CHRONICLES ONLINE PORTAL
Here is everything in Arborell that can be accessed online, ready to play and available free of charge.
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July has been spent continuing with the development of the third instalment of the Murder of Crows gamebook. This new title in the Jotun of the West series has proven quite a challenge as it is set within the culture of the Jotun, and as such the main character must respond to a code of conduct that is both rigid and alien in its context. What I find most interesting at this time is the difficulties that arise when writing an interactive adventure that has more than one ongoing character as its focus. Tansen and his brother are on a quest together, and their fates are one as they hunt down the shadim of the Sigh. Whether they will both survive the nahj is something that only time will uncover.
Wayne Densley
21/07/10
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DOWNLOADS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
Windhammer
First Book of Haer'al
Shards of Moonlight
Shards of Moonlight Pbem
Torchlight
Song of the Dromannion
Blood and Iron
The Book of Scars
Atlas of Arborell
Mapset 1
The Inquisitor's Lament
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NEW RELEASES
Blood and Iron
Windhammer
First Book of Haer'al
Torchlight
Shards of Moonlight
Song of the Dromannion
The Book of Scars
The Inquisitor's Lament
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Written and illustrated by Wayne Densley. Copyright Wayne Densley 2010. Last Updated 23rd July 2010
 An Introduction for New Travellers
Within these pages can be found an adventure that spans the history of a world that has never known peace, where intractable enemies stand against each other in the face of centuries of conflict and mistrust. This is a story of feuding nations, of creatures that have no concept of mercy and of Men that have nowhere left to go. In this land the future of all nations hang in the balance, and whether any survive depends on the courage and determination of only one person. In the world of Arborell that person is you.
But do not think that what can be found here is a simple story, spread out before the reader and followed as one might a narrow trail. Here is a tale where it is the reader who chooses their own way, and where success or failure is determined by those choices. In this world your fate is yours to make.
The Chronicles of Arborell is a gamebook series like no other, a wide-ranging interactive fantasy that will ultimately include more than 40 titles. When complete this series will not only encompass 14 gamebooks but also:
- a series of full-length novels and novellas,
- supplementary titles including almanacs, atlases, mythologies and role-playing sourcebooks,
- the Torchlight table-top role-playing system,
- and a set of table-top strategy wargames.
All stand alone as individual titles, but come together as one to take the reader on an epic journey through the long history of Arborell. At this time fourteen of these titles are available, with the remainder to be completed in the coming years. How these different books and documents fit together can be found within the "Finding your way" flowchart and its associated Series Synopsis. The following information will provide some insight into the nature of the Chronicles for new Travellers.
Core Gamebooks
All of the titles in this series are founded upon three core gamebooks. These three books, Windhammer, Earth and Stone, and The Jotun War chronicle the adventures of Halokim Vesh, a Dwarvendim thief, as he is used by the Powers of his world to save the Four Nations of Men from destruction. Against the dangers of the Dragon Windhammer, the malevolence of the Shadowch, or the sinister machinations of the Clavern'sigh, Halokim must draw from his own courage, and the hidden magic of his world, to bring unity between Man and Oera'dim. Only with this accomplished can all stand against a far greater danger, one that none can withstand alone.
Chronicles Companion Series
The Chronicles Companion Series is a range of associated novellas that tell the stories of characters and events that have shaped the world within which you must travel. In the course of your adventures you will meet many characters and be told of great events that have changed the histories of the Four Nations. The Companion Series tells these stories from the perspective of the characters themselves, and gives the reader the opportunity to delve as deeply as they may wish into the background of each gamebook adventure.
The Complete Blood and Iron
The Blood and Iron novel takes the reader back into the history of Arborell and unlocks the secrets and lore of its ancient inhabitants. You will be an eyewitness to the journeys of Mallen and Tomas Cael as they travel deep into the wastelands of the Hordim, ultimately to discover the true nature of their mortal enemies. This is a tale of adventure and discovery, based on the popular web serial but now complete and available in an ebook format.
Song of the Dromannion
The Song of the Dromannion is the story of the first settlers in Arborell, written from the perspective of a refugee of the Old World named Emmers Nahr. Here is the only remaining record of the Last Fleet of the Free Nations. Within its pages can be found the journal of a great voyage, and the tribulations of a people fleeing a malevolent Enemy. This story uncovers the origins of the Four Nations, and in doing so hints at the strength of those that have found their way safely to the new world of Arborell. This journal is now complete and can be read online, or obtained as a free download.
Jotun of the West gamebooks
The Jotun of the West interactive series is a new selection of gamebook adventures that introduce to readers the character of Tansen'Delving, a Jotun of the Delving Kraal and an important part of the second core gamebook in the Chronicles of Arborell series - Earth and Stone. Through the four gamebooks planned for this associated mini-series the reader will follow the quests of Tansen as he rises from committed enemy of the Four Nations to Halokim Vesh's ally in his quest to defeat the Shadowch. These stories take the reader to the lands of the Jotun of the West, and deep into the culture of the Jotun themselves. All information regarding this series can be found at the Jotun of the West webpage.
Torchlight Adventures - Quest for the Orncryst
Quest for the Orncryst is the first in a series of role-playing adventures designed using the Torchlight game system. As the first ever card-based gamebook adventure it consists of three main elements; a character generation and combat system drawn from the traditions of gamebooks and interactive fiction; a card-based map creation mode that allows for the generation of unique role-playing settings; and a manual-based set of 200 section references that provide all the information needed to conduct your adventure.
