KING ARTHUR: HISTORY VS. MYTH Archaeological diggings at a hill known as Cadbury in central southern England have revealed the remains of a fortress dating roughly to the 6th century, based on an even older Roman fortress before that. Cadbury is a location many associate with one of the most famous locations of all time - Camelot. There are many indications that there was a powerful war leader in that time by the name Arthur, Artur, Artos, Artorius and other variations. A Welsh history from about 850 A.D., the Historia Britonum, provides the earliest written record of him. The 10th century Annales Cambriae even mentions his date of death as 537 A.D. He was not known as King Arthur, though at one point he seems to have had the title emperor. During his time, the Roman rule of Britain had ended, leaving behind a chaos that would evolve into the Dark Ages. The historical Arthur was noted as probably having a Roman education which he used to create a swift and effective body of cavalry and would have been the last major figure of power before post-Roman Britain sank into its decline. This made his lustre as a warlord shine all the more in the darkness that followed.
He gathered valiant knights around him and built a round table so they would all sit as equals around it. He built the magnificent stronghold of Camelot. He married Gwenhyver (or Guinevere) and though she loved him, she also loved one of his greatest knights, Sir Launcelot. Launcelot loved her and was forever torn between this love and his loyalty to Arthur. Arthur fought and won many battles, but was finally mortally wounded by his own nephew-son, Mordred. He was not buried, but was carried away by three Fairy Queens on a boat to the mysterious island of Avalon, where he was to be cured of his wounds and then sleep until the day he was needed again.
This barely scratches the surface of a rich and complex body of myths which have combined and grown over the centuries into the Arthurian Cycle. Very ancient Welsh and Celtic legends link him to the constellation of Ursa Major (The Big Bear) because his name in Welsh, 3
Arth Vawr, meant Heavenly Bear, meaning that a god in his earliest form.

he was

Numerous other gods and goddesses lost their divinity and became his knights, rival kings and various ladies. An early Welsh Goddess, Gwenhwyfar, resurfaced much later as Arthurs queen, Guinevere. There are scores of Welsh and Celtic legends about larger-than-life heroes who go upon monumental quests, rescue or win their ladies, and search for miraculous treasures. They faced giants, Visited magical islands and fought in the underworld. Most of these colorful tales eventually found their way into the Arthurian Cycle in one form or another. In the 2nd century A.D., 5,500 Sarmatians who were defeated by the Romans in a battle on the frozen Danube were sent in exile to northwestern England to serve as border guards against the Scottish Picts in the north. These Sarmatians originally came from southern Russia and were roving, marauding mounted warriors complete with chainmail and heavy lances. More significantly, they brought with them an entire body of tales about a heroic king named Batradz who had a body of loyal knights, a sword in a stone, a miraculous cup, and a magic sword that had to be thrown into an enchanted lake as he lay dying. All of these elements and more seem to have been assimilated into the Arthurian legends. From the 12th century onward, the legends acquired the themes of chivalry and courtly love (devotion to a 5

