The White Rose (Book 3 of the Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook) - Appendix N and Beyond

Title: The White Rose
Author: Glen Cook
Appendix N Status: Should have been . . .

     The third book of the Chronicles of the Black Company as narrated by the Annalist known as Croaker. This one ups the weird factor, perfect Appendix N stuff (if published a bit too late), set in a desert known as the Plain of Fear inhabited by strange sentient species, such as talking stone menhirs, flying whales and manta rays, walking trees, and more. The Black Company is hiding out on the plain, which centers on an ancient tree they call Father Tree, using the White Rose's power to nullify magic to stay hidden from the Lady and the Taken. Meanwhile, we also get the story of how that Lady was awakened from her ancient slumber, and how the ancient evil known as the Dominator was stirring, and so much more . . .

     I can't recommend the series enough for those who enjoy the kind of stories found in Appendix N. The Black Company books were published too late to make Gygax's original list, but the inspirational stuff found in these books is truly extraordinary.

 

Shadows Linger (Book 2 of The Black Company by Glen Cook) - Appendix N and Beyond

Title: Shadows Linger
Author: Glen Cook
Appendix N Status: Should have been . . .

     The second chronicle of the Black Company continues the story told by the Annalist known as Croaker, but also tells the story of a growing evil in the northern city of Juniper. Once again, though the Chronicles of the Black Company were published too late to be in the original Appendix N, I feel that they would have been worthy. There are some truly wonderful and creepy fantasy elements here, like a seed that grows into a black castle, a black castle that seems to grow by feeding on corpses, and when it gets big enough, it is going to form a gateway to unleash an ancient evil . . . great stuff for a fantasy RPG campaign!

Quote from "Shadows Linger" (2nd book of "The Chronicles of the Black Company" by Glen Cook)

"All men are born condemned, so the wise say. All suckle the breast of Death.

All bow before that Silent Monarch. That Lord in Shadow lifts a finger. A feather flutters to the earth. There is no reason in His song. The good go young. The wicked prosper. He is king of the Chaos Lords. His breath stills all souls.

We found a city dedicated to His worship, long ago, but so old now it has lost that dedication. The dark majesty of his godhead has frayed, been forgotten by all but those who stand in his shadow. But Juniper faced a more immediate fear, a specter from yesteryear leaking into the present upon a height overlooking the city. And because of that the Black Company went there, to that strange city far beyond the bounds of the Lady’s empire.… But this is not the beginning. In the beginning we were far away. Only two old friends and a handful of men we would meet later stood nose-to-nose with the shadow."

Cook, Glen (2007-11-13). Chronicles of the Black Company (p. 223). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.

The Black Company (Glen Cook) - Appendix N and Beyond

Title: The Black Company
Author: Glen Cook
Appendix N Status: Should have been . . .

     The second installment in my series of blog posts for "Appendix N and Beyond," my take on Appendix N books that were part of shaping D&D and the RPG hobby generally . . . or those that should have been. This is one of the "should have beens" . . . a book that was not an influence on Gygax nor listen in his Appendix N, but ought to have been (hence the " . . . and Beyond"). The only reason this book was not on the list, I am convinced, is because it was published too late . . . first published in 1984.

     The Black Company is a mercenary company, "last of the free companies of Khatovar" (though we are not told, initially, what exactly the significance of this phrase is), finding service where it can. The narrator of this first book is nicknamed "Croaker," the annalist of the Black Company as well as a medic (hence the name - most of the company members use some kind of nickname or code-name). The overall plot is about how the Black Company came into the service of an ancient power called The Lady, and her servants/allies called the Taken.

     Most of the story is very gritty, low fantasy, sword-and-sorcery-style fiction. There certainly is some high magic and high fantasy elements (The Lady, the Taken, and the ancient evil known only as the Dominator surely qualify as powerful magical elements), but the perspective is that of Croaker and the other common mercenary soldiers.

      Many of the aspects of the story seem similar to D&D and other fantasy RPGs - a world with swords and sorcery, a world in which warriors join a mercenary company to win gold and glory in service to great powers and patrons. These ideas would be right at home in the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG - regular folk leaving their ordinary lives behind to join a company (like an adventuring party), seeking gold and glory, and even the patrons (the Lady and the Taken would make excellent DCC RPG patrons) fit perfectly. There are even monsters, of a sort, though most of the adversaries seem human.

     I highly recommend The Black Company for those seeking gritty military sword-and-sorcery fantasy. The first several books, including The Black Company, are contained in a collection, The Chronicles of the Black Company. 

Great quote from "Chronicles of the Black Company"

"There are no self-proclaimed villains, only regiments of self-proclaimed saints. Victorious historians rule where good or evil lies."

Cook, Glen (2007-11-13). Chronicles of the Black Company (p. 78). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.