Imagic
SWORDS & SERPENTS
Game Program Instructions

The old King lay dying. His son, the Warrior Prince, leaned closer to hear his
ailing father's final words.

"Would that I could die as I was born, in our family's ancestral land!" The
ancient one struggled for breath. "Reclaim our conquered Kingdom, my son. Defy
the Sinister Serpent! Prevail against its henchmen! Restore our tarnished pride!
... Defy ... prevail ... restore ..." With that, the withered monarch breathed
his last.

The Warrior Prince, much moved, stood slowly. He unsheathed his broadsword, and,
holding it high above his head, he solemnly intoned, "Defy. Prevail. Restore. I
vow it!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS Goals

Quest Selection

Game Variations

Quick Quest

Hand Controllers

The Quest Begins

Evil Adversaries

Phantom Knights

Red Sorcerers

Defenses

The Enchanted Sword

Map of Level 1

The Wizard's Defenses

Casting Spells

Acquiring Spells

Spells

Injuries, Cures, And Reincarnations

Injuries

Cures

Reincarnations

Tracking Down Treasures

Storing Treasures

Lower Levels

Transport Scrolls

Scoring

Tactical Tips

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE WARRIOR PRINCE RETURNS!

The Warrior Prince sought out Nilrem, faithful wizard to the Royal Court now in
exile.

The Prince found Nilrem in a musty cave. The old Wizard was frail, but his
spirit and his spells were still strong. Nilrem rejoiced at seeing the young
Prince.

"I foresaw your coming; I know your great purpose!"

"Then tell me, wise Wizard, what I must needs know."

"Very well, my Prince. You must recapture your family's ancestral castle, known
now as the Fortress of the Sinister Serpent. Collect all the enchanted treasures
you can find. Store them in the chest on the first Level of the Fortress. Once
stored, these treasures will earn you valuable valor points -- and may help
preserve your life!"

"But take care! Legions of Phantom Knights guard the corridors of the Serpent's
Fortress. They glide through walls. No mortal is equal to their villainy.
Beware, too, of Red Sorcerers. They appear in white clouds of smoke and cast
powerful firebursts. Man does not know their like."

"How am I to survive where others have fallen?" asked the Prince.

Nilrem touched the Warrior Prince's sword. It glistened brilliantly. The Wizard
knocked twice on the breastplate of the Prince's armor. It turned pure white.
The old magician placed his hand on the Prince's forehead. The young Knight felt
the strength of ten men pulse through him.

"This sword will serve you well against your foes. Your armor will diminish the
force of their attacks. Should you fail, you will yet rise nine times. Learn the
secrets of the Serpent's Fortress. Be brave, my Prince."

The young man paused. He at last said, "Ancient One, you do me a great service.
Would that I could repay it!"

"You can, noble Knight, if you would but take an old Wizard with thee."

"Done!" exclaimed the Prince.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOALS

Help the Warrior Prince and the Wizard Nilrem as they collect treasures and
battle the forces of the Sinister Serpent!

Locate and pick up treasures on each of the 4 Levels of the Fortress. Store
treasures in the chest on Level 1 to earn valor points. Battle Phantom Knights
and evil Red Sorcerers. Find the key on each Fortress Level. With it, the
Warrior Prince and Nilrem can move to the next Level where they'll find more
treasures -- and trials! Learn the secrets of the Fortress by investigating
mystical scroll rooms. Nilrem can acquire potent spells! Locate the lair of the
Sinister Serpent! NOTE: Nilrem the Wizard appears in two-player versions. In the
one-player game, the Warrior Prince moves through the Fortress alone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUEST SELECTION When the SWORDS & SERPENTS title appears, select a game by
pressing:

1 Player, 2 Player or 2 Player Magic on the right controller.

Next, press "Enter."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GAME VARIATIONS

1 PLAYER VERSION:

The Warrior Prince battles alone, attempting to learn the floor plan of the
Fortress and as many of its secrets as he can.

Use right keypad cover on either controller.

2 PLAYER VERSION:

The Warrior Prince and the Wizard Nilrem join forces against the Sinister
Serpent. The Wizard begins with one magic spell, and acquires others as he
proceeds.

Right controller: Warrior Prince.

Left controller: Nilrem the Wizard.

