Skyrealms of Jorune

Skyrealms of Jorune is a science-fantasy role-playing game. It is set among the Skyrealms – floating "islands" of earth levitated by mysterious crystals in the crust of an alien planet. Three editions of the game were published from 1984 until 1992, but all are currently out of print. The buildings, races, and bizarre creatures of Jorune were brought to life by the realistic artwork of illustrator Miles Teves.

Setting

Skyrealms of Jorune was based on a science-fantasy background (of the planetary romance subtype) created by Andrew Leker, initially for a high school writing assignment. The setting was somewhat comparable to the Barsoom of the John Carter novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, in that it was a barbaric fantasy world populated by sword-wielding heroes who encountered strange alien beings and technologies. It also has elements of the intricate fantasy worlds of Jack Vance.

Books and sourcebooks

• First Edition (Skyrealms Publishing)
  • Jorune, Core Manual, 1984
  • Maustin Caji, Adventure, 1984
• Second Edition (Skyrealms Publishing)
  • Skyrealms of Jorune, Boxed set with core rules, 1985
  • Companion Jorune: Burdoth, Sourcebook, 1986
  • Companion Jorune: Ardoth, Sourcebook, 1987
  • Earth-Tec Jorune, Sourcebook, 1988
  • Pre-release versions of two additional sourcebooks, Playing the Iscin Races and Shanthas of Jorune were made available at conventions in 1989 and 1990, respectively, but were never published by Skyrealms.
• Third Edition (Chessex)
  • Skyrealms of Jorune: The RolePlaying Game, Core Manual, 1992, ISBN 1-883240-00-X
  • The Innocents of Gauss, Beginning adventure, 1993, ISBN 1-883240-01-8
  • The Sobayid Atlas, Sourcebook, 1994, ISBN 1-883240-03-4
  • The Sholari Pack, Sourcebook, Adventure, Screen, 1994, ISBN 1-883240-02-6
  • The Gire of Sillipus, Sourcebook, 1994, ISBN 1-883240-04-2

Spinoffs

• Alien Logic: A Skyrealms of Jorune Adventure, a DOS based RPG published in 1994, is based in the Skyrealms game-universe.
• Sarceen's Knowledge, fanzine from UK by Alex Blair.
• Sholari, fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams aka Joe Coleman.
• Bokelby's Folly, fanzine from UK by Ray Gilliam.
• Danstead's Traveler, webzine by Danstead Traveler (defunct).
• Journal of the Tansoor Historical Society, fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams.
• Gomo Guide to Thoneport, fanzine from US by Joseph K. Adams.'

Reception

Skyrealms of Jorune was ranked 30th in the 1996 reader poll of Arcane magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time. The UK magazine's editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Bonkers. Okay, so it is a good game in terms of atmosphere, system structure, presentation and the depth of the background, but it's bonkers."^[1]

References

External links

• Alien Logic at MobyGames
• Miles Teves homepage
• New material from Joseph K. Adams