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''Skyrealms of Jorune'' is a
science-fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scienti ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
that was first published in 1984 through SkyRealms Publishing. The game is set on the fictional alien planet of Jorune above which float levitating islands. The second edition was published in 1986 as a
boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, and a third edition was published by
Chessex Chessex Manufacturing is an American company that sells dice, primarily for the role-playing game (RPG) and collectible card game (CCG) market. It also offers other accessories used in RPGs and CCGs. The company also has a Chessex Europe branch of ...
in 1992. The computer game '' Alien Logic: A Skyrealms of Jorune Adventure'' was published in 1994. The various editions received positive reviews in game periodicals including ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...
'', ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'', ''
White Wolf A white wolf or Arctic wolf is a mammal of the ''Canidae'' family and a subspecies of the gray wolf. It may also refer to: Organizations * White Wolf (band), a Canadian heavy metal band * White Wolf (band), white power oi band from the USA * Whi ...
'', ''
Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Ru ...
'', ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'', ''
Polyhedron In geometry, a polyhedron (plural polyhedra or polyhedrons; ) is a three-dimensional shape with flat polygonal faces, straight edges and sharp corners or vertices. A convex polyhedron is the convex hull of finitely many points, not all on th ...
'', ''
The Games Machine ''The Games Machine'' is a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published ''CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', ''Amtix!'' and other magazines. History The magazine ran head to head with ...
'', and '' Challenge''.


Setting

Jorune is the fictional planet used as a setting for the ''Skyrealms of Jorune'' role-playing game. The Skyrealms are the game's main setting - floating "islands" levitated by mysterious crystals in the crust of an alien planet. Following the evolution of the native life forms ("Jorune creatures") and the sentient indigenous Shanthas, Jorune was colonized by successive waves of space-faring immigrants, including the insectoid Cleash, the bizarre Thriddle, and the broadly humanoid Ramian; the final colonization was by humans. Following an unexpected and permanent severing of communication with Earth, misunderstandings between the "stranded" human colonists and the Shanthas resulted in a devastating war that eventually reduced all societies on the planet to an
Iron-Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly a ...
level. By the time gameplay begins, more than 3000 years after the Human-Shanthic War, the human race has evolved into three subspecies differentiated by size and facility with Isho (the magic-like energy of the setting): regular humans; the small, Isho-adept Muadra; and the large, Isho-resistant Boccord. (Players can also choose to be one of four additional races: the Blount, Crugar, Bronth, and Woffen, all bipedal, genetically engineered descendants of Earth animals — frogs, cougars, bears, and wolves, respectively.) The role-playing game is based on a
science-fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scienti ...
background (of the
planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...
subtype) created by
Andrew Leker Andrew Leker is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career In the early 1980s, Andrew Leker was a physics and applied mathematics undergraduate at UC Berkeley, when he began imagining a roleplaying game set in a very a ...
, and is quite different from other role-playing games of the time. However, as reviewer Edwin King noted, it has some features in common with Tekumel, the setting of ''
Empire of the Petal Throne ''Empire of the Petal Throne'' is a fantasy role-playing game designed by M. A. R. Barker, based on his Tékumel fictional universe. It was self-published in 1974, then published by TSR, Inc. in 1975. It was one of the first tabletop role-play ...
'', notably the idea of humans colonizing a distant planet and subsequently losing contact with the rest of humanity (a dimensional rift in Tekumel's case, civil war in Jorune's) leading to the regression of the colonists' society and war against the planet's native inhabitants. The barbaric fantasy world populated by sword-wielding heroes who encounter strange alien beings and technologies is also somewhat comparable to the
Barsoom Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
of the John Carter novels of
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
, and has elements of the intricate fantasy worlds of
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Conflict and interaction between the various alien species on Jorune drives some of the drama of individual adventures, as does the exploration of the planet's surface, which is littered with powerful prehistoric artifacts originating variously with the initial human settlement (typically blaster weapons and other "advanced technology") or Shanthas instruments designed to manipulate Isho. Some game terms were derived from the language of Jorune, such as the use of "Sholari" ("teacher") for the
gamemaster A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
or "Isho" for the system of magic. At the start of the campaign, all
player characters A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
begin with the life goal of becoming Drenn (citizens). Needing the support and sponsorship of other Drenn to realize this goal, the player characters must accomplish tasks that will prove them worthy of becoming Drenn.


Publication history


First edition

''Skyrealms of Jorune'' was written by
Andrew Leker Andrew Leker is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career In the early 1980s, Andrew Leker was a physics and applied mathematics undergraduate at UC Berkeley, when he began imagining a roleplaying game set in a very a ...
, Miles Teves, and Amy Leker, and was published by SkyRealms Publishing in 1984 as a 176-page book. The second edition was published in 1986 as a
boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
containing a 72-page book, a 56-page book, a 32-page book, a 16-page book, and a booklet. In 1984, writer
Andrew Leker Andrew Leker is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career In the early 1980s, Andrew Leker was a physics and applied mathematics undergraduate at UC Berkeley, when he began imagining a roleplaying game set in a very a ...
and artist Miles Teves founded SkyRealms Publishing in order to turn a high school English assignment into the first edition of ''Skyrealms of Jorune'', a 176-page perfect bound book. Later the same year, after Andrew's sister Amy Leker Kalish joined the production team, Skyrealms produced the 46-page adventure ''Maustin Caji''.


