Revision: 2006-2-18
                                  DARK LAW
                              Meaning of Death

                        FAQ / WALKTHROUGH by Haeleth


===============================================================================
   CONTENTS
===============================================================================

1   Preamble
     1.1 Foreword
     1.2 Contact information
     1.3 Contributors
     1.4 General notes
         - completeness of the FAQ
         - other sources of information
         - why this isn't a translation guide
         - why there isn't a cheats section
2 - Walkthrough
     2.1 Beginning of Destiny
     2.2 Death-Creature
     2.3 Ed and Karon
     2.4 Guide of Death
     2.5 Return of a Saint
     2.6 King of Hell
     2.7 The Search
     2.8 Sorceror's Daughter
     2.9 Lefia Reunion
     2.10 Temple of the Wizard
     2.11 Dungeon Mode
     2.12 All Things
     2.13 Endings
3 - Gameplay
     3.1 Controls
     3.1.1 Movement
     3.1.2 Attacking
     3.1.3 Using magic and items
     3.2 Statistics
     3.3 Abilities
     3.4 The town
     3.5 Researching spells
4 - Tables
     4.1 Monsters
     4.2 Weapons
     4.3 Armour
     4.4 Items
     4.5 Jobs
     4.6 Magic
5 - Maps
     5.1 Sealed Cave
     5.2 Sealed Labyrinth
6 - Miscellaneous questions
     - the rubbish bin
     - disabling battle messages
     - the Turbo-File
     - Murasame
     - relation to other games
     - the melons
     - the meaning of death
     - the Latin
7 - Copyright information

===============================================================================
1   PREAMBLE
===============================================================================

1.1 FOREWORD

Of the SFC RPGs released in Japan, the great majority never reached Western
shores.  Many of these have been undeservedly neglected even by fans of the
genre.  Dark Law is certainly one of these, a refreshing breath of originality
(or the next best thing) in a genre dominated by Final Fantasy lookalikes.
Had it but borne the Square logo, there would have been a thousand incomplete
translation projects already, and more FAQs than you can shake at a stick.
In their absence, however, I can only offer the best efforts of a single fan,
and pray that the quality of the game prove a sufficient mask for my failings.
                                                                   -- Haeleth

1.2 CONTACT INFORMATION

My website, "Haelethes awendende", is currently located at "www.haeleth.net".

The most up-to-date release of this FAQ can always be found here.
Please check here before emailing me about anything.  (I'll try to keep the
version at GameFAQs relatively up to date, but it may not reflect minor
revisions or corrections.)

My email address is [email protected].  This address is solely for
correspondance related to my FAQs, translations, or the games concerned.

Constructive criticism or offers of help (excluding beta testing for my
translations - I'll ask for that when I need it) are welcome, and all
contributions will of course be duly credited - just below this, in fact.  In
particular, please do let me know of any errors in the FAQ, however slight.


1.3 CONTRIBUTORS

Dark Kyosuke:
 Stylistic suggestions; background info; alerted me to the saving issue.

Gray Brangwin:
 Extensive notes on all sorts of things: a number of magic formulae, a lot of
technical details on the game's engine, several sections I'd missed out (for
example, the Damascus Sword in King of Hell), and (horrors!) a few errors in
the early versions of the FAQ.


1.4 GENERAL NOTES

- Completeness of the FAQ

The FAQ is now essentially complete.  There are a few uncertain points in the
walkthrough, but I don't expect many more significant updates to be required.

There are still several queries I have.  Please, if you know or find out the
answers to any of these, let me know! - this FAQ may never be complete without
your help.
The questions are:
 What are the formulae for the last three spells?
 How do you fight Daruk Golem?
 Is there any point to restoring the seal on the cave?
 How do you read the stone tablets in Nealertos' temple?

Conjectural answers to some of these questions are given at the relevant
points.


- Other sources of information

Okada's page, '1st.AAA':

This is "http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Spade/1021/darklaw.html", and is
a fairly complete concise guide to the game.  It is, however, in Japanese.


- Why this isn't a translation guide

Particularly where the walkthrough is concerned, this FAQ assumes that the
player is able to play the game, but needs help in making progress; so you'll
probably need to understand some Japanese if you want to have a clue what's
going on.  I have not included any translations, even of key scenes.

Why take this route?  Simply because I've read too many FAQs which tend the
other way, and give you a blow-by-blow account of the story, of every scene,
so one barely has to play the game at all.  I prefer the sort which has as few
spoilers as possible, and that's what I've tried to write.


- Why there isn't a "cheats" section

Partly because I disagree on principle with cheating (unless I'm doing it); and
partly because this game is insanely simple to cheat at anyway.  One code will
give you all the power you could ever need.  If you really can't bear the
thought of playing it properly, read through 3.4 carefully.  I'm sure you'll
work out what to do.

There are one or two codes - not precisely cheat-related - that I'd like to
include, so such a section may appear in future.  So far, though, all I've
managed to produce are some truly amazing noises in my ill-fated attempt to
make a "music select" code.  The number of the current track is stored in
memory at $7e0609 (and possibly also $7e060b).  Try changing the values to
something else ($00-$18) and changing screens. :)


===============================================================================
2   WALKTHROUGH
===============================================================================

Dark Law, unlike many RPGs, does not have a single linear path along which the
player is forced. It's scenario based: each scenario is a short quest which the
player can complete to advance the story and build up experience.  In practice
the order of the scenarios doesn't allow that much variation, but it's still
freer than the average offering.

When you select 'start from the beginning' on the 'new game' menu, you'll be
presented with a pretty standard character creation system (name each character
and then assign their stats).  After this section, the game begins with the
scenario "Beginning of Destiny" (2.1).

You can create between one and four characters, of which any three can be in
your party at one time.  (At certain points in the game you'll temporarily
receive an extra member, allowing a maximum party size of four.)  The
'default' names are based on their hair colours (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green).
When building your party, bear in mind that while the men are stronger, they
need more experience to gain each level.

The centre of the game is the town, which is menu-driven.  Most scenarios are
begun by talking to the various characters you'll meet here.  See section 3.4
for details of the various locations within the town.  I'm assuming that you'll
pause between scenarios to heal, upgrade your equipment, level up, and so on,
so it's worth getting to know the place when you first arrive.

To level up and hunt for items the player can always head to the Sealed Cave /
Sealed Labyrinth, which is the game's main dungeon.  The monsters rapidly get
tougher as you head in, so caution is advised.  There are maps in section 5
which may prove useful.  When you reach the point at which you can take "All
Things", be sure to pause to complete the Sealed Labyrinth: the equipment
you'll find in there will be invaluable in the final battle.


NAME - the section here (2.x), "Scenario: ..." in main menu.*
Location: "Go to ..." in destination menu, "Location: ..." in main menu.
Level: your lead character must be within this range or the scenario will not
      be available.  The figures are inclusive.
Prerequisites: any other requirements, e.g. scenarios you have to take first.
Reward: the maximum benefit you can get from a scenario.  In most cases it's
       possible to come out with less.  The quoted values for 'exp' and 'gold'
       are restricted to explicit end-of-scenario rewards.
Items: any otherwise unobtainable items found.  Note that this isn't "complete"
      in that it basically only includes important items or things you get at
      the "scenario clear".  There may well be other things lying around.

The four scenarios with [#] after the name are the ones in which the seal
crystals are restored.

1  BEGINNING OF DESTINY
     Location: Holy Sophia Temple
     Reward: 50 gold
2  DEATH-CREATURE
     Location: Toras Forest
     Level: 1+
     Reward: 1100 exp, 10 gold
     Items: M-stone, Teardrop
3  ED AND KARON
     Location: Masaki Head
     Level: 2-4
     Reward: 1900 exp, 20 gold
     Items: M-stone, Aqua Stone
4  GUIDE OF DEATH [#]
     Location: Reynard Castle Court; later, South Creek
     Level: 4-6
     Prerequisites: complete "Death-Creature"
     Reward: 1800 exp
5  RETURN OF A SAINT
     Location: Deep in Fangi Forest
     Level: 6-8
     Reward: 2000 exp
6  KING OF HELL
     Location: Mt. Drake Mine Ruins
     Level: 7-8
     Reward: 2500 exp
     Items: Short Sword +; Damascus Sword
7  THE SEARCH [#]
     Location: Toras Forest
     Level: 8-10
     Prerequisites: have Teardrop
     Reward: 2400 exp
     Items: Damascus Sword
8  SORCEROR'S DAUGHTER
     Location: Dr. Heifer's house
     Level: 9-11
     Prerequisites: complete "King of Hell"
     Reward: 2700 exp, 280 gold
9  LEFIA REUNION [#]
     Location: Shanoah Town
     Level: 10-12
     Reward: 3000 exp
     Items: Golden Heart
10 TEMPLE OF THE WIZARD [#]
     Location: Deep within Mount Molor
     Level: 11-13
     Prerequisites: complete "Sorceror's Daughter"
     Reward: 3200 exp, 900 gold
     Items: Ashura (in theory, but I've never obtained it)
11 DUNGEON MODE
     Location: Sealed Cave and Sealed Labyrinth
     Items: M-stone; many others, possibly including the Destroyer?
12 ALL THINGS
     Location: Holy Sophia Temple
     Level: 13+
     Reward: the ending sequence. :D


2.1 BEGINNING OF DESTINY (Unme no Hajime)

As the game begins, you'll find yourself lying outside an ancient temple.
Walk south off the screen, and follow the path down.  If you want to read that
monument you can see on the right, the way through to it is hidden almost
directly to its left; but it won't be significant for a long time yet.  In any
case, your objective is the cliff edge.  Examine the projection to the right
twice.  Now collect either or both of the vines (there's one on each screen: if
you take both, the next scene is slightly different), and examine the
projection again to tie the vine or rope to it. Climb down.

After waking up, walk through the doorway to your south.  A long conversation
follows.  It doesn't matter whether you answer 'yes' or 'no' when Oriona asks
whether you'll help with the work - you'll end up doing it anyway.  After this
you'll return to bed.  When you wake up again, head south again and go outside.
Talk to Oriona, then follow him left and up.  Talk to him twice more and take
the hoe.  Don't start work yet: instead head north onto the next screen.  See
that blue sparkle?  That's a Silver Dagger, so dig it up.  Now head south two
screens.  There's another sparkle in the bottom left: grab that too, it's a
Blue Crystal.  You can sell it in Shanoah for a few extra pieces of gold (every
little helps).

