The OVERVIEW:


 Long, long had the Master of Order struggled with the Mistress of 
Chaos.  Ancient as time, changeless as death was their conflict -- waged 
in mundane realms by magically potent Adepts.  No more.  The old secure 
well-springs of magical energy are failing.  To control the new sources, 
Adepts are bringing forth new armies of reluctent Demons and Elementals 
long onsummoned.  Change is at hand and the battle would find an end..

This is that battle...

        The ending is yours...



THE TWO SCREENS:

The game is played on two screens. On one -- the main board -- you and 
your opponent (human or computer) take turns maneuvering your pieces 
called icons) into favorable positions.

When you move to a space already occupied by one of your opponent's 
icons the game shifts to the second display, the battleground.  There 
you must fight a fast-action battle to determine which icon will return 
to the board in possession of the disputed position.

THE MOVES:

You begin the game with 4 Adepts on a side.  On each turn you may use 
whatever magical energy you have left to: 1) move an Adept, 2) use an 
Adept to cast a spell (including Summon which lets you bring new icons 
into the game)  or 3) move an icon conjured up (with a Summon spell) on 
a previous turn.

WINNING:

You win if you occupy all six power points at once or if you win in the 
Apocalypse (evocable with a special spell).  You also win if your 
opponent runs out of magical energy or icons.



THE BOARD:

The main board is composed of 4 bands representing the classical 
elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Additionally there are 4 
squares which are not part of any band.  Two are black, neutral squares 
representing the Void.  The others are citadels, the home squares of 
Order and Chaos.  While the void squares can be occupied by icons just 
like any position in the four bands, the citadels remain empty 
throughout the game.

***********************************
*              Fire               *
*  *****************************  *
* *             * *             * *
* *             * * <-the Void  * *
* * **********  ***  ********** * *
* * *  ****  *  Air  *  ****  * * *
* * * *    * ********* *    * * * *
* * * * C  *   Water   *  O * * * *
* * * * h  *************  r * * * *
********a*     Earth     *d********
* * * * o  *************  e * * * *
* * * * s  *           *  r * * * *
* * * *    * ********* *    * * * *
* * *  ****  *       *  ****  * * *
* * **********  ***  ********** * *
* *             * *             * *
* *             * *             * *
*  *****************************  *
*                                 *
***********************************

There are 6 flashing power points. Two are the Void squares.  The other 
4 move from turn to turn through the outermost corners of each of the 
four elements.  Occupation of the 6 power points is the major goal of 
the game. 

MOVEMENT:

If the hollow square (or "frame") is on your side, it's your turn.  Use 
your joystick to move the frame atop the icon you want, and push the 
button.  Next, use the joystick to move the icon (of frame, in the case 
of Adepts) to your intended destination and press the button again.  (If 
you accidentally press the button over an icon you don't want to move, 
press the button again with out moving your stick to cancel the 
selection and start over.  Once you've moved an icon at all, you cannot 
cancel your selection.)



MAGIC SPELLS:

Instead of a move, on any turn an Adept can cast any spell it has energy 
for. Simply select the Adept with the frame, press the button, and then 
press it again.  Instead of canceling your Adept's move, this action 
produces the message "SELECT YOUR SPELL".

Move the joystick forward and back to produce the choices described in 
the "SPELL LIST".  Press the button to select the one you want.  If you 
change you mind go to "CANCEL SPELL". To cancel a spell after you have 
selected it, move your frame to the citadel and press the button.

Magic lies at the hart of the action -- and so does the fact that it 
costs. The amount of magical energy you have (shown by a vertical bar) 
varies throughout the game.  You gain energy from each power point you 
occupy and -- for the first few turns only -- your home citadel.

Moving icons is mostly free, but it costs energy to maintain each Demon 
and Elemental on your side and substantial amounts for spells.  The cost 
for each action appears on the bar. You will not be allowed to take 
actions that you do not have energy for. The effects of spells is 
limited to the element the conjuring Adept is on. Adepts cannot cast 
from the void and Adepts are immune to all spells except 'Heal'.


THE SPELL LIST:

SUMMON -- This is the spell used most often.  When you select it you may 
choose among 4 Elementals and 4 Demons by moving the frame from monster 
to monster. The cost rises with the column.

Remember, Adept magic only works within the element of the conjuring 
Adept. An Adept in Fire cannot summon an icon to the band of earth.

You may summon an icon and directly attack an opposing icon, but it 
takes extra energy to do so.  And Adepts are immune from such attacks.  
From them, you must use icons already on the board.

