The Ancestral Trail

35 Pages·2006·1.9 MB·English

TheAncestralTrail
Partwork
FrankGravesCopyright1992
Introduction
The Ancestral Trail was published by Marshall Cavendish in a fortnightly
format from 1992 to 1994 and sold more than 30 million copies. The author
of the story was Frank Graves,while Julek and Adam Heller did the main
illustrations. There were 52 issues in total, and several extras that came
with every issue - extras like pieces to unique games created specifically by
the magazine and clues to various contests. The series is currently out of
print... but, if rumour is to be believed, it is again to be republished in
trilogy form because love for the series has endured.
Other notable websites worth visiting:-
BBC Website
Wikipedia
More Synopses Chapters from Ancestral Trail
But, for now, let's get things started by introducing the series:
The Ancestral Trail: Introduction
The beginning ofThe Ancestral Trail doesn't begin in the first issue, but
rather through a four-panel trifold. When closed, the "front page" of the
trifold displays the series' name and a passage of prophecy (displayed
below); such passages will appear in each issue of the series. When the
centre fold is opened the two closed outer arms form the picture of a dark,
sinister mask against a bloody red background:
This is the "face" of the series' villain, who shall be named in a little bit.
When the final two arms are flipped and the trifold is completely opened,
the beginning of the story is displayed.
Story:
When he who is the Chosen One
Shall tread upon the Ancient Path
And battle there to overcome
The Forces of the Dark
Then shall the Seven be restored
And even banished from this world
So begins the story of Richard, a young boy from our world who is fairly
ordinary save for one thing: he has two different coloured eyes, one grey
and one green. He never really gave much thought to his eyes outside of the
constant teasing he received because of them, but one night, after being
late to getting home, something happens which will change how he views
himself forever.
During his journey home, Richard slips and falls into a hole, causing him to
black out. When he awakens, he finds himself in the Ancestral World, where
he meets an old man named Golan peering down at him. Golan explains to
Richard that a being known as the Evil One is destroying the Ancestral
World, and that the remaining defences against his sinister power are
falling. Golan, apparently, is a Guardian and the Keeper of the Life Force,
which is contained in the Tree of Life through seven Life Force pods, with
each pod possessing a different Life Force. Six of the seven pods have been
stolen, and thus six Guardians have been captured. Only Golan's pod
remains, but he is much weakened.
Richard Meets Golan
Golan informs Richard that he must recover the stolen pods and rescue the
captured Guardians, but Richard wants to know why he, an ordinary boy,
must complete an extraordinary task. Golan states that Richard is the
Chosen One, a stranger who sees in two lights (referring to Richard's eyes)
and the one foreseen in prophecy who will destroy the Evil One. Naturally,
Richard only wishes to go home, but Golan says that is not possible.
To aid the Chosen One in his journey, Golan gives Richard two items: a tunic
that will conceal him seven times when the hood is up, and an amulet. He
also leaves Richard with the cryptic words that the prophecy must be
fulfilled by the twenty-sixth day, and that there will be one to guide
Richard. With those words, Golan disappears.
Though scared, Richard begins walking through the dark forest that
surrounds the Tree of Life. Then, suddenly, he runs into a man crossing his
path; to Richard's surprise, the man has a pig-like face.
Orkan
Richard asks the pig-faced man if he is his guide, and the man responds by
giving his name, Orkan, and asks why Richard needs a guide. Richard
explains to Orkan his quest to recover the stolen pods, and Orkan, who had
managed to escape a fierce battle and is now looking for survivors, decides
to travel with Richard. With that, the two of them set off.
Characters:
The characters of The Ancestral Trail are numerous, but the most
important characters are compiled into a collection of playing cards used for
one of the series' unique card games. Below are several brief descriptions of
The Ancestral Trail's characters with their respective playing cards.
Richard is an ordinary boy from our world whose most distinctive feature is
that his eyes are different coloured - one eye is grey, the other green. He is
also the Chosen One, he who will save the Ancestral World from destruction
at the hands of the Evil One. He is initially scared to take up such a huge
responsibility, but throughout his journey he will discover things about
himself that he never knew.
