust the unit's experience.Clicking on the level number itself will increaseor decrease the experience a whole level at a time.With modifications to experience, changes inAttack, Defense, Mana and Hit Points will auto-matically occur.

AAlltteerriinngg RReessoouurrcceessThe starting resources (Gold, Ale, Crystals andFame) are located at the bottom left, directlybeneath the character inventory box. To changethe starting resource values, click on the icon ofthe resource you wish to change. A gold box willsurround the item you've chosen and it willappear between the + and - keys. Then simplyadd or subtract the amount you desire using the+ and - keys.

TThhee SSttrroonngghhoolldd,, GGrreeaatt TTeemmppllee aanndd OOtthheerr

BBuuttttoonnssChecking on these boxes will give your Lordeither, or both, of the buildings as a starting con-dition.

Clear: Clicking on Clear will reset the Lord to itsoriginal stats and starting items.Back: Will exit the editor and return to the Circleof Life where you can choose a new Lord.Continue: This will being a game of Lords ofMagic with your new Lord and party.Save: Saves the Lord and party in the CUSTLDRfolder of LOM.Load: Loads files from the CUSTLDR folder ofLOM

165


RReemmoovviinngg IItteemmssTo remove any item you've purchased (Units,Spells or Artifacts), right-click on the item and itwill be sent back. You will receive a full refund ofthe item�s cost in Barter Points.

EEddiittiinngg YYoouurr LLoorrdd aanndd UUnniittss

To edit your Lord, or any unit, you must selectthe unit by clicking on the it in the UnitsPurchased window. The selected unit will behightlighted with a colored outline. Once high-lighted, the unit's stats will appear on the left side,under the Barter Points. Here, you can changethe name of your Lord or his Champions, and

164


The Lord Editor

CChhaapptteerr 1111::

TThhee SSttoorryy ooff UUrraakk

The past is just the present,after it happens.

- Graffiti in the outhouse behind Tarnak's Tavern

HHiissttoorryy ooff UUrraakkHHiissttoorryy ooff UUrraakk

169But after all of that, one thing shone through like a Water crystal on adewy morning: words are the only true power. The wisest monarchsknow this, the foolish and the cowardly fear it. The gods respect it, butthey, too, are not immune to the sting of a bitter truth well told. I do notshun truth, no matter how base and unflattering it may be. This mostlikely will someday get me killed, but for now I've avoided that fate.

So to the honor of words and to the worship of the gods I do dedicateand offer this tome, my life's work and the truth of the History of Urakas I understand it to be.

� Balathustrius

TThhee BBeeggiinnnniinngg

The beginning was a void without light and breath. Swirling throughthis void were the Timeless Ones, twisting and pulling at one anoth-er through the blackness. For centuries beyond count they strug-gled, dancing in a deadly, silent embrace. As the Timeless Onesfought, their battles flung fire and light and energy into the void.

BBeeiinngg tthhee OOnnee aanndd TTrruuee AAccccoouunntt

ooff tthhee HHiissttoorryy ooff UUrraakk

These days, anyone with a steady hand and a love of comfort can callhimself a historian. They are the "wise" men, the consuls, and scribes,driven by duty (and, if truth be told, boredom) to spend their livesscratching ink into dry pages. Most of these sages know little of theevents they record and even less of those whose lives they chronicle. Forthem, their jobs at the right hand of whatever powermonger happens towield the biggest sword is prestige enough. Every word that glorifiestheir mortal gods means one day more in the circle of the power thatfeeds their bellies and fills their purses. I chose this profession, therecorder of events, chronicler of histories, long before it was common forany sot off the street to take up a pen and get a job as a scribe. In thesesorry times, the greatest challenge for these imbeciles is whether to spell"knight" with a "k." It was not this way before. Scribing was once arespected profession, and we actually had to learn to spell before wewere hired. In those days, one sour word could mean the differencebetween a life of luxury and the end of life itself.

I long ago ceased to fear the wrath of those whose pimply buttocks warmthe purple cushions of carved thrones, and believe me, it has gotten meinto much trouble. I have been honored, threatened, gifted, tortured,comforted, imprisoned, rescued, and reviled by more monarchs in myday than most knights can claim in winters they have seen as livingmen. After writing a particularly glowing account of a minor duke'sprowess on the field, he gave me the warmest tower of Caer Dyonas formy chambers. After recording his crushing defeat the next spring, Ifound myself begging for coins on the cold, cobbled streets of Rak. Ah,truth hurts and I've been the brunt of that pain more times than I careto count.

168

171

HHiissttoorryy ooff UUrraakk

and, with a shriek, disappeared into the abyss of darkness.

Below, the planet crackled and screeched, undulating like a serpent.The surface twisted and rose into mountains of rock and earth.Massive boulders of glowing hot rock fell from the infant mountainslike pebbles, thundering through valleys and cutting deep fissuresinto the living stone. Miles of liquid stone oozed among newlyformed crags and flowed across the landscape, hardening into vast,flat expanses. Through it all, a soup of gas, water, and shards of rockspewed onto the planet surface. As the world cooled, the TimelessOnes became trapped. Desperate to escape, but loathe to worktogether to find a way out, they separated. Alone, and with theirstrength spent from the battle with the Form, they fought madly tobreak away.

The raging conflagrations deep within the belly of the new planetclaimed the first Timeless One. As it slid, defeated, into the depths ofthe molten rock, its energy sparked and rose as the magic of Fire.Above, the cooling rock entombed the second Timeless One, and itsenergy spread and became the magic of Earth. Alongside Earth,drowned in the soupy mess of the cold liquid that flowed over the siz-zling rock, the third Timeless One disappeared and became the magicof Water. The final Timeless One broke from the clutches of the evolv-ing planet, only to be swallowed in the swirling gases of the sky. It cre-ated the magic of Air. The Timeless Ones were now one with the liv-ing essence of Urak, coalescing into four polar nexus of power that wenow know as the elemental magics: Fire, Earth, Water, and Air.

TThhee FFiirrsstt AAggee

Slowly, life lifted itself from the chaos. At a snail's crawl of countlessthousands years, this life gravitated toward the energies surroundingthese four polar powers: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. This life evolvedinto the Great Giant races. These Giants worshiped the four powers

170


From this energy came planets, bare places of empty earth and poi-soned skies that held no life within them. The black crackled withthe light from their rage, and this became the countless points oflight in the night sky.

Slowly, in countless thousands of years, a new force rose from thischaos. The Timeless Ones, intent on their own rage, ignored thisforce. They continued to hurl themselves through the void, ebbingand flowing through the darkness like a great, invisible beast.

This force awoke into consciousness, becoming form where therewas no form, substance where there had been no substance. Withinthis consciousness was born a wrath that burned hotter than thefires of the struggles that beget it. This fury grew stronger as it swal-lowed the light and energy that the Timeless Ones flung from themduring their conflict. This Form followed the Timeless Ones and fedon the anger and hatred that emanated from them.

For thousands of years the Form grew, feeding on energy and grow-ing its hate. Then, with a howl that tore the very fabric of the void,the Form burst forth and flew with a fury toward the Timeless Ones.Too late they realized their terrible mistake in ignoring this Form.For the first time, they stopped their struggle as the Form boredown upon them with a speed that seemed to stretch time itself.Breaking apart, the Timeless Ones turned to face this terrible thingthat attacked them.

The ensuing battle shattered planets and flung debris throughoutthe void. The stars themselves, ripped from their orbits, tumbledthrough the darkness in chaos. The universe moved, stretched, andswayed, but did not break. In this fateful moment, when the uni-verse itself shifted, Urak was spat from this cosmic upheaval. TheForm saw this orb of fire shoot from the center of the battle, andwith one stroke hurled the Timeless Ones into its churning surface.Its work done, the Form turned from the glow of the infant planet

173


crafted Golem Giants, molded from the clay and stone of Urak.These creatures had no life force within themselves, but were almostindestructible in battle. The Water Giants filled the oceans withmonstrous creatures that swallowed entire ships and used their finsand spikes to churn the seas.

The Giant mages also brought hundreds of lesser creatures to life.All these new beings were linked to Urak with mortal bonds, but allserved a purpose for their creators in their struggle against oneanother: halflings and humans from the Earth, elves from the Air,kraken and serpents from the Water, and dwarves and gnomes fromthe Fire.

During this time of endless unrest, a Fire Giant Prince, Jeriacor, rosein the ranks of the Fire Armies. He became known for his couragein battle and his ruthlessness with prisoners, especially those of theWater faith, Fire's sworn enemies. Soon he achieved the rank ofCommander, a feat unheard of in one so young. Everyone of theFire faith adored him, and as his fame grew with each success, itseemed that he could do no wrong.

But more famous than Jeriacor's valor on the battlefield was thesmall circlet of red gold he wore on his brow. Set in the center of thiscirclet was a Water crystal, simple and pure. Jeriacor never removedthis circlet, even when he slept. During battle, when the light of warraged in Jeriacor's eyes, it was said that the crystal crackled withcolor and energy. No one who had ever seen this sight lived to tellof it.No one knew where Jeriacor got this crystal, but there were manyrumors. Some said that it was from the first Water Giant he hadkilled on the battlefield. Others insisted that it was a gift from agreat Fire mage, who had defeated a Water mage during the firstBattle long ago. But all agreed, it was a powerful and precious thing.

The truth of the Water crystal was more dangerous than any imag-

172


and built magnificent temples dedicated to their chosen magics. Onsecret sites, near the greatest concentration of power for each magic,the Giants erected Grand Temples. These holiest of holy places,where the power existed in its purest forms, served as a focus for thebelievers.

Throughout this time, the magics of Urak lay in opposition. Theirfollowers, restless and at odds with one another, made war: Fireagainst Water, Earth against Air. The cosmic struggle of the TimelessOnes had moved to the sphere of mortal beings.

Through divination and worship, the Great Giant mages were giventhe secrets to life itself. They disappeared into their temples andworked to build new life, in their own images, to honor their mas-ters and to feed the great war machines that were needed to defeattheir enemies.

The Fire Giant mages created the Lesser Fire Giants. These beings,smaller than their creators, were made strong and quick for victoryon the battlefield. The Air Giants created the Storm Giants. Thesebeings had the power of hurling electric energy through the sky,blinding their enemies with the lightning bolts. The Earth Giants

175


Sertof, fighting with his dwarven soldiers at the side of Jeriacor, feltthis breath of evil fill him with a terrible joy. Before anyone couldstop him, he turned and attacked Jeriacor with a mighty thrust of hissword. In a rush, the dwarven soldiers fell upon the woundedJeriacor, tearing at his flesh with a wild anger that none had everseen.

It is said that Jeriacor, his eyes wide with surprise and pain, spokeonly one word before he died: "Vysantha." As his brother fell, Sertofripped the circlet from his brow and snapped the delicate gold bandin two. The Water crystal, which had been shining brilliantly,cracked. Sertof dropped the now-brown and lifeless crystal ontoJeriacor's bloody chest. With the heel of his muddy boot he crushedit into Jeriacor's open heart.

All erupted into chaos. Suddenly, the battles that were once betweenenemies became war among allies. Brother turned upon brother,friend slew friend, and entire armies fell in battles fought with nonebut their own kinsmen. A band of Fire cavalry who had seen themurder quickly sliced the evil Sertof into pieces. Battlefields wereslick with blood, and carrion eaters grew fat with the bounty ofdeath. The mages of Earth, Fire, Air, and Water could not stop thissenseless slaughter and watched, helplessly, and this unseen evil dec-imated all who felt its icy touch.

And far away, in a white tower surrounded by Water magic, thebeautiful Vysantha lay dying. For the Water crystal was more than anamulet given in love by a woman to a man. It held within it theessence of Vysantha's soul. The powerful magic of the crystal hadserved as an Amulet of Protection, keeping Jeriacor safe from hisenemies in battle. But it did not protect him from his friends.

Before she died, Vysantha confessed all to those gathered aroundher. When the powers of Water realized what had happened, theyrushed to the battlefield in the hopes of stopping the carnage. But

174


ined. For it was given to Jeriacor by Vysantha, his one true love andthe greatest Water mage that Urak had ever seen. The two had beenin love since childhood, secretly meeting at night, along the lavarocks and near hidden streams of Urak. As they grew, their loveblossomed into a power that even their ancient rivalry couldn'tbreak. They were determined to marry one day, with the hope thattheir joining would end the hatred and warfare for good.

