REIGN OF FIRE V1.92 BETA
========================

Original Author: Razhkul (almost all of the creative work and structure)
Revising Author: Gluby (fixing and revising scripts and story elements)

This is the incomplete readme for the incomplete revision of Razhkul's Reign
of Fire. I have not even *touched* the dragon companion scripts, or any of the
scripts used after the completion of the RoF main quest. That is still work to
be done.

The revision to the main quest, however, is, I think, worthy of beta status.
Please try it out, try and break it, and then keep the saved game for when I
get the dragon companion scripts updated.





INSTRUCTIONS
============

Pretty straightforward. The only thing to be sure of is to install either
bbslayer_07's or Razhkul's meshes and textures for the white dragon.
BBSlayer's uses the blue dragon mesh, and Razhkul's uses the black dragon.
Matter of taste. I prefer the blue, myself.

I have not yet incorporated BBSlayer's dungeon or anything else from his ESP,
but I have added white dragons into the CS, including the white egg and the
ability to hatch a white dragon.


BETA NOTE
=========

Please, please, please try and break this through valid play. This is a
learning experience for me, but I also want to make it solid. I've probably
screwed something up somewhere, though I've run through the whole quest with
it in its current state.

Also, please inform me of plot holes, textual gaffes, conclusion-jumping,
conversations that don't seem to flow, and so on. Reverse-engineering this mod
piecemeal, and trying to revise it into its current state rather than writing
it from the ground up means I probably jammed some square pegs in circular
holes here and there.

All feedback here, please:
http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1052593


CHANGES
=======

(Note: I'm sure there's more than this here, but I wanted to get this out for
testing rather than wait for full documentation. It will be filled in.)

* Corrected and polished all in-game text.

* Modified the basic plot, and the objects on which it turns, to be more
consistent with lore and to present a more polished, compelling story.

* Improved the dragon's lair cut-scenes, articulating the animations and the
shifts between them more smoothly. Jerkiness should be eliminated.

* Changed all puzzle object scripts to interact directly with each other,
rather than using global variables.

* Changed the initialization of the mod for characters under level 30. Now,
instead of a messagebox asking the player if she would still like to start
Reign of Fire, the plotline can be started by following up on a "latest
rumor" leading the player to Shenk's Shovel. Speaking to Illwing Redwood
will start it.

* Corrected many bugs, too numerous to list, most of them minor. Examples
include dragon town-attack scripts that failed to properly clear the
player's bounty if the dragon killed someone (which gets blamed on the
player) and the infamous bug where Illwing never gives back the staff and
gem after taking it to research how to use them on the dragon eggs.

* Corrected syntactical scripting irregularities throughout all the mod's
scripting, and streamlined where I could, including adding more MenuMode
checks to reduce script drag.

* Extensively commented all scripts to allow easier understanding and further
modification.





INDEX OF QUEST STATES
=====================

(Mostly complete.)

raz_dr_attack

-2 Dormant status; player is under level 15 and has not gotten the "latest
rumor" dialogue placing Illwing at Shenk's Shovel.
-1 Dormant status; player is between levels 15 and 30 and has gotten the
"latest rumor" dialogue, but not started the storyline.
(Journal 3.)
0 Player is either level 30+, or has spoken to Illwing at Shenk's Shovel.
The plotline begins, and Caldera will be attacked the next time the
player is in its exterior cell.
1 Player has helped to drive the dragon away from Caldera.
Illwing is there and asks the player to join him at Shenk's Shovel.
(Journal 5.)
Illwing's targeted global script (raz_illwing_script) is started. It
self-terminates once he reaches the door, and is never used again.
(It may be useful for other sequences.)
2 Player has gone to Shenk's Shovel to speak with Illwing.
3 Player has completed the dialogue with Illwing, and the quest has begun.
(Journal 10.)
5 Player has killed Akhekhu.
7 Player has entered Balmora and green dragon has attacked.
Access allowed to Arkaghmul (green dragon).
8 Player has agreed to help Salus Indalar by finding his sister. (Journal
25.)
Norwa Indalar activated.
9 Player has found Norwa and is now leading her back (Journal 27.).
Player has brought Norwa back safely to Hla Oad. (Journal 30.)
(Journal 33 is if Norwa got killed, set when the player has told Salus.)
11 Player got Dakgorim to talk.
(Maybe do a new journal here?)
12 Player failed to get useful information from Dakgorim.
(Maybe do a new journal here?)
13 Player has killed Dakgorim.

