-------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOC'S TO DRAGONSTRIKE THE DRAGON COMBAT SIMULATION BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE REDMAN -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was dawn on the high cliffs of Sancrist Isle, but there would be no sun today. On oily blanket of clouds covered the sky as far as the eye could see. Storm winds blasted the three figures with great gusts of cold and rain. "Dragon weather," Gunthar Uth Wistan shouted over the roar of the gale as he helped his young squire mount Sirdar, the bronze dragon. The weather chilled the new Knight through his armor and underclothing. The tabard of the Solamnic Order of the Crown was pinned to his body by the wet wind. It was a great honer to bear the Knightly crest, but none of it helped against the bone chilling cold. The Knight checked the wargear carefully. He set the crystal ball Fizban had given him into the place made for it on the saddle. The Arrow of Enemy Detection and the Healing Ointment were stashed in a bag for quick retrieval. As he finished his preparations he looked up and watched his lord a moment. Arnun could sense the great leader grew weary of sending young Knights to their death in a hopeless cause. The campaigns went poorly. The Knights fought a losing battle -- being pushed further and further back by the deadly forces of the dragonarmies. draconians and dragons invaded all the lands of man. "Tonight we will toast victories," the youth was smiling as he finally buckled the last strap of the dragonsaddle in place. Arnun gripped the magical dragonlance tighter in his hand. "I will live by the Oath and the Measure. You've taught me much these three weeks, my Lord. I'll find the enemy dragon scouts that have been directing the draconian armies." The young man added quietly, "Do no fear for me, Lord Wistan". "Three weeks," Gunthar muttered to himself as the great dragon rose out of sight. "Three weeks. I trained as a Knight twenty years before I saw my first battle. Paladine, what have you go us into? Now, I'm sending children out to do men's work." The sky lit up with sheets of lightning and a wall of rain poured from the heavens. Gunthar wondered what this might portend for the young man and dragon he had sent off. He ran towards the tents and small buildings of the Solamnic outpost, wishing he could take the place of the young man he had sent out to face probable death that day. - - - The rain sliced into Arnun's face, but only for a few dragon wing beats. Sirdar wasn't affected at all by the icy wall, but the dragon knew his rider was. The dragon flew powerfully upward to find the clear air above the clouds. In a moment Sirdar and Arnun were greeted with the warm sun and the world took on a new look with the light of day. Arnun looked at the field of clouds below him and though back to his father's fields, to the days before the big red came from the sky and breathed death onto his village. Arnun though of the dark days before meeting the old wizard, Fizban, and recalled, with clarity, the day Fizban had volunteered to sponsor him as a squire in the order of the Crown, before the council of Knights at Whitestone. Now he was atop a dragon. The dragonarmies would learn to fear this farmer's son. Arnun put his revery aside and scanned the horizon. He went over his orders once again: "The Dark Queen's dragon scouts are doing us great harm. Our armies are met by large forces of draconians at every turn. If we are to win this war we must be able to move without being instantly seen." Gunthar had told him. "You must find those scouts." Arnun noticed a patch of too white clouds in the distance. It looked odd to the squire. "Sirdar, fly past that white patch will you?" The dragon moved west towards the whiteness that stood out in relief against the grey around it. Spiraling around in lazy circles, Sirdar approached the target. Before the bronze could get within a hundred yards, the clouds moved! The dragon was first to spot the two white dragons. Their whiteness gleamed in the morning sun. Arnun had never seen white dragons before. These were bigger and obviously stronger than the bronze. This was going to be a tough fight. - - - Each of the dragons was easily over 90 feet long, compared to Sirdar's 72 feet length. But neither of the creatures had riders. Hopefully that would be a plus in this battle. Sirdar had the high ground. Dragon war training said they should dive down on the enemy and use the power of the magical dragonlance to attack. Like a dart, Sirdar plummeted out of the sky. Arnun lined up the lance on the biggest of the whites. Time seemed to stop as the dragons moved together. Arnun watched for a heartbeat, as if he were a spectator rather than a combatant. Looking down the line of the dragonlance, he could see a long scar across the belly of the closer of the two dragons. The smaller foe -- still larger than Sirdar -- had a hole in its right wing. 50 yards and a lifetime away the two whites pulled up and began beating their wings to hover in place. The young Knight couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did they really mean to take his lance in their chest? They were going to let the bronze come to them. Arnun could see their chests swell, and knew that the dragons were about to breathe. He would die if the frigid blasts struck him. "For the Oath and Measure!" Arnun screamed without pause. Death would be worth slaying at least one of the dragons. Even if Arnun died killing the larger beast there was still a good chance Sirdar would survive to kill the lesser foe. Before the lance could bite, the bronze pulled up, almost ripping Arnun out of the saddle. The dragon hovered for a second like a gargantuan hummingbird. This exposed the bronze's chest, but protected his rider from the evil wyrms' frosty attacks. Sirdar screamed in pain as he took the blasts to the body. But Arnun lived and maybe they could still win this fight. "Sirdar, attack the ripped wing!" Arnun shouted, directing his mount towards the lesser white. It was against a dragon's nature to attack a smaller foe over the larger, but this time it was necessary if they were going to win. Sirdar's breath attack was lightning. The bronze's attack flashed, ripping through the wings of the hapless white foe. The larger white might well survive a single attack. Arnun watched the bolt sear the flesh of their enemy. The wings