Introduction

Ten years have passed since the spells were restored on the magic candle in Fortress Berbezza, ten years of peace and bounty for the lands of Deruvia. The archdemon Dreax remains safely imprisoned in the magic Candle's flame, guarded vigilantly by forty warriors, wardens and wizards: replacements for the four and forty who vanished a decade and more ago. Dwarves have returned to the mines of Dermagud and Bedangidar. Elves range freely through the forests of Trilliad and Selderad.  Halfling villages are now found where once the direst forces of Darkness held sway. Queen Crystyn in the east, and King Rebnard in the west, have ruled justly and wisely.  But King Rebnard no longer holds court in his castle in Pheron. Viewing the widespread prosperity of the Children of Light in Deruvia, the king saw an opportunity to strike a blow against the Forces of Darkness across the eastern Sea of Osh- mar. Some four years ago, Rebnard's forces subdued Oshcrun lsland, off the western coast of the dire continent of Gurtex. Castle Oshcrun - at least its above-ground portions - was reclaimed from its denizens, and the town and port of Telermain were rebuilt on their an-cient ruins. Recently, King Rebnard moved the greater part of his court to Castle Oshcrun, leaving Lord Rexor to rule Pheron and the western lands in his majesty's absence.

As the king's forces on Oshcrun Island prepare to invade Gurtex itself, Sir Lukas relaxes in the tavern in Port Avur. Across the table from the ranger sit old Father Gostav and Garlin the Blue, captain of the Des-tiny. They speak of old times, exciting times, when Lukas and his companions were questing to re-store the magic candle's spells.  "One question yet remains unanswered," says Father Gostav. "Or perhaps I should say `four and forty questions.'"

"The fates of the candle's 44 guardians?" Lukas asks. "I have often wondered. I have begun to feel a longing for another quest, after these ten years. . . . Perhaps I should search for the answers." Captain Garlin drains his tankard.
"If the answers were to be found in the Deruvias," he says, "they would have been found by now. I sail for Oshcrun in three days. Why not come along? The answers to such dark questions might lie in the home of Darkness . . . and you'd be good company on the voyage."  Lukas ponders briefly, then accept. A sea voyage would be a nice change from the forests, and many friends were already on Oshcrun Island. And there were the "four and forty questions." Perhaps the answers can be found across the sea. Perhaps some adventure as well.


Installation and Startup

Before you can play "The Magic Candle II," you must install it onto your hard disk.

Installation 
From the DOS prompt, insert Disk 1 and switch to the drive holding it by typing A: or B: and hitting the "Enter" key. Then type 
MC2INST 
and hit "Enter." The installation process will begin.
You will be asked about the equipment-monitor, sound board, mouse-you are using. You will be asked what subdirectory you want to put "The Magic Candle II" into.  When you have answered the questions, the installation process will decompress the game files on the diskettes and copy them onto your hard disk. This will take some time.  When the process is complete, you will be ready to start the game. 

Equipment Change 
If the equipment in your system changes (you replace your monitor or get a new music board, perhaps), run MC2INST again, this time from "The Magic Candle ll's" subdirectory on your hard drive, and tell it about your new equipment. Then tell it not to install the files from the diskettes.

Starting the Game
Once the game is installed, switch to its subdirectory, by typing something like
C:
CD \MC2
Then type
MC2
to start the game.
On the title screen, the Version Number of your copy of the game will appear, along with a flickering candle flame. Remember the Version Number, in case you run into problems you need to talk to Mindcraft about. The flickering candle flame means: "Press any key or mouse button to continue." You'll see it often.
Next is a short menu with four options. "New" starts a new game. "Restart" continues where you left off in a game that you have previously saved. The last option, "Quit," returns to DOS. The third option, "Bring," is explained next. 

Bringing Characters from Other Games
You may have played other Mindcraft games in the past, with heroes whom you have grown fond of. You don't have to consign them to history: you can bring them into "The Magic Candle II" from either "The Magic Candle-Volume 1" or "The Keys to Maramon." Or both.  When you select "Bring" on the title screen, a new game will begin, with old familiar characters. You'll have to tell the game where to find your old friends (disk and directory), and you may have to confirm your heroes' full names and nicknames.  ln the case of "The Magic Candle-Volume 1," ten Deruvian years have passed. You cannot expect your hero and his or her companions to have maintained their finely-honed skills, let alone the exact possessions they had ten years ago. But you'll recognize them just the same.
From "The Keys to Maramon," "The Magic Candle II" is just a short ship ride. The victorious hero of Maramon is just about the same as you remember him or her-probably a very valuable companion for your hero. You will notice that, in an uncharacteristic instant of sentiment, the hero of Maramon left many possessions on Maramon with Tamur for Billy and Jenny Whelk to use when they grow up and become heroes.


Quick Start

The game system of The Magic Candle II was designed to be as intuitive and easy to use as possible.  You can start the adventure without an extensive study of the game manual, even without reading any farther than this sentence. However, the depth and the richness of the game is such that, if you do not read the manual, you may play the game to completion without realizing your full set off options.  What we recommend you do, if you are one off those who has no patience for rule books and instruction manuals, is go ahead and start.  Reading the manual can come later.  Simply follow the steps specified in the previous chapter on "Installation and Startup" and you will be ready to go. Later, after you are familiar with the way the game works, you may decide to start over. 

Start a new game 
From the title screen, click your mouse on "New," or press "N", or use the arrow keys to highlight "New" and press the "Enter" key or the space bar. 

Select your hero 
There are five possible hero profiles, each with a different mix of attributes, skills and possessions.  Two of them are female; three are male. ("Heroine" is probably a sexist word, so we won't use it.) "The Party Leader" chapter describes all five. Choose one to lead your party.

Name your hero
The leader of your quest calls himself "Lukas" (or calls herself "Luka"). You may pick another name if you so choose. If it's longer than five letters, you'll need to make up a short nickname, too.  This chapter will use the name "Lukas."

Land in Telermain
You gain control of Lukas as he lands on the pier in Telermain, the main town on the Island of Oshcrun. The whole island is a safe haven from the forces of Darkness, so you can relax for as long as you want and explore the game's control mechanisms, menus, commands and options. Walk around, using the numeric keypad or the mouse. Go into and out of buildings. Look at signposts. Talk to people. 

Build a party 
Just southwest of the pier on which Lukas landed is the "Eastern Breeze" tavern. One of the people inside will join Lukas in your party, if Lukas talks to him and invites him to join. (Use the "Talk" command on the Main Menu, then the "Invite" command on the Talk Menu.) Press "0" (zero) to see the Status Screens for Lukas and his new companion. 
Leave the tavern and head west toward the center of town. The building next to the "Eastern Breeze" is a supply store. You might want to stop there and buy a shovel to dig for buried treasure and some picks to use on locked treasure chests. When you reach the main north-south street, turn north or south to find a town gate and head into the countryside. If you get lost, try using a map. (Select Lukas with the "1" key at the top of the keyboard, then issue the "Use" command from the Main Menu and select "Map" from the list of items Lukas can use.) 

Visit the King 
When your party leaves Telermain, you will see a ship to the east and a castle to the west. Ignore the ship for now, and head for the castle. You'll want to arrive at a time when King Rebnard is in the throne room: between 10:00 and 18:00, usually. If you arrive too early or too late, it's a perfect time to see what camping is all about.  Before you enter the castle, issue the "Camp" command from the Main Menu. The Camp Menu will appear. Issue the "Sleep" command, and confirm that everyone will sleep. Before you "Begin," know what to expect. On the right side of the screen, after your party's names, are their Hit Points. After the Hit Points are their Energy levels, then abbreviations for their health. Their Energy might be getting low by now. It will increase as they sleep.  Now "Begin," and watch time pass and Energy increase. When it's a good time to enter the castle, hit a key. The Camp Menu will reappear.  "End" the camp, and walk into the castle.
The throne room is due north of the castle entrance. It's quite a hike-Castle Oshcrun is a big place. When you reach it, go on in and have Lukas "Talk" to the King.  His Majesty will refer you to the Paragraph Book. Go ahead and read the paragraph. Even if you never get around to reading the whole game manual, you'll have to read the paragraphs when they come up.  Finished? OK, now you know the nearest place to find monsters and treasure. And, as Lukas finishes talking to King Rebnard, he'll receive some valuable gifts.

Clean the cellar
By now, you're probably ready to slay a monster or two. But, before you head downstairs, you might want to add some more members to your party. The Knights' Room in the northwestern part of the castle is a gathering place for fighters and spellcasters looking for adventure.  Then go downstairs to the castle's ground floor. Staircases are located in both northern corners of the castle. The entrance to the cellars is close to the northeast stairs. Again, using a map might help.  As you ignore the guard's warnings and the "Danger" sign and climb down into the top level of the cellars, your party finds itself in a short corridor. Stairs are to the north; a closed door (marked with an arrow) is to the south.  This might be a good time to remind you to save your game before trying anything you wouldn't do in real life. "Quit" from the Main Menu, "Save," then "End" back into the game.  Now go through the southern door. There they are, some of the last orcs on Oshcrun Island. From this point, you're on your own.

A Few Last Reminders
Proceed with a purpose. There are many things to be done. Your party should be actively working on at least one of them. Talk to everyone. Talk to important people-King Rebnard, Lord Bhardagast, the Great Ziyx-again and again. Save your game before and after great danger. You will usually know when danger is near. You will al-ways know when you have survived it, and don't want to risk it again.


The Main Screen

While you are playing The Magic Candle II, your computer's screen will show you what is going on in four different ways: the picture, the messages, the status summary, and your possible commands.

The Picture 
In the upper left, the screen shows a picture of your party and their surroundings. For example, as the game starts, your hero is seen standing on a pier in Telermain, where he or she has been delivered after the arduous journey across the Sea of Oshmar. Later, you may see your hero and his or her companions in a friendly tavern, a dangerous dungeon, or deep in the wilds of Gurtex.
These pictures are in three different scales. The smallest happens when your party is in a small enclosed area, like the Eastern Breeze tavern or King Rebnard's throne room, and whenever they are in combat. At this scale, each party member moves around independently. The largest scale is out in the countryside, or at sea. Here, the party moves as a group, and the individual members are not seen. In between, as in the streets of Telermain, the halls of Castle Oshcrun or the shafts of an abandoned mine, you can see the separate party members, but they all move as a group. The Picture area is sometimes used for other purposes. The Status Screens, for example, are shown in the Picture area. So are the automatic Notes of significant events. And, when you are saving or restarting a game, the Picture area holds a list of all your saved games.

The Messages
Below the Picture area is the Message area. Here you will be told things of interest ("Lukas has arrived in Telermain"), asked important questions ("Do you want to leave now?"), and shown intriguing conversations ("The sailor says: `Nice weather for this time of year."'). 

The Status Summary 
To the right of the picture, several Status Summary boxes appear at the top of the screen. 
At the very top is the game date and time. After the time is a letter telling whether the sun is up: "L" for "Light" or "D" for "Dark." On the line below is a description of the weather. Weather affects travel and outdoor camping.  "Clear" is the best weather.  Below the weather is a box showing the party's formation. At the game's start, it holds just the number "l," indicating your hero. As he or she invites companions and hirelings to join the party, the formation box will start to fill up. See "Formatn" in the "Menus and Commands" chapter for details.  The party's location is shown to the right of the formation box, both as "X" and "Y" coordinates and as a description, such as "Telermain" or "Oshcrun." The "X" and "Y" coordinates change with the scale of the picture. At the start, they refer to the hero's location within Telermain. When the party leaves the town, they will refer to the party's location within all the lands of Gurtex. (At the smallest scale-within a room-they stay as they were when the party entered.) At the bottom of the Status Summary area, the party members are listed with their identifying numbers on the frame next to their names. Following their names are their current Hit Points and Energy levels, then abbreviations of their health conditions. For example:
Luka 51 99 OK
Grolf 25 12 Ti
Luka has 51 Hit Points, an Energy level of 99, and no health problems.
She's feeling fine. Commander Grolf, on the other hand, is down to 25 Hit Points, his Energy is only 12, and he's tired. He needs rest.  (Other abbreviations you will frequently see are "Hu" for "Hungry" and "Ex" for "Exhausted.")

Commands
Finally, at the bottom right is the Command area. It has a chapter of its own: "Menus and Commands."

The Keyboard and Mouse
The Magic Candle II can be played entirely from your computer's keyboard or almost entirely by using your mouse. Or you can use them both, in any combination that is comfortable for you.
There are five parts of the keyboard: alphabet, numbers, keypad, arrows and the special keys. Your mouse works along the same lines. 
 
Alphabet Keys 
When you want a party member to whisper a magic word, or to ask a friendly stranger about an "other" topic, use the alphabet keys to type in the word you want. A command can also be issued to the party or the selected party member by pressing its first letter. The mouse cannot type words, but it can issue commands. Click on the command in the lower right part of the screen to issue it. 

Number Keys 
The number keys across the top of the keyboard (not the numeric keypad) are used to select party members and to enter the Status Screens. Pressing a key 1 through 6 will select the corresponding party member, making him or her the primary recipient of your commands. For example, if Lady Subia is party member 3, and you press the 3 key, then issue the "Talk" command, Subia will do the talking. The 0 (zero) key brings up the Status Screens, which are explained in their own chapter. It also leaves the Status Screens when you are finished with them.

The mouse does the same things when used in the party portion of the Status Summary area. Left-click on a party member's name to select the member. Right-click on the name to bring up the Status Screens for that member of the party. When you are finished with the Status Screens, right-click in the Picture or Message area to leave.

The Numeric Keypad
The keys on the numeric keypad at the right-hand edge of your keyboard move your party around the lands of Oshcrun and Gurtex in the eight directions the keys represent. (The middle 5 key doesn't do anything.)

Left-clicking in the Picture area when the mouse arrow points in the desired direction does the same thing. Right-clicking in the Picture area is the same as "Looking" where the mouse points. 

The Arrow Keys 
The arrow keys, and Home, End, Page Up and Page Down, do not normally do the same things as the numeric keypad. lf your keyboard does not have a separate set of arrow keys, hold down a "Shift" key to make the keypad function as arrow keys. Or ignore this section: the arrow keys can be handy, but they're not usually essential. When they are, the keypad and the arrows work the same. Above all, don't play with the "Num Lock" key unless you're thrilled by the idea of confusion. Most of the time, the arrow keys move around the Command area. Home goes to the top; End goes to the bottom. When the area is more than full-you might be selecting an item from all the party members' inventories to "Pool"-Page Up and Page Down move through the list faster than the up and down arrows. When the Message area is more than full, the Command area says only "Cont" (for "Continue") and the arrow keys switch to working with the Message area. When either the Command or Message area is more than full, red arrows indicate that there is more information farther down (or farther up.) Left-clicking on the red arrows is like using the up and down arrow keys; right-clicking is like using Page Up and Page Down.

Special Keys
The Enter key issues the highlighted command. So does the Space Bar. The Esc key escapes from problematical situations. It works like the "End" or "Done" command. Ctrl-V (for "Volume") turns sound effects and music on or off.


Menus and Commands

The Command area of the screen shows various menus and lists that you will use to give orders to your party and to exercise other game-playing options.
A command may be selected by pressing its first letter, by using the arrow keys until the desired command is highlighted, then pressing the space bar or Enter key, or by clicking on it with the mouse.  Some commands, like "Camp," apply to the entire party; others, like "Talk," apply only to the party member currently selected. Some commands, like "Pass," happen as soon as you push the button; others, like "Use," call for further options. 
The Main Menu 
Most of the time, the Command area will contain the "Main Menu" of commands. Much of that time, you'll ignore the Command menu while you move from one place to another. But, when the situation becomes interesting, you will have the Main Menu of commands avail- able. 
The "Use" command is first on the menu, because it happens so often. You will use mushrooms and herbs to restore the party's health or to prepare for combat; you will use maps and map flasks to see their surroundings; you will use food to relieve their hunger. The "Items" chapter explains many of the items your party will use frequently.  Others-the magical items you will need to complete your quests-you will figure out as the game progresses. For some items, like mushrooms, you will be asked whether the whole party should use them at once.
"Recall" brings a magic spell to the front of the selected party member's mind. You will be shown a list of the spells the member has learned. Select one. The first Status Screen will then show that spell as the member's "Ready Spell." (Use the "Esc" key to leave the party member with no spells ready.) Proficient magic users will often know more spells than will fit in the Command area at one time. Use the arrow keys to move up and down the list.
"Notes" lets you review recent events in the game and otherwise work with the automatic notes. See "The Notes Menu" below.

When a spell has been recalled, the "Magic" command casts it. Or it doesn't, if the caster is in the wrong place at the wrong time, or if the caster doesn't have enough energy. The "Magic" chapter contains many more details.

"Talk" begins a conversation. The Main Menu in the Command area is replaced with the "Talk Menu," which is explained below. Not everyone your party talks with will have useful information for them, but so many of them will that it's good practice for your party to talk to everyone they chance to meet.

The "Camp" command allows your party to recover their energy, to learn spells, to fix their battered weapons, and to do many other things. Or at least, to change their clothes. The "Rest and Recuperation" chapter covers the "Camp" command in detail.

"Pass" makes your party stand where they are to let one tick-five game minutes- pass by. Not efficient, but sometimes the best way to wait for a particular person to appear. "Pass lasts longer in some situations. In a school or training arena, for example, if one of the party members has enrolled for training, "Pass" puts the "Stop" command into the Command area, and lets the clock run until training is complete or you issue the "Stop" command.

The "Formatn" ("Formation") command lets your arrange your party's members. It is most often used to squeeze through narrow passages, making your party more vertical or horizontal. It can also be used to put the right party member next to the right thing, or to surround a vulnerable member with stronger companions. It is easier done than explained. When your have several members in your party, perhaps in the halls of Castle Oshcrun, try it out. When you issue the command, the Formation box in the Status Summary area goes blank, except for a cursor. Use the number keys to put a member in the cursor's position; use the space bar to skip a position. When all the party members have been placed, they will move around to show their new formation.

"Draw" lets the selected party member draw a sword, ready a bow, or unsheathe an axe. You can choose from the weapons that he or she has available. It's a good idea to draw weapons when your party enters a dark, ominous tower. It's a bad idea when they go to the library.

"Whisper" tells the selected party member to whisper a magic world. Then you type in what the magic word is. By the time you need someone to "whisper" a word, you'll know what the word is. If you don't, your party hasn't been talking to the right people.

The "Look" command asks you what the party member wants to look at, then tells you, in the Message area, what it seems to be. When using a mouse, you can just right-click on something instead of issuing the "Look" command. 1f something appears very interesting, move the party member right next to it first, then look at it. Maybe it can be picked up. Maybe it has a magic word written on it. Maybe it's full of treasure. Maybe not.  Keep looking. 

