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Item - Beyond the Morning Mountains - Volume One

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(1st edition, paperback)
(1st edition, paperback)
(2nd edition, paperback)
(2nd edition, paperback)
(2nd edition, hardback)
(2nd edition, hardback)

Combined Summary

Series: Tales of Quahnarren — no. 1
Author: Reilly, Michael
Illustrator: Reilly, Michael
Dates: August 17, 2016 (1st edition, paperback)
2020 (2nd edition, hardback)
2020 (2nd edition, paperback)
ISBNs: 0994594828 / 9780994594822 (2nd edition, paperback)
0994594836 / 9780994594839 (1st edition, paperback)
0994594844 / 9780994594846 (2nd edition, hardback)
Edition Descriptions: 2nd edition, paperback:
The second edition includes RARE items and altered health and coins, plus an updated character record and maps.

2nd edition, hardback:
The second edition includes RARE items and altered health and coins, plus an updated character record and maps.
Length: 400 pages; 1000 sections (1st edition, paperback)
408 pages; 1000 sections (2nd edition, paperback, 2nd edition, hardback)
Special Thanks: 2nd edition, paperback, 2nd edition, hardback:
Thank you to Nicholas Chin for the cover scans.
User Summary: Beyond the Morning Mountains is a two-part fantasy adventure in which you travel across a section of the continent of Quahnarren. Volume One sees you travelling from your home near Ustahm down to the major city of Balquis; Volume Two completes the adventure by taking you over the Morning Mountains to the coastal town of Liust.

An exploration game where you must manage provisions, coins and health to survive the journey, you are asked to navigate through wild lands and urban environments, encountering the peoples, creatures and spirits of this ancient land. Personal values are improved by acquiring new weapons and equipment, dice tests against your Expertise and Perception values will determine your fate in a variety of situations and encounters, and the battle process involves the use of momentum, which allows both combatants to benefit from lucky dice rolls to then inflict greater damage from a powerful Heavy Attack.

Available in print as either a full-colour or black & white edition, or as a full-colour pdf.
hadlee73's Thoughts:

Benefits from multiple read-throughs. This is an ambitious gamebook/work of interactive fiction which includes a combat system and inventory. The story itself definitely benefits from repeated readings as it is possible to miss entire pieces of story while travelling through the vast environment. Don't be too surprised if you get lost in the cities either, as they are just as big and detailed as the wilderness surrounding them.

I read through the book multiple times, trying to cover as many paths as possible, and while there is just the one ending there are many and varied ways to get there. My first read-through could almost be described as a pub crawl, as I stuck to the main roads and visited all the towns, visiting almost every pub along the way.

I barely hit any major story paths (there are still smaller encounters that happen) and pretty much had an uneventful trip from point A to B. In my second read I decided to walk straight into the countryside, and discovered a whole world of holes, tunnels, weird animals, an elephant man (not really; he's the bloke on the cover) and all sorts of crazy things. Then a third read-through saw me taking part in a manhunt, chasing down a group who had wronged me. A fourth read led to me finding their leader. There really is a lot to do, if only you're willing to go seeking it out. Note that this is only volume one, so some readers might find the ending a little jarring (there is no grand finale or anything, as this sets things up for another volume). A great, detailed, well-written gamebook which I highly recommend to anyone who wants more depth than the average piece of interactive fiction.

More reviews by hadlee73

Special Thanks:Thanks to Ryan Lynch and the author for the cover images.
Users Who Own This Item: aden (2.Ed, hardback), Eamonn McCusker, hadlee73, mlvoss, nerelax, Sheridan77 (2nd HC), Sir Olli (1st ed. full colour paperback), sireeyore (1st edition), The_Gamebook_Nook, waktool (AU PB 1st; AU PB 1st (Promo))
Users Who Want This Item: Aldrin23, jdreller, lek, Mizziemy, Oberonbombadil

Known Editions

1st edition, paperback
2nd edition, paperback
2nd edition, hardback

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Related Documents

Play Aid

Tales of Quahnarren: Beyond the Morning Mountains - Volume One: Instructions, Rules & Maps
A FREE companion document for Volume One, this PDF replicates the frequently used information and maps required during gameplay. This second document allows players of the PDF version of Beyond the Morning Mountains to retain their current page when referring to information found elsewhere within Volume One.

This PDF also serves as a preview document for those desiring to sample the game rules or view the general quality of the adventure, and provides printable map files for those playing the printed editions.

Thanks to Ryan Lynch and the author for sharing the document for inclusion here.

Tales of Quahnarren: Character Record & Battle Boxes
Thanks to Ryan Lynch and the author for sharing this file.