Second edition

The following year, SkyRealms published a second edition
boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
that included: * 64-page ''Player Manual'': information for the players about character generation and playing the game * 72-page ''Sholari Book'': information only for the
gamemaster A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
* 32-page ''Tauther Guide'': information about Jorune for both the players and the gamemaster * 16-page ''The Skyrealm Kolovisondra'': a beginning campaign setting for the gamemaster * 2 loose-leaf combat summary sheets * 1 loose-leaf resource reference sheet * 5 bifold blank character sheets From 1985 to 1988, SkyRealms published a number of supplements: *''Companion Jorune: Burdoth'', 1986 *''Companion Jorune: Ardoth'', 1987 *''Earth-Tec Jorune'', Sourcebook, 1988 Pre-release versions of two additional sourcebooks, ''Playing the Iscin Races'' and ''Shanthas of Jorune'' were made available at conventions in 1989 and 1990, respectively, but were never published by SkyRealms.


Third Edition

In 1992,
Chessex Chessex Manufacturing is an American company that sells dice, primarily for the role-playing game (RPG) and collectible card game (CCG) market. It also offers other accessories used in RPGs and CCGs. The company also has a Chessex Europe branch of ...
published a third edition, ''Skyrealms of Jorune: The RolePlaying Game'' . Over the next two years, Chessex released a number of resources: *''The Innocents of Gauss'', Beginning adventure, 1993, *''The Sobayid Atlas'', Sourcebook, 1994, *''The Sholari Pack'', Sourcebook, Adventure, Screen, 1994, *''The Gire of Sillipus'', Sourcebook, 1994,


Spinoffs

A number of third-party products based on the world of Jorune have been published: *'' Alien Logic: A Skyrealms of Jorune Adventure'' (1994), a DOS-based RPG. *''Sarceen's Knowledge'', fanzine from UK by Alex Blair. *''Sholari'', fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams aka Joe Coleman. *''Bokelby's Folly'', fanzine from UK by Ray Gilliam. *''Danstead's Traveler'', webzine by Danstead Traveler (defunct). *''Journal of the Tansoor Historical Society'', fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams. *''Gomo Guide to Thoneport'', fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams.


Reception

Robert Neville reviewed the second edition of ''Skyrealms of Jorune'' for ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'' #82, and stated that "All in all, ''Skyrealms of Jorune'' is a worthwhile addition to the gaming field. Apart from a distinct need for its GM to have played other rpgs beforehand, and a lack of introductory adventure, it has few faults, and these are outweighed, to my mind, by the depth of detail on the truly fascinating background." In the March–April 1987 edition of ''
Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Ru ...
'' (Issue #45), Edwin King admired the setting of Jorune, calling it "an alien world that is both believable and entertaining without being so much of a personal creation that no one but its designer can play it." However, King criticized the combat system, pointing out the unfairness of some rules, and several internal contradictions. He also pointed out the many typographical errors, saying, "''Jorun''e cries out for better proofreading." On the other hand, King liked the visual aspect of the game, commenting, "the art in Jorune is excellent and goes a long way towards creating the appropriate atmosphere. The illustrations of monsters and intelligent species are particularly well done, and the captions are often intriguing." He concluded by giving the game a rating of 3 out of 4, saying, "I think that more care could have been taken with elements of the rules, but the joy of Jorune is in the conception of its environment, rather than the elegance of its system. I highly recommend Jorune to anyone who wants to step into a really different fantasy world." In the December 1987 edition of ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' (Issue 128),
Ken Rolston Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game (pen and paper), role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. In February 2007, he elected to join th ...
admired the second edition of this game, saying, "Boy is this good, and it's different from most other antasy role-playing games" However, Rolston found the rules imprecise and badly organized, and the combat mechanics "involved and clunky." He also noted the lack of pre-generated characters, and found tips for
gamemasters A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
to be inadequate. Rolston did like the magic systems and campaign background, and called the illustrations "superb". He concluded with a strong recommendation, saying "''Skyrealms of Jorune'' is a wonderfully original and inspiring FRPG campaign setting. On that basis alone, it is certainly a worthwhile purchase." In Issue 20 of ''
The Games Machine ''The Games Machine'' is a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published ''CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', ''Amtix!'' and other magazines. History The magazine ran head to head with ...
'', Paul Reid called the game "a wonderfully complex world where the fantastic, the futuristic and the simply bizarre mingle to create a richness of opportunities for adventure." He especially liked the illustrations, calling them "the most striking feature ..they add to a high overall standard of presentation." Although Reid didn't like the lack of an index, he concluded, "''SkyRealms Of Jorune'' offers a wealth of material for your money, and presents a setting which is both unusual and convincing in its imaginative richness. A really striking game that every roleplayer should try." In a 1996 readers' poll conducted by ''Arcane'' magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, ''Skyrealms of Jorune'' was ranked 30th. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Bonkers. Okay, so it is a good game in terms of atmosphere, system structure, presentation and the depth of the background, but it's bonkers."


Other reviews

* ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...
'' #33 (June 1986) *''
White Wolf A white wolf or Arctic wolf is a mammal of the ''Canidae'' family and a subspecies of the gray wolf. It may also refer to: Organizations * White Wolf (band), a Canadian heavy metal band * White Wolf (band), white power oi band from the USA * Whi ...
'' #3 (Oct 1986) *''
Polyhedron In geometry, a polyhedron (plural polyhedra or polyhedrons; ) is a three-dimensional shape with flat polygonal faces, straight edges and sharp corners or vertices. A convex polyhedron is the convex hull of finitely many points, not all on th ...
'' #42 (July 1988; "The Critical Hit: Exposing Jorune") * ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...
'' #72 (Nov 1992) * ''Australian Realms'' #9 (Jan/Feb 1993) *'' Challenge'' #74 (1994) *''
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...
'' v11 n4 (1987 04)https://archive.org/details/Asimovs_v11n04_1987-04/page/n21/mode/2up


References


External links

*{{moby game, id=/alien-logic, name=''Alien Logic'' Fantasy role-playing games Planetary romances Role-playing games introduced in 1984 Science fantasy role-playing games Science fiction role-playing games