                    King's Quest VI: Complete Game Manual


Kings Quest VI
         
TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                         
           README FILES .........................     1
             MS-DOS README Instructions
             AMIGA README Instructions
             MACINTOSH README Instructions
             ALL SYSTEMS/Back-ups
         
           MS-DOS SYSTEMS ........................... 2
             LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
                Installing Your Sierra Game
         
           MACINTOSH ............................     3
             HARD DRIVE INSTALLATION
                Starting Instructions
         
           ALL SYSTEMS Technical Help ...........     4
             MEMORY REQUIREMENTS
         
           TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE .................     5
         
           CUSTOMER SERVICE .....................     6
             SIERRA ADDRESSES ...................     7
             NEED A HINT?........................     8
             THE SIERRA NO RISK GUARANTEE .......     8
         
           COMPACT DISK REPLACEMENT POLICY.......     9
         
         
PLEASE NOTE: If there is a README file on your game diskette, it may 
contain important information and instructions that were not 
available at the time the documentation and other materials for this 
game were printed.

MS DOS README Instructions

NOTE: The readme file is on the STARTUP disk. You may read this file 
during installa- tion on some games. For other Sierra games, do the 
following: 

From DOS, change to the drive containing the startup disk. Then 
type more<readme to see the README file on-screen. Example A: 
more<readme or Example B: more<read.me 

MACINTOSH README Instructions 

With the STARTUP DISK in your diskette drive, double-click on the 
README icon. 

ALL SYSTEMS 

Make Back-ups. It is always advisable to make back-up copies of your 
master program diskettes to increase the life of the masters and 
guard against accidents. Follow your computer's instructions to make 
copies of all game diskettes. Create a 'Save Game' Disk even if you 
will be playing from a hard drive, you may want to format a blank 
diskette for saving games. Follow your computer's instructions to 
format a blank diskette and keep it handy for saving your game as 
you play. 

IBM PC

LOADING INSTRUCTIONS 

IMPORTANT: In order to play your Sierra Game, you MUST have a hard 
drive. 

Install will copy the contents of all game disks to your hard drive. 

Installing Your Sierra Game 

1. Find the diskette entitled STARTUP/DISK 1. Place this diskette in 
your floppy drive. 

2. Type 
the letter of the drive containing the STARTUP disk followed by a 
colon and press [ENTER]. Then type INSTALL and press [ENTER]. 
Example: a: and press [ENTER]. Type install and press [ENTER]. 

3. 
You will be asked to type the letter of the hard drive on which you 
want to install the game (usually c). Type the letter and press 
[ENTER]. 

4. The Install program will then examine your system's equipment and 
select the best of the available options. If you're satisfied with 
the options selected for you, press [ENTER] to confirm those 
choices. If you wish to change any or all of the preselected 
options, highlight the option you wish to change and press [ENTER]. 
Follow the prompts at the bottom of the main window to complete the 
installationprocess. 

NOTE: If you wish to view all the installation options, type install 
- m at step 3 ahove. 

PLAYING INSTRUCTIONS 

From the game directory, type the game initials (example: kq6 for 
King's Quest VI) and press [ENTER]. 

NOTE: The game initials will ALWAYS be the same as the game 
subdirectory name. 

MACINTOSH:

HARD DRIVE INSTAILATION 

You must have a Hard Drive in order to play this Sierra game. 

The Complete Install program will copy the contents of all game 
disks to your hard drive. 

1. Place the back-up copy you have made of the STARTUP Disk in the 
diskette drive. 

2. Double click on the INSTALL icon, and follow the on- screen 
prompts to complete the installation. 

Starting Instructions 

After completing the INSTALL procedure:    

1. Double-click on the Sierra folder. 

2. Double-click on the Sierra Game folder. 

3. Double-click on the Sierra Game icon. 

ALL SYSTEMS

If you receive any of the following messages while playing your 
Sierra game: 

CRC ERROR: This message means you have a bad disk. It stands for 
Cyclic Redundancy Check, a way to check for disk errors. 

DATA ERROR READING DRIVE A or B: This message means you have a bad 
disk. 

GENERAL FALURE READING DRIVE A or B: This message means you probably 
have a low density FLOPPY drive and are trying to read incompatible 
high density disks. 

INSERT DISK #_: (When you have inserted that disk) This mes- sage 
means you may need to create a boot disk. 

YOU NEED " " MORE BYTES OF FREE MEMORY AVAILABLE TO RUN THIS GAME: 
This message means that there is not enough free memory to 
successfully run the program. You may need to boot your system with 
a Boot Disk. 

OUT OF HUNK: This message means you may be running RAM- resident 
programs such as Windows, Sidekick, a DOS shell, or other programs 
that remain resident in your computer's memory even when you are not 
using them. Booting your computer with a BOOT DISK will solve this 
problem. 

PACKED FILE IS CORRUPT: This error occurs primarily when using DOS 5.
0. Typing LOADFIX before running either the install proce- dure or 
starting the game with the BAT file will correct this error message 
(i.e., LOADFIX INSTALL [ENTER] OR LOADFIX SQ4.BAT[ENTER]). 

SECTOR NOT FOUND READING DRIVE A: (While reading any MS-DOS game 
disk) This message means you have a bad disk. See page seven for 
more information on disk replacement. 

"CAN'T FIND RESOURCE. CFG": This error message means that the file 
RESOURCE.CFG was never created. Running the install pro- cedure 
again from the game sub-directory on your hard drive (i.e. 
C:\SIERRA\SQ4) should correct this error. 