During this time, unnoticed by all, a darkness descended upon thebattlefields of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air as they fought. It was likea tingle of hatred, fanned by battle and stoked by anger until it burstfrom within. Those with hatred in their bellies and anger in theireyes fell victim to this unnamed blackness. One of these pitiful peo-ple was Sertof, Jeriacor's sworn Firebrother and second in commandof all the Fire armies. He alone knew the secret of the Water crystaland Vysantha and for years had kept this secret close.

As the blackness enveloped his heart, he saw that if Jeriacor andVysantha ever declared their love, the wars would end. His blackambition of becoming Fire King and defeating all the hated Waterenemies would be thwarted. Sertof opened his heart and embracedthe darkness, feeling a power and hatred fill him that he had neverknown. With this power he called to him a group of dwarves, whoalso had succumbed to the power of the dark. They spent manymoonless nights in the Fire army barracks, discussing what to do, asJeriacor slept unknowingly in the next room.

The evil that filled Sertof's soul with images of death had its ownplan. By day, it swirled around the battlefields, manifesting itself asa chill wind that blew across the killing fields. Some swore theyheard a whispered laugh in their ears as they went about their bloodybusiness. "I am Golgoth," it said. "Your torment has begun."

On one unnamed day, a war day like any other, this wind changed.

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TThhee SSeeccoonndd AAggee

With the defeat of Golgoth came the Second Age. After the battle hadbeen won, the Giants and the mortal beings they created set about thetask of rebuilding their home. It was difficult, for they were unused toworking together for a common goal. Only the shared experience ofdefeating the minions of Golgoth united them in their task.

Years passed. The Giants soon lost touch with the mortal races theycreated. They retreated to the temples and the holy places of theirelemental gods. It is said that the Great Fire Giants now stoke theforges of the Inner World, joining with the Earth Giants beneath theground. When the Giants are angry, the ground shakes and liquidrock spews from the mountaintops in a waterfall of fire. Legend alsosays that the Giants of Water and Air rule the sea and sky, com-manding the waves and the clouds to do their bidding. The clearrivers, lakes, and streams flow as the Water Giants command, andthe sun obeys the wishes of the Giants of Air. Anger them, and thewaves will crash from the oceans in walls of deadly water, and the sunand moon will disappear into the void, casting everything in darkness.The mortal beings of Urak continued to worship the elemental mag-ics. With the end of warfare among the Giants came ten thousandyears of peace. And with this peace came complacency...

TThhee TThhiirrdd AAggee

And so began the Third Age. The Great Giants gradually disap-peared from living memory, becoming the stuff of legend and myth.The mortal beings they created, conceived in alchemist's labs andborn in the fire of battle, abhorred the evil of warfare and worked tolive together in peace and harmony. Because they were made fromdifferent elements, each race found its place in the web of Urakianlife.

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the elemental powers that lived within Urak seethed in anger at thisevil that had rocked the land. Those who lived through that day saythat at the moment Vysantha died, a wail that shook the earth roselike a symphony from the very foundations of Urak. And with thatsound, the mages of Water, Fire, Earth, and Air did what they hadnot been able to do before: they united in their hatred of Golgothand vowed to destroy it.

The Great War of Golgoth had begun. It ripped the very essence ofUrak and the universe that held it. The battle raged for centuries,day and night, as the forces of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water attackedthe unearthly minions summoned by Golgoth. The dead piled uplike cordwood, and the living used the bodies as shelter from theonslaught of the undead troops they fought. And underneath thedeath and smoke and fire of battle, the Elemental powers joined,mingling their energy for the first time. From them emanated aforce that penetrated Urak with a power that none could ever haveachieved alone. Their power, channeled through their GreatTemples throughout the land, enveloped their armies and gave themstrength and the will to live.

And with this power the Armies of Good, as they called themselves,began winning the war. Their armies, imbued with a heat and passionbefore unknown, decimated the ghastly troops before them. Theundead soldiers fell by the thousands and disappeared in a foul-smelling mist, which turned the battlefields to wastelands. WhenGolgoth saw his minions defeated, his anger knew no limit. Heroared and swirled around Urak, covering the planet with a purplishblack smoke that no light could penetrate. The Great Giant mages,summoning the last remnants of strength they could pull from theelements, hurled Golgoth spinning into the universe. The Great Warwas over.

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Plains and became masters of cavalry combat. But they, like theother mortals, preferred peace and enjoyed the warmth of a goodfire and the contentment of a happy home.

Halflings were created, well, for the gods know what. Halfling his-tory says they provided support to the war machines in their treksthroughout Urak. I think that an Earth Mage fell asleep on the joband just didn't finish a spell. But regardless of my personal distastefor these creatures, they did manage to do something useful. Toosmall to fight, halflings were master chefs, caretakers, and squires.During warfare their purpose was to give what comfort they couldto the armies of the Timeless Ones, cooking meals and maintainingthe morale of the troops. They were master vintners and brewers,and Halfling ale became a byword in camps throughout Urak.During peace, halfling colonies sprung up in the quiet places of theforest, and most of them found work as chefs and brewers through-out the land.

As the Third Age progressed, these mortal races mingled, creatingstrong bonds of friendship and mutual respect. The races developedan intricate trade network, buying and selling goods to one anotherthroughout Urak. Marriages brought alliances between householdsand races, and mixed-race offspring were not uncommon in any partof the world. The powerful households of each race - the barons, thedukes, the kings and queens - lived in harmony with their brethren.Although the occasional skirmish did erupt (usually between thehot-tempered dwarves and some other faction) warfare was unheardof, even feared, by all.

But beneath the contented lands of Urak lay an evil that no onecould see. With each petty squabble, each minor skirmish, the heatof the evil passions fueled this blackness. This evil, part of the livingstructure of Urak itself, spread insidiously through the land, stretch-

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The elves, sprung from the imaginations of the Air Giant mages,made their homes high in the treetops. They traveled through the airon gossamer wings. These people, light and willowy, revered thewild places of Urak. They were the peacemakers, the counselors, andtheir first instinct was always to solve a problem before it became awar. But they were bred as warriors, and the skills of their archerswas legend throughout the land.

The dwarves and gnomes, born of Fire, were a sturdy lot prone tohot tempers and loud brawling. They lived in caves near the moun-tains that oozed the liquid rock, building vast underground keepswith the pliable molten stone. They were of medium height, smallerthan humans but taller than halflings, and with stout legs and arms.The Fire Giant mages created them as laborers and infantrymen, andgave them the skill to wield hammers and maces with deadly accura-cy. The dwarves that had conspired with Sertof had been banishedfrom their homes, and their descendants even today wander Urak,driven by hatred and death and a lust to destroy all in their paths.

The Water Giant mages molded the deadly kraken and serpents fromthe living seas. These beings, unable to leave the safety of theirwatery world, made their homes in the blue-black depths of theoceans. It was said that at night, when the moon cast its shimmeringlight onto the surface of the sea, these water beings rose from theirhomes and writhed on the waves in an eerie waterdance. Theirsounds had the power to seem like beautiful music, luring unsus-pecting sailors as they followed the music in a watery death.

From the Earth Giant mages came halflings and humans, the mostprolific (and the least useful, if truth be told) of the mortal crea-tures. Humans, built tall and lithe for speed, were simple creatureswith simple needs. They built their homes of stone and wood.Humans were bred to be warlike and cruel, without remorse whenan enemy was to be slain. They tamed the wild beasts of the Ronak

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For the followers of Life, their love of all creatures and respect forthe living world bound them together with a chain of friendship andrespect that none could break. Their god was Llanwylln, the spirit ofLight. The followers of Order believed in the purity of the world,black and white, good and evil. For them, everything on Urak had apurpose that no one could alter. Chaos worshippers lived for thethrill of battle and the love of their kinsfolk. Their animal gods livedin the forests and imbued their followers with power and skill on thebattlefield.

As the numbers of each new faith grew, they built their own holyplaces in the most sacred lifegiving spots on Urak. Mortals from allraces flowed to these sanctuaries, combining their faiths in theElemental with their belief in the good.

TThhee RRiissee ooff tthhee DDaarrkk EEllvveess

One of the followers of Death was Balkoth, a minor lord of theElves. He lived more than five hundred years ago, born during theSeventh Rising. There was a prophecy that a White creature wouldturn Dark during this Rising, but of course it had been long forgot-ten by the time Balkoth came into this world.

The blackness had wrapped around his heart when he was but achild. By the time he reached the Age of Sentience he had built a fol-lowing of other elves who had been seduced by the terrible beautyof the darkness. He yearned for power and control, and appealed toGolgoth for help. He and his Dark Elf minions vowed their lives totheir god if he would but grant them the power to subjugate andpossess the world.

On a moonless night when the Air Giants spread gray, cloudy wispsover the stars, the followers of Death gathered in their ebony tem-ple. Thousands watched as hundreds of innocents were slaughtered

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ing tendrils of discontent into even the most remote places.

In forgotten thorn groves, in shallow pools of brackish water, in thecenter of rotting trees, the discontented creatures from all racesbegan to gather. At first only a few would meet, bound by theiranger and uneasiness and finding kindred spirits in the dead placesof Urak. The blackness concentrated its powers in these places, andthese acolytes gradually formed into a new religion, Death. Theirgod was Golgoth himself, reborn from the legends. As these reli-gions grew, they pulled toward them others, those with grudges orjealousies that the blackness fed and cherished.

Also rising at the same time were other beliefs followed by thosewith purer hearts: Chaos, Life, and Order. These believers met in theholiest of places on Urak: the mighty oak groves, atop white moun-tain peaks, and in the great sanctuaries devoted to the worship of theElements.

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dozens of soldiers made fortunes selling their memoirs to a publichungry for tales of victory. Tactics used by the armies of Urakagainst Balkoth became standard military maneuvers, studied byrecruits the world over. The Amulet of Darkness was exhibited inmuseums throughout Urak, then carefully packed away in a secretchamber that none but the highest Elemental mages knew.

But all societies are doomed to repeat the past if they do not remem-ber it, and it was the same for us poor sots of Urak. As the horrorsof the Battle of Golgoth and the War of Balkoth faded through thecenturies, Urak became ripe for another onslaught from the powersof Darkness. Five hundred years have passed since Balkoth was castinto the Amulet, but even that great stretch of time means nothingto the powers of Evil.

I have read the ancient prophecies, and I knew that a great Darknesswould again come to Urak. But neither I nor anyone else under-stood what horrible evil was in store or that it would afflict ourworld in my own lifetime. For Golgoth has returned, and followingin his putrid path is an army drawn from the dead of Urak.

Even worse, he has released Balkoth from his prison. Balkoth, wildwith dark joy and supported by all the power of Golgoth and hisminions, has captured the Great Temples of our land. He has killedthe caretakers and laid waste to every corner of Urak.

Now Urak is in dire need of help. Balkoth is free, the temples areoverwhelmed with the power of Darkness, and the land begs for asavior to return it to its former glory. It is hard to imagine that anyone, mortal or god, can defeat the powers of Golgoth and Balkoth,but that person must soon be found. Until that time, Urak will lan-guish in despair, its people desperate and starving. Who will comeand gather the power of Urak to defeat this horrible pestilence thathas ravaged the world?

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in sacrifice to the Dread Demon god, Golgoth, Master of Death. Inthe center of the chaos stood Balkoth, with his arms raised in wor-ship toward his most unearthly god.

As each innocent was killed, its blood was poured onto the Dark Elfuntil he was slick with the red lifeforce of every race. The followerslifted their voices, moaning and wailing, while the screams of thedying swirled around them. They writhed in an unearthly dance,pulling power from the earth, the rock, the sky, the blood. The aircrackled with energy. Above the temple the sky began to move,surging in waves of blackness. Balkoth lifted his face to the sky andbegan to scream. A voice thundered in the temple, "You are Balkoththe Destroyer. My power is yours, and you are mine."