2 PLAYER MAGIC VERSION: The Warrior Prince and the faithful Wizard engage the
forces of evil, but this time the Wizard begins with four magic spells.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUICK QUEST

To begin SWORDS & SERPENTS immediately, do the following:

(NOTE: Read the entire instruction manual for a full understanding of SWORDS &
SERPENTS.)

Select Game Variation. Screen shows Warrior Prince and the Wizard (or Prince
alone) in the Fortress Store Room. Use disk to move Prince or Wizard. To destroy
Phantom Knights or Red Sorcerers: Prince must strike them with his sword before
they strike him. Warrior Prince is injured: loses half a life, changes color.
Wizard casts spells he has on hand: Rotate Wizard until he faces opponent or
object at which spell is directed. Release disk. Press desired spell on left
controller keypad. Nilrem is injured: loses half a life, changes color. To pick
up treasure: Position Warrior Prince or Wizard directly over treasure. Release
disk. Press "Enter". Treasure disappears when picked up. To store treasure:
Return to treasure chest in Store Room on Level 1. Position Prince or Wizard
directly over chest. Release disk. Press "Enter". Status screen appears listing
total number of stored treasures, cumulative score and number of lives
remaining. Wizard runs out of Reincarnations (lives): he disappears from game.
Prince runs out of Reincarnations: game ends. To read scrolls: Move Wizard or
the Warrior Prince directly over scroll. Release disk. Press "Read Scroll". [the
'Clear' button - JC] Scroll message appears on screen. If Nilrem reads a scroll
containing a spell, he acquires that spell. If either the Prince or Nilrem reads
"Ye read, ye move" on a scroll, they reappear in the transport scroll room on
the opposite side of that Fortress Level. To move between Levels: Locate key on
current Level of Fortress. Pick it up as you would a treasure. Press "Enter".
Stairs will open. Move onto them. Screen displays number of Level you've
reached.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAND CONTROLLERS

THE QUEST BEGINS

The noble young Prince and the ancient Wizard must make their way through the
murky passageways of the Fortress.

Their journey begins in the Store Room on the first Level. Guide the Prince with
the right, and the Wizard with the left, controller. To move the Prince or
Wizard forward, press that disk edge in the desired direction. To make the
Prince or Wizard back away from an approaching foe: Press and hold either top
side button. Press disk in direction you wish the Prince or Wizard to face. The
Prince appears at the center of the screen throughout the quest. If the old
Wizard wanders out of view, he cannot return until the Warrior Prince finds him.
He paces impatiently and may be in a slightly different location when found.
Before leaving his cave, Nilrem passed his hand over a still pool of water. The
surface now reflects the interior of the Fortress. The view is from above
looking down.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVIL ADVERSARIES

"Wizard, what are these black shades and foul-smelling smoke-belchers?"

PHANTOM KNIGHTS

"These dark attackers are Phantom Knights, my lord. Legend tells us that any
mean mortal who betrays his sworn oath to the hallowed Code of Valor must, in
afterlife, roam forevermore. The Sinister Serpent has legions of these vicious,
mindless minions."

Phantom Knights can move through walls. They attack the Wizard and Prince from
all sides. Since they are spirits, Phantom Knights move faster than the Wizard
or the Warrior Prince. If the Warrior Prince or Wizard is struck by a Phantom
Knight, he loses half a life. RED SORCERERS "The stinking smoke-spewers," the
wizened Wizard continued, "are evil Red Sorcerers. They are apprentice warlocks.
Should they survive a millenium in the service of the Sinister Serpent, they may
lay claim to a castle and a kingdom of their own. However," the Wizard added
dryly, "as Red Sorcerers are not very bright, and know only one spell, this
rarely happens. Still, my Prince, beware!"

Red Sorcerers appear in puffs of sulphuric smoke. They fling deadly firebursts
at the Prince. Because his magic is stronger and purer, and as they are not very
bright, Red Sorcerers cannot detect the Wizard Nilrem's presence. Even so,
Nilrem can be injured if he gets in the path of a fireburst intended for the
Warrior Prince. If the Prince or Nilrem is struck by a fireburst, he loses half
a life.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEFENSES

THE ENCHANTED SWORD

Armed with his enchanted sword and shielded by his magical armor, the Warrior
Prince takes on all evil adversaries.