MEMORY REQUIREMENTS 

Sierra's programs require a large amount of memory (RAM) in order to 
function properly. If you are encountering difficulties and want to 
see how much memory is available through DOS, type CHKDSK [ENTER]. 
An example of a typical system is:655,360 Bytes Total Memory 
(640K)597,842 Bytes Free (584K)If the "Bytes Free" line is below 
570K, please use a boot disk. 

         
Herein lies the account of my travels in that mysterious kingdom 
known as the Land of the Green Isles. Lest this record be put down 
to the fevered imaginaffon of a madman or theficffon of a notorious 
liar, let me assure you, Dear Reader, that the Land of the Green 
Isles does indeed exist. One can hear the name of The Land whispered 
in roadside inns off dusty roads from the hills of Daventry to the 
sea of Tamir--espe- cially on nights when the wind howls and the 
rain plays havoc on the window panes. The storytellers inevitably 
take on that same tone of voice they use when speaking of the Fairy 
Kingdom. I cannot vouch for the Fai~y Kingdom since I have yet to 
get a leprechaun in a posiffon of compromise, yet, the Land of the 
Green Isles... Ah.r...that is a place where the feet of a man can 
find solid ground and his eyes feast on such wonders! 

My tale begins with a broken compass. I had taken passage on a ship 
bound east from Llewdor. Our desffnaffon was Serenia, yet in the 
second week out we encountered a terrible electn- cal storm. Waves 
crashed upon the deck of our little ship, the Round About, and lightning struck the sea all 
around her. At one point it even struck our secondary mast and we 
were saved from a fiery death only by the lashing rain which quickly 
put out the fire. We felt sure that we were all dead men, yet on we 
bailed and strove throughout the night. After long hours of the ter- 
rifying labor, we found ourselves shll afloat on the other side of 
the storm. At first light, the damage seemed minimal despite the 
lightning that had struck the ship, but by sunset the Captain was 
forced to announce that the instru- ments of navigahon had been 
magnetized by the storm--the compass spoke east, yet the sun sank 
low over the right of our prow.

The Captain did his best to sail by older methods, by the sun and 
the stars. He assured the voyagers that there was nothing to fear. 
Yet we seemed cursed, for a dense cloud cover settled over the sky 
far into the horizon--and stayed. 

The Round About sailed like a blind man groplng In a vast, 
unfamiliar room. 

After a week, the Captain had to admit that we had missed our 
destination. There was no land to be seen anywhere. It was as if the 
storm had been anotherflood that had wiped civilization from the 
face of the Eaffh. With naught else to do we sailed on, by now so 
lost that turning around seemed fuhle. Who was to say that we were 
not turned around already? 

A month later, I lay in afitful sleep on my bunk--throat parched and 
skin stretched from the scant provisions allotted all hands from the 
near-empty hold below--when I heard the cry on deck, "Land Ho!" 
Staffled from my sleep and exhilarated with hope, I sprang to the 
deck. The sky had cleared and its blue seemed a hue I had never 
seen. A sailor was wildly pointing off the prow where the bright 
green of a small body of land was dimly visible. The Round About 
responded as though leaping from the sea towards that remote shore. 

Yet within the hour, the curse upon our ship took its final 
vengeance. As though enraged to see us within view of escape, the 
sea came alive and swirled around us. Currents and whirlpools 
materialized and sucked at the beaten planks of the ship--turning 
her first one way and then another! I was thrown against the deck 
and rolled uncontrollably against the cables and the lifeboats. The 
last thing I heard before my head struck and blackness descended was 
the mate screaming, "She's going down!" 

Who can judge providence? I am not a hero, I am a wanderer--neither 
as strong nor as brave as the Captain of that good ship. Yet with no 
effoff on my paff--none greater, in any event, than the skill of 
gethng myself knocked on the head--I awoke the following morning, 
not among the bones at the boffom of the sea, but on a beach. Of the 
crew and passengers of the good ship, there was not a trace. 

Perhaps I was chosen for some destiny here. Perhaps the sea simply 
found me too sour an old dog for the swallowing. In any case, that 
is the tale of how I found the Land of the Green Isles--or should I 
say, how it found me. Being but a poor traveler with feet that itch 
and a spirit that cannot rest, I have naught to leave this world but 
a record of the things these eyes have seen. Being not nearly as 
clever as a balladeer, I set this down in humble prose. 

May this account someday find its way back to the land of my youth, 
though If ear I myself shall die on this distant shore. 

         Derek Karlauaeyen 
         
The Land of the Green Isles         

The Land of the Green Isles is an ancient kingdom ruled by a royal 
family designated simply as the UCrown. " Its location so far from 
the rest of the known world, combined with the dangers of the 
surrounding sea, have effechvely isolated it from the influence of 
other lands. This small kingdom might as well exist on a distant 
star as on the other side of an inhospitable sea. 

Because of this isolahon, the ciffzens of the kingdom have a unique 
flavor and a quaint naivete. y one asks about the history of the 
Land, they are eager to speak. Yet of true answers, liffle can be 
found. They can recite the names of the holders of the Crown 
spanning back hundreds of years, can speak of each dwelling's 
origin, of prachcally every cihzen's lineage, yet when I asked how 
the kingdom began, bewilder- ment is the response. ~The kingdom has 
always been, " they say, ~There has always been a royal family. " It 
is as if this place has existed, unaltered since the dawn of hme. 