Balkoth the Destroyer now began his campaign of death. He led theDark Elves and others who ascribed to the Black Religions againstthe powers of Life and the Elements. Town after town shatteredunder his onslaught, and the mortal beings who stood against himfell by the thousands. But standing against him were the lords ofUrak. They battled Balkoth, and in a frenzy of death and destructiontrapped his soul inside the Great Amulet of Darkness.

EEppiilloogguuee (written by my own hand and not paid for by any monarch)

I recorded the previous history, many decades ago, for Earl MerkotRavensonn. I was a young man then, fresh from Scribe School andeager to earn my way in the world. The history that I wrote is truth-ful and accurate, but I am afraid it is now incomplete. Recent eventshave changed the entire fabric of Urak and have shaken my faith tothe core of my being.

The story of Urak should have ended with the entrapment ofBalkoth. The final battle was recorded in hundreds of histories, and

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BBeelliieeffss aanndd RReelliiggiioonnss ooff UUrraakk

LLiiffee

Those who ascribe to the Life religion share one thing in common:a healthy respect for Urak and all the living things she sustains. Theyhave a reverence for nature and for the web of life that connects allliving beings together in all ways. Most Life believers regard theconception and nurturing of new life a top priority. This is why mostbeings who worship this religion are especially good parents andcaretakers. You will also find them working in healing houses, innurseries, and tending to the beautiful gardens on the rolling castlegrounds of the elite of Urak.

Some of the less enlightened of our world mistakenly assume thatLife believers cannot be aggressive or seek glory in battle. Most ofthese misguided sots are dead now. While it is true that most beingswho worship Life find warfare distasteful, they do not shun it out-right. In their minds, the end justifies the means. If killing a few willensure that many will have life, they will kill. But the methods ofkilling are usually quiet, swift - and effective. Few can match theirskill at archery and those foolish enough to confront them rarely getclose enough to inflict any damage. If they have any weakness it isthat, in their preference for living a more natural life, they shun thewearing of any heavy armor. And while their elegance makes forpowerful long-range attacks, they are less adept at the art of hand-to-hand combat. Still, for the Warriors of Life that are injured in bat-tle, the Mages of that Faith have some of the most powerful healingspells ever known. So potent is their magic in this respect that it issaid that they actually possess the ability to resurrect their fallencomrades. There are tales of Life worshippers creating items that canheal those who possess them, as well as others. There are alsorumors that somewhere in their kingdom lies a shrine that will healall those who enter and rewards all those who fight for the cause ofLife and nature to heal themselves after battle.

Ah, religion. It is said that if the gods hadn't already been around,we mortals would have invented them. I learned long ago thatreligion isn't the sedative of the people, it's the crutch. Andbelieve me, there are a lot of cripples out there.

I've seen what beliefs can do to people - and it isn't pretty.Religion has the power to sustain life, but it can also be the rootof unspeakable evil. There has been more blood and death in thename of "religion" than in the name of any political agenda.Sometimes it angers me. Most of the time, however, it frightensme. One cannot reason with a zealot any more than a humancan win a game of dice with a dwarf. But it is the zealots of theworld - not the loud, angry ones, but the quiet, brooding ones -that are the most perilous. I would prefer taking on a rabble ofdisgruntled Terramages to spending fifteen minutes alone with aViantha in her study any day.

I learned long ago that the best way to get by in this world is to"believe" whatever everyone else in the room seems to holddear. It keeps you alive and sometimes makes you richer in theprocess. And if the popular wind changes? Smile a lot and runlike hell.

Most of what I know about the different Faiths of Urak come frommany sources. In some cases, I personally followed specificbeliefs during various stages of my life. Dear friends have toldme of others. Occasionally, an enemy provided me with a fewdetails. But mainly what I know (especially of the darker Faiths)comes from rumor, innuendo, and speculation. So, brave reader,take all you see with a grain of salt, and be sure and keep anAmulet of Protection with you wherever you go.

- Balathustrius

OOff tthhee BBeelliieeffss aanndd RReelliiggiioonnss ooff UUrraakk

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mountain ranges, avoiding terrain such as desert or swamp. Of allthe beings of Urak, they are the closest to the life spirit of Urak, andthey consider themselves to be the caretakers of the planet.Unicorns, pixies, and other citizens of the Elflands also follow theteachings of Life. One or two stories have been told describingElven Warriors mounted on winged horses of incredible strengthand beauty while others speak of a magnificent bird that fightsfiercely and is reborn again and again. The worshippers of Life arethe natural foes of those who choose to serve Death and Life Mageshave spells that specifically target undead monsters.

DDeeaatthh

Followers of this Faith are a shadowy brood. They worship in thedark corners of Urak - the dank swamps that no sunlight touches,the rotting feast halls of long-abandoned castles, and in the base-ments of unnoticed buildings throughout the world. Their universeis that of the dying and the dead. They have great disdain for areasof the world covered with lush life and beauty.

Those who have tasted the dark joy of death worship seldom speakof it to the living. Although there are thousands upon thousands ofDeath worshippers, they stay hidden and silent. But when battlerages in the land or when their god instructs them to, they rise likea terrible black army to revel in a feast of turmoil and death. Theybelieve that it is only through Death that true redemption can befound. The highest honor is for their souls to be cast into the ghast-ly, undead feast hall in the depths of Karnog with their dark godGolgoth.

There are many legends of the beginning of the Death cult, so manythat no one knows what the real story is. Some believe that the evilthat begat this planet also spit out the god of Death in the fierychaos of creation. Others think that Golgoth is just the shadow of

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Llanwylln rules as the Goddess of Life. Believers speak of her withreverence and respect, for she nurtures the planet and creates the lifeforces that sustain it. Most Life worshippers consider Llanwylln(which, translated from the s'Nai dialect, means " life spirit of all")to be the creator of all things - the ugly as well as the radiant. Theyunderstand that without the balance of light and dark, good and evil,life and death, there is nothing.

The origins of the Life Faith are shrouded in myth. Most believethat Llanwylln has existed since the beginning of time, and a fewscholars are convinced that she was one of the Timeless Ones thatbattled Golgoth so long ago. The Eri'th du Bonan (Book of Life)explains it this way:

In the great light that was Urak after the Battle, an enormous crea-ture rose from the living rock. This creature had no form, no ener-gy of its own. But it glowed with a light not of this world, but fromthe light of the universe, the lifelight discarded from countless plan-ets and tossed to die on Urak.

This form, seeing that life struggled to be born on the surface of theplanet, coaxed and nurtured it until it burst forth in a symphony ofplants, animals, and beings. This creature was Llanwylln. She becameone with the land, still coaxing and gently guiding life from all thatexists here.

Some subcults of Life worship the Others, a group of Great Giantswho serve Llanwylln in specific duties. Brynith is the keeper of crea-tures and cares for the animals of the world. Mithander gives natureits music and sounds. D'naian is the goddess of childbirth, and hertwin, D'hestan cares for newborns and children of all creatures.

Elves make up the majority of Life believers. These beings, theEldren, surround themselves with the beauty of nature an choose tolive in the depths of the forests and in the hollows and valleys of the

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The other cult of Death is known simply as the Shadow. Not quitean organized cult, it is more of an army of skeletons, shades andwinged creatures that serve Golgoth and Balkoth in all ways.Whispers of the dreaded vampire, a creature that grows steadilystronger by sucking the life out of others, have given nightmares tomany. No one knows where these forms come from; some believethat Golgoth himself calls forth the newly dead to serve him in hiswork. Country folk believe that the delicate, silver blossoms of theglimmer tree repel the body snatchers that lurk in the darkness,stealing new recruits for Golgoth's ghastly army. This is why manybodies are buried with a garland of glimmer leaves lovingly placed inthe coffin. I've never had the courage to tell them it doesn't work.

Facing an army of Death is enough to make a sane being's heart runcold, and for good reason. Death is powerful in almost every aspectof warfare and adorn themselves with thick armor and powerfulweapons. The minions of Golgoth have many potent spells at theirdisposal. It is not uncommon for Death Mages to hurl body-wither-ing curses upon their mortal enemies. And the most horrifyingpower of all is their ability to raise the dead - thus increasing theirarmy in the field during battle. I cannot describe the fear that gripsyour heart when you see a beloved friend, mangled and bloody, risefrom the battlefield and turn to attack you. But once an Undead isdestroyed, it is gone for good. No powers of Death can revive oneof these pitiful creatures. Death's understanding of life and vitalityis limited and no magical means to heal their wounded exists. Inorder to be revived they must rest or visit their Temple to appeasetheir dark lord.

No other Faith in Urak is more mysterious and the frightening.Myths and rumors that surround Death have found their way intoevery corner of the world. The few that have returned from anencounter with these dark foes report great armies led by powerfulLords possessing artifacts of immense power. The mere mention ofthe dreaded Soul Stealer or the Ring of Azz'Taruth are enough to

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Llanwylln, her opposite and her nemesis. A smaller faction is rabidin its belief that Balkoth is the true Master of Death, sent byGolgoth to Urak to rule in his place. They are Balkoth's soldiers, theminions who defend his terrible existence and will fight to a joyfuldeath anyone who tries to stop him.

There are no tomes that detail the beliefs of this most unholy reli-gion. At least, none that I know of. But I do know that there are twocults of Death that seem to wield some power. Although both ofthese cults worship Death and Golgoth, they have their differentways of practicing their beliefs.

The Bloodguard are the true believers of Death. Most Bloodguardare mortal beings who have turned from their natural Faiths to wor-ship at the feet of Golgoth. They believe that the only way to trueredemption is unshaking faith in their god and undying desire todestroy all living things for his glory. Dark Elves are the most fero-cious of the Bloodguard, exhibiting all of the speed and agility oftheir race but with a dark intent. They are known as the"Golgothans" for their unshaking faith in their god. They kill with-out remorse. The lucky few who have survived a Bloodguard attackreport that the Golgothans delight in the killing - even to the pointof lovingly cradling their prey before they throw the final deathblow. Unlike most Elves, the Dark Elves prefer edged weapons incombat, such as knives and halberds. A few humans have also turnedto the darker Faiths, but they are rare. Usually Warriors, followersof Order who have fallen from grace, become Bloodguard.

Oddly enough, however, most Dark Elves have a true respect for thelife they take. Life is a vital force in death - only the energy of theliving can feed the power of the dead - and they understand this bal-ance. It doesn't stop them from killing, but they are known to bemerciful in their work. Death by torture is rare for an Elf. Humanswho worship Death, however, have no such compunction.

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with certainty. The world is good and evil, black and white, andnothing can ever change the path of destiny that each living thingfollows.

Order followers tend to gather in large, organized groups, headed bya knight or other important leader. They prefer to construct theircities on the flat, orderly plains and avoid hectic landscapes such asmountains and swamps. They have three gods, which they refer toas the Triad, and whom they worship as one entity. I've never beentoo clear on exactly which god was in charge of what; my theory isthat there is a god of time, one of energy, and the third of space. NoOrder believer speaks of his or her gods, and no outsider has everparticipated in an Order service. These are very private, very smallaffairs that occur away from the larger gatherings. All that is knownis that some are held at the Cathedral of Knighthood, where a cho-sen few are granted a higher level of power through a mysteriousceremony.

Open Order meetings are usually sedate affairs, because the humanswho make up most of the Order followers tend to be serious to thepoint of boredom. Humans are drawn to Order because that Faithtends give them comfort and a sense that something outside ofthemselves determines their destiny. Humans seem to need to becared for, I'm not sure why. At these gatherings the knights, soldiers,cavalry, sailors, and Mages (along with the occasional Thief) argueand discuss a course of action. When there are no wars to be fought,these meetings usually degenerate into trifling debates. When war isat hand, Order followers work together like a well-oiled balista toprepare for battle.

A primary strength of Order is the intense and unquestioning loy-alty of those who follow it and those who are in its presence. WhiteStags, majestic creatures who normally disdain warfare, will serveout of loyalty whenever trouble arises. Gargoyles will climb downfrom their towers and precipices to assist in battles. And there arestories of long dead warriors whose devotion and sense of duty is so

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dissuade someone from entering Death territory. Balkoth is said toown a magical weapon of such strength that one wave of his scythecan cut down an entire army. And on the darkest nights, the citizensof Urak fear that they might be stolen away and taken to Death'snotorious Altar of Sacrifice, where it is said that the living areslaughtered for the amusement of Golgoth, bestowing the murder-er with great strength. Some say that Death Mages will sometimesvoluntarily kill themselves, only to have their dead bodies raised.These fearsome creatures possess the mortal powers of the Magewith the added benefits of an undead body and are among the mostfrightening monsters that one can imagine.

