A Fork in the Tale

  General Tips:

  The following tips should help you throughout the game.

  Click on icons quickly as they appear on screen. You may be
  penalized for not acting and you may also miss opportunities for
  points, action, and conversation. Best of all, clicking on icons
  is the best way to realize all the humor embedded in the game.

  If you are uncertain as to the meaning of an icon, click anyway.
  You'll soon discover the meanings through usage and will learn how
  to use actions strategically.

  No action can lead to certain death. This is not a story on a
  rail. You have free will to make choices but just sitting there
  will not advance the story lme.

  Use aggression, passivity, or cooperation as appropriate to the
  situation Your reaction will guide the conversation, the action,
  or place you'll go. You will learn to select actions and tones
  appropriate to the personality your are dealing with (these are
  conversational puzzles).

  Play scenes several different ways to fully realize the ability of
  choice imbedded in the game. You will also see the seamlessness of
  the video and audio edits.

  GUIDE TO CD 1

  Backstory:
  There are many worlds within the universe. They are all connected
  and can be entered if you can access 'the portal' or other devices
  such as the Rendalla band. The islanders of Eseveron were
  transported from other worlds, primarily from the lost island of
  Atlantis. In the final days of Atlantis it became clear that the
  Defiance, if it didn't get its way, would blow up the island. Some
  of the Atlantans escaped before the explosion while others who
  were wearing Rendalla bands were able to transport themselves to a
  new dimension. After the devastation of Atlantis, its remaining
  citizens restored their culture On Eseveron. However, things are
  no longer right. The Forest spirits are in an uproar; Pyrodarts,
  formerly a stunning device, now kill. The King and his right led
  man, Cage, want to burn down the Forest and kill the Amalions
  (men-hating woods women). The King fears there is another defiance
  afoot, the same sort that blew up Atlantis. They want to unlock
  the code to a bomb and use it against the Defiance. They are
  enlisting scientists by force to break the protective code.

  SCENES FROM CD #1:

  Story Line: You are going about your own life, walking through a
  parking lot when you accidentally step into a scuffle between a
  pretty girl, an older man, and a gang of hoodlums. You take a
  bullet in the chest or back depending on your level of courage.

  The woman kneels over you and slips a glowing bracelet called a
  "Rendalla Band" on your arm. She whispers, "Here' take this. It's
  your only chance. Look for me on the other side."

  The thugs run over and start fighting when they see the band on
  your arm They determine they'll "get it on the island" and run
  off.

  Paramedics arrive. The lead medic picks up your arm, the Rendalla
  has disappeared and a glowing Dragon Tattoo replaces it. "You have
  been chosen my son." He shocks you with defribillators and you are
  transported through a portal connecting different worlds and
  dropped off the shores of the island of Eseveron. You will learn
  that Eseveron is a parallel dimension, populated by the people you
  saw in the parking lot and a lot more characters. You could not
  survive on Earth without a Rendalla. Your only chance is to gain
  energy and power on Eseveron and return to your Earthly body with
  more strength.

  The Parking Lot Scene:
  Hint: Help the girl and you'll move forward in the game faster. If
  you act cowardly during the shoot out you'll die slowly in the
  bureaucracy of the hospital waiting room.

  Note: There's a consistent theme throughout the game's story line.
  You are an unlikely hero. In fact you're not a hero, just a
  regular guy who stumbles into the role. But to win the game, you
  need to become a hero and that means acting heroically. It's the
  story of growing bigger (emotionally and 'karmically').

  Click on the Icons: In addition to arrows and gesturing men icons,
  there are Memories and Self Talk icons. They look like clouds. The
  Memories enable you to ask about people or places later. The Self
  Talk is comic.

  OCEAN:
  Tips: When you land in the ocean and need to swim, there will be
  directional arrows. Follow the direction of the fish unless you
  hear an ominous sound, then go in the opposite direction of the
  fish. Follow the sea turtle to get help in understanding your next
  goal on land.

  THE BEACH:
  Your welcoming committee consists of a band of men trying to run
  you down on horseback. Use the icons that come up such as
  Memories, and Looking around to get your bearings for use later in
  communications.

