The Monsters
The Story
The Heroes
The Monsters
The Labyrinths
The Ringmaster
Playing Pieces
Database Entry
Review
The Ringmaster dispatches his dread nightmare minions to guard the rings – treacherous Firewraths and Orcs – the unspeakable Spydroth Tarantulus – malevolent Doomwinged Bloodthirsts – and the hideous firebreathing dragons – Scortha, Goldfang and Mythrog. – Instruction Manual, Page 5
The Ringmaster went to great trouble to snatch those magical rings, and he's hardly going to leave them lying around unguarded! On the contrary, he surrounds the enchanted jewelry with these horrible monsters – creatures so terrifying you might find yourself longing for the gentle hunter-killers of UFO! Would-be Heroes should become well acquainted with these dungeon denizens before embarking on their Quest:
The ubiquitous Orcs and Firewraths show up in every Labyrinth, regardless of what other creatures might be on hand. Orcs are diminutive ogres, and are enemies of all nature. Firewraths are the enslaved spirits of the Dragons' past victims, and they move a bit faster than the Orcs. On screen, these enemies look just like the Heroes, but are different colors. Don't let them touch you, for if they do – you guessed it – you're dead.
Spydroth Tarantulus comprises one half of the deadly monster tag-team called the Nightmares. Along with the Doomwinged Bloodthirsts, the Tarantulus really can make your worst dreams come true! Acting on the belief that consuming living flesh will increase its life span, the Tarantulus homes in on the nearest Hero, and if caught, the Hero will perish as the Tarantulus devours him whole. Beware: if the Tarantulus gets above you, it can swoop down rapidly!
The other half of the Nightmares, the Doomwinged Bloodthirsts are horrific fanged flying creatures that may have inspired the vampire legends. Much like the undead creatures of lore, Bloodthirsts attach themselves to a Hero's neck, then proceed to drain his blood (and his life) away. While somewhat slow-moving at a distance, Bloodthirsts strike with frightening quickness when their prey is near.
The Dragons – Scortha, Goldfang, and Mythrog – are huge, armored "witchworms" that rank with the deadliest enemies in classic videogaming history! Huge, Godzilla-looking things, the Dragons patrol the lower third of the screen. They lumber back and forth, and if a Hero passes within their area, they will pursue him, emitting deadly balls of fire. Luckily, the Warrior and Wizard can block the fire (though not always successfully), and the Changeling can slip by the Dragon undetected. But for any Hero, getting past a Dragon is quite a daunting challenge!