MANUAL\sword

SWORD OF VERMILION

The Story of Vermilion.

Eighteen years ago, the evil King Tsarkon of Carthahena invaded Excalabria, destroying the fertile fields and peaceful folk of that once-prosperous land. When King Erik V of Excalabria saw that he could do nothing to stop the hordes that stormed his castle walls, he ordered his bravest knight, Blade, to escape with the king's infant son and raise him far from the land of his birth.

Blade journeyed far, at last setting in the isolated village of Wyclif. There he raised the prince, never telling him of his royal heritage. Eighteen years passed, and the young prince grew into a strong, skillful warrior. On the day of Blade's death, the prince learned of his true identity. He vowed to fulfill his destiny and avenge his father's death...

TAKE CONTROL!
--------------------------

Learn the functions of each button on your Control Pad before embarking on your odyssey. Even the most minor of mistakes could seriously damage the prince's chances of fulfilling his destiny!

D-Button
-------------

* Press to move the marker in the selection screens.
* Press up, down, left or right to move the prince in the towns and caves and along the countryside.

Start Button
-----------------

* Press to start the game, or to continue a game saved earlier.

Button A
------------

* Press to use magic for healing, in combat, or for other special purposes.

Button B
------------

* Press to erase a previously - made selection.

Button C
------------

* Press to see data screens.
* Press to choose an item from a selection screen.
* Press to brandish your sword in battle.

GAME OBJECTIVE
-----------------------------

The prince vowed to take revenge on King Tsarkon, the evil lord responsible for his father's death. To exact this revenge, the prince must obtain the 8 Rings of Good. There are 16 Rings altogether, and the 8 Rings of Evil are in the hands of Cartahena's ruler, Tsarkon.

You must survive battle situations against deadly enemies, travel across the land of Vermilion, getting information, learn to use Magic to help you in combat or to restore your health, and collect a great many items that are often hidden in dark, mysterious caverns. The 8 Rings of Good are allegedly hidden in secret locations across the land. If you're crafty enough, you can collect every one of them. Your ultimate goal is to safely guide the prince to where Tsarkon waits, defeat him and take the Rings that he possesses. You must obtain all 16 Rings, and the Sword of Vermilion, in order to eliminate evil from this world one and for all.

the journey on which you are about to embark is long and treacherous. It requires physical and mental agility, as well as a strong will to succeed. You bring honor upon yourself by accepting the challenge of Vermilion!

GETTING STARTED
------------------------------

MOVEMENT
-------------------

Controlling the prince's movement is not the same in the towns and villages as when he's between towns or in a cave or dungeon. When he's in a town or village, he responds directly to the use of the D-Button. If you press the D-Button up, he moves up on the screen. If you press down, he moves down. The same applies when moving him left or right.

NOTE: This also applies to the prince's movement during battle.

Outside of town, or in a cave or dungeon, he's a little more difficult to maneuver. If you don't learn how to move him properly, you may find yourself in a combat situation that could have been avoided! To move him in the direction he's facing, press the D-Button up. To move him backwards, press down. Moving him left or right depends on which way he's facing. If, for example, he's facing you and you want to move him to the East ( your right), press the D-Button to the left once, and he turns and faces that way. Press the D-Button up, and he bigness to move forward.

when turning the prince, press the D-Button once in the desired direction. To move him forward, press and hold the D-Button up if the path is straight. If there are many twists and turns, press the D-Button up repeatedly for better control.

DATA SCREENS
------------------------

(1)

The Main Data screen allow you to perform many important functions - you can't hope to survive if you don't understand how to use it. To see this screen, press Button C anytime (except during battle).

To get information from townspeople, or other folks you may meet in your travels, select TALK (1). To have a conversation with someone,you must move the prince so that he's standing next to that person.

When you press Button C to initiate the conversation, the person automatically turns and faces the prince. If you select TALK when no one is around, a message appears to inform you of this.

the items on page 20 can be used, or abandoned, by selecting ITEM (1) in the Main Data screen. When you press Button C, a window containing the words Use and Discard appears.

"Which item do you want to use?" Scan the list of Items, and find the one you want to use. Move the selection marker to it, and press Button C. the result appears in the Dialogue window at the bottom of the screen. If you change your mind about using an item,press Button B to close the window.

