DUN DARACH - GARGOYLE GAMES [ These instructions taken from the '4 Crash Smashes' compilation ] THE SCENE IS SET It happened that, following a fateful, bloody and largely pointless battle against the Conachta, Cuchulainn the Great was returning home to Muirmethne in company of his faithful charioteer, Loeg; pointless because the enemy was a scouting party and not intent on taking the peak of Beann Ghulban, below which the battle took place; fateful because, amongst their number was Amhair, a Prince of the Conachta and the darling of his father, who vowed an instant revenge... Towards the end of the second day, Cuchulainn and Loeg came across a wayside inn and went inside to claim lodging and sustenance, leaving their war chariot by a strange horse-drawn carriage, surmounted by a huge Oak Log. While they waited for food, they were approached by Skar, a strikingly beautiful girl, who was desperately troubled for her conveyance had developed a shattered axle. With somewhat unseeming haste, Loeg leapt to assist her and left the inn with Skar. Cuchulainn smiled to himself and settled down to enjoy the freshly arrived trencher. After a while, he went outside to see what progress Loeg might have made, but was astonished to find no sign of Skar or Loeg. Instead, one of the proud horses that pulled the chariot lay slain on the ground; of the Oak-carriage, there was only a cloud of dust disappearing along the Eastern Road, and on the wind, a hint of ghostly girlish laughter. In a growing rage, Cuchulainn went back inside the inn and shook the terrified landlord until the full story was revealed. Skar was, it seemed, a Sorceress and ally of the Connachtmen, and she had seized Loeg as retribution for the Princeling's death, and had taken him, body and soul, to the Secret City of Dun Darach. Vowing a mighty vow, Cuchulainn mounted the remaining horse and took off to find the mist-shrouded city. Long was his search and the trials he endured form part of a different story, but, in time, he found Dun Darach, for in truth, that was where the Secret City was located. HOW DUN DARACH WORKS The Option Screen is presented at the start of the game or upon request via the keyboard; the screen offers the following choices: 1. Enter the Game 2. Save the current Game 3. Restore a Game Note that returning to the option screen from a current game will leave the game-world intact - upon re-entry, nothing will have changed unless a previously stored game has been restored. This allows a game to be saved at a critical point without destroying it. When saving or restoring a game a version number will be asked for - this is to ensure that the right game is restored, so keep a note of version numbers. The Keyboard controls the actions of the main character - which keys perform which actions on your particular make of computer are given on a separate card. The following actions may be performed: * walk left * change camera angle 90 degrees left or right. * enter a doorway; to achieve this on any computer, position Cuchulainn in front of the door and press the enter button. * Pick up or drop a specific object; note that objects may only be dropped in certain places - i.e. shelves, counters, etc. Whether this is in compliance with some whimsical city ordinance or merely an inborn sense of tidiness is unclear... * offer an object to another character - this will produce a display in front of Cuchulainn of the proffered object - what happens next will depend on how well you have judged the other character's personality! * select an object being carried for dropping, offering, etc. - the currently selected object is indicated by an asterisk. Note that Cuchulainn can carry 3 separate objects plus a large amount of money. [ Presumably, 'walk right' should have featured somewhere in this list as well! ] In addition, there are some special function keys: * enter/exit Autorun mode. * freeze/unfreeze frame. * return to Option screen. HOW TO PLAY DUN DARACH The main objective of Dun Darach is to locate and release the charioteer, Loeg. But, as you walk the streets of the Secret City, you will encounter scores of secondary quests which will need to be completed before a final solution is reached. Each player will develop his or her own strategies as they progress through the game - there is no set route to solve the Quest - however, as a guide, we will describe the elements involved in Dun Darach and give a few hints on play. THE CITY The layout of Dun Darach is as complex as any normal large city, and the streets and buildings are continuously mapped by the program. You will notice the following logical sub-divisions: * The city itself is divided into a series of Quarters, each of which possesses a distinctive character - for instance, one Quarter is involved with entertainment, another houses all the financial institutions. * To aid the explorer further, each Quarter consists of several named districts. * every street in Dun Darach bears a street name; every door that opens onto the street carries a house number. * behind every door there is a room or set of rooms, which may be occupied or empty. THE POPULATION While some of the other characters in Dun Darach stick single-mindedly to their assigned tasks - for instance, shopkeepers - the streets are full of independent, fully-animated characters, each with their own personality. Most of them have something which