"Sheathe" puts the selected party member's sword or axe back in its scabbard, or bow over his or her shoulder. You can sheathe everyone's weapons at the same time. lt's more comfortable, and makes friendly conversations possible. But, when you're not interested in friendly conversations with hungry fermigons, keep the weapons drawn. 

"Quit" allows you to leave the game or to interrupt it temporarily.  The Picture is replaced by a list of your previously saved games, and the Main Menu is replaced by four new commands. 
"Save" saves your game. As many as eight different game positions can be saved at the same time. "Restart" loads a previously saved game. "End" returns you to the game in progress, and "Quit" leaves the game completely. 

The Notes Menu 
The "Notes" command tells you, in the Message area, how big your "notepad" is, and how much of it is full. In the Command area, there is a menu of six commands.  "Look" shows you the most recent note in the Picture area. Use the "Page Up" key to step backward through the notes. "Page Down" retraces your steps. "Home" goes to the first note in the notepad;
"End" returns to the latest one. The "Enter" key brings you back to the Notes Menu.
The "Save" command saves your notes to a file in the subdirectory o your hard disk from which you are playing the game. The first time it saves the notes, the file is called "NOTESOOO.MCN." The next time, it's "NOTESOO1.MCN;  and so on, conceivably, all the way up to "NOTES999.MCN." These files can be examined at your leisure, using any text editor or word-processing program.
The "Print" command sends the notes directly to your printer.  Notes are not automatically saved when you save the same. If you want to keep them, be sure to "Save" or "Print" them before you leave the game.
The "Clear" command empties the notepad, to make room for more notes.
"Amount" lets you specify how many notes will be put into the notepad, from none at all up to the maximum, which includes every-thing that is even vaguely interesting.
"End" returns to the Main Menu.

The Talk Menu
When you issue the "Talk" command from the Main Menu, and select another person for the selected party member to talk to, the other person will respond, and the Talk Menu will appear in the Command area. 
The "Greet" command lets the selected party member switch his or her attention to a different person without leaving the Talk Menu. It can be used, for example, to make a quick round of introductions in a crowded tavern before settling down to a serious conversation with one of the patrons. 
"Talk" gets into the details. Some people only talk about one thing-a fencing instructor will only talk about how many coins his lessons cost-but most will provide a list of topics. Select one, and, if the party member has enough charm, the person will say what he or she has to say on the topic at the time. Three topics have special meanings: "End" returns to the Talk Menu; "People" and "Other" ask you to type in a specific name or subject.  Much of the value of conversation comes from finding out what "other' subjects to ask which he people about. 
The "Offer" command provides the opportunity to give a reward, a gift, or an unabashed bribe to the person talking to the party member.  Most, from the humblest beggar to the King himself, will gladly accept. Don't do it without a strong suspicion that it will do the party some good, or an irrational desire to rid the party of their possessions. 
"Assign" is a command used only by your hero, and only when talking to his or her companions in the party. It tells them to go someplace, or wait where they are, or earn some coins, or learn a skill, or a number of other things. The chapter on "The Party" gives details about "Assign," and "Invite" and "Dismiss" as well.
"Invite" asks a new acquaintance-or an old friend-to join in the quest. Most people will plead pressing engagements elsewhere, but you should have little trouble finding five companions and hirelings to join your hero. Taverns are likely spots, and the "Knight's Room" in Castle Oshcrun is intended to be a meeting place for adventurers.
"Dismiss" removes a member from the quest. It's a harsh way to treat a sworn companion, but entirely appropriate for a hireling whose services are no longer needed.
The "Buy" command lets you know whether the person being spoken to has goods for sale. If so, selecting an item from the list in the Command area will tell you its price. When you recover, the transaction proceeds. To lessen the shock, make sure that the party member with the highest trading skill is the one who buys items for the party.
The "Sell" command lets you know whether a merchant wants to buy anything that the party member has in his or her inventory. The transaction proceeds much like "Buy," but in the other direction.
When selling gems, gemcutting skill is just as important as trading skill. 
"End" completes the conversation and returns you to the Main Menu. 

Other Menus and Commands 
The Magic Candle Il has many other commands, on their own menus. The important ones are described in their own chapters.  "Combat," "The Status Screens," and "Rest and Recuperation," for example. Others need no explanation. Still others are designed for you to experiment with. Don't be shy. Just save your game first.


Travel and Movement

To solve the mysteries of Gurtex, your party will travel the length and breadth of the dire continent: on foot, under sail, and by magical means.
When your party is traveling through the countryside, the picture on the screen shows an area that can be crossed in about half a day on foot-longer if the terrain is difficult or the weather is bad. Your party's location is marked, in the center of the picture. To see a larger area, "Use" a map. You will see a sketch of the general vicinity, with the party's location shown as a blinking dot. 
Travel on Foot 
Traveling through the vast, untamed, and more than occasionally hostile lands of Gurtex consumes time and energy. Some types of ter- rain take more time to get through than others. The energy toll on your party members also varies by the terrain you send them through.  Swamps and jungles are the most difficult going, and take the biggest toll both in time and in energy. Ice fields and deserts are also difficult.  Grasslands and the tundra are the easiest types of terrain to travel through. 
Weather conditions also affect travel's time and energy costs. It Is more difficult to travel in a hurricane. In fact, traveling in severe weather conditions can become almost too difficult, especially if your party is not properly outfitted. For example, fur clothing is very useful in a blizzard but not appropriate in a sweltering summer heat wave.  Some kinds of terrain cannot be traversed on foot at all: mountains, the open sea, the Great Chasm of Mandarg . . . If the party members all know how to swim, and the weather permits, rivers can be crossed. Longer swims than a simple river crossing, however, are impossible.
Sea Travel
There are a number of sea captains who will offer to let your party hire their ships and crews. To board a ship, simply walk onto it. If you have not already hired him, the captain will ask the party to pay him before he accepts them on board. You can hire him for as long as you want, within reason and the limits of the party's funds. If you run out of credit while still sailing, the daily fee will automatically be deducted from the party's purses.  When they land, the captain will offer to drop anchor and wait for the party. Unless you let him sail home, the captain and his ship will wait at that spot until the party's credit runs out. 
Sail the ship in the same way that you move your party on dry land.  Press the direction key or mouse button to move the ship, as described in "The Main Screen." Rough seas, submerged rocks, or sheer distance from home and safety may make the captain refuse to sail beyond certain limits.  While on shipboard, your party (except the poor seasick dwarves) can put the time spent sailing to good use by camping. The "Camp" command allows the party members to sleep, learn spells, and repair weapons and armor. 
Teleportation 
Deruvian magic allows instantaneous transportation by teleporting, even in the foreign climes of Gurtex. The "Teleport" spell, found in the Book of Ishban, can save a day's travel time or more in the hands of a powerful wizard. The teleport magic is also imbued in ancient teleportal chambers scattered through (and below) the lands of Deruvia and Gurtex. These chambers are hard to find, and harder still to activate. But, when used properly, the teleportal chambers can transport a party over immense distances-even from one end of Gurtex to the other.
The Ancient Map
Enclosed in the game box is a map of Gurtex, based on knowledge retained by the Children of Light from ancient, happier times. Other than on Oshcrun Island, little can be shown of current-day details such as towns and castles, because so little is known o f them. Your party will have to explore the wilderness to discover such things. Some locations cannot be seen unless the party is right next to them: campsites and mine entrances, for example. Another example is the ancient elden stronghold due north of Telermain.  Legends tell of other such strongholds scattered through Gurtex, their magical walls still proof against the forces of Darkness.


The Status Screens

From time to time, you will want to know how your hero and the other party members are feeling, what they are carrying, what spells they know, and other information.  And you may want the party members to give something to each other. The Status Screen system lets you do these things. Use the zero ("0") key to activate the Status Screens. 
Status Commands 
When you hit the zero ("0") key, the picture of the current scene is replaced by a summary of the selected party member's status. A new set of eight commands appears. The first is "Cont," which continues to display status screens.  The next four, "Transfr," "Distr," "Search" and "Pool," the "Inventory Commands," let you move items from one party member to another. "Inven" and "Magic" let you skip quickly through the status screens. "End" (or the "Escape" key, or the zero key again) brings you back to the normal picture. 
Moving Through The Status Screens The "Cont" command continues to display all the status information, one screen at a time. After one party member has been shown, the next one begins.
The "Inven" and "Magic" commands skip directly to the Inventory and Magic status screens for the party member being shown.  At any status screen, you may hit the number key ("1" to "6") for another party member to switch to the same screen set for that party member. Using the number keys this way makes it easy to see who has the highest trading skill, or which party members need magical shields.
Inventory Commands
"'Transfr" lets you transfer items from one party member to another, or drop an unwanted item. "Distr" distributes items from the selected party member evenly to the rest of the party. "Pool" collects all the companions' items into one party member's inventory.
You will probably find yourself using "Pool" and "Distr" often. A hunter will gather food, or a trader will buy sermin mushrooms. Then you will pool all the food or sermins to one party member and distribute the stockpile evenly.
"Search" gives you an overview of the party's possessions. You will find out who has what, and how much of it.
The Screens
The top two lines of each status screen identify the party member, showing you his or her full name, sex, race and relationship (leader, companion or hireling). 
Personal Data 
The first Status Screen lists personal data for the party member. 
Hit Pts: Current hit points followed by maximum hit points. Hit points represent the amount of damage that the character can survive. The maximum depends on the character's Endurance. When hit points decline to zero, the character dies. Hit points can be restored by sleeping, by the Heal spell, or by using a Potion.
Energy: The character's current energy level. The maximum amount of energy a character can
have is 99. A character's energy is used up by almost all actions (except sleeping, which restores energy as well as hit points). As a character's energy approaches zero, he or she becomes tired, then too exhausted to move. Using sermin mushrooms, sleeping, or casting the Energy spell will restore energy.  A party member who is ill or poisoned will be unable to regain full hit points and energy until the condition is cured. 
Shield: The party member's magical shield protection. The Shield spell protects against magical spells cast by the Orcs of Darkness. The maximum shield protection is 99 points. 
In Hand: The weapon the party member has drawn and is ready to use. In most cases, it is impossible to talk politely to strangers with a weapon "In Hand." 
Spell: The magic spell that the party member has recalled from his or her memory of spells, and is ready to cast. 
Health: A list of the party member's health problems, ranging from "Tired" to "Dead." If there are no problems, the character's health is "OK." (In Gurtex, "OK" is as good as it gets.) 
In Use: Magical plants and mushrooms that have been eaten or applied, and are ready to take effect.  When combat is expected, it is often wise to use nift plants and gonshi mushrooms ahead of time.
Wearing: The clothing and armor the party member has put on. Clothing should be appropriate for the weather and terrain; armor should be as strong as possible to deflect hostile attacks.
Character Attributes
The second Status Screen displays the nine character attributes:
Bravery, Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Agility, Loyalty, Charm, Intelligence, and Resistance. Normally, the ratings will range from 0 to 12, depending on the character in the party. For a detailed explanation see the "Character Attributes" chapter.
Skills
The next two Status Screens list the 18 skills and the character's current ability in each skill. The value for each skill will range from 0 to 99. There are general skills and professional skills. A full explanation is given in the "Skills" chapter.
Inventory
On the Inventory Screen, or Screens, the party member's complete inventory is listed, showing all the items he or she is carrying.  Generally, several items of one kind will be shown together. Lady Subia, for instance, might carry "Coin (100)" and "Sermin (5)," meaning that she has 100 gold coins and five sermin mushrooms.
Weapons, armor and other special items, on the other hand, are always shown separately. Usually, they show their wear and tear (W-T) next to the item name. Wear and tear will reduce effectiveness and, eventually, break the weapon or reduce the armor to such a sorry state that it will no longer afford any protection. Weapons and armor can be fixed, especially by talented metalsmiths, to reduce their wear and tear. 
Each party members inventory is limited to 40 different items. 
Magic Spells 
The next series of Status Screens shows the spells that the party member knows and the books of magic that he or she owns.  For each spell that is known or learnable, the screen shows: 
MEM: How many of this spell the character has memorized and not yet cast. 
TIM: How long it would take the character (in five-minute time periods) to memorize a copy of this spell. It depends on the character's intelligence.
ENE: How much energy the character would have to use to cast this spell. It depends on the character's Magic skill.
Songs
Finally, the Status Screen shows the songs that the party member knows how to sing and play.  Everyone knows "Long Live the King," even if they can only stand up straight and move their lips while their neighbors are singing.  Characters with any musical talent also know the old hiking song, "The Happy Traveler," and can play its simple tune on most musical instruments. Other songs are less commonly known, but some of them have magical effects, especially when played on the proper instrument.


Character Attributes

A character's attributes measure his or her natural abilities and talents. They are gifts from the gods, not skills learned in school.  Their values vary from character to character, with 12 being the maximum value for any attribute.
Bravery determines when or if a  character will flee during combat. If a party member flees, the party leader will not be able to 
issue commands to that member until the combat is ended or the member stops fleeing. The "Courage" spell will temporarily boost bravery and stop a fleeing character. Your hero has the maximum bravery and will not flee against your wishes. However, the hero can certainly flee along with the rest of the party in a strategic withdrawal. 
The physical Strength of a character determines what weapons may be used as well as how much damage is done by successful attacks on the enemy. 
Dexterity can allow a character to do more than one thing in one combat turn. With dexterity over six, three actions are sometimes pos- sible. 
Endurance determines a character's maximum Hit Points. The higher the endurance, the more Hit Points.
Agility reflects the probability that a character will be able to dodge a physical attack.
A companion's Loyalty tells how likely he or she is to complete assignments given by the hero. Given time, a companion of low loyalty
will feel bored and resentful at being assigned to work in a smithy or learn a shelf-full of spells, while others are off having exciting ad-
ventures. Enough boredom or resentment, and the companion will quit and go home. Even excitement is not a complete cure: if both
bravery and loyalty are low, a companion may flee from combat and decide to just keep running.
Charm measures a character's ability to speak profitably with strangers. The more charming the character, the more likely strangers will be to share information.
Intelligence affects the amount of time needed to memorize a spell.  Additionally, when training with a master or an instructor, the duration of the training session is influenced by the student's intelligence. 
Resistance is the ability to withstand or lessen the effects of hostile magic attacks.


Skills

Skills specify the characters' abilities in various areas of expertise. Each race has a maximum for each skill. Some are as high as 99, as for elves with bows; some are as low as 10, as for wizards with axes. Some skills for some races are completely impossible. Orcs, for example, cannot carry a tune (although they can shout very loudly); dwarves, halflings, and many humans have no talent in magic, and cannot develop a magical skill at all.
Some skills improve with experience. Each time one of your party members strikes a telling blow with a sword, axe or arrow, there is a chance that his or her skill will increase. The same principle applies to magic skill, when an important spell is cast in a life-or-death situation.
Many skills can also improve with training. Several esteemed teachers of various skill have braved the eastern sea and established studios and arenas in Telermain and Ketrop. If the rumors are true, and there are enclaves of the Children of Light in the depths of Gurtex, you may find teachers there as well.
Each party member has his or her own level of ability in each of the skills. Here is a list of the 19 skills, and an explanation of their important.
Sword: The Sword skill determines how likely a character is to score a successful hit with a sword. The damage done when the sword hits depends on what sword the character carries, and how strong the character is. Most races prefer to fight with swords, although elves are primarily archers, and dwarves much prefer to wield axes.
With regard to swords, you may know that the legendary greatsword Brennix is of highest puissance. Brennix can be wielded only by its rightful owner, who, by good chance, is your hero in "The Magic Candle II."
Axe: Like the sword skill, the Axe skill determines how likely a character is to damage an opponent. Dwarves are the premier axe-wielders, although other races can attain skills sufficient to dismay the forces of Darkness.
The dwarves believe that several magical axes have been lost-or hidden-in the mines and caverns of Gurtex.
Archery: Skill with the bow can allow a character to inflict damage on an opponent, even unto death, before the opponent can approach to use a sword or axe. But Archery skill is no secret. The forces of Darkness can be as well learned in Archery as the children of Light.  A character of any race can become skilled in Archery, although wizards find it hard. Elves are the best archers. Where Archery is concerned, wizards are best used to carry supplies of arrows for the other party members. 
Magic: The Magic skill is where wizards come into their own. Elves and some humans can use magic, but wizards specialize in casting spells, both in combat and in exploration. The greater the caster's Magic skill, the less personal energy is used in casting spells, and the greater the magic's effect. 
Fist: B y preference, a character will attack with a hard steel sword or axe. But, if the weapons are broken or lost, the only alternative is attacking bare-handed, using the Fist skill. It's a last resort, but the last resort might be the most important. 
Swimming: When traveling through Gurtex, you will find rivers and streams. In good weather, with sufficient Swimming skill, you will be able to cross them without having to find a bridge and to defeat the trolls who guard it. Most characters can swim, some very well, but the dwarves are hopeless without divine intervention.
Trading: The Trading skill allows your party members to get the highest prices for the things they sell, and the lowest prices for the things they buy. Halflings are born traders. Other races have to learn the skill.
Stealth: In the course of events, you may find it necessary to remove a member from your party, assigning him or  her to meet you later in some elden stronghold or another. Since Gurtex is heavily patrolled by the minions of Darkness, there is a strong possibility that the traveler will be captured and thrown into a vile jail cell. The Stealth skill reduces this possibility.
Researching: The libraries of Oshcrun Island and the lost libraries of Gurtex contain a wealth of information. Sufficient Researching skill will allow a party member to dig the information from piles of musty books. The better the Researching skill, the less time it will take.  
Soulreading: Soulreading is a mysterious skill, but often an invaluable one. When your party encounters a group of enemies, an accomplished soulreader might be able to tell you whether they are inclined to run away or to eat you for dinner.
Lockpicking: The treasures of Gurtex are well-protected, not only by the minions of Darkness, but also by clever mechanical devices.  One skilled in Lockpicking can evade the traps and open the concealed treasure chests of Darkness without harm. Halflings are often talented at picking locks.
Tracking: The Tracking skill is common to those who have been raised in the forests of Deruvia. Its most important application is in noticing signs of an imminent ambush by the forces of Darkness.
Musical: Characters with the Musical skill can entertain their companions with their singing and their virtuosity on various musical instruments. "Music hath charms," as you know, and many of the dumb beasts of Gurtex can be soothed by the right song played on the right instrument by someone with sufficient Musical skill. 
Carpenter: The first of the craft skills is that of the Carpenter. There are two advantages to having a Carpenter in your party. One is that, out in the wilds, Carpenters can build shelters that let the party rest more comfortably and regain more energy while they sleep. The other, as with the other crafts, is that a Carpenter can be assigned to work as a journeyman with master carpenters in towns and villages to earn coins for the party's use. 
Metalsmith: The next craft skill is that of the Metalsmith. Like carpenters, skilled Metalsmiths can earn a good wage in friendly towns and villages. And, while adventuring, they fix the party's weapons and armor much more quickly than novices might. 
Gemcutter: Gemcutters can also earn many coins for the party: not only by working at the Gemcutters' trade, but also by adding their Gemcutter's skill to their Trading skill when selling precious stones that the party has unearthed in its explorations.
Tailor: The final craft skill is that of the Tailor. Many may scoff at the idea of enlisting a mere Tailor into a party determined to conquer the depths of the continent of Darkness, but many may be wrong. Tailors can, of course, provide the party with income. But the best Tailors can also ensure that the party makes a good impression-much like a permanent Glamour spell-and that their clothing is worn in a manner to alleviate the effects of bad weather.
Hunter: The Hunter skill can provide the party with plentiful food. Of course, hunting is more effective when camping in lush grasslands and leafy forests than in sandy wastes or ice-bound mountain slopes.
Leadership: Before a battle, a party member skilled in Leadership can rally the troops to a higher level of courage and combat skill. During the battle itself, if a member skilled in Leadership heads the troops, they will fight more effectively.