The Warrior Prince destroys evil adversaries by striking them with his sword --
before they hit him!

The Prince can resist a fireburst flung by a Red Sorcerer!

When a Red Sorcerer appears, rotate the Prince until he faces his opponent. When
the Sorcerer flings his fireburst, the Prince can spear it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE WIZARD'S DEFENSES

Nilrem, like most wizards defends his friends and himself with magical spells.

CASTING SPELLS

Nilrem must face the opponent or object onto which the spell is being cast.
Release disk. Press desired spell. ACQUIRING SPELLS Nilrem the Wizard acquires
most of his spells by reading magical scrolls. The Sinister Serpent has
carelessly left these potent parcels lying around the Fortress.

Each spell the Wizard acquires increases the Warrior Prince's chance for
success!

To read a scroll: Move the Wizard directly over the scroll. Release disk. Press
"Read Scroll." Scroll legend appears. The Wizard Nilrem acquires ten uses of
that spell. Nilrem can replenish his supply of a spell by reading scrolls time
and again. The Wizard Nilrem never carries more than ten uses of a spell. ("A
good wizard always practices moderation," he adds sagely.) Keep track of where
certain spell scrolls lie on each Level of the Fortress! NOTE: The Warrior
Prince can read scrolls, but only Nilrem can acquire spells.

SPELLS

Nilrem can acquire marvelous magical spells in his journey through the Sinister
Serpent's Fortress.

These are the nine possible spells Nilrem can find and use:

# WIZARD BEGINS WITH 
SPELL 2 PLAYER 2/MAGIC USE 
1. FREEZE Infinite Infinite Immobilization Phantom Knights temporarily. 
2. FIREBALL 0 3 Destroys Phantom Knights or Red Sorcerers. 
3. HEAL 0 3 Restores wounded Prince to full strength. 
4. FAST FEET 0 3 Causes Prince to walk twice as fast. 
5. INVINCIBLE 0 0 Makes Prince invincible, but also immobile, for a time. 
6. DESTROY WALLS 0 0 Destroys most walls on first impact. 
7. TO CHEST 0 0 Carries Prince and Wizard to Store Room on Level 1. 
8. INVIC-WIZ 0 0 Makes Nilrem invincible and immobile for a time. 
9. TO KNIGHT 0 0 Carries Nilrem to Prince if they have been separated. 

Don't disturb Nilrem's concentration! When casting a spell, press no other
controller button. Spells 7, 8 and 9 are what the "Necromancer's Guide to
Organic Magic" calls "non-directional" spells; the Wizard need not face in any
particular direction while casting these spells. A word about magical walls:
walls demolished by magic reappear as solid barriers when a wizard or mortal
returns to them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INJURIES, CURES AND REINCARNATIONS

INJURIES

The Warrior Prince and Nilrem begin their quest with nine lives each.

Each injury costs that adventurer half a life. When struck, the Prince or Wizard
is temporarily stunned and cannot move. Press disk again when flashing stops.
Warrior Prince loses first half of a life: he turns from white to gray. The
Wizard Nilrem loses first half of a life: he turns from light to dark blue.

CURES

If the wounded Prince or Wizard locates a Lantern of Life he can regain the half
a life he has lost. Position the injured adventurer over Lantern. Press "Enter".
When healed, the Prince or Wizard returns to his original color.

NOTE: Lanterns are not treasures and cannot be picked up. Lanterns only heal the
injured Prince or Wizard and cannot restore lost Reincarnations. The Wizard can
restore half a life to the injured Warrior Prince by casting a "Heal" spell, if
he has one. The Wizard cannot heal his own wounds. REINCARNATIONS An injury
after the loss of half a life kills the Prince or Wizard. A flashing "X" marks
the spot where the stricken adventurer has fallen.

Once the Prince or Wizard loses a life, he draws on his supply of
Reincarnations. After a brief pause, that adventurer reappears and is ready for
action.

To keep track of the number of Reincarnations the Prince and Wizard have left,
consult the status screen at any time. Press "Status" on either controller. If
Nilrem uses all his Reincarnations, he disappears and the Prince continues on
alone. If the Prince exhausts his supply, the quest ends.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRACKING DOWN TREASURES

The adventurous pair seeks to recover valuable treasures strewn around the
Serpent's Fortress.

