Instruction Manual


Table of Contents
Alchemy in Kyrandia How To Play Installation Getting Started Using a Mouse Leaving the Scene Handling Objects The Game Screen The Options Menu Loading a Game Saving Games Game Controls 1 4 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 13 14 15


Alchemy in Kyrandia

lchemy has long played a critical role in the affairs of Kyrandia, and our current story about Zanthia (the youngest and most impulsive of the Kyrandian mystics) is not the first time that the Alchemal arts have been used to save Kyrandia from one of the many possible horrible fates that might have befallen it. The early Alchemists were actually sympathetic agents of the Kyrandian treasury. They used their powers to turn the plentiful lead nuggets found on the plains of Mertor into gold, thereby reducing the need to tax the Kyrandian residents. This type of transmutative activity soon became quite popular and spread to all the kingdoms in the region. A wonderful era of peace and prosperity enveloped the land. It was during this period that Alchemy became known as a science concerned primarily with changing lead into gold. Burkatives, Wander Spells, and even Cauldron Logic became lost Alchemal arts in the giddy rush to stockpile Aurean treasure. Only when certain unscrupulous Alchemists in the employ of the greedy Duke of Chartraine began to infiltrate neighbouring treasuries and

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secretly reverse the process did the Alchemal euphoria end. Many an unsuspecting monarch opened their chests of gold only to discover piles of useless lead, and the resulting unhappiness finally brought Kyrandia and the rest of the world to their senses. One short and chaotic generation later, Queen Thelia the Strict engineered an agreement between all the nations restricting the use of Alchemal powers. During her lengthy reign, she also created the Royal Order of Kyrandian Mystics. One of the three original disciplines organised was Alchemy. Centuries later Alchemy and the other Mystic arts had practically disappeared, and without the frequent use that characterised earlier times, much of the arcane knowledge that had been so common was forgotten. The title of Royal Kyrandian Alchemist became a ceremonial designation, and the occupants of the office were more often than not relatives or friends of the crown. The resurgence of Alchemal studies started just after the Mustard Age, when Lynda of Werbane assumed the Alchemy seat on the Royal Mystics following the mysterious death of her brother Veknor. Unsatisfied with the confusing pronouncements regarding Veknor's demise, Lynda re-opened the research laboratory that had been forgotten for so many years, and vowed to discover the cause of Veknor's strange illness. Although her research was highly unorganised, and did not in fact uncover any new facts regarding Veknor's troubles, the re-establishment of an Alchemal research facility would indeed bear fruit in coming generations.

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In modern times it is well known that all the great Alchemists have been women. Lynda was the first in a long line of famous Alchemal practitioners including Doris of Werthbane, Cecelia the Wild, the extremely popular Winifred, and most recently, Zanthia.

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How to Play

Installation It is always advisable to make back-up copies of your master program diskettes to increase the life of the masters and guard against accidents. Follow your computer's instructions to make copies of all game diskettes. MS-DOS: Insert Disk 1 into Drive A or B. Next, type the letter of the floppy drive: A or B. Type INSTALL, press [enter], then follow the prompts that appear. This will copy all of the necessary files to the hard drive. Be sure to select the correct sound card during this procedure. WindowsTM: Start WindowsTM, and then insert Disk 1 into Drive A. Choose `Run' from the `File' menu in the Program Manager. Type `A:\INSTALL' in the `Run' dialog box, and then click `OK' or press the `Enter' key. Follow the prompts to install The Hand of Fate onto your hard drive, and then select your sound and music options. Once installation and setup is complete, The Hand of Fate icon will be available on the Windows desktop. Restart WindowsTM, and then double click on the HOF icon to run the game.

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Getting Started

The introduction to The Hand Of Fate will begin once the game has been loaded. If you are in a hurry, or have already watched the introductory scenes, you may bypass the introduction scenes by pressing the `Escape' key. If you do, the `Load A Game' menu will appear, and you may either load a previously saved game or begin a new game. You will find The Hand Of Fate easy to learn and fun to play. All characters and game items are activated simply by pointing and clicking with your mouse. The first few scenes are not immediately dangerous to Zanthia, so feel free to roam about them as you get comfortable.