"Which item do you want to discard?" Check you Items list very carefully - if you put down the wrong item, you may be without it later, in a situation where it would have come in handy! Move the selection marker to your choice, and press Button C. If you decide not to put anything down, press Button B to close the window.

In your travels, on dead - end paths or after defeating an enemy, a treasure chest may appear. The chests are sometimes empty, but often they contain items, Weapons, or Kims (gold). To view the contents, select OPEN (1) in the Main Data screen. Press Button C, and a description of the contents appears in the Dialogue window.

OPEN (1) should also be selected when you wish to open a door in a cave or dungeon. Some of the doors are locked though, and require special keys to open.

Select MAGIC (1) to cast a spell. You can also get a new Book of Spells ready to use in your next combat situation, or put one of your books down. Press Button C, and a window containing the words Cast, Ready and Discard appears.

"From which Book do you wish to cast a spell?" check your list of Magic books, move the selection marker to your choice, and press Button C. This function applies mainly to Healing spells, or Special Magic. If the spell you try to cast requires more Magic Points than you have , the message "you don't have enough Magic Points" appears in the Dialogue window. There are also places where certain types of Magic cannot be used. If, for example, you try to use Aries Magic inside a cave, the message "You can't use this here " appears.

"Which Book of Spells do you want to ready for combat?" Combat spells are cast from the Book of Spells that you prepare by selecting Equip in the window. Find the book you want to carry, and press Button C. A window containing the words Yes and No appears. If you change your mind about which Book of Spells you want to ready, select No and try again. Once you engage in battle, you are unable to change ! You can carry up to 8 Magic books at any one time, including the one you have prepared for combat.

"Which Book of Spells do you want to put down?" If you want to buy a new Book of Spells, but you're carrying 8 books, you can get rid of an unnecessary book by selecting Put down. Again, the Yes and No options appear . Double check your selection - if you're satisfied, select Yes and press Button C. Instead of just abandoning a book that probably cost you a princely sum, you should consider selling it at the same type of shop where you purchased it. Some books have better resale value than others, but a few Kims are better then nothing.

Throughout the journey, the prince must have the strongest Weapon, Armor and Shield available ( see pages 14-17). Select EQUIP (1) in the Main Data screen to prepare the prince for battle. Press Button C, and a window containing the words Put on, Remove and Stop appears.

´Put on´ lets you arm yourself with a new Weapon, replace Shield, or don a set of Armor. Move the selection marker and press Button C. Another sub screen appears, containing the words Weapon, Shield and Armor. Move the selection marker to the type of item you want to put on, and press Button C. The screen listing the gear you possess comes up. To choose a piece of gear, move the selection marker to the desired piece and press button C. To close the screen, press Button B. The Weapon, Shield and Armor that you are armed with are denoted by a star to the right. If there are no stars, you aren't at all prepared for battle!

You can carry up to 8 pieces of this type of gear. Since you can only use 3 pieces at any one time, and you constantly upgrade you gear, you might think about selling unused gear at a Weapon and Armor shop (page 14). Some items have good resale value,and others may return almost nothing. even if you can't expect to profit from the sale of an item, it's better to clear the space for a better piece of gear that will help you later on.

´Remove´allows you to take off a piece of gear that you want to replace. Follow the same procedure as when you're putting something on. You can't put anything down,so when you take off an item, it just means that it has become part of your baggage.

There are many valuable Items hidden across Vermilion. Some of them can't be found in treasure chests. To search a particular area, select SEEK (1) and press Button C. the result of your search appears in the Dialogue window. More often than not, you come up empty.

When you find something using the SEEK (1) function, or when you want to claim the contents of a treasure chest, select TAKE (1) in the Main Data screen. Press Button C to see the result in the Dialogue window. If you successfully obtain the item, you hear a tinkling sound. If there's no sound, check your lists carefully - don't make the mistake of leaving a free item behind!

