Prince Corwyn and Princess Lyssa are about to be married, when their wedding is overrun by hordes of evil Slayers! Soon Lyssa is kidnapped, and Corwyn must find her, then battle the evil Beast to rescue her. In this game, you are Prince Corwin.
In the game's first scene, you are defending Lyssa from the Slayers that have stormed the wedding. Use your sword to kill as many Slayers as you can, before they whisk Lyssa away. Be careful to avoid the Slayers' deadly lightning bolts!
Once the Slayers succeed in taking Lyssa, you must race across the Iron Desert on your trusty fire mare, in search of the Widow of the Web. While galloping across the desert, you may see the magical weapon of Krull, the Glaive, laying on the ground. Extra lives can be found in the desert as well. If you see either, press the fire button just as soon as the lead fire mare runs over the treasure. If your timing is right, the Glaive or extra life will be added to your inventory.
When your trek across the desert is complete, you will be inside the Widow's lair. Here you must avoid the Crystal Spider and jump over moving strands of web, making your way to the coccoon near the top of the screen. When you touch the coccoon, one of the trails out the lair will flash, revealing the location of the Black Fortress, where Lyssa is being held. You must then leave the lair, using that exact trail. Note that the web strands are sticky, and if you get caught, you may get dragged toward the Crystal Spider, or pushed out of the lair and onto the wrong trail! Also note the hourglass at the top of the screen. If time runs out, the Crystal Spider will come for you!
Once you have left the Widow's lair, you are off to find the Black Fortress. Again you must journey across the Iron Desert, and again an extra life or another Glaive may be picked up. At the end of this new journey across the desert, you will discover the Black Fortress... if you left the Widow of the Web using the right trail! If not, you will lose a life, or a Glaive if you have no additional lives in reserve, and then must journey back to the Widow's lair for another attempt.
Be aware that time passes as you search for the Black Fortress. You can tell by looking at the bar at the very top of the screen, where the sun's position and the color of the sky reveal the time of day. At the dawn of each new day, the location of the Black Fortress changes. So, you must time your exit from the Widow's lair carefully, making sure you have enough time in the day to reach the Fortress, while also not allowing the hourglass to run out!
When you succeed in finding the Black Fortress, your final showdown with the Beast awaits inside. Make sure you have at least one Glaive to bring to the battle! Once inside the Fortress, use your Glaives to knock bricks out of the walls holding Lyssa prisoner. The Beast will pace back and forth between you and Lyssa, hurling fireballs at you. If a fireball hits you, you will lose a life. If a Glaive hits the beast, or you miss the Glaive on its rebound, you will lose that Glaive. If all Glaives are lost before Lyssa is freed, you must retreat from the Fortress and journey again to the Widow of the Web for another chance!
When you have freed Lyssa, by blasting a hole in her prison large enough for a Glaive, Lyssa will join you, transforming into a living fireball. Hurl this fireball toward the Beast to save Krull and win the girl! When you do, you then have the honor of playing again at a harder difficulty level. Good luck!