To pick up a treasure: Position Prince or Nilrem directly over treasure. Release
disk. Press "Enter". Treasure disappears when picked up. The Warrior Prince or
the Wizard can carry up to six treasures each BUT Their combined total of
treasures in hand cannot exceed six. ("That," says Nilrem, "prevents our taking
too easy a path to success. It is only through struggle that one gains wisdom.")

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STORING TREASURES

To store treasures: Return to the treasure chest in the Store Room on the first
Level of the Fortress. Position the Warrior Prince or the Wizard directly over
the chest. Release disk. Press "Enter". Status screen appears with new score.
Store treasures and thrive! Both the Prince and the Wizard earn an additional
Reincarnation for every 300 points scored.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOWER LEVELS

Hordes of Phantom Knights and Red Sorcerers began to descend on the Prince and
the Wizard soon after they had begun their search.

"Come, my lord," insisted the Wizard. "Our presence here is known. We must move
to lower regions where treasures of even greater value await us -- as well as
the lair of the Sinister Serpent!"

To move down to the next Level: Locate and pick up the key present on each
level. Once picked up, a key cannot be lost or stored. Next, find the stairs.
Press "Enter" on the Prince's controller. Stairs will open. Move Prince onto
stairs. Screen shows the Fortress Level reached. To return to higher Level: move
back onto stairs. NOTE: When the Prince moves onto the stairs, Nilrem uses magic
to follow him. He need not use the stairs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRANSPORT SCROLLS

"The longer we linger on any one Level, the more of the Serpent's henchmen we'll
encounter," cautioned the Wizard.

"But how can we cover all this distance so quickly, Wizard? I lack your
powers..."

"Ahh," replied the wily Wizard, "there are ways as yet unknown to you! Listen
and learn."

To explore a level more quickly, find a transport scroll room. Position the
Prince or Wizard directly over the scroll. Release disk. Press "Enter". Legend
on scroll appears: "Ye Read, Ye Move." When the Wizard and Prince reappear, they
will be in the transport scroll room on the opposite side of that Level of the
Fortress. The Warrior Prince learns to use these transport scrolls when he
wishes to return to Level 1 in order to store treasures.

As the Warrior Prince and Nilrem the Wizard move deeper into the cavernous
Fortress, menacing Phantom Knights and Red Sorcerers attack in ever greater
numbers. Still the friends fight on.

Who can say what perils await them on the lowest Level of the Fortress? The
Sinister Serpent has a few tricks in store for even the most seasoned and
valiant of crusaders.

Can the Prince and the Wizard discover the ultimate lair of the Sinister
Serpent? What is the secret of the lowest Level?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCORING

The value of a treasure is keyed to the Fortress Level on which it is found.

First Level: 50 points each Second Level: 100 points each Third Level: 150
points each Fourth Level: 200 points each

BONUS!!! EARN AN ADDITIONAL REINCARNATION FOR EVERY 300 VALOR POINTS SCORED!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TACTICAL TIPS

Map out the Levels of the Fortress, taking special note of the location of
transport scroll rooms and treasures. Consult the map at the center of this
booklet. It can help you learn your way around the first Level of the Fortress.
When battling a Phantom Knight, the Warrior Prince stands a better chance of
winning the battle if he faces the Knight and backs away. Similarly, Nilrem
gains more time to select and fire the appropriate spell if he backs away from
an approaching adversary. The Prince should stand guard while Nilrem stores
treasures or reads scrolls and acquires spells. The Prince can sometimes avoid a
Red Sorcerer's fireburst by moving so that the Sorcerer disappears from view.
This works if the Sorcerer appears near the edge of the screen. Try it! When
trying to pass through crushing walls, the Prince and the Wizard enjoy greater
success if they stand at the center of the doorway and then cross when the doors
are completely open. You may witness a magical moment: sometimes a sliding door
nearly closes on the Prince -- but his armor saves him. It flashes many colors
and no enemy can injure him! He battles on in an eternal confrontation with
evil.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game Program designed by Brian P. Dougherty

©1983 IMAGIC
700009-1A
All Rights Reserved 