Now head back north and get hoeing!  If you're lucky you may find some more
crystals.  To get away with the minimum amount of work, hoe the top left
square, and then go and talk to Oriona.  Now hoe the one above the bottom left,
then the one to the right of that, and then any one of the remaining unhoed
squares.  If you talk to Oriona again now, he should be happy to chat for a
while.

You regain control back on the southern screen.  Move east a little for a
nasty surprise, then go and (you guessed) talk to Oriona.  He'll give you a
letter.  Talk to him again.  Now you're free to depart at last - so head off
east and set off for the town!

Shanoah is explained in section 3.4.  Go to the castle, where you must talk to
King Reynard.  You'll hand over the letter; he'll give you 50 gold and
authorise you to enter the Sealed Cave.  And that's the end of the initial
scenario.


2.2 DEATH-CREATURE (Desukuriichaa)

To begin the scenario, talk to the guy at the pub and agree to help him.  Now
you must buy a potion if you don't have one, and leave the town. Select the
middle option, '??', to go to Toras Forest.

Follow the path north.  Before the end of the first screen you'll see a little
hole in the rock.  If you examine that, you'll fight a couple of Toras Vipers.
It's a very easy battle, so you might as well do it for the EXP.  Then carry on
until you reach Lambar's hut.

Enter the hut.  You need to examine the wolf's head on the table; then leave
again and keep going north.  On the next screen the path forks.  Examine the
obstruction on the right-hand fork and the boulder blocking the left-hand way.

Since you can't go any further, head back to the hut.  It's still empty, but
now if you go back north and up the lefthand side someone will appear.  Talk
to her, examine the boulder, then keep talking to her (you'll give her a
potion) until she moves it.  Take the new path and head north into the cave.

Immediately to your north is a dead end with a nest at the end.  Examine it
twice, then head round to the room to the west of it.  On the way, roughly at
the centre of the screen, you'll pass a very short passage to the north,
leading to an obvious dead end.  If you search that dead end, though, you'll
find an M-stone!  I don't think you can get it when you come back here in a
later scenario, so grab it now.  Anyway, when you reach that back room, examine
the hole in the north wall three times; you'll find a pendant, which is the
Teardrop accessory (so equip it!).  Now head south again; you'll drop out of
the hole from which the woman fell.  Return to the hut.  Talk to the woman
first if you don't want to miss any dialogue; the outcome is the same whomever
you select, though.  Talk to her a second time if you want to learn her name.

Now you can head back to the town.  Go to the pub and talk to end the scenario.


2.3 ED AND KARON (Edo to Karon)

Talk to Kofu at the Magic Guild, and agree to help him.  The second item on
the menu outside Shanoah will now take you to Davis' house at Masaki Head.
Note that you can only cross the causeway to his house during the daytime.
Night will fall a short way into the scenario, so make sure you're ready before
you set out.

Head right towards the house.  The door's locked, so continue right.  Chat with
the boy, then head back round to the front: Davis should be back.  He'll invite
you in.  After a conversation his son will call him out, and you'll regain
control.  There's a save point in the back room if you want to use one. Anyway,
leave the house and head round to the back.  There's a door where the boy and
the dog were earlier; go inside.  Talk to them, then head back to the house and
go to bed.

In the morning, talk to Davis.  Then head round to the barn and talk to Ed.  Go
back to Davis and talk again.  When the music changes, head back round to the
barn and talk AGAIN.  Now head back to the causeway.  Examine the highest point.
The hawk will deposit a bottle in the water to your left, which contains a
letter from Kofu.  Read it.

Now when you return Ed should be missing from the barn.  Go back to Davis,
examine the shelves behind him until you've read the scrolls, and talk to him
about them.  Head to the back of the barn.  Remove the plank from the bottom of
the wall behind the spot where Karon was lying, then examine the floor in front
of it for a loose plank.  Remove that too, and slide the plank to the right of
it across into the gap to reveal a ladder.  Go down.

At the bottom, you can go either left or right.  If you go left, you'll come out
in a pit behind the house; there's nothing to do here yet, and you might be
attacked by Zombies, which will slaughter you unless you run.  So go right
instead.  You'll come to a mazelike cave; there are Oak Jellies in here, but
those should be no problem.  There are two exits at the top of the screen. The
one to the right is a dead end for the moment, since you can't open the door.
You need to know that, though, so head up that way and check the door and the
handle (to the left of it).  Now go back round to the opening to the left, and
go through the door.  You'll be in a large rectangular room. There's a corpse in
the top right corner.  Make sure your HP is full, because when you've examined
it a few times, the Eleanor Zombie will attack.  She's not as tough as the
normal Zombies ("waes se gryre laessa / efna swa micle swa bith maegtha craeft /
wiggryre wifes be waepnedmen..."), but she uses magic - Wolfstorm, Icefall, and
Earth Heal.

Interesting aside: Masaki Itoh (the dead sorceror's name) appears in the end
credits under "Special Thanks".  Several other Ito[h]s worked on Dark Law and
Wizap!... presumably this is a cameo?  Anyway, back to the game...

Now head to the ladder, climb back up, and go round to the front of the house.
When Ed leaves, follow him.  Go to the room to the right of that in which you
fought Eleanor.  Ed will open the door.  Inside is that "Gate of the Dead" of
which Kofu's letter spoke.  Read the note on the floor, and talk to Ed.  He'll
try to remove the Magic Stone from the wall, but fail; so it's up to you.  Check
the stone again, talk to Ed again, and so forth.  When you realise water is
necessary, return to the barn and collect a bucket from the top right, then head
to the causeway and fill it.  Go back to the Gate of the Dead and try it with
the Magic Stone.  Things will get rather exciting.

After everything calms down again and you recieve your scenario EXP, head back
round behind the house; a new path will have opened, and you can enter the woods
and get an Aqua Stone from the tomb.  Then head back to the causeway.  As soon
as you cross the bridge, look for a sparkle at the bottom of the screen, below
the point where you stood when the hawk appeared; that's the Shield Magic Stone,
which you probably don't want to leave behind, so check it twice to take it.

Finally, be sure to check back with Kofu for some gold.


2.4 GUIDE OF DEATH (Shi wo Michibiku Mono)

Head to the Temple in Shanoah.  Try to talk:  nobody's there, but you can head
inside.  Do.  Talk alternately to the standing man and the lying man until
a third character shows up.  When everything's finished, leave this room:
you'll be back at the Temple menu.  Select 'talk' again.  The scenario begins.

Once you enter South Creek, you won't be able to leave again without forfeiting
the scenario.  This includes losing battles: if your party is annihilated,
you'll wake up back in Shanoah, and you won't be able to return to South Creek.
So make sure you've got some healing items, and save at the inn before you
leave!  It's probably preferable to make sure everyone's at level 5, too, if
you can stand it - but you can always level up when you get there.  When you're
ready, exit the town and select '??'.

Cross the bridge. There'll be a short scene with Hybard.  If you head east,
you'll come to a ruin.  Examine the rightmost block to find an inscription.
To enter the house, examine the door twice.  Head right and down, and examine
the book on the table a few times. Then go upstairs and enter first the room on
the left, then the one on the right.  If Hybard doesn't appear, go back
downstairs and examine the book again, then come back.  After a long
conversation you'll get your bodies back.

Follow the good doctor to the ruins.  He's not there, so head back to the house
and examine the window three times.  You'll jump up and get the book from the
table.  Examine the window again.  Now return to the ruins and read that
inscription. It's rather cryptic, so you need to think about it a bit:  leave
the screen, then enter again.  Presto: intrat deus ex machina!  So go ahead,
knock at the Gate of Darkness three times.  An entrance will open.  Need I tell
you to go inside?

At the moment you can go back to the save point by the bridge to rest if
necessary - save any potions you may have for later.  When you reach the upper
floor there's no way down again, so level up now if you think you need to.

Head west.  Read the notice and examine the machinery, then go through the
doorway.  Head up to the interesting apparatus in the top left.  Examine the
source of the light three times, then the left-hand window four times, and
finally the left-hand pedastal twice.  Now the lift is working, so go back out
to it and ride it up.

Examine the crate in the top right corner of the room three times, then leave
the room by the door to the south.  Note that the Undead Wolf monsters you meet
in this next area are exceedingly nasty.  I'd definitely advise running unless
you really know what you're doing.

You can't open the middle door, so go through the right-hand one.  Examine the
pile of sacks twice, then the table in the middle of the room.  Go up to
the place from which the rat appeared and examine the wall.  Now examine the
desk to your left, then push it under the hole you saw.  Climb onto it (the
drawer serves as a foothold) and examine the wall twice, then go back to the
left-hand room and take the wedge from the crate.  Return to the desk and climb
back onto it, and examine the wall twice more.  Get back down and take the
candlestick from the table to the right, then back up and you'll be able to
climb up to the hole.  Head up and left.  There are two gratings.  Look through
the right-hand one, then head over towards the other.  When you regain control,
take four steps.  You'll wake up back on the bridge again.

The scenario will now end when you leave South Creek.  If you leave right away
you'll receive 1600 EXP; if you go and listen at the front door first you'll
get 1800.  It isn't a very difficult choice, is it?

Now when you return to the Sealed Cave you'll see that one of the crystals of
the seal at the entrance is lit up.


2.5 RETURN OF A SAINT (Kaeriyuku Seisha)

Head to Shanoah Temple.  Talk to the Archbishop.  It doesn't matter what your
first answer is, but be sure to say 'yes' to his second question - he'll only
ask once!  He'll give you a letter, and the scenario begins.

Make sure you have potions and antidotes aplenty, since the enemies here are
tough and poisonous.  Good armour is a must, too.  When you're equipped, head
to Fangi Forest in the usual way.

Enter the tent and talk to the injured monk.  You'll give him the letter.  You
can duck out if you want to at this point - just go back to Darme and, when he
asks, decline to help further.  I wouldn't advise it, though.

Leave the tent and head north.  The Blue Crystal is the marker Frammel
mentioned, and shows the path you need to take; you can grab it if you want.
When asked if you want to proceed, agree.  As you approach the house, you'll be
challenged, and a Poison Corpse will attack.  Kill it (use fire-based spells if
you have any).  Try to open the door; you won't manage.  Now you have a choice.
If you want to be healed, or to save, then go back to the tent.  Talk to
Frammel to advance the plot, and then he'll heal you on request.  If you want
to do things the hard way, then don't do that: instead, examine the door three
times then try to leave - another Poison Corpse attacks, you'll hear a voice,
and then the door is unlocked.