particular lady) which arrived along with the Normans who invaded England and brought with them the troubadour influence of France. During this time, Launcelot appeared in the stories and he and Guinevere became significant figures, caught in the tragic love triangle with Arthur. At this late point also the Round Table was added to the stories. And finally, around the same time, the Arthurian legends were Christianized and, later still, the quest for the Grail was attached and gained dominance. The theme of sin causing the downfall of Camelot and the need for the healing grace of the Grail are now completely associated with King Arthur, yet they are very late additions. Century after century, storytellers continue to embellish and embroider this fascinating mix of history, mythology and pure fantasy.
THE GRAIL AND THE SACRED CUP Grail derives from the Medieval Latin word cratella meaning bowl. One of the Medieval writers of the Arthurian saga, the 12th century French Poet, Chretien de Troyes, left behind after his death an unfinished poem about a knight-hero named Perceval. This poem was taken up and used by later writers until it became
the story of Parzifal and his encounter with the Holy Grail and the Spear of Longinus (the Roman spear used to pierce Christ in the ribs as he hung on the cross). In 1485, the most famous of the Arthurian storytellers, Sir Thomas Malory, wrote Morte Arthur) in which thesearch for the Grail became a permanent part of the legends affixed to the court of Camelot. In these various versions, the only knights who ultimately proved pure enough to see or possess the Grail were Parzifal (Percival), Sir Bors and Galahad. The basic myth says that Joseph of Arimathea was a priest of Jerusalem who supervised the burial of Jesus. He acquired the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper and into it gathered drops of Christs blood, either while Jesus was on the cross or during his burial. Joseph brought the Grail to Britain where he established a shrine on Glastonbury Tor. But there is no doubt that the Grail legend itself is firmly based upon the much more ancient myths of the Sacred Cup of the Goddess. In virtually every mythology in every culture, the cup or chalice or cauldron is a symbol of feminine power, the ability to create life and grant fertility. Just as the Grail was reputed to have the power to heal and to give endless food and drink, so were there. endless older myths of a Sacred Cup or cauldron which gave life or other boons. 6
It appeared in the earliest legends of Egyptian, Babylonian, Indian and Norse mythology where it was linked to a Goddess (or a female trinity as a Triple Goddess) who gave birth to the universe and often there were three cauldrons from which various gods and heroes would drink to gain power or knowledge. To the Celts, it was the Cauldron of Regeneration in which injured or slain warriors could be resurrected. In other tales, it was a bowl that provided endless food and drink that was wrested from the underworld, or the cauldron of a giant. To the Welsh, it was one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, the enchanted Cauldron of Inspiration that would not cook the meat of a liar or a coward. To the Sarmatians, ii was Amonga, a magic cup that gave endless food and drink and also would not boil the meat of a coward. Even the Christian legend of St. John the Evangelist associated him with rebirth from a boiling cauldron until his festival was expunged from Christian calendar in 1960. That the Grail is really the Sacred Cup of the Goddess is inescapable, even in the name of Joseph of Arimathea. The literal translation of Arimathea means belonging to the Goddess-mother Mari.

hope Almond blossom.. Anemone.. withered hopes afterthought Aster... Buttercup.. memories of childhood Carnation... heartbreak folly Columbine.. slighted love Chrysanthemum, yellow.. Chrysanthemum, white.. truth celibacy Cornflower... Daffodil... Forget-me-not... Hyacinth.. death true love

sport, game or play

purity Lily, white... Lily, yellow.. falsehood Orchid... THE LANGUAGE OF THE FLOWERS From the earliest days of civilization, flowers have been given special meanings. For example, the rose has a long association with love, sexuality and with many goddesses, the Virgin Mary, and the science of alchemy. Not only the flower itself, but often the color indicated what significance was attached to it. There are many legends of flowers springing up where drops of blood or tears fell to the ground. What follows is a list of flowers and their meanings:

seduction

Periwinkle, blue...

early friendship

Periwinkle, white.. pleasures of memory consolation Poppy, red... Poppy, scarlet.. fantastic extravagance Snowdrop... hope or consolation haughtiness Sunflower... Tulip, red.. declaration of love hopeless love lust Tulip, yellow..

Violet...

SIX GODDESSES
ASTARTE Astarte was the Goddess of Bvblos. from which our word for bible originated. She was known as the Star, the Moon, the Heavenly Virgin, Queen of the Stars and the Queen of Heaven. Some of her other names were Tanit, Ishtar (the star), Astroarche (Queen of the Stars) and Attar-Samayin (Morning Star of Heaven). The Israelites burned incense, offered wine and baked cakes in her honor. Her great shrines were at Byblos and Aphaca (known today as Afka). King Solomon built a sanctuary to her in Jerusalem. Her priestesses were famous astrologers. ATHENE She is best known as the Greek Goddess sacred to the city of Athens. Originally, she was a Libyan goddess imported from North Africa. In the Greek legends she was born from the head of Zeus. She has dozens of attributes which include: warrior-goddess and protectress of heroes; patron of architects, sculptors, spinners and weavers; protectress of horses and oxen; and a counsellor-goddess famed for her wisdom. The owl is associated with her. Sulphur is an element identified with her because it was believed that burning brimstone (sulphur) would drive away the evil spirits that caused disease. Athenes major temple was the Parthenon which means virgin-house.

