===========================================================================
Archive Maintainer      : please replace the currently-archived copy of the modification with this new one
Update to               : /combos subdirectory, this is RELEASE #8++!
Advanced engine needed  : GZDOOM 2.4.0 (OpenGL renderer)
Primary purpose         : Single play
===========================================================================
Title                   : Chaos, Uprising
Filename                : rslchaos.pk3
Release date            : September 01, 2025
Author                  : Richard Smith Long
Email Address           : [redacted]
Other Files By Author   : rslproto.zip, rslvenge.zip, rslrebel.zip, rslengee.zip,
                          rsliczdp.zip, rslforce.zip, rslredux.zip, rsldiazp.zip,
                          rslshino.zip, rslquest.zip, rslzerox.zip, rslpolar.zip,
                          rslexeem.zip, rslfuria.zip, rslpagan.zip, rslamaze.zip
Misc. Author Info       : AKA "Dick S. Long"





Description             : Your man is a mysterious and solitary individual known as "The Newcomer",
                          who fled to Parthoris - after many years of perilous journeys - with the intention
                          of finally finding a peaceful setting to rest.
                          Unfortunately, after only a few years of apparent calm, the state of things suddenly degrades -
                          a sinister plague starts decimating the population of Parthoris, and everything seems to turn
                          hopeless and doomed - save for a relatively small congregation of sombre, dark-dressed, cloaked
                          individuals that reunite under a secret congregation labeled as 'The Serpent Cult'.
                          In a distant epoch, this land had already been saved once by a legendary elven hero... Yet it seems
                          that the dark forces that were then cast away have now managed to return, and gathered enough followers
                          to claim their revenge...

                                                               .---.
                                                              /  .  \
                                                             |\_/|   |
                                                             |   |  /|
  .----------------------------------------------------------------' |
 /  .-.                                                              |
|  /   \                                                             |
| |\_.  |                                                            |
|\|  | /|     Changelog                                              |
| `---' |                                                            |
|       |                                                            |
|       |                                                           /
|       |----------------------------------------------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

January 22, 2014: initial release.

February 14, 2014: release #2.

- halved DropItem chances for AmberMana.
- made Alephox slightly weaker against Electrocution.
- Minister now slightly more resilient to Electrocution.
- increased powered Trident damage and penetration (thanks Mav3rick).
- ratificated foes now actually aggressive / lethal.
- added ammo capacities on LiteFX fullscreen HUD (thanks Mav3rick).
- shortened arbalest rearm times (thanks Mav3rick).
- finally applied a proper IGNORESKILL flag on all ammo types (thanks Mav3rick).
- plague spell effects now better scaled on different monster classes.
- Deathbringer normal attack beefed up.
- opal mana a bit more rare now.
- improved trident normal attack with light A_Explode call (thanks Mav3rick).
- rarefied the chance of obtaining statuette artifacts from infectors.
- improved normal Eye Of God shield timing (thanks Mav3rick).
- improved normal repello spell range and power (thanks Mav3rick).

March 07, 2014: release #3.

- added new replacement for ToothEye: the Mav3rSickle
  (upon suggestion by ZDOOM forum contributor Mav3rick).
  Retains most ToothEye properties, no shield attached.

May 11, 2014: release #3.5.

- removed health sap effect from powered ToothEye, yet augmented slash power
  for both normal and powered modes, and augmented kickback for reflective
  shield projectiles.
- augmented arbalest normal attack power, reworked powered attack
  to bounce against walls, liberating metal shards upon each impact. >-D
  (Thanks SidDoyle!)
- slightly increased spear normal attack, and made associated mana spawns
  more abundant (thanks Mav3rick!).
- added derivative lightning propagation from impacted enemies for
  trident in powered mode (thanks Mav3rick!).
- added alternate fire mode (both normal and powered) to Pyrokrates.
- augmented power of Deathbringer normal attack, and duration of
  powered attack for the same weapon (thanks Mav3rick!).
- nerfed health amount of Patriarch a bit.
- enhanced Spear Of Illwhyrin idle animations.
- enhanced Mav3rSickle idle and raise animations, integrated with main
  modification as 'Newcomer' starting weapon. Slightly reduced attack range.
- improved tamer spell normal attack sprites.
- improved plague spell powered attack sprites, speed and effectiveness.
- added 'Revolver' weapon (thanks SidDoyle!).
- added 'Power Symbol' weapon.
- nerfed the number of particles spawned from exploding barrels
  (thanks Ed the Bat!).
- integrated LiteFX components within main modification, can now
  be toggled with a dedicated Options menu flag (thanks Ed the Bat!).
- limited number of spawned castling poles (both normal and powered)
  for performance reasons.
- increased effectiveness of chaos servants spell powered attack.
- reduced Alephoxes resistance to electric damage.
- improved visibility of Vigor Curse spell from Patriarch.
- added hi-res modification title (thanks Mav3rick!).

July 19, 2014: release #4.

- fixed Arquebus Adepts attack power (harmless so far... :-O
  Thanks ArgonianLord).
- fixed inconsistency in logical inventory actors for
  cooperative play (thanks ArgonianLord, Ed the Bat).
- fixed revolver pickup ammo supplying (thanks Mav3rick).
- improved Minister's re-tracking pattern (would get stuck
  sometimes).
- ...and MOST OF ALL: (re-)added the three additional player
  classes (Mercenary, Seer, Warlock), each one sporting a
  different signature weapon and ability, plus distinct appearance
  and behaviour.