became useless and the dragon fell like a stone. Sirdar dove after the fallen dragon to escape his larger companion for a moment, while the squire followed it down to the ground with his eyes. When he looked up again the other white started to fly away. It was running in fear! "He runs! We have to stop the other dragon!" Sirdar's wings beat to his rider's demands. But Arnun could hear the labored strain of the dragon's beating. The bronze was sorely hurt, but if they had to die to win against the forces of the dark dragon queen, they would die gladly. - - - "To the depths of the abyss we will follow you!" shouted Arnun. They had now pursued the lone white deep into enemy territory. Enemy dragons could climb out from the field of clouds below at any moment, but their white foe would not escape. Sensing the lance near, the white spun around to fight. Arnun was sure it hoped for aid, but none would come. Their was still hope for victory. The dragons hurtled together so fast that the young squire couldn't bring his lance to bear. The old white was far too crafty. In a few wing beats the reptiles were breast to breast. The white was stronger, and it wasn't wounded like the bronze. All Arnun could see was the head of the fierce white as the bit and clawed Sirdar. The lance was useless, the white was too close. But something else could be done. Arnun turned loose the lance, letting it swing in its mountings, and drew his sword. As the white dragon's fangs bit into the neck of his mount, the young squire launched an attack at the head of the white. Arnun's aim was true. His blade bit deeply into the eye of the white and through to the brain. The giant beats shivered and died. Sirdar ripped himself free from the death grip of his foe. As he pulled free he felt the familiar tug of the saddle harness shift. His Knight was falling! The saddle straps across Sirdar's chest had been severed during the battle. Arnun looked into the face of death a second time that day -- the shock numbed his mind. Sirdar spun in the air, too far from his falling comrade to help. The dragon uttered in an ancient tongue. A glow that only the dragon could see enveloped Arnun's unconscious form and caused it to float. The Knight was held aloft just long enough for Sirdar to grab the boy and race back to the army of Solamnia. On a hillside several miles away an old wizard finished his simple spell. Muttering to himself, he walked down the long road to a certain inn. "Krynn can't afford to lose any more of its heroes just now. I wonder if they'll serve spiced potatoes tonight...what was the name of that inn again?" INTRODUCTION ------------ DragonStrike is a dragon combat simulator where you guide one of the powerful good dragons of Krynn. The evil dragonarmies have conquered nearly all of Ansalon. Until now, no force could stand against the evil dragons -- that is until the good dragons returned. The good dragons and their riders are the only hope for the people of Ansalon. They alone can face the power of the dragonarmies. The strength of the good dragons is no guarantee of victory. Cunning strategies and brilliant tactics are required. Whether you make it to the final battle at Neraka, whether the forces of good triumph, will depend of your skill. CONTROLS -------- MOUSE -- The mouse can be used to control your dragon's flight. Moving the mouse forward will cause your dragon to dive; pulling back will cause it to climb. Moving the mouse left or right will bank your dragon. If you have a 2-button mouse, the left button will fire the primary breath weapon, the right will fire the secondary. All other functions are controlled with the keyboard. JOYSTICK -- The joystick can be used to control your dragon's flight. Moving the joystick forward or back will cause your dragon to dive or climb. Left and right movement will cause your dragon to bank. The fire button will fire the primary breath weapon. If your joystick has a second button, it will fire the secondary breath weapon. KEYBOARD COMMANDS ----------------- 8 - Dive Y - Move Lance Up 2 - Climb N - Move Lance Down NUM 6 - Bank Right G - Move Lance Left PAD 4 - Bank Left J - Move Lance Right 5 - Level T - Move Lance Up and Left 7 - Dive and Bank Left U - Move Lance Up and Right 9 - Dive and Bank Right B - Move Lance Down and Left 1 - Climb and Bank Left M - Move Lance Down and Right 3 - Climb and Bank Right F1 - Look Forward Insert - Breath Weapon 1 F2 - Look Right Delete - Breath Weapon 2 F3 - Look Behind A - Faster F4 - Look Left S - Slower 1/! - Use healing Ointment on Knight 2/@ - Use healing Ointment on Dragon ? - Check Ointment ESC - Preferences Menu CTRL-J - Recalibrate Joystick CTRL-S - Toggle Sound On/Off CTRL-M - Toggle Music On/Off PREFERENCES MENU ---------------- This menu allows you to customize your keyboard layout, set display detail levels and more. To make a selection, move the cursor to the desired option and press RETURN/ENTER. Allows you to alter your keyboard layout. When you select his option you will be prompted to select keys for each of the keyboard functions. After you select which function to alter, you will be asked to select the new key. Toggles between a graphic and numerical display of dragon and Knight hitpoints. Will determine the detail of the world display. The higher the detail level, the longer it will take the computer to redraw the screen. The effect is that on slower machines the view may not be smooth. Experiment with this option and find the optimum detail level for your specific machine. This option toggles between "wireframe" polygons, shaded solid polygons or shaded solid outlined polygons. The wireframe polygon option will redraw faster than the other two. Determines whether other flying creatures (friend and foe) will be displayed as bitmap 'drawings,' or polygon shapes. Except for the dragons, most other objects in the game are polygon shapes. Experiment to find what works best for you system. Allows you to retrieve saved games. To select a game, move the cursor vertically with the cursor keys to the mission you want to fly, and then position the cursor over the desired save and press ENTER/RETURN. Toggles between a bitmap dragonlance image and a aiming target sight. There is no difference in game play between the two options. Allows you to select between keyboard, joystick, and mouse for flying the dragon. As you select this icon, the image with change. TO THE AIR ---------- The good dragons are the most powerful allies in the war against the evil dragonarmies. The men who guide them into battle are renowned for their great bravery and skill, for even atop one of these magnificent creatures -- a Knight is vulnerable. At the start of each flight a rider must carefully strap himself into the skillfully crafted dragon saddle. The saddle allows the rider to move and shift for combat while still, almost always, staying mounted. The saddle has built into it a mounting for the aerial warrior's primary weapon, the dragonlance. The dragonlance is fitted with a large shield to offer added protection to the rider. DRAGONLANCES ----------- The dragonlances are, after the dragons themselves, one of the most powerful weapons available to the forces of good. These lances are forged according to a process that had been thought forgotten in ages past, and are made from magical Dragon Metal. A single stroke from the dragonlance will slay most enemies. Only a few powerful opponents will require a second attack after being struck once. MAGIC ITEMS ----------- You start your adventures with the three magical items given to you by the wizard, Fizban: the Crystal Ball, the Arrow of Enemy Detection, and Keoghtom's Healing Ointment. The first two items are used automatically while they are in your possession. To use the ointment press 1 (to heal yourself) or 2 (to heal your dragon). These items (except the crystal ball) or indicated across the bottom of the flight screen. As you find other magical treasures, they will be added to the screen. Whenever you find a new magic item, it will automatically be added to your belongings, and used when needed. Armor, for instance, will always be worn in combat to help protect you from enemy attacks. BREATH ATTACKS -------------- All dragons can attack with their breath weapons. Each good dragon has two different breath weapons, while evil dragons have only one. The dragon's breath attacks are described in the Bestiary section of the manual. After firing a breath weapon, the Breath Bar will drop completely. Your dragon cannot fire again until the bar is fully recharged. Breath attacks are the only effective way for you to attack ships and ground troops. CLOSE COMBAT ------------ Hand-to-hand or teeth-to-claw combat occurs whenever your dragon passes closely by an enemy. Combat is automatic and a battle sound will signal the attack. The higher opponent will use bite and claw attacks as he passes. You will attack with a sword if an opponent attacks from above your mount. The sword attack is automatic whenever an enemy is in range. Damage from below may only have the dragon above it. Damage from above may harm either the dragon or rider, or both. FALLING ------- Whenever your dragon engages in close combat, there is a possibility that you will be dislodged and fall. You will also fall if you dragon is killed. Your dragon will attempt to catch you before you fall to the ground, if it is able. If you are not caught you will be killed. If you have a Featherfall Ring, you will descend in a slow floating fall like a leaf. Enemies will still try to attack while you fall. HEALTH (HITPOINTS) ------------------ The health of you and your dragon is displayed on the screen in the Hitpoints Windows. Hitpoints may either be displayed as a bar, like speed or power, or as a numerical value. When either of these is empty, or reaches 0, the mission is over. If your dragon is killed you will also die. The game ends if you are slain, and the forces of evil revel in another victory over good. Keoghtom's Healing Ointment can be used to heal wounds. The ointment will heal from 9-12 hitpoints. You start the game with 3 doses of the ointment and it can be used on either you or your dragon. More ointment can be found during the game. You can check your supply with the ? key. FLYING ------ When flying a full speed, your dragon sweeps across the landscape, but its ability to turn is impaired. By slowing to a lower speed, your dragon becomes more maneuverable. Dragon prefer, as a rule, not to fly a full speed during close combat. The current speed of your dragon is displayed in the Speed Bar at all times. When your dragon dives it will gain speed rapidly. Your dragon will slow dramatically and tire quickly as it climbs. Use the A key to speed up, and the S key to slow down. Your dragon's height above the ground and pitch are displayed in the Height/Pitch Indicator on the right side of the screen. Pitch is your dragon's angle of climb or descent. If your dragon is diving or climbing the pitch image will point down or up accordingly. When you pull into a sharp turn you may notice that your dragon slips a little in altitude. In some missions you may be required to fly near the ground to avoid being detected by the enemy, or to be in range to strafe enemy troops with your dragon's breath attack. In mountainous regions it is wise to stay high enough to avoid collisions. You can also fly to high altitude and then drift to rest your dragon, while still pursuing enemy forces. Banking, or turning, is indicated by the position of your dragon's head on the screen. The horizon is also a good bank indicator. The keypad (1-9) controls your dragon. The 5 key is used to level your dragon. The Power Bar is your dragon's current level of fatigue. When the bar is full, as in the beginning of the flight, your dragon will be able to climb, accelerate and maneuver normally. Any action which exerts your dragon will cause the bar to shrink. When the bar disappears your dragon will be forced to glide until it has recovered. You should rest your mount by gliding occasionally to insure that your dragon can accelerate if necessary. The crystal ball Fizban game you will show all objects around your dragon. This includes all airborne enemies, dragon breath- weapon blasts, castles, and ships. The crystal ball image is centered on you and the top portion is oriented to your point of view. As you shift your point of view from forward to left, right, or backward, the display in the ball will also shift. The color of the dots will indicate whether things are above or below you. The Arrow of Enemy Detection will allow you to guide your dragon unerringly toward enemies. The arrow is especially helpful for indicating the relative height of an enemy. The Arrow of Enemy Detection appears on the playscreen just above the head of your dragon. It will disappear