Hotkeys These are the default settings for common hotkeys. To view a complete list of hotkeys or to customize the settings, click the Options button on the Main menu (or click the Menu button within the game, and then click Options), click Input, and then click Hotkeys. General controls SPACEBAR or PAUSE F9 CTRL+S F11 CTRL+L Z ALT W TAB N ESC X \ J ENTER SHIFT+ENTER CTRL+ENTER F10 Pause game. Quick save game. Save game. Quick load game. Load game. Collect items on the ground.
Safety Warning Contents Photosensitive Seizure Warning A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these “photosensitive epileptic seizures” while watching video games.
Map of the Kingdom of Ehb 2 X0879464BDY.
History of the Kingdom of Ehb Installing Only three hundred years old, the Kingdom of Ehb is one of the youngest states bordering the Plain of Tears. First settled as a trading outpost on the fringes of the Empire of Stars, Ehb later achieved temporary status as a military protectorate and province when the 10th Legion migrated westward. After the catastrophic War of Legions led to the collapse of the Empire, the stunned province of Ehb was set on an irrevocable course toward independence and kingship.
Setting out on your journey With your world thrust into turmoil, you embark upon a harrowing journey through the Kingdom of Ehb—hoping to defeat whatever evil has befallen the land and, along the way, becoming a heroic fighter, archer, or mage.
Survival tips ✦ Watch your health level (red bar beside the Character Portrait). If you’re wounded and your health level drops to zero, you’ll lose consciousness and may die. Your health level slowly recovers over time. ✦ Watch your mana level (blue bar beside the Character Portrait). When you cast a spell, your mana level drops. If you run out of mana, you can’t cast spells. Your mana level slowly recovers over time. ✦ Save the game periodically.
Crypt of the Sacred Blood Customizing game options, hotkeys, and the status bar You can set the video, audio, mouse, and hotkey options according to your preference. To customize the game options ✦ Click Options on the Main menu. Or click the Game Menu button on the status bar, and then click Options. For information about an option, point to it. Help text appears on the screen. The default hotkeys are listed on the back of this manual.
Moving your character Selecting a weapon or spell To move your character The weapons and spells you have equipped are shown in the Weapons Panel beside the Character Portrait, so you can easily select which one to use. For more about which weapons and spells are displayed, see “Equipping weapons and armor” and “Equipping spells” in this manual. ✦ Left-click a location on the screen to move your character to that location.
Attacking Picking up treasure You automatically fight back if a creature attacks you. If you’re using a bow or ranged spell, you automatically attack when a hostile creature enters the range of your weapon. To change your character’s attack behavior, see “Setting movement, attack, and targeting orders” in this manual. You cannot directly attack other characters in your party. When you kill a creature or open a container, treasure such as weapons, armor, spells, gold, or other items may fall to the ground.
Stonebridge Managing your Inventory When Imperial trader Etan Stonebridge founded his town, it was little more than a rough patch in the road south of Wesrin Cross. To most, it didn’t look like much. But it was close to a shallow bay and an Azunite Shrine of Passion that had recently been erected by Dwarven traders hailing from the Agallan Peaks. The shrine was already a popular stopping place for traders heading farther south, and it would likely attract settlers if Etan could ensure the public peace.
damage a weapon can inflict (depending on how well the enemy creature is armored) and, if it is a ranged weapon, how far it fires. The amount of gold you have is shown at the top of your Inventory. All members of your party use gold from the same account. weapon, or armor and don’t already have that type of item equipped, it automatically equips so you can use it immediately. However, spells do not auto-equip when you pick them up. For more about this, see “Equipping spells” in this manual.
wesrin Cross Equipping spells The lonely ruins of Wesrin Cross bear silent witness to some of the darkest hours of Ehb’s turbulent history. Originally constructed as an inn by Fiola Wesrin, the building was heavily fortified when the 10th Legion came from the east. At the same time, the path through the Green Ridge hillside was moved to an underground tunnel to restrict the passage of people and goods.
Nature Magic Combat Magic Nature mages dole out damage with pinpoint accuracy, which minimizes danger to bystanders and the nearby terrain. They are masters of spells that support and enhance the members of your party, and they are invaluable where brute force alone cannot prevail. A few of the spells that beginning Nature mages can use are: Combat mages are masters of destruction, who can wreak havoc on wide areas. They are also capable of wielding powerful spells that enhance the party.