July 31, 2014: release #4++.

- fixed Newcomer mugshot lumps.
- added extra properties to Gaia's Perch (for better balance).
- fixed Deathbringer spawner.

  (thanks Mav3rick, kmxexii:)
- improved speed and accuracy of revolver.
- reduced recoil on Pyrokrates, improved normal mode projectile.

  (thanks Mav3rick:)
- added leeching projectiles to Mav3rSickle powered form.
- added +NODAMAGETHRUST to Trident attacks.
- reduced resistance of Alephox to electric damage.
- slightly reduced spawning rate of arachnids from Infector.

  (thanks -Ghost-:)
- added supply barrel that - when broken - provides assorted ammo
  for non-magical weapons.

  (thanks NantoCodd, -Ghost-:)
- improved sound quality of revolver and spear - they were too weak!

  (thanks NantoCodd:)
- slightly reduced initial charge time of most melee weapons
  so to allow for improved ease of use.

September 03, 2014: release #5.

- fixed Warlock Arquebus bug (thanks to NantoCodd and kmxexii).
- empowered a bit lava rain attack with tome of power.
- added slight details to winter wind powered enchantment.
- beautified special classes chaingems in fullscreen HUD.
- added atmospheric console background thanks to kmxexii and
  his extensive, full-length review of the modification! :-D

March 01, 2015: release #5+.

- added two new carriable artifacts: Drain Enchantment and Force Cube.
- improved ToothEye shield usability (can now be held continuously
  in defensive stance).
- Cardinal lightning spawn height should be fixed now (as highlighted
  by TheSeriousCacodemon).
- corrected several typos in this very textfile.

July 30, 2015: release #5++.

- fixed behaviour of several mace-inheriting weapons from Mercenary;
  they would keep firing even without ammo due to a mace flag
  not having been nullified.
- fixed Mercenary appearance of re-raised arbalest without ammo.
- fixed Minister movement (was floating but affected by gravity).
- improved behaviour of Plague spell to spawn arachnids that
  sometimes rear their ugly head on you...
- improved bloodspots appearance.
- tweaked Warlock voice - for the better!
- rebalanced Moochstone power to make it more useful.
- freed Pyrokrates powered fire from pitch-locking targets.
- adjusted Chaos Servant A.I. so that it should never stand still,
  but always work for you... >-D And empowered its claws, too!
- Untamed Serpents should not be any more traversable by projectiles
  when charging - also, nerfed a bit its bite.
- added extra pain effects for vanilla Heretic monsters, courtesy
  of osjclatchford!
- fixed DropItem amounts for mana from several foes.
- improved looks of powered Repello effect (and Alephoxes' shield).
- restored spawning of Chaos Device to avoid breaking
  specially-designed levels.

February 25, 2016: release #5+++.

- slimmed down appearance and performance of ordinary teleportation fog.
  (thanks Princess Viscra Maelstrom).
- reduced the statistical appearance rate of Cardinals
  (thanks Princess Viscra Maelstrom).
- improved the raising animation timing of Pyrokrates and Deathbringer
  (again).
- introduced new sprites for the secret alternate fire of
  Newcomer's Pyrokrates (oops).
- Reduced the performance impact of the LiteFX alternate blood system.
- fixed the Ratificator spell powered sound.
- implemented a new, simpler, quicker raise/lower animation for
  all weapons, as part of the LiteFX enhancements.
- fixed Seer's Ethereal Bond appearance and trajectory.
- powered Plague spell now intensified in duration and mephitic cloud spawns.

July 19, 2018: release #7.

- added special death effects mutuated from the Guncaster modification.
- made Newcomer peculiar by completing special altfires for all of his weapons
  (minus Power Symbol).
- added 'Sentient Prism' carriable artifact.
- added 'Orb Of The Brave' instant power.
- added 'Glyph Of The Ancients' artifact.
- added 'Area-Of-Effect Torch' artifact (as replacement for the standard one).
- added tilting ACS scripts.
- added footstep sounds ACS scripts.
- added automap and popup HUD elements.
- fixed Seer player skin.
- fixed Ratificator morphed player inconsistencies.
- refactored SBARINFO properly!
- added Wrath-Of-Chronos-like foe HP bar.
- beefed up Pastor and Minister with new attack modes.

December 01, 2020: release #7+.

- fixed DECALDEF actor order inconsistency revealed by execution
  in the most recent port versions.

December 17, 2021: release #8.

- optimized sound packaging.
- added nametags to all applicable actors.

July 01, 2025: release #8+.

- reviewed (and fixed, whenever necessary) ALL source code lumps
  for improved formal correctness and consistency.

September 01, 2025: release #8++.

- fixed HUD scaling for inventory overlay defined in
  the SBARINFO lump.
- fixed effect sprite used in Plague spell.
- added information in the automap SBARINFO definition.








                                                               .---.
                                                              /  .  \
                                                             |\_/|   |
                                                             |   |  /|
  .----------------------------------------------------------------' |
 /  .-.                                                              |
|  /   \                                                             |
| |\_.  |                                                            |
|\|  | /|     Synopsis                                               |
| `---' |                                                            |
|       |                                                            |
|       |                                                           /
|       |----------------------------------------------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

'Chaos, Uprising' is a modification for Heretic that I have been working on a bit irregularly during the whole course of 2013.
Its aim is to upset as possible the arsenal and beastiary of Heretic, trying to make things look (and play!) a bit more flashy and magical.
The modification somehow assumes to place the protagonist again in the world of Parthoris... *But around 1910 circa*.
It draws a lot of inspiration from several other occult-type modifications I had the chance to try - most prominently,
Carnage Galore by Ichor, POSSEST by Zygo and the magical weapons provided in the latest incarnations of AEoD.



