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                        Twilight of the Valkyries:
                       -+- The Stones of Destiny-+-
                              (Version 1.05)
			   By 2098 Software,Inc.
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NOTE:
For future updates to this game, please visit our website at:

http://paulpanks.click2site.com/2098.html
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"Twilight of the Valkyries", "Stones of Destiny" and "Light Orb" are
(C)opyright 1999 by Paul Allen Panks. All rights reserved.
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Last updated: April 28, 1999.

GENERAL FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

_______Contents_____________________________
I::::::General:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::I
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1.0 - What is Twilight of the Valkyries?
1.1 - What is the plot? Who is Tyr?
1.2 - Why can't I move everywhere?
1.3 - I don't have a soundcard; can I still play?
1.4 - Is this game *really* freeware?

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<!---Begin General Question FAQ---!>
==={{{1.0}}}===
Q: What is Twilight of the Valkyries?

A: "Twilight of the Valkyries" (TOTV) is a computer RPG with VGA graphics
and MIDI music. When completed, this game will rival the Ultima series in
several categories: plot, storyline, music, complexity & graphics (to name
just a few).

==={{{1.1}}}===
Q: What is the plot? Who is Tyr?

A: You might be wondering who this guy "Tyr" is...well, according to legend, Tyr was the God of War who
sent out the Valkyries when a person died. The Valkyries were to ascertain whether or not the deceased
had been valiant enough in battle to warrant entry into the Halls of Asgaard. Tyr's mission was to oversee
the decisions of the Valkyries, so only the truly brave might enter. However, in this modern age of peace,
the union of five separate churches, the Holy Guild, has all but ended the fierce battles of yore. The
Valkyries, fearful of their master's wrath should they not harvest enough souls, have slowly been letting
their standards slip. Tyr, upon receiving the soul of "Halstaff, the Vindictive...Accountant" by Thyrra, one
of the lesser Valkyries, became enraged. He set out on a quest to personally dismantle the Holy Guild. With
the return of choas to the land, new great warriors would be forged, and much blood would be spilt.

In your role as Tyr, your mission is to destroy the Holy Guild and their five "Stones of Destiny" with the mythical "Light Orb". 
According to legend, there were five stones which possessed incredible degrees of strength and magic. Each stone was
represented by a source of power from planet Earth:

Sun. Moon. Water. Fire. Light.

Each stone carried it's own "Karma"; karma is the total effect of every
action or inaction on every living thing. We carry it around like bags,
but unlike the former we can drop them. Good or bad, Karma stays with you.

Back to the five stones...

The Sun stone gave it's wearer the ability to heal mortal wounds and relieve
the effects of poison. It also had a positive effect on that person's natural
karma.

The Moon stone possessed the ability to adversely affect mental awareness
while inducing increased metaphysical powers of the mind. The wearer loses
strength but gains mental sharpness. In return, they can temporarily cast
spells or incantation otherwise impossible for their training. The effect
on karma is negligable.

The Water stone carried with it one major problem: Although the wearer
could move heavy objects, transmute water into gold, and walk on otherwise
impenetrable places, the Water stone heavily sapped karma. And if the karma
level of the person dropped too low, the affects of the stone would take on
more sinister relations: They wouldn't even be able to lift a pencil!

The Fire stone was unique in the annals of history. First, to even
encapsulate such an element into the confinds of a simple stone was
previously beyond all known magic, good or evil. Secondly, the strength
of the stone could not be counteracted even if all the other stones
worked against it. This led to a problem, and so the wearer was
automatically restricted in it's use. Use it too much, and the stone
would shatter into pieces before their very eyes!

Finally, the Light stone...This stone opens a portal between the
dimensions, allowing spirits of the deceased to pass on to other
levels of existence beyond our own. There's only one problem: If
the wearer chose to use it against the forces of Light, the entire
planet would open up and every inhabitant alive would perish. Left
to the evil of this world, and you can see why this stone is so
heavily prized.

==={{{1.2}}}===

Q: Why can't I move everywhere?

A: This might take some explaining...The type of collision detection
I plan to use in TOTV is called "Box" collision; that is, collision
checking based on an invisible box around each physical object. I
suppose I could put in a real collision detection routine with lots
and lots of checking, but for the sake of simplicity I chose the former.
This will be changed soon, though, because it's terribly constricting. :)

==={{{1.3}}}===

Q: I don't have a sound card; can I still play?

A: Yes. The option is given before you start if you want music. Selecting
'Yes' plays the music accordingly, while 'No' does not. Pretty simple. If
you don't have a sound card and you accidentally hit 'Yes', the program
will likely crash. So be careful!

==={{{1.4}}}===

Q: Is this game *really* freeware?

A: Yes. I don't plan on ever releasing a game as either shareware
or a full commercial product unless I truly feel it's worth paying
$15 or $20 for. Quality games, while often very good, shouldn't in
my opinion cost too much, if anything. But paying $40 or $50 every
once in awhile for a game like StarCraft isn't a bad thing, either.

I chose freeware because most people who download shareware or
commerical products don't pay the registration fee...so why bother? And if
it's free, more people are likely to play it. So it works well both ways.

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<!---End of General FAQ---!>

If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, bug reports, or
Mike & Ike candies, please leave me e-mail at:

dunric@yahoo.com

Thanks! :)

Regards,

Dunric
dunric@yahoo.com
April 28, 1999
