Betrayal at Falador

Last updated

RuneScape: Betrayal at Falador
Betrayal at Falador.jpg
AuthorT. S. Church
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesRuneScape
Genre Fantasy
PublisherBabel Interactive Ltd.
Publication date
July 21, 2008
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Pages416
ISBN 978-0-9559-0780-7

Betrayal at Falador is a fantasy novel written by T. S. Church, set in the RuneScape universe. [1] [2] [3] [4] The book was released on July 21, 2008, and is the first RuneScape novel. [5] [6] [7] [8] Church set out to write a novel that appealed to gamers, as well as those who had never played RuneScape. [9] [10]

Contents

The book is set in the year 164 of the Fifth Age, five years before the events of RuneScape, and tells the story of the White Knights' encounter with a werewolf on the fictional world of Gielinor, and the long search that preceded. The novel is a narrative, with the action being narrated from human viewpoint. The protagonist is a young hunter, Kara-Meir, who is also featured in the RuneScape video game. Upon release, the book was overlooked by critics.

Background

Betrayal at Falador is the first book released by Jagex, with Paul Gower noting "It's such great fun to see familiar details of the RuneScape world being used to concoct this exciting novel." [11] The back cover of the book also had review comments from Paul Gower and "Zezima", the long-time number one ranked RuneScape player.

The book makes references to the death of Patroclus through the fate of the valet Bhuler, and the presence on opposing sides of characters called Marius and Sulla refers to events in the first century BC in the Roman Republic. Taking place in the Fifth Age of RuneScape, it is based on events that take place within the game.

On October 14, 2008, a copy of the book, signed by senior members of Jagex staff, the cover artist, and the author was placed on eBay by Jagex. [12] The auction was run to raise funds for The Internet Watch Foundation. Jagex auctioned ten such copies of the novel, one per week over a period of ten weeks. A sequel to the book had a tentative release date of September/October 2009. [13]

Plot summary

Betrayal at Falador takes place in Gielinor, the fictional world of RuneScape, and begins with a woman known as Kara-Meir found near death within the walls of Falador Castle. Sir Amik Varze and his White Knights are determined to locate the attack's perpetrator, speculated to be a monster seen attacking travellers on the outskirts of the region. [4]

Kara-Meir is rescued by the Knights of Falador, who retrieve from her three mysterious objects: a finely crafted sword with a green tinge, a strange ring broken into two and some white flowers. At the command of Sir Amik, Squire Theodore is sent to the town of Taverley to consult with the local druids about the flowers. Along the way, he witnesses the gruesome sight of a butchered gypsy caravan.

Upon his arrival at Taverley, Kaqemeex the druid confirms that the flowers are in fact snowdrops, which grow on Ice Mountain, adding further suspicion that Kara may be a spy. Doric, the dwarf, in the meantime is mobbed by a band of drunken farmers, and his home is burnt. This is because the attackers have been brainwashed by the H.A.M (Humans against Monsters) society. Returning to Falador, Squire Theodore meets Doric en route. Doric agrees to go to Falador in order to report the mobbing he suffered.

In Falador, Kara-Meir forces the werewolf Jerrod to escape the city. Jerrod later sides with Sulla, the Kinshra (Black knight) leader, in order to avenge his hatred against her.

Later on, Kara-Meir, Theodore, his mage friend Castimir, the scientist Ebenezer and Doric head to the Monastery of Saradomin. There, Kara-Meir hopes to reveal the identity of her parents. However, the Monastery is destroyed by the Kinshra after a short battle.

Late in the book, a battle between the Kinshra and the White Knights of Falador erupts in which Sulla attempts to erase Falador from history. Theodore and a group of friends head to Burthorpe and journey under the Ice Mountain in order to rally arms to defend Falador from defeat. Kara-Meir witnesses Master Phyllis's death - a man who took her in as a young child, teaching her how to fight and smith.

Eventually, help is summoned and Kara-Meir and Theodore lead an army of 1500 dwarfs and Imperial Guards. During the battle, Sir Amik is injured whilst in the field. Morale is low and so the valet Bhuler equips the master-at-arm's plate as a disguise to rally the knights. Bhuler is inevitably killed, a sacrifice which makes him a hero.