Golan is the Keeper of the Life Force. He is the sole Guardian that remains
after the other six were captured by the Evil One's forces. He is also the
Keeper of the Pod of Wisdom, which is the only Life Force Pod that hasn't
been stolen. Golan's power has weakened greatly because of the destruction
around him, and he looks to the Chosen One to save his world from the Evil
One.
Orkan is of the common beasts, a race of beings with the bodies of man and
the faces of animals; in Orkan's case, he possesses the face of a pig. He
managed to escape the "final battle" and was looking for survivors when he
bumps into Richard. Hedecides to help Richard in his quest to recover the
stolen pods while continuing his search. Orkan is a strong warrior and a
trustworthy friend, and the journey ahead will lead to a destiny he never
expected.
The Evil Oneis the all-powerful being that is ravaging the Ancestral World
with his evil power and his armies of darkness. Very little is known of the
Evil One, but the image of his grotesque mask is well known and feared by
anyone who opposes him.
TheLife Force Pods hold the life forces that bind the Ancestral World
together. A Guardian protects each pod, and each pod possesses a different
life force. When the Evil One came, his minions stole six of the seven pods,
resulting in their respective Guardians to be captured, and their
whereabouts are unknown. It's now up to the Chosen One to find these pods
and rescue their Guardians from the Evil One's clutches.
Comments:
The story of The Ancestral Trail doesn't take long to get things moving.
There's no back-story on Richard, no lingering on how he was "transported"
to the Ancestral World...nothing. He simply arrives, is told who he is and
what he must do, and sets out to do it. Usually, this isn't a good idea in
storytelling, but in The Ancestral Trail it's all right. The series' main focus
ison all the different monsters and creatures that Richard will encounter
during his travels, so padding the beginning with back story and exposition is
not a good idea. And let's not forget that this series was originally written
for children.
At first glance, the story looks pretty derivative: an outsider arrives in a
strange land and is chosen to be that land's saviour. On top of that, he must
both find several sacred items and rescue several powerful beings. And the
names and titles of some of the characters are pretty ordinary, most notably
as "the Chosen One" and "the Evil One"; even "Richard" is a pretty common
name. However, it can be argued thatThe Ancestral Trail did this
intentionally. According to this article (do not read if you don't want
important plot points spoiled for you!), the story can be seen as a metaphor
for growing up, how his journey is a rites of passage and how he matures as
his journey continues. Using vague names like "the Evil One" and "the Chosen
One" can be used to help the reader identify more with the characters, if
not insert himself into the story.
Or The Ancestral Trail could just be a very good story. You make the call.
Quotes:
"The grey eye sees the dark side of life, the green eye sees good. Only you
can weigh the balance."
-Golan
TheAncestralTrail
#1:TheMoss Beast
In the Grip of the Slime River Ghoul
Story:
On the First Day...
Should evil e'er the Victor be,
And darkness fall upon the land,
A Chose One from far will come
Who sees in dark and light.
On the first day, herein points the way.
To cross the river he follows the flow.
From air and water dangers.
Safety lies in earth below.
At path's end lies the slender way,
A hidden weakness saves the day.
As Richard and Orkan press deeper into the forest, Orkan tells Richard of his
experiences during the final battle and of his escape from the Evil One's
forces. He tells Richard of when he was surrounded by three enemy soldiers
but was lucky enough to escape with a deep scar on his fighting arm. The
pig-man grows sad as he recalls how many of the beasts he had to fight were
once friends and neighbours, but he feels hopeful that the survivors can
regroup.
The final battle
Just then, Orkan hears something and realizes that somebody is nearby. He
leads Richard carefully to behind a cottage-sized boulder...and finds an old
dwarf-like man sleeping. Orkan quickly kicks the dwarf, awakening him. The
stunned dwarf introduces himself as Melek, a scribe from the Ancient City.
But before he could say anything more, Melek notices Richard's eyes and
instantly recognizes him as the Chosen One. Excited, Melek unstraps a large
book from his back. The book is called the Book of Prophecies, and it
foretells of the Chosen One. However, the book is written in rhyme and
riddle, and not even the Guardians can figure them out.