The Party

The mysteries and challenges to be faced in the defiled lands of Gurtex are many. Fortunately, your hero need not face them alone.  There are many people-some new acquaintances, some old friends from the days of adventuring in the lands of Deruvia-whom you will find willing to join your hero and follow your orders.
Building the Party 
During your explorations your hero will run into many people of all the races. The "Talk" command from the Main Menu lets your hero 
talk to them. If you decide you want to invite one into your party, issue the "Invite" command. Not everyone you encounter will join 
your party. Those who do will take the next available slot in the party roster. When they have joined party, you can bring up the Status 
Screens, press the number key assigned to a new recruit, and study his or her attributes, skills and possessions. 
Companions and Hirelings 
Some people will be glad to join your hero. From old friendship, the love of adventure, a dedication to the destruction of the forces of 
Darkness, or a barely-suppressed death wish, they will swear their loyalty and feel honored to aid in your hero's quests. These people 
are called "companions."

Other people are, quite frankly, in it for the money. Buried treasure. Lost diamond mines. Untold wealth hoarded by the lords of Darkness.
These people are called "hirelings." They swear by greed instead of loyalty. Greed is often more dependable.

A hireling expects to be compensated for services rendered. Generally, giving a hireling one-fourth of the treasure the party
gathers in its adventures should keep him or her satisfied. This assumes that the party is busy finding treasure, not sampling ale. If, in the
opinion of one of your hirelings, you are not being diligent or fair, he or she will let your hero know. If you do not react to the complaint by
giving the hireling some valuables, he or she will soon leave your party.

Hirelings are particularly useful in the early stages of the game when your hero's companions are few and weak. It might be of interest to
know that the infamous assassin Argas spends his evenings at the Black Rooster, a tavern in Telermain.
When you bring hirelings into the party, keep the following points in mind: 
Hirelings do not accept assignments. They have to be in on the action. 
Hirelings will not obey orders to transfer items from their inventories to other party members.  A hireling's loyalty rating means nothing. A hireling will stay with the party as long as he or she is satisfied with the monetary rewards. 
Communicating with Party Members 
Your party members can talk with each other in the same way they talk to other people. Issue the "Talk" command from the Main Menu, then pick another party member to talk to. 
To dismiss a party member, issue the "Dismiss" command from the Talk Menu. This will allow your hero to invite someone else to take the dismissed member's place, while leaving the dismissed member to fend for himself. Or herself.  Hirelings can probably survive.  Other companions might have a hard time getting back to where you originally found them, if they must find their way across a hostile continent. 
Another way to open up a place in the party is to send a companion on assignment. To do this, have your hero issue the "Assign" command from the Talk Menu, then read on.
Assignments
One of the most important features of The Magic Candle II is your ability to give specific assignments to your hero's companions.  There are three kinds of assignments:
"Wait here. We'll be back."
"Go there. We'll meet you."
"Do this. It's important." The best way to explain them is by giving examples. From the bottom up. None of these things will happen to you and your hero in quite this way, but you can use them as models as you play.
Example 1:
Our hero, Luka, arrives in Telermain. She walks into a tavern and finds a companion: the elven ranger Hari. As they travel through the town, they see a sign saying "Archery Range. Watch Your Heads." Although Hari is a good archer, he could be better. They enter the arena. It's a large open building, with stuffed targets placed against the walls. An instructor stands nearby. Hari talks to him. "I can in-crease your skill with the bow. It will take two days, and cost you 200 coins," says the instructor. Hari agrees. Now back to our hero Luka.  She talks to Hari, puts him on assignment, and leaves the archery range to seek out King Rebnard.
Later, she plans to invite Hari back into her party with his increased bow skill. 
Example 2: 
Much later, Luka and the remains of her party break through the final glass gate that imprisons the butterfly form of the Princess Llenia.  Luka invites Her Highness to join the party. Llenia is honored to accept, but protests: "I cannot help you in this form. I must return to Llendora to remove the enchantment. I am sure that I can fly to the stronghold safely. . . ." Agreeing, Luka assigns the elven princess to go to the elden stronghold in the Demonspine, where the party will meet her and escort the butterfly princess to Llendora. 
Example 3: 
Finally, Luka and her five companions reach the Ebony Doors.  "The Last Guardian lies beyond," she says. Salmo shakes in his boots.  The little halfling will be of no use in the battle, but his nimble fingers will be needed afterward. "Wait here, Salmo." Luka assigns him to stay in the corridor until the coming battle has been won. 
"Stay" is the simplest assignment.  The assigned companion will stay in his or her current location for the period specified. After that period expires, the companion will attempt to travel to the "Go to" location which you specify as part of the assignment process. 
"Go to" will remove the companion from the party roster and send him or her to an elden strong-hold. (There are many such strong-holds said to be scattered across Gurtex. As the game begins, your hero knows of only one: in the forest north of Telermain on Oshcrun Island. As your party discovers other strongholds on the mainland, the list of possible destinations will grow.) Once there, the companion will stay put, waiting for further instructions. It is possible to communicate with a companion who is on assignment through the use of mindstones, as explained below.
To become familiar with these operations, it is recommended that you experiment with them. After you have successfully invited some others to join your hero's party, try assigning them. The island of Oshcrun is known to be safe-at least on the surface-from the minions of Darkness.
You can also assign companions to take up employment and earn much-needed coins. Employment opportunities exist in various workshops. The skill level of a potential employee determines his or her hourly wage. Two steps are involved. First, select the companion who seeks employment, and have him or her "Talk" to the artisan who offers a job. Then select your hero, "Talk" to the newly hired companion, and issue the "Assign" command. The companion will now stay in the
workshop when the rest of the party leaves, and will probably continue to work and earn money until once more invited to join the party.  It is also possible to leave companions on assignment to memorize spells, receive training to improve a particular skill, or research a particular subject at a library. The mechanics of these assignments are the same as the one described above for employment. Again, with a little bit of experimentation all will become clear. The town of Telermain contains opportunities to try all types of assignments in the comfort and security of a friendly settlement. 
It is important to point out that you can not assume assignments will always be carried out according to your wishes. Things can go wrong. Companions with low loyalty may get bored or distracted after a while and decide to pursue other activities. Don't assume that the little halfling you had instructed to work at the carpenter shop three months ago is still there laboring away, faithfully waiting for the party's return so he can hand over all his earnings. He may have long ago decided that there are better ways to spend one's days! 
Also, when you order someone to travel to a stronghold in another region, there is a possibility, based on the companion's stealth skill, that he or she will be captured and imprisoned by the enemy.
Mindstones
As explained above, you can not always assume that assignments will be carried through to completion. Mindstones allow you to stay in communication with someone who is on assignment, if both your hero and the assigned companion are carrying the magical stones.
Through the use of the Mindstones you can find out where an assigned companion is, what he or she is currently doing, and how many coins the companion has. You can also issue a "Go to" command through the Mindstone, or select "Continue" to leave the assignment as it is.
As you can see, it is a good idea, when possible, to give a Mindstone to anyone you are about to release from the party. That way, you can stay in touch after you part ways. If the assignment is for employment, you can keep an eye on how much money is accumulating, or if a traveler is captured by the enemy and lands in a jail, you will know where to go for a rescue operation.


Items

Over the course of The Magic Candle II, there are many items that will fill your party members' inventories. Most characters who join your party will already have in their inventories items that are important to them: on their backs, in their hands, or carried in their back- packs. 
There are many kinds of items that can be in a character's inventory: coins, gems, weapons, armor, clothing, food, herbs and mush- rooms, tools, spell books, musical instruments, and more. 
Trade Goods 
Almost all the valuable items your party finds, whether weapons or mushrooms, can be bought and sold as you locate people who are willing to buy and sell them. For example, most weapon traders will buy as well as sell weapons that they are interested in.  Most gems are for trading purposes only. Pearls also have their own special uses, as explained in "Items to Use" below.
Weapons 
Weapons include various kinds of swords, axes and bows. Elves are fond of their bows, dwarves prefer axes, and the other races do best with swords of different sizes (although all can use bows to attack distant enemies).
A character can carry several weapons at a time, but only one of them can be ready to use. The "Draw" command puts a selected weapon "In hand." Since most strangers will refuse to converse politely with a character brandishing a weapon, use the "Sheathe" command to put a weapon back in its scabbard or on the character's back.
You will find weapons, including arrows for your bows, for sale in Telermain, and perhaps in other towns. But the best weapons-the legendary swords, axes and bows with magical powers-can only be found by searching for their hiding places in the depths of Gurtex. (Except for the Great Sword Brennix, recovered during "The Magic Candle I," which can be carried only by the hero, your party's leader.)
Armor and Clothing
Armor, from leather up to dwarf-crafted methreal, protects the wearer from combat damage. The characters who join your party will usually have their own armor, but you will want to buy them improved protection if you have the chance and the funds. Armor, as well as weapons, are available for you to borrow from the armory in the lower level of Castle Oshcrun.  The proper clothing can make a big difference in the energy your party expends in traveling through the wilds of Gurtex. Heavy furs are good for the cold, but devastating in a sweltering jungle. Silk robes are designed for desert travel, but provide no protection in ice-bound mountain passes. 
To change a party member's armor or clothing, use the "Camp" command, then "Put" a new item of armor or clothing on, or take one "Off." 
Items to Use 
The "Use" command has many different effects, depending on the item you choose to be used by the selected party member, and perhaps by the entire party. 
Food: Using Food is a good example. In this case, "Use" means "eat." It does not mean "rub it all over your body," or "throw it at an enemy," neither of which you can do. Nor does it mean "offer it to a hungry beggar," "sell it to a merchant," or "pass it around among the party members," all of which you can do, from the "Talk" menu or the Status Screens. 
By the way, you will seldom need to "Use" food. Your party members do it by themselves, eating a ration of their food when they need to.  Only when their food supply gets low-below five rations-will they hesitate to eat, and instead be marked as "Hungry," leaving the decision whether to use up their food to you. The hungrier your party members get, the more food it will take to restore them. If you run low on food, you can buy more in stores, or hunt for it in forests, jungles and grasslands.  Dwarves and wizards need little food to sustain them. Halflings need all they can get.
Potion: Healing potions are distilled from extracts of a variety of herbs and fungi. Very few know the formula and the process. Potions are usually sold by merchants who trade in magical herbs, mushrooms and such. Use a Potion to restore Hit Points when it's not the right time to camp and sleep the damage away.
Sermin Mushrooms: Use a Sermin to restore energy. This magical mushroom is especially important to magic users, since casting magic spells uses up their energy rapidly.  Sermins can also be useful for magic users who need to stay awake to learn spells while others are sleeping, and to the whole party if they need to travel to a location in haste and can't afford to camp and rest.
Gonshi Mushrooms: Eating a Gonshi Mushroom before or during combat will give a party member a burst of magical dexterity. When next the member acts, he or she will be able to accomplish three moves in one combat turn. 
Nift Leaves: When a party member rubs the leaves of the nift plant on the back of his or her neck, his or her flesh will be magically toughened against physical attacks.  The next three physical blows from the minions of Darkness, no matter how mighty, will do no harm. Unfortunately, nifts give no protection against magical attacks. 
Mirget Leaves: Rubbing the leaves of a Mirget plant on a party member's arm magically increases his or her strength for the next swing of a sword or axe. If he or she connects, the damage will be great. But, if the opponent manages to dodge the swing, the Mirget was wasted. To avoid this disappointment, use Luffins along with Mirgets. 
Luffin Flowers: When a party member's next attack must succeed, have him or her chew a Luffin flower. Luffins magically increase the appropriate weapon skill so that the next swing is guaranteed to connect. Both Luffins and Mirgets can be used at any time. They will remain in effect for the party member's first attack of the next battle. 
Turpin Mushrooms: A mushroom native to Gurtex, the Turpin is a favorite of magic users. It functions like Mirget leaves and Luffin flowers, in that it stays "In use" until it releases its effect. When a magic user wants the next spell cast to have its maximum possible potency, he or she will be sure to use a Turpin before the spell is cast.  Useful not only in combat, the Turpin's effect will increase the range of the Teleport spell, or the power of the caster's next Fireball.
Fireglobes: Fireglobes are round glass containers that contain a clear liquid extracted from the roots of rare and mysterious plants. Distilled by magical means, this liquid is highly explosive when its glass container is broken. The transparent nature of the globe makes it very difficult to see, once it has been placed on the ground. Anyone who steps on a fireglobe takes considerable damage. In combat, clever adventurers will place these globes in spots where they expect advancing opponents to step. They can then retreat and watch their foes be blown to pieces. To place a fireglobe on the ground, "Use" the fireglobe on one of the eight squares next to the fireglobe's owner.
Loka Packets: Poison can be cured by drinking tea made from the roots of the Loka plant or by simply eating a ration of the dried, shredded (and very bitter roots themselves. Loka removes the effects of poison from the body, but does not restore lost energy or hit points.
If you intend to search for the long-hidden treasures of Gurtex, be sure that a good supply of Loka is on hand. Many treasure chests are trapped, often with poisonous devices.
Medicin Doses: The Medicin plant is grown by monks, who make a paste of its seeds. This Medicin paste is the universal cure for diseases carried and spread by the minions of Darkness. 
Cubes, Spheres and Pyramids: Teleportal chambers allow your party to travel from one part of the world to another in an instant.  These teleportals are activated by geometrical shapes carved or grown from ebony, silver, crystal, and other materials by ancient artisans.  These shapes-cubes, spheres and pyramids-are sold by traveling merchants in Deruvia. But in Gurtex, they will doubtless be harder to find. 
Studies of the legends of Gurtex indicate that teleportals do not work in quite the same way as they do across the Sea of Oshmar. There may even be more shapes than the cubes, spheres and pyramids known in Deruvia. 
Maps: Ancient records and recent expeditions have made a variety of maps available to your hero. "Use" a map to see a general outline of your party's surroundings. (In some cases, "using a map" does not really mean unrolling a parchment for study; it's just the party looking around the area they're in. But the effect is the same.) 
Map Flasks: Some places are uncharted, full of twisted corridors and murky water, and dark and gloomy. They don't have parchment maps, and they don't have trees to climb and look around from. These places-caverns, dungeons and worse-are where your party needs to use magical Map Flasks.
Designed by King Rebnard's wizards, Map Flasks are metal containers, flat on the side, with a small opening at the top, and filled with a magical liquid. Dropping a pearl through the opening into the liquid causes an outline of the party's surroundings to appear on the side of the flask as the pearl dissolves. 
Map Flasks are new devices, and not foolproof. An impure pearl may dissolve not only itself, but also the flask into which it is dropped.  When possible, it is best to drop a blue Maramon pearl into the flask, knowing it is pure, rather than to take a chance with an ordinary pearl from unknown waters.
Mindstones: While reclaiming Castle Oshcrun, King Rebnard and his troops found a number of magical Mindstones: long and narrow, somewhat curved, highly polished, some of marble, others of quartz. At the same time, the monks and workmen restoring the library in Telermain discovered books and scrolls describing the use of Mindstones for communicating over long distances.
Musical Instruments: There is no doubt that someone who is accomplished at blowing a flute, or plucking a lyre, or strumming a lute or bandore, will raise the spirits of a party trudging through the dire depths of Gurtex.
Shovels, Ropes and Picks: 
Someone in your party should carry a shovel to dig for buried treasure.  Someone should carry a rope, in case it is needed. And picks are always needed to unlock the hidden treasures of Gurtex. Carry several picks, for they are prone to break.
Blankets: When camping outdoors, blankets ensure comfort and full recovery of energy. Without a blanket, a camper will not be able to restore energy to above 50 points unless there is a skilled carpenter in the party to build a temporary shelter.


Combat

In your struggle to liberate Gurtex for the Children of Light, diplomacy, trickery and stealth are powerful tools. But they are not enough. Unavoidably, you will often find yourself facing the Monsters of Gurtex in armed combat.