The identity of the traitor who attacked Kara-Meir is revealed to be Sir Finistere, who killed Bryant and Sir Erical and is chased down into the sewers by Ebenezer, Sir Tiffy Cashien and the squire Marius. He attempts to trap and kill the three of them, but is stopped by Sir Pallas, who he then kills. Ebenezer helps break the trap, and Sir Finistere is killed by Marius.

After the battle, about 10,000 citizens of Falador cheer Kara Meir and hail her a hero. Kara-Meir, accompanied by Gar'rth, the nephew of the werewolf Jerrod, help rebuild the Monastery. Gar'rth wants to track down his uncle. Meanwhile, Theodore decides to head to Varrock using his newfound fame to recruit for more to join his order. Doric has his case heard favourably and will rebuild his home. Whilst Jerrod the werewolf escapes and meets up with Sulla, who has lost his hands, once more. The two agree that there is more to be done in the future.

Sequels

Betrayal at Falador had two sequels that continued its plot line: Return to Canifis [14] and Legacy of Blood. [15]

Return to Canifis

Return to Canifis is the second in the series of RuneScape novels. It was released on 22 March 2011 by publisher Titan Books. [16]

Legacy of Blood

Legacy of Blood is the third in the series of RuneScape novels. It was released on 19 June 2012 by publisher Titan Books. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Licinius Crassus</span> Roman general and statesman (115 – 53 BC)

Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome."

Quintus Sertorius was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian peninsula. He had been a prominent member of the populist faction of Cinna and Marius. During the later years of the civil war of 83–81 BC, he was sent to recover the Iberian Peninsula. When his faction lost the war he was proscribed (outlawed) by the dictator Sulla. Supported by a majority of the native Iberian tribes, Sertorius skillfully used irregular warfare to repeatedly defeat various commanders sent by Rome to subdue him. He was never decisively beaten on the battlefield and remained a thorn in the Senate's side until his murder in 73 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulla</span> Roman general and dictator (138–78 BC)

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force.

RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Jagex, released in January 2001. RuneScape was originally a browser game built with the Java programming language; it was largely replaced by a standalone C++ client in 2016. The game has had over 300 million accounts created and was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest and most-updated free MMORPG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werewolf fiction</span> Fantasy genre

Werewolf fiction denotes the portrayal of werewolves and other shapeshifting therianthropes, in the media of literature, drama, film, games and music. Werewolf literature includes folklore, legend, saga, fairy tales, Gothic and horror fiction, fantasy fiction and poetry. Such stories may be supernatural, symbolic or allegorical. A classic American cinematic example of the theme is The Wolf Man (1941) which in later films joins with the Frankenstein Monster and Count Dracula as one of the three famous icons of modern day horror. However, werewolf fiction is an exceptionally diverse genre, with ancient folkloric roots and manifold modern re-interpretations.

The Elenium is a series of fantasy novels by American writer David Eddings. The series consists of three volumes: The Diamond Throne, The Ruby Knight, and The Sapphire Rose. The series is followed by The Tamuli. The Elenium is Eddings' third fantasy series.

Jagex Limited is a British video game developer and publisher based at the Cambridge Science Park in Cambridge, England. It is best known for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, both free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The company's name is derived from the company's original slogan, "Java Gaming Experts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squire</span> Shield- or armour-bearer of a knight

In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight.

The Protector of the Small quartet is a series of books written by Tamora Pierce that tells the story of Keladry of Mindelan, a heroine in the fictional kingdom of Tortall. This is the third series written in the Tortallian Universe, but forth in the in-universe timeline. It follows Keladry as she seeks knighthood as the first girl to openly do so in centuries. Kel is one of the canonically confirmed queer characters written by Tamora Pierce, who explains that Kel is aromantic asexual (aroace) in the FAQ section of her website.

Ebenezer Theodore Joshua was a Vincentian politician and the first chief minister of Saint Vincent from 1960 to 1967. He was the Leader of the Legislative Council from 1956 to 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knight (DC Comics)</span> DC Comics character

The Knight is the name of three fictional comic book superheroes who are properties of DC Comics.

<i>The Last Hero</i> (The Saint) 1930 novel by Leslie Charteris

The Last Hero is the title of a thriller novel by Leslie Charteris that was first published in the United Kingdom in May 1930 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in November 1930 by The Crime Club. The story initially appeared in The Thriller, a British magazine, in 1929. Because of this somewhat convoluted publishing history, The Last Hero is occasionally cited as the second volume of adventures featuring the crime-busting antihero Simon Templar, alias The Saint, predating Enter the Saint. In fact, according to Charteris himself, it was the third book of the series. This is supported by references to the events of Enter the Saint within the novel.

