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I have to admit that I was not certain what to expect from this supplement. An entire book about medieval crime? I didn't see the appeal. What I missed is that this book doesn't just cover outlaws with respect to mortal authority, but outlaws from kindred society as well. In short, this book also covers the beginnings of what will become the Anarch Revolution and go on to be the Sabbat. Now that was something that really compelled me. Something I had never been happy with was the cursory manner in which these early days had been treated, a discontent which played into my general unhappiness with the modern sect. After reading this, it all made a lot makes a lot more sense.

The opening fiction is surprisingly well done, flipping perspectives between an assassin and his prey, a powerful Tzimisce lord. It is quite an interesting device and despite a bit of the usual overdone 'gee, aren't I a twisted fuck' indulgence with the Tzimisce, it does a damn fine job of setting the tone. The Introduction gives an idea of what is in the book, as usual, but passes on the usual glossary in order to give some good resources on the subject, both books and internet sites.

Chapter One 0starts with a relatively detailed treatment of law, vice, and crime in the medieval world, from the differences in jurisdiction between secular and church authority to the ins and outs of brothels. Interspersed with the sections on mortal law are sidebars giving the Cainite perspective and interpretations, comparing and contrasting. The last bit of the chapter is a first person introduction to the Prometheans, a subtle sect of Cainite revolutionaries seeking to establish a new Carthage by using criminals and robbers as tools to overthrow their oppressors, both mortal and kindred. A very nice device is the use of in character letters in sidebars showing who is quietly supporting them and who is trying to turn them to their own ends. It is perhaps the most effective use of fiction I've yet seen from White Wolf. The end of the section gives a large sidebar which details the future fate of the sect (which is still left very muddy, so that individual storytellers can tailor things to fit their own scheme).

Chapter Two covers the life and operations of the brigand and the outlaw, while detailing how a Cainite might live amongst them or use them as tools in their schemes. As with Ashen Knight, the authors do a good job of pointing out many of the problems which face a vampire in situations where they have to deal with mortals on a day to day basis, as well as presenting several adaptions that can be made and compromises that can be struck. A short section towards the end of the chapter talks about piracy during the period as well as speaking of thievery in the Muslim world. Throughout, there is a lot of good advice on how to alter one's storytelling style in order to take advantage of (or make up for the shortcomings of) the setting and situation.

Chapter Three is dedicated to the Furores, the anarch precursors to the Sabbat. This is the best done part of the book and the one I enjoyed the most, largely because it answered a lot of questions I had about how the Sabbat got to the form it is currently in. The first part of the chapter deals almost entirely with motivation. Not only with why a neonate or ancilla would turn against his or her sire and the elders in general, but also a hint at the excuses and rationalizations on both sides of the conflict. I am always a fan of muddying ethical waters. There is a short history of the movement next and then the hows and whys of revolt, including the usual problems, tactics, and goals. A sidebar notes the involvement of many of the revolutionaries in the Cainite Heresy (something which helps explain the current Sabbat's religious tendencies) and another section talks about the sorts of governments that the revolutionaries set up when they do take control, and the difficulties and strengths of each. The picture painted isn't pretty and makes one wonder how these guys made it out of the dark ages. Of course, the Inquisition is still to come and the Furores have a knack for taking advantage of these sorts of situations.

The last part of the chapter talks about the major clans behind the movement (Brujah, Ventrue, Lasombra, and Tzimisce, oddly enough) with explanations of why they are such a large proportion. Then, three very different separate Furore communities are detailed. This is actually the best part of the chapter because it really illustrates how diverse the movement is and at the same time explains much of how they evolve by detailing the myriad different motivations of those who helped form it. The first society is Lacadaemonia, an attempt at utopia backed by a disillusioned Brujah despot slowly being turned to infernalism (another nice allusion to things to come). The second is The City of God, a monastary dedicated to an offshoot of the Cainite Heresy led by a pair of Lasombra with very different motivations. The last is Finland, a free state of einherjar (Norse vampires) attempting to preserve their culture while quietly funding those revolutionaries who are defending pagan lands to the south. The chapter ends out with a discussion of themesand issues.

The Appendix gives the usual templates, but unlike in most books, these actually do very well indemonstrating the sorts of characters discussed in the books and have something approaching relevance.