But there is some basis for a different picture: that these islands 
have achually held a succession of kingdoms, each bleeding into the 
next, new civilizations building on ruins scarcely cold. I base this 
opinion on the traces and legends of an ancient civilizaffon to be 
found on one of the islands--but more of that later. 

The kinydom as it stands today, has remained relahively unchanged 
for hundreds of years. Four islands make up the bulk of the Land. 
The Isle of the Crown is the center of the kingdom. There on a 
magnificent rise stands the Castle of the Crown, the seat of the 
royal family of the kingdom and the heart of the Land. A village and 
docks comprise the rest of the island and run most of the kingdom 's 
daily commerce, such as it is. 

Across a short distance of sea is the Isle of Wonder, an aptly-named 
place of sheer delight ruled by a pair of rival queens who are, 
despite their own internal strife, unalterably loyal to the Crown. 

The Isle of the Beast is the least hospitable of the islands. 
Seemingly deseffed, I did not see much of the place since obstacles 
made it impossi- ble to travel far inland. Neveffheless, the place 
has its own history and is listed among the kingdom's holdings. 
The fourth island is the Isle of the Sacred Mountain, so called for 
the soaring peak that nses from the base of the island into the 
clouds, and around which that community--both literally and 
philosophically--is built. The Isle of the Sacred Mountain has its 
own rulers who are also subservient to the Crown. 

A more dissimilar set of culhures can scarce be imagined than those 
on these four islands, yet they seem to exist in harmony and funchon 
as a whole. The unihng factor is the Crown, which maintains loyalhy 
both by means of its undisputed heritage as the seat of all 
government, and by the grace of its goodly royalfamily. 

Peace has reigned for cenhuries in this idyllic kingdom and seems 
likely to conhnue. That is, as long as the Land remains hidden from 
the evil that we know exists in the world. Though I am a stranger 
here, I hope not to inJ1uence this place overly much. Who would wish 
to change such a paradise? 

The Isle of the Crown

Of the four islands, the Isle of the Crown is the one which will 
seem the most convenhonal to travelers from distant lands. It is 
largely inhabited by members of the human race, men and women of 
pleasant disposihion and generous hospitality. As stated earlier, 
the Isle of the Crown is comprised of the Castle of the Crown, a 
quaint village, and the docks from which travel among the islands is 
commenced.

The Village

The village on the Isle of the Crown is a small one. Its shucco 
walls gleam in the hot sun, its diff paths are clean and 
well-maintained, its vegetaffon is lush. The shop merchants are 
fnendly and seem to delight in unusual trades. Though liffle of mine 
survived the shipwreck, the few trinkets that I'd had on my person 
or managed to salvage from the shore were deemed unusual enough in 
that distant realm to obtain a few necessihes. I also found the 
villagers eager to share what they had in nhurn for honest work, so 
I have survived quite comfoffably here. 

Village life is one of cheerful rouhne. The villagers rise at first 
liyht to do their chores before the tropical sun reaches its peak. 
Then, a light midday meal is served. The bulk of the afternoon is 
reserved for indoor activities: reading and scholashcs for the 
younger popula- tion and naps for their elders. Everyone seems to 
prize this quiet time. When the sun goes down, communal achivihes 
are frequent. If there are no weddings or other fesffvihes (I must 
admit that I am quite fond of these local celebrahions), the 
families often gather informally for a plain but plenhful supper, 
music, and conversahion. 

Though most families are modest, none are in want. Servants are used 
in the more affluent households, but most of the citizens cheerfully 
rely on their own strong hands for the work of daily life. What 
serving class exists is generally well-treated, though even in this 
gentle civilization, I did note a few exceptions.

The Docks

Beyond the village lie the docks, a place of bustle and excitement. 
Even the humblest ciffzen of the Isle of the Crown frequently enjoys 
visiting the other islands in the kingdom. In return, it is not 
uncommon to see all manner of strange creatures frequenffng the 
village shops from the kingdom 's other islands.

All travel between the Islands is focused at the docks and, indeed, 
at a single vessel. That vessel is simply called "the ferry," and it 
is a pleasant enough little ship, well-maintained as befits its 
value to the kingdom. The ferryman is a jolly fellow, paffent even 
with the youngest of his passengers. His young son helps manage the 
vessel and keep her shipshape.

The story of the ferry is an interesffng one, particularly if you 
recall the fate of my own ship. The islands, it seems, have always 
been sur- rounded by terrible eddies and currents that make seagoing 
nearly impossible. The family that runs the ferry has done so for 
generaffons, each father passing on to his son the secret of the 
tricky navigation. Many believe that the ferryman's family line has 
an uncanny insffnct for the sea around the isles. It is said that 
they sail "by the blood in their veins. " One thing is certain: I 
would not venture to sail a ship in these waters, so whatever the 
secrets of the ferryman 's family--thank the stars for it! The 
Castle of the Crown

The Castle of the Crown is a stunning palace, giving tesffmony to 
the skill of the kingdom's architects and the richness of its 
treasury. The castle is a monument of marble, gold, and precious 
gems, with tall arched ceilings and artisffc fittings. I am told 
that it was built one hundred years ago by King Aliphid as a present 
to his bride, Queen Astar. The previous castle, also called the 
Castle of the Crown, was large and drafty and had served as the seat 
of the royal family for over three hundred years. It is said that 
King Aliphid was cautious over his new bride's fragile health and 
built the new palace with thick walls for protection from the high 
winds and cool hallways for respite from the blazing tropical sun.