  Choices:
  Be aggressive and takethe horses head on. You'll get points for
  dodging the animals. Four stars and you escape to flee with
  Naranya (the woman in pink gown who was in the parking lot).
  Go back in the water: possible shark attack. Would weaken you and
  you'll end up on the hospital bed with surgeons desperately trying
  to remove the bullet from near your heart.
  Lose the horse dodge game and get captured by the King's men. Go
  to dungeon on Castle Grounds.

  The underlying objective on CD 1 is to find out where you are, how
  you got there, and what you are supposed to do to get back home.
  You do this by making your way successfillly though the forest to
  the wise man, Mersham. Before doing so you'll explore the Castle
  Grounds and gather key information about the King, his men, the
  Amalions, and the Defiance. Before leaving you'll gain power in
  the form of an Entropy Tracker, a tool for locating and calming
  disturbed energy.

  FOREST:
  You will roam through the Forest alone and with companions in the
  game. The Forest is the domain of the Amalions, a tribe of women
  who live close to nature, but hate men. The King's henchmen search
  the Forest looking for you and Naranya. Amalions and the King's
  henchmen all pose a threat to you ranging from death to capture.
  There are also plans afoot to burn down the Forest because of a
  suspected Amalion uprising. An 8 star game appears. You earn stars
  by evading capture. Earn enough stars and you make it through the
  Forest to where Mersham is waiting.
  Tips: If following Naranya, stay close. It's easy to lose her in
  the chase. Click on concentric circle icons as you are running.
  They will enable you to fend off your pursuers and gain points
  toward an explanation.
  Hint: When memory icons come up, click on them. You'll learn more
  about your
  situation and the mystery on the island later in conversations.

  Forest Spirit Puzzle: The puzzle represents the disturbance of the
  Forest Spirits. You need to learn the magic gesture to calm them.
  Only then can you encounter Mersham (Lead Medic on Earth and
  powerful shaman on Eseveron).
  Hint: Guide the hand in a motion which appears to change the
  pattern of the confetti-like shapes and colors. Start in the upper
  left corner and try different directions of the hand. When there
  is a deliberate-looking change in the pattern, continue moving in
  the same direction. All of the gestures in the Competitor and Hero
  levels are made of 3-5 straight shapes connected at right angles
  such as stair steps. In Visitor, any movement across the screen
  will work.

  Meeting Mersham: You will learn about the Rendalla, the King's
  Men, other worlds, and about Caring, True Power, Helpfulness and
  Gratitude; all information that will help you build up energy,
  unravel the island's mystery and get you to Earth in a condition
  which will allow you to survive the bullet.

  The Luma Seed: This is a magical object that appears throughout
  the game to dispense information and assistance, or give you a
  magical power that you have earned. At the end of CD 1, the Luma
  Seed will appear with a puzzle. Solve the puzzle and you earn the
  Entropy Tracker, a device you'll need for locating energy
  disturbances.

  Solving the Entropy Tracker Puzzle: This is a gesture problem
  similar to the Forest Spirit puzzle. Guide the hand to direct the
  formation of a shape constructed of right angles. Continue moving
  in a direction when the shape takes on a more solid form. It will
  begin as a wisp and end as a top-like device.

  DUNGEON & CASTLE GROUNDS:

  When you are captured, if you aren't killed, you'll be tossed into
  the dungeon. Here you'll meet the Castle Architect, a quirky
  fellow with lots of secrets. He knows you want to go home. He'll
  help you on your way if you bring him information. The "Key" to
  your release from the dungeon is bringing back 5 pieces of
  information you'll glean from listening in on conversations on the
  castle grounds. These make up your 5 quests on CD 1. Information
  does not need to be gathered all at once. You can leave the castle
  grounds with help of the Architect's magical map.

  Negotiating the Castle Grounds:
  When you are on an Information quest 4 arrows will come up
  pointing N. S. E, W. (there will be fewer arrows if you are in an
  easier mode.)
  The North Arrow leads you to a door directly in front of you. This
  is the entrance to the main area in the Castle. Once inside there
  is a door on the left, and a flight of stairs to the right. Up the
  stairs there are two more doors. You will explore these rooms at
  various times.
  The East Arrow takes you to a door opening into the Lab.
  The South Arrow turns you around to explore the Castle Grounds.
  There are several conversations to overhear throughout the
  grounds.
  The West Arrow takes you down a corridor. On the right you'll see
  a door under the decking. That is the backdoor to the dungeon. Use
  it to report back to the Castle Architect without the pain of
  getting captured and thrown into the dungeon.