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Using a Mouse

...or clicking around the world. All of the game playing activities in The Hand Of Fate can be easily controlled by using your mouse. Only the left button is needed. The middle and right buttons are not used in this game. The mouse is connected to the pointer arrow (cursor) on the monitor screen, and any movement of your mouse will result in a corresponding movement by the pointer on the screen. You play the game by moving the pointer to an area or on an object and then pressing the mouse button. The main character in this game is named Zanthia. You can control the activities and even the fate of Zanthia by clicking her around the scenes in the game. Click on the left side of the screen and Zanthia will walk in that direction. Click to the right and Zanthia will walk to the right. In many cases, Zanthia will walk to the exact spot where you clicked. In other cases, Zanthia may not be able to walk as far as you wish.

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In those cases, Zanthia will walk as far as she possibly can. You can often re-direct Zanthia even as she is walking if you change your mind.

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Leaving the Scene
You can walk Zanthia out of the scene in which she currently appears by clicking on the edge of the scene in the direction you would like her to go. She will walk to the edge, and then appear in the adjoining scene as it is displayed. Notice that the shape of the pointer will change when it is positioned on a scene edge or doorway through which Zanthia may pass. This is an indication to the player that clicking there will exit Zanthia from the current scene, and send her into the adjoining scene. Although Zanthia can usually walk up, down, left, or right, she may find herself in areas where her movements are restricted. The pointer will change to a NO GO sign when there is an area through which Zanthia cannot pass.

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Handling Objects
...or carrying on You can make Zanthia pick up, carry, and use many of the objects that appear in The Hand Of Fate simply by clicking on them. For example: you may make Zanthia pick up the Blueberries on the floor in her home by positioning the pointer over the Blueberries and then clicking. The Blueberries will then "become" the pointer. This is an indication that the Blueberries are in Zanthia's active possession. Moving the mouse will now allow you to move the Blueberries around the screen. Once the Blueberries have become the pointer, several options are available to Zanthia. One option is to have Zanthia add the Blueberries to the items she is carrying in her knapsack

by positioning the Blueberries down below the scene in one of her inventory slots, and then clicking to release them. The Blueberries will remain as the pointer until they are placed into the knapsack inventory, dropped into a scene, eaten, or otherwise used. Once the Blueberries are in Zanthia's inventory/knapsack, she will carry them with her as she moves from scene to scene. Another option you have with the Blueberries is to make use of them. There are many things to find in The Hand Of Fate, and the

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employment of various objects is necessary to solve some of the puzzles that Zanthia is likely to encounter. Zanthia can eat the Blueberries, which she will do if they are clicked on her, or she can give the Blueberries to someone else to eat, for which she may receive a favour in return, and she may be able

to use the Blueberries as a Potion ingredient by placing them in her cauldron. There are also a number of active areas and objects in The Hand Of Fate that Zanthia cannot pick up. Clicking on these areas, and clicking objects on these areas will often initiate actions. For example: Clicking on the rumpled rug in Zanthia's home will cause her to find a Flask of Water under the rug. Zanthia can drink the water, and will do so if the Flask of Water is clicked on her. The empty Flask can now be filled with other liquids. Outside in the swamp, you may have Zanthia fill the flask with Swamp Water by clicking the Flask on the water. Most of the other characters in The Hand Of Fate will speak to Zanthia upon meeting her, and can be prompted to converse at greater length by clicking on them. Some of the characters may require that Zanthia bring specific objects to them (and that you click these items on them) before they will continue their conversations.

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The Game Screen

Options Message Inventory Zanthia Inventory Spellbook Cauldron Gem Bar Control Wheel

The game screen for The Hand Of Fate is divided into two distinct areas that are easily distinguished. The upper portion of the screen displays Zanthia in her current location. If you move Zanthia far enough in one direction, the game screen will change to display her new surroundings. You, as the player cannot view any other areas of The Hand Of Fate unless you move Zanthia into those areas. Access to certain areas may not be allowed to Zanthia unless specific game puzzle conditions are satisfied. For example, Zanthia may need to find some gold to pay Breuth the ferryman before she can cross the lake and reach Morningmist Valley. The bottom section of the game screen has four parts. On the left side there is a yellow gem labelled `OPTIONS'. Clicking on this icon will pause game play and activate the appearance of a menu that shows the choices available to you. Further instructions about your options concerning saving games, adjusting game