                                                               .---.
                                                              /  .  \
                                                             |\_/|   |
                                                             |   |  /|
  .----------------------------------------------------------------' |
 /  .-.                                                              |
|  /   \                                                             |
| |\_.  |                                                            |
|\|  | /|     Modification details                                   |
| `---' |                                                            |
|       |                                                            |
|       |                                                           /
|       |----------------------------------------------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

The protagonist is Thedore 'Theo' Khan, Martyr Of The Order Of St. Horontso. An all-round, imposing individual with enough skills
to master both rudimentary-technical and magical weapons, he was once erudite in the most supreme forms of enchantment and spellcasting -
but after many years of retirement, he has definitely lost acquaintance with such arts, and the warfare abilities he practised so naturally.
It seems that the time to recollect his forgotten assets has come...

At his disposal is a wide array of resources that shall need to be found and improved along the path: weapons, items, and magical abilities.



                             '
                            /|
  .------------------------' |
 /  .-.                      |
| |\_.  |   Ye Olde          |
|\|  | /|    Armament        |
| `---' |                   /
|       |------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

A 'Newcomer' class comes equipped with a trustable 'Iron Arbalest' for ranged attacks, and the most basic 'Spellcasting Arts' ability,
plus a 'Mav3rSickle' as melee-only latest resort. Additional classes that expose different stats and a peculiar starting equipment are
provided and selectable - see both below, and in the 'Footnotes' section.

[nc] = 'Newcomer Only'

sheath 1) ToothEye (Satan's Tooth, Eye Of God)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This armory set is composed of an ominous-looking small scythe, and a strong wooden shield enclosed in a golden ring.
 The former lets you slash approaching foes with good reach and power, while the latter can cancel and dissolve any ranged attack -
 if used with careful timing.
 _In powered form_, 'Satan's Tooth' retains greater speed and strength, up to being able to dismember most foes in one hit;
 while 'Eye Of God' becomes capable of deflecting back entire streams of ranged attacks coming from the enemy.

sheath 1) Mav3rSickle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 A light and sharp war sickle, favoured by stealth raiders for its reduced weight, manoeuverability and compact size,
 that allowed the weapon to be easily hidden under robes and vests.
 Rotate it in fast swipes to repeatedly injury your enemy, without letting him realize!
 For each successful hit, the weapon shall transmute a tiny fraction of dealt damage into new life for the wielder.
 _In powered form_, the weapon becomes even faster and more life-sucking, and gains a better reach. And most of all:
 the first swing of each combo sequence hurls seeking, leeching bolts!

 ALTERNATE: the Newcomer can exploit the magical spirit of the weapon, and summon a volley of blades to
            brutally cleave the enemy. _In powered form_, a larger swarm of sharp tooling is evoked, and
            time stops to render the enemy even more helpless.

sheath 2) Iron Arbalest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Fast and silent, this crossbow proves more modern and efficient than it may look at first sight, and allows our hero
 to sneak upon unsuspecting enemies - and deliver accurate death. It sure is the weapon of choice against gargoyles.
 _In powered form_, projected bolts transform into a rail of burning iron dust that bounces around multiple times -
 releasing shards on each impact - and carves easily into the flesh of victims.

 ALTERNATE [nc]: toggle 'Ranged Aiming' stance - more adequate for longshots.

sheath 2) Revolver
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This basic, stinging firearm can be scavenged from minions of the Cult, and proves a good tool to dispatch most
 of the weakest enemies. Its loader requires a refill every six shots - or it can be replenished anytime (altfire).
 _In powered form_, the gun increases its power and accuracy, and does not require ammunition anymore!

 ALTERNATE [nc]: quicker, repeated fire by hammering the weapon. _In powered form_, each shot becomes
                 more powerful and does not consume any ammo.

sheath 3) Duofold Arquebus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 As an experienced mercenary, our man is proficient even with these brand-new, gunpowder-based firearms.
 The Arquebus can fire two shells in a string with no need for reload - or it can be rearmed halfway (altfire).
 _In powered form_, each single pellet becomes explosive, and the barrel spread reduces.

 ALTERNATE [nc]: fire both barrels at once. _In powered form_, discharge both barrels with a single
                 explosive shot.

sheath 4) Spear Of Illwhyrin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 A silvery sceptre ornated with greenish-gleaming jewelstones, this magical weapon is modeled after the famous sorceress' personal favourite.
 When commanded by the wielder, it is able to emit fast, pure-energy bolts at high rate from its horns.
 _In powered form_, the central gem spreads around with multiple energy shards that point in slightly-erratical directions,
 bouncing off surfaces for a while with major offending power.

