Information on this page changes sporadically. Don't believe that just because you see something here, it will be in the game. If I change my mind, it's gone.
The Isles of Dreamoor series should make you feel like your playing one of the classic games. Back when you had to take notes to make your way through the game. Back when the storyline was the most important part of the game. Back when strategy was required to complete your quests. Other game have done this by copying classic games exactly. IOD was an original idea. You shouldn't feel like your playing another game.
At this time there is no set release date. I know that as soon as I set one, something important will come up and I won't be able to meet my set date. For now you will have to believe that it will be released sometime, probably in a few months. I'm still in the early stages of development, so please don't expect anything soon, and don't ask me when it will be released.
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This is a project I am creating independantly of AbyssWare, so don't ask me to help me on it. I plan on using to showcase my talents (if I truly have any) in game design. Sequels, if there ever are any, will become AbyssWare projects, if I can get support for them. The only exeption to this rule: I am having a little trouble with graphics, so you can send me DCGames graphics (in .pcx format please, not .vh1). If you are nice enough to do this, I need character graphics the most. In fact, I desperately need them.
But begging for graphics is not what this page is for. Here, you will find information about Isles of Dreamoor: Shattered Crystals. It is the first story in (hopefully) a series of games.
The game will be semi-non-linear. There is one main linear quest, that makes up the most of the game, along with a few side quests that can be solved in basically any order. What quests you do and the order you take them affect the outcome of later quests, as well as new quests that may become available later in the game. For example (this is not actually from the game), if you kill the ogre in his lair when you see him, you may be rewarded a large sum of money, and offered more quests, however, if you let him live, he might ask you to do something for him, which will reward you with an even larger sum of money. In case you were wondering, there is only one ending to the game.
The story line begins as our hero, Kolvin, meets an old man on the streets of his hometown, Druaa. The old man proceeds to tell him a story about ancient times in Dreamoor, about the creation of the Isles, and the Great Dragon that lived at that time. He goes on to tell about the great wars that broke out and ushered the islands into the dark age it is experiencing now. Kolvin gets drawn away from the story when he hears screams coming from nearby. He rushes off to find his friend dying from a mortal wound, attacked by a town guard for not paying taxes. Angered, Kolvin joins a band of rebels against the tyrannical queen of Druaa. After a short adventure in Castle Druaa, Kolvin returns to speak with the old man. When Kolvin asks to hear the rest of the story, the old man explains to him that every thing Kolvin does is a new chapter added to the book...
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All images are copyright (c)1998 AbyssWare
Picture 1: Kolvin, in the streets of Druaa.
Picture 2: Kolvin, in Archanta Forest.
Picture 3: Kolvin, on the beach, south of Druaa.
Picture 4: Kolvin, in a house in Druaa.
Picture 5: Kolvin, in the sewers.
Picture 6: Kolvin, in a church.
The Isles of Dreamoor consist of many small islands, ruled by different warring kingdoms. The island that Kolvin lives on is split in half by a river to the south, which runs into a dense forest to the north. The whole island is a fertile land, dense with growth. A bridge over the river has made travelling the forest pointless, and it hasn't been done for centuries. Few return from it, and those that do tell tales of wolves and other creatures inhabiting every shadow of every tree. To the east of this barrier is the country of Druaa, ruled by the despotic Queen Devoir. To the west of the divide is what is known as the Western Nations. It is a group of small city-states that serve under no single ruler. The people that live here are people that escaped the war and violence of other countries. South of this island is another one. It is rocky, mountainous, and mostly uninhabted. The only city here is Alcon, a mecca for magic-wielders of all sorts. Southeast of this island is another barren isle, a vast desert, home to only two towns. The first town is built upon a mine, trading for food with ore. The second town was built around an oasis. East of this island is a mountainous land, inhabited mostly by Ninja clans, warring amongst themselves. Outside contact is little here, so knowledge of this island is scarce. To the north of this, and southeast of Druaa is an island of varying qualities. It has a large mountain range, and a dense forest. It has a few small towns, but is most noted for Castle Dreamoor, the castle where once Lord Merriman lived, ruling all of the isles in peace.
Kolvin later learns that he possesses a strange skill, that of Crystal Magic. The arcane art of Crystal Magic is lost by all but the most ancient libraries. Kolvin is basically on his own to figure out spells and master this discipline. Other characters that join Kolvin have their own systems of Magic.
Crystal Magic: Crystal Magic was once a common practice among the royal famliy of Dreamoor, when the House of Dreamoor collapsed, the magic was lost. The crystals that were used for it were either lost in the great sea, or destroyed in the quarrels over them. As the last crystal was shattered, it seemed the art was lost. There are 7 Crystals (each one a different color), and hundreds of Focuses (every Sword in the game counts as a Focus). Each Focus has a Effect number assigned to it. Each Crystal has a modifier assigned to it. For example, the Red Crystal is -10. This modifier is neither good nor bad. When you cast a spell, you choose a Crystal and a Focus, the Focus is destroyed. The Focus' Effect, modified by the Crystal produces a new number. That new number is checked against a chart of spells, and the spell that it matches is the spell that is cast. In addition, each Focus has a Power number assigned to it. The Power usually represents the degree to which the spell takes effect, for example, how much damage it does. Watch out when trying new combinations, though, some spells have negative effects, even damaging the players. Focuses come in four types: Swords, Wands, Pentacles (pentagrams), and Cups.
Black Magic: The art of Black Magic is a fairly common practice throughout the Isles. Black Magic concentrates on damaging magic, or magic that puts someone else at a disadvantage to you. If not controlled carefully, it has been known to consume the caster with wild ethereal energy. The spells for it are well know, and made into establshed books. Some spells though, just require more practice than others. Characters with this gain new spells as they reach higher levels of experience.
White Magic: The study of White Magic is also common in many places. It concentrates on healing and helping. The spells are learned the same way that Black Magic is, by studying. New spells are learned as the caster becomes more proficent and has more experience with the use of magic.
Fire Magic: Fire magic has always been unknown to everyone but the darkest sorcerors. It has long been used by Daemons of the Dark Realm, unknown to men. It would have stayed that way, too, but a portal was opened, connecting the Daemons with the humans, letting loose their evil, and their magic, into the land of men. It is extremely difficult for races such as men to understand the procedures for casting Fire Magic, so it is not available to learn by anyone, but the Daemons themselves.
Dragons on the Isles of Dreamoor are only a legend. The land was known to have been created by a Dragon, but there are now some skeptics of this religion. This Dragon was said to have laid four eggs before it left the land. Each egg was given to a specific protector. Of the four protectors, one is known to be alive today. The other three eggs are rumored to have been taken by Damor Darkbringer, an advisor to Lord Merriman, the first and only king of Dreamoor, thousands of years ago. The wherabouts of them today are unknown.
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