STATUS SCREEN (STR)
----------------------------------

NAME: The name given to your character.
CONDITION: Current Condition - Best, Good, Bad (Poisoned).
LEVEL: Current Experience Level.
EXP: Experience Point total.
NEXT LEVEL EXP: Experience Points required for advancement to next level.
HP: Hit Points remaining.
MHP: Maximum possible Hit Point total at current Experience Level.
MP: Magic Points remaining.
MMP: Maximum possible Magic Point total at current Experience Level.
STR: Strength factor (affected by level and Weapon in use.)
AC: Armor Class (affected by Armor and Shield in use.)
INT: Intelligence ( affects power of Magic Spells.)
DEX: Dexterity (ability to avoid injury.)
LUK: Luck (ability to avoid being poisoned.)
KIM: Kims (currency of Vermilion.)

By pressing Button C, you can call up several more screens that tell you where you stand. The first one to appear is the Equipment Readied screen. This displays the Weapon, Shield, Armor and Magic that the prince is currently equipped with.

Press Button C again to call up the Gear (Combat) screen. The Weapons, Armor and Shields that you currently possess are listed here. The pieces in use are denoted by a star.

Pressing Button C again brings up the Gear (Magic) screen . This is a list of the Magic Spell books that you have. The one you're currently equipped with is denoted by a star.

The next screen shows you the items currently in your possession. It's a good idea to check this particular screen regularly during your travels. Of all of your different cargo, this type stands the biggest chance of reaching the maximum 8 pieces. Be sure you have everything you think you need before you leave a town or village!

START/CONTINUE
----------------------------

At the bottom of the Title screen, the Start/Continue options window appears. New players should select Start, those of you who want to take up a game you saved earlier should select Continue. Move the selection marker to your choice, and press the Start Button.

If you select Start, you must first choose a name for the prince. A letter and number grid appears. Move the selection marker to the letter or number you want to enter, and press Button C. You can enter as many as 6 characters. If you make a mistake, press Button B to erase it, and try again. If your name uses 6 characters, the selection marker automatically moves down to END. Press Button C or the Start Button to exit the screen. If your name requires fewer than 6 characters, use the D-Button to move the selection marker down to END, and then press Button C or the Start Button.

The story screens follow. Read them carefully, as they explain how this terrible evil came to be. When they're finished, you see the prince standing at the entrance to the town of Wyclif.

It's time to begin your journey!

If you select Continue, press the Start Button and the Road Memory screen appears. There are 3 memory banks on which you can store your game. You can save the game in any of the 3 banks. Move the selection marker to your choice, and press Button C to start loading. When the game is ready, press Button C again.

NOTE: There may occasionally be a problem loading the information. The computer will then ask to press Button C to clear up the trouble. If the trouble cannot be resolved by pressing Button C, press the Reset Button on your Mega drive/Genesis machine.

COMBAT!
---------------

The land of Vermilion is crawling with dangerous enemies; and you must defeat most of the horrible monsters you face if you want to stop King Tsarkon.

during your travels, either on the road or in a cave or dungeon, one of the many type of enemies (page 22) may appear in front of you. Check your 3-D screen to see which type it is. This is important because some monsters can be destroyed in hand - to - hand combat, while others will do you in unless you use Magic on them. They normally attack in groups, so be prepared for anything!

Glance at your Hit Point indicator regularly. If it drops below 100, it might be a good idea to escape from your attackers and restore your health. Press the D-Button left or right to run away in that direction. If you're killed in battle, the church takes half of your money!

THE ARCHMONSTERS!
-----------------------------------

The Archmonsters are the enemies that you should fear the most. When you come across one, you'll realize why. They are much larger and much more powerful than any enemy you encounter on the road! To attack with your sword, press Button C repeatedly. You can move the prince to the right (forward the monster) or to the left (away from him). you must move in at some point, or you won't be able to do any damage.

Some of the Archmonsters cab shoot fire at you, in various forms. To avoid the blasts, make the prince squat by pressing the D-Button down,or swing your sword at the fire and negate it.
NOTE: You cannot use Magic when battling an Archmonster. Be sure to restore your health and arm yourself appropriately before the battle begins! there's no running away from them!

SHOPS
----------

WEAPONS AND ARMOR
-------------------------------------

Find this shop when you want to purchase a Weapon, a Shield, or a new set of Armor. You can also sell any pieces you don't want to carry. Some of these items have very limited resale value,though. you can find one of these shops in almost every town and village in Vermilion.