14
Sadrith Mora dragon attack script activator placed.

15
Access allowed to Azhknurabi (blue dragon).
Vos and Tel Aruhn dragon attack script activators placed.
16 (player has located Faric Minoran by asking around.) (Journal 51.)
Faric Minoran is now in place.
18 Player has spoken to Faric Minoran, but has not paid.
19 Player has paid Faric Minoran to transport him to the blue dragon's
lair. (Journal 53 for normal, 54 if intimidated.)
The player, Faric and Faric's boat are moved to the island near the
entrance.
20 Player has concluded dealings with Faric Minoran and is set to enter
Snidzog's lair.
21 Player has concluded conversation with Snidzog.

25 Player has killed Snidzog.
Illwing is now moved to the Library of Vivec.
26 Player has gone to Shenk's Shovel to find Illwing, and been told he is
in Vivec. (This entry is used if Shenk is dead. Journal 64.)
27 Player has gone to Shenk's Shovel to find Illwing, and been told he is
in Vivec. (This entry is used if Shenk is alive. Journal 63.)
Illwing speaks to the player in Vivec about Julius Estius.
28 Player has talked to Illwing in Vivec and is headed for Daggerloft.
Daggerloft door 1 enabled and enterable.
29 Player has killed Unthoiz (journal 80).
Dragon attack activator scripts allow 50% chance of pass.
Daggerloft door 1 disabled.
Daggerloft door 2 enabled and enterable.
Unthoiz lair door disabled.
Illwing moved back to Shenk's Shovel.
30 The player has informed Illwing of Unthoiz's demise. (Journal 100.)
Dragon eggs is added as a topic.
32 The player has given the staff and Eye to Illwing to study. (Set via
dialogue.) (Journal raz_dragoneggs 20.)
Once we have hit raz_dr_attack 32, the game waits 2 days and then sets
it to 33.
33 Two days have elapsed, and Illwing has completed his study of the gem
and staff. He awaits at the appointed place

34 Player has chosen the egg via dragon eggs dialogue with Illwing.
Illwing teleports away with the others.
Journal dragoneggs 30.
35 Illwing has teleported away with the other three eggs.
Dragon egg scripts kick in.
==Main quest script raz_rof_script stopped.==
Main quest is over.
36 Player has charged the staff with the gem.
Dragon egg hatching.
40 Dragon born.
(raz_eggborn_detect_script is attached to a creature named raz_eggborn_detect ["heart"])





CREDITS
=======

* Razhkul, of course, for the base mod and his beautiful 3D dragon models.

* Bahamut for the gorgeous updated dragon textures.
* bbslayer_07 for the meshwork for the white dragon (converted from Razhkul's
blue dragon mesh) and the white dragon egg, and for the white dragon's
dungeon in Solstheim. (Still in progress.)
* Phijama, for the __________... (Not put in yet.)











WALKTHROUGH
===========

I have tried to make this mod a lot more fluid, and not nearly so opaque as it was before. Before you go straight to the walkthrough, try it -- you may find that clues are clearer and more easily obtained.

Nevertheless, for the impatient or stumped, here it is!


-----------------------------
0. Starting the RoF Storyline
-----------------------------

The mod remains completely dormant until the player is level 15, and cannot be
started except by console. If you wish to start it before that point, type the
following into the console:

set raz_rof_script.StoryActive to 1

Once you hit level 15, Reign of Fire may be tackled early by following up on
the 'latest rumor' that any NPC will now offer you. Once you have even spoken
to Illwing, the storyline is fully active. Otherwise, it remains dormant until
you hit level 30.

Once you are level 30, it starts in full whether you like it or not.

-------------------------
1. Part I: The Red Dragon
-------------------------

The first dragon is rather simple. It immediately attacks Caldera, and you can
quite safely just dodge its fireballs or just sit out the fight, and Illwing
will drive it off within 30 seconds or less.

