1. Getting started
  2. Controls
  3. Moving around the dungeon
  4. Items and Inventory
    1. Hearts and heart containers
    2. Items
    3. Weapons and armour
    4. Traps
  5. Bestiary

1. Getting started

Assuming you have the game installed properly (see the README file for instructions if you haven't), you can start playing almost immediately by starting the executable. There are a few things to watch out for, though.

The first thing you may want to do is modify the default key bindings. You probably have a different gamepad than I do, and what works for me may not work for you. Changing the key settings shouldn't give too much trouble (though the procedure could be improved).

If you experience problems during play, consult the README file for possible ways to solve them.

2. Controls

You have probably changed the mappings of the keys, so we will not refer to the keys by their physical location, but by their logical function. For reference, the keymapping as it would appear on a SNES controller or GamePad Pro is shown.
The default key mappings are as follows:
Action: Keyboard: Gamepad SNES
Move up up arrow key dir. up up
Move down down arrow key dir. down down
Move left left arrow key dir. left left
Move right right arrow key dir. right right
Attack, confirm left alt green A
Set bomb left control red B
Centre target left shift blue X
Previous Backspace L1 L
Next Tab R1 R
Start Enter Start Start
Select Shift Select Select
You move the hero around with the direction keys. There are four basic directions, but you can also move diagonally by holding down two of these.

The attack button can be used to attack with your current weapon, provided you have one. Ranged weapons (ie, bows) require arrows to shoot. If you don't carry any arrows, you are unable to fire your bow. Press down and release the attack button to use your weapon. A targeting cursor will appear while the button is held down. Initially, you won't be able to move this around, but once you have acquired Tell's Ring, you can use the direction keys to move the target and direct your arrows more accurately. The attack button also acts as the confirm button in in-game menus (but not nescessarily the main menu).

The centre button can be used to recentre the target indicator if it has been moved.

Use the bomb button to set bombs. Bombs can be used to blow up weak walls, or damage enemies within the blast radius (keep a save distance - bombs can't tell friend from foe). While bombs are very powerful, their supply is limited, so use them wisely.

The next and previous buttons can be used to switch between any of the weapons you have found. They can also be used to switch targets if you have Tell's Ring.

The Start button pauses the game and shows you the equipment you are currently carrying. Use the directional keys to select an item to get a short description on its use. Pressing Start again resumes play.

Finally, Select brings up an option menu, where you can choose to quit the game.

Regardless of key settings, Escape will always exit: it will bring you to the main menu if you are playing and it will close the game if you press it from the menu. You can take screenshots by pressing Print Screen or F12.

Moving around the dungeon

Now that you know how to move, it's time to start exploring the dungeons. Your goal is to collect treasure and avoid getting killed. In each level, the goal is to find the hidden staircase that takes you to the next level.
In each level, you need to explore caverns that may have doors on the left or right, leading to other caverns. Typically, these doors can be locked by a gate, or blocked by a slab of stone. To open locked doors, you must locate the keys hidden in each level (each level always contains just enough keys to open the doors). The slabs of stone can be pulled up by finding the hidden switch that controls them. You may also find weak walls that have cracks in them. You can try to open these by setting a bomb.

Aside from the main quest on each level, there are also side quests you may wish to explore. Each level contains two pieces of heart. If you collect four, you gain one extra heart container. Most levels also have a hidden item, such as a weapon or ring, that can help you later on.

Oh, did we forget to mention these caverns are gaurded? Hehe... a list of creatures you will encounter is included below. Avoid being hit by any of these creatures - they will drain your strength. Use weapons to attack the ghouls and monsters, but beware: different ghouls have different weaknesses and different weapons have different strengths...

At the completion of each level, you will be given a password. This password enables you to restart the game at the next level. Your score will be set to 0, however.

4. Items and Inventory

4.1 Hearts and heart containers

When you are wounded, your heart level will drop. Your current health is represented by a row of small hearts in the status bar. Your heart level starts at three, but it will increase by one if you find a heart container. You can also collect four pieces of heart, which will also give you one extra heart container.
A small heart will restore your health, one heart at a time.

4.2 Items

The creatures you encounter will typically drop whatever they were carrying when you slay them.

While small hearts will resupply your heart level one heart at a time, potions restore up to five hearts.


Pickup arrows to replenish your supply. You can carry up to 127 arrows. Note that at the start of each new level, you will be awarded 15 bonus arrows.


Always pickup any bombs you find - they will come in handy later. You can carry up to 127 bombs.


Golden candleholders are worth 1000 points each.


Collect gems for 1500 points a piece.


The most valuable treasure you will find are golden chalices: they award you 2500 points.


Use keys to unlock doors. You can carry up to 127 keys.

4.3 Weapons and armour

Weapons come in various forms. In the course of the game, you will have the opportunity to upgrade them. Weapons do damage in either of four areas: Elemental (E), Impact (I), Cutting (C) or Piercing (P). Different creatures are susceptible to different attacks, so use each weapon with care.

While a bow is useless without arrows, if you find arrows to go with it the bow is a very powerful weapon. It does 1d4 impact damage, 1d4 cutting damage and 2d8 piercing damage.


Useful against enemies that are vulnerable to blunt attacks. Does 3d8 impact damage.


Shorter than a sword, daggers serve a slightly different purpose: while a sword is used for large sweeping attacks, a dagger is used for stabbing. Does 2d6 cutting damage and 2d6 piercing damage.


A longsword does 2d6 impact damage and 2d8 cutting damage.


A shield reduces the damage the player takes from impact attacks.

4.4 Traps

Traps and poison should typically be avoided - they will drain your health if you take them.

5. Bestiary

Bat
Generally weak and relatively harmless, normal cavebats are still annoying because they dart around quickly and are tough to hit. Don't bother trying to smash them. More dangerous than the normal cavebat are the vampire bats and werebats that are rumoured to live in the lower levels of the caves.
Zombie
Despite their offensive body odour and a bad taste in clothing, these creatures have one redeeming virtue: when they died, their brains died with them. Zombies generally do little more than wander about aimlessly. If they carry any weapon at all, it is of the crude sort, usually a club or a mace.
Skeleton
Another mindless drone, usually no more intelligent than a Zombie, but because they are even less tied to their former lives, some skeletons can be embodied by an evil spirit. Skeletons take little damage from piercing or cutting attacks, but are vulnerable to blunt impact damage. They lack the physical strength of Zombies and so carry mostly swords or spears, if they are armed at all.
Ghost
Mostly frightening, but not particularly dangerous. Ghosts typically move but slowly and aimlessly and can be avoided easily. They take little damage from ordinary attacks.
Ghoul
An ethereal spirit trapped between death and the material plane. Ghouls never carry weapons because they don't need any besides fear. Their malice and higher intelligence alone makes them dangerous oponents, but they are also more difficult to hit with physical attacks.
Spawners
Skull-shaped gateways to the netherworld, this is where other ghosts and monster enter the world. While Spawners themselves do not attack, they are difficult to destroy except with blunt weapons.
Grim Reaper
Beware these elite soldiers of darkness! Their supernatural powers and cunning make them dangerous foes, not to mention their immunity to physical attacks. It takes special weapons to kill them.
Boss: Serpentile
Lurking in the depths of the dungeon is Serpentile, the guardian of the deeper realms... no one truely knows what he looks like, because no one who has ever seen him his lived to tell the tale...