Jump to content

Out now in print: Dark Side of the Moon & The Zero Wane


Nick Brooke

Recommended Posts

Dark Side of the Moon is a collection of Lunar apocrypha compiled by the authors of the Platinum best-seller A Rough Guide to Glamour, lavishly illustrated throughout by award-winning Cults of RuneQuest artist Katrin Dirim.

Inside you will find:

  • Seven Mothers Cult Variants by Mike Hagen (Danfive Xaron & Jakaleel the Witch) and Nick Brooke (Yanafal Tarnils), expanding on material previously published in Tales of the Reaching Moon magazine.
  • The Zero Wane by Katrin Dirim, illustrating ten key events from the early History of the Lunar Empire (as detailed in the Glorantha Sourcebook). These illustrations are available in a print-on-demand artbook, The Zero Wane.
  • The Seleric Verses by Chris Gidlow, a literary work of great notoriety whose heretical author imputes human motives and desires to the divine Mothers of the Red Goddess, previously published in three issues of Tales of the Reaching Moon magazine.
  • White Moon & Blue Fox by Jeff Erwin, the apocryphal tales of a Princess from the Red Moon and her talking animal companion's picaresque journeys through the fallen Lunar Empire of the Fourth Wane; a trove of related materials explore the puppet-shows of Torang and the Fox Cult found at Moonbroth Oasis.
  • Seven Sayings of Sedenya by Margaret Gill, an inspiring educational tract which guides readers to explore the deeper meaning of the Lunar Way.
  • The Life of Sedenya by Greg Stafford, gloriously illuminated with a dozen devotional artworks by Katrin Dirim, tells the story of the many lives, rebirths and divine quests of the Red Goddess.

and more besides…

But wait, there's more!

A5.TeeloNorriinHell900px.png.df0352e956cdb9d99ff2dca23f21b166.png

The Zero Wane: Early Lunar Art from Blessed Torang is a premium-quality, large-format version of award-winning Cults of RuneQuest artist Katrin Dirim's intricate original artwork, commissioned by Nick Brooke, Chris Gidlow and Mike Hagen for the Jonstown Compendium 2024 release Dark Side of the Moon.

This US Letter landscape-format book presents ten key events from the early History of the Lunar Empire (as detailed in the Glorantha Sourcebook) as 8.5 x 22 inch high-resolution double-page spreads (NB: in the print edition of Dark Side of the Moon they will be 5.5 x 17 inches).

The Zero Wane was the 27-year period in the early Third Age of Glorantha between the rebirth of the Red Goddess and the rise of the Red Moon. In the city of Torang a new religion called the Lunar Way was founded in rebellion against the oppressive Carmanian Empire, allied itself with strange powers and ancient empires and overthrew all opposition to win its rightful place in the Cosmic Compromise against the blinkered opposition of the Old Gods.

To learn more about these blessed events, pick up the Glorantha Sourcebook, Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way, the Guide to Glorantha and now Dark Side of the Moon!

A8.FourArrowsofLight900px.png.4c85a6fcb417e0f3144d0e0272f9c20b.png 

Edited by Nick Brooke
Now available in print
  • Like 13
  • Helpful 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

Probably why I didn't realize that the Zero Wane POD option was available! (And apparently for quite awhile).

Thanks, @Jason Farrell. That’s due to a quirk of the way DriveThruRPG counts product incept dates. The first printed copies of “The Zero Wane” were ordered (for contributors to “Dark Side of the Moon” and our best mates) back in late 2023, so that’s when the site thinks the book went on sale (although it didn’t.)

It only became available to the public this morning. But it’s not listed as a brand-new print product because of that history.

I brought seven slightly duff prints (which had a texture applied behind the artwork) to Chaosium Con 2024. The version that’s now on sale doesn’t have that texture. I think this version looks better, and the seven original prints are unique collectible items.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

It only became available to the public this morning. But it’s not listed as a brand-new print product because of that history.

I brought seven slightly duff prints (which had a texture applied behind the artwork) to Chaosium Con 2024. The version that’s now on sale doesn’t have that texture. I think this version looks better, and the seven original prints are unique collectible items.

Great! Glad to know I hadn't missed something I should have had months ago. 🙂 Yet another work to get on order... 

Dark Side of the Moon looks great. Picked up earlier today and only had a brief chance to skim but love the artwork (always love Katrin's pieces and both the cover and Antonia's pieces fit perfectly). It's really nice to have all these Lunar pieces assembled in one place and looking forward to reading through the whole work (and see what I didn't pick up on before!). 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Dimbyd said:

What game statistics come with the book?