OOrrddeerr

Devotees of Order believe that everything in the universe has itsplace, and there is nothing that gods or mortals can do to change it.Events happen for a reason, beings act according to their preor-dained scripts, and the consequences of all actions can be foretold

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Residing in the precipices and crags of jagged mountains, far awayfrom the tranquility of the plains and forests, lies the most volatileFaith of Urak, Chaos. Believers in Chaos are unpredictable, angry,prone to argument, quick to laugh, and never to be trusted. Believersin the Chaotic religions have only one thing in common: they revelin confusion and delight in creating havoc wherever they go. Theycan be formidable enemies and strong allies - if you can trust them.Just about the only thing that assures the loyalty of a Chaotic is thepromise of glory in battle and the weight of mercenary coins in theirpurses.

The roots of this religion lie in the very fabric of Urak. The planetwas born of chaos, forming from the battle between the TimelessOnes and the Form. Followers of Chaos speak of this time as the"Age of Beginning" when the stage was set for all future life. Theybelieve that all life forms - plant, animal, creature, beings - are partof a cosmic puzzle that can never be completed. They believe thatlife is random, death is unexpected, and the only glory comes fromfollowing the gods into battle and in honoring their clan kin.

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strong that their very spirits will make their way back to the mortalrealm to assist their Lords. Legend speaks of one of the finestWarriors of Order who roams the land, performing good and defeat-ing evil, and who has taken a oath to always return to his homelandwhen trouble is at hand.

No other Faith has the discipline and organization that Order doesand these qualities naturally lend themselves to militaristic proce-dures. Order Warriors are especially powerful in battle. They arestrongest when in large numbers, for their energy feeds one anoth-er. They are proficient in every aspect of warfare and their weaponsand armor are made with the finest of skill. Such is the quality oftheir work that some weapons and artifacts have gained legendarystatus. Many a person has heard the tale of mythical Guardian, asword imbued with such fantastic power that the mere sight of itsblade has roused smaller armies into defeating larger foes and whosesharp sting can kill an enemy with a single blow.

The Mages of Order have banded into their own sect, referring tothemselves as the Accord. Their skills lie in spells that protect andinspire their armies. It is said that they can take possession of theirenemies and make them fight against their own kind. Others speakof Order troops protected by a magic shield, making them almostinvulnerable to attack. Their skill in combat is relatively weak, soduring combat they tend to stay behind the lines, casting their pow-ers from a safe area away from the bloodshed.

CChhaaooss

We revel in the disorder of formless matter and infinite space.We live in a state of eternal upheaval, following nothing andeverything. Our gods existed before the ordered universe andwill remain long after Urak returns to its lifeless, dead form.

- Quote from Xithander, Hrothark of Discord

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think the battle is lost. When they are not fighting, most of thesecreatures live far from the barbarian villages in their own small clans.Some claim to have seen a peculiar type of dragon in Chaos' territo-ry, one with many heads that can attack multiple enemies at once.Most people have dismissed this rumor while others assume that theobserver must have seen a group of dragons, perhaps a nest of newlyborn hatchlings.

Although Chaotics tend to shun high magic, they do call on themagical powers of their animal gods for assistance during battle.There are a few Mages in the Chaos Faith. Their Mages, whom theycall Hrothark, rely on animal magics in war. Animal magic is incred-ibly powerful, but highly unpredictable and even the most skilledHrothark is hard pressed to control it. Hrothark and other Chaoticshave the power to Polymorph themselves and others, which is anarcane skill few can master and even the Mages can not predict whatform the recipient will take on. Offensive spells take precedence, asChaotics are prone to first attack during warfare. To attack a partyof Chaos followers with a Mage is throw yourself into an unpre-dictable situation. There are reports of entire parties suddenlybecoming confused, wandering aimlessly on the battlefield whileChaos warriors butcher them one by one. Some speak of magicalblades that appear out of nowhere, cutting down entire sections ofan army in a great swirling mass. And while they possess great arti-facts, there are few outside the Faith that would be willing to usethem for fear of becoming victim to their unpredictable nature.Myths abound of unlucky adventurers who, upon wearing a Chaoticamulet, found themselves transformed into cow or chicken!

A note on the Elemental Faiths

Little is known of the Faiths of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. TheElemental religions are of a distant past, part of Urak's history thathas fallen into myth and legend. Most of the followers of theElemental Faiths were the Giants and creatures of the Second Age,

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Chaotics prefer to rely on the strength of their swords and theirmuscle to assure victory in battle. They love confrontation and pre-fer hand-to-hand combat to projectile weapons, which they arehardly expert at. They clothe themselves in furs and animal skinswhich, while not providing the greatest of protection, allow thegreatest freedom of movement. They worship a wide variety of godsand goddesses, all of whom are associated with various animals andcreatures of Urak. Most clans identify with a particular god or god-dess and consider other clans who follow that totem to be theirblood relations. Thrith, the wolf god, has the most followers. Thrithis worshiped by Warriors and weaponsmakers as the god of battleand blood. Gwynned, his wife, is a battle goddess also worshiped byWarriors. She is a fiery she-wolf, lusty for battle and deadly againsther enemies. Danu, the Crow, is worshiped as the god of death. Heappears on the battlefield in the form of a carrion crow, feeding onthe flesh of the dead. Other Chaotic gods include the cow goddessBrigid, goddess of the hearth and home; and the bear god, Visoth,the god of strength.

A vast majority of Chaotics are human, and most of them are bar-barians. They are generally a brutish group who value combat andfreedom. They prefer the sureness of a blade and a good horn of aleto the vagueness of magic. Strength is everything to the followers ofChaos, a fact well exemplified by their Barbarian Arena, a theater ofwar where participants fight each other (as well as the occasionalslave and prisoner of war) to determine the mightiest among them.They highly prize personal honor, and their society is based on trustamong everyone. A promise and a handgrip are as binding as a doc-ument to them. Betrayal is punishable by death, and Chaotics knowmany ways to make a dishonest kinsman suffer.

A few creatures follow the Chaotic Faiths - Goblins, two headedOgres, and Cyclops. They generally keep to themselves until theyare called to battle. These creatures are very volatile, however, andhave been known to turn on a fellow Chaotic during combat if they

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of Eternal Flame, where the most skilled blacksmiths use the sear-ing heat of magically permeated lava and flame to reshape objects. Itis from this forge where many of Fire's most powerful artifacts havebeen born, objects such as the fearsome Staff of Incineration and themysterious Spitfire. A blade marked with the symbol of a RedDwarf is highly prized. When battle is imminent, Red Dwarvesappear in great numbers, to barter their weapons in exchange for achance at glory on the field. These beings are also skilled Thievesand legendary dice players. Anyone who can beat a dwarf at dice(and come out alive) is truly a superior gambler.

Fire creatures also include dragons, imps, and balrogs. Do not scoffat my mentioning these beings, reader. Although you may believethat they are the stuff of bedtime stories, they are very real - andquite deadly. Only the most powerful Fire Mages can control a drag-on, and it is said that Golgoth himself raises Fire Dragons in prepa-ration for his final onslaught on Urak. Many consider the realm ofFire to be the birthplace of all dragons and say that deep in mostremote part of that kingdom the mother of all dragons has her layer,a place rumored to contain fantastic treasures. Imps are the darkcousins of the elves, hiding in hot springs and foul-smelling mud-pots. Balrogs are among the most elusive of the Fire creatures. Thesecruel, demonic creatures despise the world of mortals and can onlybe pressed into service by blackmail or threat of death.

Followers of Fire wear relatively little metallic armor and are them-selves not the hardiest of soldiers. Their actions on the field of com-bat are very much likened to fire itself: quick, explosive bursts ofattacks. While Fire Mages have relatively few defensive spells theyare some of the most powerful enemies on a field of battle. The mag-ics at their fingertips make them especially deadly. They have theability to shoot fire from their staves, heat the metallic armor of anenemy soldier or cause the entire battlefield to burst into flames,roasting everyone in the area. Fire Warriors are also much better atoffense than defense, so they work to dispatch their foes quickly on

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and precious little from that time has survived to this day. But thereare still those who follow the Faiths, their beliefs passed downthrough the generations and guarded like precious gems. Elementalcreatures are rarely seen by the mortal beings who inhabit the worldnow, and some people today doubt that they even exist. But I canassure you that they do.

FFiirree

It is difficult to write of the Fire worshippers, because so little isknown of them. Mortals seldom see the followers of Fire, simplybecause they rarely leave the depths of their volcanic caverns that liedeep within the belly of the Red Mountains, having a strong dislikeof any temperate or frozen region. Their religion was born in theflames, during the Beginning when Urak was but a ball of writhingfire, air, water, and earth. As Urak cooled and became a ball of life-sustaining matter, the Timeless Ones who were caught in the flamesreceded to the caverns and volcanoes of Urak. There they createdthe Great Fire Giants, who in turn created the Lesser Fire Giants. Itis these smaller beings who now inhabit the Red Mountains and whoare the most powerful followers of Fire.

The Lesser Giants revere their creators, to whom they constantlygive offerings of blood and flesh. They believe that the only way tobe granted the powers of Flame is to offer members of their groupback to the Great Fire Giants of their past. Elaborate ceremonies(one in spring and fall) last for weeks, and all participate. The high-light of the festivities is the Abnegation, when one Giant voluntari-ly agrees to join the Great Fire Giants and is sacrificed to the gods.

There are mortal followers of Fire, mostly Dwarves who live in thewarm roots of the volcanic mountains. Little is known of them, savethat they are legendary smiths and weaponsmakers. Their weaponscan be made greater still when they are tempered by the Great Forge

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believe that they are the helpmates of Earth and Air, and they workin conjunction with one another to complete the cycle of life onUrak.

There is only one Water goddess in their religion: Synora. She isbelieved to be one of the Great Water Giants, created by theTimeless Ones to govern the waters of Urak. According to thebeliefs, Synora is the last surviving Giant from a terrible First Agebattle between Water and Fire. After all her kinsfolk were destroyed,Synora hid in the depths of the Sea of Arnak. For thousands of yearsshe lived there, gathering power from the water and creating themortal creatures who now populate the lakes and seas. It is said thatshe remains there, a queen of the watery depths, controlling herminions and, when angry, causing the waves to crash. Mortal sailors,regardless of their beliefs, always give offerings to Synora as they plythe seas in their flimsy wooden ships. Better to be safe than sorry.Those that worship Synora are themselves unmatched when itcomes to sea travel and are famed for their oceanic expeditions.

As far as anyone can tell, most of Water's followers are the creaturesof the sea. Among the greatest of these is the Kraken, a horrifyingcreature well-known for attacking ships and swallowing sailors alive.During sea battles, a Water army can usually influence a Kraken longenough for it to fight on their side. The Giant Serpents of the oceansare the stuff of legend; no one has actually seen one. There is a storythat, once a year, on the longest day of Urak's summer, the Serpentsrise to the surface and writhe in an eerie dance. A few sailors claimto have seen this, but I suspect that any mortal who sees this spec-tacle would not live long enough after to tell about it. Occasionally,a mariner has spouted a tale or two about gigantic spiders that canwalk across water as easily as land and whose webs are death for any-one unfortunate to be caught in them.

The few humans who ascribe to the Water Faith align with Synoraand are known as Viantha. The Viantha are a matriarchal culture ded-

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the field of battle - before their foes have a chance to fight back. Ifthe battle seems lost, a Fire Warrior will still fight to the death, pre-ferring the glory of blood to the shame of capture. No Fire Giant,Mage or creature has ever been caught alive.

WWaatteerr

Lurking by the streams, rivers, lakes, and even under the waves ofthe Sea of Arnak are the followers of Water. This religion is indeli-bly linked to the creatures who need water to sustain life - unlikeother Faiths, who simply ascribe to a set of beliefs. Although thosewho follow the Water Faiths are mortal, few have been glimpsed byhumans. A few humans follow Water, but for the most part this reli-gion is not practiced by a great many beings of Urak.