The castle is made even more exoffc by the race of guard dogs that 
serve and protect the palace. These wondrous creatures seem to 
combine the best qualiffes of canine and human. Speaking in gruff 
voices and armed with swords or pikes, the guard dogs are strong and 
intelli- gent, and have loyally served the Crown through the 
centuries.

Despite my status as a stranger, I was granted a visit with the 
reigning king and queen. Their openness and accessibility, added to 
the lack of drawbridges, moats, or bafflements of any kind, made 
clear to me the innocence of this kingdom that had never known war 
or treachery. 

Had I been a viper in disguise, I would have been granted an 
inffmate audience just as readily! As a ciffzen of the larger, more 
dangerous world, it made me feel a liffle nervous and honorbound not 
to betray such trust in me.

I met the king and queen in the castle's throne room. The throne 
room is a vast hall  more ornate than anything these poor eyes have 
ever seen. Standing before the two thrones in that cavern of gold, I 
felt as though I stood before fabled Olympus itself Yet, raising my 
eyes up slowly to those noble faces, I saw nothing of judgement in 
their eyes, nothing of disdain. Indeed, their faces were full of 
guileless welcome and kindness.

As for the rulers of this kingdom themselves: King Caliphim, though 
not a large man, has an air of strength and self-assurance about 
him. He has the face of a scholar and the eyes of a gentle 
benefactor. Of Queen Allaria, his beautiJill wife, my first 
impression was of hair the color of night and skin as pale as dawn. 
She smiled at me gra- ciously and I could see the sadness there. For 
despite the glory of the palace around them, the halls seemed to 
weigh on the couple with their empffness. They are the last of the 
royal family and, growing into middle age, have yet to produce an he~

The king and queen listened with interest to my tale of shipwreck. 
King Caliphim asked astute quesffons of my homeland and the lands of 
my travel. He seemed to know something of other lands--perhaps from 
the same source that had brought the name of the Land of the Green 
Isles to Daventry. He was most curious, and, as a thinker, seemed 
intrigued by any new idea I might offer. Unfortunately for him, my 
ideas on such things as kingdoms and civilizaffons were rather 
simple ones. I sensed that, despite his interest, he would be 
content to have those other kingdoms remain remote from his own. 
Neither hungry for conquest nor anxious for change, his kingdom 
would remain isolated Indeed, e cept for the lack of an heir, it 
seemed the good king and queen did provide the kingdom with all it 
could ever desire.

Having met the royal couple and recovered sufficiently from my 
ordeal at sea, I began to feel quite curious about the other islands 
in the kingdom, and so I put my itching feet in the care of the 
jolly ferryman. 

The Isle of Wonder

Imagine a place where the very path beneath your feet might complain 
of your weight and the trees purposely drop twigs on your head for 
the sheer merriment of it all, and you '11 have an idea of what it's 
like to be on the Isle of Wonder.

The Isle of Wonder is a comma-shaped body of land that might as well 
resemble a quesffon mark, for cor~fusion and astonishment are sure to 
be the lot of the unsuspechng visitor.

The island is teeming with life. Vegetaffon is abundant as are the 
island 's inhabitants. In fact, the two are frequently one and the 
same. One can scarcely pick up a grain of sand on that shore without 
it demanding to be put right back...and this instant, if you please!

The history of this unusual island is an issue of fervent 
speculaffon. Many believe that it was an uninteresffng deserted 
island unffl a wizard enchanted the whole place, bringing everything 
in it to life, and presented it to his daughter as a birthday 
present. Others say that the island was once the prison of a 
beautiful princess, held caphve there by a powerful and jealous 
queen. The maiden was so fair that the very trees and stones 
themselves could not bear to hear her crying and came to life to 
provide her companion- ship. Sffll another group ardently claims 
that the Creator of the Universe simply got hred of the serious 
business of life-giving and decided to indulge His orHer sense of 
humor.

Whatever the origin, a more delightful spot could scarcely be 
imagined. But be warned! Those travelers who like to know exactly 
what to expect from life would be well-advised to go elsewhere. 
While most of the island's inhabi- tants are friendlK some of the 
Uthornier" naffves are capable of being downright rude, and all are 
quirksome.

Visitors are frequent on the Isle of Wonder, for it offers a 
refreshing respite from the ho-hum of everyday life. Even the king 
and queen enjoy a picnfc on Exclamaffon Point or a stroll in the 
gardens, and they are on occasion to be found there relaxing and 
passing the time of day with the island 's naffves.

The rulers of the Isle of Wonder are a pair of queens, rivals in 
every way, and most frequently to be found arguing over everything 
from the color of the sky to the consistency of potato hash. Despite 
their eccentricihes, the Isle of Wonder seems to run smoothly and be 
aflourishing paff of the kingdom, providing many valuable expoffs 
and lending the kingdom a light-heaffedness to counter their more 
serious countrymen on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain. 

The Isle of the Sacred Mountain

The Isle of the Sacred Mountain, on first impression, appears to be 
nothing but a great wall of cliffs rising to the sky with no 
apparent means of scaling it. The visitor is soon met, however, by a 
pair of "greeters" of the Winged Ones race.

The Winged Ones are the inhabitants of the Isle of the Sacred 
Mountain. Towering to a height of six to seven feet, the W~nged Ones 
are by far the most impressive creatures I have ever seen. Each one 
of them, male and female alike, is surpassingly beautiful. Their 
bodies are muscled and athletic and gleaming with health. From their 
broad backs mighhy wings emerge like secondary limbs, strong and 
webbed, and covered with large white feathers. And when they spread 
those massive wings...oh!...it is as if the sun itself is eclipsed.