Glitterdelve Increasing your skills The area now known as the Glitterdelve Mine was first recorded in the journals of famed Agallan cartographers Fedwyrr and Klars, who noted a network of cramped caverns winding through miles of mineral-bearing rock. The caverns provided the only means of traversing the Green Range and passing between the eastern and western halves of the kingdom.
Character attributes The skills you develop determine your character’s attributes. Magic weapons, armor, or other items you’ve equipped can also (positively or negatively) affect your character’s attributes. Attributes are shown in blue if they are increased due to a magic item and are shown in red if they are decreased. ✦ Strength determines a character’s physical power. Strength increases with melee skill.
Glacern Talking to other characters The first Imperial visitors to this snow-swept northern town reported finding a lone statue of a human warrior, bearing a nameplate that read only ‘Glacern.’ The statue emanated magical warding. Because neither Droog nor Krug would venture near the statue, the natural protection it offered made early settlement easier in the otherwise harsh surroundings.
If you don’t have enough gold to hire a character, collect more by adventuring or selling excess items from your Inventory. When you have the required amount of gold, talk to the character again. To add a packmule to your party ✦ Talk to a mule trader and then click Buy Packmule. Dismissing a character from your party Your party can include up to eight characters. If there are already eight characters in your party, you must dismiss one of the existing members before a new character can join.
Fortress Kroth Managing your party Built by the Seck to repel Droog aggression following the Great Relocation, Fortress Kroth is the only remnant of Seck architecture in the kingdom. During the Seck Rebellion, the 10th Legion surrounded the fortress, in which the surviving Seck leaders had taken refuge. Legion commander Noanni offered generous terms for peace, only to have the severed heads of slain Legionnaires rain down from Kroth’s walls.
Movement orders Moving your party in formation Movement orders control how characters engage the enemy. ✦ Move Freely. Characters are free to move anywhere to engage the enemy, even if the enemy flees across the world. ✦ Engage. Default setting. Characters engage in battle but remain in the vicinity of where they were last ordered to move. ✦ Hold Ground. Characters remain in position and cannot initiate an attack, but they can fight back.
Dragon’s Rathe Just beyond the walls of Castle Ehb is a great blackened crevice where the worst criminals in the kingdom are sentenced to death. This tradition goes back to the ancient Droog practice of sacrificing lawbreakers in hope that their gods would reduce the Droogs’ sentence of exile and call them back to the heavens. Later, the kings and queens of Ehb adopted the Rathe as their favorite method of execution, as it allowed prisoners a slim chance of escape if their guilt was in doubt.
3. Select a character, create a new character, or import an existing character from a saved single player game. In a multiplayer game, you can choose to play a human, dwarf, or skeleton. All players must select a character. 4. Click I’m Ready to Begin. A check mark appears beside the names of players who are ready. All players must click the I’m Ready to Begin button before the game can start. To host a multiplayer game 1. Click Multiplayer on the Main menu. 2.
Game Settings To give another player gold The host selects the game settings in the Staging Area. For information about the options in Game Settings, point to any item and read the text that appears on the screen. ✦ Open your Inventory, click the gold amount, select how much gold to give the other player, and then click the other player’s Character Portrait. To trade items Join in Progress If you select Join in Progress, guest players can join your game after you’ve already begun.
Castle Ehb Credits — Gas Powered Games Designer and Project Leader Not far from the Droog Cliffs of Fire stands Castle Ehb, deemed the only impenetrable castle other than the legendary Palace of Night in the Empire of the Stars. Designed by 10th Legion engineers, Castle Ehb is built on a hill of solid granite and commands a view for miles in all directions. Originally occupied by the soldiers of the 10th Legion, the castle is now the principal residence of the crowned ruler of the Kingdom of Ehb.
Microsoft Worldwide Services Microsoft Project Leads Bartosz Gulik - Program Manager Christopher Liu II - Test Lead Jon Grande - Lead Product Planner Testing Andrew Aleshire, Larry Bridges, Daland Davis, Sean Epperson, Sharon Evans, Mark Grimm, Greg Hertager, Bryce Jones, Mark Medlock, Slava Mikhailiouk, Scott Murray, Darryl Shannon, Jeff Waibel, Brian Warris, Jason York ZoneMatch and Strike Team Development Andy Glaister (Dev Mgr), John Smith (Lead), Richard Tsao (Lead), Denise Mak, Leon Pryor, Curt Ca