APHRODITE AND ADONIS

She was the Roman version of the Greek goddess, Hestia. She was considered the guardian of the innermost things -- home and hearth. Her name comes from vas, a Sanscrit word meaning approximately shining. She personified earth, and domestic and religious fire. The perpetual sacred fire of her temples was tended by six women known as the Vestal Virgins. Young girls who entered this order took strict vows of chastity for thirty years, after which they could marry. The fire of her hearth/altar was considered to be the center of the earth.
THE MYTHOLOGY OF APHRODITE
She is a fundamental Goddess known by scores of names with dozens of attributes. Aphrodite is simply the name by which she came to be known via the Greeks, but she was an ancient deity even then. She was variously considered the goddess of life, ideal or chaste love, sexuality, marriage, childbirth, fate, death, arts,

APHRODITE

APHRODITE AND PYGMALION
Pygmalion was a sculptor who lived on the island of Cyprus. Aphrodite was displeased with the women of his town, who had refused to accept that she was divine. She cursed them so that they lost all sense of modesty and would give themselves to any man who came along. Because of their behavior, Pygmalion disdained the company of women, but nonetheless he devoutly worshipped Aphrodite. He remained alone, carving his statues. One such statue, carved of ivory, was of a woman so beautiful that he fell deeply in love with her image. But she was only a statue until Aphrodite heard his prayers and pleas. Pygmalion was rewarded for his devotion. The cold ivory turned to warm flesh as his statue came to life and embraced him. Hippolytus was the son of King Theseus. He was an avid hunter who rode out every day in his chariot. Aphrodite loved him because of his handsome form, but he scorned her love and the love of all women. Furious at being rejected by the handsome prince, Aphrodite caused his stepmother, Phaedra, to fall in love with him, but Hippolytus rejected her as well. Phaedra convinced Theseus that his son had raped her whereupon the King called upon the sea-god, Poseidon, to exact vengeance. While Hippolytus drove his chariot along the shore of the Saronic Gulf, Poseidon sent a fierce bull from the waves to panic the horses. They stampeded and Hippolytus was dragged to his death behind the chariot. 11

APHRODITE AND HIPPOLYTUS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
This is a partial list of books used as research and reference: Celtic Mvth & Legend, Poetry & Romance Charles Squire Folklore. Myths and Legends of Britain, Readers Digest Assoc. Ltd. Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia The Sir James George Frazer Sir James Knowles Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology The John M. Allegro Wamors John Matthews &Bob Stewart The Barbar, G. Walker The Womans Dictionary of Svmbols and Sacred Objects, Barbara G. Walker I highly recommend, as a meticulously researched and brilliantly conceived account of Arthur and Merlin, the superb trilogy by Dame Mary Stewart: The The and TheLast Thank you, M.S., for lifelong inspiration. Thanks also to Joel Anderson, Antique Coin Dealer, for h help with the coinage of the ancient world. I would like to receive your feedback and comments on the game. Please write to Christy Marx c/o Sierra On-Line P.O.Box 485, Coarsegold, CA 93614

the game on your hard disk. If you do not wish the game be installed on your hard disk, press [ESC] to skip this step. If you want to install the game on your hard disk, enter the letter designation of your hard disk (usually C) and follow the prompts. PLEASE NOTE: Even if you install to a hard disk, the install procedure will write a file named RESOURCE.CFG to Disk 1. For the installation to be completed correctly, DISK 1 MUST NOT BE WRITE PROTECTED. No other files on Disk 1 are written or changed by the install command. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS After completing the INSTALL procedure: From diskettes: 1. Place Disk 1 into the A: drive. 2. Type: a: and press [ENTER]. 3. Type: sierra and press [ENTER]. From hard disk: 1. From your root directory, type cd \sierra and press [ENTER]. 2. Type [SPECIFIC COMMAND] and press [ENTER].