 ALTERNATE [nc]: unleash defiling attacks - once effective, these make the victims inflate into a cloud of greenish disease
                 until they are torn apart with a gory explosion. _In powered form_, hurl explosive defiling pustules!

sheath 5) Trident Of The Titans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Almost seemingly like a living entity, this beautiful piece of ironwork starts roaring with the power of thunder
 just after materializing in your hands... Use it, and you will summon a small lightning storm that actively seeks for targets.
 _In powered form_, be prepared to be pushed back by three (!) lightning beams that shall destroy everything on their path...
 While the normal form is mostly effective on larger and taller foes, the powered one is best adopted against distant targets -
 for all beams to converge on a single victim.

 PRIMARY, POWERED FORM [nc]: instead accessible as ALTERNATE.
 ALTERNATE [nc]: propel electrical impulses in rapid succession from each of the three trident's prongs; those autonomously
                 seek for foes in proximity. _In powered form_, as PRIMARY, summon or dispel a serving thunderstorm that strikes
                 all nearby targets; the storm is canceled as soon as the Trident is lowered.

sheath 6) Pyrokrates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 One of the first examples of complex weapon engineering from Parthoris, the Pyrokrates looks like a portable furnace that is fed through hot embers -
 and turns them into quick-moving, highly-explosive fireballs by compressing them within its caldron.
 _In powered form_, the box is able to aggregate ember into giant volcanic boulders that travel slowly and with difficulty - upon first contact, however,
 they explode violently and ignite all beings around.

 ALTERNATE [nc]: spit greedy flames, even in the form of an uninterrupted, continuous stream. _In powered form_,
                 the flames become harsher and adhere to the ground, thus effectively forming a burning trap.

sheath 7) Deathbringer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This horrible-looking, sentient thing is directly bound to the Netherworld, and keeps whispering with the voices of the damned when you hold it.
 When invoked, it summons one hungry soul that shall slowly point its living prey - if it catches, the victim shall be dragged away to the other world.
 _In powered form_, the weapon materializes a formation of dark matter that shall try to suck away as many living souls as possible, attacking
 the whole area randomly.

 ALTERNATE [nc]: spread around a fan of ground blazes, that stop whenever they impact against a target, possibly pulling it
                 into oblivion. _In powered form_, generate a giant 'Netherbloom' that spans the whole ground and sky, canceling
                 everything on its path.

sheath 7) Power Symbol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 It is unclear whether this object comes from the past, or rather from the future. Its appearance is unlike that of anything ever fallen within
 the hills of Parthoris... There is only one certain thing about it: it is, indeed, powerful.
 Its three pieces need to be found before it can be assembled again; when activated, the weapon emits an impressive stream of continuous energy
 that cancels everything in the surroundings, all of a sudden.
 _In powered form_, an enormous concentration of energy emanates from the thing, and keeps eating everything on its path, targeting potential victims
 all around - only to shatter with a devastating shockwave shortly after.



                             '
                            /|
  .------------------------' |
 /  .-.                      |
| |\_.  |   Hail Thee        |
|\|  | /|    Fellowship!     |
| `---' |                   /
|       |------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

Starting with release #4, three new playerclasses with distinct abilities are provided, giving interesting possibilities in cooperative adventuring... ;-)
Without further ado, let us welcome them:

the MERCENARY is a strong and resilient warrior, well trained in the usage of traditional weapons. He relies on his brute force to deliver death
              across the wasted lands he raids, and has developed good endurance to battle wounds.
              Signature weapon: Mace Of Rancor. This magical mace is distinguished in appearance by the long spike on the rear of its head, but is better
                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  known for the magical peculiarity it is infused with. For every successful slam on any foe, the mace
                                                accumulates anger which then unleashes every few blows with a devastating wave, that is able to extend
                                                the reach and power of the weapon by a good measure.
                                                _In powered form_, the mace either hits fiercely at low range, or instead hurls away a magical, flying,
                                                exploding image of itself when the targeted enemy is beyond reach.
              Special ability: when holding most of the other weapons, use the alternate attack to deliver a quick mace smash - useful for finishing a hurt
                               opponent, or enraging the mace more quickly.
              Traits: this character has high stamina, is generally stronger with non-magical weapons and more resilient to generic attacks; he is also able
                      to better manoeuver all weapons and suffer less recoil. On the other hand, he is less effective with magical weapons and heavily slower
                      than average.

the SEER is a natural inhabitant of the wildlife, and devoted to protect the realms of uncontaminated nature through mysticism and religion. She is a
         triumph of speed and dexterity, and favors stealth, evasive ways in place of frontal war tactics.
         Signature weapon: Gaia's Perch. The sacred wooden staff is said to have been baptised by the Goddess Of Mother Earth herself, and brings along the
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~  curative powers of universal life. When the wielder holds it firmly with both hands, he/she can receive a humble - yet
                                         constant - infusion of life springing from the heart of the cane. On the other hand, it is unbelievably swift and
                                         light to allow for quick-stringed attacks - each one so harsh to reflect back incoming projectiles for a short time fraction.
                                         _In powered form_, the irradiation of life becomes even more persistent, and the staff increases the strength of
                                         each blow by itself. For a very short time matching the climax of each move, the rod becomes refracting *and* shielding.
              Special ability: when holding most of the other weapons, use the alternate attack to unleash an *Ethereal Bond* - a trail of stardust ties your hand
                               to any surface, and pulls you in, violently - allowing to escape from sticky situations, or reach unthinkable places.
              Traits: this character has low stamina, is blazing fast in her movements and more accurate with many weapons, and can resist poisoning better than others.
                      However, it is fairly weak against all other kinds of attacks, and cannot absorb weapon recoil very well.

