History VideoGame / CastleOfTheWinds

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[[caption-width:80:Cooler than the hero.]]

* FantasyKitchenSink: The world is loosely based on NorseMythology, but also contains demons, vampires and generic fantasy monsters.

* NorseMythology: The game world is based on this, with various Tabletopgame/DungeonsAndDragons monsters thrown in for good measure.

* WithThisHerring: Somewhat averted. The local ruler in the final town won't believe you're TheChosenOne or give you the time of day until you're proven your worth in the dungeon. At certain levels of progress, though, he gives you an item or some cash, but what items he does give you aren't all that impressive. Regardless, the shops are more than willing to charge full price for all your needs.

* MirrorMatch: Shadows and Shades appear as transparent versions of the default male player character. However, it's only the monster's appearance, as it uses the default AI. And, the effect is lost if playing as a female (or, with a custom icon).

* UnidentifiedItems: The game has the Identify spell as a single-use scroll, multiple-use staff, or (premanent) spellbook. Each town also has a sage that can identify items for a fee. Equipment may be enchanted or cursed, and magic items like potions, scrolls, and wands are completely unknown until you dare to use them or use one of the identification methods.

This game provides examples of:

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: A couple varieties summoned from the depths of Muspelheim by the {{Big Bad}}

** You CAN sell unidentified cursed items at the shop, but only so many times. Do it too much and the shop will refuse to buy it, telling you "You've sold us too much worthless junk already. Get it identified first!"

* ShoutOut: When you die in the game, you get this message: "[[{{Queen}} Another one bites the dust...]]"

* UnwinnableByMistake: Can sometimes appear to be the case: since the dungeon levels are randomly generated, it's possible to come upon levels where there is solid rock between you and the stairs down. Whenever this happens, there will always be a hidden door leading to the area with the stairs - you just have to find it. Alternatively, you can avoid having to search by using the Phase Door spell, provided you have it.

* HumanSacrifice: There is a prisoner for the player to rescue from this fate.

* UnwinnableByMistake: Since the dungeon levels are randomly generated, it's possible to come upon levels where there is solid rock between you and the stairs down. Can usually be bypassed using the Phase Door spell, provided you have it.

* NorseMythology: The game world is based on this, with various DungeonsAndDragons monsters thrown in for good measure.

* ToThePain / CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Once you start to acquire magical weapons, the descriptions of what you do to your enemies when you hit them get rather...colorful.

* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of the second game teleports away from you when near death, as do several tough enemies (the Wizard, the Necromancer, and the Smirking Sneak Thief).

* FantasyKitchenSink: The world is loosely based on NorseMythology, but also contains demons and generic fantasy monsters.

Consists of two parts, ''A Question of Vengeance'' (released as shareware) and ''Lifthransir's Bane'', each with its own dungeon (not including the aforementioned mines). The full version is now available for free on [[http://www.exmsft.com/~ricks/ the creator's website]].

* {{Whoring}}: When creating a character, you get to allocate a number of points between the four stats. At higher difficulties, it's almost compulsory to have a min/max strategy if you aren't outright SaveScumming.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: The games is a 16-bit executable and won't work on 64-bit versions of windows natively, even in compatibility mode.

* DoomedHometown: Triggered by either deliberately reading or leaving the beginning mines with the parchment found at the bottom, which read is discovered to be the BigBad's orders.

* DoomedHometown: Triggered by leaving the beginning mines with the parchment found at the bottom, which you finally read (and discover to be the BigBad's orders).
** Which also provides a jarring {{Gameplay and story segregation}} moment. If you drop the parchment just before the exit of the dungeon, you can exit and visit the still intact town as normal. As soon as you return to the dungeon and either read the parchment or exit with it (which triggers an autoread) the town is instantly destroyed, even if you immediately turn around and come back.

* BanditMook - The Smirking Thief can steal your money or whatever's on your belt, then randomly teleport to anywhere else in the level. Very agile and requires three fireballs worth of damage to kill. You can get your stuff back if you can find and kill it.
* CastFromHitPoints - The player is allowed to keep casting spells after running out of mana by drawing on their own constitution, (rapidly) lowering their max HP (and turning their mana level negative) until the player suddenly dies. This can be exploited in a [[GoodBadBugs Good Bad Bug]], though.
* CharacterCustomization - You can customize your stats at the beginning of the game.
* ChosenOne - You, for some reason. Probably a descendant of a king or something.
** This troper is half way through Part Two. At the end of Part One, [[spoiler:your dead father comes before you after touching your [[OrphansPlotTrinket hallucinogenic family heirloom]] to tell you it is up to you to unseat the higher evils.]]