  HOSPITAL
  If you are very wounded or killed on Eseveron, you become
  conscious of your weakened body still hanging onto life in the
  parallel dimension of Earth. Due to the bullet lodged right next
  to your heart—you're almost a goner. You will not survive on Earth
  unless you accumulate more energy on Eseveron. After a dreamlike
  re-entry into your body on the surgical table, you are transported
  back to Eseveron's waters for another attempt at gaining energy.
  As the story unfolds you will lean about many ways to build

  CD2

  Overview of CD 2: Geared up with the Entropy Tracker given to you
  by the Luma Seed, you'll have the tools to negotiate this level.
  You start out in the forest with Naranya but within moments you'll
  have the following story action choices:
  Continue with her through the forest;
  Get captured and go to the Castle Dungeon,
  Arrive at the Black Smith's Forge,
  Have a run-in with Amalions;
  Get captured by Amalions and entered into a fight to the death
  The underlying objective is to meet the Blacksmith and get his
  magic Dragon Staff and then follow the "Daughters" to the Inn.
  Additionally, you'll get information to further the story and
  understand the events to unravel the island's mystery.

  BLACKSMITH'S FORGE
  Story: The Black Smith has been blinded literally and
  metaphorically by his inability to understand Time Power. He is an
  exceptionally hard worker and dedicated to forging magical
  weapons. Recently his most important research manuals and formulas
  have been stolen. When you arrive he believes you are the thief
  comingback for more.
  Tips: The Blacksmith will try to club you. Keep silent. He will
  also attack Naranya. Attempt to help her by distracting the
  Blacksmith. Do not abandon her if she goes down and becomes
  unconscious. If you remain in the forge and both Naranya and the
  Blacksmith are felled, a bomb-like device will be activated. You
  will need to solve the Panel Puzzle to deactivate it.

  Panel Puzzle Solution:
  Each button and switch activates one of the other buttons or
  switches on the panel. The key is to try each one, map out what it
  activates and then follow the pattern that the panel generates.
  There is a secret button on the panel behind the lever.

  Labyrinth to Core
  After solving the Panel Puzzle you fly through a labyrinth of
  tunnels leading you to the Power Core. In order to negotiate to
  this core you'll need the Entropy Tracker. Click on the Tracker.
  Depending on the setting of the difficulty mode, you may or may
  not need to do the magic gesture to activate its power. The
  Tracker has a red pointer at the top. The pointer vibrates when it
  detects energy disturbances. Train the Tracker over the tunnels to
  determine which one you should enter. Enter where the disturbance
  is highest. You need to make this decision and click before you
  fly out of the tunnel you are in. If you are late, you'll fall
  into the chasm and will lose points. At the end of the labyrinth
  you'll hit the Power Vortex. Click on the right spot and it will
  transport you back to the Blacksmith.

  Blacksmitht's Conversational Puzzle
  Story: The Blacksmith shuns everyone in quest of his work. He is a
  bully and abuses his powers. He sees you as weak and decides to
  take your Rendalla band. This is life threatening to you.

  Conversational Puzzle: The game includes four main conversational
  puzzles. The first one you'll encounter is with the Blacksmith. In
  these scenes, skilled conversation, rather than physical action,
  is key to winning. Getting tbrough these scenes successfully
  requires that players:
  Figure out what sort of attitude will work against the antagonist
  Choose the right speech acts and movements when they are
  presented.

  Tips: To win the Blacksmith's Conversational Puzzle first you must
  confront him aggressively. Be forceful. Click on theTrue Power
  memory.

  Blacksmith's Dragon Staff
  Ask the Blacksmith's wife for something. She'll give you the
  Dragon Staff, which will evolve into a defensive shield. You'll
  need this to shield yourself though the forest. The LumaSeed will
  explain its defensive powers.

  FOREST
  You will need the magic staff given to you by the blacksmith's
  wife to successfully negotiate the forest, thwart the Pyrodarts,
  and defend against the Amalion traps and King's Henchmen.