Either way, once you're inside, head round to the ladder and climb down.  If
you explore to the northwest you'll fight some more Poison Corpses before
coming up against an array of locked doors; so head south instead, then south
again.  On this next screen you'll see a pair of Hell Bandits guarding a door.
Ignore them for the moment: go round past the opening leading into their room,
and off to the north.  You'll see one of the children you're looking for to
your right (behind the guarded door); to your north, another door, which has
neither a keyhole nor a visible switch.

Search the wall to the right of the door, halfway between the right-hand torch
and the end of the passage, then push the switch.  The door will open.  On the
other side you'll find a corpse; examine it twice and opt to read the note,
then examine it again to find a ring.

Now head back round to those Hell Bandits and kill them.  Push the switch to
the left of the door they were guarding and go in.  Talk to the girl.  You'll
end up back by the tent, where Frammel will give you some holy water.  If your
MP is low, you can touch the fire to restore it; rest at the save point in the
tent to restore your HP.

Return to the house and climb down as before.  Head south to the room where the
girl was imprisoned, and search the box in there until you find an item (the
Silver Robe).  Now head back towards the ladder.  Before you get there you'll
be brought up short by a strange sound; so head back south again.  Two Poison
Corpses will have appeared.  When you've disposed of them, search the north
wall next to the light to open the secret door they came through, and follow
the passageway behind it.

Sandoro is waiting in the next room.  The spirit isn't going to give him up
easily; after a brief conversation you'll be surrounded by enemies, three
Poison Corpses and a Hell Bandit.  It goes without saying that this is your
hardest battle yet; I hope you remembered to pack some Antidotes!  The only
strategy I can suggest is that you try to gain the platform - taking out the
Hell Bandit in the process - at which point you should be able to defend the
stairs and keep more than two of the others from attacking you at once.  Magic
will also be very useful here - again, stick to fire-based spells, as other
elements won't hurt the Poison Corpses.

When you've defeated them, head up onto the platform.  When Sandoro's finished
talking, throw the holy water over him.  After a short scene with the spirit,
you'll return to the tent once more.  Talk to Frammel (he'll go back into the
tent), and then to Sandoro, who'll offer you a key.  Naturally you want to
accept.

Return to the cellars once more, and this time head northwest - take the upper
door in the little side passage near the ladder.  You'll have to fight a couple
of Poison Corpses if you didn't deal with them earlier, but now you can get
through all those locked doors.  First head down the stairs to the left, enter
the library, and read the book on the table; then take the ones to the right,
and check the chests in the storeroom (one contains a Morningstar, the other a
Large Shield).  Of the other two doors, the one on the right leads to a small
room containing two jars; the one on the left will restore your HP, the other
your MP.

Finally, open the back lefthand door.  The Hell Bandit in here shouldn't tax
you too far.  Examine the only other interesting feature of the room.

That's all you can do for now, so head back to the tent and talk to Frammel
again.  He'll tell you who the spirit is (an ancient high priest, Dianoas),
and offer to read you the letter.  It doesn't seem to matter which option you
choose; either way, he'll give you an amulet.

Back to the cellars again!  Take the south door in the side-passage, and go
round to the northwest.  There's another group of monsters in this room.  If
you didn't get Sarac's ring earlier, you'll have to fight them; if you did,
then it'll take care of them for you, which is definitely worthwhile.  When
they're gone, head up the steps.  A stone in the northwest corner will start
glowing when you approach.  Examine it, and out pops Dianoas' spirit!  After a
moving speech he'll disappear again, and you'll pick up the stone.  Take it
back to Frammel.

And everyone's happy again.  You'll return to Shanoah.  Go to the temple and
listen to Darme's sermon, and you'll finally receive your exp.


2.6 KING OF HELL (Naraku no Ou)

Go to the inn and talk.  Basconar will introduce himself and offer you a quest.
You, being obviously the intrepid type, will accept.  (Don't worry about
refusing if you've forgotten anything - he'll still be there.)  As usual, leave
Shanoah and head for your destination - this time it's Mount Drake.

Head left across the parched rock.  Follow the ominous shadow, and enter the
mine.  Follow the tunnel.  Take the little detour and search the sack, then
continue south and emerge blinking into the daylight again.  Follow the ledge;
you don't need to wait long to learn more about that shadow.

After the fight, head down the ladder and east, where you'll find that save
point you saw earlier and a large hole.  Climb down into it; you won't get far,
but you need to do so anyway.  To the left of the pit is a pile of rocks, which
you also want to examine.  Now head back up that ladder and enter the mine over
at the far left.  The map-room you saw earlier is off to the right.  Go and
search the bag in there to find an rock with strange characters carved into it.
Take it, then grab the pickaxe.  That's all there is here, so backtrack to the
entrance to this part of the cave.  Nip outside and break the pickaxe on the
pile of rocks, then return and take the northwest passage.  Near the top of
this screen there's a dead-end passage to your left, and beyond it a small room
apparently blocked in.  If you search the north wall of the dead-end you can
open a secret door into that room; there's a skeleton inside which you can
examine (you'll find, but leave, an eyepatch).  You'll be coming back later,
but that's all for now.  In the same area, south of this small room, there's
another pick lying on the floor; you want to grab it.

Head north again.  There's a save point. If you check the sacks in this room
you may find a Red Crystal.  Anyway, head into the next room, where lurk a
woman and another of those Gargbat things.  I'm sure you can guess what this is
leading to.  Go on, kill it.

Now examine the bag below the table for a rope ladder, read the letter on the
table if you want, examine the shovel up north, then head back outside and down
the first ladder.  Try the rocks again with your second pick, and you'll find
some more crystals.  Climb down into the hole, using your ladder to extend the
existing one when you need to.  Head east, then follow the chibi which appears
and head north.

There'll be a short conversation.  After it, go to the small patch of mushrooms
to the west and eat one to raise your lead character's intelligence.  (If you
repeat the act, it'll have no effect, and then the third time you'll be
poisoned, so don't be greedy.)  Then continue to the north.

You'll find Vitus, Basconar's missing friend.  If you leave after the speech he
initiates, you can end the scenario for a smaller reward, but as usual it's
worth staying the course. Chat with him for a while, then talk twice to the
chibi that's looking at rocks to his left: he'll decipher the stone you found
earlier for you.  When you go back south, there's another Gargbat to fight.
Keep going, and you'll run into an old friend.

She's less than delighted at this reunion, however, and will summon yet more
Gargbats for you to play with.  This time you'll fight three at once.  It gets
worse; once you defeat these, she'll summon a Heat Garg.  This beastie can cast
Flare Storm three times, which might give you rather a headache, so keep your
HP up.  Icefall is very effective, as you might guess.

You'll need the Jump skill for this next part, so skip to the final paragraph
if you don't have it.  After the Confrontation, return to the eyepatched
skeleton.  Examine it again, and the rock under its head, then go north to
collect the shovel.  Now, the question remains where to dig.  You can try the
rock by the skeleton, but there's nothing under it.  Instead, go back to the
map room.  If you look at the map (with your eyes, that is - examining it has
no effect), it's actually a map of those islands you can jump between down at
the bottom of the mine.  If you head down there, and try digging at the spot
that's circled on the map (it's the middle one of the three largest stones on
the largest island), you'll find a Damascus Sword.

Now all that remains is to talk to Vitus some more and then leave.  Antoniana
will drop by as you approach the exit.  When you get back to Shanoah, go back
to the inn and talk to Basconar.  If you want to know more about Nealertos,
he'll give you another opinion, but whatever you reply, you've completed the
scenario.


2.7 THE SEARCH (Sousaku)

Go to the shop in Shanoah and talk.  A girl (Eris) will appear and notice your
pendant (the Teardrop).  Here's a diagram of the conversation:

                Eris mentions the pendant.
                   Tell her about it?
                        /       \
                       /        NO
                     YES          \
                      |     Tell her where
                      |      you found it?
                      |      /           \
                      |    YES           NO
                      |    /               \
               Give it to her?      She leaves sadly;
                 /         \       Scenario cancelled.
               YES         NO
               /             \
           20 gold,       Teardrop,
         good ending    worse ending
                \           /
               Scenario begins.

Obviously you want to end up on the left.  Make sure you give her the pendant
if you want the better ending!

Check around inside Lambar's hut; there's nothing there, of course, but you
really do need to examine everything to proceed.  Now head north.  Remember the
right-hand path, which was blocked back in "Death-Creature"?  This time you can
jump over the blockade, and, if you head north, you can almost be drowned.
Fortunately a chap called Rokifel (Meryl's brother) will show up just in time.
Now head back round to the cave and go in.  Head up to the hole where you found
the Teardrop.  You may have to fight some Bloodsuckers on the way.  As you
approach you should hear a terrible scream; if you don't, go round looking at
things and coming back here until you do.  Go and find out who it was: Eris,
who is lying below the hole.  Talk to her.  You'll leave her in the bed in the
hut; now go back to the marsh where you met Rokifel.  Guess who's waiting?

The Death-Creature will run away, however, and you can't follow it over the
poisonous water.  So return to the hut; Eris is no longer alone.  Fortunately
the other occupant of the hut is McStarr, a knight from Reynard Castle.  He'll
ask whether you'll accompany him.  If you choose to, he'll join your party.
(There's no reason not to, since you can't proceed without him.)

Now show him the marsh, then the hole.  Return to the hut for a ladder.  You'll
find Eris missing instead.  Examine her bed, then hurry to the marsh.  When you
regain control, with Eris 'safely' back in the town, head back to the hole in
the cave.  Use the ladder to climb up to it.

Now, in this room there's a door and some complex machinery.  You might be
forgiven for thinking that you need to use the one to open the other.  You'd
also be wrong.  In fact, they control the marsh.  Leave the right-hand room
alone.  Examine the valve in the left-hand room, then turn it; the tank should
ring when you strike it.  That drains the marsh, so head back there and enter
the room this reveals.

Climb the stairs.  Turn the handle to fill the pool, then swim round to the
other tank and turn the handle on this one too.  Finally, swim back to the
right hand side and empty the pool again.  Now return to the tank in the cave
and turn the left-hand valve again (the tank should go 'thud' when you strike
it).  Now when you return to the marsh the water will be clean, and you can
swim across to where the Death-Creature disappeared earlier.  Examine the grass
at the north end of the bank to reveal another hole, and crawl in.

Have a look around inside.  Examine the crystal ball twice, then the books
three times, then walk down to the slightly raised panel in the floor north of
the entrance.  Examine it three times to open it and pull the handle; this will
open that door back in the cave.

