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The largest downside to this product is that it is mostly setting information, and that setting information has been presented in an earlier 1st edition product. Some of the writing is at times boring, focusing on minor NPCs instead of the state (I’m using state to mean geopolitical entity, often city-states in this product) they live in. Finally, this product is much more narrowly focused than the earlier Scavenger Sons. It discusses the Scavenger Lands but does not move outside them. I consider that to be a strength, as later supplements are planned to explore the cardinal directions, but the product is not as broadly useful as the earlier Scavenger Sons.
The Physical Thing
This 160 page black and white softcover showcases above average production values. The art is excellent all the way through. Comic book panels depict various scenes occurring in the Scavenger Lands, and they do an excellent job of it – better than many other recent Exalted products. At $24.95 and 160 pages this product is slightly cheaper than some other products within its range, but makes up for it with a softcover black and white presentation. Nevertheless, the maps and excellent artwork in this product make it a cut above average.The Ideas
This product covers the Scavenger Lands, roughly central to central-Eastern Creation extending to the East of the Blessed Isle (home of the Scarlet Empire). The Scavenger Lands are, for the most part, the greatest thorn in the side of the Scarlet Empire to be found in Creation. When the Empire was first conceived and began to expand, the remains of the Seventh Legion at Lookshy and the rest of the Scavenger Lands banded together three times over hundreds of years to repel the Realm and maintain their separate sovereignty. In addition to Realm assaults, Fair Folk, Death Lords, barbarian hordes, and other incredible threats have struck the Scavenger Lands again and again. Through it all the Confederacy has survived.The various States existing inside the Scavenger Lands are interesting and compelling, providing for a wide variety of play locations. From the Death Lord controlled Thorns, a city where the dead rule over the living, to Great Forks, an economic power ruled by a triumvirate of gods, the Scavenger Lands offer myriad interesting and amazing locations for any campaign.
Scavenger Sons
Early in the 1st edition product run Scavenger Sons was released. It was hailed by many as being a fantastic product, and while Scavenger Lands follows its progenitors reputation for quality the products beg to be compared.Scavenger Sons provides a discussion of the Fair Folk and the organizations in the Scavenger Lands. In the new product both of those topics are only discussed in individual chapters about States. Much more information is presented on the big States, while the general overview information of the earlier product disappears (likely due to the more expansive core book).
Both products have a chapter on Nexus. The biggest difference is that the newer product presents a somewhat more orderly Nexus, and emphasizes the role of the powerful Emissary in enforcing justice. Scavenger Sons presents more information on certain areas, such as Sijan and Mount Metagalapa. The new product presents less information on the smaller States, but a lot more information on some of the bigger places. While less information is presented on Sijan here, a whole chapter is devoted to Greyfalls.
Scavenger Sons also presented a lot of information on parts of the world outside the Scavenger Lands. This product focuses exclusively on the Scavenger Lands, adding a lot more detail to places like Lookshy and Thorns. Other areas covered in Scavenger Sons will likely be discussed in greater detail in future Compass of Terrestrial Directions products.
On the whole this is a much more focused product than the earlier Scavenger Sons. This product is less of an overview of Creation and more of a tool for those Storytellers that want to focus campaigns in the Scavenger Lands.
Under the Cover
As with other White Wolf products, this book begins with an Introduction that provides a general product overview.Chapter 1 The History of the Scavenger Lands 15 pages.
From the Usurpation to the present day, this chapter provides a complete history of the Scavenger Lands focusing on the great battles and events that befell the region over the centuries. A detailed two page timeline is provided to make it easy for a Storyteller to insert artifacts, ruins, and battle sights from ancient wars into an existing campaign.
The Scavenger Lands have a bloody past, filled with one war after another that has resulted in two major developments. First, the Scavenger Lands are a large collection of small, independent states united primarily through a mutual defense treaty. Every state recognizes that it needs the assistance of other states in order to repel the Realm, barbarians, Fair Folk, and the Death Lords. Second, the Scavenger Lands maintains the strongest military force in Creation outside of the Realm. The Seventh Legion, based out of Lookshy, is expertly trained and heavily armed with First Age artifacts. The region as a whole is a cornucopia of ruins and lost 1st age lore, and just about every government has some sort of powerful artifact that can be used for defense.
Chapter 2 The Heart of the Scavenger Lands 20 pages.
This chapter focuses on Nexus, an economic power-house with a well deserved reputation for chaos. Nexus is ruled by the Council of Entities, a powerful collection of scholars and bureaucrats who constantly work to focus the city on passing taxes and emphasizing trade. The Emissary is at times leader, servant, and enforcer of the Council. This strange figure assassinates troublemakers, enforces law, and otherwise acts to make Nexus the economic powerhouse it is.
A moderate amount of this chapter is devoted to trade, the most important part of Nexus since the city occupies one of the most ideal trade spots in Creation. Banks, metal working, trade routes, and other information is provided to flesh out the importance of Nexus as a trade hub in any campaign. Details on the largely hands-off government of Nexus, as well as the strange system of laws found in the city, are also provided. Finally, a detailed map of the city is provided along with a discussion of its varying districts.
Chapter 3 Warlords of the Scavenger Lands 38 pages.
Lookshy is one of the most powerful states in all of Creation. With expertly trained troops, First Age weapons, sky ships, First Age naval vessels, functioning warstriders, and other powerful artifacts make Lookshy a force that even the Realm eyes nervously. With a strong government and largely free populace, Lookshy is largely a meritocracy with the most skilled quickly advancing to positions of power. Considering the enormous power of the military, it is unsurprising that a military council rules over the state.
While the people here fervently believe Lookshy is the grandest place in Creation, their belief is founded largely in Lookshy’s military prowess. Culture and arts have been sacrificed over the centuries in order to focus entirely on defending the Scavenger Lands. Because of this Lookshy imports most of its delicacies from Great Forks, and the two have developed a pleasant partnership.