from the screen when an enemy is visible on the screen. To take off from the ground increase your dragon's speed, and then climb. Your dragon will automatically land if you reach the ground and less than half of maximum airspeed. You may land any time during a mission -- but remember that climbing back up to combat altitudes quickly is very tiring for your dragon. Turn your dragon on the ground with the normal banking controls THE KNIGHTS OF SOLAMNIA ----------------------- The Knights of the Crown - The Order of the Crown exemplifies the ideals of Loyalty and Obedience. All those who wish to become Solamnic Knights must first enter into the Knighthood as squires of the Knights of the Crown, regardless of which Order they will eventually serve. All Knights begin here with training in the virtue of loyalty. Candidates of the Solamnic Knighthood must be presented to a Knightly Council and be sponsored by a respected Knight. After the candidates are presented, and swear an oath to the honor of the Knighthood, they begin their training The Knights of the Sword - The Order of the Sword combines the purest ideals of heroism and courage. Upon completing his squire duties in the Order of the Crown, each Knight candidate may either advance in that Order, or enter the Order of the Sword. The ambitious Knight who wishes some day to enter the Order of the Rose must first rise through the Order of the Sword. Every candidate who wishes to join the Order of the Sword must complete a quest. According to the Measure, this test must be a witnessed deed of heroism and valor that upholds the virtues of Knightly honor. At the start of the Sword Quest, the applicant is asked to sacrifice a magical item. When the quest is done, the Knight is presented before a Knightly Council where the tale of his deeds is told. After the tale is given, the candidate is welcomed as a Knight of the Order. The Knights of the Rose - The Order of the Rose exemplifies honor guided by wisdom and justice. The Knights of the Rose of the epitome of all that is good and honorable in Knighthood. To join their ranks is a rare privilege. Originally, the Knights of this Order were taken only from the royal houses of the land. With the Cataclysm obscuring the genealogical records of the past, most acceptable candidates are not denied access to the Order without extraordinary evidence. The Knight Applicant is brought before a Knightly Council of the Rose. There he must relate the history of his family and list the deeds that exemplify the ideals of Knighthood and Honor. Once this tale to told, the Council holds a closed session to discuss the Knight's application. When an applicant is judged worth he must sacrifice 3 magical items to the Order before being sent on a quest. Many aspiring Rose applicants have lost their lives in attempting to finish these dangerous missions. After the Knight returns from the quest and tells the tale of his bravery, the Council welcomes the new Knight of the Rose. KNIGHTS OF KNIGHTS OF KNIGHTS OF THE CROWN THE SWORD THE ROSE Squire of Crown Defender of Crown ---> Novice of Swords ---> Novice of Roses Knight of Crown Knight of Swords Knight of Tears Scepter Knight Blade Knight Knight of Mind Shield Knight Knight Clerist Knight of Heart Lord of Shields Abbot of Swords Knight of Roses Lord of the Crown Elder of Swords Keeper of Roses Master Warrior Master of Swords Master of Roses Lord Warrior Lord of Swords Archknight Master Clerist Lord of Roses Lord Clerist Master of Justice Lord of Justice High Justice MISSIONS -------- At the start of each mission you will be told what is happening in the War of the Lance, and then be given the information you will need for your mission. After the briefing you may view the strategic map to see the operation area. After your briefing you will be given an opportunity to preview the mission area. This option will allow you to fly the mission region without having to face any enemies. In this mode you will find that your dragon is able to fly faster than in a combat mission. To complete the mission you must following the instructions given to you during the briefing. The mission will end automatically when you have met the objectives. After you have completed a mission any magical item you may have found is added to your equipment. There is an award ceremony if you have gained a rand or joined a new Order. After you have received any awards of items from a mission, you may save the game in progress. Simply answer "YES" to the save prompt and follow the instructions. Select the save slot and press ENTER/RETURN. There are 7 slots for each mission to be saved. You always start the game as a Squire in the Order of the Crown. You may, however, complete the game three different ways: 1. By staying in the Order of the Crown the entire game. 2. By choosing to advance to the Order of the Sword when given the opportunity and completing the game in that Order. 3. By choosing to advance to the Order of the Sword and then advancing to the Order of the Rose when given the opportunity and completing the game in that order. At the end of two of the missions you will be given an opportunity to join the next Order. Changing Orders will give you a more powerful mount and allow you to fly a greater number of missions. Entering a more prestigious Order will make your path more difficult. If you elect to change Order you will be asked to give up magic items to the Knighthood. After this you will be assigned a quest to prove your worthiness. After you successfully complete your quest there is an awards ceremony where you are invested into the new Knight Order and given a new mount. NOTE: You may not be able to fly all missions every game. Which missions are available is based on whether you decide to change Orders. Quest missions replace mission you would have otherwise flown had you stayed in an Order. MISSION DESCRIPTIONS -------------------- Snow Blind - Unbeknownst to the Dark Queen, Takhisis, the good dragons have returned to Krynn from the Isle of Dragons. Gathering the good forces of men and elves on Sancrist Isle, they now move southeast to eradicate the evil which plagues the continent. While the good army advances, you are among the scouts left behind to hunt for evil dragon scouts. Should the good alliance be discovered too early by Takhisis, the War would come to a quick end; surprise is crucial to the good army's early victories. You