172 lines
8.8 KiB
Plaintext
172 lines
8.8 KiB
Plaintext
Ultima VI
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by Origin
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Magic
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Typed by Golden One
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and Hill Billy
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THE SECRET KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAGE
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Powerful as the alien moongates are, they are by no means the only forms of
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magic you will encounter in Britannia. The mages of this land possess much
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aracane knowledge and have many abilities beyond those of common fok. Using
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keen intuition, endless experimentation and the rigorous study of ancient
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tomes, amges have learned to harness the creative and destructve forces of
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Nature.
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The mage's principle tool is his spellbook, a collection of incantations and
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alchemical formulae which empower him in marvelous and often unexpected ways.
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Learn now the inner secrets of spellcasting, information reserved for the
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elite society of sorcerors.
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THE ARCANE ART OF SPELLCASTING
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Magical energy is structured as eight concentric spheres, each composed of
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networks of light connected to he physical plane by unseen bonds. The
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spellcaster stands within the center sphere, extending his hands to the outer
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shells of light where he manipulates the energies to suit his pleasure. In
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one hand, he holds his spellbook, open to the page containing the description
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of his chosen incantation. In his other hand, he cluthes a vial containing
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herb and mineral reagents, the mixture serving as the catalyst for his spell.
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Thus prepared, he utters the incantation, fusing matter and energy into a
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display of power. The spell has been cast, leaving the caster drained in
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spirit, but fulfilled in accomplishment.
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This simple explanation fails to exphasize botht he risks involved in
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spellcasting and the skill necessary to harness the forces of magic
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successfully. Two cautionary notes are in order here:
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First, even though a spell may appear to be cast successfully, there is some
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chance that it will not accomplish its intended purpose, or that it will do so
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in only a partial manner. In some cases, a spell will fail to hit its target
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due to forces and ethereal eddies unseen by the human eye. Also, certain
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creatures are immune to some spells, requiring the spellcaster to find other
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means to defeat them.
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Second, some spells affect only one person or creature while others affect all
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peole or creatures in the vicinity. Take care when casting a spell which acts
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on an area rather than an individual target--if you or your friends are in the
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affected area, you will be touched by the spell's power as surely as your
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inteded victim!
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THE ALCHEMY OF SPELLCASTING
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The prepartion of a spell's reagents is performed at the moment of
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spellcasting, thus allowing the chemical reactions to reach their peak even as
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the appropriate mantra is uttered. Some reagents are relatively common herbs
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and minerals, available at any magic shop. Others must be sought after
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diligently, often requiring the mage to travel to distant and inhospitable
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places in search of an obscure fungus or root.
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These are the reagents necessary to the casting o magic:
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Black Pearl
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One oyster in ten thousand will yield a black pearl suitable for spellcasting
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purposes. It is usually crushed to a fine, iridescent powder before being
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combined with other reagents. The black pearl is used as a kinetic
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propellent.
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Blood Moss
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"Moss," is may be called, but blood moss is, in reality, a fungus gathered in
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the enchanted forest of Spiritwood. There it is found growing under the
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loose, dead bark of fallen trees. Blood moss is used to enhance mobility and
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movement.
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Garlic
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This common household spice is effective in warding off evil spirits and
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negating black magic. Preparations for use generally involve grinding the
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washed cloves of garlic between two flatirons until they are reduced to a
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pungent paste.
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Ginseng
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The wizened physicians of ancient Sosaria wrote often of the curative powers
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of this bitter root. Prepare a syrupy, pure extract by reboiling forty times
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with clear mountain water, letting the mixture develop a strong, acrid odor.
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Mandrake Root
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The most sought after herb of the spellcaster, mandrake root grows along the
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loamy banks of stagnant swamps. Once found, mandrake must be dug up carefully
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so as not to damage the tap root, for it is in the root that the greatest
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concentration of active ingredients is found. Carefully remove the tough,
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outer skin, again giving special attention to the sensitive tap root. Using a
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fine-toothed silver fork, comb out the cottonlike fibers that make up the
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root's heart. The combed matting is boiled in pure water for no more than one
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hour, after which is it dried thoroughly and stored in a tightly sealed jar.
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When used in a spell, mandrake root increases the power of the desired
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enchantment.
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Nightshade
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This hallucinogenic mushroom is often the critical ingredient in spells that
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create illusions or poisonous effects. Sprouting in swamps, and only in the
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dark of night, this mushroom is easily distinguished from the others by the
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way its stalk bruises when crushed. Retain only the fungal cap and discard
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the tough stalk. The spores housed in the underside of the cap provide the
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active ingredient and can be chopped into a fine mincemeat or boiled into a
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bitter tea.
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Spider's Silk
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It takes many spider webs to make a full ounce of spider's silk, but the
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binding power it adds to spells makes the effort well worthwhile. Though the
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web of any spider will do, one can reduce collecting time by scraping off the
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fine silken hairs that cover the webs of giant spiders. Rumors have been
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heard of a cave where spider silk can be found in abundance.
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Sulfurous Ash
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This product of violent volcanic eruptions, sulfurous ash adds high levels of
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energy to the spells which require it. It is recommended that freshly
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collected ash be sifted through a fine mesh sieve, ensuring consistency and
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easy mixing.
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LINGUA MAGICA: THE SPELLCASTER'S WORDS OF POWER
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The meanings of the syllables that form the incantations uttered by mages durin
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spellcasting have been passed down from one Britannian generation to the next.
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The mage's apprenticeship begins when he learns these potent syllables. The
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next task is to learn the proper way to speak the syllables.
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It is important that the mage first prepare himself mentally by meditating on
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the sound of his breathing, projecting his soul into a sublime state of
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concentration. To speak an incantation properly, the spellcaster draws a deep
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breath, followed by a determined, forceful enunciation of each syllable. The
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entire breath should be fully expelled on the speaking of the final syllable.
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The 26 syllables and their general meanings are as follows:
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Syllable Meaning Syllable Meaning
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An ............. Negate/Dispel Nox ................... Poison
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Bet .................... Small Ort .................... Magic
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Corp ................... Death Port ........... Move/Movement
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Des ............... Lower/Down Quas ................ Illusion
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Ex ................... Freedom Rel ................... Change
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Flam ................... Flame Sanct ..... Protect/Protection
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Grav ............ Energy/Field Tym ..................... Time
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Hur ..................... Wind Uus ................. Raise/Up
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In ......... Make/Create/Cause Vas .................... Great
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Jux ......... Danger/Trap/Harm Wis ........... Know/Knowledge
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Kal ............ Summon/Invoke Xen ................. Creature
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Lor .................... Light Ylem .................. Matter
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Mani ............ Life/Healing Zu ..................... Sleep
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These syllables are combined to form the incantations used when casting
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spells. A list of spells can be found in the file ULT6SPLS.DOC. This list,
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while not necessarily complete, collects all of our current knowledge of the
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ways of magic.
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
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X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
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Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven
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& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845
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Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766
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realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662
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Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699
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The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK
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The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674
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Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560
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"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
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X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
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