The Aethra Chronicles: Volume One – Celystra’s Bane

The Aethra Chronicles: Volume One - Celystra's Bane is a shareware medieval role-playing game that draws its core mechanics from the Gold Box series of Dungeons & Dragons computer games. Gameplay involves creating a party of three characters, with their capabilities determined by allocating points across eight primary statistics. These stats then inform a wider set of specific skills, from magical disciplines to practical talents like lock picking.

The narrative premise centers on a crisis in the kingdom of Celystra. Following the coronation of the new king, Lythare, his newborn child vanishes. The king holds his Champion Knight-Paladin and other court members responsible, imprisoning them. This sets the son of the disgraced Champion on a journey to locate the missing infant, though the path forward may involve pursuing other objectives first.

Combat is handled in a turn-based format, and the initial party of three can be expanded to six by recruiting additional characters. The release model is typical for shareware of its era: the first chapter, titled The Book of Prophecy, is freely distributable, while the subsequent two episodes require registration.