Black Moon Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The Black Moon Chronicles is an epic dark fantasy
French
comic series.
, the Black Moon Chronicles is an epic story offset by liberal doses of irreverent humour and the use of colloquial modern French over the archaic language usually found in such stories.
The series, whose first episode was published in the late 80's, was also translated into German
, Italian
, Danish
, Dutch
and English. Following its long-lasting success in France, spin-off series were created to give more details on the background of some key characters.
Episode 5 was the last volume drawn by Olivier Ledroit
, who was replaced by Cyril Pontet for the rest of the series. Ledroit was still kept on drawing the remaining album covers.
The 14th and final album of the series was released on 21 November 2008.
Associates of Wismerhill (more developed in the spin-off series Black Moon Arcanas):
Volume 14 is the final album of the series. The French version was released on 21 November 2008.
but each tome has a different artist.
is available for free on Fileplanet
.
In January 2007 the Company AmalGame-Online Inc. restarted developing on Black Moon Chronicles - Winds of War. Official Homepage
The open beta started at the end of February 2008. The game was officially launched on May 14, 2008.
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element.-Overview:A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L...
French
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
comic series.
Publication history
Written by François Marcela-FroidevalFrançois Marcela-Froideval
François Marcela-Froideval is a French role-playing game, videogame and comic scenarist.Froideval had a major influence on the introduction of role-playing games in France, mainly as editor in chief of the now-defunct Casus Belli role-playing magazine...
, the Black Moon Chronicles is an epic story offset by liberal doses of irreverent humour and the use of colloquial modern French over the archaic language usually found in such stories.
The series, whose first episode was published in the late 80's, was also translated into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and English. Following its long-lasting success in France, spin-off series were created to give more details on the background of some key characters.
Episode 5 was the last volume drawn by Olivier Ledroit
Olivier Ledroit
Olivier Ledroit is a French comic book artist, perhaps best known for his work on the Black Moon Chronicles series. He has also worked on art designs in the Might and Magic franchise....
, who was replaced by Cyril Pontet for the rest of the series. Ledroit was still kept on drawing the remaining album covers.
The 14th and final album of the series was released on 21 November 2008.
Key characters
- Wismerhill (from "Whispers Hill") - The main character, half-dark elven, with an unknown past and an extraordinary destiny.
- Haazel Thorn / The Black Moon - An archmage, claiming to be a god, who extends his power through his own religion. Plots to destroy the Empire of Hagendorf.
- Hagendorf - The current Emperor of Lyhnn, warned by The Oracle about the coming of the "Metal Hound" who will overthrow him.
- Frater Sinister (also called Fratus) - Leader of the Order of Light. Also plots to overthrow the Emperor.
- Prince Parsifal - Commander of the Knights of Justice, devoted to God, allied to the Empire.
- Methraton - The Ultimate Mage, enemy of the gods and ally of Wismerhill. Subject of its own spin-off series, Methraton.
Associates of Wismerhill (more developed in the spin-off series Black Moon Arcanas):
- Hellaynnea - A female demon (succubus), who becomes Wismerhill's new lover.
- Gorghor Bey - A gigantic half-ogre, an impressive mass of muscle and brutality.
- Pile-ou-Face - An elven warrior with two magical, intelligent swords (Nepher and Bepher).
- Murata - A samurai.
- Shamballeau - A mage.
- Pepette - A girl, only person who can control Goum.
- Goum - Pepette's enchanted (and powerful) brother.
- Feidreiva or Fey - A female-elf archer, 1st love of Wismerhill.
Volumes
- Le Signe des Ténèbres (Sign of Darkness, 1989)
- Le Vent des Dragons (Dragons Wind, 1990)
- La marque des démons (Mark of the Demons, 1991)
- Quand sifflent les Serpents (When Snakes Whistle, 1992)
- La danse écarlate (The Blood Dance, 1994)
- La Couronne des Ombres (Crown of Shadows, 1995)
- De Vents, de Jade et de Jais (Of Wind, Jade and Jet, 1997)
- Le Glaive de justice (Sword of Justice, 1999)
- Les Chants de la négation (Songs of Negation, 2000)
- L'Aigle foudroyé (Struck Down Eagle, 2002)
- Ave Tenebrae (Ave Tenebrae, 2003)
- La Porte des Enfers (The Door to Hell, 2005)
- La Prophétie (Prophecy, 2006)
- La Fin des Temps (End of Times, 2008)
Volume 14 is the final album of the series. The French version was released on 21 November 2008.
Black Moon Arcanas (Les Arcanes de la Lune Noire)
Each album tells the story of one of the key characters in the main series. Story by FroidevalFrançois Marcela-Froideval
François Marcela-Froideval is a French role-playing game, videogame and comic scenarist.Froideval had a major influence on the introduction of role-playing games in France, mainly as editor in chief of the now-defunct Casus Belli role-playing magazine...
but each tome has a different artist.
- Ghorghor Bey (with LedroitOlivier LedroitOlivier Ledroit is a French comic book artist, perhaps best known for his work on the Black Moon Chronicles series. He has also worked on art designs in the Might and Magic franchise....
, 2001) - Pile-ou-Face (with Fabrice Angleraud, 2007)
- Parsifal (with Fabrice Angleraud, 2010)
Methraton
Spin-off dedicated to the mysterious Ultimate Mage helping the hero of the Black Moon Chronicles, by Froideval and Fabrice Druet.- Le Serpent (The Snake, 2001)
- Le Crane (The Skull, 2003)
- Pharaon (Pharaoh, 2006)
In other media
The saga is also the subject of a miniature game and a RTS videogame both of the same name. A massive online role playing game, Black Moon Chronicles - Winds of War, was cancelled before finishing production. The Beta game testing clientGame client
A game client is a piece of software that connects to a game server. The server provides the connection and sends packets of information back to the game client. Many clients can be connected to the server at the same time, which will keep an overall view of the game world. Each game-client has...
is available for free on Fileplanet
FilePlanet
FilePlanet is a video game download service that provides demos, patches, mods and other gaming media and other gaming media downloads to its users. FilePlanet was launched, and is run by, GameSpy, which is now a subsidiary of IGN, and is one of the most used video game download sites on the...
.
In January 2007 the Company AmalGame-Online Inc. restarted developing on Black Moon Chronicles - Winds of War. Official Homepage
The open beta started at the end of February 2008. The game was officially launched on May 14, 2008.
External links
- Black Moon Chronicles at Bedetheque