Two of these creatures, the greeters, meet visitors at the base of 
the cliffs and so was I met. Gently, they took my arms and flew me 
upwards. Has there not been a man who has dreamed of flying? Are we 
all not Icarus in our heart of hearffs? Imagine then, the thrill of 
that flight and the glory of the beings who rule the very air around 
us!

But, as the old saw warns, "Beauty is only skfn deep. n I was flown 
to the Winged Ones' city, a strange and haunffng place whose archi- 
tecture combines the two overriding elements of this culture: 
aviaffon and the classical. The city seems bu{lt to exclude those 
poor creatures whose lot it is to crawl like insects upon the 
ground, for each edifice towers into the sky with no connection to 
the next or to the ground itself save byflight.

Thus completely dependent on the greeters to travel about the city 
or even leave, the visitor is humbled and loathe to do much 
exploraffon. This appeared to me to be rather the intention, for the 
culture of the Wmged Ones is a private one. On the Isle of Wonder I 
always felt welcome, despite the someffmes gruff nature of the 
inhabitants. They had a certain simplicity, an honesty about them. 
By contrast, although my recephon with the Winged Ones was on the 
surface extremely polite, the formal words of welcome did not ring 
true. I sensed, in the eyes of that beauteous race, a disdain of 
common humanity, a haughtiness that made them suddenly lose some of 
their golden perfechon in the eyes of this humble observer.

Despite this innate sense of superiority, the Winged Ones are 
valuable members of the kingdom and provide many important skills. 
Incredibly intelligent, the Winged Ones are master logicians and 
mathematicians, precise architects and planners. They disdain magic 
and  the daintier affs, being far too logical for such goings 
on. Even the palace of the Winged Ones' city has a sparseness, a 
sense of functionality that denotes their contempt for artistic 
ornamen- tation.

The Winged Ones' culture is an old one, and they make frequent 
references to the "Ancient Ones, " their forefathers, whose ruins 
and great works still abound on the island. The Isle of the Sacred 
Mountain is ruled by a lord and lady, who exist as monarchs on their 
own island but owe allegiance to the common Crown.

The name of the island derives from a lone peak which soars into the 
clouds beyond the city. There, in a cave, dwells the sacred Oracle, 
the philosophical head of the community. It is said that the Oracle 
is centuries old, ultimately wise, and can read the future. She is 
consulted by the lord and lady on every facet of the city 's life, 
and even advises the king and queen. I, of course, did not meet the 
Oracle, and even most Wtnged Ones citizens regard her as an almost 
mythical being. The greatest honor any Winged Ones cihzen might hope 
for in his or her long life is to be granted a meeting with the 
Oracle, for her cave is a place reserved for only the most worthy 
souls. Like many lofty ambitions, most of the Winged Ones never 
achieve this end.

I found myself fascinated by the Ancient Ones, for it was the only 
deep history apparent in the kingdom. From what I managed to learn 
from the close-mouthed Wtnged Ones themselves, and from the more 
readily available information to be found in the writtngs and from 
scholars on the Isle of the Crown, I put together the following 
picture of this bygone race. I indude it among these records of the 
kingdom, for they are as much a presence in the Land as the current 
inhabitants. 


The Ancient Ones
         

The Ancient Ones ' culture inhabited the Isle of the Sacred Mountain 
perhaps as much as a thousand years ago. At that time, it is likely 
that there was no Ukingdom " and that the Ancient Ones existed alone 
in the sea, since no similarly aged records exist on any other island

The Ancient Ones had an advanced, mysterious culture. Their wri*ngs 
have been discovered on ancient tablets and scrolls buried beneath 
the current Winged Ones' citK and in the ancient catacombs on the 
Isle of the Sacred Mountain. It is commonly believed that they 
possessed knowledge and mechanical acuity far surpassing anything 
that exists today. This belief is based on a few remaining artifacts 
such as their mysterious labyrinthine catacombs and the wriffngs on 
the island 's cliffs. The artifacts of the Ancient Ones arefiercely 
guarded by the Winged Ones and are studied by scholars of that race 
who spend their whole lives trying to unravel their mysteries.What 
is known about them derives from these delicate and treasured 
wriffen records.

The Ancient Ones were believers in the power of language. They were 
fond of saying, "A master of languages will soar. " This, presumablK 
refers to intellectual heights rather than physical ones, but who 
can say? It is also known that they were great lovers of symbols and 
had a complex theology which seemed to worship all things aerial, 
though only fragments of their belief system are under- stood today. 
The Ancient Ones gave meaning to every creature, every color, every 
element and mineral. In addition, they studied the emotional states 
of being. Every emotion, like every creature, color, and element, 
ranked high or low on their the- ological scale--the lowest being 
"base" or "primitive," the highest being upure. " At the top of this 
scale were the Sacred Four; the emotion "tran- quility, " the color 
"azure, " the creature "caterpillar, " and the element "air." The 
color azure and the element air are obvious allusions to the sky. 
Similarly, tranquility is reminiscent of the heavens above. The 
caterpillar is the one surprise. In their reasoning, however, it 
makes perfect sense. After all, there are birds aplenty in the 
skies, but what glory is it to fly when one is born with wings? Is 
it not more glorious still to be born to crawl upon the ground and 
build one's own wings? 

