The year is 1992. Doralice Prunelier inherited a large mansion at the European Atlantic coast, the Manor de la Prunelier, and explores it for the first time. She finds a shipwreck with an Egyptian sarcophagus stored in it. The next moment she loses conciousness and finds herself waking up, locked up in the ship in the year 1840.
The ship belongs to an slave trader, Jarlath, who owns a plantage on a Carribean island. However there is more to Jarlath than meets the eye. He is from the year 2092 and has, through manipulation of time, hidden a treasure within the sarcophagus. By marrying the daughter of a rich plantage owner in 1840, he inherited his wealth and uses the slave trade as a disguise to transport the sarcophagus to Europe, where he let it run on the clips near the manor de la pruneliere, the land he owns.
What was not included in Jarlath's plan however was that his wife, Velvet, would fall in love with one of the slaves and give him a child. This child would become the greatgreatgreat grantfather of Doralice, who inherited the mansion in 1992. Jarlath wants to set things straight and kill his wife's extra marrital child to prevent Doralice will ever be born. Now Doralice has to go back in time and save her own ancestors.
The screen and cursors
The screen is divided into four areas from top to bottom:
- The icon bar appears when the mouse is brought to the top of the screen.
- The central area is where the adventure takes place.
- The dialogue box is where the text appears.
- The bottom line is where the names of objects, places and characters appear.
Moving the arrow cursor on the screen corresponds to "looking at" or "acting upon". It enables you to find:
- exits or directions to go which appears as "swinging door" icons or green arrows, depending on the location.
- Particular objects, places and characters whose names appear on the bottom line.
The object cursor appears when you pick up or use an item. The "OK" cursor appears when there is text to be read. When you have read the text on the screen, left click to bring up the next part of the text or to continue if there is no more text. Right click to skip the text and continue.
How to use objects and the inventory screen
When you left-click the arrow on a usable object, you pick up the objects and the cursor becomes an object cursor. The object goes into your inventory when you right-click. The object can be used by left clicking the object cursor on another object, place or character. The message: USE (object) ON (object, place or character) appears on the bottom line. Lefg click to proceed with the action or right click to abort the action.
The inventory can be opened by right clicking. The object that you currently have in the inventory will be displayed. To use an object on another object in the inventory:
- Take an object in the inventory by left clicking the arrow cursor on the object.
- Bring the object cursor to the icon bar at the top of the screen.
- Left click the object cursor on the INVENTORY icon.
- Left click the object cursor on the desired object.
The icon bar
Six functions are available by bringing the cursor to the top of the screen and left clicking on the desired icon. Right click to exit a function.
Control Panel
SAVE: Left click on SAVE when you want to save at a point in the game. There are 30 lines on which 30 games can be saved. choose a line by left clicking on the up or down arrow and then left click on the desired line. The name of the place in the game will appear automatically or you can type in a different name. LOAD: Left click on LOAD when you want to restore a previously saved game. Choose a line by left clicking on the up or down arrow and then left click on the desired saved game. Pictures of where the games were saved appear in the window. QUIT: Left click on QUIT when you want to quit the game.
Jokers
There are a few "Jokers" available in various places throughout the game that will give you some hints if you are stuck. You are only allowed to use three.
Notebook
Clues (INDEX), dialogues with the main characters (DIALOGUE) and what has happened in the game (MEMO) are automatically recorded (indicated by a flashing notebook icon) and can be checked as often as you want. You also have an additional page (the last page of MEMO) to type your own notes. Left click on the icon: INDEX, DIALOGUE, MEMO, NEXT PAGE, PREVIOUS PAGE (in MEMO) or EXIT.
Dora's notebook
Inventory
This is another way to open the inventory (in addition to right clicking on the game screen). You will in particular have to use it to combine inventory items with each other.
Movement
A map of each of the three locations allows you to go directly to a place to you have already visited. Left click on the name of the place on the map that you want to go to. In the event where you are "trapped" on a location, you may not be able to use the map, for example when Dora is at the fisherman's hut at the manor de la Pruneliere, or in Yoruba's cell on the ship. See the maps here.
Options
MUSIC: Left click on MUSIC to turn the music on or off. An ">" indicates that the music is on. INFO: Left click on INFO to see the date, time percentage of the game completed and total amount of time in the game.
The inventory can be opened by right clicking. The object that you currently have in the inventory will be displayed. To use an object on another object in the inventory:
