The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Broken Pact
A 96 page Tribe 8 Cycle/adventure

SPOILER WARNING- This is a GM product only, so could T8 players do the honourable thing and surf elsewhere.

INTRODUCTION

This book is part two of the 'Conquest' Cycle/Campaign but is reasonably playable without the previous 'Warrior Unbound'. It concerns itself with the Tribes first official Crusade since humanity's Liberation from the Z'Bri death camps and the end of the Pact the Dome which brought about the cease-fire between the Z'Bri and Fatimas.
The book is split into 5 chapters, 3 for the adventures, 1 discussing the ramifications and the final chapter containing Weaver/GM resources and new characters. I'll now address each in turn.

1. THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE Two things motivate this opening scenario. Young Agnes, the child Fatima has grown somewhat since her abduction in 'Trial By Fire' even getting a new chassis and makeover from Her Aunts. She also wants vengeance on the Z'Bri and prove that she is a independent person and a force to be reckoned with. In other words, a typical impetuous teenager.
Meanwhile the Z'Bri Baron has been advancing his schemes, directing the tribes wrath towards the rival Z'Bri settlement of Abonom. Needless to say, these two powerful individuals meet and clash, and Agnes orders her tribe of children to march north and destroy Abonom.
Naturally the players get caught up in it all (and the plot hook can be as clumsy as the PC's running into the Agnite column and the veritable demigod taking them by the hand saying 'Come join my party'.)

There then follow some low level skirmishes as the characters try to keep a horde of bloodthirsty teenagers in check as they march north. Meanwhile they must scout out and eliminate Z'bri threats. Of course, on the face of it, its a rather ridiculous vision of small kids attacking hideous monstrosities who are death personified. So Agnes created a number of 'Wonder monsters', animated, enlarged toy creatures, and Her presence causes food and sweets to appear. Needless to say the nursery rhyme 'the Teddy Bears picnic' was going through my mind whilst reading this.

Finally battle is joined at Abonom where the Z'Bri release great war machine beasts that begin stomping the kids. As Agnes does her best to prevent total encirclement the PC's are forced to fight their way through the blood and gore of the flesh domes and destroy the neural control room. In short order the evil Baron turns up to crush the Agnites, before Joan and her Templars save the day from this new threat. Them the spectre of Joshua makes a surprise appearance, pointing the way to his heart. The Tribes triumph, leaving Abonom a smoking ruin.
And the kiddies? They go a bit sadder and wiser with 40% casualties unless the PC's pulled off something truly spectacular. Yet this is far from a defeat for the Tribes. 500 spoiled, under-equipped little teenagers and pre-teens have shown the Tribes that they can fight the Z'Bri and win !?...
Soon the adults want a piece of the action...

Overall however this adventure is one of the more surreal that I've encountered. The young Agnites initially appear to be 'Just William' school boys going on a marvelous adventure with cake and lashings of ginger beer. But as the violent Z'Bri atmosphere becomes more intense, then the game shifts to 'Lord of the Flies' as they torture and hurt others with childish malevolence. All in all its a nice shift that displays the subtleties of Tribe 8. I'm really not sure about the Agnites being effective warriors, but if you merely assume that Agnes and the Wonder monsters do all the real fighting whilst the kids look on and cheer, then its OK.
For the PC's the rest of the adventure is suitably nerve wracking as success turns to bitter defeat before the last minute relief. Well worth playing through, though the plot hooks are somewhat shaky.

2. CRUSADE OF THE HEART.

Joan reveals that she will lead a crusade north to the main Z'Bri stronghold of Hl'kar. Covertly she seeks the Heart of Joshua held by the Baron in exchange for peace. Once again the PC's get drafted as Joshuans, Fallen, and even Guides join the militarized Joanites to fight for freedom.
A diversionary feint by Agnes at the Spine Bridge allow the PC's, Joanites and Jackers to raid Hl'Kar itself. Suffice to say the Z'Bri put up a good fight, the players fight through disgusting corridors and alien rooms until they discover that their goal is long gone.
There then follows a rout as the Tribes flee the massed legions of Z'Bri across the Bridge, before Joan uses Joshua's (and Lilith's) hammer to save the day. Meanwhile the simmering Z'Bri coup scores and own goal at just the worst time, letting the Tribes escape for the time being.

I'll admit to having skimmed over the detail of this adventure. Basically the Crusaders spend a while setting up units, scouting routes, arranging logistics before attacking north. There are several encounters possible, and the assault on the Ziggurat is truly horrible. (A mix of 'Saving Private Ryan' as the ranks are mown down and the puzzlement and fear of a fleshy version of 'Cube'. ) Its all covered well, with plenty of action and excitement that could last tens of hours if used fully. The plot hook is much better (if the PC's can use a sword then they are expected to do their duty for Tribe and Nation, if they cant fight then they still need medics and stretcher bearers!) Overall, top marks!