Setting Up
Unless you are ambushed, you will have time to prepare for combat by getting into position and issuing commands from the combat setup menu.
One of your party members-the one with the best Soulreading skill-may have an insight into the monsters' attitude. Hearing this party member's comment, you may decide that talking to the enemy is a better choice than rushing into combat.
Before the battle begins, your party may move about its side of the arena (for instance, to place your strong fighters up front and your spell-casters and archers in the rear). Your other setup options are:
"Draw lets a party member draw one of his or her unbroken weapons.
"Sheathe" may be used to fight (or talk) bare-handed.
"Recall" lets the part member recall a memorized spell.
"Look" allows you to identify the creatures and objects you see on the field of combat.
When preparations are complete, start the confrontation with "Talk" or "Begin."
"Talk" has two sub-options. You can "Rally" your friends or "Greet" the opposition.
"Rally is directed to your own side. If successful, it increases the enthusiasm (bravery and agility) of the other party members. ON the other hand, if your rallying effort is not successful, the enemy may sneak up on your and gain the advantage of moving first. Leadership skill influences the probability of rallying successfully.
"Greet" is directed to the leader of your opposition. He may respond in many different ways. His characteristics as well as the general strength of your party play a role in his attitude towards you. If the monsters do not care to chat, they will attack immediately, gaining the advantage of moving first.  "Begin" starts the combat without any more preliminaries.
COMBAT SEQUENCE
During combat, all members of one side take a turn, then all the members of the other side. In an ambush, the monsters go first unless a party member detected the ambush, either by Tracking skill or the "Sense" spell. Even if the ambush was detected, there is no time to set up before combat begins. If there was no ambush, then you go first unless you try to "Talk" and fail. 
In your turn, a small marker on the right hand side of the Status Summary area appears next to each one of your members. The presence of these markers indicates which members have not completed their moves in this turn yet. You can move the party members in any sequence you want by pressing their number keys (1-6 along the top of the keyboard) to indicate who moves next, or you can let them act in the party sequence.  Natural dexterity or a gonshi mushroom may give a member time to do more than one thing during his or her turn. You may interrupt one member with another. For example, Fiz could use a gonshi and cast an Acidball spell he had already recalled. Then Luka could cast Energy on Fiz, and Fiz could cast two more Acidball spells with his renewed energy. 
Fleeing from Combat
In some cases, retreat may be your best course of action. Simply stated, you flee by running away-moving through doors or off the edge of the screen.
Sometimes a party member may decide to flee despite your wish for him or her to stay and continue to fight. The bravery of the character has a great influence on this decision. A fleeing member will no longer accept commands, being in a state of panic, and running to the nearest exit as fast as possible. The only way to have the member rejoin the battle is to cast a Courage spell before he or she disappears from the arena.
Characters who fled from combat will reappear after the enemy is successfully dealt with, unless a companion's loyalty to the hero and enthusiasm for the adventure are so low that he or she simply keeps running until familiar, safe surroundings are found.
If the party's designated leader (see "Delegating Leadership" below) flees, all the other members of your party will also attempt to flee.
Weapon Attacks
Swords and axes can be used only on adjacent targets. The "Attack" command swings the weapon. So does attempting to move in the direction of the target.  Bows can be used on any target which is not adjacent to the archer.  The "Attack" command will shoot an arrow at the selected target, providing the attacker has any arrows to shoot. 
The damage inflicted by a hit with a weapon depends on the strength of the attacker, the weapon used, and the armor of the target (if any).  It is also possible to attack with fists if no weapon is "In hand" at the time the attack command is issued. Naturally, the damage that can be inflicted is rather limited if a weapon is not used. 
Armor and Magic Shields 
Armor reduces the effect of non-magical attacks. Obviously, some types of armor are better than others. Steel plate armor will provide better protection than leather armor. Methreal armor (if you can find any dwarves in Gurtex who still work the legendary metal) will be better than any other kind.  Magic shields-the result of the Shield spell-protect their owners from magical damage. Unlike armor, magic shields wear out as they absorb magical energy. Shield spells can be cast on top of each other, up to a maximum of 99 points of protection for any one person at any one time.
Combat Results 
Each time a combatant manages to score a hit against an opponent, a message shows the result. Here are some examples of combat messages:
Lukas hits Orc -20
Dam: 18 (A-2) HP:8

Lukas scored a hit against an orc worth 20 hit points. The actual damage was 18 due to the orc's leather armor which absorbed 2 points. As a result of the hit, the orc has 8 hit points left.
Shatter!
Fiz hits Zorlim -20
Dam: O (Sh:4) HP:26
Shatter!

Fiz hits Zorlim -24
Dam:20 (Sh:0) HP:6

Fiz attacks the same Zorlim twice in a row with the Shatter spell. The first one hits for 20 but does no damage because of the Zorlim's shield. However, the shield is now down to 4 points. The second Shatter scores 24 and does damage equal to 20. The shield is gone. The Zorlim's hit points are down to 6.
Orc hits Lukas -10
Dam: O (Nf:1) HP:36

An Orc hits Lukas for 10 but does no damage. Lukas had a Nift "in use," which is still good after this hit for one more. 

Attacking At Will 
At your option, you can tell the party members who still have moves left within the current turn to make moves as they see fit. This is accomplished with the "Will" command. The designated member then will decide what moves to make on his or her own initiative. The choices your party members make on their own depend on the most part on their personality profiles.  Wizards, for example, left on their own, will freely use up their spells rather than attempting to use their weapons. Halflings will go after easy kills (opponents with low hit points). Elves will attack those who attack them. 
The "Will" command is effective for only the current turn and the selected party member. 
Delegating Leadership 
You can also turn the leadership function over to any one of the hero's companions and hirelings during combat. The "Head" command, when selected, presents you with a list of all available party members. The one you choose will replace you as the leader and will start issuing orders to all members of the party, including the hero.  You can adjust the speed of the combat by pressing a number key.  "0" is slowest; "9" is fastest.
Return the party members to your control by pressing any other key or mouse button.
The leadership styles of characters vary, and reflect their own preferences in terms of how often to use magic, whom to target, when to flee and so on. A leader whose bravery is not very high may initiate retreat much sooner than you or Sakar would. Sakar, on the other hand, if chosen as the leader, will probably order everyone to attack orcs and eliminate them as quickly as possible, regardless of whether you would consider this the best strategy. If you disagree, press a key and regain command. Otherwise, sit back and let Sakar run things for a while.
End of Combat
Combat ends with victory when all members of the opposition have been eliminated (dead or fled).  No victory or defeat is achieved if the hero and all other surviving members of your party flee.  Defeat is declared and the game is over if the hero is killed and is not resurrected by another party member.

AFTER VICTORY
After you have defeated the monsters, your first priority is to resurrect any slain party members.  The Resurrect spell is very sensitive to time and must be cast as soon as possible. If, for some reason, you are unable to resurrect a party member, be sure to transfer his or her valuable possessions to the survivors. 
Next, you will have the opportunity to plunder the bodies of your conquered foes. If there are any hirelings in the party, make sure that they get their fair share of the loot.
Finally, if the monsters were guarding a treasure chest or a magic fountain, you may "Use" a pick on the locked chest to open it or drink from the fountain to restore energy and gain other magical benefits. (To drink, move next to the fountain and "Look" at it.)

Magic

As your party proceeds in its quests, it will wield the magic of Light and withstand the magic of Darkness. The more they know about these powerful forces, the more prepared they will be.
Magic is an art practiced by wizards, elves, and the occasional talented human man or woman. Your hero has some magical talent, and will undoubtedly want to seek out others skilled in magic to join his or her party. 
The Rules of Magic 
The rules of magic are fixed and invariable, and have been known to change without notice. That's the way magic is. You have to depend on it, but you can never be really sure. There are nine rules of magic.  There always have been nine rules of magic, but yesterday there may always have been eight. Or ten. Or a hundred. These are the nine rules. 
Rule 1. 
Spells are recorded in magic  books, and can only be learned from those books. 
Rule 2. 
Spells can be learned from magic books only during a period of undisturbed concentration. 
Rule 3. 
Spells that have been learned must be recalled to memory before they can be cast.
Rule 4.
Once a spell has been cast, it escapes from the caster's mind. However, if the spell has been learned more than once, the next 
copy immediately jumps into the caster's recollection.
Caveat to Rule 4.
No more than 99 copies of any one spell can be learned at a time.
Rule 5.
Spell-casting uses energy. Less-experienced casters use their own energy. Those of more experience draw some of the energy from the atmosphere surrounding them.
Rule 6.
More experienced spell-casters get a greater effect from most spells.
Caveat to Rule 6.
More resistant opponents receive a lesser effect from most spells.
Rule 7. 
The time it takes to learn a spell depends on the difficulty of the spell, the magical aura of the local geography, and the intelligence of the spell- caster learning the spell.
Rule 8. 
All magic resolves itself. 
(Rule 8 is the least understood of the nine rules, and not all magic-users agree on its proper interpretation. Many say that the eighth rule is best interpreted as "What goes up must come down," and refuse to cast fireballs on anything above their heads. Others are less certain.  They worry. They gnaw their fingernails. They lose sleep. But wizards don't sleep much, anyway.) 
Rule 9.
Spell effectiveness depends on environment and circumstances.  (You won't be able to teleport from a ship's rocking deck or to fireball a merchant whose prices are too high.)
The Books of Magic
When Dreax was reimprisoned in Berbezza, only four different spell books were known in Deruvia.  Since then, another has been dis- covered, a sixth has been written by the Honorable Rimfiztrik, and the Great Ziyx is writing a seventh. 

Sabano 
Sabano is the book of conflict. Like the other books, it contains six spells. Sabano's spells all deal with the fight between the Children of Light and the Forces of Darkness. 
FEAR instills a fear of combat into an opponent for a time. The length of time depends both on the magic skill of the magic user casting the Fear spell and the resistance of the opponent who is the target.  The target will neither move nor at- tack for the duration of the Fear spell. Your party may approach and attack the target without danger-from him. But Fear does not paralyze him. He can still dodge your attacks.
CONFUSE avoids conflict when traveling through the countryside.  When enemy patrols spot your party, they will normally chase you until either you stop to fight, or you leave the area in which they perform patrol duty. A Confuse spell will cause them to forget a11 about you. Then move away quickly, before they spot you again.
SHATTER is a deadly spell in the form of an ice ball which shatters upon contact, with dozens of ice particles piercing the target. The damage varies greatly from attack to attack, but the average damage done depends on the caster's magic skill.
REPEL is the only way to resolve conflicts with the giant poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions that infest the lairs of Darkness. Not normal beasts, not even normal monsters, these creatures are constructs of Gurtex's Dark magic and cannot be harmed by weapons or other spells. Each Repel spell clears a path for one person to take one more step. You may need to cast several to clear a path for your entire party. 
LOCATE can be used either to avoid conflict or to find it. When a Locate spell is cast, the party becomes aware of all the forces of Darkness in the vicinity. It can only be cast while traveling through the countryside. Its duration depends on the skill of the caster.  
ASSESS gives you knowledge of your opponents in combat. If you are facing opponents of a type you are not familiar with, casting Assess can help you plan your strategy and your tactics. 

Ishban
Ishban is the book of change.  Some of its changes are temporary; some are permanent. 
FIREBALL changes the very air to fire, and propels it toward the chosen opponent. Like Shatter, its strength depends on the caster's skill. Unlike Shatter, its power does not vary at random. 
TELEPORT changes the location of the caster and his or her companions. Teleport can only be cast outdoors, and only where conditions are proper for it. Its range is limited by the caster's magic skill.  The most powerful mages can save several hours of travel by teleporting, but Teleport is more often used to cross impassable terrain than to save time.
HEAL changes the Stamina of its target to be as high as possible. It does not cure illness or poisoning.  For that, you need magical plants. 
WEAKEN changes the target opponent's armor to sand, and its magical shield to air. Later attacks on that opponent will then do far more damage.
VISION changes doors to glass for an instant, allowing the caster a glimpse of the room beyond. The change is too brief to provide more than a general impression. 
FREEZE changes the target's sense of time, paralyzing him or her so that neither attack nor defense is possible. The duration of the spell depends on the magic skill of the caster as well as the resistance of the target.

Demaro
Demaro is the book of protection.  Its spells are used to prevent harm, to remove obstacles, and to repair damage.
ENERGY restores the target's energy to its maximum possible.  The maximum is lower when the target is ill or poisoned.
PIERCE removes the energy fields that the powers of Darkness use to block access to vital areas of their domains.
DISAPPEAR is the spell of invisibility. The target becomes invisible for a length of time
determined by the caster's magic skill. While invisible, the target protected from enemy attack. An invisible person can attack an op- ponent with no chance of missing, but an attack at close quarters immediately makes the person visible again. Magic and missile attacks do not terminate invisibility.
WALKWATER congeals port ions of underground pools and streams, allowing the caster and his party to walk on them. It is not effective on deeper and swifter bodies of water, such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. The distance that can be covered during each walkwater spell depends on the skill of the caster. Several walkwater spells may be needed to cross a large pond, so it is important to plan ahead. 
SHIELD erects a magical shield around the target. The shield protects against magical attacks only, not against physical attacks, poison or illness. The strength of the shield depends on the caster's skill. Several shield spells can be cast upon the same target, until the shield value of the target reaches its maximum. 
RESURRECT is the most powerful spell in the Demaro book. It actually raises the dead. But it has its limits. The person to be resurrected must have been slain in combat with the forces of Darkness, and can not have been dead for very long. The Resurrect spell must be cast as soon as possible.

Zoxinn
All spells in the book of Zoxinn have names starting with the letter "Z," clearly indicating that the book has elden origins. ln the elden cul-ture, all important names start with the letter "Z." This tradition stems from a desire to show respect for the zilfins, who were the ancestors of the elden folk.
ZOFIR is the counterspell to Freeze. It removes paralysis, allowing its target to return to combat immediately.
ZAPALL throws fireballs against all the caster's opponents at once.  The fireballs are only half as powerful as those thrown against a single opponent by the Fireball spell, but still have their effect. 
ZENGRL restores their full Hit Points to all the members of the caster's party. While it can be cast during combat, it is usually more useful afterwards.
ZISHOXE is to "Shield" as Zap-all is to "Fireball." It strengthens the magical shields of everyone on the caster's side of the combat, but only half as much as an individual Shield spell would.
ZEFOAR throws a giant fireball. It damages everyone near its landing point, friend or enemy, as would a normal fireball spell. Use with care.
ZUTYUN is arguably the most powerful of Zoxinn's spells. It affects all your opponents as Weaken would affect one of them. Their armor turns to sand; their shields vanish into the air.
The Magic Candle II-The Four and Forty

Vannex 
The newly-discovered book of Vannex contains six very powerful spells. Some have come to call it "the book of stealth."
JUMP transfers a combatant instantly from one location to another within the combat arena. Jump can be used on your opponents as well as your party members, either to remove them from close combat or to place them in the heat of the fray .
DETECT marks the location of magical teleportals, so your party can use them or avoid them. Its duration depends on the caster's magic skill. 
GLAMOUR increases the target's apparent Charm, making it possible for the target to hold conversations with those who would otherwise ignore him or her. Glamour's effects wear off gradually as time passes. 
DRAIN weakens the target by inducing a small portion of the targets brain to melt. This usually causes a permanent reduction in the target's combat and magic skills. 
SEE is the counterspell to Disappear. When See is cast on an area, all invisible opponents within the area become visible once more. The size of the area affected depends on the caster's magic skill.
DISGUISE changes the appearance of your party members into the semblance of minions of Darkness. A disgusting spell, and not to be cast frivolously, Disguise will nevertheless be essential in your party's explorations. To cast Disguise, select a party member who has it ready as you enter a location where disguises are needed.

Emenad
Emenad is nearing completion.  The Great Ziyx has determined all the specifics of the spells it will contain. Magic users everywhere are eagerly awaiting the arrival of what they are already calling "the book of once."  (Emenad's spells will be of such potency that they can be cast but once in each combat encounter.)
BETRAY will cause its target to turn against his, her or its former allies. Unfortunately, targets with high resistance to magic will not be affected by Betray.
SUMMON will produce a duplicate of the target to fight on the caster's side. It will summon only creatures of very low intelligence ("beasts").
DESTROY will completely destroy almost any opponent. Only the highest-placed leaders of the forces of Darkness will be immune to Destroy's effects. Destroy will also have side effects on its caster, its potency and horror being such that casting it will remove the memory off all other spells from the caster's mind.
TERRIFY will unleash a wave of terror, causing enemies who are not brave enough or resistant enough to magic to turn and flee. Terrify, like Zutyun, is most effective if it is cast as the very first offensive move, especially when faced with a large horde of opponents. 
DOUBLE will conjure a duplicate of one of your party members.  The double will hold the same type of weapon and wear the same array of armor as the target of the spell.  The double will not be capable of casting spells or using mushrooms. 
TIMESTOP will slow down time for the casters opponents. The enemy will miss an entire combat round, letting the caster's side move for two turns in a row. 

Felmis 
The Honorable Rimfiztrik suggests that his new book Felmis be called "the book of Rimfiztrik." Most others are calling it "the book of many colors." 
ACIDBALL hurls a ball of fuming acid at its target. The damage done depends as much upon the resistance of the target as on the skill of the caster. 
FORGET causes its target, which should be a spell-caster, to lose all memory of the spell that is in the forefront of his or her mind. That spell, whatever it was, cannot be recalled again until new copies of it are learned. 
COURAGE is the counterspell to Fear, and can also be cast on a fleeing comrade to enhearten him or her to rejoin the fray.
SENSE detects ambushes before they happen. The caster will become aware of the general direction of the nearest ambush waiting within the spell's range. (The range depends on the caster's magic skill.) If you decide it proceed into the area of the sensed ambush, the enemies will lose their advantage of surprise.
RESTSOUL is an essential weapon against the undead minions of Darkness (skeletons, zombies and such). When an undead falls in combat, it is no deader than it was when the battle started. Cast Restsoul on a fallen undead foe to keep it from reanimating and rejoining the fight. The Honorable Rimfiztrik feels that Restsoul will be useful not just in combat, but in any encounter with souls of the deceased trapped on this mortal plane.
SOULSPEAK was discovered by the Honorable Rimfiztrik while he was researching Restsoul. lt makes conversations with ghosts possible.  His Honor included Soulspeak in Felmis because, as he says, "Every book should have six spells."


Rest and Recuperation

When your party is in need of rest, it is time to "Camp." Camping not only restores energy and hit points, but also provides the opportunity to learn spells, repair equipment, and hunt for food.
Where to Camp 
Some places are more suitable for camping than others. The guest room in the northwest corner of the top floor of Castle Oshcrun is best of all: the beds are soft and luxurious, and King Rebnard charges no rent. (However, it is not a suitable place to hunt for food.) The ancient elden strongholds scattered throughout Gurtex are nearly as good, and often more convenient.  The stronghold on Oshcrun Island is due north of Telermain. On the continent of Gurtex, several strongholds are known to exist, but their specific locations are uncertain.
Guesthouses also provide comfortable beds, safety from attack, and sufficient light for reading spell books and repairing weapons and armor. But they charge rent for their protection and amenities. On Oshcrun Island, there are guesthouses in Telermain and Ketrop.  You may find others on the mainland of Gurtex. 
You can camp while sailing on ships. Rest in your cabin on your way to, from and around Gurtex. It's probably the best way to spend your time, rather than gazing over the rail at the boundless deep. (Dwarves, however, are prone to seasickness, and will usually spend their time leaning over the rail, feeding the boundless deep.)
Real camping takes place in the great outdoors. Outside the towns and villages and castles, you can pitch your tents, gaze at the stars, and wait for monsters to attack. It's not so comfortable, and it's dangerous, but it does give you a chance to hunt for food and feel like real adventurers.
Finally, you can camp in the rooms in dungeons and towers where you have defeated the minions of Darkness. The smells of the former inhabitants, and the warnings they have scrawled upon the doors, almost always keep the neighbors away.
In other locations, such as shops and city streets, the "Camp" command is also available. But actual camping is not possible: all the party members can do is put on and take off their clothing and armor.

Camp Activities 
When you decide to camp, several activities are possible for the party members. "Use," "Recall" and "Magic" function as always to use an item, recall a magic spell and cast the spell that the selected party member has in memory.  "Put" puts armor, clothing and other equipment ion. "Off" takes it off. These activities are always available, even when the location is not really appropriate for pitching camp. 
When camping is appropriate, assign activities to the party members. Depending on the location, they can "Sleep," "Learn," "Fix," "Watch" or "Hunt:  "Sleep" is often the very reason for camping. Sleep restores hit points and energy. Party members who are ill, or poisoned, or hungry, or seasick, will not get the full benefits of sleep until their problems are taken care of.  (Seasick dwarves are simply going to be seasick. There's nothing they can do until you reach dry land.) Out in the wilderness, sleeping will not be completely effective unless the party members are carrying blankets to protect them from the weather or one of them is a very good carpenter who can erect a temporary shelter for the group.
While most of the party is sleeping, those who own spell books can stay awake and "Learn" spells.  Select the spell you want the magic-user to learn copies of. Later, while camping, you might want to stop and pick another spell or let the party member go to sleep.  When the party has acquired several spell books, you can use the Status Screens' "Transfr" command to switch the books around so that everyone can learn a wide selection of spells.
If the party has been in combat, their weapons and armor might need repair. Use the Status Screens' "Inven" command to check for wear and tear ("W-T"). As wear and tear increase, things are likely to break and become useless. If you see a problem, assign a party member to "Fix" the equipment. Better metalsmiths fix things faster, and will soon have everyone's equipment repaired and be ready to go to sleep.
When the party is camping in the wilderness, there is both danger and opportunity. The minions of Darkness wander the wilds, so it is al-ways a good idea to have a party member stand "Watch" to prevent ambushes. (They say that Oshcrun Island is now safe. Do you feel lucky?)
On the other hand, the proper kinds of terrain are ripe for hunting.  Forests and grasslands are full of edible vegetation and meat. (Ice fields and rocky deserts aren't, so pick your camping spot carefully.) Assign some of your party members to "Hunt." You may find that you finish camping with enough food to take to town and sell.

Resting in Camp 
When the party members have been assigned their camp activities ("Sleep," "Learn," "Fix," "Watch" and "Hunt"), the "Begin" command starts the camp activities.  (The "Begin" command is not needed when sailing on a ship. See "On Shipboard" below.) After you "Begin," the camp activities continue until you "Stop:' You may "Stop," assign party members to different activities, then "Begin" again, as long as you want. Or, after you "Stop," you can "End" the camp, pack up, and proceed with the game.
On Shipboard
When your party is camping on board a ship, things are different.  (Things are always different on board a ship. People say "port" and "starboard," "fore" and "aft.") When you have assigned your party members to "Sleep," "Learn" and "Fix," just move the ship where you want it to go. You don't need to "Begin" camping. You can reassign the party members to other activities at any time the ship is sailing. But, before you disembark, remember to "End" your camping activities.


Geography of Gurtex

The land of Gurtex has been a mystery to scholars and topographers for many eons. Although legends speak of the days when Children of Light freely roamed the continent, Gurtex, throughout most of recorded history, has been home to the Forces of Darkness.  Due to the hostile nature of this desolate land and its inhabitants, few have ever ventured into it to explore and study. Fewer still have come back. Consequently, the information supplied here, as well as the Map of Gurtex you hold in your possession, are inevitably incomplete.
Much of what is known about Gurtex comes from old records and journals found in our libraries. Therefore, even if one accepts that 
they describe Gurtex accurately as it was then, it cannot be assumed that they are valid today. What is known for certain is that Gurtex 
is vast, and most of its inhabitants did not look upon the Children of Light favorably. It is also safe to assume that the 
elden strongholds built in the days when eldens still ruled Gurtex are still there. These strongholds were built with mighty elden
magic. Thus they are immune to the wear and tear of time, and to misuse by the current inhabitants of Gurtex. Within an 
elden stronghold, one is always protected from all threats of Darkness. It is generally believed that the eldens built a stronghold in each 
one of the regions of Gurtex. The exact locations of these strongholds are not known any more; the only stronghold of which we have
knowledge is on the Island of Oshcrun.

Following is a list of all the regions of Gurtex as we know it. As you will have gathered by now, this is surely not a complete list.
However, it is what we know today.

The western end of the continent is relatively less hostile, covered with lush grasslands and dense pine forests. The upper part of 
this section is called North Misor; the lower parts South Misor.

To the east of Misor are the Demonspine Mountains. These mountains divide the continent from north to south. There are a
number of passes which allow travel from east to west and west to east. However, it is safe to assume most of these passes will be
guarded by greedy trolls, and therefore unsafe for travel.

South of the Demonspine is a large jungle. Little is known about it and what lives within it.  This region of mostly dense jungle is known as Ruul. 
East of the Demonspine the continent narrows considerably where the northern coast is about three days walking distance from the southern coast. This region is called the Throat of Gurtex, rather appropriately. It is said that creatures with the bodies of men and the heads of bulls roam these parts.
Beyond the Throat is Mandarg, the heart of Gurtex, and the source of all evil. Mandarg is split in half, from west to east, by a great chasm.  From the middle of this chasm arises a single mountain of overwhelming height and power: Mount Mandarg. On top of Mount Mandarg sits Castle Katarra, seat of the ruler of the Forces of Darkness in the world. There is no known way to access Castle Katarra from the surface. It is generally believed the only access to it is through the Caverns of Mandarg underneath the mountain. 
North of Mandarg is a vast area of mostly bare tundra. If this region has a name, it is not known to us.  We simply refer to it as the Tundra.
The peninsula south of Mandarg is covered by dense jungle, known as the Jungle of Sariss. It is believed that in the golden age of the eldens, there was in fact a settlement of eldens deep within this jungle, far from all the distractions of civilization, dedicated to scholarly studies and research. It is safe to assume that this particular cradle of wisdom is now nothing more than a ruin.
Krum is the name given to the region northeast of Mandarg. Mostly covered with mountains, ice plains, and freezing, bare deserts, it is an area ft only for trolls. And trolls are probably exactly who lives there.
Southeast of Mandarg, the climate and terrain are no more pleasant.  The Swamplands of Kar'lomug are extremely hostile to live in or pass through. The horrors who make Kar'lomug their home are briefly referred to by an explorer who briefly landed there many years ago. He failed to elaborate, and soon afterwards died of a mysterious fever.


Known Inhabitants of Gurtex

Little enough is known of the dire continent of Gurtex and its inhabitants. The available facts and rumors may aid your party in its ex-plorations.
The Rulers 
The legends say that, when the Archdemon Dreax traveled to Deruvia many ages ago, the demon Zakhad was left behind to maintain the powers of Darkness in Gurtex.  That, over the ages, Zakhad's powers grew and Darkness flourished. That, by now, Zakhad's powers would rival those of Dreax himself.
Most believe that the legends are true, and that Zakhad now rules Gurtex from his castle atop Mount Mandarg. It is certainly the case that the powers of Darkness have the lands of Gurtex firmly in their grip. 
The demon Zakhad is believed to be an absolute tyrant, but even tyrants have hierarchies of inferiors to enforce their wills. At the lowest level, the leaders of small troops of the minions of Darkness are the Zorlims, sometimes known in Deruvia as "goblin monks." 
Above zorlims are ranked the Jerrahs, who are even more fearsome spell-casters. Between the jerrahs and Zakhad himself, nothing is 
really known. If Zakhad in fact rules on Mount Mandarg, then he certainly has Hibliss sorcerers laboring for him in the cavems
beneath.

Other demons known to us from the Berbezza quest, such as Zumagins and Gaems, are likely to have their places in Gurtex's ruling classes as well.
The Ruled
The common citizenry of Gurtex seems to consist primarily of the familiar Orcs and Goblins. And the bulk of the troops under the com-
mand of the forces of Darkness, as well. There are believable reports of communities of humans and of dwarves-perhaps even elves-on
the continent of Gurtex. Whether they are unwilling slaves of the forces of Darkness or active collaborators with them is not known.
Among the troops of Darkness slain on Oshcrun Island were small fox-faced archers called Tekhirs, a race unknown to Deruvia. Evidence of other, more familiar races-Trolls, Domugs and Gnolls-has been found. It is likely that Gurtex also contains Minotaurs and Ogres. 
One can certainly expect to find numbers of the monstrous Hibliss creations that were sent to plague Deruvia and, more recently, Maramon. Monsters like the Barg, the Fermigon and the Mongor undoubtedly roam the lairs of Darkness in and below Gurtex. 
The Others 
As everywhere, Gurtex contains dangers that are neither leaders of Darkness nor under Darkness' command. The deserts will have their Sandgus. The tunnels and swamps will have their Slimes. Our captives have told of a sub-human (even sub-orcish) race called the Urgodots, who hate the Children of Light and the Forces of Darkness with equal passion, and, according to the captives, are not very fond of other urgodots, either.
Finally, there are the undead.  True, Skeletons and Zombies are produced by Darkness-by the darkest of Dark magic. True, Ghouls could not exist were it not for the miasma of Darkness that pervades Gurtex. Nonetheless, they cannot be called "Servants of Darkness." Their mindless ferocity, driven by their furious despair, knows no master. It is truly fortunate that the Honorable Rimfiztrik has developed a way to deal with the undead as befits the Children of Light.


The Party Leader

The leader of your party, your hero, is, of course, the ranger from Pheron who restored the Magic Candle in Berbezza. But there is much leeway in that description.
As the game begins, your hero is the only member of your party. He or she will always be your most important party member. Therefore, you will probably want to give some role-playing thought to the kind of person you want your hero to be . 
If you bring your hero and other characters from The Magic Candle-Volume I, you already know very well what sort of person he or she is. Otherwise, you have five different personality profiles to choose from. 
A.	The Woodsman 
After Berbezza, the Woodsman returned to the forests of Pheron.  Although he has always been welcome at the castle, he has preferred the life of a solitary ranger, spending most of his nights under the northern stars. He has remained a firm friend of the Great Ziyx, and has learned quite a bit of magic from the old wizard. The Woodsman's personality profile is much what one would expect of a lifelong ranger. His preferred weapon is his brom bow.  His wilderness skills-tracking, hunting, stealth, swimming-are well-developed. He comes to Telermain wearing leather armor over his suede jacket and trousers. His purse contains 500 coins, some blue Maramon pearls and a ruby from the Dermagud mines. His pack holds a good supply of food, healing potions and sermin mushrooms.
B.	The Huntress
Over the past ten years, the Huntress might have been found in any of the forests of Deruvia: from Pheron to Yberton; from Fiztraz to Shendy. But she has seldom stayed long away from the great forest of Trilliad and the elves of Theldair.  She is the only human member of the Court of Queen Fay, and has learned much magic from the elven Queen and the wise sorceress Somona.
The personality profile of the Huntress is typical of an experienced ranger. She is a good archer, and is never seen without her brom bow. Not only a good hunter, she is also skilled at tracking, swimming, and even the elven skill of soulreading. As she steps onto the Telermain pier, she wears a suede jacket and skirt with leather armor. Five rubies, some blue pearls, and 300 coins are in her purse; plenty of food, sermin mushrooms and healing potions are in her pack. 
C.	The Warrior 
Once the demon Dreax was reimprisoned in the Magic Candle's flame, the Warrior and his five companions returned to King Rebnard's castle. Since then, the Warrior has been a valued member of the court, assisting Lord Rexor and Commander Grolf in their duties, notably the training of recruits. Although he has not completely forgotten the ranger's skills of his youth, the Warrior's personality profile now more resembles that of a fighting man. Although he prefers to wield a sword, he is also proficient with the axe and bow. From his dealings with the suppliers of the castle's stores, he has become quite a good trader. The Warrior's arrival in Telermain sees him dressed in wool, wearing chain mail, with a longsword at his side and a bronze helmet on his head. His purse holds 150 coins and a few gems. He is well-supplied with food, herbs and mushrooms. 
D.	The Swordswoman 
Restoring the Magic Candle dispirited the remaining minions of Darkness in Deruvia, but it didn't make them vanish. Now, ten years later, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Swordswoman, few traces of the foul invaders remain.  The island of Fubernel was particularly troublesome, and the Swordswoman found herself among the halflings of Bondell for quite some time. Much of the Swordswoman's early ranger training has been forgotten, and her personality profile could easily be mistaken for that of a fighter. Her sword skill is well developed, and she is no stranger to the axe and the bow. Her time among the halflings imbued her with more than a little of their innate trading skills. She arrives in Telermain wearing a woolen outfit topped with a suit of chain mail and a bronze helmet.  On her back is sheathed her longsword. With several gems, 250 coins, and plenty of food, herbs and mushrooms, she is prepared to face Gurtex.
E.	The Minstrel
Shortly after the doings at Berbezza, the leader of Deruvia's greatest heroes went away. Not even his closest friends knew where he had gone. For three years there was no word of him. Then, one day, a vagabond Minstrel walked into the courtyard of King Rebnard's castle. He was immediately recognized as the lost hero, and was welcomed heartily. But the Minstrel did not bear the welcome well, and even insisted on singing for his supper.  Since then, the Minstrel has wandered the land, always welcome, never staying long.  During the "missing years," many of the Minstrel's ranger skills were lost, even as he became a superb musician. He is still a good swordsman, and has become a decent trader, as well.  In search of something he has never disclosed, the Minstrel now arrives in Telermain, bearing his lyre and flute along with an assortment of armor, clothing, food and other supplies.

Cast of Characters

Although ten years have passed since the restoration of the Candle in Berbezza, ten years is not such a long time-especially in the lives of elves and wizards. Many of your hero s companions and advisors in the earlier quest are still active in the affairs of Deruvia and, now, Gurtex.
The King and His Court 
King Rebnard, as you know, now holds court in Castle Oshcrun on Oshcrun Island, off the west coast of Gurtex. Also in residence are His 
Majesty's beloved wife, Queen Alishia, and Their Majesties' young son, Prince Jemil, a delightful child and the heir apparent to the 
throne. 

The king's uncle, Lord Banas, and cousin, Lady Subia, have traveled to Oshcrun and are members of the court. Lord Rexor, 
whom you remember as "Sir Rexor," remains in Pheron, overseeing the realms of the Deruvias. 

Lord Belazar never recovered from his illness of ten years ago, and died soon after the Honorable Mikemira. They both lie in the 
Royal Cemetery in Pheron.
 
The king's chief advisor now is Lord Bhardagast. Sadly, the ten years have taken their toll on the wise Lord. His health is failing, and 
he is confined to his chambers in Castle Oshcrun. However, his wits are as sharp as ever, usually.

Recent additions to the circle of His Majesty's advisors are Lord Shannor, Sir Loren and young Sir Alex, a protege of Lord Banas.

The Honorable Truk succeeded to the post of Court Magician after the Honorable Rimfiztrik's retirement. More on Rimfiztrik below.

Commander Grolf still leads the Royal Guard. However, now that Oshcrun Island has been pacified, and much of the Royal Guard has
been temporarily assigned to construction work, the good Commander has more than once expressed the desire to turn the
Guard over to a lieutenant and to go adventuring in Gurtex, while he still has his strength.

Mention should be made of the Crystal Castle, the seat of government of Lower Deruvia. Queen Crystyn the Farsighted still reigns
there, with the able assistance of good Lord Nagi. King Rebnard has invited Queen Crystyn to visit Castle Oshcrun. Her Majesty's reply has not yet been received. 