As with other chapters, a detailed map of the city is provided along with a breakdown of the various districts. In addition, the major Dragon-Blooded families of Lookshy are introduced and the general role of Dragon-Blooded in Lookshy is discussed. Lookshy contains the largest concentration of Dragon-Blooded anywhere in Creation outside of the Realm.
Chapter 4 The City of Temples 14 pages.
Great Forks is the city of temples, known as a haven for culture, sophisticated exports (such as drugs), and a very wide variety of faiths. Gods, spirits, Celestial Exalted, Terrestrial Exalted, and normal people from around the world have all journeyed to Great Forks to enjoy the bounty it offers.
Great Forks was founded when three great spirits – Dreamweaver, Talespinner, and Dayshield – led their mortal followers to the spot where the city was founded. Finding that they had much in common, the three spirits chose to work together in order to build a new society. With their considerable might they forced the local Death Lord, Princess Magnificient, to flee and then set about creating their great city. Today Great Forks is a major trade hub, a huge exporter of luxury goods, and a tourist hub. People travel from all over Creation to sample Great Forks unique and lively culture, to see the strange beings that walk the streets, and to engage in all manner of pleasures.
Government, daily life, trade, and other similar information is presented in this chapter. A detailed map of Great Forks and discussion of the layout of the city is presented to assist Storytellers who want to set games, or entire campaigns, in this unique location.
Chapter 5 Empire of the Dead 19 pages.
Thorns was a state of modest power located in the South Eastern Scavenger Lands, with strong ties to the Realm. When the old king died and it was time for succession, the younger of two brothers betrayed his elder with the assistance of the Realm. After his ascension things looked bleak for the Scavenger Lands, as a powerful war between Thorns and other states was brewing. Then, Mask of Winter appeared overnight. Thorns was destroyed, made into a necropolis as the surrounding land changed into a Shadowland in under three days.
Now the dead rule over the living in Thorns. Mask of Winter keeps the living around, as he needs them for various functions that the dead aren’t suited for. The greatest of these, perhaps, is to maintain respectability and impress foreign dignitaries with the idea that the living government still controls Thorns. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Mask of Winter rules over the domain with an iron fist. From his great, mobile war citadel Juggernaught Mask of Winter continues to enact his plans for conquering all of the Scavenger Lands.
This chapter presents, of course, a detailed map of Thorns along with a discussion of various parts of the city. In addition a moderate amount of information is presented concerning how the ghosts and living people interact, and the sorts of resistance movements that have developed in Thorns.
Chapter 6 Last Bastion of the Scarlet Empire 13 pages.
The last bastion of the Scarlet Empire in the Scavenger Lands is Greyfalls, a city of moderate size to the North East. Long a city of moderate wealth, in the years leading up to the death of the Scarlet Empress various Houses began sinking more money into strengthening Greyfalls as both an economic and military power.
Today Greyfalls suffers from the same lack of direction as the rest of the Scarlet Empire. With the Scarlet Empress missing the various Houses have enough local problems of their own, and Greyfalls has been largely forgotten. This has led to its current rulers beginning to enact expansionist plans of their own, with an aim to carve out a larger area of Realm control in the Scavenger Lands. A discussion of government, major NPCs, maps, and Mandate of Heaven rules are found here as with all other chapters.
Chapter 7 The Empty City 9 pages.
In the First Age Denandsor, the “City of Makers” was the pinnacle of the crafting arts. Many of the greatest devices of the age were built in Denandsor, and the city’s libraries held the greatest manuals on artifice in all of Creation. Then, after the Usurpation, the city became vacant. Information on what happened is sketchy at best, but not this huge city is completely vacant. Where once people walked the street there are ancient defenses of all sorts, constructed to jealously guard the city’s secrets from those that would plunder Denandsor.
This city would make an excellent adventure, and can provide a variety of interesting traps and encounters that would not normally be found in Creation. From giant robots to First Age Tombs, Denandsor serves as an excellent plot hook for those that are interested.
Chapter 8 Gods and Monsters of the Scavenger Lands 25 pages.
This chapter comes in two parts. First, the chapter provides a discussion of and statistics for most of the gods and other powerful, singular entities found in the Scavenger Lands. Dayshield, Talespinner, and other such beings are found here. Second, the chapter provides stats for many of the more mundane and exotic animals and magical creatures native to the area.
The stats provided in the first section are, of course, of the extremely powerful variety. These entries range between powerful gods to the almost indescribably potent Five Days Darkness, a creature formed from the shadows banished by the Unconquered Sun when it first rose upon Creation. One would think that many of these entities are not meant to be fought, but given the awesome power of the Celestial Exalted anything is possible. An expanded discussion of each of these creatures is also presented.
The other creatures are fairly mundane, from giant rats to predatory birds.
My Take
Scavenger Lands provides an excellent, in depth discussion of the region just East of the Realm. Many excellent plot hooks are presented, and any of the major cities discussed could be the location for an entire campaign worth of adventures. The use of the Mandate of Heaven rules is helpful for those that wish to conquer or compete with any of the major states of the Scavenger Lands, and the entries are small enough so as to not take up a great deal of space for those that don’t.For those that already have Scavenger Sons you’re probably wondering “do I need this?” It does flesh out the area more, especially places like Lookshy and Greyfalls. That there are stats for all the different soldier companies for Solars and others to fight them is helpful, and the expanded discussion of many areas may also be useful to a game focused on the Scavenger Lands. However, this most definitely is a setting book and no matter how you approach it there is repeated information present here. Nevertheless, this is an excellent product that provides more focused setting information while making use of the mass combat and Mandate rules.
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