3. DARK HEART

Having dealt (temporarily) with the enemy without and discovered that the Z'Bri betrayed the Pact of the Dome, Joan now turns her wrath on the quisling Shebans and the Z'Bri Heart that they hold. Essentially She wants to repudiate the Pact fully by destroying Tibors Heartstone, kept in the Sunken City.
Naturally the pro-appeasement Tera Sheba disagrees and orders her tribe to repel the Crusaders. Now the battle scarred PC's are compelled to join in as the Joanites turn on their long term Sheban allies. Fallen of course are more than happy to put the boot into the Judges who sentenced them to exile, and the Herites run wild. So a nasty house to house operation takes place in the Venetian Sunken City, but given the numbers and experience on the side of Joan, they eventually force their way to Tera Sheba.

Joan destroys Tibors Heartstone with suitable pyrotechnics, forever destroying all hope of peace with the Z'bri and High Judge Cylix finally gets what he deserves. The campaign over, the battered Shebans withdraw into themselves whilst all of Vimary awaits the inevitable Z'Bri counter attacks.

Oh dear.

This adventure is absolutely brilliant as it strips back some of the big mysteries of the setting, readies the Tribes for an exciting future and still infuses a wonderful pathos into the silent but determined actions of Joan. The Shebans desperate defence, the wild bloodletting of the Herites as their worm turns and even the shocked reactions of the other Tribes as they realise Joan has effectively declared martial law are all well portrayed.

This adventure, and the events leading up to it have that special magic of classic campaigns- pacing. A momentum gradually builds both within this cycle as Joan mobilizes, and from the previous 'Children of Prophecy' cycle. From the moment in 'Children of Lilith' where Joan sorrowfully holds Liliths body, through the inquisition of 'Trial by Fire' where She is dominated by Tera Sheba, to her assertion of independence in 'Warrior Unbound' , this is the moment where Joan becomes the heroic Fatima, the inheritor of Joshua's passion and a collaborator no longer, Joan becomes the Warrior that she should always have been.

4. CYCLE RAMIFICATIONS

I'd guess the players reactions pretty much matches the official Tribal response. The people step back, jaw ajar, before saying "Oh my God!" in disbelief at the titanic events that have occurred. In less than a week Vimary has gone from a nation at peace with itself and with the Z' Bri outside, to one threatened by the massing Koleris Horde and where the army has just attacked the judiciary.
Suffice to say, the winners and losers are described here in good detail, but the impression is of the whole Nation pausing mid breath as they await the now uncertain future.
Given that the next book in this Cycle is entitled 'Vimary Burns' and is released this month, I don't think people will need, or have long to wonder about ramifications.

5. WEAVER RESOURCES

Pretty much as you expect, there are stats for NPC's, new magic items, rules for Fatimas in combat and so on. A nice bit on Z'Bri defenses though it does reference 'Horrors of the Z'bri' often. Good and relevant.

CONCLUSION

This is certainly one of the most exciting and innovative Tribe 8 adventures that I've ever read. It practically rewrites the Vimary sourcebook as the internal power groups re-align along new axis and the Z'bri become a clear and present threat.

And yet, from the point of view of the players, these momentous changes occur almost naturally, logically proceeding from previous events. People react as you would expect them to, and Joans actions have the inevitability of a guillotine blade slowly descending with the force of years of pent-up tension. The battle scenes are exciting, cinematic and harrowing. As mentioned the whole cycle starts off with a wonderful teddy-bears picnic atmosphere and by the end of it, the characters are drenched in blood, sweating fear as Joan methodically destroys civil authority and the nation braces for either civil war or Z'bri decimation! Incredibly, it all flows so incredibly naturally, and has so many adrenaline highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies that the characters will never know how it ends.

Of course, there are a few problems with this book. There is the usual price and editing problems, but this book really, really requires the GM to have both 'Horrors of the Z'Bri' and 'Vimary' to run this properly. Furthermore some people would argue that the players don't have a chance to change outcomes. That is quite true, but its part of the Tribe 8 game that the Fatimas are the true decision makers, and the players have ample opportunity to shine in their respective fields and make a difference on the battlefield.