MS-DOS

PLAYING THE GAME Place the back up copy you have made of Disk 1 into your diskette drive. Type the letter of the disk drive you have placed the disk into followed by a colon (for example: a:), and press [ENTER]. Type: install and press [ENTER]. Answer the onscreen questions using the up and down [Arrow] keys to highlight your selections, then press [ENTER] to select. You will be asked if you wish to install 13
SAVING GAMES TO DISKETTES PLEASE NOTE: If youre playing from diskettes, you must have a separate formatted diskette ready before you can save a game. We also recommend that you create several directories on your save game disk in order to assure adequate space for save game storage. Choose SAVE GAME from the File menu or press the [F5] key. The Save Game menu will appear. Use your [Tab] key to choose CHANGE DIRECTORY. Backspace or press [Ctrl-C] to clear the command line. Type the letter of the drive you are using for saved games, followed by a colon (Example: a:) and press [ENTER]. Type the name of your saved game and press [ENTER] to complete the SAVE GAME procedure. If your disk for saving games is full, you may reformat it (this will erase the saved games on the disk) and use it over, or use another formatted blank disk. SAVING GAMES TO HARD DISK If you choose to save games to the hard disk, the program will automatically try to save to the games own directory. If you run out of space for saving games, try one of the following alternatives: Save additional games to diskette. Save games to a different directory by choosing CHANGE DIRECTORY from the SAVE GAME menu (inside the game). Delete all saved games and the saved game directory from your hard disk by following DOS instructions (outside the game). The program will create a new index file within the game directory.

ATARI ST LOADING INSTRUCTIONS Note: If you are using an Atari 520 ST without memory expansion, turn off all desk accessories (rename.ACC extension.ACX) before running your Sierra game. 1. If you are playing the game from diskettes: Place Disk 1 in drive A, and open the disk by double-clicking on its icon. Start the game by double clicking on SIERRA.PRG. 2. If you are playing the game from a hard disk: Open the disk by double-clicking on its icon, then open the game folder by double-clicking on the game folder icon. Start the game by double-clicking on SIERRA.PRG. HARD DISK INSTALLATION Please note: More than 512K of memory is needed in order to run Sierra games on your ST If you have a hard disk. 1. Open the hard disk by double-clicking on its icon. 2. Create a game folder by choosing NEW FOLDER.from the File menu. Open the new folder by double-clicking on its icon. 3. Place Disk 1 in drive A. 4. Copy the game disk into the new game folder by dragging the drive A icon into the window you opened in Step 3. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of the other game disks. 6. Put the master disks away in a safe place. 14
CHOOSE A MUSIC DEVICE (Optional) Your Sierra game is initially set up to play music and sounds through the Atari STs internal speaker. If you have one of the supported MIDI synthesizers, you my run the MUSIC program to have the game play music through the synthesizer. 1. Open the game disk/folder by double-clicking on its icon. 2. Run the MUSIC program by double-clicking on the MUSIC.PRG icon. 3. Select MUSIC DEVICE from the Options menu. 4. Select your synthesizer (or Atari ST Internal Sound) by clicking on the appropriate button. Then click on OK. 5. Select INSTALL GAME from the File menu. This will replace the RESOURCE.CFG file on your disk. Please note: It is important to turn your synthesizer on before starting the game.
2. Double-click on the disk icon, then double-click on the INSTALL icon. 3. Follow the onscreen prompts, choosing your selection with the mouse by clicking once on the item. 4. You will be asked if you wish to install the game on your hard disk. If you do not wish the game to be installed on your hard disk, select NO. If you want to install the game on your hard disk, select YES. 5. Using your mouse, select the drive on which you wish to install the game. 6. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS From Diskettes: 1. If you have less than I megabyte of memory for your Amiga, turn your system off and disconnect any external drives. 2. Insert Disk 1 into drive DF0:. 3. Turn on your system. From Hard Disk: 1. Load WorkBench and double-click on your hard disk icon. 2. Double-click on the SIERRA GAMES drawer. 3. Double-click on the drawer for the desired Sierra game. 4. Double-click on the game icon.

INSTALLING THE GAME NOTE: RENAME your copies of all game disks to remove the words COPY OF from the disk name. If the words COPY OF are not removed from the disk names of ALL the copies, the system will continue to ask for the original disk, and will not run the game. 1. Boot your system with WorkBench, and insert Disk 1 of your Sierra game.