you will need, like specific objects or information or the knowledge of a secret way and all of them are open to bribery, either directly, with money - normally a large amount - or by some object which they themselves desire or need. Note that you cannot be killed in Dun Darach (another city ordinance?) but you will be fair game for pickpockets, confidence tricks and other normal street activities. Note that the other game characters are represented by one basic female figure and one basic male figure; when a new character appears on screen, an identifying symbol appears beneath the figure and the full name is shown in the text display. THE CURRENCY The units of currency in common use in Dun Darach are Iridi (literally rainbows); these are small gold sequins, variously coloured in the minting process. Iridi can be gained in a variety of ways: * by working! Opportunity to gain a steady job exists in several parts of the city. * by gambling; a visit to the Gaming House can be lucrative - or disastrous... * by selling at a profit; throughout the seven Universes, the Entrepreneur will always flourish. * by stealing; highly profitable but very risky. * by banking: a wise move, and a reasonable interest rate. Iridi can also be disposed of by many routes: * by buying an object from a shop - pick up the object and offer money to the shopkeeper who will deduct the appropriate amount. Of course, you could try not paying... * by bribery, but, beware, the denizens of Dun Darach will never give you change... * by being robbed - oh well. EXTRACT FROM 'DINN NEMETON' - THE HISTORY OF THE SACRED GROVE, AN ANONYMOUS, ANCIENT AND SECRET WRITING, WHICH MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED IN FULL. From the void sprang forth Lightning, that split asunder the long Night to reveal the World to the sight of Men; and the Voice of Darkness torn was Thunder, which rolled in majesty from mountain to valley and from river to sea; and the shape of Thunder in the World was the Oak, whose roots bound together the fabric of the earth, on whose branches rested the canopy of the sky; and the site of the Sacred Grove wherein rested the Oak was called Dun Darach, the Hill of the Oak, and this was the most secret of knowledge and was entrusted only to the chosen of the Druidhan. But the Druidhan were also the race of Men, and needed food and clothing and shelter, and there were ever those on hand to supply their needs. In time, the knowledge of the Oak seeped abroad, and Druidhan surrounded the Grove with a Great Castle, to hide it from eager eyes, and the castle was also called Dun Darach, and for a while, the secret was contained. But, alas, the Pendulum of History had been set into motion, and around the castle grew a great City, built and inhabited by many men, who also called their city Dun Darach, and knowledge of the Sacred Oak filled the city with strangle tales and the minds of Men with longing. In desperation, the Druidhan called a great conclave of all the strongest of their Order and worked together on a mighty Magic. And in that instant, a cold white mist settled on Dun Darach, and the city, and all it contained, was freed from the bounds of the World and set to drift on the Tides of Time. Like a floating log in a dark sea, the shrouded city still comes on rest on Mortal shores, and the black towers of the castle rear starkly from the white mist. It is said that, at such times, there is much furtive activity around the city gates and its streets are forever in Twilight. Alas, Dun Darach has become a melting pot for diverse cultures and a grim shield for the dregs of the race of Men. [ Keys: LEFT/RIGHT - Alternate bottom row keys ENTER A DOOR - ENTER key CAMERA LEFT/RIGHT - Alternate second row keys PICK UP/DROP - Alternate third row keys SELECT OBJECT - 2,3,7,8,9 OFFER OBJECT - 1,0,SPACE AUTO-RUN ON/OFF - 4 PAUSE ON/OFF - 5 RETURN TO OPTIONS - 6 ]

LOADING DUN DARACH on the Amstrad 1. Press CTRL and the small ENTER button together. 2. Press the PLAY button on the cassette recorder, and then press any key on the computer. 3. DUN DARACH will now load automatically. SAVE Game and RESTORE Game are described in the booklet – note that SAVE/RESTORE time is about thirty seconds. Keyboard Assignments. Walk Left/Right – Alternate keys on the bottom row, Z to / Enter a Door – The ENTER Key. Camera Left/Right – Alternate keys on the second row, A to ] Pick Up/Drop – Alternate keys on the third row, Q to [ Select Object – Top Row, 1 to CLR Offer Object – The SPACE bar. Autorun on/off – The 4 key, on the separate Numeric/Function Block Freeze/unfreeze – The 5 key, on the separate Numeric/Function Block Return to Options – The 6 key, on the separate Numeric/Function Block. Extracts from “Co’tha Co”, also known as Liham’s “Lives”. LOEG Charioteer and Companion to Cuchulainn, imprisoned in Dun Darach by Skar. SKAR A Sorceress, well versed in all aspects of the Arcane, but her principal attribute is the power of Invisibility. TETH The jailer of the Castle of Dun Darach, who is himself held captive by the Rats for undiplomatically removing the tail of the late Rat King. BREN Master Mapmaker from Aquitaine, he was exiled for Trickery and Fraud. DAIN A strange and mystic man, lately drawn to the Bardic orders. MHOR A gentlewoman, skilled in the lore of books, who followed a disinterested Dain to Dun Darach. RYDE The Galician Pilot, who yearns for his homeland but alas his charts were lost in the shipwreck that brought him to Dun Darach. PITA A courtesan, whose desire for jewellery and fine ornamentation is matched by her desire to gossip! KARA A pickpocket, who, with her sister KELI, found it prudent to leave the southern city of Cantabria. KELI A pickpocket, twin sister of KARA. KAHN Burglar and pickpocket of the Fir Bolg race, he is renowned for his unremitting greed. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Scene is Set . . . It happened that, following a fateful, bloody and largely pointless battle against the Conachta, Cuchulainn the Great was returning home to Muirmethne in company of his faithful charioteer, Loeg; pointless because the enemy was a scouting party and not intent on taking the peak of Beann Ghulban, below which the battle took place; fateful because, amongst their number was Amhair, a Prince of the Conachta and the darling of his father, who vowed an instant revenge. .. Towards the end of the second day, Cuchulainn and Loeg came across a wayside inn and went inside to claim lodging and sustenance, leaving their war chariot by a strange horse-drawn carriage, surmounted by a huge Oak Log. While they waited for food, they were approached by Skar, a strikingly beautiful girl, who told them that she was the owner of the strange carriage, but was desperately troubled for her conveyance had developed a shattered axle. With somewhat unseemly haste, Loeg leapt to assist her and left the inn with Skar. Cuchulainn smiled to himself and settled down to enjoy the freshly arrived trencher. After a while, he went outside to see what progress Loeg might have made, but was astonished to find no sign of Skar or Loeg. Instead, one of the proud horses that pulled the chariot lay slain on the ground; of the Oak- carriage, there was only a cloud of dust disappearing along the Eastern road, and on the wind, a hint of ghostly girlish laughter. In a growing rage, Cuchulainn went back inside the inn and shook the terrified landlord until the full story was revealed. Skar was, it seemed, a Sorceress and ally of the Connachtmen, and she had seized Loeg as retribution for the Princeling’s death, and taken him, body and soul, to the Secret City of Dun Darach. Vowing a mighty vow, Cuchulainn mounted the remaining horse and took off to find the mist-shrouded city. Long was his search and the trials he endured form part of a different story, but, in time, he found Dun Darach, for in truth, that was where the Secret city was located . . . How Dun Darach Works The Option Screen is presented at the start of the game or upon request via the keyboard; the screen offers the following choices: 1. Enter the Game 2. Save the current Game 3. Restore a Game Note that returning to the option screen from a current game will leave the game-world intact – upon re-entry, nothing will have changed unless a previously saved game has been restored. This allows a game to be saved at a critical point without destroying it. When saving or restoring a game a version number will be asked for – this is to ensure that the right game is restored, so keep a note of version numbers. The Keyboard controls the actions of the main character – which keys perform which actions on your particular make of computer are given on a separate card. The following actions may be performed: – walk left or right. – change camera angle 90 degrees left or right. – enter a doorway; to achieve this on any computer, position Cuchulainn in front of the door and press the enter button. – pick up or drop a specific object; note that objects may only be dropped in certain places – i.e. shelves, counters, etc. Whether this is in compliance with some whimsical city ordinance or merely an inborn sense of tidiness is unclear... – offer an object to another character – this will produce a display in front of Cuchulainn of the proffered object – what happens next will depend how well you have judged the other character’s personality! – select an object being carried for dropping, offering, etc. – the currently selected object is indicated by an asterisk. Note that Cuchulainn can carry 3 separate objects plus a large amount of money. In addition, there are some special function keys: – enter/exit Autorun mode. – freeze/unfreeze frame. – return to Option screen. How to play Dun Darach The main objective of Dun Darach is to locate and release the charioteer, Loeg. But, as you walk the streets of the Secret City, you will encounter scores of secondary quests which will need to be completed before a final solution is reached. Each player will develop his or her own strategies as they progress through the game – there is no set route to solve the Quest – however, as a guide, we will describe the elements involved in Dun Darach and give a few hints on play. The City The layout of Dun Darach is as complex as any normal large city, and the streets and buildings are continuously mapped by the program. You will notice the following logical sub-divisions: – the city itself is divided into a series of Quarters, each of which possesses a distinctive character – for instance, one Quarter is involved with entertainment, another houses all the financial institutions. – to aid the explorer further, each Quarter consists of several named districts. – every street in Dun Darach bears a street name; every door that opens onto the