Adventurers 
Most of King Rebnard's knights remain in Deruvia, Sir Brontos and Sir Levnkor among them. There they do good works, protect the weak, and provide just governance.  Sir Gustron is one who has traveled to Castle Oshcrun. He has fully recovered from the injuries that prevented him from joining your hero's quest of ten years ago, and is eager to face the forces of Darkness in Gurtex. 
Your hero's childhood companion Nazim has been seen recently in Telermain. Reports are that he sailed to Gurtex with a Captain Turgut, heading for the southern Neirwood. 
The mercenaries of ten years past have gone their ways, sometimes appearing in times of trouble.  Amad's whereabouts are unknown.  Rasul the Tailor is said to have perished on the Isle of Maramon.  Ben is known to have come to Oshcrun Island, but he has not been seen in many weeks. 
Wizards 
The Great Ziyx said ten years ago that he would be satisfied to go on one grand adventure, and it appears that he spoke the truth. After the Candle at Berbezza was restored, Ziyx went into seclusion, the better for his research and study.  When King Rebnard sailed to Oshcrun Island, the Great Ziyx sailed with him, in a cabin full of books, scrolls and magical paraphernalia. He now lives and works on an island northeast of Oshcrun, in an ancient building-possibly elden in origin-surrounded by magical wards to keep the minions of Darkness at bay. He welcomes visiting Children of Light, but makes a strong distinction between "visitors" and "houseguests."
Ten years ago, the Honorable Rimfiztrik was the Court Magician for King Rebnard, as you will recall. As an advisor, he served well, when he remembered to attend the council meetings. As a protector, he served well, although many of the servants recall the weeks spent scrubbing the soot off the castle walls after the times the waters of the moat burst into flames. As an entertainer at the royal feasts, he served well, even though the many doves he plucked from visiting lords' ears and visiting ladies' bosoms became a burden to those same servants and a danger to those guests who chanced to sit directly beneath the rafters of the great dining hall.
One day, eight or nine years ago, the king called his wizard for a private audience. "Have you ever considered retirement, Fiz?" His Majesty wondered.
"I thought you'd never ask!" Rimfiztrik replied. "Can I have the doves back? There's something about the eighth rule of magic . . . or the ninth, maybe."
"By all means, and welcome," said the king. "And please keep your lodgings in our castle," His Majesty continued, knowing that the rooms would be impossible to clean out if Rimfiztrik left.  So the Honorable Truk replaced the Honorable Rimfiztrik, and "Fiz" closeted himself in his chambers.  When the king sailed across the Sea of Oshmar, Rimfiztrik stayed behind. But not more than a month ago, a small fishing boat docked in Telermain, and the Honorable Rimfiztrik stepped ashore, carrying a large book bound in shiny leather under his arm. "I suppose that's the castle up there?" he asked, pointing to Castle Oshcrun on its hill west of the town. The townsfolk agreed.  There weren't any other castles. Not between Yberton and Mandarg.
The wizard nodded, then trudged through the town gates and up the hill to the castle. At length, Rimfiztrik entered the throne room. He bowed to the king, then raised the leather-bound book in both hands.  "Behold the Book of Felmis!" 
"That's very nice, Fiz," said the king. "And very shiny. I suppose it's a book of magic? Oh, and it's good to see you again. Make yourself at home. What does the book do?" 
Rimfiztrik tucked the book back under his arm. "It's a very powerful book, Your Majesty. I researched and wrote it myself. I'm glad to see you again, and hope Her Majesty and His Highness the prince are well. The baby was a boy, wasn't it? The book wasn't designed to be so shiny; it just came out that way.  But it's full of very, very powerful spells. I'm sure they'll work wonders. I really can't wait to try them out. That's why I came to Gurtex, after all. Wouldn't want to try these spells at home." 
And now Rimfiztrik waits impatiently in Castle Oshcrun for the chance to try out his new spell book. Sometimes he wishes that he had remembered to bring his other old spell books from Deruvia.
Other wizards are known to have traveled from the Deruvias across the sea in search of wealth and knowledge. Garlin and other ship-masters report that Eflun, Madir and Tamas have sailed the Sea of Oshmar. Dokar is still in Deruvia, as any dwarf will confirm. He sear-ches the mines and caverns for traces of the eldens and other ancient races; for their knowledge and, the dwarves claim, for their priceless treasures.
Another passenger across the Sea of Oshmar - one whom Garlin the Blue says he would rather forget forever-was none other than the mad wizard of Thakass Tower. "We were docked in Knessos," says Garlin. "The holds were full, and we were waiting for the tides to rise, and for the crew to return from their liberty. I stood on the forecastle, hoping the crew would return before the tide crested. Suddenly, I noticed a hand next to mine on the rail. I jerked to my left, and saw a figure dressed in black standing next to me. `The ducks are dead,' said the figure, `All the ducks are dead. The tower is empty. I must go to Gurtex to save the moon. You will take me. Did you know my name? I didn't know my name. My name is Strephonio. I don't know my name. I wish I knew my name.  The ducks are dead. The moon is dying. You will take me to Gurtex.' The black figure handed me a pouch of emeralds and pearls.  Enough to buy ten passages to Gurtex, and we were going to Gurtex, or at least Oshcrun lsland, anyway.  I made the mad wizard comfortable in my cabin, and, for that trip, I slept on deck. We stopped at Gurtex to let the mad wizard debark. I moved back into my cabin just long enough to cross the channel to Oshcrun lsland with our cargo." 
Elves 
From Theldair, Queen Fay still rules the elves of Deruvia. Prince Nethien travels through the Deruvian forests to impart and enforce her wishes. The princess Lupi is said to have traveled to Gurtex, for purposes known only to herself.
The great sorceress Somona is missing again. Before she last left Theldair, she spoke of secrets from long ago, even before the time of the eldens. 
Of your hero's other elvish friends and acquaintances, Eldai and Nehor have been seen in Telermain in recent months, as has Gilondo of Theldair. Alhan was much smitten with the lovely Elledrin. They live together now in the Deruvian forest of Selderad.
Dwarves
Stalwart Prince Dalin now rules the dwarves in the mines of Bedangidar in Lower Deruvia. The dwarven lord Yulig serves as His Highness's ambassador to the human courts of Deruvia.
Ten years ago, to much acclaim, Sakar was appointed to lead the western dwarves in their recovery of the mines of Dermagud. Nine years and some months ago, it became obvious to all, including Sakar himself, that his talents did not lie in the field of mine administration. When he heard of King Rebnard's plan to face the forces of Darkness in Gurtex itself, Sakar was at the head of the line of volunteers. He has been of great value to the king in the pacification of Oshcrun Island, and even now is busy investigating the subcellars of the reclaimed castle.
Kruga appeared at the Crystal Castle ten years ago from parts unknown to volunteer for the Berbezza quest. Soon after the Magic Candle was restored, Kruga vanished just as mysteriously.
As for Rogga the Swift, he has traveled far and wide. When the famous statue of Merg cracked its right arm, Rogga repaired it. When the halflings of Bondell were menaced by the Last of the Ogres, Rogga slew the monster. All the Deruvias know the wandering dwarf. And it seems that all of Gurtex will know him soon: he was seen in Telermain, not long ago in the company of the mercenary Ben. 
Halflings 
Once word of the liberation of Oshcrun Island reached Deruvia, a curious thing happened. Halflings throughout the lands, even those most inclined to stay in their cozy homes with their well-stocked larders, began to develop a desire to "see Oshcrun," to "help the king." "Tonton would have wanted us to help," they said, referring to the famed teacher who died of a sudden illness in Bondell at the very time that the first troops were crossing the Sea of Oshmar. 
So, even as the walls of Telermain were being repaired and the rooms of Castle Oshcrun were being refurbished, the halflings began to arrive on Oshcrun Island. North of the castle they made a village. They built their homes and opened their shops. They called the village "Ketrop." Your hero's old friend Jimbo lives there, as do Miko and his family. 
Min owns a clothing store in Telermain, and Nimmo can also be found in the rebuilt town. 
Other Acquaintances 
As you know, Captain Garlin has been plying the Sea of Oshmar in the Pheron Lady with passengers and supplies since King Rebnard's plans first went into action. The strain of the last trip has put the "Lady" into drydock. Meanwhile, Garlin has acquired a smaller vessel, the Destiny, suitable for raiding forays against Gurtex's western coast.
The monks of Deruvia are, in general, little interested in adventure. But many of them are highly interested in gaining new knowledge. The prospect of finding the lost wisdom of Gurtex was a challenge that many accepted, al-though they wisely gave up their berths on the first few ships to more soldierly volunteers. Father Orbonn of Port Avur was among those who chose to accompany the king; Father Gostav chose to stay home. 
Many other Children of Light have ventured to Oshcrun Island; some even to Gurtex itself. Your hero will be well-advised to seek them out. And it is said that Gurtex, even over the ages of the rule of Darkness, still holds some hidden enclaves of Light. The search for them may well be worth your while.


Recommended Strategies

While there is no one fixed way for your hero to wind through the lands of Gurtex, there are some general rules that will make his or her way easier. Of course, you are free to ignore these guidelines and to play the characters' roles as you will.

About the "Magic Candle" Series 
Before we talk about specific techniques in The Magic Candle II, let's step back and talk generally about the "Magic Candle" series and other computer role-playing games. 

Many computer role-playing games use the same procedures as the traditional paper-and-pencil, dice-and-miniature non-computer games. You "roll up" a group of adventurers, then send them into the tunnels and dungeons to kill the dragons and trolls, grab their treasures and hope you get enough "experience" to go up a "level." Along the way, you learn what your adventurers need to do for you to win the game, so they finally go up enough "levels" to be able to do it, and you win, and you hope that your adventurers can bring all their magical weapons, wands and crowns along with them to the next game in the series. It's great fun, and we at Mindcraft enjoy
the traditional games as much as anyone else.

But the "Magic Candle" series is different. Your hero, and his or her potential companions and hirelings, already exist. For the most part, they are faithful subjects of King Rebnard, and they have their own talents, jobs and skills. Your task is not so much to raise your party
members' "levels" as to choose the right party members and use them effectively. Of course, you will often want to improve your party members' skills, either by training or by practice. But, when you need a good spellcaster, gemcutter or archer, it is usually more effective to find a good one than to send a mediocre one to school. Ideally, you can do both.

In many ways, The Magic Candle II is a story-a story that you help create. And the story is more than: "And then Lukas killed some orcs. And then he killed some goblins. And then some more orcs happened along, and he killed them, too." Everything you order your party to do should have a purpose, and the story will grow. 
Using the Companions 
While hirelings must always accompany the hero until they are dismissed, the hero's companions may do many different things.  Imagine that your party has been cleansing the cellars of Castle Oshcrun, and finds itself low on spells and supplies. The wizard Rimfiztrik is in your party, and you know that the halflings in Ketrop (whom you were sensible enough not to invite into the cellars) have good Trading skills. Rather than have Rimfiztrik follow your hero from shop to shop, go to Telermain.  Take Rimfiztrik to the Wizards' Lodge, and assign him to learn spells. Then go to Ketrop, invite a halfling trader to join the party, and go shopping. The halfling's good Trading skill will get the best prices. Then assign the halfling to work at a trade or to train in a skill-lockpicking, perhaps, or more skill in trading-and, if necessary, let the rest of the party wait until Rimfiztrik has had 24 hours to learn spells. The time can well be spent hunting for food in the grasslands and forests between Ketrop and Telermain. Return to the Wizards' Lodge, invite Rimfiztrik to join the party again, and go on to the next adventure. 
Over the course of The Magic Candle II, you will find as many as 31 different characters willing to join your hero's quest. They all have their special talents. Manage them well.
Conversation
It's not really a strategy, it's a policy. Talk to everyone who doesn't attack. The interesting conversations will be recorded in your automatic notes. But even the boring people may have information you can use. (If it isn't obvious, the boring people are the ones who want to talk about the weather.) Important people-King Rebnard and the court, the Great Ziyx, and others-are concerned about your quest. As it progresses, they will have different things to tell you.
Combat and Death
You may find yourself in a situation where your party seems to be completely overmatched. There are several possibilities. First, examine your party's spells, herbs and mushrooms. using them to their maximum effect may be just enough to defeat the foe. Second, remember the conversations your party has had. There may be a clue that allows you to avoid the combat completely. Third, consider other options. Flight or bribery might rescue the party when combat would destroy them. Finally, there is the possibility that, yes, the party is completely overmatched. They wandered into a situation for which they were completely unprepared. We hope that you have saved your game frequently, and in safe places, because you'll need your saved games now. 
Reminders 
Save your game often. Whenever you're trying to decide what to do next, save your game. Whenever your party is at a safe stopping point, save your game. Whenever your party is about to do something scary, save your game. That's three saved games. You have eight positions available. Use them all.  When your party is on the high seas, spend the time camping-learning spells, fixing equipment, or just sleeping-instead of looking at the blank horizon. 
Give mindstones to those on assignment so you can keep track of their progress. This is particularly important for companions assigned to travel to a distant location: if they are captured and imprisoned by the forces of Darkness during their journey, you will know where to find them.
Ambushes can be deadly. While camping in the wilderness, avoid them by having someone stand watch. When the party is groping through dark corridors, you can depend on Tracking skill-never completely dependable-or you can use magic to seek out the ambushers before they find you.


Tips for the Early Game

The "Quick Start" chapter presents one way to start the game.  There are many others. Remember that Oshcrun Island has been sub- dued, except for the depths below Castle Oshcrun, and that your hero has been assured that it is safe to explore the surface of the island.
Naturally, one of the first things you should do is to report to King Rebnard. His Majesty will be very happy to see your hero. Things are going well, so His Majesty will have no emergency orders. But there are a few minor matters. . .
Sailing to Gurtex right away is possible, but ill-advised. Sailing close to Gurtex, on the other hand . . . (Think "Island." Think "Great Wizard.") 
There are more than enough valiant warriors and crafty spellcasters on the island to fill out your party. Not only in the castle's Knights' Room, but elsewhere in the castle. And in Ketrop. And in the taverns of Telermain. And where is Sakar? (Actually, there are a lot of valiant warriors, but only one crafty spellcaster: the Honorable Rimfiztrik. And he's not really very crafty. But he's enthusiastic. . . .) 
Once you have five or six adventurers gathered, go shopping.  (Valiant halfling warriors are particularly good at this. For some reason, they like it even better than trudging through ice-bound mountain passes and fighting ten-foot-tall trolls.) Provide sufficient supplies and equipment for your party. You don't want to run out of sermin mushrooms or healing potions in the middle of a battle. Good armor, sturdy weapons, mushrooms, potions, herbs, map flasks and their pearls, picks for locks, and at least one shovel are necessary for survival and success.
When you are short of funds, consider putting some companions to work. (Valiant halfling warriors immediately come to mind.) There are opportunities to earn money in Telermain and in Ketrop, and you can quickly fill the party back up with other stalwarts. But don't let the working companions get bored.  Invite them back into the party from time to time. Take them shopping.
If you "Bring" characters from The Magic Candle-Volume I and The Keys to Marmon, you will probably have a party capable of braving dire Gurtex as soon as you locate a few companions. But don't neglect Oshcrun Island. It has secrets that must be discovered before Gurtex can be conquered.  If you start a "New" game without bringing characters from other Mindcraft games, it may be advisable to "Assign" companions to train in skills and to learn spells at the Wizard's Lodge in Telermain before your party sails to Gurtex.  Perhaps even before they go too deep below Castle Oshcrun.  Finally-it's been said before-"Talk" to everybody. If you don't ask, you'll never learn.


The Gods of Gurtex

The gods of the Deruvias-Valon, Sur and the rest-have little power across the eastern sea. In Gurtex, the older gods hold sway, even those whose worshippers are dead and forgotten. Some knowledge of these ancient gods and goddesses remains.
Marior, the God of the Sea 
Ages ago, when the Children of  Light lived in both Deruvia and Gurtex, Marior protected the ships sailing between the continents. When Marior was pleased, the weather was good, the fish were abundant, and the blue Maramon pearls glowed with a comforting light. Now Marior has been forgotten. The Sea of Oshmar is never calm. The fisher trade is hard. The pearls do not have their glow. All gods have symbols, icons that decorate their temples and resting places. Marior's symbol was a shining blue seahorse, his steed as he rode the waves of the eastern sea. 
Rhokan, the God of Wealth 
When the Children of Light lived in Gurtex, the Tarhgur Mountains (known to humans as the Demonspine) were the home of dwarvenkind. Rhokan guided the dwarves to the richest lodes and inspired their metalworkers and jewelers. When the Forces of Darkness drove the dwarves away, Rhokan hid in the deepest cavern beneath the highest mountain peak, beyond the ken of Darkness and Light alike. Rhokan's symbol was a cut, but unpolished, jewel. The icon represented the wealth hidden in the earth, and the effort needed to realize it.
Oraniana, the Goddess of Forests
"Goddess of Forests" is not adequate to describe Oraniana. She is the goddess of everything that the elves of Gurtex held dear. But, when Gurtex was overrun by the Forces of Darkness, the surviving elves (so the legends say) lost the magic they needed to worship Oraniana properly. Oraniana now languishes, awaiting her worshippers, while Gurtex slowly turns to desert. The icon of Oraniana was a green, flourishing tree.
Nerelnes, the God of Opportunity
Nerelnes was ever a god of mystery. Many argue his existence; many flatly deny it. The halflings know better. Halflings do not talk about Nerelnes-perhaps that is why they talk so much about everything else. But they know. Somewhere to the east, somewhere to the south, Nerelnes sleeps. "Somewhere he should not be," the halflings giggle among themselves. "In someone else's bed, with one eye half open." A pointing finger is the symbol of Nerelnes. "There it is," says the icon. "Go get it. Use it. Enjoy it."
Senvara, the Shield Goddess of the Altesens
Very little is known about the Altesens, even by those who suspect that the Altesens even exist. The sages surmise that the Altesens worship, as the other races do; some say they worship many gods, but none know of any but one. Senvara. The goddess who protects the Altesens from the Forces of Darkness and the Children of Light alike. Her symbol is thought to be a simple shield. 
Senvara may be a myth. Marior, Rhokan, Oraniana and Nerelnes are almost forgotten. But three others thrive in Gurtex. Learn of them and beware. 
Ghartel, the God of Glorious Death 
The minions of Darkness who inhabit Gurtex worship the god Ghartel. Ghartel is a god of blood and glory, very appealing to the strong and simple-minded. His worshippers believe that those who die in worthy combat are treated to a period of exquisite delight before returning again to the world of blood and glory. The symbol of Ghartel is a raw, bleeding heart, ripped from its host's body and gushing with red, red blood.
Balene, the Goddess of Furious Vengeance
Many ages ago, long before the forces of Darkness drove the Children of Light from Gurtex, long before the Children of Light arose or the forces of Darkness were created, the eldens peopled the world. Many ages ago, the gods and goddesses we know were not yet born. The gods and goddesses of that time are long since gone, as are the eldens. Yet a few, a very few, remain.
The ancient god Vorhamme, of the thunder and the flame, is long gone and long forgotten. But two remnants of Vorhamme's legacy survive. One - the great sword Brennix, forged by Vorhamme in the fiery depths of Mount Mandarg - is known to all. The other, Vorhamme's elden bride Balene, is known to only the innermost circles of the forces of Darkness. Only they know the true story of Brennix and the betrayal of Vorhamme, and only they can understand the fury of the beloved Balene. Only they know the meaning of her icon: a silver dagger lying on a folded gray cloak. 
Fronnoxx, the God of Jubilant Destruction
Fronnoxx, the ever-newborn god, the child of Ghartel and Balene forever, is the source and the result of his parents' power. His worship-pers are few but powerful. His energy is tremendous, and he uses it to see how much damage the world can take before it is destroyed. The symbol of Fronnoxx is the very pair of fiery swords that he wields in his path of destruction.

Legends Of Gurtex
Far too little is known or remembered of Gurtex. Once it was home to the Children of Light, and King Rebnard hopes to make it so again.  But few reports remain of those times, nor can few reports be found of the far longer ages of Darkness. These summaries of the known legends may or may not be of use.
The War of the Gods 
Many, many ages ago, before the orcs and goblins, before the elves and dwarves, when even the eldens were young, the ancient gods each desired to rein over the vast continent of Gurtex.
(The Deruvian elves and dwarves both have this legend, although the details differ somewhat. They agree that the struggle occurred before the birth of the gods of Deruvia, except perhaps Hissen, who always remains a mystery.)

The gods' war over Gurtex was furious indeed. Many of the ancient gods were slain entirely, never to be known to today's Children of Light or Minions of Darkness. Others were banished to the surrounding islands, or far across the seas. At last, the struggle came down to Ghartel and his beloved bride, Balene, his most hated enemy.

Each seized an end of the great continent, seeking to wrench it from the other's grasp and claim the whole. The earth shook. The oceans roiled. Gurtex itself screamed in pain and despair. With a noise the like of which has never been heard since, the land itself collapsed, nearly sundered. The goddess fell beneath it; the god sprawled on top; both lay in an exhausted truce.

And so they remain. Ghartel rules the surface of Gurtex; Balene reigns over the depths beneath. And, as the signs of their struggle, the great rifts in the land remain: the deep Slash of Krum and the giant Chasm of Mandarg.

Mount Mandarg
Gods being as they are, and as they always have been, the battle between Ghartel and Balene for the rule of Gurtex was more than a war. Not just a struggle. A courtship. A debate. A rape. A betrayal. A seduction.

And the results were more than the two rifts in the land. From the great Chasm of Mandarg was
brought forth Mount Mandarg, the seat of Darkness in the world from then until the present day. And from the womb of Balene was brought forth the dread god Fronnoxx for the first time. 
Over the ages, the minions of Darkness filed to Mount Mandarg.  For each that entered, it is said, a score emerged. And, it is said, for each that entered, a hibliss was created. Perhaps by transformation; more likely by eternal sacrifice to the ever-reborn god Fronnoxx.  Each hibliss began creating his monsters; fermigons, mongors, acidens and worse spewed for to infest the lands of Gurtex and the caverns beneath.