It is a matter of much debate whether or not the Ancient Ones 
themselves possessed the power of flight. Despite their theology, 
the remains of the Ancient Ones do not bear the wings that 
disffnguish the Isle of the Sacred Mountain's current inhabitants. 
The Winged Ones firmly believe that the Ancient Ones flew without 
wings, thus proving themselves superior even to the U~nged Ones 
themselves. Some scholars on the Isle of the Crownj however, believe 
that the Ancient Ones could notfly, and that their obsessive 
interest in flight and their secret knowledge enabled them to create 
a winged race, the descendants of whom~are the U~n~ed Ones. Ah, but 
such things we will never know for certain, for true understanding 
was buried along w{th the last of that long-dead race.

I spent some time studying the language and culture of the Ancient 
Ones, and, in the interest of antiquity, I set forth here as much as 
is understood of their works. 

The Ancient Ones' Alphabet

The alphabet of the Ancient Ones consists of graphic symbols. It is 
clear that their language and ours has the same root, for their 
writings are directly translatable by simply replacing the 
appropriate leffer of our alphabet for its corre- sponding symbol in 
theirs. It is probable that the Ancient Ones spoke in our language 
and used these symbols in their wriffngs as a code for secrecy or 
for their ceremonial beauty. Or, perhaps, our own "letters n for the 
spoken language evolved as short-hand notations for the complex 
symbols used by the Ancient Ones. In any case, there are twenty-six 
primary symbols in their alphabet. There are other minor symbols, 
but those were used only for accent and as representations of 
complex philosophical ideals and are not included here.

In addition to their alphabetical functions, each symbol also 
represents an emotion, a color, a creature, and a natural or 
metaphysical element. 
         
The Logic Cliff

One of the most intnguing artifacts left by the Ancient Ones are the 
logic cliffs. The cliffs are so named from a series of riddles 
wriffen on the face of the cliffs leading from the beach of the Isle 
of the Sacred Mountain to the Urnged Ones' city. Chiseled 
painstakingly into solid rock, the viewer must question what purpose 
the words serve. From the ancient scroll that references the cliffs, 
it can be determined that the riddles on the cliff were part of an 
elaborate mechanism designed to protect those who dwelt at the top 
of the cliffs from undesirables that might arrl~e from the sea 
below. The mechanism may have served as some sort of calling device 
designed to alert those at the top of the cliffs that a brother 
required admittance, or perhaps led to secret chambers within the 
rock itself. Whatever the cliffs' purpose was, it was obviously 
built to admit only those indoctnnated into the secrets of the 
Ancient Ones' culture and for that reason is, alas, as yet unsolved 
by those who live today.

The following translations from the cliffs of logic scroll may help 
the reader understand the mystique that surrounds this artifact. 

The first challenge: "Only those pure of heaff will be able to RISE 
the cliffs of logic. "

The third challenge: "The Stones of Stealth, " are associated with 
this riddle:

Four men standing in a row,

Third from the left and down you go,

The rest, in order, move you on,

The Youngest, the Oldest, and the Second Son.

The fifth challenge: "Only those of the highest order may ASCEND the cliffs of logic. "
         
The Catacomb

Another remnant of the Ancient Ones' culture, the catacombs, is 
tragically inaccessible to visitors today. The catacombs held the 
burial chambers of the Ancient Ones, and are said to be designed as 
a giant labyrinth. To protect their tombs from looters, the Ancient 
Ones built death traps into the catacombs and filled it with dead- 
end paths, maze-like corridors, and rooms where seaet knowledge is 
needed to pass.

The Winged Ones were close to mastering the secrets of the catacombs 
some years ago, when a minotaur, taking an instant liking to the 
dark, funereal place, decided to take up residence. At first, the 
kingdom attempted to regain the hostaged artifact, but, between the 
dangers of the catacombs itself and the minotaur's stealth and 
treachery, the losses became too grave to continue the struggle and 
the minotaur was left to his prize. Since then, the catacombs have 
been bolted shut. It is one of the great sorrows of the kingdom that 
each year the minotaur demands, and must be given, the living 
sacrifice of his choice lest he emerge from the catacombs and affack 
the city.

The catacombs are illustrative of the Ancient Ones' obsessive 
interest in death. Indeed, it seems to be in the air in this paff of 
the world, for the modern-day Green Islanders also have elaborate 
death traditions, as I will describe later. The catacombs were 
obviously a place of high reverence for the Ancient Ones, as a 
message on an ancient tablet that once adorned the doors to the 
catacombs shows:

Three roses laid upon the bower,

A scythe for he who cuts theflower,

A crown, a dove, most noble race!

Thy bones make sacred this dread place.
         
The Isle of the Beast

The Isle of the Beast, long ago, was called the Isle of the Forest. 
It was a place of woodlands, sparkling ponds, and prolific wildlife. 
It was used as a playgroundfavoredfor jaunty hunts by the royal 
family and other local sportsmen, and for that reason was left 
uninhab- ited. The scenes of this treasured diversion on that 
beautiful island still decorate local tapestnes and painhngs.

One night, so the story goes, residents of the other islands could 
see magical lights around the Isle of the Forest. The next day the 
king, then King Aliphim, led his guards over to the island to 
investigate (and, of course, to hunt if all proved well). They found 
the island much changed. The forest had grown so dense overnight as 
to prove impenetrable save by a single path blocked by mysterious 
obstacles. And, most mystenously of all, the heart-rending cries of 
some mighhy wild beast echoed on and on throughout the forest. It is 
said that several guards fell into madness immediately at the sound 
and that King Aliphim himself was haunted to the end of his days by 
the echo of those cries.

