ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Alien</title> <meta content="Mark Patraw" name=Author> <meta content="Images of, and information about, a Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum 'Alien' mini action figure, made by Mark Patraw." name=Description> <meta content="Alien,Might & Magic,The Secret of the Inner Sanctum,rpg,monster,creature,enemy,extraterrestrial,fan art,action figure,miniature,sculpture,model,toy,Mark Patraw,New World Computing,American Sammy,G-Amusements." name="Keywords"> </head> <body link=silver text=white bgcolor=353b4d background="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_bg_zps44eaed29.png~original" bgproperties=fixed> <br> <br> <table width=85% align=center cellpadding=10 border=10 bordercolor=teal bgcolor=181263> <tr> <td> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_logo_zps3a4d39a6.gif~original"> <br> <br> <br> <br> <font size="7" color=white><b><i>Alien</i></b></font> <br> <br> <EMBED src="MaM_tSotIS_title.mid" width="144" height="60" autostart="true" loop="true" hidden="true"></center> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_rotation_zpsc02a22ee.gif~original" border=3 alt="These guys look suspiciously like members of the Ku Klux Klan...maybe there's an intergalactic branch?"></p> <br> <p align=left> Marooned visitors from the stars that first appeared in New World Computing's 1986 <i>Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum</i> Apple II roleplaying video game. Said title proved quite popular and was subsequently ported to a variety of other computer formats and home consoles--in particular, my figure is based on G-Amusements/American Sammy's 1991/1992 conversion for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). While these creatures only represent an optional "side quest" encounter, they're absolutely integral to the larger storyline of the series, which became even more cosmic in scope in the sequels, because these Aliens were the ones transporting the franchise's primary antagonist, Sheltem, who escaped when they crashed. As such, they're indirectly responsible for all the calamities that the intergalactic fugitive subsequently causes. <br> <br> The Aliens' crash site is not easy to reach. The otherworldly jailers' damaged prison ship came to rest in a mountain valley deep in the unforgiving Invading Desert. If the heroes can endure the scorching temperatures, and survive encounters with the deadly, and often poisonous, beasts that wander the shifting sands, they may discover the Aliens' base camp. Anyone approaching the glittering wreck will immediately find themselves challenged by its sentries, and how you respond to the extraterrestrials will dictate the fate of your party: If you choose to simply leave without attempting to communicate, the Aliens will randomly disintegrate one of your player characters on the spot, reducing them to ashes (that's not very neighborly!) If you attack, then you'll have a very tough fight on your hands, as these exotic creatures are more-than-capable of defending themselves with their claws/tentacles and deadly exhalations of pure energy (fortunately, they can't disintegrate you during battle.) If you're smart and choose the friendly approach, then the Aliens will allow you to go about your business peacefully and will relate their story and pass along some advice: While transporting the renegade Guardian, Sheltem, they experienced mechanical problems and were forced to crash land on Varn [which, unbeknownst to its relatively primitive inhabitants, isn't actually a planet, but V.A.R.N. (Vehicular Astropod Research Nacelle), one of many flat, artificial worlds created by the Ancients.] Their ship suffered substantial damage in the crash, and, unfortunately, Sheltem escaped. The Aliens have, thus far, been unable to locate him, but they strongly suspect that he's impersonating one of the human rulers of Varn. If the heroes can find where Sheltem has the real nobleman imprisoned, then they can confront him with the evidence and force Sheltem to reveal his true nature. <br> <br> These interstellar travelers employ devices far beyond the understanding of anyone on Varn, which has only achieved a medieval-era level of technology. Indeed, the magically-inclined inhabitants could only conceive of such things as being the products of some unknown and terrible sorcery. To date, the Aliens have elected to remain in seclusion in the Invading Desert, until such a time that they can make the necessary repairs on their vessel, and, hopefully, recapture Sheltem--doubtlessly they would be mistaken for indigenous monsters, and attacked, if they were to wander too close to any of the developed areas that have been settled by humans and demi-humans. The extraterrestrials are also probably reluctant to upset Varn's backwards (by their standards) culture by making themselves, and, by extension, the true nature of the universe, widely known.</p> <br> <table border=2 width=95% cellpadding=5 align=center> <tr> <td bgcolor=black colspan=6> <center><font size=6 color=white><b>Alien Statistics</b></font></center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Encounter Locations</font></center> </td> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Number<br>Appearing</font></center> </td> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Hit Points</font></center> </td> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Armor Class*</font></center> </td> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Attack<br>Damage</font></center> </td> <td width=16.6% bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Number of<br>Attacks</font></center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Mountainous region in the Invading Desert (X:3,Y:11 in E-2)</p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>6~12</font><br>(6D2)</b></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>101~108</font><br>(1D8+100)</b></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>15</b></font></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>2~40</font><br>(2D20)</b></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>2</b></font></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Speed</font></center> </td> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Bravery</font></center> </td> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Friendliness</font></center> </td> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Experience<br>Points</font></center> </td> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Treasure</font></center> </td> <td bgcolor=white><center><font color=000080>Special<br>Properties</font></center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>15</b></font></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>35</b></font></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>16</b></font></p> </td> <td> <p align=center><font size=5><b>1,000</b></font></p> </td> <td> <p align=left> May drop gems, never items or gold.