ALL SYSTEMS

MOVING YOUR CHARACTER
You may move your character on the screen with the [Arrow] keys, the numeric keypad, the joystick, or the mouse. To halt your characters steps with the keypad, press the number 5, or press the last used direction key again. Do not attempt to move the character by holding down the direction key. This will cause the character to start and stop continuously, resulting in very slow progress. Using the mouse, position the arrow where you want the character to move, then click the left mouse button (if your mouse has multiple buttons)
When you press [ESC], a menu bar will appear at the top of your screen with several menus that can be opened to show the command choices available to you.

KEYS TO USE IN THE MENUS

Use the left and right [Arrow] keys to open a menu, and the up and down [Arrow] keys to highlight items within a menu. Press [ENTER] to select a highlighted command. Press [ESC] to return to the game without choosing a command.

GAME SPEED CONTROL

At times it may be useful to slow down the speed of the game animation in order to negotiate a tricky section, or observe something more carefully. At other times, you may wish to speed up the game actions. To increase or decrease animation speed, choose FASTER or SLOWER from the Speed Menu, or use the [+] key to increase speed, the [-] key to decrease speed, or the [=] key to return to normal animation speed.
SHORT CUTS FOR COMMON COMMANDS You can use function and control keys to short cut many common commands. Help [Fl]... [F2]... Toggle sound on/off [F3], [SPACEBAR].. Repeat previous command Save Game [F5]... [F7]... Restore (saved) Game [F8]. Draw/Sheathe Excaliber (Toggle FIGHTING mode) [F9].. Restart Game (from beginning) [SPACEBAR] (in fighting mode only). Swing Excaliber [Shift] (in fighting mode only).. Parry [Tab]... [Ctrl-I]... [Ctrl-O]... [Ctrl-P]... Inventory Inventory Open Purse P a u s e Game

key and press the mouse button. You will now receive a descriptive message. PLEASE NOTE: Multi-button mouse users should use the RIGHT mouse button and need not press [Shift]. USING YOUR TAB KEY While playing Sierra games, your [Tab] key will perform two major functions. You will use it to review the items in your inventory, and also (if youre not using a mouse) to select options from certain menus. The following menus will require the use of the [Tab] key for highlighting menu options: MENU. CHOOSE F R O M. Restart Game. Restart, Continue Quit Game Quit, Continue Save Game Save, Cancel, Change Directory, Replace Restore Game Restore, Cancel, Change Directory [Death Message Box]. Restore, Restart, Quit USING THE MOUSE (optional) Your mouse will be useful to you in moving your character, and in learning about your surroundings. To move your character using the mouse, position the arrow to where you want the character to move, then click the left mouse button. In many scenes, you can find out about a person or object by using the [Shift-Click] feature described in Short Cuts For Common Commands. Also, when a message box appears on your screen prompting 17
[Ctrl-Q].. Quit Game [+].. Increase Animation Speed [-].. Decrease Animation Speed [=]... Normal Animation Speed [Ctrl-V]... Change Volume [Shift-Click]. Look at an object (see below) SHIFT CLICK SHIFT-CLICK is a feature that will allow you to look at a person or object using your mouse. Place the mouse arrow on the desired person or object, then hold down the [Shift]
you to press a function key (such as [F6]), you may point RETYPING COMMANDS
and click on the message box to produce the same results.
If you wish to repeat a command select RETYPE from the ACTION menu or press the [SPACEBAR] or [F3].
Please note: If youre playing from diskettes, you must have a separate formatted diskette ready before you can save a game. Since each disk can only hold a limited number of games, we recommend that you have more than one disk formatted, in order to assure adequate space for save game storage.
If you choose to save games to your hard disk, we suggest that you create one or more save game directories or folders on your hard disk. See your computers instructions for creating directories or folders. You may name your saved games using standard English phrases. For example, if you are standing on a sandy beach, you might call your game standing on sandy beach, or simply beach.

If you wish to see the items you are carrying, select INVENTORY from the Action menu, press [Ctrl-I], or press the [Tab] key. A list of the items you are carrying will be displayed. To look more closely at an item, use your [Arrow] keys to highlight the item and press [ENTER]. A picture of the item, along with a brief description, will appear on your screen. Press [ENTER] or [ESC] to resume play. If you wish to pause the game, select PAUSE from the Action menu, or press [Ctrl-P]. Press [ESC] or [ENTER] to resume play.

