Record of Lodoss War

Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記) is a franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno based around the work he originally created for a world called Forcelia for role-playing games (RPGs). There have since been multiple manga, anime and computer game adaptations, several of which have been translated into English. The plots generally follow the conventions and structure of the RPG systems including Dungeons & Dragons and Sword World RPG, being based around a party of several characters of distinct types undertaking a specific quest.

Origins
Record of Lodoss War was created in 1986 by Group SNE as a Dungeons & Dragons "replay" serialized in the Japanese magazine Comptiq. Replays are not novels, but transcripts of RPG sessions, meant to both hold the interest of readers and convey the events that took place. They have proven to be popular, even to those who do not play role-playing games but are fans of fiction (including fantasy fiction). Similar to light novels, many characters and parties in replays have become popular as characters of anime. An example of such a character is the female elf Deedlit in Record of Lodoss War, who was played by science fiction novelist Hiroshi Yamamoto during the RPG sessions.

The popularity of the Record of Lodoss War replays was such that the Dungeon Master Ryo Mizuno started to adapt the story into some of the earliest Japanese-language domestic high fantasy novels in 1988.

When the replay series went on to become a trilogy, Group SNE had to abandon the Dungeons & Dragons rules and create their own game, dubbed Record of Lodoss War Companion and released in 1989. All three parts of the replay series were eventually published as paperbacks by Kadokawa Shoten from 1989 to 1991:


 * - Parn's party, retake played according to the Record of Lodoss War Companion rules and incorporating elements from the novelization
 * - Orson's party, retake played according to the Record of Lodoss War Companion rules and incorporating elements from the novelization
 * - Spark's party, played according to the Record of Lodoss War Companion rules

The last volume of Mizuno's novelization was published by Kadokawa Shoten in 1993, and followed by two collections of short stories in 1995:



The first volume forms the basis for the first eight episodes of the Record of Lodoss War OVA series, as well as the Record of Lodoss War: The Grey Witch  manga series. The second was also adapted in manga form, and as a 4 CD radio drama. The final five episodes of the OVA series are loosely based on the story told across the third and fourth novels and, having caught up with the ongoing novelization at that point, feature an original ending. The Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight TV series is a more faithful adaptation of volumes three to seven. The first collection of short stories was adapted into the Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit's Tale manga series.

Mizuno later went on to pen two new series of novels: a prequel titled (1994 to 2002) and a sequel titled  (1998 to 2006), the first of which forms the basis for the Record of Lodoss War: The Lady of Pharis manga series.

Characters
The manga (and its anime derivative) Record of Lodoss War centers around the adventures of a youth by the name of Parn, the son of a dishonored knight. Part of his motivation for adventuring is to find out what happened to his father, and to restore his family's honor. Despite his inexperience, Parn is considered the leader, who is accompanied by his childhood best friend Etoh, his friend and sometimes advisor Slayn (and later on Slayn's lover Leylia), and his newfound mentor Ghim. They are accompanied by Parn's romantic interest, the high elf Deedlit, who comes from the Forest of No Return seeking an answer to her people's isolationism and an end to what she sees as a slow march to extinction. Throughout the series, Parn comes into contact with friends and foes alike. His allies include King Kashue, King Fahn, Shiris, and Orson; his enemies include Emperor Beld, Ashram, and the evil necromancer Wagnard.

The manga and its anime derivative Chronicles of the Heroic Knight continues the adventures of Parn for the first eight episodes, but then centers around Spark and his adventures to complete a quest tasked onto him to protect Neese, the daughter of Slayn and Leylia. He is accompanied by his own cast of friends in the form of Leaf, Garrack, Greevus, Aldo, and Ryna. The television series shares similarities with the plot of the OVA, such as Wagnard seeking to kidnap Neese in order to use her as a reagent for the resurrection of Naneel, a priestess and the avatar of Kardis who was slain by Leylia's mother, the high priestess Neese a short time after the battle with the demonic god. Leylia was the reincarnation of Naneel, but when she lost her virginity she was no longer capable of being the doorway or reagent needed to unseal Naneel.

The third series, Legend of Crystania, places the former villain Ashram into the seat of a would-be hero who is placed under a spell by a "god beast" of Crystania. The series then centers around Pirotess, his dark elven lover, as she tries to find a way to free him from the clutches of the spell and to restore him back to his living self.

Timeline
The following is a timeline of the events as they take place in the original events surrounding Record of Lodoss War, and is derived from the replays and manga. All events are measured on the "NRC" (New Royal Calendar) as used on the continent of Alecrast.

Anime

 * 1990 Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記) 13 episode OVA
 * 1998 Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (ロードス島戦記 英雄騎士伝) 27 episode TV series
 * 1998 Welcome to Lodoss Island! (ようこそロードス島へ!) 3-part parodic movie

Manga

 * The Grey Witch (灰色の魔女) 3 volumes, art by Yoshihiko Ochi
 * The Demon of Flame (炎の魔神) 2 volumes
 * The Lady of Pharis (ファリスの聖女) 2 volumes, art by Akihiro Yamada
 * Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (英雄騎士伝) 6 volumes, art by Masato Natsumoto
 * Welcome to Lodoss Island (ようこそロードス島へ!) 3 volumes, four panel manga
 * Deedlit's Tale (ディードリット物語) 2 volumes, art by Setsuko Yoneyama
 * Legend of Crystania

Related anime

 * 'Legend of Crystania' (はじまりの冒険者たち レジェンド・オブ・クリスタニア), a film and 3-episode OVA focusing on the adventures of Ashram and Pirotess in the continent of Crystania, which they migrate to after the Lodoss series.
 * Rune Soldier, a more comedic series from the same creator that is set in the same world as Record of Lodoss War.

Soundtracks & music

 * Record of Lodoss War: Original Soundtrack 1 (VICL-00051)
 * Record of Lodoss War: Original Soundtrack 2 (VICL-00114)
 * Record of Lodoss War: Original Soundtrack 3 (VICL-00267)
 * Record of Lodoss War: Minstrels' Memory of Lodoss (VICL-8090)
 * Record of Lodoss War: Arrange Sound (VDR-28071)
 * Symphonic House from Record of Lodoss War II Arrange Sound (VICL-8060)
 * Record of Lodoss War TV: Maaya Sakamoto - Kiseki No Umi single (VIDL-30202)
 * Record of Lodoss War TV: Original Soundtrack 1 (VICL-60243)
 * Record of Lodoss War TV: Original Soundtrack 2 (VICL-60244)
 * Record of Lodoss War TV: Original Soundtrack 3 (VICL-60246)

Video games

 * Record of Lodoss War (PC 98) 1988
 * Record of Lodoss War - Haiiro No Majio (X68000) 1991
 * Record of Lodoss War 2 - Siki No Maryu (X68000) 1992
 * Record of Lodoss War - Haiiro No Majio (PC Engine) 1992
 * Record of Lodoss War 2 - Siki No Maryu (PC Engine) 1994
 * Record of Lodoss War (Mega CD) 1994
 * Record of Lodoss War (SNES) 1995
 * Lodoss War (Game Boy Color) 1998
 * Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Cardice (Dreamcast) 2000, which was also released in English.