must eliminate the scouts before they report the alliance to the Dark Queen. The early success of the good forces depends upon you! Occupational Hazard - Successfully dispatching the white dragon scouts, you leave Sancrist to rejoin your army. As you approach the Isle of Cristyne, your dragon spots some stragglers of the good army's fleet. Beyond them, on the cliffs of Cristyne, roosts a group of wyverns. Your mount cautions you, reminding you of the wyvern's deadly stinger. But filled with confidence from your previous victory, you urge the bronze to charge the cliffs. Black Plague - Grief and anger overwhelm you as you approach the Knights' outpost on Southern Ergoth. Battered and broken, the small human settlement in which you sought to take refuge has been destroyed to the last man, woman, and child. Pools of acid and melted remains mark the carnage as the wrathful destruction of a black dragon. The good forces have pursued the beast to the swamp in the north, but it refuses to show its visage to a clearly overwhelming foe. You face a grim task of vengeance -- to find the beast and challenge it to a duel. Sword Quest - Your deeds mark you among the Order of the Crown, and you are enjoined to undertake a perilous quest. The ancient writings of the first Knight, Vinas Solamnus, have been captured by the Evil Dragon Highlord that holds Icewall Castle. Prove yourself worthy by recovering the revered artifices and the Order of the Sword will be proud to count you among their ranks. Upon acceptance into the Order of the Sword you will be assigned to a new mount, a noble silver dragon. The way to the Sword will challenge a Knight with unforseen dangers, but a Knight will be honored with this chance only once in his lifetime. Choose wisely. Sudden Death - Declining to enter the Order of the Sword was the most difficult decision you have ever faced. But Knights have little time for regret. Gunthar briefs the assembled Knights of the situation. The enemy holds the forest tot he south and has posted its red dragons on top of the mountains to the east. If the good forces attempt to move south to free the elven home of Qualinesti, the reds will dive from the mountains, gaining a crucial tactical advantage. A plan has been devised to send a small force to fly low through the mountains to the far side of Qualinesti, and attack the enemy outpost. The enemy will think the forces of good have circled the island and are attacking from the south.. The good dragon army will then attack from the north and gain the advantage. Confident of your skills, you proudly volunteer for the mission. Red Sky at Morning - Red sky at morning, sailor take warning -- an old adage, one especially true this morning as the forms of the enemy fleet rise ominously from the horizon. Urging your mount into a dive, you close on the enemy ships, their sails boasting the black dragon crest. You notice small winged forms rising to meet your charge. Rose Quest - Of those Knights skilled and valorous enough to qualify for the Order of the Sword, few may enter the Order of the Rose. The once proud coastal city of Tarsis, whose harbors were drained during the Cataclysm, now burns in the glow of dragonfire. Prove yourself worthy of entering the Order of the Rose by retrieving the Standard of Huma, an ancient relic, from the clutches of the Evil Dragon Highlord that occupies Tarsis. It is a long, hard journey, fraught with peril, but the reward of entering the Order of the Rose, along with the promise of a mighty gold dragon for a mount, is an honor difficult to refuse. Pincushion - As the good dragon army travels north toward Caergoth, you are sent on patrol over the magical forest of Wayreth. The coastline below is dotted with enemy outpost, manned by archers. Take care not to fly too close. You must rely upon your breath weapons to destroy the outposts. The Fray - The skies over Caergoth rage in fierce combat as you approach the besieged city. You charge into the fray, joining your comrades in their efforts to destroy the blue invaders. Use the breath weapons cautiously, young Knight, for friend and foe alike fill the skies. Rout - Unprepared for the onslaught of the good dragons, the evil blues decide to cut their losses and run for the north. Seeing their hated foes retreat from the battle gives hope to the cheering residents of Caergoth. You bring you mount about and pursue the blues as they flee into the mountains. Blood of the Mountain - The blue dragons from Caergoth continue their flight north to the city of Garnet. You close on your ancient foe. Victory is surely at hand. Homecoming - Flying in the vanguard ahead of the good dragon army, you hope to be the first to see the Knighthood's ancient homeland, the Plains of Solamnia. Rising over the crest, you are overwhelmed by the beauty of the rolling plains and winding rivers, and the small shapes approaching from the easy scarcely catch your notice. Cavalry - You have again joined the good dragon army in the field. With the element of surprise lost, the forces of good and evil meet in their first head-to-head conflict. If all has gone according to plan, the other wing of the good dragon army will arrive from Palanthas to aid in the battle of Solanthus. You check your saddle and prepare from a grueling battle. Maelstrom - Success! The tide of battle has turned and the forces of good have routed the enemy dragons. You join in the celebration of victory, but the festivities are short-lived as a cry is raised by your lookout. On the horizon you see a massive chunk of rock with a fortress atop, floating through the air toward your position. The cheers of joy stick in your throat. Who can hope to defeat evil magic strong enough to rip a fortress from the very earth! Vingaard Run - The defeat of the flying citadel has given new hope to the forces of good. While the bulk of the army is to press on through Throtyl Gap, a smaller force, headed by you, is sent to the north along the Vingaard River to free Dargaard Keep and Kalaman from the clutches of the evil army. As your command separates from the army, you see a flight of blues racing to the north. You spur your mount on, hoping to prevent them from warning Dargaard Keep or Kalaman of your approach. Dargaard Deception - Grim news comes from the good army's intelligence: a collection of good dragon eggs has been kept by the evil forces at Dargaard Keep. You struggle to keep your