INVENTORY

PAUSING YOUR GAME
Select RESTORE from the File menu, or press [F7]. You will be prompted to select the game you wish to restore. (On a single drive system, you will be prompted to insert your save game disk). Highlight the desired game and select RESTORE. If the game you wish to restore is in a different directory, select CHANGE DIRECTORY.

RESTORING YOUR GAME

If you wish to save your game, select SAVE from the File menu, or press [F5]. To allow for errors in judgement and creative exploration, we recommend that you frequently save your game in progress, and that you save several different games from different points as you play. You will always want to save your game before encountering potentially dangerous situations. You should also save your game after you have made significant progress. 18

SAVING YOUR GAME

To stop playing, select QUIT from the File menu, or press [Ctrl-Q].

QUITTING YOUR GAME

If you wish to restart your game at any time during play, select RESTART from the file menu, or press the [F9] key. The game will begin again.

RESTARTING YOUR GAME

TIPS FOR PLAYING CONQUESTS OF CAMELOT In this game it is important to look for visual clues and to gather information. Anyone you meet might have vital clues. Dont hesitate to ask characters about other characters or objects when you talk to them. Keep pen and paper handy and be prepared to make notes along with your maps. Communicating With Conquests Of Camelot Conquests of Camelot understands many common verbs. Here are some you might try: ASK HIRE SEARCH MOUNT BUY THROW BREAK READ OPEN LOOK KNEEL KNOCK SMELL EAT CLIMB USE STAND CALL TRADE MOVE KILL STAND CUT GET CLOSE DISMOUNT TAKE FIND PAY SELL WEAR SIT PUSH GIVE DRINK DRAW HELP PRAY TALK KISS
You may encounter objects you need along the way. To take an object, type: take or get [object]. For example, take the note. You will need to use the objects you acquire as you explore. You can try different things such as typing: use the [object], or give the [object] to [characted. Different approaches to a puzzle may bring about a different outcome. Pay close attention to details. To examine objects, type look at the [object], (for example: look at the table), or press [Ctrl-L], then type the name of the object. To get a general description of the current room or scene, type look around, or use your mouse to choose LOOK from the menu. A message window will appear after you enter each command, and at other times during the game. When you have read the message, press [ENTER] to remove the window and resume play. USING YOUR MAP When you leave Camelot, you will use a map to travel to other locations important to your quest. Use your cursor keys or click with your mouse to select a location and read the message that accompanies it. A polite message will inform you if travelling to the location you have chosen will not benefit you. If this is the case, press [ENTER] or click again with mouse to remove the message and choose another location on the map. When you have chosen an area that will be helpful to your cause, press [ENTER] to travel to the desired location. You wont be able to move tc another location while a message is on the screen.

SARACEN BATTLE

In your battle to the death with the Saracen, you face an opponent who is well-armed, skilled and cunning. Hitting keys at random will only wear you down more quickly. Fight as though this were a real battle. Observe what patterns your foe uses and learn to anticipate him. Defending yourself with your shield is as important as striking with your sword. Think, observe, and use strategy HOW TO FIGHT Your sword attacks and your shield parries (blocks the Saracens attack). You use all 9 keys on your numeric keypad and the letter "r" on your letter keyboard. See COMBAT GRAPHIC for diagrams. Note: Once this battle has begun, you are committed to battle and your only option is to fight to the death. [F8] (to sheathe sword) will not work during this battle, nor will your cursor keys. You must remain in Fighting Mode until you have won or lost. ATTACKS AND PARRIES You have a total of 5 ATTACKS and 3 PARRIES available. The HIGH ATTACK or PARRY is for the head and neck area. The MIDDLE ATTACK or PARRY is for the middle body. The LOW ATTACK or PARRY is for the groin and thigh area. You can also take one step backwards (RETREAT). GREAT BLOWS You also have a GREAT BLOW HIGH and a GREAT BLOW LOW. These 2 attacks are more powerful than a 21

MOVE ARTHUR

regular HIGH or LOW ATTACK, but they also take more of your strength and will wear you down more quickly.