the WARLOCK is a magician of obscure origin, uneasing and cruel in his looks. It is unclear whether he decided to fight against the Cult because of higher principles,
            or a mere desire to subjugate the power of the Slithering Order, with the ultimate goal of controlling it.
            Signature weapon: MoochStone. This eerie-looking wand is ornated with a large purpleish stone that laments... And its purpose is not only to attack,
                              ~~~~~~~~~~  but to steal, too. Hit an opponent with magic powers, and it spills out extra mana when (slightly) hurt - the quantity and
                                          quality of poured gems varies according to the kind of creature being hit.
                                          _In powered form_, the stone hurls more-effective, slowly-seeking bolts that better help you increase your mana supplies...
              Special ability: when holding most of the other weapons, use the alternate attack to quickly cast the last-selected spell. Provided that you have
                               reached the appropriate skill level, spells can be cycled by invoking the Spellcasting Sphere.
              Traits: this character has average stamina and is slightly slower than usual, yet he is light and able to (partially) defy the effects of gravity.
                      He is less effective with real-world weaponry, yet far superior with magical arms. He also has the ability to bear fire more effectively,
                      but is equally quite weak to all other sorts of damage.



                             '
                            /|
  .------------------------' |
 /  .-.                      |
| |\_.  |   Thy Arcane       |
|\|  | /|    Powers          |
| `---' |                   /
|       |------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

As long as you progress through your journey, you shall have a slight chance of encountering 'Cardinals Of The Serpent Cult': powerful magicians,
whose power you will have to confront with. If not only you survive the encounter, but are also able to defeat your opponent,
your spellcasting skills shall augment - granting you a new art to exploit.
Below are the spellcasting rankings and different forms of magic you can aim at - in increasing order of power:

REPELLO: thrust away any attacker, deflect its magic.
=======
 -In normal form, bodies and ranged offenses are repelled with a weaker push; foes receive no damage from any collision they could be put up against.
 -_In powered form_, the repulsion thrust increases, and monsters that are thrown against walls or obstacles get slightly injured.

TAMER: enslave enemy creatures by controlling their mind, and turning them into allies.
=====
 -In normal form, the spell can concentrate on a single victim only.
 -_In powered form_, the ensuing magic has greater effect and diffusion, thus potentially being able to charm(e) one whole group of creatures.

CASTLING: shelter yourself behind an enchanted stone barricade.
========
 -In normal form, makes a row of tall rocky poles materialize in front of you, effectively creating a wall.
                  Each spike dissolves after absorbing a certain amount of damage.
                  If you need to break open one of your own barricades quickly, use ToothEye!
 -_In powered form_, the resulting wall consists of better-enduring poles that actively radiate energy - any creature wandering too near
                     shall get hurt, including yourself.

PLAGUE: contaminate organic enemies with an obscure disease that makes them die prematurely, exploding into a handful of critters!
        These ones shall start attacking all creatures around, (possibly) leaving you as their last meal.
======
 -In normal form, you are able to hurl a blob of putrid, contaminating substance. Enemies plagued by this goo shall be recognizable
  by a greenish cloudy trail.
 -_In powered form_, the spell generates multiple clouds of poison that shall roam around for a while, contaminating everything on their path -
                     a very effective punishment in closed spaces!

RATIFICATOR: morph your opponent into an aggressive, yet short-lived rat... For a little while.
===========
 -In normal form, the transformed enemy shall still act aggressively on you - try not to taste its bite.
 -_In powered form_, the ratificated being shall try to run away from you in terror - squeeze it before it's too late!

LAVA RAIN: control the power of fire - to attack the enemy, or even to defend yourself.
=========
 -In normal form, unleash a pyrotechnical projectile that shall ignite a firestorm on its final target.
 -_In powered form_, you need to stand still - immobilized - to summon a ring of fireballs around you, that will keep rotating more and more hastily
                     (incinerating any daring approacher) in a speed crescendo that will make them finally erupt in all directions, exploding on first contact.
                     Better than fireworks!

WINTER WIND: master the force of perpetual frost, either as an aggressive or shielding resource.
===========
 -In normal form, a stream of bitter icicles emanates from your palm - enough to turn any bystanding foe into a reflective ice statue,
                  that shall break up shortly after.
 -_In powered form_, the magic requires you to stop: a protective frost aura is created around you, and shall remain in effect for a short while.
                     This cold wind breath shall follow your movements and freeze anything that gets too near.

CHAOS SERVANTS: call the forces of the Netherworld, and bid them for a greater sacrifice in your favor.
==============
 -In normal form, summon a Servant Of Chaos falling from the sky - this ghostly being cannot be injured by normal means, and keeps hunting for preys
                  to throw them into oblivion - either with its claws, or at a distance. After raiding around for a while, it suicides and dissolves.
 -_In powered form_, call for a storm of Chaos Gaunts to utterly rape armies of enemies. They do not last very long... But this is not really relevant! >-D

     <<<
 >>> to experiment with all the available spells beforehand
 >>> (without requiring the necessary skill level increases
 >>>  to be acquired through your quests),
 >>> use the 'rsl' console command!
     <<<



                             '
                            /|
  .------------------------' |
 /  .-.                      |
| |\_.  |   Yer Surprising   |
|\|  | /|    Leatherbag      |
| `---' |                   /
|       |------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

Not all of the ancient artifacts that were available to legendary Corvus are still in effect at the beginning of the twentieth century.
But new ones have surfaced, too:

Corvus Statuette (replaces Morph Ovum)
----------------
This golden statuette depicts an elven cloaked warrior - when used, it shapeshifts the wielder into a reincarnation of none-less-than Corvus!
As a godly being, this new form is particularly resilient to damage, and equipped with the hero's once titular Crystal Wand: a mystical lance
imbued with holy powers that can strike both melee, and at a distance.