mount from charging after the single small green dragon that seems to bait you north. Stressing caution to your mount, you follow the lure northward. The Siege of Kalaman - With Dargaard free, and the stolen dragon eggs recovered, your heart is filled with conviction as you approach Kalaman. You must lead your troops to storm the city and free it from the clutches of the draconian forces. Black Death - Upon the liberation of Kalaman, a Black Dragon Highlord, Krogarg, has retreated to the swamps and fens many miles northeast of Kalaman. There is a rumor that his mount, Hematite, has in its possession a suit of original Plate of Solamnus. The though that the suit may once have been worn by the great Huma, and now lies in the slimy clutches of a black dragon, drives you to action. Yet, you can't bring yourself to commit your forces to hunt down and destroy the evil Highlord. Sending your forces south to rejoin the rest of the good army, you decide to personally see to this defiler. Sulfur Straights - It is a lonely accession into the rank of Lord of Roses. Alone and far from the Knightly Council, you have defeated the Black Highlord and his mount, only to discover that the Plate of Solamnus you covet is held by another. Hematite would not reveal the nature of the guardian, but seemed to derive pleasure from the thought of you pursuing this course. Undaunted, you head south to find the thing's lair and retrieve the Plate of Solamnus. Wild Estwilde - Chaos returns! Having retrieved the legendary Plate of Solamnus you catch up to your forces as the rejoin the other good dragons in an assault against a second flying citadel. Preparing for the most difficult battle ever, you rush into the melee. The Battle of Godshome - During the raging battle the citadel retreats south, to the Dark Queen's base in Neraka. A small detail of gold dragons with their expert riders is send to the holy valley of Godshome to rid it of evil red dragons. These monsters are the largest and oldest of their type, the most dangerous evil dragons that live. Neraka Falls - Even as events within the Temple determine the outcome of the War of the Lance, a battle rages in the skies above. Two flying citadels, with scores of red dragons, combat a force of golds above the Temple. To survive this final battle will require all the skill the best of riders possess; to win, all the courage the braves of Knights aspire to. This victory signals the defeat of the evil armies. The only hero of this battle will be rewarded only with the highest honor the Knighthood can offer: the title of High Justice. THE BESTIARY ------------ THE GOOD DRAGONS ---------------- These are the dragons that you may have an opportunity to ride into battle. The creatures' Turn, Climb, and Speed are rated in relation to a Bronze Dragon BRONZE DRAGON (SIRDAR) Armor Class: -6 Hitpoints: 144 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 4-24 Size: 76 feet of body length and 64 feet of tail length Turn: Good Climb: Good Speed: Good Breath Weapons: Lightning, Repulsion Gas Sirdar is just over 300 years old, a mature adult, and a prince among bronze dragons. Normally, he wouldn't have been allowed to participate in the war, but every dragon is needed for the struggle. His bronze scales are unusually shiny and the dragon likes to have them oiled so that the sun creates a blinding glare for the enemy dragons that would close for battle. This dragon is a trifle vain and wears a special blue dragon skin saddle made from his first foe in the war. Sirdar has personally brought down five large blue dragons in the first months of the good dragon struggles in the war. Generally, bronzes are ridden by Knights of the Crown. They are fond of war and fighting, and are extremely interested in the affairs of mankind. On occasion in the past they have taken the form of domestic animals to observe men. Normally, bronze dragons like to be near large bodies of water and eat large water beasts. BRONZE DRAGON (Adamant) Armor Class: -10 Hitpoints: 160 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 4-24 Size: 134 feet of body length and 110 feet of tail length Turn: Good Climb: Good Speed: Good Breath Weapons: Lightning, Repulsion Gas Adamant is 2,111 years old, a great wyrm of wondrous power and the ruler of all the bronze dragons at every council. He doesn't like to have a human rider, but can see the need and has watched too many of his brother dragons fall because they didn't have a Knight protecting their backs. He is different from other bronzes in that his powers of breath and strength are unusually powerful, even for a dragon of his great age. He can't turn as fast as smaller bronzes, but his straight flying speed is amazing. Adamant is usually only ridden by the highest members of the Knightly order, but has wanted to take on a few dangerous combats and suggested that he take some of the newer Knights whose bravery was especially noteworthy. Adamant's bronze scales are almost black with age and there is a hardness to his speech and movements that speaks of power. This noble creature is starting to make a reputation for death dealing among the enemy. Often, evil dragons will not retreat rather than engage Adamant. SILVER DRAGON (Argent) Armor Class: -7 Hitpoints: 152 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 5-30 Size: 87 feet of body length and 38 feet of tail length Turn: Very Good Climb: Very Good Speed: Very Good Breath Weapons: Cone of Cold, Paralyzation Argent is small for his 723 years of age. Many of his own kind though that he shouldn't be part of this struggle, being seen as frail, (if you can call a 87 foot long creature frail). Argent proved everyone wrong, as battle after battle he launched himself into the struggle and never received a single scratch or scorch. Argent is out to prove himself among both dragons and Knights. As a result, he will tend to fly towards the most dangerous parts of battle. Several Knights have posthumously won great honors on the back of Argent. In human form Argent will be found at all the Knightly war planning Councils, providing good advice on how to meet the threat of evil dragons. Certainly the dragons most beloved by mankind are the silver. These dragons mingle with the races of Krynn most often and are mentioned in many tales and legends -- most notable the legend of Huma. They enjoy being around humans and elves and giving them aid. They will take any