So overall, this is a great campaign book, and well worth purchasing if you are running a T8 game. Admittedly it invalidates some of the previous books, but the epic sweep of the changes means that the players will probably enjoy the process of change more than they miss old certainties

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Broken Pact
Author: Jason Prince Category: game Company/Publisher: Dream Pod 9 Line: Tribe 8 Cost: £11 Page count: 96 ISBN: 1-896776-79-5 SKU: DP-815 Capsule Review by Stephen Joseph Ellis on 11/28/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Horror Post-apocalypse	Broken Pact A 96 page Tribe 8 Cycle/adventure SPOILER WARNING- This is a GM product only, so could T8 players do the honourable thing and surf elsewhere. INTRODUCTION This book is part two of the 'Conquest' Cycle/Campaign but is reasonably playable without the previous 'Warrior Unbound'. It concerns itself with the Tribes first official Crusade since humanity's Liberation from the Z'Bri death camps and the end of the Pact the Dome which brought about the cease-fire between the Z'Bri and Fatimas. The book is split into 5 chapters, 3 for the adventures, 1 discussing the ramifications and the final chapter containing Weaver/GM resources and new characters. I'll now address each in turn. 1. THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE Two things motivate this opening scenario. Young Agnes, the child Fatima has grown somewhat since her abduction in 'Trial By Fire' even getting a new chassis and makeover from Her Aunts. She also wants vengeance on the Z'Bri and prove that she is a independent person and a force to be reckoned with. In other words, a typical impetuous teenager. Meanwhile the Z'Bri Baron has been advancing his schemes, directing the tribes wrath towards the rival Z'Bri settlement of Abonom. Needless to say, these two powerful individuals meet and clash, and Agnes orders her tribe of children to march north and destroy Abonom. Naturally the players get caught up in it all (and the plot hook can be as clumsy as the PC's running into the Agnite column and the veritable demigod taking them by the hand saying 'Come join my party'.) There then follow some low level skirmishes as the characters try to keep a horde of bloodthirsty teenagers in check as they march north. Meanwhile they must scout out and eliminate Z'bri threats. Of course, on the face of it, its a rather ridiculous vision of small kids attacking hideous monstrosities who are death personified. So Agnes created a number of 'Wonder monsters', animated, enlarged toy creatures, and Her presence causes food and sweets to appear. Needless to say the nursery rhyme 'the Teddy Bears picnic' was going through my mind whilst reading this. Finally battle is joined at Abonom where the Z'Bri release great war machine beasts that begin stomping the kids. As Agnes does her best to prevent total encirclement the PC's are forced to fight their way through the blood and gore of the flesh domes and destroy the neural control room. In short order the evil Baron turns up to crush the Agnites, before Joan and her Templars save the day from this new threat. Them the spectre of Joshua makes a surprise appearance, pointing the way to his heart. The Tribes triumph, leaving Abonom a smoking ruin. And the kiddies? They go a bit sadder and wiser with 40% casualties unless the PC's pulled off something truly spectacular. Yet this is far from a defeat for the Tribes. 500 spoiled, under-equipped little teenagers and pre-teens have shown the Tribes that they can fight the Z'Bri and win !?... Soon the adults want a piece of the action... Overall however this adventure is one of the more surreal that I've encountered. The young Agnites initially appear to be 'Just William' school boys going on a marvelous adventure with cake and lashings of ginger beer. But as the violent Z'Bri atmosphere becomes more intense, then the game shifts to 'Lord of the Flies' as they torture and hurt others with childish malevolence. All in all its a nice shift that displays the subtleties of Tribe 8. I'm really not sure about the Agnites being effective warriors, but if you merely assume that Agnes and the Wonder monsters do all the real fighting whilst the kids look on and cheer, then its OK. For the PC's the rest of the adventure is suitably nerve wracking as success turns to bitter defeat before the last minute relief. Well worth playing through, though the plot hooks are somewhat shaky. 2. CRUSADE OF THE HEART. Joan reveals that she will lead a crusade north to the main Z'Bri stronghold of Hl'kar. Covertly she seeks the Heart of Joshua held by the Baron in exchange for peace. Once again the PC's get drafted as Joshuans, Fallen, and even Guides join the militarized Joanites to fight for freedom. A diversionary feint by Agnes at the Spine Bridge allow the PC's, Joanites and Jackers to raid Hl'Kar itself. Suffice to say the Z'Bri put up a good fight, the players fight through disgusting corridors and alien rooms until they discover that their goal is long gone. There then follows a rout as the Tribes flee the massed legions of Z'Bri across the Bridge, before Joan uses Joshua's (and Lilith's) hammer to save the day. Meanwhile the simmering Z'Bri coup scores and own goal at just the worst time, letting the Tribes escape for the time being. I'll admit to having skimmed over the detail of this adventure. Basically the Crusaders spend a while setting up units, scouting routes, arranging logistics before attacking north. There are several encounters possible, and the assault on the Ziggurat is truly horrible. (A mix of 'Saving Private Ryan' as the ranks are mown down and the puzzlement and fear of a fleshy version of 'Cube'. ) Its all covered well, with plenty of action and excitement that could last tens of hours if used fully. The plot hook is much better (if the PC's can use a sword then they are expected to do their duty for Tribe and Nation, if they cant fight then they still need medics and stretcher bearers!) Overall, top marks! 