Pandora's Box (randomly replaces Timebomb Of The Ancients)
-------------
An aptly-named sinister artifact. When activated, it first attracts hordes of monsters around it with the laments of the damned, and then unleashes
the rage of gods on them, exploding violently - all of a sudden.

Icon Of The Defender (replaces Ring Of Invincibility)
--------------------
An artifact that grants a different invulnerability effect according to the one who uses it...

Speed Boots (randomly replaces Chaos Device)
-----------
These magical boots can augment your walking and running speed dramatically, allowing you to outrun otherwise-unescapable attacks.

Drain Enchantment (randomly replaces Chaos Device)
-----------------
One special enchantment that can restore an hefty amount of health for you. Use it, and a magical projectile shall start seeking
and leeching foes nearby, only to return all stolen life to you when it exhausts.

Force Cube (randomly replaces Chaos Device)
----------
This mysterious and powerful artifact is a precious asset for the toughest battles. When you activate it, it sits on your shoulder
and lethally irradiates anything in sight, quickly and inexorably. Two cubes can be activated simultaneously at once, to fight at your side!

Supply Barrel (randomly replaces non-interactive wooden barrels)
-------------
Not an inventory item per se, but once you break it open, it rewards you with all sorts of non-magical ammo supplies.
Recognize it by the big black 'X' marking it.

Sentient Prism (randomly replaces Timebomb Of The Ancients)
--------------
A strange purple-ish prism, mounted on top of a miniature pedestal. When deployed, it grows the size of a tabernacle, and
starts targeting all hostile creatures. Be wary not to be caught into its line of fire!

Orb Of The Brave (randomly replaces Shadowsphere)
----------------
A glowing, swirling green orb of magic that - when absorbed - makes the finder immune to piercing and explosive attacks,
and greatly improves his/her resistance to damage!

Glyph Of The Ancients (dropped by Cult Ministers)
---------------------
Dark artifact of treachery, the Glyph. It is imbued with its own kinetic spirit, so that once unleashed, it waits for any
unfortunate enemy being that approaches, and then follows it, just to let itself deflagrate when near. Beware of its reach...

Area-Of-Effect Torch (replaces standard Torch artifact)
--------------------
This more realistic and appropriate rendition of a flaming torch does lighten up the sole area surrounding the one who wields it.





                             '
                            /|
  .------------------------' |
 /  .-.                      |
| |\_.  |   Them             |
|\|  | /|    Scumbags!       |
| `---' |                   /
|       |------------------'
\       |
 \     /
  `---'

WARNING: the following is a spoiler. Be aware.

________________________
'The Serpent Cult' ranks:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{ Adepts }
These act as the infantry soldiers recruited by the Cult. Motivated by vile personal intentions, they seek to serve their organization and its masters,
cowardly siding with the stronger side before it's too late. Having just entered the Cult, they retain no magical ability of their own yet,
but rely solely on the use of basic firearms: some are equipped with dual revolvers, others with an arquebus. You might scour some ammunition from them,
or even get hold of one of their weapons...

{ Pastors }
First-time apprentices of the dark arts of the Serpent adorers. These ones have managed to stand out among the blood-thirsted crowd of Cult rookies
with their horrendous acts, and have then been elevated as group leaders - a position well-symbolized by their long staff, that they use to cast a quick,
two-fold ranged attack. Avoid being surrounded by them, since they will probably overwhelm you easily. One concealed dark art of them might surprise you...

{ Ministers }
The formation of the Serpent Cult dates way back before this new subjugation of the world of Parthoris... All this time proved enough for the Cult to build
one whole army of skilled sorcerers to lead the invasion, each one ready to sacrifice life at any cost. A minister is a wizard skilled enough to fly, and exploit
his rapidity to evade ranged attacks; he normally fights back with one long string of slowly-seeking fireballs, that might prove lethal to bear all at once...
Avoiding being surrounded is even more important with these.

{ Cardinals }
'Cardinals of The Serpent Cult' are a different matter. Once the elite of Cult ministers, they proved to be remarkably versed in the control of
destructive sorcery - so much that at one point they became willing to contend the commanding of the Cult itself to their supreme master - and they lost.
Naturally faithful to the organization, and powerful enough to confront entire armies alone, you will encounter them mostly as lone wanderers -
and you will have a hard time winning over them in battle, due to their wide array of magic:
- partial invulnerability, and a greater in-flight translational dodging ability;
- lighting bolts from their staff - fast and deadly;
- streams of high-energy, rapid bouncing fireballs;
- poisonous radial/area attacks;
- and last but not least, the ability to resurrect corpses to build their own personal army of revenge!
In any case, rest assured that you will be rewarded in case of victory - as a testament to their attempt of rebellion, they shall transfer to you
their remaining mana and arcane powers upon death, so that for every one of them defeated, you shall increase your spellcasting abilities.