Through this door you'll arrive at a fork in a beautifully decorated passage.
The right-hand branch leads to a locked door, so head left, up the stairs, and
through the doorway at the top.  Of course you'll have to deal with those suits
of armour first; they're actually Undead Knights.

When you regain control, pull the lever to your right, then head back down to
the fork, up the right path, and through the now-open door.  Ignore Kane and
Eris, and head back after the sorceror and the Death-Creature.  There'll be a
short scene, and then you'll face the sorceror in a new form: the Vampire.

This is "Vampire (1)" in the monster list.  As you can see he's barely tougher
than those Undead Knights you polished off earlier, so don't let the change in
music bother you.  Oh, and don't bother using magic on him; I haven't found any
that hurts him yet.  Just get in close and hit him until he dies.

Now head back south to end the scenario.  If you got the better ending (2400
exp), you can talk to McStarr in Centoria Park for a postscript.

If you enter the Sealed Cave after this scenario and check the list of names
by the save point, you'll notice that one has been added: Rokifel's.


2.8 SORCEROR'S DAUGHTER (Youjutsui no Musume)

Talk to the girl at the guild and give a positive response.  Now leave Shanoah
and head for Dr. Heifer's house.

Knock on the front door.  Talia will invite you in.  Talk to her again and
she'll show you round.  Eventually you'll regain control in a bedroom.  Talk to
Cycas, then leave the room.

You can leave Heifer's house now if you want, and return to the guild; you'll
get some gold and exp for your troubles.  There's more to do here, though, and
you get less of both if you leave now.  So don't; instead, go down to the lab
again.  Examine the machine in the centre of the room, looking particularly at
the gear on its bottom left.  There's a handle on the second shelf from the
left behind it.  Use the handle with the gear, then turn it twice to reveal a
staircase.  Cycas will rush in; ignore him and go downstairs.  Enter the room
at the bottom.  Check the crates in the corner for a chance to get some
Revivals.  Now take the door in the back wall - there's a fairly easy-to-miss
switch in the wall to the right of it that'll open it.

Inside, there's another switch which opens the gate to the right; go through.
Look into the cells; when you've checked the rightmost one Cycas will come
through.  Eventually he'll ask you whether you know of Nealertos; I hope you'll
answer truthfully, although it doesn't matter in the slightest.  In any case
he'll be lost in thought again, so leave him to it and head back up to the lab.
Kill the Fang Gel; go upstairs and fight the Shadow Dueller.  He's nasty; his
Magic Surge attack can really hurt, and he can sometimes heal as fast as you
hit him; worse, you can't hurt him with magic.  When you've killed him, follow
Cycas.

Go upstairs, and through the left-hand door into Heifer's room; examine the
bookshelves to find his keys.  Now you can explore a bit further: there's a
letter to Cycas in the other room up here, Talia's, and you can put two of the
Chemicaloids in the basement out of their misery and talk to the third.  So do
all that.  When you return, Heifer will be dead.  Talk to Cycas.

Back in Shanoah, return to the Guild for your reward.


2.9 LEFIA REUNION (Refia Saikai)

Talk to Meryl in the park and give the usual positive answer.  Now leave
Shanoah Town and select ?? as usual.

Try the gate.  It won't open, so examine the wall, then try the stone instead.
Meryl will arrive and open the gate for you; then she'll join your party.  Head
up the path and enter the mansion.

Try the door to the right of the stairs.  It's locked.  You can use the Unlock
skill to get through if you have it, otherwise there's a key: go through the
door to the left of the stairs.  There's a save point in here, and another
door; take this one as well.  Examine the sacks a few times until you find a
key.  Now you can just unlock that door.  There's nothing much through there
but a bathroom, but you're coming back.  Take the stairs up when you've
finished searching the ground floor.

Examine the statue twice.  Now, there are four doors here, each with another
statue behind it.  You need to examine them in the right order; which obviously
you don't know.  So head back downstairs and through the left-hand door.  Check
the bookshelves until you read a passage aloud; then go into the kitchen (where
you found the key) and examine the large pot.  Now examine the mess on the
floor, and lift the floorboard to reveal a ladder.  Do I have to tell you what
to do next?

Start checking the wine racks.  When Meryl leaves, try to follow her.  You'll
be attacked by a pair of Hell Worms.  Kill them, then leave.  You'll find Meryl
hors de combat on the sofa.  Talk to her; you won't get any sense out of her,
though.  Examine her bottle four times.  You can't find the vintage on the
label, but you can see that the motif on it is the Earth spirit. Now talk to
Meryl again; she's slightly more coherent, enough so to be able to demand
water.  So go back to the pot she pulled over, and examine the bucket beside
it; then round to the rooms on the other side of the stairs, and grab the
silver bowl by the sink in the bathroom.  Take it back round to that bucket,
fill it, and offer it to Meryl.  She'll tell you the vintage of her bottle.
Before you proceed, pop back and refill the bowl, then head round to the sink
above and to the left of the one you got it from.  Check it, and answer in the
negative, then check it again.  Then go and put the bowl back down where you
found it.  This saves some time later on.

Why did you want to know the vintage?  Well, if you head back down into the
cellar and examine the other bottles, you'll learn that the vintages are these:

                           984   Water
                           986   Fire
                           988   Fire
                           990   Wind
                           991   Water
                           993   Wind
                           995   Earth

As you might guess, this is the order in which you need to examine the statues.
To which you need to add Meryl's bottle (Earth spirit, and the year Meryl told
you).  So you can go back and examine the statues (from the left, they're
Earth, Water, Wind, and finally Fire) in the order of the vintages.  Then check
the statue on the landing twice; it should sink into the ground, allowing you
to pass.

You may be wondering whether I could just have told you the order in the first
place?  Well, yes, I could, and you could have gone straight through.  But you
need the silver bowl to proceed, and you can't get it unless you go through the
proper procedure.  Besides, don't you agree that it's nice to know WHY such and
such a combination is the answer to a puzzle?

Follow the passage round to the stairs, and enter the room at the bottom.  Head
over to the right and talk to the girl.  You can see a passage to the right of
this room; there's a way through hidden directly below the girl's bed.  Off
this passage are two doors; open the upper one and enter.  After Meryl leaves
with Lefia, go back to the main room.  Try the door at the top; Meryl will
return and let you through it.

Time to fight another Vampire - this one is #2 in the table.  As you can see,
it uses a LOT of magic; the advantage of that is that its more powerful spells
will drain its MP fast, so if you can hang on for a while it'll lose the
ability to heal.  If you have trouble defeating it you might like to try ranged
weapons, since that way you'll be able to keep your party separated, and its
area spells won't hit everyone.  Killing it will complete the scenario.

From now on you can talk to Lefia at the inn (you'll be able to choose between
Chris and her).  If you go there now and talk to her, you'll receive the Golden
Heart, which you'll need if you want to complete the Sealed Cave/Sealed
Labyrinth quest.


2.10 TEMPLE OF THE WIZARD (Majin no Shinden)

Get this scenario at the Guild, and head for Mount Molor.  Enter the house.
There's plenty to look at in here - the stuff inside the wardrobe, the jewellery
box on the table, and so on.  The minimal path, however, is this: go through
the door at the back, then through the middle door, and examine the picture on
the wall; then back to the front room, and examine the box beside the stove
twice; then back to the back room, through the right-hand door, and examine the
alcove twice to open a tunnel into the depths of the mountain.  This is a point
of no return, so make sure you're kitted out and healed up before you go any
further.

When you're ready, enter the tunnel.  Head to the left and defeat the Shadow
Dueller.  Climb down the ladder and examine the sparkle for an Aqua Stone, then
head north.  If you have the Jump skill you can hop over to the sparkle on the
left, which is a Chrome Staff.  Keep going, enter the temple, and continue
north.  When you reach the door, you can choose either to burst in or hang back.
If you choose to burst in, you'll meet Nealertos and fight a number of Demi-
Ilyasters; if you wait, you can avoid the fight.  Either way, you'll reach a
save point; if you take the passageway to the right down you'll reach an orb
which will restore your HP.

You want this right-hand passageway anyway, but you want to enter it and go up,
up the stairs.  Head up and right, and Antoniana will appear and join your
party.  Now head back down past the HP orb and follow the passage round and up
the other side.  On the way you'll pass two tables with stone tablets on them.
These have spells inscribed on them which increase your Agility and Defence,
but I haven't worked out how to read them yet.

After you've defeated Vernon, enter the laboratory.  When you regain control,
head back south to the table with the knife on it and examine it twice to grab
the knife.  Take it back to Antoniana.  Next you need to fetch Cycas (he's in
bed in the room where you met Antoniana earlier).  When that's done, head back
to the save point.

This time take the door to the north.  When the path splits, if you take the
left door, you'll reach an orb which'll restore your MP; when you've done that
(if you need to), follow the right path.

When you reenter the temple, what you need to do is take the middle passage and
follow it round, then exit to the left, whereupon Antoniana will rejoin you.
Head on in.  You'll have to kill two Heat Gargs; that's no problem.  The
_problem_ is that Antoniana won't be helping you in your next battle, which
begins in a few seconds - against Nealertos.

This can be nasty if you're not careful.  If your characters are weak, devote
one of them to healing, and keep them away from him to spread the damage a bit.
Nealertos is unpleasant, but not impossible; as usual he'll run out of MP
before too long.

(In theory, the Ashura is found on his body.  In practice it isn't.  I don't
know if there's any way to get it.)

Try to pick up the book, then talk to Antoniana and leave the temple; return
to the Guild for your reward.


2.11 DUNGEON MODE

Not precisely a scenario per se, you're supposed to visit the Sealed Cave and
Sealed Labyrinth to level up and gather equipment between scenarios proper.
However, there is another point to coming here, so it deserves a section in the
walkthrough.  In particular, you want to have done everything here before you
begin "All Things".

The seal at the door is initially non-functional.  As you complete certain
scenarios, the crystals will be restored, and after "Temple of the Wizard" it
should be operational again, which will prevent you from entering the cave.
You can only get in after that if you have the Golden Heart from Lefia, which
will open the door.

You can find a complete map of the dungeon in section 5.  Note that there's only
one save point, which is right at the beginning, so don't go in over your head.
As you level up, you'll stop meeting enemies in the lower levels, so trekking
back here to save is more inconvenient than dangerous.  The "restore lute" skill
is invaluable when exploring this dungeon; it's a lot cheaper than carrying vast
quantities of potions, and you want to save your MP for use in combat.