Once it has departed, speak to Illwing outside, wait for him to go into
Shenk's Shovel, then follow him in. Once you have spoken to him, do what he
says. Talk to people about the town. There are at least three individuals or
groups who will give you the needed. If you're impatient, Shenk can give a
decisive hint right away.

Head on over to Buckmoth Legion Fort. Inside, you're really not going to be
able to miss the merchant, because I've scripted him to force-greet you. But
if you still happen to, you might find an occasional denizen of Buckmoth
complaining about him. (And no, his request that you escort the merchant away
'or something' is not a quest lead -- just flavor.)

Once you've talked to him, you see he's really not very helpful. Perhaps if
you ask him about the dragons again.

No? Perhaps his guar, Clamentine, is.

Flat-out Answer: It's another entrance in the Daedric
ruins to the southeast. If you see a guar leg laying
pleasantly on the ground, you're close.

Once you find the entrance (the place is named Anudnabia), there is no puzzle
or anything else of interest. The blocked door to the right is really what it
says -- don't bother with it; it never opens, and not even the console can
overcome its awesome power of No Content Beyond. Go through the doors left
from the entrance, follow the long cavernous passageway, crawl through the
crack, and fight Akhekhu.

Don't forget to take her heart!


----------------------------
2. Part II: The Green Dragon
----------------------------

Go back and report to Illwing. Once he is done talking, you'll have a lead
taking you to Balmora. Go there.

Once you start talking around, you'll notice that information isn't exactly
flowing freely around here. You have two choices; ingratiate yourself with a
guard, or, if you're Hlaalu, ask someone from the Hlaalu council house (or any
Hlaalu for that matter), and they'll clue you in.

From there, you're off to beautiful, metropolitan Hla Oad.

Unfortunately, a few of its huts are now decorated tiki-torch style. Looks
like the dragon's been here. Speak to anyone here and they'll refer you to
Salus Indalen, the Breton standing conspicuously in the main entryway to the
town. He'll ask you to rescue his sister, Norwa.

To find Norwa, go northeast. When you receive a message that the dragon is out
and about, you'd better duck and keep sneaking (holding down CTRL). If you
remain up for long (as in, longer than it takes to say, 'I'm up, he sees me,
I'm down'), the dragon will nab Norwa. Don't let it happen.

You'll find her in a swamp sump area -- you know, the low pools in this
region. When you get close enough, she'll talk to you. Sneakily lead her out,
and, if any beasties attack, make sure you stay sneaking while you fight it.
And make sure you don't lose Norwa -- she's got companion warping, but if she
gets stuck in combat with some nix hound mastiff or something, you can lose
her.

Yeah, I know, the dragon needs glasses.

Once you get her back to her brother, all is well, and she hands you an
important goodie you'll need for the puzzle in the entrance to the Green
Dragon's lair. She also tells you its location with some helpful detail.

Go northeast again -- don't get thrown off by the "dwemer ruins" thing. It's
actually, as she said, just a little wooden hatch down into the earth leading
to some caverns that *then* lead to subterranean dwemer ruins. The name of
the ruins is Arkaghmul.

The puzzle is quite simple. Experiment with it and its nature will become
clear rather quickly.

Flat-out Answer: The 'leaking' machinery needs to have its
leak 'fixed.' Go to the beltdrive machine and activate it
twice (the first time describes it, the second time gives
you the opportunity to jam-- er, insert the dwemer
cylinder Norwa gave you into it. All levers will need to
be unpressed to do this. If you have pressed any already,
press the same lever again and they will all release. Once
the cylinder is in place, push all the levers in the only
order it will let you, and boom! Make sure and back away
from the cavein before it kills you.

Once the cavein has completed and the game has congratulated you for your
engineering skills, levitate to the passageway opened near the ceiling above
where the machinery stood. Follow it to the lair crawlway and go in.

Dakgorim is more pleasant than Akhekhu, but only a little. The trick to
getting an informative answer is to not want it. Be abusive with him and he'll
be nicer.

Either way, kill the bugger, grab his heart, and return to Illwing.


3. Part III: The Blue Dragon

Of course, once you speak to him, Illwing has another lead for you, sending
you to the east on what ends up being something only slightly better than a
wild goose chase.