  Amalion Encounter: They believe you are one of the Swale
  (Swine/Male) attempting to burn down their forest and kill them.
  If captured they will throw you into a fight-to-the-death with one
  of Arisar's men.
  Tips: In the fight, click quickly on icons. As you play you will
  learn their meanings: punch, hold, directional moves, rolls,
  pushes, karate chops. When your energy is flagging use a defensive
  move such as a push to the side or spin, rather than an energy
  consuming offensive move.

  Using the Magic Dragon Staff: Depending on your level of
  difficulty, click on the icon, make magic gesture to activate,
  click to ward off Pyrodarts and other threats.

  Hint: Defending against Pyrodarts requires waiting until dart teas
  been launched. Click too soon and your defense is down by the tune
  dart nears you.
  Note: When Dragon Shield drops away from Dragon, re-energize by
  clicking on icon.

  Daughter Chase: The Blacksmith suggests you go to the Inn and find
  Eleusia After arming yourself with the staff, you take the West
  Trail through the forest. It's heavily inhabited with Amalions and
  the King's men. You'll deal with them using the Staff. However,
  you'll also spot beautiful maidens in the distance. Click the
  rectangular icon when you see them. You will need to spot and tag
  all 10. They are Eleusia's daughters and will lead you to the Inn.

  CASTLE DUNGEON
  Story: You gather information by spying around the Castle. You
  learn:

  Conlin appears to be Naranya's father, a highly regarded research
  scientist on Earth who studies ancient civilizations. He stumbled
  onto evidence that an ancient civilization found a way to travel
  inter-dimensionally. He links the travels to the Rendalla band and
  secures one for himself and his daughter Naranya
  Conlin is being held by the King to decipher the protective code
  encasing a bomb that the king would like to use. A group of
  scientists is working on the encryption with Conlin. However,
  Conlin is stalling to prevent the information falling into the
  King's hands.
  The King believes Naranya is one of the leaders of the New
  Defiance and orders her captured. He believes he can get to the
  others through her.
  Eleusia, the Inn Keeper, is also targeted by the King for capture.
  The King's Men talk of mutiny. Eleusia is everyone's surrogate
  mother, a kindly, woman with 10 lovely daughters. They cannot
  believe she is a member of the Defiance.
  Arisar wears a half heart locket around his neck. His infant
  daughter wore the other half He lost her as an infant when
  Atlantis blew up. He believed her dead all these years but
  recently has word that she may be alive on another world.

  CD3

  Overview of CD 3
  You have just arrived alone at the Inn. If you approach the Inn
  you will meet the Inn Mother, Eleusia -- if you leave, you will go
  to the Castle. The objective is to meet Eleusia, go upstairs to
  meet the other "Guest" and then get the Celesphere from Eleusia

  THE INN
  Story: Eleusia and her daughters have forgotten the true meaning
  of Help, and often smother their guests with food and attention.
  They currently have one guest when you arrive, Naranya, and she is
  very sick.

  Tips: Do not become distracted by Eleusia's daughters. Your goal
  here is to meet the other guest. You will gain points for asking
  about the guest and you will loose points if you ask to see more
  of Eleusia's daughters. Eleusia will occasionally try to take the
  staff away from you. She will always be frightened by it, which
  will give you enough time to click on the icon and grab your staff
  back. If see takes the staff, her daughters will go outside with
  it, and you will have to chase them through the forest to get it
  back. Once you have earned enough points to see the other guest,
  approach the stairs.

  Eleusia's Staff Puzzle
  Eleusia and her daughters will try to stop you from going
  upstairs. If you try to talk to any of them you will be smothered
  and loose your staff. The only solution here is to use your staff
  to repel Eleusia and her daughters. Time your activation of the
  staff carefully. If you use the staff to early you will lose it.

  Eleusia's Conversation Puzzle
  Story: Eleusia will try to stop you from seeing the other guest by
  distracting you with her daughters. By now, you know that the
  other guest is Naranya, and she needs your help. Eleusia will
  listen to you if you talk to her now. Confont Eleusia, then click
  on the Help from your memory.