{ Pontiffs }
Just like the ancient Serpent Rider D'sparil relied on his own Chaos Serpent as the first weapon of choice, the obscure leader of the Serpent Cult
is surrounded by the most powerful ministers of his army, promoted with the rank of 'Pontiff' to serve as his personal bodyguards.
These flying sorcerers can be recognized by the goat skull covering their head, and their seemingly-endless burst of aerial attacks.
An extreme annoyance that can only aggravate an already-tedious final battle, they are extremely difficult to target due to their augmented teleportation
abilities.

_____________________
New beastiary entries:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{ Untamed Serpents }
Just like fierce mascots of the eponymous Cult, these Serpents are raised by adepts as an effective means to scatter terror across Parthoris.
They represent a more aggressive variation of the Chaos Serpent breed, and can spit a multitude of fireballs at once, bite and even charge from a distance.
However, they are quite easy to dominate with the proper arcane art, and can then become a valid ally for their enchanter too.

{ Alephoxes }
An Alephox can only be described as the horrible cross-breed between a barbarian warrior and a giant, taurus-like satyr. He can destroy you
either with its claws, or using his ranged fireballs - plus, he has the ability to exploit a peculiar guard stance that deflects back every attack
you direct on him. Avoid using bolt-based prolonged attacks of sorts; learn to 'poke and retreat' instead, or count on the most appropriate weapons only.

______________
Greater Demons:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{ Infector }
This creepy floating being is rotten and visceral - and keeps spawning hordes of arachnids at you. Not counting her mephitic breath.
Kill her, and most of the critters will be gone, too!!

{ MagmaTaur }
A massive bulk of muscles and lava, this elemental goliath has a range of devastating attacks to throw in your face.
Keep running, and you might have some chance to survive. Also, avoid wasting your _fire_ power on him.

{ Patriarch Of The Serpents }
The supreme Cult leader himself; the most ancient and powerful sorcerer of the Serpent Cult still surviving.
He is dramatically resilient to damage, up to being totally immune to it whenever he summons his occult powers against you...
His full range of assets remains obscure, though.





Footnotes:

(1) The suggested commandline for launching the modification is the following one
    (assumes that the modification has been decompressed in subdirectory 'RSL' of your (G)ZDOOM directory):

    (g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslchaos.pk3

    (if under GZDOOM, add option '+gl_nogl 1' to disable hardware rendering)

(2) Upon starting a new game, the player is confronted with a selection from four possible classes:
     > 'Newcomer'  is the standard one;
     > 'Mercenary' is a fighter-oriented variation: slower and more resilient to damage,
                   begins with less mana but an Arquebus and one Pandora's Box artifact;
     > 'Seer'      is the evasive/defensive type: faster and weaker, starts off
                   with an arbalest and three quartz flasks;
     > 'Warlock'   is the magic-versed class - has mostly normal stats and is equipped
                   only with ToothEye, but his spellcasting arts are already at level two
                   and his mana supply is abundant. Plus, he's stolen one Tome already!
    REMEMBER to set a 'Reload' key for firearms under 'Options > Customize Controls' for
             weapons that take advantage of it.

(3) If the provided special effects happen to excessively tax your system resources,
    use the following toggle to enable a lighter explosive barrel / teleportation effect /
    gore system / quicker raise/lower weapon animations in place of the default ones:

    'Options > LiteFX system'

(4) Similarly, all the tilt-related functions and the foe HP bar provided by the modification
    can be configured and/or individually disabled altogether; please find their configuration controls
    under 'Options' in (G)ZDOOM.

(5) Keys for Strife-style popup panes can also be bound: all three are implemented,
    providing data about collected keys, character status and ammo/inventory storage.
    Go once more to 'Options > Customize Controls' in (G)ZDOOM.

(6) To obtain the complete set of weapons and/or carriable items for quicktesting
    without breaking the weapon set at your disposal, type 'rsl' in the console.
    This is also the only way to obtain all spellcasting upgrade levels beforehand at once,
    to test them out.

(7) The modification is compatible with the following IWADs: Heretic, Heretic: Shadow Of The Serpent Riders.





Additional Credits to   : Various sources for resources and/or inspiration (see below):

                          DBThanatos for the custom teleportation effect

                          Eternal for the custom explosive barrel

                          Vaecrius for the custom firearms puff

                          Sergeant_Mark_IV and DBThanatos for the custom blood system

                          Captain Awesome, Lucario, Monolith Productions, 3D Realms, Hayabusa and Zombieguy
                           for the custom gore system

                          osjclatchford for the augmented pain effects on vanilla Heretic monsters
                          PillowBlaster for augmented death effects (mutuated from Guncaster 2.8a)

                          eliw00d for the casing system

                          Raven Software, Eriance, Tormentor667, DBThanatos, Zygo and Ichor for the custom foes
                          Eriance, DBThanatos, Vader and Ichor for the custom bosses

                          Batandy for 'Revolver'
                          osjclatchford / Xaser for 'Iron Arbalest'
                          Neoworm and Mav3rick for 'Mav3rSickle'
                          Eriance / Neoworm / Terranova / JoeyTD / GhastlyDragon for 'Satan's Tooth / Eye Of God'
                          Batandy for 'Duofold Arquebus'
                          Eriance for 'Spear Of Illwhyrin'
                          Neoworm / Zygo / FishyClockwork / FDARI for 'Trident Of The Titans'
                          NMN / Zygo / AEoD team for 'Pyrokrates'
                          Eriance / Neoworm for 'Deathbringer'
                          Rogue-Velocity / PillowBlaster / Captain Toenail / Ghastly_Dragon for 'Power Symbol'
                          Uboa for 'Spellcasting Arts'
                           .: Zygo, Ichor for TAMER
                           .: Ichor, Zygo for PLAGUE
                           .: Ichor for RATIFICATOR
                           .: Ichor for LAVA RAIN
                           .: Zygo for WINTER WIND
                           .: Ichor, Zygo, Eriance, Tormentor667, M@@@H!aK for CHAOS SERVANTS