human or elf as rider buy are usually ridden by Knights in the Order of the Sword. The Silver dragon is an exquisitely graceful flyer. Second only to the gold in maneuverability, it rates "Very Good" on both turning and climbing. SILVER DRAGON (Ulaina) Armor Class: -11 Hitpoints: 184 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 5-30 Size: 1480 feet of body length and 67 feet of tail length Turn: Very Good Climb: Very Good Speed: Very Good Breath Weapons: Cone of Cold, Paralyzation If ever there was a creature made for war, it is Ulaina. She has a commanding presence in human or dragon form. In human form she stands seven foot tall, with rippling muscles and pale skin. She has been known to begin battles in this human form in order to fight draconian foes down on the ground. In one battle, when a huge contingent of reinforcements came onto the battlefield, Ulaina transformed herself into her true form and proceeded to route those 500 draconians all by herself. Silver dragons are immune to cold, making them good fighters against white dragons. Ulaina has the ability to climb into the sky faster than any known silver dragon. This ability has often caused her problems, as she far outstrips her dragon wing in order to meet the enemy sooner. While she is a powerful creature, large numbers of enemy dragons have often caused her dangerous problems. GOLD DRAGON (Dolce) Armor Class: -9 Hitpoints: 168 Attacks: 2 claws, 1 bite Damage: 1-10, 6-36 Size: 108 feet of body length and 87 feet of tail length. Turn: Excellent Climb: Excellent Speed: Excellent Breath Weapons: Cone of fire, Chlorine Gas Dolce is a mature gold dragon who would like nothing better than to sleep in his lair for centuries at a time. The war ended his rest and now his is going to make everyone pay for ruining his beauty sleep. Dolce is a strong fighter and fierce in talon-to- talon struggle. Dolce is a little slow to react in battle, which has frustrated many of the Knights who ride him. On the other hand, there a few gold dragons who have seen as much battle time. Dolce seems to have a knack for finding the enemy dragons flying in the area. The most majestic of the good dragons, gold dragons are over fifty feet long. They have the ability to polymorph into human or animal form but rarely do so, believing it demeaning to take on such inelegant forms. Gold dragons rarely take a Knight in the Order of the Sword or Crown as the rider. They prefer the more prestigious Kings of the Rose if they must be ridden. The gold dragon is without peer in the skies. Due to their highly magical nature, they are excellent in both turning and climbing ability. GOLD DRAGON (Thew) Armor Class: -12 Hitpoints: 192 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-10, 6-36 Size: 190 feet of body length and 159 feet of tail length Turn: Excellent Climb: Excellent Speed: Excellent Breath Weapons: Cone of Fire, Chlorine Gas Thew is the most powerful dragon among the forces of good. There are reports of some slightly larger dragons in the forces of chaos, but no one has seen one of them yet. Thew is a legend among dragons for his strength and fighting ability. He has flown around the world of Krynn without stopping. Several times he has take large numbers of warriors on his back in night raids on enemy strongpoints. Thew doesn't like this war, hates the waste in lives and wants nothing more than to bring to a conclusion this struggle. Towards this end he requests, and gets, the toughest assignments. Thew will only allow himself to be ridden by the best of the Knights of the Order of the Rose. It is the greatest of honors to ride Thew into battle. THE EVIL DRAGONS ---------------- WHITE DRAGON Armor Class: 4 to -7 Hitpoints: 5 to 154 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-6, 2-16 Size: 5 to 104 feet body length Turn: Below Average Climb: Below Average Speed: Below Average Breath Weapon: Cone of Frost Unusual in dragonkind, these reptiles prefer cold regions. They are used mainly as scouts by the evil dragon army, but have been known to serve as guardians from time to time. Small in size, and not as intelligent as their cousins, white dragons rarely use subtle tactics in a fight and prefer charging ahead. BLACK DRAGON Armor Class: 4 to -7 Hitpoints: 6 to 160 Attacks: 2 Claws, bite Damage: 1-6,3-18 Size: 6 to 105 feet body length Turn: Average Climb: Below Average Speed: Below Average Breath Weapon: Acid Black dragons are extremely independent and will generally only obey commands if it suits their purpose. While some have been seen in combat, these dragons are highly valued by the Highlords for guarding treasures and spying. The Black Dragon, Onyx, guarded the great disk of Mishakal when they were found by the good adventurers. Blacks are very seldom involved in direct combat. When left to their own devices, black dragons prefer to live in swamps or marshes. Some, however, have been found in subterranean lairs. GREEN DRAGON Armor Class: 3 to -8 Hitpoints: 7 to 168 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 2-20 Size: 7 to 116 feet body length Turn: Good Climb: Average Speed: Average Breath Weapon: Chlorine Gas Notorious even among evil dragons, the green dragons are cruel beyond belief. Their cunning makes them as formidable an opponent as blue or red dragons, if there opponent is careless. They are fairly large and very sneaky. Expect the unexpected when dueling with these sly reptiles. Green dragons have been used many times by the Highlords for their cruel cunning. The green, Cyan Bloodbane, was responsible for breathing nightmares into the ear of the Silvanesti king, Lorac. These evil dreams caused the perversion and fall of that ancient elven nation. BLUE DRAGON Armor Class: 3 to -8 Hitpoints: 8 to 176 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-8, 3-24 Size: 9 to 142 feet body length Turn: Good Climb: Good Speed: Good Breath Weapon: Lightning Bolt Blue Dragons are as large as the good bronze dragons. They are more gregarious than many of their cousins and can act and fight well as a team. They are very intelligent and skilled fighters. Blues have been used by the evil armies to batter fortifications with their deadly lightning attacks. The blue dragon, Skie, is renowned, and feared, for his loyalty to the Highlord, Kitiara. Although sometimes found in caves like others of their race, blues prefer warm, arid lands. RED DRAGON Armor Class: 0 to -11 