VtM - WhiteWolf: Genealogy

VtM - Review: The Ashen Thief
are overall good; the information contained within the pages is presented in a logical and orderly way.
The only real detractors are the artwork, which varies widely in quality but is often rather laughable
(though the full-page pictures at the beginnings of the chapters were good), and the occasional feeling
that the numerous informative sidebars are crowding out the main text.
After reading a wonderful piece of opening fiction, I couldn't help but check who the authors of the book
were. Geoffrey C. Grabowski and Sarah Roark provide a wealth of useful information in the 96 pages
this book has to offer. The Introduction is the usual, describing the layout and purpose of the book.
Chapter One: In Darkened Streets gives the reader a general overview on the wide variety of criminal
activity that takes place in the Dark Medieval world. Overall, it seems to be very well researched, and
includes a lot of information on topics ranging from the law of the land and of the Church to the sorts of
crimes committed by each of the three pillars to the Cainite group known as the Prometheans. The
sections on law and crime seem well researched and are quite informative, and useful sidebars are packed
into the chapter examining the topics again from a vampiric perspective. The section on the Prometheans
is also quite good, being written "in character" by members of a particular cell of the group. Once more
sidebars expand on the information herein, though in this case often in an "out of character" and more
direct mode. We get a look at the composition of the Prometheans, their goals and their methods.
Overall, the entire chapter was quite good, but even though I'm normally fond of opening fiction, having
another at the start of this chapter seemed a touch superfluous. However, it could be said in the defense
of this fiction that it did serve to illustrate the many kinds of crime and underworld dealings that can go
on in the Dark Medieval world.
Chapter Two: Wearing the Wolf's Head details the brigands and highwaymen of the era and their
Cainite counterparts. The first part of this chapter is written, much as most of the Promethean section in
chapter one, "in character" by an undead bandit leader bringing in some new blood. In the course of his
discussions he covers topics ranging from what targets to take, to how to keep up ones band of brigands
to where an undead highwayman might lair. Much as in chapter one, sidebars are scattered throughout
the text, providing further information on topics of interest to a storyteller or player, including explaining
differing terminology, the precise nature of a medieval outlaw, and other concerns. A brief but wellthought
section follows with advice for storytelling chronicles featuring outlaws prominently. After this,
the end of the chapter is devoted to looks at two different kinds of brigandry and thievery-the rising trend
of piracy and the Middle Eastern rogues’ brotherhood known as the Banu Sasan. Sadly, and perhaps as a
result of the fact that piracy will not reach its heyday for some centuries, the section on piracy seems
rather dry, brief, and none too inspiring. The brief mention of the Banu Sasan, on the other hand, is one
of the sections that made me wish there were more space in this book. We are presented with a brief
glimpse of a large informal brotherhood of thieves originating in the Arabian peninsula and the Middle
East, one which includes enough interesting details that it makes one think some research for a trip to
Arabia in-game might be in order. Overall, this chapter was excellent, a good blend of information and
presentation.
Chapter Three: Flames of the Furores describes the group (and that term is best applied loosely) of
Cainites who will someday become the rising tide of the Anarch Revolt-the Dark Medieval Furores.
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