Cretan Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Cretan Chronicles is a trilogy of single-player role-playing
fantasy gamebook
s written by John Butterfield, David Honigmann and Philip Parker, and illustrated by Dan Woods. The Cretan Chronicles were published by Puffin between 1985 and 1986 under the Adventure Gamebooks banner, which also covered the more popular Fighting Fantasy
and the related Sorcery!
series, as well as the one-off Shakespearean-era role-playing game Maelstrom
.
, who in this series was killed in his quest to slay the Minotaur
of Crete (in the original myth Theseus was victorious over the Minotaur, and Altheus does not appear). Told of this state of affairs by the messenger god Hermes
, Altheus embarks on a mission of vengeance.
In Bloodfeud of Altheus, the young hero chooses a patron god from among six of the Olympians (Athena
, Ares
, Hera
, Aphrodite
, Apollo
or Poseidon
), and sets out for Athens to meet with his father, King Aegeus, then to gain passage to Crete. The book ends when Altheus's ship manages to get past Talos
, the bronze giant, and arrives in Crete.
In the next book, At the Court of King Minos, Altheus has arrived on Crete and must deal with the members of Minos's court while trying to enter the labyrinth beneath Minos's palace and succeed where his brother failed. After killing the Minotaur, Altheus escapes from the palace and sails away with the king's daughter, Ariadne
.
In the final book, Return of the Wanderer, Altheus is condemned by the gods to wander in search of redemption for sins he has committed against Ariadne.
series, including combat statistics Might and Protection, and Honour and Shame ratings. Might is "a combination of [Altheus's] natural ability and the value of the strongest weapon he is carrying", while Protection is a combination of "inborn skill at dodging and the sum total of the armour he happens to be wearing". Honour is gained by victory in combat, and may be used up in appeals to the gods or to gain a temporary increase in Might or Protection in combat. Shame cannot be eradicated once acquired, and "is accumulated by such cultural faux pas as slaying one's opponent after he has surrendered, or failing to perform heroic deeds". If Altheus ever accumulates more Shame than Honour, he will be "overwhelmed by the burden of his heroic conscience" and kill himself on the spot.
Altheus chooses a patron deity at the start of Bloodfeud of Altheus, but also maintains standings with other gods, being either in Favour, Neutral, or in Disfavour with each deity. Actions appeasing or angering the gods may change these ratings, and in turn the ratings determine how the gods react to and assist Altheus at various points in the story. Certain patrons give particular benefits - for example Ares gives a bonus in battle.
Another difference from the Fighting Fantasy
books is the way that the protagonist's health is represented. Instead of having a stamina attribute which decreases as the character is injured, there are four simple stages to measure health: healthy, wounded, seriously wounded and dead. These are automatically reset after a battle. While seriously wounded a combatant is only allowed to add the roll of one die to their Might instead of two to reflect their weakened state. A protagonist whose patron is Asclepius recovers more quickly from wounds.
The books have around 500–600 paragraphs and are therefore slightly longer than the standard Fighting Fantasy
books. They are also physically larger, and similarly sized to Steve Jackson's Sorcery!
series.
The Cretan Chronicles also use a unique system known as "Taking a Hint". At times the reader may want to perform non-standard actions. These are not offered in the text, but are available when the paragraph number is in italic type, by adding 20 to the paragraph number. If there is no non-standard action at that point which a Bronze-Age hero would have thought of, the reader pays a penalty in either Honour or Shame (or both), for trying to be ahead of his time. (If a player's patron is Athena, the penalty is only to honour, never shame; if it's Apollo, god of prophecy, no penalty applies.)
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
fantasy gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s written by John Butterfield, David Honigmann and Philip Parker, and illustrated by Dan Woods. The Cretan Chronicles were published by Puffin between 1985 and 1986 under the Adventure Gamebooks banner, which also covered the more popular Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
and the related Sorcery!
Sorcery!