No stat blocks (it’s not a scenario or a campaign setting). Three RuneQuest cult writeups (or modular extensions): the remixed and extended Tales of the Reaching Moon takes on Danfive Xaron, Jakaleel the Witch and Yanafal Tarnils. Occasional fragmentary RQ mechanics (e.g. the Praxian fox cult Rune spells). A new Shamanic Taboos table plus localised ordeals etc. for Shamans in the Lunar Empire. Plus fiction, poetry, lore, whimsy, and above all ART. (I appreciate that those things aren’t game statistics, but they’re this book’s strengths.)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/18/2024 at 7:17 AM, Nick Brooke said:

No stat blocks (it’s not a scenario or a campaign setting). Three RuneQuest cult writeups (or modular extensions): the remixed and extended Tales of the Reaching Moon takes on Danfive Xaron, Jakaleel the Witch and Yanafal Tarnils. Occasional fragmentary RQ mechanics (e.g. the Praxian fox cult Rune spells). A new Shamanic Taboos table plus localised ordeals etc. for Shamans in the Lunar Empire. Plus fiction, poetry, lore, whimsy, and above all ART. (I appreciate that those things aren’t game statistics, but they’re this book’s strengths.)

... and you just moved it up from "looks interesting, maybe I should get it one day" to "Yep. Relevant to my interests. Time to visit DriveThrough - again." 😕

EDIT: Now moved up to "Bought" - and I was not disappointed.

Edited by ROOTless
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DTRPG-MetalBestSeller-Copper.png.bf6d66b85abe954b24578e41235c4178.png

Here's a long-form review by Andrew Logan Montgomery: Apocrypha Now: a look at Dark Side of the Moon

Quote

"If you love the Lunars, and you want some deep, fascinating Lunar content, this is the book for you. I hesitate to call it either an "art book" or "coffee table book," because there is a meaty amount of content here. But it is a book that is designed to be flipped through, repeatedly, and absorbed in small bites. Dark Side is not a text so much as inspiration.

"Dark Side is not exactly a game book as it is a setting book, a "Glorantha" book. These separate pieces are all deep dives down the Lunar rabbit hole, but so long as you go into the book knowing this, and Sedenya is your vibe, you will derive a great deal from these. 

"A book you think about, talk about, ponder, and puzzle over." 

While Antony says, in his  review on DriveThruRPG (one of three so far):

Quote

"This book is everything I love about Glorantha. Ambitious, enlightening, original, challenging. The artwork throughout the book is pretty phenomenal and the whole thing is a real feast for the senses. It's a work of art that keeps you coming back for more. It doesn't get much better than this!!!"

Remember, you can still leave ratings without needing a review if you go to the legacy website, https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com. (But we all like your reviews, too!)

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proof-prints have been ordered, and if all goes well the hardcover edition of Dark Side of the Moon should be out in a couple of weeks (in premium colour for the Lunar elite, standard colour for Poor Fund recipients). Meanwhile, here's a thumbnail view of the whole book, made to show off just how much gorgeous original Katrin Dirim artwork it contains. (Remember, her ten illustrations of the Zero Wane are available in double-landscape format -- c.25% bigger! -- as a separate print-only release.)

MiniaturePages.thumb.png.e6967a680b37b3ff963bdc4c1e0a3fd9.png

Edited by Nick Brooke
  • Like 2
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Nick Brooke changed the title to Out now in print: Dark Side of the Moon & The Zero Wane

Available now in premium and standard hardcover print-on-demand: Dark Side of the Moon, a collection of Lunar apocrypha by Nick Brooke, Katrin Dirim, Chris Gidlow, Mike Hagen, Greg Stafford, Jeff Erwin and Margaret Gill. $47.95 premium / $35.95 standard / $19.95 digital (PDF).

The book is gloriously illustrated throughout by award-winning Cults of RuneQuest artist Katrin Dirim.

tiny.cc/jc-darkside

IMG_4567.thumb.jpeg.c3906f641ea32c3daab5da32ad4be479.jpeg

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Compare and contrast:

IMG_2747.thumb.jpeg.1e8a9348e5e11a9f61c09e9dbdaa2b07.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The easiest ways to tell them apart are those deep, rich, vibrant reds, the slightly crisper print quality, and the page backgrounds (which are subtler in premium).

Both versions are gorgeous, and I’m sure you’d be delighted to own either of them. (We wouldn’t sell these Poor Fund editions if we didn’t think they were good enough.)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(The biggest difference is that Katrin’s pictures are printed 17 inches wide in Dark Side vs. 22 inches wide - less margins - in Zero Wane.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nick Brooke said:

(The biggest difference is that Katrin’s pictures are printed 17 inches wide in Dark Side vs. 22 inches wide - less margins - in Zero Wane.)

I expect I'll get both so I can enjoy the details of each. 🙂 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...