Water was born in The Beginning, when Golgoth and the TimelessOnes battled for control of the universe. When water formed onUrak, the Timeless Ones infused it with life-giving powers that arevital to the web of living creatures on the planet. The Water Faithfollows the ideals of this life-giving strength. The disciples of Water

then, but it seemed to make a lot of sense to the host of mortals whoheard it. It seems that the Earth Faith embraces many cultures andbeliefs; it is the most tolerant of the religions and especially of theElemental Faiths.

It began, as all the Elemental religions began, in the Beginning whenthe Timeless Ones became trapped in the cooling ball of goo thatwas Urak. The Earth religion believes that, when Urak cooled, theenergies that infused the planet brought forth life onto the Earth.The Great Earth Giants, caretakers of the Earth, worked to coax lifefrom the dead planet. With the help of the other elements - includ-ing their opposition, Air - life on Urak as we know it came intobeing. It was this belief in the teamwork of all Faiths to create ourworld that now gives the Earth worshippers a tolerance for otherbeliefs.

The Earth Giants gradually disappeared, but before they did theycreated the mortals who now follow the Earth Faiths: the dwarvesand gnomes. Some dwarves now follow the Faith of Fire, but theywere all created by the Giants of Earth. Earth Dwarves differ fromtheir Red Dwarf cousins in that they prefer mining to smithing.These dwarves are expert gemcutters and diggers, and their stoutbodies, while slow to travel, are well suited to both mining and war-fare. Their size not withstanding, Dwarves are powerfully built andare vicious with an axe. Their deep understanding of minerals allowsthem to create some of the finest weapons and armor ever made.The infamous Axe of Mauling is said to be so powerful that it cre-ates tremors and earthquakes when it strikes the ground. EarthDwarves are loyal comrades in battle, and once a Dwarf has boundhimself to an ally he will be unshakable for the rest of his days.

Gnomes are fewer in number than Dwarves, but in many ways theirEarth powers are greater. They live and work in subterranean cham-bers of their own construction, complete with elaborate forges theyuse to make superior weapons and utensils. Gnomish ironwork is a

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icated to the worship of water life. These powerful women, knownthroughout Urak for their strength, intelligence, and breathtakingbeauty, are said to guard the Silver Fountain that lies within theirHoly Spring. This legendary spring is said to flow with healingwaters that have the power of life and restoration.

While the Viantha do partake in battle, they usually leave the killingto their servants, the Lizardmen. These Water creatures serve theViantha and act as soldiers when needed. Viantha and the Lizardmenlive on beaches and near lakes and streams, and it is not uncommonfor a Viantha to build a home directly over a flowing brook. Forthose Viantha who do become soldiers, the process can be a long butrewarding one. Water followers start off as fairly weak combatantsbut can grow into powerful adversaries. They are naturally quick andelusive, which gives them an advantage over larger, more encum-bered foes.

Water magic is based in life, and most of the spells of Water deal withdefense and the maintenance of the living. Water Mages can restorehealth to those who fall on the battlefield, but they cannot bring thedead back to life. Their magic does not destroy outright, but someof the most powerful Viantha can encase an opponent in a bed of iceor rust the armor of an enemy. Certain of their ancient items possessboth the power to heal as well as injure. Seafarers tell tales of a chal-ice that bestows its owner with great wisdom and staff that has thepower to fill an enemy's lungs with water. For true Water power,Mages call upon Synora to help them. If she is willing, and if theoffering is acceptable, she will assist. With this aid, Water Mageshave been said to have the ability to create natural bridges of land toallow passage across lakes and rivers.

EEaarrtthh

"To Earth is to All." That is a phrase I once heard at a gathering ofEarth worshippers. I don't understand it any more now than I did

tle lasting damage to their enemy. They do, however, seriously affectthe course of a battle. Terramages are also known for their excellentdefensive spells. Stone Skin - a spell that adds strength to a soldier'sarmor - is particularly effective. And beware of any Earth Mage pos-sessing the famed Gorgon's Staff, a wand that completely petrifiesanyone that its dreadful magic is directed at.

AAiirr

The power of Air, like the Element itself, is invisible. It comes notin a burst of heat, such as Fire, or in an surge of liquid, such as Water,or in the strength of stone, like Earth. Air breathes through the soul,touching depths of existence that mortals see only in their dreams.From the beginning, this Elemental has dictated the life patterns ofevery creature on Urak. The followers of Air believe that they areinfused with this power. They also live in the Air, soaring above theclouds. A glimpse of these Air creatures during battle can send thearmies of their enemies into panic. Air units are lightning fast andcan gain a tremendous advantage by attacking their foes from aboveunwalkable terrain and obstacles. Their ability to fly comes at a dis-advantage though. While their lightness and agility are excellentcomponents for flying, their bodies are the most fragile and armorwould only compromise them even more.

When the Timeless Ones created the Great Air Giants, their job wasto maintain the climate and sky of Urak. Believers in the Air Faithworship not only the sky, but also the power of the weather thatswirls around the planet. They have a healthy respect for the powersof nature and closely watch the skies for signs from their gods.Followers believe that each part of the sky is controlled by a deity,and the Air religion is divided into many subcults that worship aparticular god. There is Kabyks, the god of wind. Quoth throws thelightning bolts. The twins Elonwye and Elan rule the clouds and therain. Ja'de is the god of snow and ice. Aeslan controls the rainbows.

203byword in Urak, and cooks throughout the land clamor for the potsand pans made in gnome forges. Their Earth Faith is the secret totheir ability to create beautiful objects from elements of the earth -it is said that each object that leaves a gnomish forge is imbued withthe very spirit of the Earth gods.

Halflings, while not created of the Earth, are followers of the EarthFaith. They live in small huts close to the ground, and prefer tospend most of their time in the kitchens and vineyards of Urak.Their Faith lies in the life giving energies of the Earth, and they prayfor good crops and a successful harvest each year.

Other creatures that serve Earth are those that are composed direct-ly from the earth itself. Shamblers and golems are sometimes spot-ted in the more powerful Earth armies and occasionally one of thefew remaining Stone Giants have been called upon to assist. Somecitizens have a fear that province of Earth contains giant worms orsnakes that burrow through the ground, only to burst through thesurface, instantly killing their victims.

Terrak, the Earth god, is said to be not a being in the way we under-stand it. He exists as an energy form, infusing all Earth creatures andlife with a power that can be found in no other place. It is the powerof life, but it is also the power of beauty and magic as well. Terrakcan concentrate this energy in specific places, and the dwarvesbelieve that the best mines and the most profitable veins of preciousmetals are areas where Terrak has focused his power. Their mostsacred of places is their Holy Gateway, which is alleged to containthe entrances to a multitude of underground tunnels leading to loca-tions all over Urak.

Terramages are a rowdy lot, their members are of a variety of cul-tures and races. They pull their magic from the Earth, and most oftheir spells focus on manipulating the energies already present in theEarth. Their spells, such as Turn to Stone and Entanglement, do lit-

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armies are involved. Air worshippers have an intense dislike forTerramages and will waste no opportunity to fight them.

All other Air mortals are the creatures from a childhood dream:Fairies, Will O' Wisps, and Air Dragons. These beings - seldom seenin the light of day - live with the Storm Giants in the highest reach-es of Urak. They are formidable opponents, however, and part of thereason that no living human can claim to have seen them is becauseanyone who sees them doesn't live long afterward. Chilling tales ofdragons with the breath of ice, burying entire armies under a blan-ket of frost, keep most people off the peaks of Urak's mountains.

Air Mages can conjure many weather spells, calling to the Great AirGiants for guidance and help. They have the power to call lightningand conjure massive sand storms to blight their enemies. Their arti-facts focus on the atmosphere and affect it in different ways. It issaid that they possess a staff that can remove the air from an area,asphyxiating any living creature nearby. The fabled Thunderbladecan call the very lightning from the skies and stun any opponent thatfeels its effect. Because their armies include flying creatures, theminions of Air can be formidable enemies.

CCoonncclluussiioonn

Thus I come to the end of my knowledge of the Faiths of Urak. Thereligions are full of legend and myth, stories of heroes and rogues,tales of love and hate, accounts of glorious battles won and lost. Tohear those, dear reader, one must seek out the followers of theFaiths. Sit with them, eat their foods, laugh at their jokes, and listencarefully to what they can tell you. For their stories are what histo-ry is made from, and to hear these stories told is to see the cloth oftime unfold itself and feel it wrap its warmth about you.

205Each of these gods works in harmony with one another, creating thepatterns of weather and calm that drive the life forces of Urak.

Human followers of Air are extremely rare. The power of thisElement is too ethereal to be understood by such puny mortals asourselves. No, the main followers of this Faith are the Storm Giants,the rarest of the Lesser Giants. No one in living memory has everseen a Storm Giant, and it's not likely that anyone will. But centuriesago, during the Second Age, Mages of the Air discovered a fragmentof a description of these creatures. They recorded what they foundin the Codex Urakian:

These silver giants, created with the stuff of air and light, are tallcreatures, large of stature. They seem lighter than air, always stand-ing erect, with a slight breeze blowing through their long, white hair.The men sometimes wear beards. They are constantly looking outinto the distance, as if waiting for a sound to reach their ears. Evenwhen they speak among themselves, there is a sense of longing,waiting for something to happen�They are hermits, preferring to live in windswept towers high in themountains. They are master builders of musical instruments...(frag-ment unreadable)...wind sculptures, which they spend weeks tun-ing...

The followers of Air preferred to live atop mountains where thereair is chilly and the wind blows swiftly. They are at a disadvantagewherever the air is stagnant or the climate is very warm, such asswamps and deserts. The few humans I know who follow the AirFaith do so in solitude, as hermits, just like the Storm Giants theyemulate. They, too, live in high towers built in lonely places, andspend their day meditating and playing instruments. Stories havebeen told describing a fantastic shrine atop the highest peak in Urakthat allows the followers of Air to be instantaneously transported toother regions, carried by a powerful current of air. When war isimminent, these hermits will join the battle - especially if Earth

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Train several recon units since followers are notrequired in order to train these units (to put itanother way, hiring mercenary recon units is theUrak equivalent of buying the Brooklyn Bridge).Recon units are your best way to increase thesight radius of a party as well as keeping an eye onyour lands.

After combat, never underestimate the power ofresting to bring your units back up to fullstrength. Rest damaged MILITARY UNITS for afew turns, this not only restores health of exist-ing units, but "reincarnates" all of the members ofa unit to full strength (i.e. if only 2 members of a3 member unit survive after battle, resting themwill eventually restore the third member backinto the unit).

If by some stroke of bad luck you find yourself inthe losing side in battle, don't always flee rightaway, even if the situation seems hopeless. Youmay gain fame by putting up a valiant fight.

Nobody is completely expendable because get-ting units killed in combat affects the experienceand fame given to the survivors. By the sametoken, avoid at all costs having Champions oreven good military units fall in combat. As dis-cussed above, experience is crucial to all aspectsof the game, from fighting ability to trainingunits.

In extremely rare situations, surrendering yourchampions may be your best option. If you doenough damage to your enemy prior to surren-dering, you may be able to arrive on the scene

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In a game as complex and in-depth as Lords ofMagic, following a few simple rules-of-thumbwill greatly improve your chances on the road tovictory. Here are a few guidelines that will vastlyimprove your chances of victory.

Your Leader and Champions are the very heart ofyour army and it is their experience that makes allthe difference in battle. Try to anticipate yourneed for creating new units so that you can bringthe best Champion or Leader of that type in thearea to appoint as a steward. This will give anynew units a fraction of the experience of thesteward that is in charge. Train as many units thatyou can afford, to limit trips back and forth fromthe Military buildings. This strategy will increasethe chances that your units will live as well asmaking them more effective for the same price.

When choosing the composition of your forces,don't be tempted to load up on mercenary unitsunless you absolutely must. Their daily upkeepcost in gold will quickly drain your precious coin.If you do hire mercenaries, make sure you hireones that fulfill a particular deficiency or weak-ness in your army. For example, if you have plen-ty of infantry forces, it makes little sense to hiremore mercenary infantry troops. Instead, roundout your force with some mercenary missileunits. Hire mercenaries only when you knowexactly what you intend to do with them. Makesure you can move them their full movement inthe first turn, and always put them in the front ofyour trained units in combat.