Hitpoints: 7 to 168 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-10, 3-30 Size: 12 to 183 feet body length Turn: Very Good Climb: Good Speed: Good Breath Weapon: Cone of Fire Red dragons are exceptionally intelligent and cunning foes. These monstrous beats are the favored airborne assault force of the Dragon Highlords. They are the most ferocious and deadly of all evil dragonkind -- a match for even the gold dragons. They are loyal to the Dark Queen herself first and the Dragon Highlords second. They are skilled in both attack and defense. Although the red dragons were never inclined to follow orders, they somehow learned to work well together in combat. Red dragon groups have spearheaded assaults on many cities. Oftentimes they will destroy nearly an entire population before ground troops can even arrive. These perverse beats take great pleasure in watching the smoldering remains of their handiwork. These powerful dragons can muscle their way into a turn and therefore have a very good turning ability. Their sheer power allows them to climb at a good rate, identical to their smaller blue cousins. DEATH DRAGON Armor Class: -11 Hitpoints: Unknown Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-10, 3-30 Size: 200 feet body length Turn: Excellent Climb: Excellent Speed: Very Good Breath Weapon: Death Gas When some highly magical and intelligent dragons die they become death dragons. These creatures are so powerful that, although their spirit rises to a greater plane of existence, their dead and rotting bodies remain strong and powerful. The death dragons search for treasure, which they feed on. When a death dragon comes upon any sort of treasure it begins to absorb the magic and valuables into its bone structure. Ancient death dragons have been described as magnificent glistening creatures because of the assimilated treasure. These creatures will attack any dragons in proximity, with a blind and cunning rate. They seem to instinctively sense the presence of members of the erstwhile kin. When the death dragon has the choice of more than one target, it will always attack the strongest opponent first. Death dragons roam the earth for 14 days every century. During this time they are searching for several large hordes of treasure. They will often stop to talk to evil creatures to gain information on where such treasures might be. When they are not roaming, they can always be found resting on huge veins of silver or gold. These veins will be slowly absorbed during the century the dragon is resting. If the dragon is disturbed it will destroy whomever awakened it and then go on a 30 day period of roaming. Because of their magical nature, death dragons are excellent in their turning and climbing prowess - comparable to the gold dragon. They are also very fast, and can only be outrun by the magnificent golds. OTHER EVIL CREATURES -------------------- MANTICORE Armor Class: 4 Hitpoints: 9 to 51 Attacks: claw, claw, bite Damage: 1-3, 1-3, 1-8 Special Attack: Tail Spikes Turn: Average Climb: Average Speed: Good The manticore is a true monster, with a torso and legs like a lion, batlike wings, a man's head, and tail tipped with iron spikes and an appetite for human flesh. Beside using claws and teeth in combat, the manticore also fires volleys of tail spikes at an enemy. Manticores are very territorial. An individual manticore's territory may cover 20 or more square miles. Manticores have been known to ally themselves with evil humans, provided such allies can provide them with a steady, ample food supply. But, manticores are basically wide-ranging carnivores who are nightmarish opponents in combat. SIVAK DRACONIAN Armor Class: 1 Hitpoints: 6-48 Attacks: 2 claws, bite Damage: 1-6, 2-12 Climb: Below Average Turn: Poor Speed: Below Average The draconians are the backbone of the evil armies. These creatures perform many functions in the dragonarmies. Draconians are sent before main assaults to spy and subvert resistance. After the evil dragons have battered down the defenses, the draconian troops follow to occupy the newly won lands. Of the several known species, only the Sivaks are able to truly fly. They are much less powerful than dragons, but they have greater numbers. The creation of the draconian race is the cause of the good dragons entering the War of the Lance. The draconians are created by the magical corruption of the good dragon eggs. They gain their powers from this magical origin. Before Takhisis began her bid to return to the lands of Krynn, she guided to the evil dragons to the Dragon Isle where the good dragons slept. From under the noses of the slumbering dragons, Takhisis's forces took the good dragons' eggs. The good dragons were told that their precious eggs would be held safe -- so long as they did not contest the dragonarmies in the war. The good dragons kept their promise until they learned the vile origins of the draconian troops. WYVERN Armor Class: 3 Hitpoints: 14 to 63 Attacks: bite, stinger Damage: 2-16, 1-6 and poison Turn: Very Good Climb: Average Speed: Average The wyvern are a lesser wyrm -- distant relatives of the greater dragons. They are not exceptionally intelligent, but are infamous for their vicious combative nature. Wyverns will attack anything, with no regard for size or strength. When airborne, the wyvern will attack with a poison stinger shipping around at the end of nearly 20 feet of tail. The 2-foot long barb will pierce armor and dragon hide alike. Wyvern poison can hurt even a dragon and often kill a human. The Highlords have been able to use wyverns in their war through the intervention of the evil dragons. While they are very difficult for humans to train, they will follow the orders of their larger kin. Something wyverns are set in lairs near known trading routes, where they will swoop down and carry off unarmored members of caravans. These lesser wyrms are extremely agile flyers and boast a very good turning ability. FLYING CITADEL Flying Citadels are fortresses that have been ripped from the very ground and held aloft by tremendous magics. The secret of how these gargantuan artifacts are created is known only by a few powerful evil mages. The dragonarmies have used the flying citadels with devastating effect in their campaigns. These floating cities house and protect hoards of troops, and transport them effortlessly to battle. Downloaded From P-80 Systems 304-744-2253 * Since Halloween 1980 *