</p> </td> <td> <p align=center> <li>Magic Resistance (40%).</li> <li>Resistant to sleep, paralysis, and fear.</li> <li>Breath attack (energy); always does 100 damage to a single target.</li></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=10> <font size=2>* Bucking classic <i>1st and 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons</i> tradition, Armor Class bonuses are added, rather than subtracted, in this game, thus, the Alien's AC 15 is roughly equivalent to AC -5 in <i>D&D</i>, a number which is indicative of some pretty impressive defenses (a human would need a full suit of enchanted armor and a shield to get an equivalent AC). In addition to what looks like an armored exoskeleton, these Aliens might have some kind of force field, or, maybe that cape is just really tough like Kevlar.</font></td> </tr> </table> <br> <br> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=yellow>Materials:</font></b> <br> Lined white notebook paper, newsprint, white glue, wire twist ties, tissue paper, and acrylic paint.</p></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=yellow>Dimensions*:</b></font> <br> 2.0 cm (0.8") x 4.6 cm (1.8") <i> [widest point x highest point]</i> <br> <i>* The numbers given assume a neutral standing pose; the values will vary depending on how the figure's joints are positioned.</i></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=yellow>Articulation:</b></font> <br> 16 Points: Neck, shoulders x 2, elbows x 4, tentacles x 2, waist, hips x 2, knees x 2, and ankles x 2.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=yellow>Time:</font></b> <br> Two days: June 26 and 27, 2013.</p> <hr width=650 size=3 color=bc7119> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_zpsb674c651.jpg~original" border=3."></p> <hr width=650 size=3 color=bc7119> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_fab_zpse1b8b083.jpg~original" border=3."></p> Here are some mid-construction photos of the Alien figure at the end of Day 1 (6/26/13). The legs, body, tentacles, and head are finished and have received their first two coats of paint, but the arms are still incomplete, and I have yet to make the cape or shoulder pads. <br> <br> <hr width=650 size=3 color=bc7119> <br> <center> For comparison/informational purposes, below are several relevant images (all captured from the NES incarnation of the game): <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_location_zpsec3f572d.png~original" align=center border=3> <br> This is the location of the Aliens' crash site on the overworld map (X:3,Y:11 in E-2). <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_starcraft_zps155e41a0.png~original" align=center border=3> <br> <p align=left>The adventurers are surprised to discover the wreckage of a mysterious vessel, and its otherworldly crew, in the mountains of the Invading Desert. <br> <br> Note that, in the coordinates window, in the center of the screen, the game's translator(s) failed to convert the Japanese katakana character "Ba" to "Va" when the NES version was localized*, so, "Varn" is always misspelled as "Barn" in that window, throughout the entire game, which, while it doesn't affect gameplay, is still a pretty big goof-up! <br> <br> <i>*The Famicom (Japanese name for the NES, which is a combination of the words "family" and "computer") adaptation of the PC game was developed by G-Amusements Corporation, which was then translated back into English by American Sammy for the North American NES market.</i></p> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_message1_zpsf7cc7117.png~original" align=center border=3> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_message2_zpsb8470a45.png~original" align=center border=3> <p align=left>If you're friendly and talk to the Aliens, they'll explain that their prisoner has escaped, and is likely masquerading as one of Varn's rulers. That's all well and good, but why aren't THEY doing something to recapture the fugitive? <br> <br> At least Varnlings got spelled correctly here, although Barnlings does sound like something condescending aliens would call humans...</p> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_battle2_zps0a3b038f.png~original" align=center border=3> <p align=left>Xenophobic (or maybe just pissed that all the trouble that Sheltem has caused is ultimately the fault of these Aliens for allowing him to escape in the first place), the adventurers have rashly decided to attack the cosmic entities. <br> <br> One of the two Sorcerers (renamed Wizards in the NES version, for no discernible reason) in my party, Rigel, has just cast the Level 2 Sorcerer spell "Enemy" on one of the Aliens, which reveals some of their statistics (the window in the lower left of the screen.) Note that the second "HP" abbreviation is not for Hit Points, but Hit Power (the number of melee strikes the creature makes when it physically attacks, in this case, two).</p> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/SotD/MaM_tSotIS_alien_sprite_zpse1d127f7.gif~original" align=center> <br> Enlarged, unobstructed view of the Alien battle sprite. <br> <br> </center> <br> <hr width=650 size=3 color=bc7119> <br> <center><font size=+1 color=yellow><b>REFERENCES:</b><br></font></center> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gamefaqs.com">GameFAQs.com</a> <i>Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum</i> guides/walkthroughs. </li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://hg101.kontek.net/mightandmagic/mightandmagic.htm">Hardcore Gaming 101</a> <i>Might & Magic</i></a> article.</li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum</i> Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game and instruction manual.</li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_and_Magic:_The_Secret_of_the_Inner_Sanctum">Wikipedia</a> <i>Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum</i></a> article.</li> <br> <br> <br> <br> <p align=center><a href="misc_videogame_artwork.html"><font size="5">&laquo; Return To My Miscellaneous Video Game Fan Art Gallery</a></font> <br> <br> <br> <font size="2"><i>This is a nonprofit web site. <br> <br> Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely New World Computing/G-Amusements/American Sammy. <br> <br> The repeating background graphic is the in-game map of Varn. <br> <br> The midi music playing is the title theme from the NES version of Might & Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum (which is actually Pachelbel's "Canon in D".) </i></p> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>
Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!