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controls, and quitting or resuming play are available by selecting and clicking on the desired option. The middle of the lower section shows two rows of slots which may be used to hold items. There are actually four rows of slots available, and the wheel on the right side of the slots can be clicked on to cycle between the four rows. These slots can be termed Zanthia's Item Inventory. The right side of the lower screen section has an area reserved for display of Zanthia's Spellbook and Cauldron. Although a thief has stolen most of Zanthia's best equipment, with some persistence she can still find an old Magician's School Spellbook and a small camping Cauldron dropped as the thief ran from her home. When she does find these items, they will appear permanently on the screen next to her Item Inventory. Clicking on Zanthia's Spellbook will activate a display of the pages inside the book. Small control arrows at the bottom of the pages allow the player to turn forwards and backwards through the pages of the book. Hitting the `Close' button closes the book. The Cauldron allows Zanthia to magically mix certain ingredient combinations to produce some odd sounding, but very useful potions. Clicking items on the Cauldron will put them into the Cauldron. Clicking Flasks full of liquids on the Cauldron will usually cause Zanthia to empty the Flask into the Cauldron. Zanthia must be careful to follow any Potion Recipes closely. Any incorrect recipe items added to the Cauldron will usually ruin any Potion she is making, and force her to start all over at the beginning of the recipe. Fortunately, Zanthia's Cauldron does have a convenient "flush" handle which allows her to throw away improperly mixed potions. When there is a finished Potion in the Cauldron, clicking an empty Flask on the Cauldron will fill the Flask with the potion.

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The Options Menu

By clicking on the Options button on the game screen you will activate the display of a Menu screen which includes headings titled: `Game Controls', `Delete a Game', `Load a Game', `Save a Game', `Quit Playing', and `Resume Game'. Clicking on one of the headings will activate a display of a sub-menu within that category. Loading a Game Clicking on `Load a Game' in the main options menu will activate a display of the `Load a Game' menu. You may then make a selection that allows you to either start a new game, or reload a game that you have previously saved. Although you may save a number of different games, only five will be displayed on the menu at any one time. By clicking on the scrolling arrows you may move up and down within the entire range of your saved games' listings.

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Saving Games Clicking on `Save This Game' in the main options menu will activate a display of the `Save a Game' menu. When you save a game that you are currently playing, you may place it into an empty slot, or you may put it into an already occupied one. Saving a game into an already occupied slot will replace the previous saved game with the version you are currently saving. Clicking on the scrolling arrows will allow you to move the list of your saved games up and down. Selecting to save a game will activate a name box into which you can type a name for the game you are saving. As a matter of practice, it is advisable to save the game frequently as you progress. It is particularly advisable to save your game before you explore situations that may be hazardous to Zanthia. Within the options menus you will also find a screen which will allow you to erase any of your saved games. NOTE: If the Empty Slot is not present, there is not enough space on your hard drive to create a new saved game. You may erase previously saved games to make room. You may also choose to save a new game over a previously saved game, but this will permanently replace the previously saved game.

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Game Controls

Music will allow you to turn the music portion of the game on and off and adjust the volume. (Your speakers or input jack may also allow for volume adjustments.) Sounds will allow you to turn the sound effects portion of the game on and off and adjust the volume. Walk Speed will allow you to choose a walking speed for Zanthia. Click on the sliding bar to adjust the walking speed. Text Speed will allow you to adjust the text display speed. Click on the sliding bar to adjust the text speed.

Virgin Interactive Entertainment (Europe), Ltd 2 Kensington Square, London W8 5RB Customer Services Direct Line: 0171 368 2266

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Executive Producer Brett W. Sperry Written and Directed by Rick Gush Programmed by Michael Legg Art Management Louis Castle and Joseph B. Hewitt IV Lead Artist Rick Parks Artists: Cameron Chun Cary Averret Cindy Chinn Elie Arabian Fei Cheng Ferby Miguel Frank Mendeola Jack Martin Jerry Moore Judith Peterson Larry Miller Lenny Lee Louise Sandoval Ren Olsen Music & Sounds by Paul Mudra Frank Klepacki Dwight Okahara Patrick Collins Additional Coding by Joseph Bostic Phillip W. Gorrow Matt Collins Mark McCubbin Quality Assurance by Glenn Sperry Michael Lightner William Foster Jesse Clemit Jeff Fillhaber Kenny Dunne Tim Fritz Chris McFarland Paul Moore Chris Toft Jon Williams Chad Soares Jared Brinkly John Martin European Product Co-ordination Matthew Spall European Production Catherine Spratt Robert McGrath Rizwan Khan Design and Artwork Co-ordinator Matthew Walker Manual and Packaging Design Funhouse Design Spiritual Fulfilment D'Arcy Montague