The contents of treasure chests appears to be somewhat random.  According to
some people the more powerful items only appear after the seal has been
restored, but I've been unable to verify that myself.  However, it's possible to
change your luck with the good old "reset and try again if you get the wrong
item" trick.  Note that the random seed is saved, so if you simply reset the
game and try again you'll get the same item every time.  The trick here is the
"shuffle luck" command (fourth option on the bottom tab of the main menu), which
appears to reseed the random number generator.  If you push that a few times
each time you reload, eventually you should get a different item.  According to
a comment by Yuo-san on Okada's page, there are two options for each chest.

There's one point in particular where my maps may prove difficult to follow.
There are two paths between the third and fourth floors of the Labyrinth, and
the fourth floor is divided into two areas which do not connect.  What you need
to to is to head to the fourth floor, follow the path to "Switch 2", and
activate it.  This opens the door to "Switch 1" on the third floor, so go and
activate that; then return to "Switch 2" and turn it off again.  Now you can
pass through the other keyhole-less door on the third floor and reach the other
areas of the fourth floor, which will take you through to the deeper levels.

Anyway, follow the maps until you reach the final room of the deepest level
(marked '@' on the map).  This is the throne room of Amugnon Castle, and King
Daruk's corpse is still here.  Examine it.  If you have the Golden Heart,
you'll "receive King Daruk's heart", and then you'll be teleported to the
entrance, and the door will be locked again - permanently, so far as I can
tell.

Now, it should be possible to fight Daruk Golem somewhere in this area, somehow,
but I don't know how to trigger that event. If anyone does, please let me know.


2.12 ALL THINGS (Subete wa...)

Make sure you've done everything else you want to, then talk to King Reynard.
He'll give you your final quest.  When you leave the castle the town will be
mostly deserted; you can still change your party at the Lackdack, and you may
still be able to use the arms shop (Gregor will leave if you talk to him, so
don't).

Head to the Holy Sophia Temple.  Climb down the well under the cliff, and then
go round and enter the temple.

The final battle against King Daruk begins.  He has two physical attacks: one
will hit your whole party anywhere on the screen for a significant amount
of damage.  He also uses magic a lot, particularly Black Rain.  It's not
actually that hard - if you're at a high level, spent lots of money on stat
increases, have the best weapons and armour you can find, and are well
supplied with potions and so on, that is.

This battle is noticably easier if you've completed the Sealed Labyrinth and
collected King Daruk's heart.  It seems to decrease the number of offensive
spells he casts and increase the probability that his attacks will miss
completely, and it may also decrease his defence.


2.13 ENDINGS

I have personally seen four different* endings:

 Defeat 1: lose the final battle;
 Defeat 2: go to Centoria Park after skipping all scenarios;
 Defeat 3: win the final battle without rescuing Lefia;
 Victory 1: win the final battle without fighting Daruk Golem.

I classify the first three together as "defeat" because they all share certain
elements, namely (not to give it away) their use of the grave in Oriona's
field.  ASCII seem to like this sort of ending; compare Wizap!, in which I
have yet to see an ending in which... blast, I shouldn't really give that away
either.

However, there is text in the ROM not displayed in any of these (I know I've
claimed otherwise before, but this time it's true!), which is similar to, but
more positive than, that for the Victory ending.  I deduce that there's a
fifth ending - the "best" - which I haven't yet found.

So far, I don't know of anybody who's completed all scenarios and defeated
Daruk Golem before beginning "All Things".  It's not unlikely that this is
what's required - if I ever manage to find Daruk Golem I'll let you know!

* (In the sense of "not identical", not "world taken over by reptites".)


===============================================================================
3   GAMEPLAY
===============================================================================

3.1 CONTROLS

Apart from the summary of field controls, this section deals with the game's
battle system.

Field:
       Directional pad - movement
       A - examine, talk, select
       B - cancel
       X - menu

Battle:
       Directional pad - movement
       A - action
       B - cancel action or movement
       X - use magic
       Y - use item
       L+R - hide (escape from battle)

3.1.1 Movement:

 Your movement range depends on your AP (in turn based on your Agility).  AP
is displayed in a metre below your active character, and decreases as you move,
but based on your distance from your initial position, rather than the number
of steps you take.  It must be full for you to escape, and you need a fair
amount to remain if you want to use magic or items, and a little if you want
to attack.

3.1.2 Attacking:

 When you press the 'action' button once, your character will freeze.  Press A
again to end your turn, or B to cancel the action.  If you have a target
selected when you end your turn, you'll attack it, otherwise you'll defend.

 If you're using a melee weapon, targets are assigned automatically as you
move, and you can see before you freeze whether you're going to hit anything.
You can use the directional pad to select special attacks if you have the right
skills: hold down a direction while you press the A button to do so.

 Ranged weapons are slightly different.  You don't see targets flash as you
move; instead, targets are only assigned while you're in the attack pose.  You
can turn on the spot to face in any of the four directions while frozen without
using up AP. If your target doesn't start flashing, you can unfreeze and adjust
your position.  Note that when you're aiming horizontally, you'll have to adjust
your vertical position to hit enemies on higher or lower levels, but that
shouldn't be a problem if you check your aim before firing. Also, you can only
hit visible enemies, which can be a problem when shooting vertically. Sometimes
it helps to open the 'items' screen, which centers the display on the character,
before entering the targeting pose; sometimes there'll simply be no way to hit
an enemy, which can be irritating.

3.1.3 Using magic and items:

 After pressing X or Y you'll be presented with a list of available magic or
items.  Select the one you want to use, and press X or Y again to confirm it.
You'll then have to choose a target.  There are five targeting modes.  Items
are (I think) always "single", but spells vary.

 Single: the "hand" cursor indicates the target.  It'll switch between valid
   targets as you press the directional buttons.

 All: absolutely all targets are selected, even if they're not visible.

 Area: the rotating target cursor indicates the centre, and all targets within
   the area will flash.  You can move the cursor freely to find the best area.

 Directional: an arrow at your feet indicates the direction of the spell; as
   with ranged weapons, you can choose any of the four directions, and you'll
   have to adjust your position to take the terrain into account.  As always,
   your target(s) will flash.

 Random: just like it sounds, a target is chosen at random.

 Unlike attacking, you won't defend if you try to use a spell or an item
without a target - you won't be allowed to activate it, so you'll have to find
a target or cancel.


3.2 STATISTICS

Each character has a rating for seven essential attributes and two variable.
The former, described more fully below, are rated from 1 to 25.  Their values
can be changed in several ways: temporarily with magic, permanently by donating
money to the Temple or levelling up, and also by equipping accessories; with
this latter method, you can boost your stats above 25; I think the absolute
maximum is 33.

The variable attributes are HP and MP, representing (as usual) the character's
health and magical power; the absolute maximum value for each is 9999.  Both
can be recovered with items, by making a tiny donation at the Temple, or by
staying at the Inn; HP can also be recovered by resting on save points or with
the Restore Lute skill.  The maximum values for each will increase on levelling
up, or on donating a large sum to the Temple, by an amount determined by the
character's sex, level, and job.

A word needs to be said about these job-related changes.  The amount in each
case is NOT absolute: there's a fair random element involved.  If you save
before levelling up, you can reload and try again if the results aren't to your
satisfaction.  Note that the random seed is only changed when you change
screens (for this purpose, the whole town counts as a single screen), so this
takes patience.  It's a lot more bearable if you use save states on an
emulator.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Accuracy:     "Raises weapon hit rate in battle."
             When your accuracy is low, you'll often only do 1 damage even on
             enemies with low dexterity.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Dexterity:    "Ability to evade enemy attacks"
             Likewise: the higher your dexterity, the greater the chance that
             even accurate enemies will barely scratch you.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Intelligence: "Raises magic power and evasion"
             Note the latter: even non-magic users will benefit from greater
             intelligence.  Besides, frankly, you'll probably want all your
             characters to be able to use healing magic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Skill:        "Ability essential for opening things like locked doors"
             This directly affects the speed at which the numbers change.  You
             only need it high on one character, whom you should put in the
             lead when you want to pick a lock.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Agility:      "Determines movement range and AP in battle"
             This is very useful (it lets you get the first hit in with melee
             weapons), and essential if you want to equip heavy armour and
             still be able to move.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Vitality:     "Determines time taken to recover status and physical strength"
             I think this affects how long status ailments last, and how much
             HP is restored when you rest at a save point or use Restore Lute.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Luck:         "Depending on this value, good things may happen..."
             I've no idea what this does.  It might affect your chances of
             scoring a critical hit, or of finding treasure.  It also seems to
             be necessary for some of the better jobs...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


3.3 ABILITIES

 KEY:
* indicates that only one character needs to learn the skill.
# is the same, but the character must also be in the lead position to use it.
M indicates that a skill is used through the menu: select the "skills" tab of
 the character submenu of the "status" tab, then select the required skill to
 use it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Critical        "Hit rate up"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cross Attack    "Sword skill knowledge level 2"
 Once you have this skill it will kick in randomly when you attack normally
 (i.e. not using Swordmaster or Hit & Way).  A Cross Attack is more powerful
 than any of the Swordmaster attacks, but may not occur as often.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Discount #      "Sometimes buy items at discounted prices."
 You can do this anyway, but the skill may make it easier.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dispel *M       "Release items from ancient curses."
 You can have items released for free at the temple, but this might be of use
 in the middle of the Sealed Labyrinth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hit & Way       "Attack and simultaneously evade."
 To use this skill, hold down the direction opposite to that in which you are
 facing while making a melee attack.  Sometimes you will then jump a long way
 back after striking.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Judgement *M    "Identify unidentified items."
 Much cheaper and more convenient than the shops, but be careful - from time
 to time you'll make mistakes, which can result in your getting cursed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jump *          "You can jump over things to a certain extent."
 There aren't many places where this skill is useful, but they do exist.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Magic Barrier   "Protects against magic damage."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mental Barrier  "Protects against magic status attacks."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Overpower       "Attacks sometimes thrust enemies away."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Restore Lute *M "Play music that restores HP in the middle of dungeons."
 I have a feeling this doesn't work outside the Sealed Cave/Labyrinth, but I
 haven't tested this thoroughly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Scroll          "Memorise spells in order to use magic."
 Required to buy, research, or use magic.  This is probably a priority; attack
 magic isn't very useful, as most of the stronger enemies have high magic
 defense, but healing spells are cheaper than potions.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Shoot           "Hitting the enemy with a projectile weapon becomes easier."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Slash!          "Certain kill sword skill"
 I believe this works the same way as Cross Attack.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Swimming *      "You can cross over streams, lakes, etc."
 I don't know of any places where this skill is useful, although it does have
 an effect.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Swordmaster     "Sword skill knowledge level 1"
 As with Hit & Way, Swordmaster is used by holding down a direction while
 attacking.  Hold forwards to use a horizontal slash that works well with
 swords; hold left to use an overarm smash that works well with blunt weapons;
 hold right to use an underarm swipe that works well against armoured enemies.
 These directions are relative to your character, so if, for example, you are
 facing right, you would press the "up" direction to use the overarm smash.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Trick Guard     "Ability to ward off enemy attacks skillfully."
 I have no idea what that means.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unlock #        "Investigate the shape of the key that opens a door's lock."
 Essential in the Sealed Cave/Labyrinth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I don't yet understand how you learn abilities. They're learnt when you level
up, but rather than being attached to your level they seem to be learnt
according to the number of enemies a character has killed.  There also seems
to be a random element.  The remarks about random elements in the section above
on stat changes probably also apply here.

