Defend your magical city from an invading army, and lead your people to glory!
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Siege of Treboulain: a text-only fantasy siege novel
Senior reviews editor
- Text-only interactive novel of about 280,000 words
- Fight on the walls yourself, or direct the defense from afar
- Arborturgy, plant magic that can strangle enemies with barbed vines
- Throne of Thorns, a royal seat that draws blood from whoever sits on it
- No graphics or sound effects; the story runs on text alone
What Siege of Treboulain is
Siege of Treboulain is an interactive fantasy novel by Jed Herne, published by Choice of Games LLC. The listing gives its length as 280,000 words. It has no graphics and no sound effects, so the story is carried entirely by text.
You play as the heir to Treboulain, a city whose walls are held up by arborturgy, the magic that governs plants and growing things. Your mother the Queen has just died, and you now sit on the Throne of Thorns, a chair that draws blood from anyone who sits in it. The listing rates it for ages 12 and up.
Fighting on the walls in person
The first approach puts you on the walls with the soldiers. The listing describes using your own martial skill with a sword and making speeches to inspire the defenders.
This route suits players who want the story to hinge on personal courage at the front line, rather than on distant planning.
Directing the defense from a distance
The second approach keeps you away from the fighting and has you command the defense. The listing frames this as a test of tactical thinking, weighing the army's movements against the city's strength.
Choosing it means the decisions are strategic rather than physical. The rest of the story is the same text-based narrative in either case.
Using nature magic against the invaders
The third approach draws on the power of nature itself. The listing says you can use arborturgy to strangle the invading horse warriors with barbed vines, so the city's own plants become the weapon.
The three approaches are presented as alternatives in the story: fight at the walls, command from behind them, or turn to plant magic. The listing does not describe a menu of other options beyond these.
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