The Mines of Dorak 
The dwarves remember few legends of Gurtex: only enough to know that once dwarves thrived in Gurtex, and that they no longer do so. 
One legend that survives tells of the great mines of Dorak, beneath the Demonspine Mountains. Full of precious gems and valuable ores, the mines of Dorak were the pride of dwarvenkind. 
Unfortunately, the mines were also the envy of the forces of Darkness. As Darkness' power grew, there came a time when monstrous hordes entered Dorak and drove out-or destroyed-the dwarven miners. It is said that, after the dwarves were gone, an unspeakable horror came to make its home in the former mines of Dorak. 
Llesitel and Vialla 
West of the Demonspine Mountains, Neirwood Forest was long ago an elven home to rival Selderad and Trilliad in Deruvia. Many thousands of happy elves made their homes among its peaceful trees. The elven villages, from Llendora in the north to Vijaton in the south, were havens of joy and light. Few of the minions of Darkness crossed the mountains from Mandarg and the east; none of them yet made their homes in the western lands. 
But the happy times were fated to come to an end. Darkness' hordes spread westward as the centuries passed, into the Throat of Gurtex, then to the eastern slopes of the Demonspine. Inevitably, the monsters and their Dark masters began to brave the raging coastal seas and the frigid mountain passes and to invade the western forests. 
In those times, Prince Llesitel ruled the elves of northern Neirwood while his sister, Princess Vialla, ruled the south. Though they strove mightily against the invading hordes, more and more of the forest lands fell to the minions of Darkness. Eventually, Vijaton itself was besieged, then destroyed. During its pillage, Princess Vialla was cruelly tortured and slain.
In the north, the heartbroken Prince Llesitel called the greatest elven spell-casters to Llendora. There he explained that he had come to realize that the forces of Darkness could not be withstood.  However, they might be avoided. The prince therefore had the mages enchant the village itself, so that it could not be located by the minions of Darkness or other strangers. 
No one knows today whether the spell on Llendora was successful.  Explorers have found no traces of the village. Most probably, like Vijaton, it was completely destroyed by the forces of Darkness.

Paragraph Book
1

Acorn says, "Are you new to Oshcrun Island? Well, of course you must be! We all are! Unless you've been hiding beneath the mountains for centuries, and, no offense, but you don't really look old enough for that! Anyway, I'd like to welcome you to Ketrop and invite you to look around. I wouldn't want to brag-I'll leave that to the mayor-but I can say that we're very proud of our humble little village. We have shops that sell goods you can't find in Telermain!"

2
The courtier Alex says, "Yes, King Rebnard keeps several wizards around Castle Oshcrun. I'm sure you know most of them- you could hardly have reimprisoned Dreax without their help." You manage to keep smiling. It's supposed to be a pleasant conversation in King Rebnard's court, you remind yourself, biting your tongue and thinking pleasant thoughts about nights in the woods under Deruvian stars. You ask Alex, "Is the great wizard Ziyx in the castle?"
"No ," replies Alex, "Ziyx has retired from active service. He lives in a tower on an island northeast of here. The gods only know what he's doing there-it couldn't be anything of importance. Even wizards get old, you know."
You bite your tongue again. This conversation had better be worth it. Ziyx was old when he served Rebnard's great-grandfather, as you know. And he would still be old, and active, when everyone in the courtroom-Alex and you and Rebnard himself-were long in their graves. The thought that the Great Ziyx would not be doing some-thing important . . .
"What of Eflun`?" you ask as politely as you can. 
"Eflun`?" Alex repeats. "I believe that he's around somewhere, unless he's gone back to Deruvia, or off exploring Gurtex. Of course, the Great Truk is the king's court wizard now. His furniture transformation spells are very entertaining. And Rimfiztrik is puttering about the castle, as well."
Alex looks around the courtroom, as if your conversation is over.  You silently agree that it is, and walk away.

3
The tavernkeeper is tall. And big. His beard is white, his eyes are red, and his skin has a greenish cast. He laughs as he watches you look him over. "What do y' think, stranger? Be I half-orc? Half-troll? Couldn't be half-goblin, at me great size! Gods, it always be a pleasure to see strangers guess me out-me who's spent me life tryin' to guess me own self!"
"But yer thirst be of more import than the name or race o' me mother or father, gods treat their souls as they deserve!" Greenpate spits on the floor, then calls for the servingmaid. "A round for us all! The stranger be buyin'!"
The patrons applaud your generosity, those of them who can manage to put two hands together in the same place at the same time.
Greenpate has not stopped talking. "It's a fine town we have here," he says, "A peaceful fishin' village, where we all make our own way.
You glance around the tavern. A fight has broken out in the far corner. Several of the patrons have passed out on the floor. Of the rest, those who do not have eyepatches or peglegs are wearing hooks instead of hands on one or both arms.
"Kind, gentle, honest folk we are," says Greenpate," and we loves our fun." A flying bottle shatters what was left of the mirror behind the bar.
You ask of transportation out of Ussa, explaining that this quiet peaceful life, while restful for a time, will surely, sooner or later, grate against your traveling instincts.
Greenpate winks. "Ussa might be boring to any, specially while their bones are a-mendin'. Two ship captains make port here-they could take ee east or westward."

4
Maalaq seems impressed. "You come from the mighty Ziyx?" The wizard glares at you with the darkest eyes you have ever seen. He says: "You have found the gate of Deraum, and Ziyx believes that your are strong, brave, and trustworthy enough to enter."
Amazing that so much information could be contained in one short word!
Since you have managed to climb my tower and break into my private chamber, I must admit that you are strong enough, and brave-or foolhardy- enough," continues Maalaq. "As for `trustworthy,' I bow to Ziyx's judgment. I myself know nothing of trust."
The wizard reaches into his robes and withdraws a key. "Since the mighty Ziyx has decided to intrude, I hereby place the Deraum matter into his hands ! Or into your hands for him, it appears. . . . This key will allow you entry. I give it to you with one final warning: Deraum is sorely haunted by the spirits of the foully slain! Venture not into Deraum without plans and preparations to withstand their terrors!"

5
Suddenly, you are transported to the throne room of Castle Oshcrun! As the dizziness wears off, you stare in dismay at scorched tapestries, befouled carpets, blackened windows, and . . . on King Rebnard's throne, the most hideous of demons!
"The great hero of Deruvia, I presume," hisses the demon. Its spittle burns tiny holes in the purple velvet of the throne it sits upon. "I aim Zakhad, lord of Mandarg and Gurtex. You may grovel."
You stand tall and proud. Zakhad laughs. Or hisses, or shouts; a sound like nothing you have ever heard before, and nothing you ever want to hear again.
"So brave! So valiant! And perhaps I should thank you for ensuring that my lord Dreax remains imprisoned in that candle's flame," the demon grins, "allowing me to rule the East without interference. Or perhaps I should destroy you right now!" The demon hurls a great bolt of lightning at you! Reflexively, you drop to the floor as the lightning passes overhead!
The demon's scaly lips turn upward. "Grovel before me, hero! And hear my challenge ! Your impudent king, his beloved queen, and their son Jemil are in my power! Find them and die, or paddle back across the sea!" ln a puff off foul-smelling smoke, the demon Zakhad vanishes.

6
The scholar's home is warm and friendly, if somewhat cluttered, but his greeting startles you. "Why do you say `hero'?"
Wartow smiles. "We are secluded here in Wanasol, in the shadow of the Eldens' mountain, but we still receive word of great events, sooner or later." He shuffles through a stack of papers, pulls out a faded sketch, and shows it to you.
The likeness is ten years old, and far from the truth-you never looked that good, even after bathing-but you can see how Wartow might have recognized you. 
As you hand the sketch back to Wartow, your eyes are drawn to a gold sunburst ornament embedded in the flesh of his left hand. He notices you attention. "The Sun Mark," he says. "I have the honor to bear it until the next Sunlight Festival, when a new Marked One will be chosen by lot. . . .If you're not familiar with the prophecy of the Orb and the Marked Ones, you can read about it in our library. . . .
"But where have you been? What have you done? How goes your quest?" Wartow pleads for information.
You tell him of your adventures.

7
Bhardagast bids you be seated. "There is so much to be learned about Gurtex," he says, " and we have so far only scratched the surface." His lips twitch in a small smile. "And we know that most of Gurtex's secrets are far beneath its surface. Or far above, in the case of Mount Mandarg. . . ."
Suddenly, Lord Bhardagast shakes in agony. A frightful expression comes over his face. You rush to his side as he gasps," No, no, it will pass. Please sit down. Forgive my indisposition. These attacks are painful, but infrequent and of short duration. Still, they serve to confine me to my room." His breath is coming easier now, you see, and you relax somewhat.
"I hear that you are interested in the fate of the Four and Forty guardians of Deruvia's Magic Candle," Bhardagast continues, almost as if nothing had happened. The color begins to return to his face.
You nod forcefully. "The first massacre is still a mystery," you say, "and we must assure that a second massacre can never happen!"
"Well, yes, of course, of course," agrees Bhardagast. "And that is one of the reasons that our king is so eager to subdue Gurtex. Rebnard is, of course, much more concerned with the might of the Forces of Darkness today than with the details of a massacre ten and more years past, but I must admit that the subject of Fort Berbezza and the Four and forty has intrigued me personally. Investigations have been made since you bravely restored the Candle."
Ignoring the compliment, you lean forward in anticipation. "What have you learned?"
"What we know of the story is not pretty," says Bhardagast. "The Four eldens were taken by surprise after the Forty other guardians had been slaughtered. We cannot know for sure whether the Four survived, although we have found no evidence of their death. There are strong indications that the Four-living or dead-were transported across the Sea of Oshmar to Gurtex, along with the remains of many of the Forty."
"Have you found any traces of them on this side of the ocean?" you ask.
"Not yet. Not for sure." Bhardagast lowers his voice, as if to foil unseen listeners. "But there are signs of a ghost beneath this very castle . . . perhaps one of the Forty . . . a farfetched possibility." The king's advisor shakes his head, and his voice returns to normal. He continues," As I say, our king is concerned with Gurtex today, not Berbezza long ago. I hope I have been able to help, and that you will visit again soon."
As you rise to leave, Bhardagast leans forward and lowers his voice once more. "There have been signs. I have sent a small group, led by the mercenary Ben, to follow the signs. The signs lead to the legendary dwarven mines beneath the Demonspine and, perhaps, beyond the mines to the dreaded Mount Mandarg . . ."
Another fit overcomes Lord Bhardagast! He falls to the floor! His screams bring servants scurrying into his chamber. "You must leave now, " the servants say as they usher you out into the corridor.

8
The halfling says," Well, I'm sure you'll see the temple of Marior for yourself, but let me tell you that it's an awesome sight. Sitting on the point, looking out over nothing but the vast Sea of Oshmar . . .The breakers nearby, and the waves in the distance . . .Let me tell you-The temple, what's left of it, is on solid ground. You can look at your feet, you can sit down and look at you . . .fundament? Anyway, you know you're sitting on solid ground. But it feels like you're sailing on the ocean. And it feels like you're happy to be sailing on the ocean-the gods of Deruvia know I never felt that way on the long journey across the seas!"
Ozmin sees that he has your attention. "I've never been what you might call religious," he says. "I've had jobs to do, and I've done them. Don't mistake me-I've always respected the good gods, and I taught my family the same. But I never really felt their power in Deruvia. Not until the found the ruined temple of Marior here on Oshcrun Island."

9
As the Soulspeak spell crosses the room, the ghost becomes even more fearsome, and its cries bring you even more anguish! "Leave me!" The ghost shrieks! "Leave me with my pain!"
A blaze of light makes you cover your eyes, but between your fingers you can see the ghost as an aged wizard, whirling to face each corner of the room, then returning to you. "Leave me, I say! Leave me in my shame and agony!"
A renewed wave of fear washes over you, leaving you with just enough courage to stammer: "Honorable sir, we must speak with you about . . ."
"Honorable'!" shrieks the ghost. "You mock me with the title I have lost forever!" The ghost whirls about once more, then faces you once again, and suddenly settles into its wizard's form. The blazing light dims. The Soulspeak spell has finally taken effect.
"We are the Twelve who serve the Four,'" the aged wizard starts to chant, waving his arms in strange patterns and turning his head in random directions. With a start, you realize that the arms have lost their hands, the head has had its eyes gouged out, and the wizard, at this death, was most probably totally mad. Gently, carefully, you approach the wizard, take his shoulders, and seat him on a convenient bench. You ask him, "Can you tell us your story!"
The wizard's ghost shudders. His arms twitch. "We are the Twelve . . . We are the Twelve . . .' I am the . . ." He reaches out the stump of his right arm to brush your sleeve. He asks, "have you come to save me? You nod, knowing he cannot see you, but before you can speak, he tells his story.
"I am, I was, the last of the Twelve," says the ghost. "To my everlasting shame."
"I ran! I hid!" The wizard begins to tremble uncontrollably, and starts to glow again. Quickly, you put your arm around his shoulders and murmur soft words to comfort him. He calms down once more.
Lowering his head, the ghost wizard speaks. "My name is-was-Photos. Of the Four and Forty guardians at Fortress Berbezza, I was the last. And the least. The Warriors Twenty died defending the gate. The Wardens Eight were taken and slain in the onslaught. The Wizards Twelve, saving only myself, were cut down at the very base of the Candle. Then the Four, the Eldens, were captured by Nor threats and treachery. I alone was left to defend the Candle, and I was cowering under the farthest stairwell, fearing only for my own miserable life.
"They found me soon enough," the ghost of Phokos continues. "And, most cruelly, they kept me barley alive through the voyage across the Sea of Oshmar and the trek to Mandarg. I lost my eyes, then my hands. My mind followed soon after. The, finally, my life." A dismal chuckle comes from the ghost's trembling jaw." But never my ears! I heard all their plans! I can tell you..."
You jump back in horror as the ghost rises from the bench and begins to glow. "Leave me in my anguish, or lay my soul to rest!" it shrieks.

10
You want to know a secret?" asks the orc, as he rises from his pallet and faces his corner of the cell. He stretches his arms and legs, and scratches other parts of his greenish anatomy. You try not to watch, as his guttural voice reflects from the opposite wall. "You want to know the secret of life? The secret of salvation? The secrets of Light and Darkness?" He turns to face you. "The one secret is . . ."
Suddenly, the orc grins in recognition. (At least, you hope it's a grin-with all those fangs, it's hard to tell.) At the same time, you recognize the orc! Ten years older (Gods, how quickly orcs age!), but this is the same orc who gave you the clue in Port Avur that helped you find Thorin's hammer-the first milestone on the quest to restore Deruvia's magic candle!
In unison, you and the orc exclaim," I know you!" The orc drops to his knees. Stepping back a pace, to keep your legs out of reach of his jaws, you inquire: "Buzbiquent, isn't it?"
"Buzbazgut, it is," replies the orc. "But call me Buz. And praise the gods who sent you here!" The orc bows his head, and begins an incomprehensible muttering.
You stare in amazement. Finally, Buzbazgut concludes his prayers and looks up at you. "Secrets," he says. "There are many secrets, many that are only secrets because no one will learn their truth!" He shakes his head to and fro, fangs dripping. "May I arise?"
"Do so," you say, wondering why your permission is needed.
Buzbazgut stands up. "Say the word," he entreats you. "Invite me to join your party. Free me from Rebnard's dungeons! I can guide you through the depths of Gurtex!"
You wait for the orc to continue.

11
"Strangers!" the Altesen priest exclaims. "The prophecy is fulfilled! I know not who you are, nor whence you came, nor how you found the sacred orb-but, at last, you have come!"
You stare in wonder at the glowing orb behind the altar. Slowly, the temple fills with Altesen warrior guards. Their heads tower over you, and the points of their spears tower even farther over their heads. Plans cascade through your mind. How to grab the orb, how to evade the guards, how to escape the islands . . . But none of your plans have any hope of success.
Then you realize that the priest and the guards are waiting for your answer. What was the question?? What was the priest saying while you were engrossed in your own plans? "Will you." that's how it started. It was a simple question. You curse yourself for not listening. "Will." "You." What came next??
The warriors begin to lower their spears from the guard stance to the attack position. Gods! those spears are long than . . . What was the question?? "Will you" . . . "will you accept" . . . "Will you accept the orb?"
"Yes!" you exclaim. The Altesens snap to attention. Their priest takes the orb and hands it to you. Its glow is weaker than you had thought, but it trembles and vibrates as if it were alive.
The Altesen priest gazes at your sternly. "We are much relieved to see our part of the prophecy ended," he says.
"We hold the orb,
with faultless faith,
til strangers show
their new-found need."
He is reciting a poem, or chant, or song. The guards respond in a tuneless hum. All the Altesens seem to know the ceremony well.
"The strangers stride,
along the land,
to search for signs
of pain and power.
"On arm and head,
on limping leg,
they finally find
the sacred signs.
"Offering the orb,
a touch transforms
the glowing globe."
The rhythm suddenly changes, and the Altesen guards being to beat the ends of their spears upon the ground.
"When the strangers gain the touches three,
the land of Gurtex, and its islands, may be free!
A prince of royal blood, with orb in hand,
will banish Darkness with its might, and free the land!"
The ceremony ends in silence. Somehow you had expected cheers of joy and encouragement. . . . The priest's glare is as stern as ever. "Begone! Your mission here is done! You are strangers here, and you must leave. Yet, since you seem to be the prophecied strangers of the Orb, you may seek the blessing of Senvara before you go. Farewell."
The guards escort you out of the temple.

12
Searching the bodies of the guards, you find the key to the cell. You open it, and the three halflings stream out into the jailers' room.
"thank you! Thank you!" they shout. "Where do they keep the food?" Cabinets are opened. Drawers are spilled on the floor. The smallest halfling looks through the guards' pouches and suddenly pulls out an unidentifiable mass, squealing in delight! "No, no, Darksun!" shouts the halfling in the red jacket. "That's orcfood! Don't eat it! Don't touch it!!" He knocks the orcfood out of Darksun's grasp.
"I've found it!" shouts the third halfling, opening a chest. "Turnips! One for you, one for you, one for me . . ." He takes a big bite, chews, and swallows. Turning to you, he says, "Thank you again. We are forever in your debt. (Chomp, chomp.) Wherever did they find these? Almost as good as Fubernel Pinks (chomp, chomp) . . . My name is Salmo. This is my friend Russet, and his sister Darksun." Salmo lowers his voice. "Darksun can't speak, and she isn't very bright, but she's the best mushroom hunter Russet and I-and Perin-have ever known or heard of. That's why we talked Garlin into sailing us to Misor. The place must be full of mushroom patches, but we didn't find any before the orcs found us. . . . We'll head back for the coast. Don't worry, we'll find out way back to Ketrop."
The halflings shake your hand. As Darksun leaves, you realize that her name comes from the birthmark on her hollowed cheek shaped like a dark red sunburst.

13
"Ha! You ask favor from Xent'xis? Ha! You ask from Lord of the Tundra? From chief of the Horde of the North? From Arm of the Everlasting Frost? Ha! Ha!" You notice that several of the surrounding barbarians have drawn their bows. Some of their women are sharpening their skinning knives. You wish that you could plan an escape route, but the shine in the golden eyes of Xent'xis will not allow you to concentrate on anything else.
"Ha! You ask favor from . . ." Sounds of swords being drawn come from within the chieftain's massive tent, followed by a sudden puff of white smoke. "Ha! Ha! Ha, ha ha, ha!" Xent'xis bursts into laughter, and a chorus of feminine laughs echoes him from within the great tent.
You look around in bewilderment. Xent'xis shouts at you, "Were you frightened? Were you scared? Ha! Ha!" Gales of laughter buffet you from all sides. "Welcome to our camp," laughs Xent'xis. "The shamans have named you with white smoke as of the children of Light, so you are welcome, and more than welcome!"