Unlike other gamebook adventures, the Torchlight system allows for an unlimited number of variations to the way the game may be played. No two games will be the same, and each will have their own hardships and challenges to overcome. Quest for the Orncryst includes the new Windhammer character generation rules and combat system, now the standard rule system for all interactive gamebooks in this series.
Torchlight Text Edition
As an expansion of the Torchlight series a Text Edition has been produced for all players who cannot take full advantage of the card-based system that stands at the foundation of this game. The text edition provides all the same functionality whilst providing an unlimited number of dungeon variations, creature encounters, search and trap scenarios, and room environment modifiers. This is a full-featured role-playing setting that includes printable character, combat and mapping sheets and as with the card version is free to download from the Chronicles download page. Quest for the Orncryst can also be played online and can be found here. It is envisaged that all further games produced in this series will have both a card and text version available. An audio tutorial will also be released shortly as a guide to visually impaired players who want to get the most from this new gamebook adventure.
Finding your way
At this point it can be seen that the Chronicles of Arborell is a story made of many parts. To help readers navigate the different series and supplementary documents a flowchart has been produced to show how each of the books encompassed by the Chronicles are connected. Because of the number of books that are to be produced it has been designed as a guide for readers on titles available, titles currently under development, and titles planned for the future. If you have any questions regarding this chart please do not hesitate to contact me through my email address.
A note for Visually Impaired readers
Over time I have been attempting to improve access to the Chronicles for readers who use screen reading software. This has meant that there are now text versions of some maps, timelines and the "finding your way" flowchart. With most of the website I am attempting to have text versions available of all graphics that have any type of text content. If a text version of a graphic is available you need only click on the graphic to link to the appropriate text. An example of this can be found at the beginning of this webpage. As I continue this endeavour I would be interested in any ideas readers may have to improve access to all the Chronicles.
The World of Arborell - Year of Settlement 947
Full size versions of these maps can be found at the Atlas of Arborell or by clicking below
- The Western Ranges of Arborell -
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- The Northern Frontier -
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- The East Coast of Kalborea -
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What are Gamebooks?
A gamebook is a work of interactive fiction that allows the reader to make choices about the path they wish to take within a story. Unlike most novels there are many ways in which the story can be completed, and many different circumstances that can be experienced along the way. It is essentially up to the reader to make a success of the adventure they undertake. To read such gamebooks the same way as you would a normal novel will make little sense. The nature of adventure gamebooks is such that you must jump from section to section depending on the choices you make, the traps or creatures that confront you, and what you have experienced previously in your journey.
To successfully complete one of these books usually takes a number of attempts. An adventure gamebook requires the reader to be mindful of what they find during their quest and where they have trod before.
To complete these books and get the most from them take heed of the following:
- Read the rules thoroughly.
- Complete the character sheet before you start and maintain a record of what you find along the way.
- Read all the introductory information, it will give you considerable information about the land you are about to journey through and provide hints as to what you may encounter.
- Consider carefully all the options given.
- Enjoy your quest, you may not make it the first time but you can be assured that there is more than one way to complete it.
If you have never read a gamebook before then the ability to travel different paths and to encounter new situations on your journey can be a very novel experience indeed. For those of us who enjoy gamebooks a story is almost never read only once. There are simply too many things to do and too much to explore. The books that make up this series have been designed with this outcome in mind. A reader may read and re-read the story, finding a different way each time, and in doing so explore a larger world than may at first be apparent.
Where to Begin
The stories that constitute the Chronicles of Arborell span a wide range of time and settings, each documenting a small part of a much larger tale that encompasses both the history and mythology of the world of Arborell. Where you begin to take your journey is a choice left to yourself as the reader. I would say however, that a good place to start is with the first core gamebook, Windhammer. Within this adventure can be found the foundations of an understanding of this world and serves well as a point from which a reader can then spread outwards to encounter the other characters and events that make the quests of Halokim Vesh so important. Much of the Chronicles has been completed, but much remains yet to be uncovered. Both the finding your way flowchart, and the series synopsis page can provide additional information that will help you on your chosen path.
Comments
One of the most enjoyable aspects of producing this series is the excellent comments (both constructive and critical) that I receive from readers all over the world. The great strength of being an independant author is the ease with which a book can be altered and improved, and the feedback given by readers has been invaluable in enhancing the quality of these books. If you find anything about the series that requires comment (again both constructive or critical) please do not hesitate to do so. Comments can be sent using the email address given below, by using the guest book facility provided at the top of the page, or by visiting the official Chronicles of Arborell forum. Every email is read and all comments or suggestions are considered in the ongoing development of this interactive fantasy series.
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This site, and associated books and other documents are the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Unless otherwise stated all books in this series must be viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution. Any questions regarding the Chronicles of Arborell can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au
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THIS MONTH'S FEATURED RELEASE
A MURDER
OF CROWS
Upon the first breaths of a cold winter Tansen treks into the north of his lands looking to fulfil one final test of courage that will prove him worthy of becoming Chief of his Kraal. What he finds instead is assasination and treachery, and a new challenge that will bring him face to face with a hidden enemy. Is it his destiny to die a lonely death in these cold lands, or will he measure a deadly retribution against those who wish his demise?
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SERIES SYNOPSIS
This page covers every available title and all coming titles that constitute the Chronicles of Arborell. Includes title descriptions, timeline dates and availability.
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THE ARBORELLIUM FORUM
The Arborellium is a forum for readers and authors who love the gamebook genre.
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JOTUN OF THE WEST
Shards of Moonlight
A Murder of Crows
The Horns of Gorgoroth
Slaves of Creation
The Book of Scars
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CHRONICLES COMPANION SERIES
The Inquisitor's Lament
Honour Amongst Thieves
Kal Murda
The Last Stone King
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