WEAPONS

SWORD PRICE (KIMS) WHERE TO BUY

Bronze 100 Wyclif

Iron 400 Parma

Sharp 800 Parma

Long 1800 Deepdale

Silver 3700 Deepdale

Prime 5100 Malaga

Golden 8200 Malaga

Platinium 14800 Tadcaster

Diamond 21000 Tadcaster

Royal 34600 Swaffham

Ultimate 42000 Swaffham

ARMOR

TYPE PRICE(KIMS) WHERE TO BUY

Leather 200 Wyclif

Bronze 400 Wyclif

Metal 900 Parma

Scale 1100 Parma

Plate 2800 Deepdale

Crystal 4500 Deepdale

Silver 7000 Malaga

Knight 9200 Malaga

Gold 15000 Tadcaster

Ultimate 24000 Tadcaster

Odin 38000 Swaffham

Diamond 50000 Swaffham

SHIELDS

TYPE PRICE(KIMS) WHERE TO BUY

Leather 50 Wyclif

Small 80 Wycliff

Large 250 Parma

Silver 500 Parma

Gold 1500 Deepdale

Platinum 3200 Deepdale

Diamond 4100 Malaga

Knight 6300 Tadcaster

Carmine 12700 Swaffham

MAGIC
---------

There are books of Magic Spells on sale at the Magic Shops in most of the towns and villages of Vermilion. Combat magic helps you to destroy the tougher enemies you encounter, Healing Magic is used to restore Hit Points, and Special Magic can give light to a dark place, and transport you instantaneously to a place that you've been before.

You are allowed to carry as many as 8 books at any one time. When you want to replace a book, you can put it down or sell it at a Magic Shop. The resale value is generally good.

COMBAT MAGIC

NAME MP REQUIRED WHERE TO BUY

Ferros 1 Parma

Copperos 4 Stow

Mercurios 7 Helwig

Argentos 10 Swaffham

Hydro 4 Keltwick

Hydrios 8 Swaffham

Volti 2 Deepdale, Stow

Voltio 12 Malaga, Swaffham

Voltios 16 Hastings

Aero 3 Stow, Keltwick

Aerios 9 Malaga

Chrono 5 Keltwick

Chronios ? Hastings

Terrafissi ? Hastings

HEALING MAGIC

NAME MP EFFECT WHERE TO BUY

Sangua 6 Restore HP Parma, Deepdale

Sanguia 12 Restore HP Malaga, Helwig

Sanguio 31 Restore HP Hastings

Toxios 6 Anti - poison Keltwick, Malaga

SPECIAL MAGIC

NAME HP EFFECT WHERE TO BUY

Extrios 5 Teleport Helwig

Aries 13 Teleport Malaga, Helwig

Luminos 5 Cave Light Keltwick

Inaudios 8 Camouflage Helwig

NOTE: Healing and Special Magic SPells cannot be cast during battle.

SUPPLY SHOP
---------------------

There are many Items that you can purchase here that are guaranteed to make your expedition much less dangerous.

You may come across a treasure chest after defeating an enemy, or on a dead - end path, that contains an Item. Many of those Items are not for sale in the Supply Shops, though - check the hint book for more information, or do your best without it!

ITEM PURPOSE PRICE(KIMS)

Herbs Restore HP From 20

Medicine Restore HP From 120

Candle Give Light From 10

Lantern Give Light From 65

Poison Balm Cure Poison From 40

Gnome Stone Teleport From 300

Griffin Wing Teleport From 820

Banshee Powder Emergency From 2200

Agate Jewel Restore MP From 3200

Topaz Jewel Restore MP From 9100

Alarm Clock Wake-up Call From 2000

Vase ??? ???

Joke Book ??? ???

Small Bomb ??? ???

INN
------

When your Magic Point total gets dangerously low (less than 20% of maximum), you should stop and rest for the night. You can find an Inn in almost every town and village in Vermilion. the price of a good night's sleep increases as you continue on your trip, but it's always reasonable.

TAVERN
-------------

Nearly every town and village contains a Tavern. you can't sit down for a quiet meal, but you might be able to pick up a few bits of information. It never hurts to stop in and check out the latest gossip!

FORTUNE TELLER
----------------------------

An old woman offers to tell you about your future using her crystal ball. Unfortunately, she demands payment upfront. You don't know if the information is of any value or not until after you've parted with some of your precious Kims!

CHURCH
--------------

This might be the most important stop in each town and village you visit. You can save your game, be cured of poison,, and have a Curse removed here. All that they ask of you is a small donation to charity.

ENEMIES
---------------

You'll face many different varieties of nasty creatures in your travels, some more dangerous than others. It's good to be able to recognize them on sight (by referring to your 3-D screen), and learn which of them can be easily defeated. If a monster appears on your screen, and you know that he's especially tough, you can be prepared to either use Magic or get out of there!

SLIMES
------------

* Green Slime
* Blue Jelly
* Red Glunk
* Gray ooze
* Gold Pudding
* Black Glop

KOBOLDS
----------------

* Dog Kobold
* Coyote Kobold
* Hyena Kobold
* Wolf Kobold

UNDEAD
--------------

* Skeleton
* Zombie
* Ghoul
* Cryptmaster

BATS
--------

* Fruit Bat
* Cave Bat
* Killer Bat
* Vampire Bat

SORCERERS
-------------------

* Neophyte
* Conjurer
* Mage
* Wizard

FLOATING EYES
-------------------------

* Eyeball
* Red Eye
* Zap Eye
* Kille Eye

SNAKEMAN
------------------

* Rattler
* Python
* Cobra
* Anaconda

GIANT MUSHROOMS
---------------------------------

* Puffball
* Toadstool
* Shroom
* Morel

CYCLOPS
--------------

* Basher
* Smasher
* Crusher
* Obliterator

FIRERINGS
------------------

* Flamer
* Melter
* Scorcher
* Incinerator

SCORPIONS
-------------------

* Needler
* Stinger
* Injector
* Poisoner

MOLDS
------------

* Creeper
* Oozer
* Slimer
* Slurper

06/10/97

Entrax

SWORD	PRICE (KIMS)	WHERE TO BUY
Bronze	100	Wyclif
Iron	400	Parma
Sharp	800	Parma
Long	1800	Deepdale
Silver	3700	Deepdale
Prime	5100	Malaga
Golden	8200	Malaga
Platinium	14800	Tadcaster
Diamond	21000	Tadcaster
Royal	34600	Swaffham
Ultimate	42000	Swaffham

TYPE	PRICE(KIMS)	WHERE TO BUY
Leather	200	Wyclif
Bronze	400	Wyclif
Metal	900	Parma
Scale	1100	Parma
Plate	2800	Deepdale
Crystal	4500	Deepdale
Silver	7000	Malaga
Knight	9200	Malaga
Gold	15000	Tadcaster
Ultimate	24000	Tadcaster
Odin	38000	Swaffham
Diamond	50000	Swaffham

NAME	MP REQUIRED	WHERE TO BUY
Ferros	1	Parma
Copperos	4	Stow
Mercurios	7	Helwig
Argentos	10	Swaffham
Hydro	4	Keltwick
Hydrios	8	Swaffham
Volti	2	Deepdale, Stow
Voltio	12	Malaga, Swaffham
Voltios	16	Hastings
Aero	3	Stow, Keltwick
Aerios	9	Malaga
Chrono	5	Keltwick
Chronios	?	Hastings
Terrafissi	?	Hastings

NAME	MP	EFFECT	WHERE TO BUY
Sangua	6	Restore HP	Parma, Deepdale
Sanguia	12	Restore HP	Malaga, Helwig
Sanguio	31	Restore HP	Hastings
Toxios	6	Anti - poison	Keltwick, Malaga

ITEM	PURPOSE	PRICE(KIMS)
Herbs	Restore HP	From 20
Medicine	Restore HP	From 120
Candle	Give Light	From 10
Lantern	Give Light	From 65
Poison Balm	Cure Poison	From 40
Gnome Stone	Teleport	From 300
Griffin Wing	Teleport	From 820
Banshee Powder	Emergency	From 2200
Agate Jewel	Restore MP	From 3200
Topaz Jewel	Restore MP	From 9100
Alarm Clock	Wake-up Call	From 2000
Vase	???	???
Joke Book	???	???
Small Bomb	???	???