There are values in the ROM which seem to be related to the learning of
abilities.  More investigation is needed to work out precisely what they mean,
though!  Here are a few examples:

       Traveller: [Scroll]  6
          Hunter: [Shoot]   7 [Jump]         8
           Thief: [Hit&Way] 6
        Guardian: [Shoot]   7 [Swordmaster]  5
            Poet: [Scroll]  7 [Restore Lute] 6

It looks as though, for example, a Traveller will learn 'Scroll' sooner than a
Poet (which surmise has been strengthened, but not proven, by experiment).


3.4 THE TOWN

-- Pub (Lackadack Pub)
This is where you change your party.  This facility is unavailable during some
scenarios.  The process is self-evident: one icon lets you remove members, the
other lets you add them.
Note that you don't have a fixed 'player character' in this game.  You can take
any combination of the characters you create, which need not include your
initial character.

-- Arms (Gregor's Armoury)
-- Shop (Seriss' Item Shop)
The only difference between these two is the range of goods on sale.  You can
buy, sell, or identify items which fall into their range - the armoury
obviously deals with weapons and armour, while the item shop sells the various
medicines (and cloth-based armour).
An interesting feature is the ability to haggle when buying.  If you refuse the
list price, you may be offered the item at a slight discount.  Repeat for even
lower prices.  If you take it too far they'll stop offering the item and you'll
have to start again from the list price.  The likelihood of a discount being
offered is probably increased by the Discount ability.
Finally, you'll note that their ranges are pretty limited at the start of the
game.  You can build them up, though: if you sell them something they don't
have in stock, it'll be added to the list.  Note that you can only do this
with certain items; in general, the more exotic an item, the less likely it is
to be duplicable.  In such cases you can still buy them back if you sell them,
but the entry will then be removed from the list.

-- Park (Centoria Park)
Read the town noticeboard, or chat with anyone who happens to be around.  A
good place to keep up-to-date on the plot.
Also, if you come here when you have less than 5 gold, you can find 5 gold by
selecting the "talk" function - useful if your party was wiped out and you
can't afford to heal at the inn.  Unfortunately it seems that doing this causes
your Luck to decrease by one point each time, which is a Bad Thing.

-- M.Guild (Rosasor Magic Guild)
As you might guess, this is where you learn magic.  Don't bother trying to use
the facilities here until at least one of your characters knows the 'Scroll'
ability.  When that's done, you have two options: you can research spells (see
3.5) or buy them.

-- Inn (Chris' Inn)
Back in the realm of convention, you can rest or save your game here.  Actually
you can save your game anywhere in Shanoah just by going to the main menu, so
that feature is rather redundant, isn't it?  Note that resting here won't heal
status ailments - for that, you'll have to go to the temple.
Also, you'll wake up here whenever your party is annihilated.  The game seems
to pretend in such cases that you were just "having a bad dream"...

-- Castle (Reynard Castle)
You'll find King Reynard here, a good source of background info to the plot.
A king you can just walk in from the streets and chat with - now there's a good
example for that nice Windsor lady, eh?

-- Temple (Saviour Temple)
Even the atheists among you will quickly grow to love this place.  The first
option in here will remove status ailments - and it doesn't cost a penny!  The
second option allows you to make a donation; it's expensive, but well worth the
money:
10 gold: restore HP and MP (don't bother, the inn is cheaper)
40 gold: raise your characters' Luck
70 gold: raise several stats for each character
80 gold: increase your characters' max HP
80 gold: increase your characters' max MP

-- Guild (Tacs' Guild)
This is where you go to change jobs.  If you don't read kanji, you could try
the visual conversion chart available from my site.


3.5 RESEARCHING SPELLS

When you have the "Scroll" ability, go to the Magic Guild and select the first
option.  This is the centre of the game's magic system; unless you master
research, you're stuck with the basic four spells, and you'll have to pay a
fortune for them.  (For example, if you buy Wind Cutter, it'll set you back
160 gold.  If you research it, it costs just 12 gold, and the buying price will
drop to 112!)

You're presented with a grid of 18 stones (initially 15 - see below), and you
can create a formula of up to five glyphs (you can use the same one more than
once).  When you've done so, select "OK", and Kofu will research the spell
which they represent.  Here, for reference, is the grid:

                     Glyph name                      | Price, glyph class
------------------------------------------------------+------------------------
Earth         Water         Fire            Wind      | 2: genso (elemental)
Liquefaction  Vaporisation  Solidification  Division  | 4: jotai (phase change)
Sword         Armour        Shield          Feather   | 6: baitai (medium)
Horn          Blood         Bone            Flesh     | 6: baitai
Thunder       Heaven                                  |10: kaosu (chaos)

The fee for the research is based on the glyphs you use. It's done by the row
they appear in (see numbers).  Just add up the values for each glyph.  Of
course, you can just try it, and he'll tell you what the price will be, but
I thought you might like to know how it works...

I mentioned above that there are initially only 15 stones to choose from.  The
other three are missing, but if you find them and bring them back to the guild
Kofu will put them in the grid.  Here's where to find them.

 Medium: Shield - Masaki Head (during "Ed and Karon")
 Chaos: Thunder - Toras Forest (during "Death-Creature" only)
 Chaos: Heaven - Sealed Cave (see 5.1 2F, note)

There's one other thing.  You're probably thinking, "Great! But what formulae
do I use?"  That's where the spell list (4.6) becomes rather useful.  Thanks to
the complete decipherment of the "strange poems", plus a considerable amount of
trial and error (mostly by others), the formulae for all but three spells are
now known.  You too can be a deadly warrior-mage... for a price, of course.


===============================================================================
4   TABLES
===============================================================================

These data were in most cases simply extracted from the ROM, rather than pieced
together through observation.  In other words, where they're right, they're
absolutely right; if I've misidentified the ROM data, however, they could be
completely wrong.  See below for exceptions.

4.1 MONSTERS

'Spoils' are items received upon searching an enemy's corpse.  In most (all?)
cases you can only do this if you defeated the enemy in Dungeon Mode, and it's
random whether you receive the spoils or not.

The 'status' data is only quoted where I'm sure of it.  The data is, of course,
in the ROM, but there are a lot of values for the relevant byte which seem
unconnected.  I'll figure it out when I have time, but until then bear in
mind that a blank space doesn't necessarily mean that an enemy _won't_ poison
you or whatever.

The 'Notes' column is even worse.  Basically it contains bits of information
derived from observation, which I'm trying to identify in the ROM.  Currently
among other things it includes the spells I've seen a monster cast, the
elements it's immune to, and the type of attack it uses.  None of this is
complete or consistent, and neither the presence or absence of a note on any
subject should be read as a definite statement of fact.

Neither the status data nor the various notes are priorities for me, since they
have no relevance to the translation project and aren't likely to be of the
slightest interest to most readers of this FAQ.  The likelihood of my ever
bothering to decode the monster table completely is fairly slim.

No value for experience is given.  This is because exp seems to be an attribute
of groups of monsters, not of the monsters themselves.  For example, a group
of five Slimes gives you 100 exp and one of three Oak Jellies gives you 90 exp.
Based on that, you might think that one of four Slimes and one Oak Jelly would
give you 110 exp (do the maths!) - but it actually gives you 200.

 NAME             HP     MP    SPOILS       STATUS  NOTES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Acid Gel           88           --
Black Head         90           Antidote
Black Widow        64           Potion       Numb
Bloodpicker       110           Antidote     Poison
Bloodsucker       120           Panacea      Numb
Blue Murder       206    100    Potion
Cave Bat           18           --
Centipede          70           Antidote
Chemicaloid       158           --
Cult Murder       106           Potion
Dark Matter        60           --           Numb
Daruk Golem       666    500    Destroyer*
Demi-Ilyaster     160    200    Silk Robe            Uses EH/HL/FA/Pr
Death Parrot      170     48    Bone Ring
Eleanor Zombie     90    130    --                   Uses EH/WS
Fang Gel          137           Antidote
Gargbat           108           Potion       Numb    Immune: K?
Grassjack          40           Antidote     Poison
Heat Garg         118    100    Antidote     Numb    Uses FSt
Hell Bandit       120           (Gold)               Immune: T
Hell Worm         110           --
Iron Golem        380    120    Red Crystal
Killer Crow        95           --
Killer Tusk       232           (Gold)
King Daruk        999    999    --                   Lasciate ogni speranza.
Knight Idol       165           Blue Crystal
Living Armour     258    186    Red Crystal
Mad Dog           155           Potion
Magifox           188    280    Blue Crystal
Manhunter         190     40    (Gold)
Manhunter 2       280     60    (Gold)
Master Ninja      200    290    Murasame Bl.
Mi-Yahgi          200    186    --                   Uses Pr/EH; short ranged
Mouse Eater        25           --
Nealertos         444    444    Ashura*              Uses Pr; ranged
Ninja             190    230    Hinomoto Bl.         Uses WS
Oak Jelly          20           --           Poison
Poison Corpse     111           Blue Crystal Poison  Immune: M/K/T.
Shadow Dueller    185    230    Crystal Ring         ImnA;EH/BR/WS/(IF/FF);Rng.
Slime              14           --
Stone Golem       250           Blue Crystal
Toras Viper        20           --
Undead Knight     210           Panacea
Undead Wolf        70           Antidote     Poison
Vampire (1)       210    150    Talisman             Uses EH/BR
Vampire (2)       275    200    Talisman             Uses EH/BR/FB/FA/WS/Pr
Werewolf          160           --           Numb
Water Worm         85           Potion
Zombie             70           (Gold)       Poison  Immune: M/K/T

* I'm not aware that anyone's ever actually found either of these!


4.2 WEAPONS

The list is sorted by type first, then attack power.  There are few enough that
the loss of alphabetical order should cause little inconvenience.