14
The ghost stares at you. Slowly, it begins to speak: "Are you . . . Yes! Yes! You are Deruvian!" The ghost's fearsome aspect fades away, and then you see, instead, the form of a slender, pale young man. He says, "Then the Candle must have survived! Praise be to the gods of light!"
"Yes, the demon Dreax is newly imprisoned, with four and forty new guardians," you reply. Modestly, you do not mention your role in restoring the Magic Candle of Deruvia.
But the young man's ghost seems disturbed. "Four and forty . . . Yes! I was one of the forty! My name was Horann!" His face brightens with the memory, then darkens. Ghostly tears fall from his ghostly eyes. He sobs, "But we failed! Fortress Berbezza was entrusted to us, and we failed! The forces of Darkness . . . The Four eldens were taken, and the forty guardians were slain! We failed! Can the gods forgive our souls?"
You wait patiently as the troubled spirit sinks deeper into its misery. Finally, then, it becomes calmer. "Please be assured that we mean you no harm," you say. "In fact, we may be able to help you, and you may be able to help us. Can you remember anything more about the Berbezza massacre?"
The ghost flinches. "I do not want to, and I do not care to, . . . but I can. And I must." He draws his ghostly sleeve across his tear-filled eyes. "The forces of Darkness burst into the fortress. I know not how. The Four were taken by surprise, and captured. We forty fought valiantly, or so we thought. . . ."
Another pause for Horann to collect himself. How hard to be dead and unable to rest!
"Then I found myself aboard a ship headed eastward, pulling on an oar that felt like the tallest tree in Yberton," says the ghost. "I do not know whether I was dead or alive at the time. I makes no difference now. Yet I seem to recall voices. A shout that one of the Four had escaped. A murmur that candles had been prepared to entrap the other three. A command to row harder, and the last of a giant whip . . .
"If you are able, I pray you to send my soul to its rest," Horann concludes, as he transforms back into his fearsome ghostly shape.

15
My older brother, Ozmin, didn't really want to sail across the Sea of Oshmar. The trip was not a pleasure cruise, as you well know. But, once he arrived, Ozmin became very interested in exploring the island. As a matter of fact, he discovered the large granite quarry that King Rebnard has used to rebuild the castle! If I were you, I'd ask Ozmin to tell you everything he knows about Oshcrun."

16
Lady Subia is perfectly at home in King Rebnard's courtroom. Her dress and demeanor, it seems, could place here nowhere but in such an elegant setting. But you know better. And, as you touch hands in greeting, a twinkle in her eye tells you that she knows that you know better. You know that this elegant lady in her silken gown has been just as comfortable-possibly more so-wrapped in furs on the highest mountain peaks or shrouded with mosquito netting in the deepest swamps. Subia the Explorer! Without her maps, you could never have managed to restore the Magic Candle of Deruvia!
The lady kisses you sweetly and precisely on both cheeks, then guides you into the shadows of the pillars that ring the courtroom, away from the general conversation. "I trust that I may speak frankly to you you," she says.
You nod. She pauses. You realize that this is a serious matter, and say," Milady, of course you may speak frankly. But if you wish to speak secretly, you must know that conscience will not allow hiding . . ."
She interrupts you with a silvery laugh, which she immediately muffles with a long silken sleeve. "No, have no thoughts of treason! Rebnard and I have no quarrel, save that he thinks of me as Baby Suby, and I can't help remembering him at ten years old, swaggering around the courtyard, dragging a wooden sword, half again as tall as he!
"Have no doubt that his entire court, here and in Deruvai, feels that Gurtex must be subdued and made powerless to threaten the Children of Light!" Subia's smile is gone, and the twinkle in her eyes has been replaced, in turn, by a blinding glare and, now, a faraway gaze. "Yet I feel sure that there is more to Gurtex than a land full of ravening monsters to be burnt to the ground!"
You hesitate. "Milady," you say, "laying an entire continent to waste does not sit well on anyone's soul But everything we have heard about Gurtex says that we have no other choice."
"Oh, how you remind me of cousin Rebnard," Subia smiles, as she glances toward the king and moves farther into the shadows of the pillars. "Like him, you act when you can and think when you must. I, on the other hand, was raised as an advisor, not a commander. I think when I can, and study when I can, and explore when I can, and, to the best of my ability, act when I must.
" There are several things about Gurtex that are wreathed in mystery," she continues. "They must be investigated before the armies arrive to wreak indiscriminate havoc on the land, lest the remnants of Light in Gurtex be destroyed forever."
"But surely the destruction of the many hordes of Darkness is more important than the survival of a few outposts of Light," you being, then suddenly become unsure of what you are saying.
Subia glares at you. "Perhaps. That is certainly the way Rebnard would feel. Nonetheless, I ask you to join me on an expedition into the cleft of the Demonspine Mountains, not for conquest, but for mercy. I am certain that the ancient elven village of Llendora still survives there, hidden from the sight of the Forces of Darkness and all other strangers. And I think I know how to find it. We can help them, if only by letting them know that the Children of Light have come to Gurtex. And, if I am correct, they can help us as well.
"Please consider this expedition, and visit me in my room if you decide to undertake it." Subia smiles gain, then moves toward another group of courtiers.

17
The small boy smiles up at you. "Could you hold your finger right here, please? I have to tighten the rigging on my toy boat." He giggles. "Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat! Bet you can't say that as fast as me!"
YOU put your finger where he tells you and chant," Toy boat, toy boit, toe boot!" All the rigging comes loose on his little schooner as he falls onto the pier, writhing in laughter. The sailors nearby look your way, but don't seem to see the humor. You don't mind. sitting down next to Timm, you being restringing his sails for him.
Timm eventually sits up and watches you. "Be careful," he says. "That's really a magic ship, you know, so don't hurt it. It's really the Western Start that carried my family across the Sea of Oshmar to the Deruvias years and years and ages and ages ago. And now it's back in Gurtex again. Almost."
"She's a fine ship," you agree as you hand the re-rigged toy back to Timm. As you stand up, you notice a star-shaped birthmark on the boy's knee below his short pants. "And the mark on your knee must be another Western Star,'" you joke.
"Oh, no, that is the mark of the Northern Star!" Timm is very serious. "Same as my father's, and Grampa's, and everybody before them, since they came from Gurtex! Grampa's dead now, you know, and Father's been gone a long time. . . . Thanks for your help with the rigging."

18
What . . . Where . . . How . . . The wizard Truk stands before you on trembling legs. "Never ask me to do that again," he cries, and collapses in a heap of bony wizardly knees and elbows. 
Nausea wrenches you to the floor. You have just enough time to recognize the royal carpet of King Rebnard's throne room before the remains of your last meal disfigure it forever. What spell did Truk cast to bring your here?? As you being to recover, you gain a feeling of kinship for the dwarves you have convinced to board sailing ships across . . . but what is here?? Disaster!
You look around the throne room. Glass is shattered. Furniture is destroyed. Servants are removing a body-old Shannor, from his robes. You quickly pray the good gods to receive his soul. Another corpse lies next to you. Proud young Alex! And more bodies lie around the room-dead servants, dead guards-their fellows rush in to bear the corpses away.
What of the king? He lies slouched upon the throne. Dead? No! His chest is heaving, and you can see no blood . . . But Queen Alishia is also on the dais, fumbling for the throne and her husband, staggering, wailing, blood streaming down her cheeks . . .
Blinded! "My lady queen!" You struggle to your feet to aid your liege lord's wife, then you see more guards bring the queen's ladies to take her to her chambers. You trust that she is in good care. You must. You have no choice.
You climb the dais to see to King Rebnard, and still more servants and guards rush into the room. You hear a deep voice behind you ordering the servants: "Attend first to the wounded, then the dead. Then clean and repair the royal throne room, to restore its dignity and power. Know that your king and queen are in good hands, and worry not about their majesties." You see that, in truth, King Rebnard is well-attended, and recognize the deep voice as that of the councilor Loren.
Loren climbs to the throne and looks closely at the unconscious king. You follow Loren up the steps. His majesty's breathing is coarse, but measured. There is in fact some blood, but none is flowing. Satisfied, Loren turns to you. "It falls on me to give you the good news and the bad news," he says. "The bad news, in short, is the demon Zakhad, who claims to rule Gurtex. He paid us a visit, and you see the results. The good news is that Zakhad's mission of destruction did not succeed. Not completely. Not this time.
"The demon demanded young Prince Jemil as a hostage, and flew into a rage when the king denied him," Loren explains. "I had rushed behind the throne when the demon appeared, so I was spared the blasts of the demon's fireballs and thunderbolts. No honor for me, but at least I survive to make the best of what remains. Thank the gods that our king and queen survive?

And thank good Shannor and brave Alex as well. May the gods of Light rest their souls! The one shielding our king and the other defending our queen . . . May the gods rest their souls," Loren repeats.
Loren's voice loses its strength, and he falls at the feet of King Rebnard. "What of the prince? you ask. "How could the demon be denied?" Loren does not answer.
But the king hears you. "Zidoni," he says. His voice is weak, and his healers try to quiet him. "Zidoni," he says again, and none will stop his speech. "Zidoni, the First of the Four Eldens. Or his ghost. Or an evil Simulacrum . . . I know not. He came, he gathered us, he called for Jemil, my prince, my son, my heir. Give the Foreseen prince into my care,' he demanded. Suddenly Jemil appeared before the figure of the elden Zidoni. My son went to his side. Before I could call his name, both had vanished!"
The healers try to calm the king. But he will not be silenced. As they arrange his body comfortably on the throne, he says, "Find my son! Find Zakhad and Zidoni, but, most of all, find my son! And, when you have found him, take me with you to rescue him.!"

19
"I bid you welcome to Llendora," says the elven prince. The other elves in the meeting hall draw their bows. "I trust that you will enjoy your stay. It may be a long stay, since strangers to Llendora are not allowed to leave."
Some of the elves giggle. Others sight along the arrows notched in the brom bows. Subia turns to you. "I swear that I had no idea we would be received thus!" You take her hand, grasping it with what you hope feels like confidence.
You speak to Prince Llesiton. "Your Highness . . ."
Ignoring your words, the elf continues: "Furthermore, as strangers in Llendora, you are deemed to have joined the Hunter Game. You have the opening move. You may lay down your arms and attempt to survive in Llendora for seven days," (the elven archers all being to giggle) "or you may try to make your way out of the village and through the forest right now!"
"Amazing," you think to your frozen self, "how the horde of elves can giggle, chuckle, even guffaw-and yet the aim of their shafts never wavers!"
But the Lady Subia speaks! "Your Highness," she pleads, falling on her knees, "the fault is mine! I should not have guided strangers to your village, nor should I have come here myself! Yet I am here, and I will gladly stay here, and even play your Hunter Game, if you will only let my companions go!"
"A touching display of human sentiment," observes Llesiton, looking down upon the Lady Subia. "But, when I have you all here, why should I let any of you go? Unless . . ." The prince paces across the silent hall and back, while the assembled arrows point to each of the party in turn.
Prince Llesiton looks directly at you. "The Great Explorer Subia is quite a prize. The Great Sorceress Somona would be a prize of even more worth. Bring Somona to Llendora in thirty days, and I will return Subia to you. Then, and only then, will the Hunter Game begin."
The elves march you out of the village. Looking over your shoulder, you can see the Lady Subia, still on her knees, follow you with tear-filled eyes.

20
"It's called Deadwood because we'd all rather be one or the other, dead or wood, than live here one more day. Or night." the goblin lifts his withered left arm onto the table, then switches the attention of his good arm and his one good eye to the flagon of ale. "Balene's left dug!" he shouts. "Had I wanted meat, I would have ordered meat!" He pulls a long greenish worm from the flagon and throws it across the room, somewhere close to the fire. Then he drains the ale remaining in the flagon. "They call me Sickle,' stranger. So did they call my father before me, before he was cut down, and his father before him, as well."
You pretend to take a drink of the Deadwood "ale," and try not to look at Sickle's left arm, lying on the table in a blood-stained crescent. The tattoo on his crippled hand-a dragon, yes, a dragon, one wing on the thumb, the other bending out of sight, the tail extending out the middle finger with his one remaining claw as the dragon's poison sting . . . At his wrist the crescent moon is vanishing into the dragon's maw. . . .
"Arm-wrestle for another round?" asks the goblin. . . .

21
As the Soulspeak spell settles around the ghosts, its form changes. You being to recognize . . . the sorceress Somona! But Somona cannot be dead.
"Yet, in truth, I am dead," the stately figure says, as if reading your mind. "YOU were my benefactor in life, so I must warn you twice. I can do no more. My first warning is to beware the treachery of the elves of Llendora, who are responsible for both my death and my imprisonment here.
"Then I must warn you-Hold! He comes! You must flee!" The shape of Somona fades as your party hears an ominous rumbling from the south.

22
"Welcome, Hero of Deruvia!" The king's voice brings a hush to the room. "We had heard of your arrival on Oshcrun Island. You may approach our person."
King Rebnard lowers his voice to a conversational level. "We have made much progress here on the island, but here is still much more to be done. Your help will be greatly appreciated. For one thing, the old cellars beneath the castle still need cleaning out-with sword and axe, not broom and mop!" Rebnard chuckles. "None better than you for a task like that, eh?" Then the king's smile shifts into a serious look, as if on a sudden memory.
"But the Forces of Darkness are no joke, as you know as well as any. The dire lands of Gurtex await. I pray to the gods of Light that the Deruvian armies will be able to subdue, conquer or liberate those lands before their power increases once more. Their forces are still weak, thanks to you success in Deruvia. But our armies are still far away, and the Oshmar voyage is long and hard. My advisors cannot predict who will prevail. The omens are mixed. Some say success. Others say defeat. Still others-I dare not think on them, lest I despair completely."
The kings gazes eastward. "The fetters of rule! Would I were to sail across the straits and scourge Gurtex with mine own sword! but no, my friend, I am bound tighter than the least of my servants. My servant Chilek serves only his king. But I, Chilek's lord, serve not only him, but every loyal soul here and in Deruvia."
"My liege," you say, "surely this is neither the time nor the place . . ." You glance at the nearby courtiers. Banas, the duke, Rebnard's uncle. Young Alex, dressed in elegant black velvet. Are their ears growing larger?
the king recovers quickly. Clearing his throat, Rebnard says: These ancient maps will help you in your explorations, and the castle armory is at the disposal of you and your chosen companions."
By now, the other conversations in the courtroom have resumed. One woman is particularly spirited. The king looks in her direction and says," I'm sure you remember my noble cousin, the Lady Subia? She fancies herself a mighty explorer. And, I must admit, with good reason," he adds. "Her exploits in the past . . . but the past is past, and the future may be far different. And I fear that Subia would rush into the future before the future is prepared for her."

23
"They name you Moongold for your shining golden hair," you guess, looking at the locks falling free across her forehead and the tresses flowing free past her slender waist.
She laughs. "No, there are many with shining hair and golden hair," she says, although the other women you have seen wore their hair bound up or in tight braids. "I bear the name Moongold' because the name must be borne. Until my grandmother's mother's spirit departed, I was Swift Dove" and she was Moongold' as her grandmother before her. Now I am Moongold" until my daughter, or her daughter, or her daughter after her takes the name. And until she takes the Mark." Moongold brushes her hair back to show you a deep, crescent-shaped scar running across her forehead from brow to brow.
It does not mar her beauty.

24
"I bid you welcome to Llendora," says the elven prince, "although with many misgivings. You must know how important it is for Llendora to remain hidden from the Forces of Darkness. Before I decide how to deal with you, I must know how you were able to find our village."
Lady Subia steps forward. "Allow me to introduce myself, your highness. My name is Subia. I have spend my life in study of . . ."
A host of elven murmurs interrupt Subia's introduction. "Subia!" "The Great Explorer!" "No wonder!" "Only she . . ." Prince Llesiton raises his hand for silence.
"Your name is known," says the prince. "Obviously." A few giggles come from the other elves, but Llesiton's face remains stern. He crosses his arms upon his chest. "You are well known and widely admired for your discoveries; your repute has reached even us, here in the depths of Gurtex. Yet you have no reputation for discretion. On the contrary, you are known for publishing your discoveries to the world."
"Your highness . . ." Subia begins, then pauses.
This is the first time you have seen the Lady Subia at a loss for words. You quickly step forward. "Your highness," you say, "you speak of the Lady Subia's reputation in Deruvia, not in Gurtex. In Deruvia, Subia strove to expose the Forces of Darkness to the Children of Light. In Gurtex, as we all know, the glove is on the other hand! Subia has sought you out, not to expose you to Gurtex, but to help protect your from it!"
Subia smiles at you gratefully, then turns to the prince. "That is correct, your highness. Llendora's location is known to none but us, I assure you. And I assure you that it will remain our secret when we leave, as long as Gurtex is held by the Forces of Darkness."
"Assure? You assure us," says Prince Llesiton. "But will you swear? Will you swear your honor to the lost goddess Oraniana to keep our secret? If you do not swear, you are still welcome in Llendora, as I have said, but you will never be allowed to leave."
The hall is now full of elves. None of their bows are drawn that you can see, but many are strung and ready. There are no more giggles.
Subia steps closer to you. "Oraniana was a vigilant goddess, but not mean or spiteful," she says. "I say we swear."
You agree. The party kneels and sears to Oraniana that Llendora's location will remain secret so long as the Forces of Darkness hold Gurtex.
"It is well," Llesiton says. "You are now doubly welcome. We will now speak of many things."

25
The ghost's agonized screams suddenly change into doleful sobs. Your eyes begin to clear, and your fear becomes sympathy as you see the ghost as a motherly woman.
"Speak no more!" she cries. "the news you bring in your thoughts is sufficient. Allow me time to add the grief you bring to the anguish I already feel!"
You feel her agony as if she were your own mother dropping to her knees and wailing before you. Should you leave? Can you leave? As you ponder, the ghost rises. She repeats, "Speak no more. Your thoughts are clear to me, and far from welcome. My son, my son, my only son . . ." Choking back tears, the ghost continues, "I am Ermethra, the mother of Horann, and another of the forty who guarded the Four who guarded the Candle in Berbezza. I can remember little, save following the captors of the elden Zildoni to the utmost of my power, and hoping that Horann, the pride of my life, had somehow escaped the massacre.
"I cannot thank you for bringing word of my son. Yet I must thank you for laying his soul to rest, and beg you to do the same for my own! In return, I will assure you that the elden Zekke is trapped nearby in the flame of a blasphemous mockery of the Candle at Berbezza, and warn you that Zekke is guarded by a fearsome Naur! May the good gods be with you!"
The shade of Ermethra transforms back into the horrifying ghost. But, beneath it, you can still see a puddle of tears. . . .