3. DARK HEART Having dealt (temporarily) with the enemy without and discovered that the Z'Bri betrayed the Pact of the Dome, Joan now turns her wrath on the quisling Shebans and the Z'Bri Heart that they hold. Essentially She wants to repudiate the Pact fully by destroying Tibors Heartstone, kept in the Sunken City. Naturally the pro-appeasement Tera Sheba disagrees and orders her tribe to repel the Crusaders. Now the battle scarred PC's are compelled to join in as the Joanites turn on their long term Sheban allies. Fallen of course are more than happy to put the boot into the Judges who sentenced them to exile, and the Herites run wild. So a nasty house to house operation takes place in the Venetian Sunken City, but given the numbers and experience on the side of Joan, they eventually force their way to Tera Sheba. Joan destroys Tibors Heartstone with suitable pyrotechnics, forever destroying all hope of peace with the Z'bri and High Judge Cylix finally gets what he deserves. The campaign over, the battered Shebans withdraw into themselves whilst all of Vimary awaits the inevitable Z'Bri counter attacks. Oh dear. This adventure is absolutely brilliant as it strips back some of the big mysteries of the setting, readies the Tribes for an exciting future and still infuses a wonderful pathos into the silent but determined actions of Joan. The Shebans desperate defence, the wild bloodletting of the Herites as their worm turns and even the shocked reactions of the other Tribes as they realise Joan has effectively declared martial law are all well portrayed. This adventure, and the events leading up to it have that special magic of classic campaigns- pacing. A momentum gradually builds both within this cycle as Joan mobilizes, and from the previous 'Children of Prophecy' cycle. From the moment in 'Children of Lilith' where Joan sorrowfully holds Liliths body, through the inquisition of 'Trial by Fire' where She is dominated by Tera Sheba, to her assertion of independence in 'Warrior Unbound' , this is the moment where Joan becomes the heroic Fatima, the inheritor of Joshua's passion and a collaborator no longer, Joan becomes the Warrior that she should always have been. 4. CYCLE RAMIFICATIONS I'd guess the players reactions pretty much matches the official Tribal response. The people step back, jaw ajar, before saying "Oh my God!" in disbelief at the titanic events that have occurred. In less than a week Vimary has gone from a nation at peace with itself and with the Z' Bri outside, to one threatened by the massing Koleris Horde and where the army has just attacked the judiciary. Suffice to say, the winners and losers are described here in good detail, but the impression is of the whole Nation pausing mid breath as they await the now uncertain future. Given that the next book in this Cycle is entitled 'Vimary Burns' and is released this month, I don't think people will need, or have long to wonder about ramifications. 5. WEAVER RESOURCES Pretty much as you expect, there are stats for NPC's, new magic items, rules for Fatimas in combat and so on. A nice bit on Z'Bri defenses though it does reference 'Horrors of the Z'bri' often. Good and relevant. CONCLUSION This is certainly one of the most exciting and innovative Tribe 8 adventures that I've ever read. It practically rewrites the Vimary sourcebook as the internal power groups re-align along new axis and the Z'bri become a clear and present threat. And yet, from the point of view of the players, these momentous changes occur almost naturally, logically proceeding from previous events. People react as you would expect them to, and Joans actions have the inevitability of a guillotine blade slowly descending with the force of years of pent-up tension. The battle scenes are exciting, cinematic and harrowing. As mentioned the whole cycle starts off with a wonderful teddy-bears picnic atmosphere and by the end of it, the characters are drenched in blood, sweating fear as Joan methodically destroys civil authority and the nation braces for either civil war or Z'bri decimation! Incredibly, it all flows so incredibly naturally, and has so many adrenaline highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies that the characters will never know how it ends. Of course, there are a few problems with this book. There is the usual price and editing problems, but this book really, really requires the GM to have both 'Horrors of the Z'Bri' and 'Vimary' to run this properly. Furthermore some people would argue that the players don't have a chance to change outcomes. That is quite true, but its part of the Tribe 8 game that the Fatimas are the true decision makers, and the players have ample opportunity to shine in their respective fields and make a difference on the battlefield. So overall, this is a great campaign book, and well worth purchasing if you are running a T8 game. Admittedly it invalidates some of the previous books, but the epic sweep of the changes means that the players will probably enjoy the process of change more than they miss old certainties Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)