Since that time, the island has taken its new name and has remained 
unpenetrated, and undisturbed, in the midst of the kingdom 's 
teaming life. 

Legends and Myths of the Land of the Green Isles

Through long nights spent before the fire with my companions on the 
Isle of the Crown, I learned that the Green Islanders are famous 
story-weavers. To me, nothing speaks more of a people than the tales 
they tell, for they are woven with the fears, the hopes, and the 
dreams of the culture. For your enlightenment and entertain- ment, I 
set foffh some of the more intereshng of these legends and myths 
here. 

Hidden Islands and Other Worlds

Every land has its tales of hidden places: lost caverns, underground 
treasure rooms, and secret kingdoms accessible only through some 
ancient oak tree. The Land of the Green Isles is no exception. Here, 
as might be imagined, the hidden places take the form of islands 
hidden in the mists and of what might lie beyond in the sea.

One popular tale seems to reflect the universal myths of harvest and 
planhng. It is said that nearby exists a hidden island of priestly 
inhabitants who worship Mother Eaffh. These priests keep the weather 
and the hdes in balance to insure safehy from hurricanes and other 
forces of the sea and to plead continuance for the kingdom 's 
bounty. It is said that these priests demand privacy above all and 
that they remain loyal to the Crown in exchange for secrecy. What a 
wonderfully conspiratorial tale! The Green Islanders are also fond 
of saying that the unpassable currents in the seas around the 
kingdom are there as a warning--to keep all ships from sailing 
fuffher east. For it is believed that within a day's sail in that 
direchon a ship strong enough and foolhardy enough to survive the 
tempest seas would encounter the edge of the world! "What lies 
beyond the edge of the world, " I asked "Why, the next world," they 
replied, and with fearful glances at one another, quickly changed 
the subject.

Death Traditions

Death fascinates men the world round, and there are as many 
philosophies about what comes after this life as there are, it 
seems, lives which end Ifound the Green Islanders to all share a 
common belief so strongly held as to seem to defy quesffoning.

The family of the deceased hold funeral cere- monies a few days 
after death to bid the soul of their loved one safe passage to the 
Realm of the Dead. The deceased is buried with the things he or she 
will need for the journey.

The Realm of the Dead is a place not of this world. There Death 
himself rules. Some call him The Lord of the Dead, others call him 
Samhain. Those souls who have died at peace with their lives are 
allowed to enter the Underworld and are placed in the Sea of Souls. 
In that safe repository, they are greeted by ulh'mate knowledge and 
are prepared for the next stage. Those souls, however, who died with 
unresolved trauma in their human lives cannot enter the underworld, 
but are consigned to wander endlessly on the surface of the Realm, 
chained there by their human woes. Sometimes, their life's problems 
will be resolved in the real world without them--jush'ce meted out, 
or loved ones taken care of--and they are freed from their bonds and 
gratefully go below. More often, however, things are never resolved 
in the real world and the bonded souls, over h'me, become part of 
the mindless dead that roam the surface eternally, never to know 
peace or be allowed to move on.

This belief system deeply affects the lives of the Green Islanders, 
and is, in my esh'mah'on, the root of their peaceful lives and their 
aversion for fn'ction and inft'ghting, greed and anxiety. Certainly, 
as a man or woman approaches old age or infirmity, he or she 
strl'ves to resolve any loose ends in their lives in preparahon for 
the journey ahead 

Genies

In Daventry, the poor man's idea of a great tale involved a 
tradesman or poor farmer falling in with a fairy and thus gaining a 
fortune overnight. How many wild-eyed dreamers have spent their days 
searching out such instant pros- perity instead of buckling down and 
taking the long road to that end? Hah! It is a tale this wanderer 
has heard all too often!

Here in the Land of the Green Isles there are no fewer dreamers, but 
they speak not of fairies but of the djinn, of genies. A genie is an 
even greater temptahon for the aspiring soul than ever a Daventry 
fairy, for a genie does not simply turn a one-ttme favor, however 
great, and then be done with it. No, a genie, like a faithful dog, 
belongs to its owner for life--or, that is, for however long the 
fortunate "master" might keep hold of the creahure 's lamp.

It seems every Green Islander knows the ins and outs of the djinn, 
though few have ever seen one. According to the stated "rules," each 
genie is immortal and each is permanently affached to a given lamp 
in which they might or might not be trapped for long centuries 
depending on the  whims of their owner or fate. Once the lamp comes 
into the possession of a man or woman, that person becomes the 
genie's master and must be obeyed Genies are very valuable creatures 
and can do a variety of trtcks including trans- porting a man 
anywhere on earth, taking any shape the master might wish, and, of 
course, the ever-popular gathering of great treasures and wealth. A 
genie does ha~e some limitations, however: it cannot cure ills, 
change the weather, or bring back the dead And a genie always has a 
weakness. 

A genie is also bound to its master in other ways. It is 
said that a genie is like a mirror; it only reflects its master's 
will. If a master is evil-minded and cruel, the genie will be 
also. If a master is generous and kind, so will be the genie. One of 
the most popular genie stories is the following one about a genie 
named Mali Mellin. 

The Story of Mali Mellin

Mali Mellin was a genie with a terrible weakness for mistletoe 
berries (although the same are poisonous to humans). He had been 
trapped for a few thousand years in a crushy old lamp after being 
buried with his possessive master. One day a poor farmer uncovered 
the lamp while plowing a field The farmer, being ignorant, took the 
lamp at once to his wife, and she, being no more intelligent than 
he, cleaned the outside brusquely without ever opening the lid The 
pair took the lamp to market to sellfor a few pence.

