The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Word of the Dancers is the third book in DP9's series of splat suppliments for Tribe 8. It is the last to deal with the Seven Tribes of Vimary, and it covers the tribes of Dahlia the Trickster and Agnes the Child.

The book sticks to the same structure as the previous two. It begins with an introduction that sets the stage for the book's story. Then the story plays out over two more chapters, wherein each one also is a guided tour of the tribes of Dahlia and Agnes, before a quick recap at the end. That recap is a buffer between the story and the next two chapters where both tribes, each in due course, are revisited purely from a gaming perspective- new NPCs, new Aspects, etc. as well as any needed clarification of the elements introduced in the story section. It's a formula alright, but it's a good one and I will not fault the Pod for sticking with something that works so bloody well.

Oh no, I won't leave you with that.

The story revolves around a disfavored Agnite who was recently turned out of Playground, her attempts to get revenge upon Agnes, and what becomes of the scheme her hate-induced insanity compelled from her. It begins with the Fallen Agnite's theft of a particular toy from the child Fatima. An innocent Evan woman is blamed, and then forced to look for it on pain of death and things worse than that. The thief deals with a Dahlian--there's your connection--who's got plans of her own, and it all falls apart because of some meddling Dahlian teens.

That's the synopsis. Now for the specifics. The story doesn't shy away from the ugly stuff; there's white slavery, rape, and attempted rape to go along with all of the plotting, scheming, and violence. Clearly, the rape and subsequent death of one Agnite character by a gang of four others (and how it affects everyone) is the biggest risk in this book; the game's listserv burned for quite a time over this element, with the usual arguements going back and forth in the usual passionate manner. The assault by a Squat upon one of the Dahlians makes for a good second-place in terms of risk, followed by the use of Fallen women as sex slaves--trade goods, really--by other Dahlians. Why do I mention this? Because this set of stuff is not subject matter that everyone will like, appreciate, or be able to stand; in my home, I keep this book packed away for a reason. It's an issue, and no matter how well the Pod handles it--and they did good here--this is something that's going to get people riled. Just beware of it.

The game-specific stuff in the latter chapters introduces the tribal totems for both tribes. (The Dahlians get Phoenix, while the Agnites get Teddy (Den Mother's rebellious cub).) They also go more in depth about certain social structures, norms, themes, and moods specific to that tribe. For example, the series of paragraphs that discuss the Dahlian sense of freedom and truth are both complimentary and (to some) contradictory. Another is the extensive, and practical, view of the Agnites in terms of allies, neutrals, and enemies; the reminder of what childhood is like makes the words ring with clarity and enhances their utility to a reader who may or may not remember his childhood. That's not to say that the new NPC stat blocks, Aspects, and little ritual aren't useful; they are, and some I expect will become quite popular (Luck, Dahlia's Doorway).

Is this book good? Oh yes! The artwork is as good as ever, and its placement compliments the neighboring text very well; the picture of the Dahlian dancing before the mirror is very evocative of what the text around it speaks, and that's just what comes to mind. The new NPCs in the sidebars are good additions to the game's roster, and the fact that this book both assumes the conditions at the start of the Children of Prophecy are the norm while (where needed) dealing with what comes later in the story--such as the change in Agnes after Trial By Fire--is good to see in such a product. As with the others, you don't need it; as with the others, you'll be glad that you got it after you read it and you'll want to make use of it.

Check it out. You'll be glad that you did, one way or the other.

Word of the Dancers
Word of the Dancers Capsule Review by Bradford C. Walker on 05/07/01 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average) The third book in the Word series, the last to cover the Seven Tribes of Vimary, and the best of the three book by far. That said, this is still a Tribe 8 book; some of the content is not for the weak. Product: Word of the Dancers Author: Moyra Turkington, Laura Bishop-Ruby, Bradley Robins Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Dream Pod 9 Line: Tribe 8 Cost: $18.95 (US) Page count: 96 pages Year published: 2001 ISBN: 1-894578-52-X SKU: DP9-818 Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Bradford C. Walker on 05/07/01 Genre tags: Fantasy Horror Post-apocalyse Other	Word of the Dancers is the third book in DP9's series of splat suppliments for Tribe 8. It is the last to deal with the Seven Tribes of Vimary, and it covers the tribes of Dahlia the Trickster and Agnes the Child. The book sticks to the same structure as the previous two. It begins with an introduction that sets the stage for the book's story. Then the story plays out over two more chapters, wherein each one also is a guided tour of the tribes of Dahlia and Agnes, before a quick recap at the end. That recap is a buffer between the story and the next two chapters where both tribes, each in due course, are revisited purely from a gaming perspective- new NPCs, new Aspects, etc. as well as any needed clarification of the elements introduced in the story section. It's a formula alright, but it's a good one and I will not fault the Pod for sticking with something that works so bloody well. Oh no, I won't leave you with that. The story revolves around a disfavored Agnite who was recently turned out of Playground, her attempts to get revenge upon Agnes, and what becomes of the scheme her hate-induced insanity compelled from her. It begins with the Fallen Agnite's theft of a particular toy from the child Fatima. An innocent Evan woman is blamed, and then forced to look for it on pain of death and things worse than that. The thief deals with a Dahlian--there's your connection--who's got plans of her own, and it all falls apart because of some meddling Dahlian teens. That's the synopsis. Now for the specifics. The story doesn't shy away from the ugly stuff; there's white slavery, rape, and attempted rape to go along with all of the plotting, scheming, and violence. Clearly, the rape and subsequent death of one Agnite character by a gang of four others (and how it affects everyone) is the biggest risk in this book; the game's listserv burned for quite a time over this element, with the usual arguements going back and forth in the usual passionate manner. The assault by a Squat upon one of the Dahlians makes for a good second-place in terms of risk, followed by the use of Fallen women as sex slaves--trade goods, really--by other Dahlians. Why do I mention this? Because this set of stuff is not subject matter that everyone will like, appreciate, or be able to stand; in my home, I keep this book packed away for a reason. It's an issue, and no matter how well the Pod handles it--and they did good here--this is something that's going to get people riled. Just beware of it. The game-specific stuff in the latter chapters introduces the tribal totems for both tribes. (The Dahlians get Phoenix, while the Agnites get Teddy (Den Mother's rebellious cub).) They also go more in depth about certain social structures, norms, themes, and moods specific to that tribe. For example, the series of paragraphs that discuss the Dahlian sense of freedom and truth are both complimentary and (to some) contradictory. Another is the extensive, and practical, view of the Agnites in terms of allies, neutrals, and enemies; the reminder of what childhood is like makes the words ring with clarity and enhances their utility to a reader who may or may not remember his childhood. That's not to say that the new NPC stat blocks, Aspects, and little ritual aren't useful; they are, and some I expect will become quite popular (Luck, Dahlia's Doorway). Is this book good? Oh yes! The artwork is as good as ever, and its placement compliments the neighboring text very well; the picture of the Dahlian dancing before the mirror is very evocative of what the text around it speaks, and that's just what comes to mind. The new NPCs in the sidebars are good additions to the game's roster, and the fact that this book both assumes the conditions at the start of the Children of Prophecy are the norm while (where needed) dealing with what comes later in the story--such as the change in Agnes after Trial By Fire--is good to see in such a product. As with the others, you don't need it; as with the others, you'll be glad that you got it after you read it and you'll want to make use of it. Check it out. You'll be glad that you did, one way or the other.