HEAL -- This spell cures half an icon's wounds and all paralysis.

WEAKEN -- Use this to cut an enemy icon's current lifespan in half.

IMPRISON -- Cast this spell and the imprisoned icon cannot be moved. The 
cost of maintaining imprisoned icons fall on the imprisoner and not the 
original conjurer.

RELEASE -- Use this when you can no longer afford to keep an icon 
imprisoned -- or no longer need occupied power points on elements 
without Adepts make very tempting targets.

APOCALYPSE -- This spell begins a battle that ends the game.  In that 
apocalyptic battle, your icons lifespan missile power, and speed depend 
on energy, icons and Adepts left, respectively.  Use to put a hopelessly 
overwhelmed enemy out of your misery or as an act of suicidal 
desperation.


THE LIFE LINE:

The lifelines at either end of the  arena indicate the current lifespan 
(health/strength) of the two battling icons.  When an icon is wounded, 
its matching lifeline is reduced.  When its lifeline is gone, the icon 
is dead, the battle over.  IMPORTANT: Except for the Juggernaut and the 
Wraith, you cannot move icons while pressing the button.


COMBAT:

Combat is fast, but you can't just fire away as rapidly as your finger 
twitches.  It takes a moment after all to conjure a whirlwind or 
generate a tidal wave.  At the exact moment your joystick button can 
launch another attack, the computer rings a bell -- a high note for 
ORDER and a low note for CHAOS.


THE ELEMENTS AND DEMONS:


(Conjured up with the summon spell) slide freely along the element they 
are on.  You may slide them as far as you like with 2 restrictions: they 
cannot pass another icon and they cannot end there move atop a 
"friendly" icon.  Alternately, you may jump them from one element to an 
adjacent one on a turn.  No icon may slide and jump in the same turn.


BEHEMOTH -- Massive as mountains. As subtle as a pile-driver.  Reducer 
to rubble.

SIREN -- Murderous mermaid. Singer of songs.  Sirens don't have to aim 
Press the button and they start to sing and their opponents start dying.

IFRIT -- Dark spirit of storm and air Scion of cyclones.  Genie.  
Raksaha

FIREBIRD -- Crafty child of ARCHON's Phoenix. Fire is its weapon and its 
armor.  When the FIREBIRD explodes it cannot move or be hurt.  You can 
stop a explosion by releasing the button.

GIANT -- Earthborn cousin of Troll and Golem.  Walks slowly and carries 
a big rock.

KRAKEN -- Strong, slow giant of the deep.  So big its tentacles cause 
tidal waves.

THUNDERBIRD-Skyrider, hurler of thunderbolts.  Symbol of Order, defender 
of law.

SALAMANDER -- Little lizard made of flame.  Scutter skulker, flinger of 
fireballs.


DEMONS:


Demons are conjurable by both sides:

JUGGERNUT -- A melding of master and missile, monster and machine.  Hell 
on wheels.  Pure force.  They are in effect thier own missiles.  In 
"missile" mode they only travel in straight lines and they are  
invulnerable -- except to the song of the Siren.

WRAITH -- Leech of the lifeforce. Feeder on wounds.  Now you see it, now 
you don't.  Wraiths are not nice. They are invisible except when they're 
trying to hurt you (and to "reload").  They can move even while they 
attack.  Their circular attack aura steals the lifeforce from all caught 
in it.

GORGON -- Fragile paralyzer of life and limb.  Hard on everyone, 
especially the slow moving.  He does not wound; he paralyzes.  After 
every hit from a Gorgon's eye beem, an icon moves more slowly.  When it 
can no longer move it dies.



THE ADEPTS:

They can teleport anywhere on the board, but it costs them a bit of 
magical energy to teleport from one element to another.

ADEPT-missiles can be, by holding down the joystick button and using the 
joystick, redirected slightly twice for every  firing round.  After it 
has been redirected twice, you may maintain the missile's position, and 
after the bell indicating that you may refire rings, you may then shoot 
off the missile from its current position and may again redirect it 
twice.  This process repeats until the missile is dissolved.  Note that 
you cannot move while the button is down.  Nothing comes free


Effects of Elements:


      ** ICON   * MISSILE
**************************
**************************
EARTH **Blocked *Dissolved
**************************
WATER **Slowed  *Slowed
**************************
AIR   **Slowed  *Deflected
**************************
FIRE  **Weakened*No effect
**************************
VOID  **  ---   *   ---