Fighter facing right +

WARNING1 It takes longer to prepare and land a GREAT BLOW and will leave you open to a quick attack from your foe. Use a GREAT BLOW with extreme caution
and be on guard for a GREAT BLOW from the Saracen against you. Once you have begun a GREAT BLOW you cannot stop it.

POSITION

Do not get backed into a corner. If your stamina seems low and the Saracen is close to giving you no place to retreat, press r on the keyboard to swing around him and reverse positions. Your stamina is how long your strength can carry you through battle. Your stamina level at the beginning of the battle can vary from high to low. Your actions here and in earlier parts of the game will determine your stamina level when you begin to fight and during the fight. When you fight, each attack you make and each blow landed upon you will reduce your stamina. Using a GREAT BLOW ATTACK will draw most heavily of all upon your strength. Using lots and lots of attacks without strategy will drain your strength quickly. Reversing position lowers your stamina a little each time. Both you and the Saracen are wearing armor, so even though it looks like some of your blows have hit or that you have been hit, some have been turned aside by the

WOUNDS STAMINA

N-Fighter facing left
armor and done no damage. These are glancing blows and do not count as injury. When you are hit and have taken an injury, you will see a flash on that part of your body. If you land a blow and injure the Saracen, You will see a flash on the part of his body that you have hit. The flash tells you that an injury has been done. This also means that this is where you or your enemy now has a weakness. You must protect your wounded areas while trying to strike again at your foes wounded areas. SARACEN COMBAT GRAPHIC The ilIustrations show the two directions from which you can fight during the battle, and how the ATTACKS, PARRIES and RETREAT work on your numeric keypad. As you can see, the PARRIES do not change when you switch from left to right or right to left, but your ATTACKS, GREAT BLOWS and RETREAT keys reverse position when you change direction.

SAVE YOUR GAME OFTEN, especially when you are about to try something new or potentially dangerous. This way, if the worst should happen, you wont have to start all over again from the beginning. Save games at different points of the game, so you will be able to return to a desired point in the game. In effect, this will enable you to travel backward through time and do things differently if you wish. DONT GET DISCOURAGED. If you come to an obstacle that seems insurmountable, dont despair. Spend some time exploring another area, and come back later. Every problem in the game has at least one solution, and some have more than one. Sometimes solving a problem one way will make it harder to solve the next, and sometimes it will make it easier. If you get stuck, you might try backtracking to an earlier point in the game, then choosing a different path. If all else fails, you can buy the Conquest of Camelot hint book from the dealer who sold you the game, or you can order it directly from Sierra On-Line by calling (800) 326-6654. BRING ALONG SOME HELP. You may find it helpful (and fun) to play the game with a friend. Two (or more) heads are better than one at interpreting clues and solving problems.
If you find yourself a little stuck while playing a Sierra game, try the following ideas: 1. If you have a modem, you can talk to the Sierra Bulletin Board through the following number: (209) 683-4463 Our settings are 300, 1200 or 2400 Baud; 8 Data; N Parity; 1 Stop Bit. Our sysop will be happy to help you. 2. Many other bulletin boards also provide hints to many of our games. into the Gamers Forum (GO A. CompuServe: Go GAMERS) or write E-Mail to 76004,2143. or go to the PC B. Prodigy: Write E-Mail to HTWS90E, Club and enter the adventure games forum (Jumpword: PC CLUB). C. PCLink: Select PCLink Plus, enter Publishers Connection, select Publishers Forums, then Sierra On-Line. E-Mail may be written to the User ID SierraOnLi. D. Americas On-Line : Select the KEYWORD option from the Goto menu, and type: Sierra. E-Mail may also be written to the User ID Sierras. E. GEnie: From the main menu select 10 (Games), then select 1 (Games Round Table). Select 1 (Games Bulletin Board), and type set 22 at the ? prompt. This will take you into the Sierra On-Line area. For more information on these BBS lines, you can call these toll-free numbers: 1. CompuServe (800) 848-8199 2. Prodigy (800) 822-6922 3. PCLink (800) 458-8532 24

NEED A HINT?