<i>In the Hand of the Goddess</i>

In the Hand of the Goddess is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the second in a series of four books, The Song of the Lioness. It details the squire- and knighthood of Alanna of Trebond, who has hidden her real sex in order to become a knight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rintoul</span> Scottish actor

David Rintoul is a Scottish stage and television actor. Rintoul was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, and won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Talbot</span> Universal Classic Monsters franchise character

Lawrence Stewart "Larry" Talbot, also known as The Wolf Man, is a title character of the 1941 Universal film The Wolf Man and its sequels, created by Curt Siodmak. He was portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr. In the 2010 remake of the film, he is portrayed by Benicio del Toro. The Wolf Man was part of the Universal Classic Monsters ensemble.

<i>City of Ashes</i> 2008 fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes is the second installment in The Mortal Instruments series, an urban fantasy series set in New York written by Cassandra Clare. The novel was one of YALSA's top ten teen books for 2009.

<i>The Letter for the King</i> Dutch literary work

The Letter for the King is a book by the Dutch writer Tonke Dragt, first published in 1962. Proceeding, The Secrets of the Wild Wood, was published in 1965, and a collection of follow-up short stories, The Dangerous Window and other stories, in 1979. De brief voor de koning was chosen as the best Dutch youth book of the latter half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Bench Walk, London</span>

King's Bench Walk is a street in Temple, in the City of London. It is mainly made up of barristers' chambers.

The Battle of Tridentum took place in a valley just beyond Tridentum in the Autumn of 102 BC. The Germanic Cimbri almost succeeded in overrunning a Roman camp in the middle of the Roman strategical retreat. The Romans were saved by the heroic charge of the men from the Samnite legion which bought the rest of the army enough time to cross the river and escape. Despite some light losses a disaster was averted.

References

  1. ↑ Church, T. S. (2008). Betrayal at Falador. ISBN   978-0955907807.
  2. ↑ "Betrayal at Falador". www.goodreads.com.
  3. ↑ "Q&As, Charity Auctions, RuneScape calendar!". RuneScape News. Jagex. 21 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009. A few things to update you on this week – first of which is our Question and Answer session with Tom Church, author of the first ever RuneScape novel, Betrayal at Falador.
  4. 1 2 "Jagex Store and RuneScape Novel". Jagex. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008. the first ever official RuneScape novel, Betrayal at Falador by T.S. Church. This fantasy epic opens with the discovery of a mysterious woman, found close to death within the walls of Falador Castle. Sir Amik and the White Knights are determined to reveal the identity of her attacker, thought to be a monster seen attacking travellers on the outskirts of Asgarnia.
  5. ↑ "RuneScape: Betrayal at Falador (Book)". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Book Review: Runescape: Betrayal At Falador". www.thesixthaxis.com. 22 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "RuneScape Novel Released!". Jagex. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008. Ten lucky people have been notified that they have won a RuneScape novel signed by TS Church, Andrew Gower, Paul Gower, Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison and the cover artist.[ dead link ]
  8. ↑ Mod Emilee (Jagex staff member), on behalf of Tom S. Church (9 January 2009). "Answers from the Author!". Jagex Store Feedback, RuneScape Forums. Jagex. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009. There is a planned sequel(s)! In fact, once I have finished answering your questions then I am going straight back to it.
  9. ↑ "Betrayal at Falador by TS Church book review". www.fantasybookreview.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Yahoo!". massively.joystiq.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Jagex Store". Jagex. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  12. ↑ "Forum Post". Jagex. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  13. ↑ "London Book Fair - Babel Interactive - Online Marketing, email and lead generation specialists". www.babelinteractive.com.
  14. ↑ Church, T. S. (22 March 2011). RuneScape: Return to Canifis. ISBN   978-1848567276.
  15. ↑ s Church, T. (26 June 2012). RuneScape: Legacy of Blood. ISBN   978-0857687579.
  16. ↑ "Exclusive RuneScape excerpt". Titan Books.
  17. ↑ "Book Page - Tabbed".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.