 NAME           PRICE   ATK      TYPE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Dagger              8     6       Knife
Silver Dagger      20     6       Knife
Holy Knife         14     8       Knife
Short Sword        24     10      Short Sword
Short Sword +      34     12      Short Sword
Damascus Sword     50     18      Short Sword
Ashura            666     39      Short Sword   *1
Long Sword         40     16      Sword
Long Sword +       56     22      Sword
Bastard Sword      62     24      Sword
Great Sword        84     26      Sword
Moon Blade         55     16      Katana
Hinomoto Blade     70     24      Katana        *2
Murasame Blade    120     30      Katana        *3
Hand Axe           20      6      Axe
Battle Axe         44     12      Axe
Great Axe          68     18      Axe
Destroyer         999     36      Axe
Slingshot          15      4      Bow
Small Bow          20      8      Bow
Longbow            40     12      Bow
Crossbow           68     16      Bow
Arbalest          105     23      Bow           *4
Light Mace         40     10      Mace
Heavy Mace         46     12      Mace
Flail              60     16      Mace
Warhammer          90     16      Mace
Morningstar        58     18      Mace
Ebony Staff        10      4      Staff
Bone Staff         30      6      Staff
Chrome Staff       34      8      Staff
Iron Staff         26     10      Staff

1: In Bhuddist mythology, 'ashura' (Skt. 'asura') signifies the fourth 'path of
  being', above animals but below humans - the "warlike demons".
  The translation of the name should explain why it is given to weapons.
2: 'Hi no moto' (origin of the sun) is one of the Japanese names for Japan.
3: 'Murasame' is the name of a famous swordsmith.  See the relevant question in
  section 6 for the legend - it's too long to go in a note.
4: An arbalest was a large mechanical bow used in medieval sieges (in Europe).


4.3 ARMOUR

NAME             PRICE    DEF  WEIGHT    TYPE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Leather Suit        8      1      0      Under-armour
Chain Suit         14      2      0      Under-armour
Cotton Robe         6      1      0      Armour
Silk Robe          20      2      0      Armour      *1
Leather Armour     30      2      0      Armour
Ringmail           38      3      1      Armour
Scale Mail         50      4      1      Armour
Chainmail          58      5      2      Armour
Brigandine         72      6      2      Plate
Breast Mail        80      7      2      Plate
Plate Mail         96      8      3      Plate
Hinomoto Plate    105      9      3      Plate       *2
Silver Plate      120      8      3      Plate
Knight's Mail     110     10      2      Plate
Silver Robe       100      6      0      Armour
Black Mail         95     11      4      Plate
Leather Shield     16      1      0      Shield
Buckler            30      2      0      Shield
Small Shield       50      3      1      Shield
Large Shield       70      4      1      Shield
Tower Shield       85      6      2      Shield+
Knight's Shield    94      7      2      Shield+
Veil Shield       100      8      3      Shield+     *3

1: This is obviously a better buy than Leather Armour. That's why checking the
  shop as well as the armoury is a good idea!
2: See 4.2 note 2.  I imagine this is that distinctive 'samurai armour'.
3: "Makes the bearer invisible".  Sounds nice, ne?


4.4 ITEMS

 NAME           PRICE     TYPE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Potion              8      Medicine
Antidote            8      Medicine
Panacea            15      Medicine
Revival            70      Medicine
Tranquiliser       20      Medicine
Blue Crystal       10      Gem
Red Crystal        20      Gem
Ebony Ring         22      Accessory
Bone Ring          30      Accessory        Skl +1
Silver Ring        80      Accessory
Crystal Ring       96      Accessory        Skl +1
Talisman           34      Accessory
Rabbit Leg         40      Accessory        Agl +1
Aqua Stone         20      Accessory        Def +1
Golden Heart       10      Accessory
Teardrop            5      Accessory        Def +1
M-stone             1      Special (see the "Magic Guild" entry of 3.4)


4.5 JOBS

Only certain jobs are available for any character at a given time.  The
availability seems to be based on the character's stats, the abilities they
know, and their level.

Jobs affect what you can equip, which abilities you will learn, how your stats
change, and how much money you receive when you level up.

NOTE: abilities are listed in numerical order (as given in the ROM), not in the
order in which they're learnt.

'?' in the Income column indicates a random element.  The value of this is
(obviously) random, but apparently it's tied to your character's level - your
earnings increase as you level up.  Gray Brangwin reports earning 350 gold as a
thief at around level 20.  I dread to think what they earn at level 99...


JOB TITLE       INCOME      ABILITIES LEARNT
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Traveller          0        Scroll
Hunter          11+?        Shoot, Jump
Thief            ?+?        Hit & Way
Farmer            20        --
Merchant        15+?        Judgement, Discount
Fisherman       11+?        Swimming
Craftsman         22        Unlock
Guardsman         20        Shoot, Swordmaster
Poet              20        Scroll, Restore Lute
Clown             19        Scroll, Discount
Monk              32        Scroll, Dispel
Cleric            26        Dispel, Restore Lute
Scholar           28        Scroll, Judgement
Magician          28        Trick Guard
Official          34        Judgement, Mental Barrier
Soldier           35        Swordmaster
Warrior           38        Swordmaster, Hit & Way
Bishop            45        Magic Barrier, Restore Lute
Sorceror          43        Magic Barrier
Knight            45        Cross Attack
Samurai           43        Scroll, Trick Guard
Ninja             46        Critical
High priest       48        Mental Barrier
Sage              53        Mental Barrier, Slash!
Ruler            100        Critical, Overpower
Wizard            60        Magic Barrier, Overpower
Crusader          77        Critical, Slash!


4.6 MAGIC

"Cost" is the cost to research a spell.  After researching it, it can usually
be purchased for "cost" plus 100 gold; see "buy:" notes for the exceptions.

"Type" gives the targetting type for a spell, in the format target-type:
TARGETS - "e" enemies, "f" friends, "a" anything in range.
TYPES - "s" single, "d" directional, "r" area, "!" random, "a" all.

Name           Type   MP   Formula                           Cost
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Acid Rain       e-r   20   water divide armour                12
Air Shield      f-s   16   flesh armour wind                  14
Black Rain      e-a   14
Cure Poison     f-s    7   flesh divide water                 12 (buy: 100)
Earth Heal      f-s    8   bone divide earth                  12 (buy: 100)
Errth Heal      a-s    6   earth divide bone #                12 [notes 1, 2]
                          OR bone divide fire *              12
Fireball        e-d   10   fire solidify feather              12 (buy: 160>112)
Flame Arrow     e-d   14   fire solidify bone                 12
Flame Fang      e-d   25   fire wind solidify sword           14
Flame Sword     f-s   27   sword divide fire *                12
Flare Storm     e-r   30   fire wind fire vaporise flesh      16
Heat Lava       e-r   44   earth fire earth liquify horn      16
Heaven Breeze   a-s   30   heaven *                           10
Icefall         e-r   45   water earth water solidify blood   16
Landquake       e-a   56   earth earth water divide shield    16
Mud Spider      e-r   14   earth fire divide horn             14
Physical Rain   f-a   30   bone liquify water earth           16
Phisical Rain   a-a   25   blood liquify water #              12 [note 3]
Plasma Bomb     e-r   46   wind fire wind vaporise sword      16
Plasma Bomb?    a-r   32   earth wind earth wind earth *      10
Prominence      e-r   58   fire fire water liquify horn       16
Prominence?     a-r   50   fire fire fire fire fire *         10
Sandstorm       e-s   58
Sandstorm?      a-!   50
Sleep Mist      e-r   28   water earth vaporise blood         14
Sleep Mist?     a-r   20   water liquify blood #              12
Stone Squall    e-r   36   earth water solidify sword         14
Thunderbolt     e-s   50   water wind earth divide shield     16
                          OR thunder *                       10
Wind Cutter     e-d   10   wind solidify feather              12 (buy: 160>112)
Wolfstorm       e-r   32   wind earth wind vaporise flesh     16

*: formulae provided by Gray Brangwin
#: formulae taken from Okada's list
1: Jap. "Mars Heal" (in katakana "maasu" [Mars] resembles "aasu" [Earth]).
2: This spell may either hurt or heal its target.
3: Jap. "Phasical Rain" (in katakana, "fa" slightly resembles "fi").

In some cases, there may be more than one formula for a spell.  The result is
the same whichever you choose.  The only case in which this makes much
difference is with Thunderbolt, where one formula is somewhat cheaper.

(N.B. There are also duplicates of Cure Poison and Earth Heal in the ROM with
different MP costs (12 and 2 respectively), which don't seem to be accessible
to the player.  Either they're used by monsters, or they're "ghost" entries; I
don't know which.)


===============================================================================
5   MAPS
===============================================================================

Hurray for ASCII art!  Make sure you're using a fixed-width font.

5.1 SEALED CAVE

Key:    O = Save point
       T = Treasure chest
       Numbers indicate floor changes.
       Lower case letters indicate locks; codes are given in the left margin.

1F:                                _2_
                                 |   |
                                 | O |
                                 |   |
                                  ¯|¯
                                   V
                              To Shanoah

2F:                          ___   ___   ___   _3_
                           /   \ /   \_/   \ /   \
                          |  T* |     _     |     |
                           \   / \   / \   / \   /
                           /   \_/   \ /   \_/   \
(code: 15)                 |     a     |     _     |
                           \   /¯\___/ \   / \   /
                           /   \ /   \_/   \ /   \
                          |     |     _     |     |
(code: 73)                  \_b_/ \   / \___/ \   /
                           /   \ /   \ /   \_/   \
(code: 26)                 |  T  |     |  T  c     |
                           \___/ \_ _/ \___/¯\___/
                                   1

* It's quite likely the chest in here will be empty, but you'll see a blue
sparkle when you open it.  Check that area for the Chaos Magic Stone 'Heaven'.