street carries a house number. – behind every door there is a room or set of rooms, which may be occupied or empty. The Population While some of the other characters in Dun Darach stick single-mindedly to their assigned tasks – for instance, shopkeepers – the streets are full of independent, fully-animated characters, each with their own personality. Most of them have something which you will need, like specific objects or information or the knowledge of a secret way and all of them are open to bribery, either directly, with money – normally a large amount – or by some object which they themselves desire or need. Note that you cannot be killed in Dun Darach (another city ordinance?) but you will be fair game for pickpockets, confidence tricks and other normal city street activities. Note that the other game characters are represented by one basic female figure and one basic male figure; when a new character appears on screen, an identifying symbol appears beneath the figure and the full name is shown in the text display. The Currency The units of currency in common use in Dun Darach are Iridi (literally – Rainbows); these are small gold sequins, variously coloured in the minting process. Iridi can be gained in a variety of ways: – by working! Opportunity to gain a steady job exists in several parts of the city. – by gambling; a visit to the Gaming Houses can be lucrative – or disastrous . . . – by selling at a profit; throughout the seven Universes, the Entrepeneur will always flourish. – by stealing; highly profitable but very risky. – by banking; a wise move, and a reasonable interest rate. Iridi can also be disposed of by many routes. – by buying an object from a shop – pick up the object and offer money to the shopkeeper who will deduct the appropriate amount. Of course, you could try not paying . . . – by bribery, but, beware, the denizens of Dun Darach will never give you change . . . – by being robbed – oh well. Extract from ‛Dinn Nemeton’ – the History of the Sacred Grove, an Anonymous, Ancient and Secret Writing, which may not be published in full. From the void sprang forth Lightning, that split asunder the long Night to reveal the World to the sight of Men; and the Voice of Darkness torn was Thunder, which rolled in majesty from mountain to valley and from river to sea; and the shape of Thunder in the World was the Oak, whose roots bound together the fabric of the earth, on whose branches rested the canopy of the sky; and the site of the Sacred Grove wherein rested the Oak was called Dun Darach, the Hill of the Oak, and this was the most secret of knowledge and was entrusted only to the chosen of the Druidhan. But the Druidhan were also of the race of Men, and needed food and clothing and shelter, and there were ever those on hand to supply their needs. In time, the knowledge of the Oak seeped abroad, and the Druidhan surrounded the Grove with a Great Castle, to hide it from eager eyes, and the castle was also called Dun Darach, and for a while, the secret was contained. But, alas, the Pendulum of History had been set into motion, and around the castle grew a great City, built and inhabited by many Men, who also called their city Dun Darach, and knowledge of the Sacred Oak filled the city with strange tales and the minds of Men with longing. In desperation, the Druidhan called a great conclave of all the strongest of their Order and worked together a mighty Magic. And in that instant, a cold white mist settled on Dun Darach, and the city, and all it contained, was freed from the bounds of the World and set to drift on the Tides of Time. Like a floating log in a dark sea, the shrouded city still comes to rest on Mortal shores, and the black towers of the castle rear starkly from the white mist. It is said that, at such times, there is much furtive activity around the city gates and its streets are forever in Twilight. Alas, Dun Darach has become a melting pot for diverse creatures and a grim shield for the dregs of the race of Men. Bibliography If you enjoy the atmosphere of Dun Darach, you may wish to read the following books: The Green Magician by L. Sprague de Camp. Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Lieber. Lyonesse by Jack Vance. The Corum Books by Michael Moorcock. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. In addition, the following books have proved useful in gathering source material: Celtic Mythology by Proinsias MacCana. The Golden Bough by J.G. Fraser. Acknowledgements The cover picture was specially commissioned and was produced by S.B. Graphics of Birmingham. The idea of door numbers came from Roger Kean; the ‛feel’ of Dun Darach owes much to Fritz Lieber; additional background material was provided by Stuart Hoggard; Martin Croft is responsible for the title. Dun Darach is manufactured and marketed by Gargoyle Games Ltd., 74, King Street, Dudley, West Midlands. Dun Darach © 1985 Carter Follis Software Associates. All rights reserved world-wide. The name and game of Dun Darach and all the associated software, code, listings, sound effects, visual displays, graphics, illustrations and text are the exclusive property and copyright of Carter Follis Software Associates and may not be copied, transmitted, transferred, reproduced, hired, lent, distributed, stored or modified in any form, in part or full, without the express permission of Carter Follis Software Associates.