The lamp was purchased by a antiquities dealer, who, being equally 
lazy, never bothered to open the thing. (This tale conhnues on in 
this manner, passing through a dozen or so hands, much to the 
increased hilarity of the local listeners who seem to find this the 
largest joke they ever heard But, to move on....) Finally the lamp 
was purchased by a poor maiden named Daltina, who desired only a 
liffle warmth and light for her ailing mother. Dalhna took the lamp 
home and opened it at once in order tofill it with oil and a wick. 
But instead of dust, a cloud of smoke issued forth from the opened 
lamp and Mali Mellin appeared The girl was overcome with fear, but 
Mali Mellin finally persuaded the poor thing that she was in no 
danger, and, indeed, could now have anything she wishedfor.

In the next few months, Daltina and her mother went from being poor, 
sickly outcasts to being well-to-do. Their poor house became afine 
mansion and their garden blossomed The girl, with the flush of 
prosperity in her cheeks, grew more beautiful by the day. Mali 
Mellin, of course, was furnished with all the mistletoe berries he 
could eat But on one thing, Dalffna followed the advice of her 
mother; "Never tell anyone of the lamp, " she warned, 'for we are but 
hwo lone women in the world and would be no match for those who 
would wish to steal our treasure. "

Several years passed this way, and Dalhna was content. Every night 
Mali Mellin would ask her, "What more do you wish?" and Daltina 
would reply "Nothing. I have all that I want. " 
         
Then, one day, a procession rode through the village. Riding at the 
head was a prince, the most handsome man that the girl had ever 
seen. That night, Mali Mellin asked "What more do you wish?" The 
girl was silent for a moment, thinking "Who am I to wish such a 
thing?" and "Ne should marry a princess. " But her heart, never 
before touched, clamored too loudly for her to hear her own wisdom 
and so she whispered, "I wish for the prince. "

The next day the prince rode back to the village with haunted eyes. 
Ne had seen the girl in a dream and was sick with love. Within 
weeks, the two were married

But the prince was not as good as he appeared He wanted things: more 
wealth, more land, more of everything. When he mooned about for 
these things, the girl felt pity in her love and would in secret go 
to her lamp and call forth Mali Mellin to achieve her love's desires.

At first, the prince was amazed at his wife's powers and inhuiffon. 
After a while, however, the prince grew suspicious of his wife's 
seemingly magical abiliffes. One night, he lamented long about a 
certain ~old sword he must have that hung in a nearby castle. Ne 
pretended to go to sleep and heard Daltina slip out. In silence, he 
followed her down a corridor to her mother's room and there spied 
upon her as she called Mali Mellin from the lamp and, offering it 
some pretty mistletoe, asked her boon.


Mali Mellin, " Daltina said, "There is a sword of gold ten leagues 
from here. Have it delivered to my husband in the morning as a gift 
of tribute. " To which, Mali Mellin replied, "Yes, Master. "

The next morning, a courier arrived with the sword, just as Mali 
Mellin had promised

"Now marvelous, " the prince thought, "to have a wife with such a 
powerful genie!" Then he thought, "Now much more marvelous to 
possess the genie myself!"

And so, that very night, the prince waited unhil Daltina slept, then 
snuck into his mother in-law's chambers and removed the lamp from the 
trunk as he had seen his wife do. Seized with excitement, he 
hastened to his armory and pulled the lidfrom the lamp. MaliMellin 
appeared 

"Yes, Master," the genie twittered, with a new malicious grin on its 
face. "You are MY genie now," said the prince, UAnd shall do only as 
I wish. " "Of course, Master, " said Mali Mellin, "But how about 
some mistletoe?"

The next day, the girl awoke to find the prince in possession of the 
lamp. Despite her pleadings that she be allowed to control the 
dangerous creature, the prince refused to give it back.

And, oh, what the prince did with that lamp! Whereas before, the 
girl had indulged his desires conservaffvely, the prince with the 
lamp knew no bounds. He kept Mali Mellin rushing to fulfill his 
wishes until the rooms of the castle were heaping with gold and 
jewels. His enemies lay slaughtered on the fields without 
provocation. 
         
Mali Mellin's wicked face now became like a demon's in the land, a 
demon who stole and laid scourge to everything.

Finally, the girl could stand no more. The flame of her love for the 
prince was doused by biffer tears. One night, she drugged the 
prince's wine and, when he fell into a deep sleep, took the lamp 
from his grasp. She called forth the genie once more, and, sadly, 
had Mali Mellin carry the prince off to a distant and deserted land 
where he could trouble no one ever again. With the prince gone and 
Mali Mellin back to his good-natured self, Daltina restored the 
broken land and reigned as a benign (if rather meloncholy) queen for 
many years thereafter--reaping, always, plenhful harvests of 
mistletoe. 

Postscript

So concludes my records of the Green Isles. I have been well-treated 
here and have become rich in friends, in knowledge, and in I have 
found inability to travel on have itched less here than anywhere 
else in this wide world Still, on occasion, Ifind my mind roving 
back to the green hills of Daventry. Perhaps, if my spirit, at 
least, is allowed to roam free, I've yet to see them soon.

To those who may someday follow in my footsteps, I say this; Be kind 
to this gentle land, be open-hearted to her whimsy, and protect her, 
if you can, from the harsh winds which might wish to blow in from 
the sea to steal her soul. She is unlike any place I have ever seen, 
and she has stolen my heart. 