4. Americas On-Line (800) 227-6364 5. GEnie (800) 638-9636 3. The magazine Questbusters Journal is a helpful source of many game hints. 4. Your local software dealer may carry our hint books, or may be willing to order them for you. 5. If you are unable to obtain a hint book through a dealer, you can order one directly from us. Call (800) 326-66.54 to place your order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card, or write Sierra On-tine Inc., Order Department, P.O. Box 485, Coarsegold, CA 93614. 6. If the hint book is not yet available for the game you are playing, call our automated hint line at (900) 370-KLUE to receive a hint. NOTE: California residents, please dial (900) 370-5113. Canada, please dial (900) 250-KLUE. THIS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY. THE CHARGES ARE: 75 CENTS FOR THE FIRST MINUTE AND SO CENTS FOR EACH ADDITIONAL MINUTE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, YOU MUST HAVE A PARENTS PERMISSION TO CALL. THE CONTENTS OF ALL MESSAGES ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SIERRA ON-LINE. HINTS WILL NOT BE GIVEN ON OTHER SIERRA TELEPHONE LINES.

TECHNICAL HELP (MS DOS ONLY) If you are having problems with a game disk, try these suggestions before assuming the disk is faulty: If you receive any of the following messages: 1. Insert Disk (#) when you have already inserted that diskette, or have installed the game on your hard disk 2. Out of Handles or Out of Heap, or if the game locks up at any point 3. Disk Error you may have memory resident programs loaded into your RAM memory. You will need to boot your system from a diskette containing your operating system only. Follow these instructions to create a Sierra Boot Disk. Format a blank disk with DOS system files (using /s) to make a bootable disk. FORMATTING FROM A HARD DRIVE A) Place a blank disk in drive a: B) At the C prompt, type: format a:/s NOTE: If your A: drive is a high density drive and you are using double density disks, you will need to type: format a:/4/s (for 5.25 disks) or type: format a:/n:9/s (for 3.5 disks)

PROBLEM

FORMATTING FROM A DISKETTE DRIVE A) Place your original DOS disk in drive A. B) At the A prompt, type: format a:/s (be sure to switch to a blank disk when prompted by the FORMAT program.) 25
NOTE: If your A: drive is a high density drive and you are using double density disks, you will need to type: format a:/4/s (for 5.25 disks) or type: format a:/n:9/s (for 3.5 disks) C) Press [ENTER] D) Respond to DOS prompts. Now you should create a CONFlG.SYS file on your Sierra Boot Disk, with a files=20 statement. Follow these instructions to create this file: [ENTER] A) Type: a: B) Type: copy con config.sys [ENTER] C) Type: files=20 [ENTER] D) Press [F6] [ENTER] You should see the message: 1 File(s) copied. You will now have to reboot your computer with your new Sierra Boot Disk in the drive. Turn your computer off then on, or press [Ctrl-Alt-Del]. If this does not clear the above messages, call (209) 683-8989 for technical help. Our technical staff will be happy to help you. TECHNICAL HELP (ALL SYSTEMS) Technical assistance is only a telephone call away. Call (209) 683-8989 for convenient, person-to-person service, or if you prefer, you may request assistance by mail. If you choose to write to us with your request, please state your computer type and the nature of your problem. If you find that you need to send for replacement diskettes, send the original disk 1 in the size you 26
need (3.5 or 5.25) to: Sierra On-Line P.O. Box 485 Coarsegold, CA 93614 Attention: RETURNS Be sure to include a note stating your computer type, and the size of diskette you need (5.25 or 3.5). We will gladly replace your program free of charge for th first 90 days of ownership (please enclose a copy of your dated sales receipt with your request). After 90 days there is a $5.00 charge for 5.25 diskettes, and a $10.00 charge for 3.5 diskettes.

Walk over to Merlins desk on the right side of the room. Type look at the desk Type look at the scroll Type translate the scroll Type take the scroll Walk over to Merlins alchemy table on the left side of the room. Type take the beaker Being the cautious type, you decide to save your game here. (See Saving your Game for instructions.) Type take the flask Dont panic. Merlin will listen to any reasonable apology. If you really get stuck, you can restore to the game you saved just before getting into trouble. Once you get out of this mess, continue to explore Camelot and dont hesitate to question anyone you meet. Remember, you are a King with a desperate mission. Godspeed!