VtM - WhiteWolf: Genealogy

VtM - Review: Wolves of the Sea
WW 2820 $14.95
Written by Geoffrey C. Grabowski, Jason
Langlois, and Roman A. Ranieri
● Review by Derek Guder (3 May 1999)
Wolves of the Sea
Review by Derek Guder (3 May 1999)
Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
Vampire: the Dark Ages is a product line that White Wolf has handled remarkably well. Nearly all the
supplements are superbly done. The Libellus Sanguinus series of books are the Clanbooks done right.
The Dark Ages Companion and Three Pillars were both wonderful books packed with great information.
Wolves of the Sea only continues this tradition. White Wolf has added another great book to a superb
product line.
Wolves of the Sea details the culture and lands of the Vikings during the Dark Ages' period. It gives
equal weight to both sides of the Embrace throughout the book, and the reader comes away with a greater
understanding of Norse traditions as well as those of the vampires that prey upon them.
The opening fiction is good, although not a masterwork. The obligatory Introduction chapter, unlike in
most books, was actually useful, providing more than just a glossary and a few cursory words about this
being a fantasy game. Several internet resources are included, and they are quite useful and professional
sites, a very good resource for those storytellers concerned with historical accuracy. A rather
comprehensive Viking timeline (from 793 to 1018) is also included and is quite useful.
The first chapter details Viking culture and history. The authors treat us to a remarkably informative
examination of Viking lifestyles and manners. Like the Three Pillars, this chapter is very educational, on
a simply historical level. Many of the common myths and misconceptions of Vikings are dispelled and
revealed. Social structure, economics, home life, religion, warfare, tale-craft, superstitions; all are
mentioned and explored in the first chapter. While most of this section focuses on mortals, there is an
interesting section on vampiric legendry, explaining how the einherjar (what the northern vampires call
themselves) of the North trace their lineage to Odin, not to some kin-slaying farmer.
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