In closing, this is a wonderful companion piece to The Cainite Heresy and The Ashen Knight. It expands on two groups only touched upon in the main book and thus far overlooked, opening up a whole new area of roleplay, as well as providing valuable reference material for law and crime.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

The Ashen Thief
Author: Geoffrey C. Grabowski and Sarah Roark Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: Vampire: The Dark Ages Cost: $14.95 Page count: 95 ISBN: 1-56504-236-0 SKU: WW2827 Capsule Review by Eric Christian Berg on 08/16/00. Genre tags: Historical Horror Conspiracy Vampire Gothic	I have to admit that I was not certain what to expect from this supplement. An entire book about medieval crime? I didn't see the appeal. What I missed is that this book doesn't just cover outlaws with respect to mortal authority, but outlaws from kindred society as well. In short, this book also covers the beginnings of what will become the Anarch Revolution and go on to be the Sabbat. Now that was something that really compelled me. Something I had never been happy with was the cursory manner in which these early days had been treated, a discontent which played into my general unhappiness with the modern sect. After reading this, it all made a lot makes a lot more sense. The opening fiction is surprisingly well done, flipping perspectives between an assassin and his prey, a powerful Tzimisce lord. It is quite an interesting device and despite a bit of the usual overdone 'gee, aren't I a twisted fuck' indulgence with the Tzimisce, it does a damn fine job of setting the tone. The Introduction gives an idea of what is in the book, as usual, but passes on the usual glossary in order to give some good resources on the subject, both books and internet sites. Chapter One 0starts with a relatively detailed treatment of law, vice, and crime in the medieval world, from the differences in jurisdiction between secular and church authority to the ins and outs of brothels. Interspersed with the sections on mortal law are sidebars giving the Cainite perspective and interpretations, comparing and contrasting. The last bit of the chapter is a first person introduction to the Prometheans, a subtle sect of Cainite revolutionaries seeking to establish a new Carthage by using criminals and robbers as tools to overthrow their oppressors, both mortal and kindred. A very nice device is the use of in character letters in sidebars showing who is quietly supporting them and who is trying to turn them to their own ends. It is perhaps the most effective use of fiction I've yet seen from White Wolf. The end of the section gives a large sidebar which details the future fate of the sect (which is still left very muddy, so that individual storytellers can tailor things to fit their own scheme). Chapter Two covers the life and operations of the brigand and the outlaw, while detailing how a Cainite might live amongst them or use them as tools in their schemes. As with Ashen Knight, the authors do a good job of pointing out many of the problems which face a vampire in situations where they have to deal with mortals on a day to day basis, as well as presenting several adaptions that can be made and compromises that can be struck. A short section towards the end of the chapter talks about piracy during the period as well as speaking of thievery in the Muslim world. Throughout, there is a lot of good advice on how to alter one's storytelling style in order to take advantage of (or make up for the shortcomings of) the setting and situation. Chapter Three is dedicated to the Furores, the anarch precursors to the Sabbat. This is the best done part of the book and the one I enjoyed the most, largely because it answered a lot of questions I had about how the Sabbat got to the form it is currently in. The first part of the chapter deals almost entirely with motivation. Not only with why a neonate or ancilla would turn against his or her sire and the elders in general, but also a hint at the excuses and rationalizations on both sides of the conflict. I am always a fan of muddying ethical waters. There is a short history of the movement next and then the hows and whys of revolt, including the usual problems, tactics, and goals. A sidebar notes the involvement of many of the revolutionaries in the Cainite Heresy (something which helps explain the current Sabbat's religious tendencies) and another section talks about the sorts of governments that the revolutionaries set up when they do take control, and the difficulties and strengths of each. The picture painted isn't pretty and makes one wonder how these guys made it out of the dark ages. Of course, the Inquisition is still to come and the Furores have a knack for taking advantage of these sorts of situations. The last part of the chapter talks about the major clans behind the movement (Brujah, Ventrue, Lasombra, and Tzimisce, oddly enough) with explanations of why they are such a large proportion. Then, three very different separate Furore communities are detailed. This is actually the best part of the chapter because it really illustrates how diverse the movement is and at the same time explains much of how they evolve by detailing the myriad different motivations of those who helped form it. The first society is Lacadaemonia, an attempt at utopia backed by a disillusioned Brujah despot slowly being turned to infernalism (another nice allusion to things to come). The second is The City of God, a monastary dedicated to an offshoot of the Cainite Heresy led by a pair of Lasombra with very different motivations. The last is Finland, a free state of einherjar (Norse vampires) attempting to preserve their culture while quietly funding those revolutionaries who are defending pagan lands to the south. The chapter ends out with a discussion of themesand issues. The Appendix gives the usual templates, but unlike in most books, these actually do very well indemonstrating the sorts of characters discussed in the books and have something approaching relevance. In closing, this is a wonderful companion piece to The Cainite Heresy and The Ashen Knight. It expands on two groups only touched upon in the main book and thus far overlooked, opening up a whole new area of roleplay, as well as providing valuable reference material for law and crime. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

The Ashen Thief