SSttrraatteeggyy HHiinnttss && TTiippss

much closer to the action. Without a Village,armies must be built at your stronghold and thenspend several turns needlessly marching them toand fro.

Some other tips to help you along:

- Take out Death Mages whenever and whereverpossible. They are the source of the enemiesundead armies. Do not let Death take overWater; if you do, you better have lots of flyingunits.

- Trade or give away "useless" artifacts to neigh-bors. This will help you in the long term.

- Unless restarting the game is your idea of a hottime, be nice to Balkoth the first couple of timesyou meet him.

209with a second army and rescue your formerchampion, now a mere prisoner-of-war. Rescuewith a thief or by attacking the army and beingvictorious. This is not a recommended tactic ifBalkoth has captured your Champion and you areunable to reach his army in the next turn. Balkothwill most likely torture and execute theChampion.

When you strike out with your army(s) to on thepath to domination, be sure to capture Villages.The strategic importance of Village cannot bestressed enough, for they allow a player to bal-ance out the overall composition of their parties.This permits a player who's faith may excel atspeed or attack to build a neighboring faith's bar-racks at the Village and produce units for them-self that excel at defense.

While a player may dominate throughout muchof the game by simply relying on might, eventu-ally they will start losing to Thieves and Mages. Itisn't called Lords of MAGIC for nothing.However, there are instances where it's in yourbest interest to build a structure from your ownfaith from a Village. For example, if you have ahighly experienced Mage and know most of thespells of your faith, building a level three MageTower at you border puts you in a position to dis-patch a powerful reactive force to intercept any-one marching on your Capital. At the very least,the forces deployed from a Village will act as aspeed bump, albeit a dangerous one, to anyenemy looking to attack your stronghold.Villages also serve as an excellent staging pointfor the creation of your armies as they are so

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One of your heirs has been captured by an indig-nant neighbor... Do you storm the villain's city ortry to negotiate for your champion's return?

Whether you choose to play with the barbarianstrategies (ie. kill everything that moves) or thecivilized strategies (ie. build up your knowledgebase and trade with friendly neighbors), the des-tinies of Urak and all its populace are in yourcapable hands!!

Whatever you choose to do, our hope is that youenjoy playing with this game as much as we'veenjoyed creating it!

Gregor KoomeyJeffrey FiskeSteve SerafinoChris Beatrice

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When we first started planning a fantasy strategygame, our initial investigations led back toTolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The strong archetypes of the story spoke in avoice both vibrant and clear... ..the young unlike-ly hero...the menacing Dark Lord... the stern, yetfatherly wizard...the ancient legends of funda-mental powers locked in eternal struggle...Thedescent into darkness that leads the hero, and theworld, back into the light...

As we moved forward, it became clearer that notonly could we mold these primal elements into afun, engaging strategy game, but that we couldalso do something new! We've created a gamingexperience that lets you be an active player in aliving fantasy world!

Think about reading your favorite fantasy novel,or watching your favorite fantasy film, and actu-ally taking part in the decisions that move theaction along! Your actions move the world!!

Should you play the Barbarian warrior, or theelven wizard? What advantages are there to play-ing a thief? ...a Fire Giant? ...a Golgothanwizard?

Do you want to be at war, or peace with yourneighbors?

DDeessiiggnneerr��ss NNootteess

TTeecchhnniiccaall TTiippssIf you maximize the window during game play,the Win95 taskbar may cover the buttons on thebottom of your screen. These buttons are vitalto game play, and the tool bar can be easily dis-abled, and will return for all your other applica-tions. To disable the tool bar, right click andhold on it. Scroll down to the Properties selec-tion and disable the Always on top box by leftclicking on it.

Why doesn�t my sound work?

Sound hardware, is required to play sound in thegame. If you hear sounds in other places inWindows, but not in the game, it is possible thatthere is a conflict of resources, where someother program that is running is controlling thecard. Make sure the game is the only programrunning. Make sure your sound drivers areproperly installed. If you have an older config-uration, contact the manufacturer of your cardfor the latest sound drivers.

General problems

Things like screen savers and runtime viruscheckers can sometimes cause problems withother programs running at the same time.

Memory Requirements: This game is designedto run on a machine that has at least 16megabytes of system RAM installed. If youexperience errors that say �Out of memory� or�General Protection Fault�, check to see if youhave any other programs running by looking atthe system task list.

points but the Mana growth is not cumulative.Once the Mage Tower is level 3 this altar can beused to conjure the Lich.

OORRDDEERR

CCaatthheeddrraall ooff KKnniigghhtthhooooddThis cathedral is a monument to what Order anddiscipline in society can bring to the everydayman. The cathedral focuses the energy of thosewho come to worship and bestows hope andinspiration on the warriors anointed within. Thisstructure is built from the Great Temple andrequires that the Barracks be at least level two.When an Order Warrior uses this building, it hasthe power to bring that Warrior to the next levelof experience (once per unit per game). The partymember cannot exceed 10th level for Championsand 12th level for Lords. Mercenaries can not beknighted. Additionally, once any Order cavalryreaches fifth level they can be brought here andturned into sixth level military units. Once theMage Tower is level 3 the Lord can summon SirLancelot.

CCHHAAOOSS

BBaarrbbaarriiaann AArreennaaThis crude wooden arena has a dirt floor (for easycleanup) with raised bleacher seating for all bet-ters, owners and just spectators to glean a clearview of the bloodshed. Barbarian warriors enterthis arena to do combat with others to trainthemselves for future battles. Attached to theArena are the slave barracks to store future com-

GGrreeaatt TTeemmppllee AAnnnneexx BBuuiillddiinnggss

LLIIFFEE

SShhrriinnee ooff VViittaalliittyyConstructing this sacred shelter underneath thewatchful branches of Great Temple creates a holyenvironment for the life worshipping elves.Resting here for one full turn bestows elves withadditional restorative powers. The knowledge toconstruct this is only learned once the MageTower at the capital reaches second level. All LifeFaith units will recover all lost hit points immedi-ately as well as after their next three combats.After that, there is no effect. Units may visit thiswhenever they wish, but the maximum effectlasts only for three combats. This structure hasno effect on the Pegasus. Once the Mage Toweris level 3 this shrine can be used to summon thePhoenix.

DDEEAATTHH

AAllttaarr ooff SSaaccrriiffiicceeThis dark onyx slab of evil serves those who wor-ship Death. It is constructed at the Great Templeonce the Mage Tower reaches the second level.Whenever a Death Mage executes a prisoner ofwar at this site, that Mage is cured of all damage,and receives 1000 experience points. In additionto this boost, for every level of the Championbeing sacrificed, that Mage receives +1 Mana.Every 7th day, the Mage loses two points of Manauntil the Mage is returned to normal. An individ-ual Death Mage can sacrifice as many victims ashe wishes during a game. Every time that one issacrificed, that Mage will gain 1000 experience


mercenary units from the Great Temple to thecaster's location. Spell costs 12 mana and all ofthe Mage's movement points, as well as the armythat was relocated. Once the Mage Tower is level3 this shrine can be used to summon the IceDragon.

FFIIRREE

TThhee GGrreeaatt FFoorrggee ooff EEtteerrnnaall FFllaammee This forge is stoked with fire from the Eternalflame within the Great Temple. When Fire unitsenter, their equipment can be remade within thisforge bestowing them with additional restorativepowers. Mages can imbed their staves with lavafrom this forge giving them additional Mana.This forge requires only a Stronghold and GreatTemple to construct and is constructed onto theGreat Temple. This adds +2 to hitpoint recoverywhile resting overland +1 additional for restingin buildings. For Mages this adds +2 Mana and+15% resistance to magic. Once the Mage Toweris level 3 the Lord may summon Fafnir, the FireDragon.

WWAATTEERR

HHoollyy SSpprriinnggThis Holy spring adjacent to the Great Templehas fantastic restorative powers for Water follow-ers that enter. This spring restores all hit points,movement, and Mana for Water Units only. Thisfeature can only be used once per turn. Once theMage Tower is level 2 the Lord can call forthGiant Spiders. Spiders may be summoned overand over again.


batants. This is a fairly expensive structure tobuild but it requires only a level one Strongholdand Great Temple to build. It gives a combatant400 experience points at the cost of 20 hit points.Each unit can only do it once per game. If theunit does not have 21 hit points or more, theycannot use this painful training method. AllChaos military units and Champions get +1defense (once per game) and enhanced healing.Once the Mage Tower is level 3 the Hydra may becalled forth.

EEAARRTTHH

HHoollyy GGaatteewwaayyThis runic covered stone slab actually is aGateway to the center of the Earth. This Gatewaycan be constructed from the Great Temple if thestronghold is level one. This allows players tomove any units from the Gateway to any otherGreat Temple that they control. This uses all ofthe units' movement. Once the Mage Tower islevel 3 the Great Worm can be summoned.

AAIIRR

SShhrriinnee ooff TTeelleeppoorrttaattiioonnThis wind swept platform is serves as a leapingpoint into the ethereal plane. Units of the AirFaith can go into a stasis and be drawn forth by aMage of sufficient power. Otherwise, partiesmust quickly exit the ethereal darkness or be lostforever. Any Faith can Teleport 10 tiles awayfrom this location costing only four movementpoints. Air also learns a new spell - ArmyRelocation. Army Relocation brings all Air non-


Combat OtherRighteous Bolt

Righteous CauseJustice

Summon Spirit Warrior

Scrolling MapFalcon�s Eye

Forced MarchInspire

Watch TowerSurvey

Combat OtherIce BoltBerserk

RustFreeze

Scrolling MapRiptide

Whisper of the WavesFog

Create LandHealing Waters

Combat SelfLeadershipProtection

Reflection ShieldHeroic Demise

Crusade

General KnowledgeFirst Aid

Teleport ArtifactDispel MagicDetect Chaos

Seer

Combat SelfLight Rain

Quick SilverHeal Self

Steam CloudGift of Life

Guardian Waves

General KnowledgeTeleport ArtifactCleanse Wounds

Dispel MagicDetect Fire

Seer

OOrrddeerr SSppeellllss

WWaatteerr SSppeellllss

SSppeellll IInnddeexx

Combat OtherHead Wind

Lightning BoltPoison CloudCone of Cold

StunChain Lightning

Scrolling MapWind WalkWind MillsSand Storm

Ice

Combat OtherSpirit Arrow

BlessTurn UndeadRay of Hope

Scrolling MapCommune With Nature

Holy EnchantmentSanctuaryInvigorate

Create Plains

SSppeellll AAppppeennddiixx

Combat SelfSwiftness

Essence of the WispGuardian Winds

Cloud of WarLightning Charge

General KnowledgeTeleport Artifact

Dispel MagicEther Gauze

SeerDetect Earth

Combat SelfProtect

Cure WoundsBlessing

HealRegenerateHoly Visit

General KnowledgePurify Wounds

Teleport ArtifactDispel MagicDetect DeathResurrection

AAiirr SSppeellllss

LLiiffee SSppeellllss


Combat OtherCurse

Balkoth�s WordPrimal Fear

Golgotha�s GiftDecay

Dark ShadowsLost Soul

Scrolling MapFuneral MarchRaise Skeleton

Create Spawn SiteLocust Swarm

PestilenceRaise Shade

Combat OtherBlind Rage

Blades of FuryWheel of Fortune

Hand of FateConfusion

VortexPolymorph Other

Scrolling MapRandomizerInvoke FateWanderlust

Winds of ChangeReincarnation

Combat SelfUnholy Word

Visage of HorrorEmbrace of Golgotha

Walk Among Us

General KnowledgeDispel MagicDetect Life

Purge WoundsTeleport Artifact

Combat SelfCrashBlink

Shimmering VeilPolymorph Self


Dispel MagicTourniquet

Detect Order

DDeeaatthh SSppeellllss

CChhaaooss SSppeellllss


Combat SelfStone HandsStone Skin

Create RocksEarth Meld


PolticeDispel Magic

Detect Air

Combat SelfImmolation

FrenzyFlaming Sword

Heat ShieldBurning Skin

General KnowledgeCauterize WoundsTeleport Artifact

Dispel MagicDetect Water

Combat OtherSlow

EarthbindRocksling

EntanglementSands of SleepTurn to Stone

Scrolling MapTrailblaze

Ranger�s VisionDetect CaveGold RushClay EarthEarthquake

Combat OtherFire DartFire Fury

Heat MetalFirestormFireball

Flame ArrowInferno

Scrolling MapWildfire

FireworksLava Flow

Meteor Shower

EEaarrtthh SSppeellllss

FFiirree SSppeellllss

AArrttiiffaacctt AAppppeennddiixx

TThhiieeff

�Crossbow of Balance�Ring of

Concentration�Amulet of Order

�Bow of Bakal�Ring of Redemption�Amulet of Revelation

�Amulet of Fate�Ring of Mazes

�Chakram of Entropy

�Knife of Life Stealing�Amulet of Poison

�Ashes of Infestation

MMaaggee

�Ring of Productivity�Staff of

Enlightenment�Amulet of Control

�Staff of Resurrection�Chalice of Life�Ring of Arcana

�Staff of Polymorphing

�Amulet of Illusion�Ring of Anything

�Staff of Animation�Ring of Azz�taruth

�Lich Cloak

WWaarrrriioorr

�Guardian�Armor of Inspiration

�Shield of Righteousness

�Staff of Light�Elven Chain Mail�Ring of Healing

�Axe of Chaos�Amulet of Indecision

�Helm ofAsymmetry

�Soul Stealer�Ebony Plate of

the Void�Ring of Leeches

OOrrddeerr AArrttiiffaaccttss

LLiiffee AArrttiiffaaccttss

CChhaaooss AArrttiiffaaccttss

DDeeaatthh AArrttiiffaaccttss

PPoottiioonnss::Potion of Healing

Potion of Mana

WWaarrrriioorr

�Thunderblade�Kapelke�s Ring

�Feather Chain Mail

�Sword of Flames�Ring of Brimstone

�Dragon ScaleArmor

�Dwarven Axe ofMauling

�Crystal Ring�Obsidian Plate

�Tidalblade�Coral Shield�Sharktooth

AArrttiiffaacctt AAppppeennddiixxMMaaggee

�Staff ofAsphyxiation�Ring of the Four Winds

�Eyes of the Hawk

�Staff of Incineration�Ring of Embers�Eternal Flame

�Gorgon�s Staff�Stone Ring

�Crystalmight

�Staff of Drowning�Rocca�s Chalice

�Ring of theElements

TThhiieeff

�Bow of Quaal�Aramoug�s Amulet

�Pixie Dust

�The Spitfire�Ring of the Dancing Flame

�Borchert�s Torch

�Bow of Balladrine�Ring of

Entanglement�Luckstone

�Blowgun of theAmazons

�Ring of Shelter�Amulet ofPersuasion

AAiirr AArrttiiffaaccttss

FFiirree AArrttiiffaaccttss

EEaarrtthh AArrttiiffaaccttss

WWaatteerr AArrttiiffaaccttss

UUnniitt IInnddeexxTThhee UUnniitt IInnddeexxThese Tables compare the attributes of the differ-ent units in Lords of Magic. They are dividedaccording to Faith, and split into six basic cate-gories: Attack, Defense, Hit Points, RangedWeapons/Mana and Movement. As no Unit pos-sesses skills of Ranged Weapons and Mana, theseare combined into one column; Bold terms repre-sent Mana.Attributes are presented at starting level (Min)and highest level (Max) for each Unit. Championsare given an Average (Avg) as well, to view themat their median in advancement. Note: Partieswhich do not contain at least one Champion suffer amovement penalty.Unit types are grouped according to the buildingsthat produce them. The upper box represents theBarracks which produces Warriors, Infantry andCavalry. The middle box is for the Thieves Guildwhich produces Thieves, Missile Units andScouts. The lower box represents the MageTower, which produces the higher Creatures.Included here are the Creatures summoned atGreat Temples, because summoning them requiresa 3rd Level Mage Tower.Because this index is intended to illustrate the rel-ative capabilities of all the units in Lords of Magic,we have adopted the following descriptive termsin lieu of more precise numerical values:

TerribleVery PoorPoorOkayAverageGoodVery GoodExcellentAwesomeLegendary

Champion

StandardTroops

Faith

Attributes

ChampionLevelsTroopLevels

Building Type

MinAvgMax

Burglar

Axe Throwers

Mite Terrible

TerribleVery PoorVery Poor

TerribleOkay

Average

PoorAverage

Terrible

PoorAverage

PoorOkay

Average

Legendary

PoorAverage

TerribleVery PoorAverage

N/A

Very PoorVery Poor

Very PoorVery PoorVery Poor

Okay

TerribleTerrible

MinMax

AvgDwarven Warrior

Dwarf Infantry

RidersOkayGood

GoodExcellentAwesome

AverageExcellentLegendary

OkayGood

OkayVery Good

OkayGood

OkayGood

Excellent

PoorOkay

OkayGood

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A


GoodGood

TerribleTerrible

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Barge Good Very Good Excellent Very Poor Good

Stone Giant ExcellentLegendaryGreat Worm

ExcellentLegendary

AwesomeLegendary

TerribleN/A

PoorGood

Thunder Drake ExcellentLegendaryIce Drake

Very GoodLegendary

ExcellentLegendary

LegendaryLegendary

ExcellentLegendary

Magician

Shambler Very GoodVery GoodGolem

AverageVery Good

AverageVery Good

N/AN/A

TerribleOkay

TerribleTerrible

TerribleOkayGood

Very PoorPoorPoor

Very PoorPoor

Average

Terrible

Very Poor

Very PoorMinAvgMax

Very PoorStorm Sorcerer

Will O� Wisp AverageGoodAir Elemental

AverageVery Good

Very PoorExcellent

N/AN/A

OkayExcellent

AverageGood

PoorTerrible

Very Poor

TerribleAverageGood

OkayGood

Legendary

Very Poor

Good

GoodMinAvgMax

Good

MinAvgMax

Faerie Thief

Fae Slingers

Dragonfly Terrible

TerribleVery PoorVery Poor

PoorAverage

Very Poor

TerribleTerrible

Poor

Very PoorPoor


Terrible

Very PoorVery Poor

TerriblePoor

Excellent

N/A

Very PoorOkay

ExcellentExcellentExcellent

Good

ExcellentExcellent

MinMax

AvgStorm Warrior

Eagles

WindridersPoor

Average

GoodExcellentAwesome

PoorOkayGood

PoorOkay

PoorOkay

PoorAverage

Very GoodAwesomeLegendary

PoorOkay

Very PoorVery Poor

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

GoodGoodGood

ExcellentExcellent

LegendaryLegendary

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Windjammer Okay Okay Okay Very Poor Legendary

EE AA RR TT HHAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit

Points MovementBarracks

Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

AA II RRAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

MinAvgMax

Amazon Thief

Slingers

Seagulls Terrible

Very PoorOkay

Average

Very PoorOkayGood

Very PoorPoor

Terrible

OkayGood

PoorAverageAverage

Very Poor

PoorOkay

PoorVery GoodLegendary

N/A

Very PoorAverage

PoorPoorPoor

Excellent

OkayOkay

MinMax

AvgAmazon Warrior

Lizardmen

Heavy CavalryOkayGood

OkayGood

Very Good

OkayGood

Excellent

OkayAverage

AverageExcellent

PoorAverage

OkayGood

Very Good

PoorOkay

Very PoorAverage

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

AverageAverageAverage

PoorPoor

OkayOkay

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Corsair Average Average Good Very Good Legendary

Dragon LegendaryLegendaryFafnir

ExcellentLegendary

ExcellentLegendary

AwesomeLegendary

GoodExcellent

Serpent AwesomeAverageGiant Arachnids

ExcellentAverage

LegendaryOkay

TerribleN/A

LegendaryOkay

Priestess

Water Elemental GoodVery GoodKraken

PoorGood

GoodVery Good

N/ATerrible

OkayExcellent

Very PoorPoor

TerribleVery Poor

Okay

TerriblePoorOkay

PoorOkay

Excellent

Terrible

Very Poor

Very PoorMinAvgMax

Very PoorFire Sorceress

Fire Elemental ExcellentAwesomeDemon

GoodExcellent

OkayAwesome

N/ATerrible

OkayGood

GoodVery Good

AverageTerribleTerrible

TerribleOkay

Average

PoorPoor

Average

Terrible

Average

AverageMinAvgMax

Average

MinAvgMax

Dwarven Thief

Rockhurlers

Imp Very Poor

PoorAverageGood

PoorGood

Excellent

OkayAverage

Poor

Very PoorPoor

OkayAverageAverage

Good

OkayGood

TerribleVery Poor

Okay

N/A

PoorGood


Good

AverageAverage

MinMax

AvgFire Warrior

Flame Berserkers

Flame RidersGood

Very Good

Very GoodAwesomeLegendary

PoorAverage

Very Good

GoodVery Good

TerriblePoor

TerriblePoor

GoodAwesomeLegendary

OkayAverage

AverageGood

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

AverageAverageAverage

OkayOkay

TerribleTerrible

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Ferry Poor Very Poor Average Terrible Good

WW AA TT EE RRAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

FF II RR EEAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

AvgBeast Rider

Berserkers

RaidersGood

Very Good

GoodExcellentExcellent

Very PoorOkay

Awesome

AverageVery Good

TerriblePoor

TerriblePoor

GoodExcellentLegendary

OkayAverage

AverageGood

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

PoorPoorPoor

OkayOkay

TerribleTerrible

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Longboat Very Good Average Good Very Poor Legendary

MinAvgMax

Huntress

Stick Throwers

Wild Cat Terrible

PoorAverageGood

Very PoorOkay

Average

PoorOkay

Poor

TerribleVery Poor

OkayAverageAverage

Terrible

OkayAverage

TerriblePoor

Average

N/A

Very PoorPoor

PoorPoorPoor

Good

GoodGood

MinMax

AwesomeMax Legendary Excellent N/A Good

Warrior Spirit Very GoodGoodMin

Sir Lancelot

ExcellentVery Good

Very GoodOkay

ExcellentN/A

Okay Good

Cyclops LegendaryLegendaryHydra

AverageExcellent

LegendaryLegendary

Very GoodN/A

OkayOkay

Shaman

Goblins OkayVery GoodOrge

PoorOkay

OkayVery Good

N/AN/A

Very PoorVery Poor

OkayAverage

PoorVery Poor

Poor

TerriblePoorOkay

PoorOkay

Excellent

Terrible

Poor

PoorMinAvgMax

PoorWizard

White Stag AverageOkayGargoyle

GoodVery Good

OkayOkay

N/AN/A

ExcellentOkay

TerribleVery Poor

TerribleTerrible

Poor

TerriblePoorPoor

Very PoorPoor

Average

Terrible

Very Poor

Very PoorMinAvgMax

Very Poor

MinAvgMax

Ranger

Crossbowmen

Hound Very Poor

Very PoorOkay

Average

PoorGood

Very Good

TerribleVery Poor

Terrible

PoorAverage

PoorPoorOkay

Terrible

PoorOkay

TerriblePoorGood

N/A

PoorVery Good

PoorPoorPoor

Excellent

Very PoorVery Poor

MinMax

AvgPaladin

Footmen

KnightsOkay Good

AverageVery GoodAwesome

GoodExcellentLegendary

OkayGood

OkayGood

OkayGood

OkayGood

Excellent

PoorOkay

PoorAverage

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

OkayOkayOkay

PoorPoor

Very PoorVery Poor

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Warship Good Very Good Excellent Very Good Excellent

CC HH AA OO SSAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

OO RR DD EE RRAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

AvgDark Warrior

Dark Halberdiers

Dark HorsemenOkayGood

AverageVery GoodExcellent

AverageExcellentLegendary

PoorAverage

OkayVery Good

OkayVery Good

ExcellentAverageGood

PoorOkay

PoorOkay

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

GoodGoodGood

GoodGood

PoorPoor

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Death Galley Average Average Good Okay Excellent