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything - Using SaveScumming, one can identify cursed items, then reload and sell those "unidentified" items to the unknowing shopkeeper for a lot of copper. But you can only do this so many times. Do it too much and the shopkeeper will refuse to buy unidentified items from you anymore, demanding you get them identified first.
* DoomedHometown - Triggered by leaving the beginning mines with the parchment found at the bottom, which you finally read (and discover to be the BigBad's orders).

* DummiedOut - There are a bunch of weapon and armour enchantments that are never seen in game, even though they appear to work just fine. The only way to get them is by hacking a save file.
* FireIceLightning - The main attack spells are Fire Bolt/Fire Ball, Cold Bolt/Cold Ball and Lightning Bolt/Ball Lightning.
* HotBar - You get 10 buttons at the top of the window to set commonly used spells to. Unfortunately, 12 of them are frequently useful. Have fun! (Of course, you can always access any spell through the spell book, but that takes longer)

* InUniverseGameClock - The game keeps track of time for you. Unfortunately, the only thing it's used for [[DummiedOut in the final version]] is for when stores restock their inventory.
** Not quite. In the second game, there's a small number of magic items that have a spell they can cast once per day.
* MirrorMatch - Shadows and Shades appear as transparent versions of the default male player character. However, it's only the monster's appearance, as it uses the default AI. And, the effect is lost if playing as a female (or, with a custom icon).
* MosesInTheBullrushes - The BigBad killed your parents in an attempt to kill you, TheChosenOne. Your parents knew it was coming, however, and left little baby Player in the hands of a elderly farmer couple in the DoomedHometown.
* OldSaveBonus - Activating the pendant found at the end of the shareware game for the second time allows you to create a save that can be loaded in the second part, allowing your character to continue exactly as you left it. Not so much a bonus, though, as a necessity, as the game is designed with a high-leveled character in mind. The second part does spot you some levels and equipment if you start from scratch, but such a character is still at a significant disadvantage.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent - A couple varieties summoned from the depths of Muspelheim by the {{Big Bad}}
* OurDragonsAreDifferent - Four elements of dragons (fire, lightning, ice, and poison). Older dragons are stronger, with "Ancient" dragons being the most powerful.
* PaletteSwap - Many enemies share graphics. Sometimes they're recoloured, sometimes not. Related species tend to have similar graphics, though.
* PowerGlows - Enchanted items are generally depicted as having a blue aura. On the other hand, cursed items have a red aura...
* PurelyAestheticGender - The only effect of the gender is which icon you have. And, if you use a custom icon, it's totally irrelevant.
* RareCandy - Draughts of Increase Strength and so forth for each stat and whole level, as well as cursed counterparts that permanently do the opposite!
* SaveScumming - Combine with the Detect Objects spell and reload after first entering a new dungeon level until you get a favorable selection of items, like Books of Spells. You can also use this to feed shops unidentified cursed items, but it's not really worth the trouble. Also useful for identifying uncursed items for sale and use at the beginning of the game, before the Identify spell is acquired.

* ScriptedEvent - Although most of the dungeon floors are randomly generated, certain rooms are guaranteed to show up in certain places, and certain enemies are guaranteed to drop plot-relevant items.
* {{Shareware}} - The first game was shareware, while the second one was commercial. Eventually, the creator released both versions as free ware.
* ShoutOut - When you die in the game, you get this message: "[[{{Queen}} Another one bites the dust...]]"
* StrongerWithAge - Dragons come in a variety of ages, the strongest being the Ancient ones.
* ToThePain / CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon - Once you start to acquire magical weapons, the descriptions of what you do to your enemies when you hit them get rather...colorful.
* TheUndead - Zombies, Skeletons, Wraiths, Ghosts, Shades, Vampires; you name it, it's got it.
* WeBuyAnything - Averted. Shopkeepers will generally only buy items that they can sell (and promptly puts them up for sale). The Junk Shop ''will'' buy anything (and is the only one to accept cursed and broken items)... but only for a paltry 25 copper pieces or less; sold items disappear for good. However, other shops will still accept unidentified items that the player (through SaveScumming) might know are actually cursed... up to a point. Sell a shopkeeper enough actually-cursed items and they will refuse to accept unidentified items anymore.
* {{Whoring}} - When creating a character, you get to allocate a number of points between the four stats. At higher difficulties, it's almost compulsory to have a min/max strategy if you aren't outright SaveScumming.
* WithThisHerring - Somewhat averted. The local ruler in the final town won't believe you're TheChosenOne or give you the time of day until you're proven your worth in the dungeon. At certain levels of progress, though, he gives you an item or some cash, but what items he does give you aren't all that impressive. Regardless, the shops are more than willing to charge full price for all your needs.
* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe - But only in the story-relevant texts you pick up, mostly in the form of substituting "f" for "s"...

* HumanSacrifice: There is a prisoner for te player to rescue from this fate.