  Naranya in Bed Puzzle
  Story: Eleusia will guide you upstairs to see Naranya, who is
  seeing visions of the annihilation on Atlantis. Eleusia will ask
  you to help Naranya. There are only two solutions here:
  You can use the Dragon Memory if you have it. Thismay be obtained
  from Mersham after the Swale Fight on CD 2.
  Overwise, you must use the Entropy Tracker on Naranya

  Eleusia's Celaphere
  After you help Naranya, Eleusia will give you the Celesphere. The
  LumaSeed will explain its power of drawing compassion from an
  attacker. You will need to complete a gesture problem to activate
  the Celesphere, which will begin as a sphere and end as a flower.
  Naranya will leave the Inn with you and guide you to the castle.

  Return To The Inn
  You must avoid all attacks and earn points to return to the Inn.
  You must return to the Inn if you left to retrieve the staff, or
  to complete the quest for the Castle Architect.

  Swale Fight
  If you did not win the Swale Fight on CD 2 and get hit by an
  Amalion or a Pyrodart, you will be captured and return to the
  Swale Fight. You continue the fight from the last round you were
  in.

  Castle Dungeon
  Story: You gather information by spying around the Castle. You
  learn that Arisar orders his men to capture Naranya alive and
  unharmed since she is a leader of the New
  Defiance.

  CD4

  East Trail
  Story: You are following Naranya along the East Trail. You have
  the opportunity to ask Naranya some questions and find out how she
  ended up at the Inn. Here's what you learn:
  Naranya was tricked by one of Arisar's men who was wearing a cape
  just like Mersham. Naranya ran up to him and was captured. (Later,
  Arisar's men will try the same cape trick on you). Luckily for
  Naranya, a group of hunting Amalions happened to pass by and
  attacked Arisar's men. Naranya crawled into the bushes and got
  away.

  You and Naranya are then attacked by the Amalions who capture
  Naranya and take her away. You have various options here, but they
  all lead you to being alone in the forest.

  FOREST
  You walk alone in the forest and must find the Amalions to get
  Naranya back. Arisar's men have set fire to parts of the forest:
  they are still in the forest and are looking for you. They will do
  various things from capture to death if they catch you. The
  Amalions believe that you are trying to destroy the forest and
  that you do not appreciate their efforts to save it. You must put
  out the fire to prove to the Amalions that you are not like
  everyone else.

  Tip:
  Mersham will appear to guide you. If you do not see the Forest
  Spirits then it is really Talisan disguised as Mersham.

  Hint:
  When you see the fire, use the Celesphere to put it out and earn a
  point. When you earn 4 points, the Amalions will stop their
  attacks and approach you.

  Amalion Conversation Puzzle
  When you first meet the Amalions, ask Seshara (the Amalion Queen)
  where Naranya is, they will knock you unconscious and take you to
  another part of the forest. The Amalions are very unfriendly now,
  and they take your staff away. You must tell Seshara that you need
  her help. There is more than one correct path to take through the
  dialogue here. Remember that you are here to see Naranya. The
  Amalions do not like weak people, so never beg. If you don't get
  yourself killed, you will eventually get to see Naranya.

  Kalinia Fight
  Story: You have just seen Naranya and have a new problem: now
  Naranya thinks she is an Amalion and that her name is Kalinia.
  Naranya will try to kill you, and you must fight her. This will
  play a lot like the Swale Fight that you had earlier, with a few
  exceptions:
  You will only be able to fight defensively. Deep down, Naranya is
  still your friend so you don't want to attack her.
  You will be given opportunities to make Namaya start to remember
  who she really is. Not all of your memories will work. For
  example, Naranya will not remember being captured by Seshara but
  she will remember her father.

  Tips
  There are several ways to win the fight:
  If Naranya runs out of energy and passes out, you can approach her
  and use the Entropy Tracker.
  If you get 6 points to make Naranya remember who she is, Seshara
  will stop the fight.
  You must first show Bravery, then Reason with Seshara, and finally
  show your Gratitude. Naranya will pass out and you can use either
  the Dragon Memory or the Entropy Tracker to revive her.

  FOREST
  Story: Seshara will tell you about the Shell and that you need to
  get the Amagoshard from Arisar. Seshara will give you the Thunder
  Stone in exchange for the Celesphere.