Go to Sadrith Mora and you'll find that your lead is going to be in the
Telvanni Council House. Go there, and speak to one of the Mouths. You can
really, though, talk to anyone there and they'll give you the scoop. I really
should fix that.

Head on over to the Gateway Inn and speak to the high-elf proprieter,
Angaradhel, about the fisherman, and he'll tell you the man's name is Faric
Minoran and direct you to Tel Branora to find him.

Go to Tel Branora, and speak to the shipmaster at the docks there, Nireli
Farys. She'll tell you he took two suckers dragon-watching in Tel Mora.

Quickly head over to Tel Mora and talk to the shipmaster at the docks *there*.
Yep, not here. Now go to Tel Aruhn.

And *that* is where you find our man Faric. Enjoy the conversation, and work
it out with him as you like. You kind of need him, unless you just want to
cheat, so pay him and go.

The island he takes you to is a little volcanic island with no entrances to
anything. No, don't bother trying to go down the volcano caldera. Remember
that little bit about blue dragons liking water? Yep -- it's underwater,
opposite side of the island from Faric's parking spot. Enter it, and prepare
for a more challenging/tedious puzzle (matter of perspective).

The room here has the birthsigns puzzle. You have to press the buttons in the
correct birthsigns order (the banners above them indicate the sign they stand
for) to bring down the elevator. You *could*, I suppose, just levitate, but...
oh, you can't. Well, unless you are terribly impatient or frustrated and
disable scripts from the console. But I know you won't do that.

Then again, maybe you will. I *plan* on putting the answer in here later, but
I did it myself by tedious trial-and-error. Hmm. ToggleScripts is the
command. Just remember to ToggleScripts again once you've reached the top.
It's kinda important.

Once you've reached the top, you'll find the entrance to the lair of Snidzog,
queen of the blue dragons.

Enjoy the makeshift cutscene and kill her. By the way, she is an order of
magnitude or two tougher than the others. Seriously. Be prepared for that.
(I may rebalance the dragons later.)

Once you've killed her, grab her heart, grab her goodies and go.


4. Part IV: The Black Dragon

Once you return to Shenk's Shovel this time, you find Illwing has disappeared.
Speak to Shenk and he'll tell you that he went to the Library of Vivec. (Or,
if you're one of those psychopathic players and you've killed Shenk, a
messagebox will inform you.)

Of course, I am sure you will conscientiously travel there the slow way,
rather than console in COC "Vivec, Library of Vivec", because that would be
bad.

You will find Illwing at the back of the library. Speak to him, and he directs
you to your next destination, Daggerloft. Make sure you've got all three
dragon hearts with you and head on over toward the way north side of
Vvardenfell to find it. If it is too difficult to find, COC Daggerloft will be
your friend.

Daggerloft is a large maze sporting unfriendly goblins for entertainment. You
will not be able to go into the entrance until you place the three dragon
hearts in their respective urns. And, uh, don't try. Insta-death trap and all
that. But once you have, you'll find it as a looooong, straight, underwater
passage.

When you get to Unthoiz's lair entrance, you'll have a nasty black dragon
minion to fight before going in. It's pretty much on order of the blue one.
Have fun.

Be sure and check the skeletal remains next to the door.

Once you've done so, pop on in and say hi to Unthoiz.

Kill her, grab the staff, the Eye and her heart, and head on back to Shenk's
Shovel.

Now is the wait time, which *is* fixed now. Give Illwing the staff and Eye,
and wait two days. Or, if you want to force it, leave Shenk's Shovel, type:

set raz_rof_script.ResearchTime to 2

... and return. Wow, Illwing is fast.

He'll teleport you back to Unthoiz's lair, and you'll have the choice of
dragon egg. You *can* choose none, but that's just for decoration -- I mean,
who would download this mod and then turn down a pet dragon? But if that's
your bag, feel free! Enjoy Illwing's discomfiture.

Use the Eye (drag it onto your character in inventory), then find the new
spell in your spell inventory, Power of the Nemurian Staff, and cast it at
your egg.

Now make sure and keep its litterbox clean.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is as far as I've gotten with either the walkthrough or the actual
scripting. I'll update more later when I get the mod fully complete revised.