Sorcery! is a single-player four-part adventure gamebook series written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Blanche. Originally published by Puffin Books from 1983 to 1985, the titles form part of the Fighting Fantasy series, despite not being part of the formal chronology...
series, as well as the one-off Shakespearean-era role-playing game Maelstrom
Maelstrom (role playing game)
Maelstrom is a role-playing game by Alexander Scott, published in 1984 by Puffin Books as a single soft cover book. The book provided a wealth of information for role-playing in a 16th century or 17th century European setting although the rules could be easily adapted to any time period or location...
.
The books
The trilogy consists of:- Bloodfeud of Altheus
- At the Court of King Minos
- Return of the Wanderer.
Story
The reader controls Altheus, brother of the legendary hero TheseusTheseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
, who in this series was killed in his quest to slay the Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
of Crete (in the original myth Theseus was victorious over the Minotaur, and Altheus does not appear). Told of this state of affairs by the messenger god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, Altheus embarks on a mission of vengeance.
In Bloodfeud of Altheus, the young hero chooses a patron god from among six of the Olympians (Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
, Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
or Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
), and sets out for Athens to meet with his father, King Aegeus, then to gain passage to Crete. The book ends when Altheus's ship manages to get past Talos
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos or Talon was a giant man of bronze who protected Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders by circling the island's shores three times daily while guarding it.- History :...
, the bronze giant, and arrives in Crete.
In the next book, At the Court of King Minos, Altheus has arrived on Crete and must deal with the members of Minos's court while trying to enter the labyrinth beneath Minos's palace and succeed where his brother failed. After killing the Minotaur, Altheus escapes from the palace and sails away with the king's daughter, Ariadne
Ariadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
.
In the final book, Return of the Wanderer, Altheus is condemned by the gods to wander in search of redemption for sins he has committed against Ariadne.
Details
Each book is set in the mythological world of Ancient Greece. The series incorporates a set of characteristics differing from the Fighting FantasyFighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
series, including combat statistics Might and Protection, and Honour and Shame ratings. Might is "a combination of [Altheus's] natural ability and the value of the strongest weapon he is carrying", while Protection is a combination of "inborn skill at dodging and the sum total of the armour he happens to be wearing". Honour is gained by victory in combat, and may be used up in appeals to the gods or to gain a temporary increase in Might or Protection in combat. Shame cannot be eradicated once acquired, and "is accumulated by such cultural faux pas as slaying one's opponent after he has surrendered, or failing to perform heroic deeds". If Altheus ever accumulates more Shame than Honour, he will be "overwhelmed by the burden of his heroic conscience" and kill himself on the spot.
Altheus chooses a patron deity at the start of Bloodfeud of Altheus, but also maintains standings with other gods, being either in Favour, Neutral, or in Disfavour with each deity. Actions appeasing or angering the gods may change these ratings, and in turn the ratings determine how the gods react to and assist Altheus at various points in the story. Certain patrons give particular benefits - for example Ares gives a bonus in battle.
Another difference from the Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
books is the way that the protagonist's health is represented. Instead of having a stamina attribute which decreases as the character is injured, there are four simple stages to measure health: healthy, wounded, seriously wounded and dead. These are automatically reset after a battle. While seriously wounded a combatant is only allowed to add the roll of one die to their Might instead of two to reflect their weakened state. A protagonist whose patron is Asclepius recovers more quickly from wounds.
The books have around 500–600 paragraphs and are therefore slightly longer than the standard Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
books. They are also physically larger, and similarly sized to Steve Jackson's Sorcery!
Sorcery!
Sorcery! is a single-player four-part adventure gamebook series written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Blanche. Originally published by Puffin Books from 1983 to 1985, the titles form part of the Fighting Fantasy series, despite not being part of the formal chronology...
series.
The Cretan Chronicles also use a unique system known as "Taking a Hint". At times the reader may want to perform non-standard actions. These are not offered in the text, but are available when the paragraph number is in italic type, by adding 20 to the paragraph number. If there is no non-standard action at that point which a Bronze-Age hero would have thought of, the reader pays a penalty in either Honour or Shame (or both), for trying to be ahead of his time. (If a player's patron is Athena, the penalty is only to honour, never shame; if it's Apollo, god of prophecy, no penalty applies.)
See also
- Mazes and Minotaurs a role-playing game also set in the world of ancient Greek myth.