                          Neoworm for the 'Corvus Statuette' artifact
                          Ichor for the 'Pandora's Box' artifact
                          AEoD team for 'Drain Enchantment'
                          Raven Software and AEoD team for 'Force Cube'
                          Captain Toenail, Raven Software, Hexx for 'Sentient Prism'
                          Ghastly_Dragon, The Skulltag Team, TiberiumSoul, The AEoD Team for 'Orb Of The Brave'
                          Raven Software, Ichor for 'Glyph Of The Ancients'
                          Ichor for 'Area-Of-Effect Torch'

                          Zygo for the player class skin
                          Monolith for the player sounds
                          DoomNukem for the player mugshot base

                          Extra classes:
                           () Rolls / TerminusEst13 for The Mercenary; Raven Software, zrrion the insect and Eriance for the Mace Of Rancor
                           () Raven Software / ETTiNGRiNDER / Alice Jameson for The Seer; Raven Software and Neoworm for Gaia's Perch
                           () MagicWazard / Xaser for The Warlock; Raven Software and Terranova for the MoochStone

                          Newcomer alternates:
                           Xx PillowBlaster for Mav3rSickle
                           Xx PillowBlaster for Spear Of Illwhyrin
                           Xx Zygo and PillowBlaster for Trident Of The Titans
                           Xx Zygo for Pyrokrates
                           Xx Ichor and Zygo for Deathbringer

                          Brian 'Snakes' Knox for the small font

                          A.Gamma for the gorgeous, Diablo-styled fullscreen HUD

                          The AEoD Team for extra HUD components
                           (Strife-style informational popup windows, automap framing)

                          Mav3rick for the custom M_HTIC logo

                          LiteFX system:
                           -DukeWooze
                           -osjclatchford
                           -FireHusky
                           -WildWeasel

                          Ed the Bat for the LiteFX system integration

                          Rachael (SoulPriestess), Expect No Mercy and osjclatchford
                           for enhanced Heretic fluids and animated surfaces

                          Nash Muhandes, Ral22, SidDoyle for the combined tilting system

                          Hexereticdoom for 'Heretic Footsteps V4.5'

                          Thetis and Ichor for Wrath-Of-Chronos-like foe HP bar

                          kmxexii for the nice t/nc review on DOOMWorld, and the excellent coverage
                           on his personal reviewing blog - the terrific CONBACK is his stuff!

                          Stephen -S- Correggio, Monterey Gomez "Mongo" Lloyd for inspiration

                          ...and the following ZDOOM forums contributors:
                           ETTiNGRiNDER
                           Slax
                           Mav3rick
                           iVoid
                           Serpent rider
                           -Ghost-
                           A.Gamma
                           Crudux Cruo
                           Tux
                           everamzah
                           Biosyn
                           Ed the Bat
                           terranova
                           SidDoyle
                           Patriot1776
                           ArgonianLord
                           armymen12002003
                           NantoCodd
                           kmxexii
                           Princess Viscra Maelstrom

                           ...and remember... Thou-Fart-A-ShiteMeister! :-D

All other authors I forgot to mention: please forgive me! I tried to be accurate as much as I could.
If you here notice some of your resources un-mentioned, please notify me and I will try to remedy.

===========================================================================

* What is included *

New levels              : None
Sounds                  : Yes
Music                   : No
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : Yes
Demos                   : No
Other                   : (G)ZDOOM-specific lumps
Other files required    : None



* Play Information *

Game                    : Heretic
Map #                   : None
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : Tentative support (tested by ArgonianLord)
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : Maybe (untested)
Other game styles       : None
Difficulty Settings     : N/A



* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch (yes, I started from a lot of resources available in the community, see credits list)
Build Time              : Roughly one-and-a-half year (of discontinuous work)
Editor(s) used          : Adobe Photoshop Elements, GoldWave Audio Editor, Notepad++, Slade
Known Bugs              : 1. Widescreen modes are unsupported. Sorry.
                          2. Watch out for combined usage of Shadowsphere, Spellcasting Arts - more in general, when two or more threads
                             happen to try setting the translucency of HUD graphics differently at the same time, the game might crash.
May Not Run With...     : Ports not supporting DECORATE; level WADs with heavy amounts of DEHACKED / DECORATE modifications



* Copyright / Permissions *

Authors MAY use the contents of this file as a base for modification or
reuse.  Permissions have been obtained from original authors for any of
their resources modified or included in this file.

You MAY distribute this file, provided you include this text file, with no
modifications.  You may distribute this file in any electronic format (BBS,
Diskette, CD, etc) as long as you include this file intact.  I have
received permission from the original authors of any modified or included
content in this file to allow further distribution.



* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.3dgamers.com/pub/idgames/ and mirrors
Web sites: None others than the IDGames archive
FTP sites: None others than the IDGames archive
