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The Staff Of Karnath is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. It was the first of a series to feature the aristocrat adventurer Sir Arthur Pendragon.
[edit] Introduction
Typically for an Ultimate release, players are given a tantalizing and cryptic introduction :
- "Many millions of years ago before man and his descendants, there lived a very different kind of creature. These creatures were known as Sarnathians, originating from a long dead planet and coming to Earth when their planet was on the verge of destruction.
- They were an evil race, feasting on the torture and destruction of other creatures opposed to their rule. Their aim was the domination of the Universe through the use of a powerful orb of light, the very embodiment of evil, which was created from an unknown material when their planet was destroyed. Over the thousands of years of their terrifying rule, the Orb became too powerful even for them and eventually caused a tear in the inter-dimensional fabric of the Realm of Reality and the Realm of Unreality. This tear caused the Orb to lose all but a fraction of its power, but in doing so sent every living creature on the Earth into the alternate dimension of Unreality.
- The Orb itself was buried deep in the ground for millions of years, until in the age of man, it was discovered by Karnath, an evil sorcerer. Karnath, on finding the Orb, fused it into his own magical staff and on doing so, learned of the secrets and destruction of the race of beings that existed before man. He became obsessed with the Orb and the task of releasing these beings from the Realm of Unreality to do their terrible bidding once more on the Earth.
- After many years of isolation in his castle, as his own death was drawing near, Karnath was finally able to cast a powerful spell over his staff. This spell was designed such that when the Orb once more reached its most powerful state, it would cause a tear in the inter-dimensional fabric and bring forth those creatures imprisoned therein.
- The staff was then hidden deep underground inside an ancient obelisk enscripted with powerful magical symbols to protect it. The only way the obelisk could be opened was by a special key, in the form of a pentagram. Before he died, Karnath broke the key into sixteen pieces and hid them throughout his castle. He then brought into being many mythical creatures and demons to protect with reverence, the locations of the pieces.
- Centuries later, the time of the Orb's most powerful state draws near and on Walpurgis Night (May Eve) at 12.00 midnight, this time will come.
- It is 6 o'clock on the very same day and your task, as Sir Arthur Pendragon, ace adventurer and researcher into ancient legends and sorcery, is to find the sixteen pieces of the pentagram, open the obelisk and destroy the Staff of Karnath before 12 o'clock.
- Your quest of The Staff of Karnath begins..."
[edit] Gameplay
The game is set in a castle presented in a scrolling, isometric view. The aim of the game is to collect all pieces of a pentacle before midnight, in order to form the Staff Of Karnath. The pieces of the pentacle are guarded by various magical creatures, some of which can be defeated by casting spells, others requiring accurate timing and movement. Once a piece is obtained no more pieces can be collected until the pentacle is taken to a specific location within the castle.
The spells in the game were: Forthrin, Throbin, Knossos, Omphalos, Menhir, Aeolus, Baracata, Ibrahim, Stolv, Yerobas.
[edit] Images
Arthur Pendragon dodges a frog-like monster
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A twisty path to a rune-covered obelisk
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A piece of the pentacle is guarded by the monster
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The witch, top left, guards another pentacle piece
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[edit] External links