  Initiation Dance
  The Amalions perform their Initiation Dance for you. You must play
  the drums to make more dancers appear. You can use the drum beat
  (from the other drums) as a guide to help you play on beat. In the
  final moments of the dance, smoke will fill the area. Use the
  Thunder Stone on the smoke to make a dancer appear. When smoke
  appears again you may use the Thunder Stone again. If you use the
  Thunder Stone, you will see a vision of the Annihilation. If you
  do not use the Thunder Stone, you will see more of the dancer.
  After the dance, Naranya will say goodnight to you and you will
  fall asleep.

  Amalions Captured by Arisar
  In the morning, you and Naranya hide in the bushes. Arisar and his
  men appear and capture the Amalions. You will learn that Arisar
  and Seshara were once married and they had a daughter who was lost
  during the Annihilation. Seshara blames Arisar for the death of
  their daughter since he went away. Arisar explains that he was
  looking for a safe place for Seshara and their daughter. He also
  says that heard news that their daughter is still alive on another
  island.

  Mersham at Lake
  Naranya takes you to the lake to meet with Mersham. You must first
  prove your identity to the Forest Spirits (by performing the
  gesture you learned earlier). Menham will give you the Vanishment
  (which will make you invisible). The LumaSeed will appear and help
  you learn the gesture to activate the Vanishment. Naranya will
  tell Mirsham of the plan to go to the Castle to get the Amagoshard
  and free the Amalions. At the end of this scene you will be
  captured by Arisar's men.

  CASTLE DUNGEON
  Story: You gather information by spying around the Castle. You
  learn:
  Conlin was caught changing notes and was taken away to be
  "persuaded."
  Cage is very angry with the other scientists, who have not yet
  broken the code
  Conlin was taken to the dungeon. The guards take him out
  periodically to torture him.

  CD5

  CASTLE
  You are thrown into the Casde Dungeom The Castle Architect sends
  you on more quests where you mill team the following:
  The King and Cage suspect that the Amalions have the Celesphere.
  They suspect that one of the Amalions might have swallowed it.
  The King orders Arisar to get the Celesphere from the Amalions. If
  they do not hand over the Celesphere, Arisar is to cut them open
  until he finds it.

  The Castle Architect will then transport you outside at the
  Castle; you must now find Arisar and the Amalions. Go to the War
  Room to find them.

  War Room
  If you peek into the War Room, you will see that Arisar is going
  to force Seshara to play a game for the lives of the Amalions. To
  save the Amalions, you must use the Vanishment.

  Saving the Amalions and Yourself
  Once you use the Vanishment, you enter the room (the bad guys
  cannot see you). You will see 2 bones in Arisar's hands; one of
  them has a red dot. You will then be standing in front of 2
  candles. You must blow on the candle that corresponds to the hand
  with the bone (left candle for left hand; right candle for right
  hand); click on the appropriate hot spot. You will also need to
  recharge the Vanishment after each time that you blow on the
  candle, since it uses up magic very fast. When you earn the points
  needed to save the Amalions, your Vanishment will disappear and
  you will be caught.

  Tip:
  You must play Arisar's bone game to save first Seshara and then
  yourself
  To determine which hand the bone is in, watch the candles. If the
  right candle flickers, the bone is in the right hand, and vice
  versa

  Arisar Conversation Puzzle
  Once you have earned enough points to save yourself, Arisar will
  try to bully you into playing for your life some more. Instead you
  should confront Arisar and ask about Care from your memory. You
  will tell Arisar that you know that he lost someone that he cared
  for and ask him what happened to his daughter.

  Arisar will send his all his men out of the room. Arisar will show
  you the picture of Naranya, and ask you to help him find her.
  Arisar says that he just wants to ask her a few questions and that
  he won't hurt her. When you agree to make a deal with Arisar, he
  will free the Amalions and give you the Amagoshard. The LumaSeed
  will appear to help you learn the gesture sequence for it.

  HILL TOP
  Congratulations you have almost reached the end of the game, but
  there is still more for you to do, and the fate of this world is
  at stake.

  There are multiple exciting endings. The one you get depends on
  your actions from this point on. Good luck!