Insight Editions; Illustrated Edition (October 13, 2020); Written by Adam Cesare; Foreward by Brian and Wendy Froud; Illustrated by Iris Compiet
Fans of the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance prequel series recently received the sad news that Netflix canceled the show. Does this book help ease the pain of that loss? I hope so!
Published and developed as a reboot by Snail Games, DnL was released in early access on Steam on July 20th, 2017. Players of Dark and Light can come to this site to theorycraft, meet new people, and learn more about the sandbox game. Filled with beautiful illustrations of the many specimens, each accompanied by in-world commentary on their unique biology, The Dark Crystal Bestiary is the ultimate guide to the world of Thra and its inhabitants. Description A tree-like being, whose hooved roots carries an enormous black mass of branched tentacles, writhing around drooling mouths. They are the spawn of Shub-niggurath, the Black Goat with a Thousand Young and master of the woods. They act in its stead and come to worshippers in dark forests to accept sacrifice and reverence. Mechanics Dark young will enter the map only through an. Dark Spire (Hib) Demonic Prison (Hib) Felena's Sorrow; Hammerer Hugak's Smithy; In the Deep; Lair of the Demon Lord (Hib) Maze of Madness; Morfesa's Gaol; Rise of the Spraggons; Rugnog's Haven; Serf's Folly; Shaman's Inner Sanctum; The Ancient's Retreat; The Brawler's Den; The Forgotten Vein; The Goblin Workshop; The High Consul's Sanctum (Hib. Dark Bestiary is an indie role-playing game with classless progression system and tons of skills.
First, the cover is gorgeous. And the words are slightly embossed, making them stand out from the beautiful artwork. The hardbound book has a nice texture. So far, so good!
The illustrations inside are by Iris Compiet, a protege of original Dark Crystal (and Labyrinth) concept artist Brian Froud. My untrained artist’s eye believes many of the creatures are painted in watercolors, and the effect is whimsical and faerie-like.
Likely originally meant to be a companion to the Netflix series, the release now is bittersweet. But a great deal of time and energy went into the making of the book. The inside cover has a map, followed by the table of contents, which includes many familiar species: Skeksis, Mystics, Gelflings. Since this is a bestiary and not an encyclopedia, don’t expect entries for specific characters.
I’m a bit disappointed in the text of the entries, however. It’s done in a lovely cursive-style font but may be challenging for some to read with ease.
Overall, however, the presentation is high-quality and sure to please Dark Crystal fans, though this certainly seems aimed more towards the most devoted. More casual fans, though, may be more intrigued by the art than the text.
The Dark Crystal Bestiary is now available and retails for about $30.
Pages from the Book
These images from the book showcase the exquisite attention to detail found on each page.
Factsheet
Developer: Ivan Qd Karlashenko
Release Date:Jul 26, 2019
Platforms:Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: USD 11.99
EUR 9.99
RUB 289
Digital Download
Languages:English, Russian
File Size:~450MB
Website: Social:Twitter, YouTube
Press Contact: press@darkbestiary.com
Description
Dark Bestiary is turn-based combat-focused RPG with classless progression system and tons of skills. The main goal of the game is exploration but not huge open worlds but synergies of skills, talents and items.
History
Two years ago, lying in my bed with a tablet, I was looking for some turn-based game, similar to Diablo, but I did not find anything that I could like, that was the first step to creating my own game. Two months later, I quit my full-time job as a programmer and started development.
Features
Dark Bestiary Treasure Map
- Dark fantasy theme.
- Turn-based tactical combat.
- Small but mechanically deep game.
- Flexible character development system that allows you to create almost any build that can come to mind.
- More than hundred of skills.
- Craft and equipment upgrading.
- Wide variety of monsters.
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