3F:                          ___   ___   ___   ___
                           /   \ /   \ /   \_/   \
                          |  T  |  T  |     _     |
(codes: 695, 151)           \_a_/ \_b_/ \   / \___/
                           /   \_/   \ /   \_/   \
(code: 68)                 |     _     |     c     |
(code: 13)                  \_d_/ \   / \   /¯\   /
                           /   \ /   \_/   \ /   \
                          |     |     _     |     |
                           \   / \___/ \___/ \   /
                           /   \_/   \ /   \_/   \
(code: 27)                 |     _     |  T  e     |
                           \___/ \_ _/ \___/¯\_ _/
                                   4           2
4F:
                            ___   ___   ___   _3_
                           /   \ /   \_/   \ /   \
                          |  T  |     _     |     |
                           \   / \   / \   / \   /
                           /   \_/   \ /   \_/   \
(code: 127)                |     a     |     _     |
(code: 328)                 \   /¯\   / \_b_/ \___/
                           /   \ /   \ /   \_/   \
                          |     |     |     _     |
(code: 648)                 \_c_/ \   / \___/ \   /
                           /   \_/   \ /   \_/   \
(codes: 445, 212)          |     d  T  |  T  e     |
                           \_ _/¯\___/ \___/¯\___/
                             |
                             V
                 to Sealed Labyrinth 1F


5.2 SEALED LABYRINTH

The Sealed Cave is pretty straightforward: just follow the map.  The Labyrinth,
as a brief glance at the maps below will show, is far more complex.  I'm afraid
the maps aren't very easy to read - limitations of ASCII - so I might be
persuaded to do graphical versions, or even a Sealed Labyrinth walkthrough, if
people have trouble following them.  It should however be possible to complete
the Labyrinth with just these maps.  It's certainly possible to complete it
without them!

Key as for Sealed Cave, plus:
       B: 'breeze' message (indicates a hidden passage)
       K: a chest containing a scenario item.  See right margin for details.
       L: a special door.  See right margin for how to open it.
       P: plate (inscribed with a 'strange poem')
       S#: a switch.
       @: see section 2.11 for details...

                                   to Sealed Cave 4F
1F:                         ___ _2_ _^_ ___
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 4916                 |   a P | P | T |
Codes: 2123, 32            |_b_|___|_ _|_c_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 127                  | T d   |   |   |
Codes: 743, 21, 80, 124    |_e_|_f_|_g_|_h_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 128                  |   i       |   |
Code: 16, 631              |___|_j_|___|_k_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 11                   | T l           |
                          |___|___|___|___|

2F:                         ___ ___ ___ ___
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 131, 3217           |   a   b       |
Codes: 1172, 4210          |_c_|___|___|_d_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 5963                 | T |   e T |   |
Code: 6638                 |_ _|_f_|___|_ _|
                          |   |   |   |   |
                          | B   T | T   B |
Codes: 3872, 262           |_g_|___|___|_h_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 5524, 1219          | P i   j   | P |
                          |___|___|_ _|_ _|
                                    3   1

3F:                         _2_ ___ ___ ___
                          |   |   |   |S1 |
Code: 8426                 |   |   a   |   |
Codes: 2615, 291, 6667     |_b_|_c_|_d_|_L_|      S2 on
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 189, 538, 121       |   e   f T g   |
Codes: 140, 5517           |___|_h_|___|_i_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 26                   |   j   |     B |
Codes: 8427, 8386, 6345    |_k_|___|_l_|_m_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
                          | T |   L   |   |      S1 on, S2 off
                          |___|_ _|___|_ _|
                                4       4
                                |       |
4F:                         ___ _3_ ___ _3_
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 8426, 3623          |   a   |   b   |
Codes: 2413, 811           |_c_|_ _|_d_|___|
                          |   |   |   |S2 |
Code: 32                   |   |   e   |   |
Codes: 9678, 9999          |_ _|_f_|___|_g_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 1251, 20            |   | T h   i T |
Code: 8427                 |_j_|___|___|___|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 9294, 990           |   k       m   |
                          |___|___|___|_ _|
                                        5
5F                          ___ ___ _4_ ___
                          |   |   |   | K |      Ebony Key
                          |       |   |   |
Codes: 6610, 787, 5020     |_L_|_a_|_b_|_c_|      Requires Ebony Key
                          |   |   |   |   |
                         6  T |   |   |   |
Codes: 2135, 2234          |___|_d_|_ _|_e_|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 9859, 3496          |   f T |   g   |
                          |_ _|___|___|_ _|
                          |   |   |   |   |
Codes: 1849, 1671          |   h       i T |
                          |___|___|___|___|

6F                          ___ ___ ___ ___
                          | @ | K |   | K |      Silver Key, Dark Key
Code: 2204                 |   |   a T |   |
Codes: 1124, 5813          |_L_|_b_|_c_|_L_|      Require Dark, Crystal Keys
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 632                  |   |   L   d   |      Requires Bronze Key
Codes: 5665, 9785, 7438    |_e_|_f_|_g_|___|
                          |   |   |   | K |      Bronze Key
Code: 9821                 |   L   L   h   |      Require Gold, Crystal Keys
Codes: 7216, 4311          |_L_|_i_|_j_|___|      Requires Silver Key
                          |   |   |   |   |
Code: 8878                 |   |   |   k    5
                          | K | K |   |   |      Crystal Key, Gold Key
                           ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯


===============================================================================
6   MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
===============================================================================

-- What's the 'gomi' (rubbish bin) for in the items menu?

You can only carry 22 pages of items - that's 132 items in total, not including
anything that's equipped.  132 sounds a lot, but bear in mind that each item
uses a space of its own - in a Final Fantasy you can carry 198 items just by
stocking up on potions and antidotes!

The bin is simply the way you discard unwanted items.  The difference here is
that the bin can hold 8 items, which can then be restored or destroyed.  So you
can actually carry 140 items around with you, if you really need to.


-- Are those battle messages really necessary?

The battle system often strikes new players as clumsy and choppy, because the
flow of combat is constantly being broken by messages which rarely contain any
information not immediately visible from the graphics.  Fortunately you can
turn them off: push the second button on the configuration menu (the bottom tab
of the main menu).  I imagine many will agree that this is an improvement.


-- What's that 'Turbo-file' option on the main menu?

The Turbo-file was an external storage unit for the Super Famicom made by
ASCII, who are of course also responsible for Dark Law.  A number of games
support it, notably other ASCII titles, although apparently Bahamut Lagoon as
well.


-- Is Dark Law the sequel to Dark Lord?

Dark Lord (Famicom, Data East: 1991) does indeed bear a strong resemblance to
this game.  It has a similar structure (free character creation, scenarios),
a similar magic system, and - the real clincher - a battle system that is
obviously a slightly more primitive version of the one we have here.

Is this an actual sequel?  I really don't know, mainly because I haven't
bothered to play far enough into Dark Lord to get a feel for the plot. (I hate
reading kana-only text.) However, here's a (very) rough translation of the Dark
Lord intro: as you can see, the basic premise seems pretty similar.

"In the distant past, a pair of gods were fighting for control of the world...
At this time the world was still a place of chaos and turmoil...
The god of light, Alpharse, governed all of nature and humanity.
The lord of darkness, Ragmaila, led the Demi-Humans and the powers of evil.
The long war between the armies of the gods continued without pause...
But at length the time came for the end of the fighting...
Alpharse gathered his remaining power and confined Ragmaila and the
  Demi-Humans in defeat...
By sealing their spirits in water, the world was preserved...
So time passed, with people living in freedom and peace.
...that world was Alph Land.
And now... the door has opened!"

Replace "Alph Land" with "Layfall", "Ragmaila" with "Altzart", and "Demi-
Humans" with "Death-Creatures", and you have Dark Law!

Another near-parallel is found in the mythology, namely the name of the god of
light ("hikari no kami" in both cases).  In Dark Lord his name (in roomaji) is
Arufaazu; in Dark Lord, however, it is Orufasu (Orphas in my translation).
Close, but not identical...


-- How is Dark Law related to other games?

Firstly - it has nothing whatsoever to do with Dark Half (SFC, Enix: 1996).

There are a number of striking similarities between Dark Law and an earlier
title called Wizap! (SFC, ASCII: 1994).  There appears to be little or no
connection between the plots, so I'm guessing they're only related in the way
that Final Fantasies are, but there's considerable consistency in terms of
jobs, spells, the scenario system, and general similarities in plot and style.
The only major difference is the battle system - Wizap!'s system is closer to
Secret of Mana than Dark Law, although there's an option not to play in real
time.  There's a character called McStarr (or Maxter, if you prefer), a
scenario which revolves around a shinigami and a curse, the "people into
monsters" topos, and even a spirit/deity called Orufausa (another variant!).


-- Tell me about Murasame.

I know this is slightly off topic, but Murasame blades are among the weapons
that crop up in an awful lot of RPGs, and people really should know the legends
behind these things.  His rebus dictis, I'll hand over to Gray Brangwin:
"Muramasa and Murasame were both famous swordsmiths who forged blades
unparalleled in quality, and virtually indistinguishable from each other,
except in one important aspect; in that, whereas blades forged by Muramasa
embodied the true samurai spirit and brought tranquility and peace, the blades
forged by Murasame were cursed and attracted war to themselves. It was said
that if you were to drop a leaf in a stream and then place a blade forged by
either in the way of the leaf, the leaf would always veer away from a Muramasa
blade, and inevitably be pulled towards and cut in two by a Murasame blade."

See, you wanted to know really.


-- How can you write an entire Dark Law FAQ without mentioning the melons?

I'd hoped to avoid it.  You can have too much of a good thing.  I've written
about the melons in the FAQ section of the Dark Law page on my site, so look
there if you really want to know.


-- What IS the meaning of death?

"The act or fact of dying; the final cessation of the vital functions of an
animal or plant.  Often personified." (SOED sv. "death", sense 1)

If you meant in the metaphysical sense, well, I'm hardly qualified to comment;
I'm a medievalist, not a theologian.  Ask a minister of the religion of your
choice.  Most of them seem to agree that it's a wonderful opportunity, whether
to catch up with your old friends, to have another go at life, or to have some
peace and quiet for once.  Unless you've been naughty, in which case things
can get quite exciting...

Oh, you meant in the context of this game's subtitle?  Erm... I'm not quite
sure.  But it's definitely a _good_ subtitle, isn't it?  Catchy.  Profound.
Meaningful.  I think.


-- What does that Latin sentence at the end of this file mean?

A reasonable translation would be "Here ends the FAQ" (lit. "list of questions
which frequently are asked.")  Please don't criticise my grammar, I'm not a
classicist...


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7   COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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- Dark Law is copyright 1997 ASCII Corporation.

There are references in the FAQ to "ROMs" or ROM images.  These are duplicates
of copyrighted material, and in most jurisdictions the possession of such files
is either illegal or limited to copies made by the owner of the original media
for backup purposes or for personal use.  The author of this FAQ in no way
condones or encourages the illegal possession or distribution of such material.


- This FAQ is copyright 2000-2006 Haeleth.

This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view a
copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ or send
a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305,
USA.


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               explicit tabula rogatorum quae crebro quaeruntur
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