Vampire Very GoodAverageMin

Lich

LegendaryPoor

GoodOkay

N/AVery Good

ExcellentGood

Very GoodMax Average Good Legendary Good

MinAvgMax

Assassin

Dark Javelins

Bat Terrible

PoorAverageGood

OkayVery GoodExcellent

TerribleTerrible

Very Good

PoorGood

PoorOkayOkay

Terrible

PoorOkay

Very PoorGood

Awesome

N/A

PoorLegendary

OkayOkayOkay

Good

OkayOkay

MinMax

Necromancer

Skeleton OkayOkayDeath Shade

Very PoorAverage

Very PoorAverage

N/AOkay

TerribleVery Poor

TerribleVery Poor

TerribleAverageGood

Very PoorPoorPoor

Very PoorGood

Legendary

Very Poor

Poor

PoorMinAvgMax

Poor

Pegasus ExcellentLegendaryPhoenix

AwesomeGood

GoodVery Good

N/AN/A

ExcellentLegendary

Enchantress

Dryad TerribleGoodUnicorn

OkayAverage

PoorVery Good

Very PoorN/A

PoorExcellent

TerribleVery Poor

TerribleOkay

Average


Very PoorGood

Legendary

Very Poor

Poor

PoorMinAvgMax

Poor

MinAvgMax

Elven Thief

Elven Archers

Brownie Terrible

PoorAverage

Very Good

OkayVery GoodExcellent

TerribleTerrible

Very Good

PoorGood

PoorOkayOkay

Terrible

PoorOkay

Very PoorGood

Awesome

N/A

PoorLegendary

OkayOkayOkay

Good

OkayOkay

MinMax

AvgElven Warrior

Elven Staffmen

Elven RidersPoor

Average

PoorAverage

Very Good

OkayGood

Excellent

Very PoorOkay

PoorGood

PoorGood

PoorAverageAverage

PoorOkay

PoorOkay

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

GoodGoodGood

Very GoodVery Good

PoorPoor

Min

Min

Min

Max

Max

Max

Light Galley Okay Okay Average Awesome Legendary

DD EE AA TT HHAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

LL II FF EEAttack Defense

RangedWeapons/

ManaHit


Thieves Guild

Great Temple

Mage Tower

Medium, 14Exit Game, 11Experience, 13, 27, 29, 34-39, 43, 50, 58, 67, 78,

79, 82, 88, 92-93, 112, 129-130, 165, 206-208, 218-220

Explore, 16Exorcising,, 71, 76 Faiths

Air, 48Chaos, 50Death, 52Earth, 49Fire, 49Life, 51Order, 51Water, 49

Fame, 24-25, 43, 64, 71, 73-75, 77, 85, 88, 132-134, 165, 207

Followers, 22-25, 43, 64, 72-78, 81-82, 144Game Speed, 20-21Great Temple, 16, 18, 24-25, 42, 44, 57, 71-72,

74, 82, 85-86, 143-144, 152, 157-159, Annex Buildings, 218-221Summon Creatures, 72-73, 85

Healing Parties, 71, 76Health Bar, 57, 93-95, 97Heirs, 44, 85-86Hints and Tips, 206-207History of Urak, 166-183Installation, 9Intelligence Gathering, 75, 132Intelligence Report, 120, 122-123, 130, 135Last Save, 10, 19Legends of Urak, 10, 148-149Load Game, 8, 19Lord Editor, 162-165

IInnddeexx

IInnddeexx Adventure Roster, 136-137Alliances, 122-123Artifacts, 58, 116-117, 163-164, 226-227Barracks, 16, 22-23, 57, 77, 79, 81, 83, 219Barter, 44, 120-121, 123, 125-128

Parley, 93, 124-125, 132Champion, 18, 28, 30-32, 36-38, 43, 46, 57-60,

62-65, 67, 77-79, 81, 83-84, 86, 92, 94-95, 100-102, 113-117, 133, 163-164, 206-207, 218-219, 220

Combat, 17-18, 92-105Aimed Missile, 98Attack, 98Auto Calculated, 100Berserk, 98Capital, In, 103Casting Spells, 110Combat Speed, 20-21Defend, 98Dungeons & Buildings, In, 102Flee, 100Giving Orders, 97Group Aimed Missile, 100Group Attack, 100Group Defense, 100Group Surrender, 100Naval Combat, 103Outdoor Combat, 102Parry, 99Rally, 101Spells, 101Surrender, 100

Custom Maps, 142, 159Difficulty Settings

Easy , 13Hard, 13

241240 Party Roster, 63-64Political Opinion, 112-124, 126Potions, 79, 105, 110, 113, 116, 227Quests, 148-149Quick Start, 15-21Rally, 45, 101Raze, 83Resource Management, 17, 82Resources, 18, 43-44, 75-77, 81-82, 88, 109, 120-

122, 124, 144, 162, 165Rest and Recovery, 104Roads, 67, 154Save Game, 19, 142Scouts, 66, 79Scrolls, 13-14, 113, 115Shroud, 16, 65, 142Sight Radius, 66Spell Library, 16Spells

Casting in Combat, 108-109, 111Casting on Overland Map, 108-109Mana, 110, 112, 115Spell Types, 108Research, 111-113, 115

Start Game, 10, 11Stronghold, 18, 70-72, 74-75, 81-85, 103, 111,

120, 122, 144, 165, 208Stronghold Buildings

Tavern, 17, 70-71, 75-77Magistrate, 17, 70-71, 75-77Market, 17, 70, 75-76Temple, 70-71, 75-76

TerrainOn movement, 66-67On combat, 102Types, 153-154

Thief, 9, 11, 45-46, 83, 92, 102, 122, 129-135

IInnddeexx

Lords, 11-12, 16, 18, 22, 24, 42-47, 57, 70-71, 81-82, 85-87, 92, 100, 120, 126, 128, 133-135, 141, 152, 158, 162, 164-165, 219,221

Mage, 11, 15, 26-30, 32-35, 38, 45, 48-52, 63, 79-80, 83, 92, 94, 101, 108-112, 115-116, 134, 143-144, 208

Mage Tower, 16, 20, 57, 72, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 111-112, 144, 208, 218-219, 220-221

Map Editor, 10, 152-159Mercenaries, 18, 22-23, 43, 77-78, 206, 219Movement, 17, 20, 51, 58-61, 66-67,130, 220-221Movement Beads, 59, 61Movement, Overland, 59-60Multiplayer, 10, 138-145Naval Units, 103Objectives, 42-44Options Menu

At start-up, 10From within the game, 19-20Sounds, 19Help/Reset Help, 20Center Movement, 20Speed, 20-21

Overland StructuresCave, 57, 87-88, 104-105Breweries, 43, 57, 88Dungeon, 31, 34-35, 43, 57, 87, 89, 102, 156-157Guard Tower, 84Mines, 43, 57, 88, 105Multi-Level Dungeons, 89

Party, 12, 16, 57-65Part Movement, 60

Next/Previous Party, 61Selection within, 62Splitting/Joining, 61-62

IInnddeexx

NNootteess::Thieving AbilitesExecute, 134Free, 134Interrogation, 134Knockout, 134Prisoners, 133-134Spying, 131-133Stealing, 132Stealth, 130-131Subdue, 132-133Torture, 134

Thieves Guild, 16-17, 20, 57, 63, 77, 79, 81Tutorial, 22-39Upgrades, 80-82Warrior, 11, 15, 45, 51, 67, 79, 81, 83, 92,101,104Zoom Levels, 56

IInnddeexx

Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals or the U.S. Commerce Department's Table of DenialOrders. By installing the Program, you are agreeing to the foregoing and you are representing and warranting thatyou are not located in, under the control of, or a national or resident of any such country or on any such list.7. Limited Warranty. SIERRA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, EDI-TOR, AND MANUAL(S). THE PROGRAM, EDITOR, AND MANUAL(S) ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITH-OUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITA-TION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR-POSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT. SIERRA FURTHER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARDTO YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. SPECIFICALLY, SIERRA MAKES NO WAR-RANTIES THAT THE PERFORMANCE OR FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PROGRAM WILL NOT BEAFFECTED BY DATES PRIOR TO, DURING OR AFTER THE YEAR 2000, OR THAT THE PROGRAMWILL BE CAPABLE OF CORRECTLY PROCESSING, PROVIDING, AND/OR RECEIVING DATE INFOR-MATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN CENTURIES, INCLUDING THE PROPER EXCHANGE OF DATEINFORMATION BETWEEN PRODUCTS OR APPLICATIONS. ANY WARRANTY AGAINST INFRINGE-MENT THAT MAY BE PROVIDED IN SECTION 2-312(3) OF THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODEAND/OR IN ANY OTHER COMPARABLE STATE STATUTE IS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. The entire riskarising out of use or performance of the Program and Manual(s) remains with you, however Sierra warrants up toand including 90 days from the date of your purchase of the Program that the master disk on which the Programis furnished shall be free from defects in material and workmanship. In the event that the master disk proves to bedefective during that time period, and upon presentation to Sierra of proof of purchase of the defective Program,Sierra will at its option 1) correct any defect, 2) provide you with a product of equal or lesser value, or 3) refundyour money.8. Limitation of Liability. NEITHER SIERRA, ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES OR LICENSORSSHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM THEUSE OF THE PROGRAM OR EDITOR INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF GOODWILL,WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMER-CIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequen-tial damages, or allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not applyto you.9. Equitable Remedies. You hereby agree that Sierra would be irreparably damaged if the terms of this LicenseAgreement were not specifically enforced, and therefore you agree that Sierra shall be entitled, without bond,other security, or proof of damages, to appropriate equitable remedies with respect to breaches of this LicenseAgreement, in addition to such other remedies as Sierra may otherwise have available to it under applicable laws.10. Miscellaneous. This License Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and executed in the State ofCalifornia and any dispute arising hereunder shall be resolved in accordance with the law of the State ofCalifornia. You agree that any claim asserted in any legal proceeding by one of the parties against the other shallbe commenced and maintained in any state or federal court located in the State of California, County of LosAngeles, having subject matter jurisdiction with respect to the dispute between the parties. This LicenseAgreement may be amended, altered or modified only by an instrument in writing specifying such amendment,alteration or modification, which is executed by both parties. In the event that any provision of this LicenseAgreement shall be held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable, such provisionwill be enforced to the maximum extent permissible and the remaining portions of this License Agreement shallremain in full force and effect. I hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the foregoing License Agreement and agree that the actionof installing the Program is an acknowledgment of my agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of theLicense Agreement contained herein. I also acknowledge and agree that this License Agreement is the completeand exclusive statement of the agreement between Sierra and me and that the License Agreement supersedes anyprior or contemporaneous agreement, either oral or written, and any other communications between Sierra andme.

LLOORRDDSS OOFF MMAAGGIICC QQUUIICCKK RREEFFEERREENNCCEE

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Wielded Artifacts

It is up to you to defeat the evil lord Balkoth and put an end to thedeath and destruction caused by the forces of darkness. There are eightdifferent regions in the land of Urak, each having its own faith, capital,and Great Temple. A Great Temple is the source of all the magicalpower for the peoples inhabiting that region, so banishing the evil scourge lurk-

ing inside your Great Temple will earn you the respect and admira-tion of your people. Once you are strong enough, you will be readyto liberate the Great Temple, but first you will need to conquersome of the less challenging caves and mines located near your

capital which have been permeated with the foul stench of evil. You may needto hire some Mercenaries at the military buildings around the capital (Barracks,Thieves Guild, and Mage's Tower). When your Great Temple isfreed, the people will build you a Stronghold. With a freeGreat Temple, followers will begin to arrive in your

Stronghold. These followers increase yourstrength, as they can be trained for combat or put to workacquiring resources in the capital. This newfound power per-mits you to move further out from the capital and conquer

the more powerful inhabitanted structures scattered on the outskirts of thecapital region As you continue, capture villages in order to build additionalmilitary buildings. Located on the border of two different regions, villages will

help you to round out your forces because you can train newunits belonging either to your own faith or to the faith of yourneighbor. As you move ahead, explore and interact with yourneighbors, bartering with them and forming alliances if pos-

sible. Finally, build up your strength until you are ready to take on Balkothhimself and put an end to the reign of terror, once and for all.

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Dave LeCompte

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