This MUD does not have a system of experience points or levels for 
describing the powers of a character. Instead, a player's abilities are 
described by his or her skills. Your ability to survive, fight, and 
advance depends upon the level of your skills.
 
There are 12 skills, divided into three groups:
 
Fighting                Magic                   Thievery
--------------------------------------------------------
Cutting weapons         Healing spells          Theft
Blunt weapons           Divinations spells	Stealth      
Parrying defense	Combat spells		Wilderness
Thrusting weapons
First aid

   To see your list of skills, simply type "skills".  This will list your
current skill levels, to the right of the skill names.  For example:
                                                       
Divinations spells       : 10
Cutting weapons          : 6
Magic item use           : 2
Combat spells            : 1
Blunt weapons            : 9
Theft                    : 0
Parrying defense         : 3
Thrusting weapons        : 7
First aid                : 8
Healing spells           : 4

   You can improve your skills in two ways. First, skills improve as you use
them.  Each time you use a skill, you are credited with one "use" of that 
skill. When you get enough uses, your skill goes up.  Example:
    Your friend Orcslayer has been hurt in a recent fight. You cast
    a heal spell on him. As a result of casting the spell, you will
    get credited with a use of the Healing spells skill. Your skill
    will go up if this gives you enough uses to advance a level in
    that skill.
     
Some skills are invoked by commands, such as first aid and theft. Others
will be used when something requires them, such as weapons and defense
skills which will be used if you are fighting a monster.
   It takes more uses to raise the skill at higher skill levels. You may  
also go to a guild and (for a small fee in gold) you can train in a skill, 
raising yourself one level. Each guild has a list of different skills in 
which it can train you. The fighters guild trains in combat skills, the 
magicians guild in magic spells, and so on.

   When visiting various guilds you may find a few skills, such as First aid,
that fall into more than one guild. Do not worry, they are not extra skills,
but the same one at a different location.

A brief description of what each skill does:

Fighting Skills
---------------
  Cutting Weapons:   This skill controls your ability to hit someone with
                     a cutting weapon such as a sword or an axe.
  Blunt Weapons:     This skill controls your ability to hit someone with
                     a blunt weapon, such as a stick, or a mace.
  Parrying Defense:  This skill allows you to parry your opponents attacks
		     when you are parrying with a weapon.
  Thrusting Weapons: This skill controls your ability to hit someone with
                     a thrusting weapon, such as a rapier or dagger.
  First Aid:         This is a skill you use to 'heal' yourself of small
		     wounds with bandages or other non-magical objects.

Magic Skills
------------
  Healing Spells:    This skill controls the use of spells which heal
		     the target or otherwise make it feel better.
  Divination Spells: This skill controls spells which give you information
		     or conceal information, such as message, vision, and
		     invisibility.
  Combat Spells:     This skill controls use of spells that cause damage
		     to the target.
                     They are used in combat.
                     
Thieves' Skills
---------------
  Theft:      This skill is used when trying to pick the pocket of another
              player, break open a lock, or other dastardly deed.
  Stealth:    This skill is used to sneak up on a monster or attack it
              unawares with the backstab command.
  Wilderness: This skill is used to track monsters or players.
              Only thieves may use this skill. 

 
  See also the help on: combat, spells, and the various commands.