Product Blurb
The Curse of the Ages
The sands of years, the Silent Striders have been
forced to wander far from their homeland. Exiled by
the curse of an ancient vampire, they have been unable
to return to their territory of Egypt, instead roaming
the roads and byways of the rest of the world. Now
as the world turns toward Apocalypse, things may be
poised to change. The Silent Striders just might be
coming home.
Blood on the Sands
For four thousand years, vampires
and werewolves have been at odds in Egypt. In this,
the Year of the Scarab supplement for Werewolf: The
Apocalypse, it's the werewolves' turn to pursue the
mysteries of the Nile Valley. Rage Across Egypt reveals
the Garou's shadow war against the vampires of Egypt,
the horrors of Jackal Fever, the schemes of the Fera,
the mystical Twelve Houses of the Underworld, and
much more. Come and see what lies beneath the sands...
From the White Wolf website which
can be found at www.white-wolf.com |
Product Review
Egypt, land of sand. Land of the
eternal and cyclic Nile. Land of civilization and
misery. Land of the time-defying pyramids and the
sphinx, and of war and bloodshed. Egypt can be both
thought of as the enigmatic country of the Pharaohs
and one of terrible social struggle, Jihad, and terrorism.
To be so blunt about a country is not only disrespectful,
but also ignorant. Egypt is, like all countries are,
a matter of deeper studies. Yet, the unenlightened,
like me, ignore the secrets hidden below Egyptian
sands. There’s one Werewolf: the Apocalypse
sourcebook that analyses this beautiful and mysterious
land, albeit through the dark shades of the World
of Darkness. This is it.
Rage across Egypt deals with how
this land is perceived through the eyes of the Garou,
the mighty and heroic werewolves. It explains what
horrible creatures stalk the World of Darkness version
of this country, and why the Silent Striders find
it hard to return to their ancestral homeland.
Without
further ado, here’s my word on the book:
Let’s take it into our hands.
The cover art is magnificent. It is, in my opinion,
the best cover art in any Werewolf book since “Werewolf:
the Dark Ages.” We see the signature character
Mephi “Faster-than-death” and a friend
taking it out on the despicable Setite vampires. To
follow the visual aspect, inside the book we find
a nice map of Egypt, containing all the important
data for Werewolf fans, such as Caern locations. In
general, the drawings are mostly OK, with some really
beautiful ones among them.
Now,
the important thing: What do we learn from the book?
First and foremost, the typical
“Legend of the Garou” at the beginning,
plus some other references in the book detail the
curse on the Werewolves. What is the curse, exactly?
Why did it successfully drive the Silent Striders
out? Does it affect other Werewolves? All of those
questions find their answers in this book. We also
learn that there are, in fact, some Garou still living
on Egyptian land, most notably the ubiquitous Bone
Gnawers. There’s also a mention on the Fera
(other shapechangers) and the Ahadi, a non-aggression
pact all of them share with the Garou on Egypt.
So,
what’s Egypt to the Werewolves?
Egypt used to be the Silent Striders’
homeland, and Garou are very proud creatures. They
want it back, and they want it now. There’s
also a lot of Wyrm influence in the country. The ruling
Followers of Set (insidious vampire bastards, each
and everyone of them) share their corruption gladly.
The Apophis Pipeline, aptly named by Pentex personnel,
threatens to poison the land with its own oil. All
kinds of Banes infest the strange Egyptian Umbrascape.
All this evil must be stopped with fang and claw.
By Striders or anyone else willing to help..
So,
why is it that the local Garou don’t fix the
damn problem?
Not only is this a matter of the
Curse lain by the Setite vampires, but one of internal
struggle and bizarre disease. Something has risen
from below the streets of Cairo and has infested the
hearts and minds of some of the local Werewolves.
Not only must they deal with the all-encompassing
corruption without, but they must fight the corruption
within. The vampires, Banes, Pentex employees and
fomori could suffice to bring the Garou a task too
great to fulfil, but there’s an extra Rage within
the hearts of the local Ratkin population, not to
say the aforementioned Garou. Their loose alliance
with the Bastet and Mokolé can never be as
strong as the far too powerful enemy. But that’s
how the life of the Werewolf has always been. That’s
what’s so interesting about these doomed heroes:
they fight a losing war with courage, no matter the
odds. And yet, they might win. Any newcomer Garou
will add to their side of the equation.
Do
I get to kill Setites?
Yes, Irishman, you get to kill Setites.
There’s a lot of room for adventure and discovery,
plus massive Blood-spilling on these hot lands. There’s
also place for your Shadow Lord’s politicking,
of course. Powerful Caerns are yet to be discovered…
or founded? Ancient secrets, which have been hidden
for 20 centuries look back at your character. In short…
there’s a lot to do in this fascinating realm.
I read somewhere that even the exploration of Egypt’s
bizarre Umbra can lead to lengthy but exciting chronicles.
There’s also the chance of introducing those
nice mummies and other “Year of the Scarab”
critters. All in all there is more than enough new
things to amaze players and storytellers alike.
If you like Egypt and/or the Striders
(I’m a huge fan), this is the book for you.
If not, this might be a great way to liven up your
typical Werewolf gaming group, taking the players
into a new (ancient?) territory.
This is my time to depart. This
ancient tale of sorrow must be told elsewhere. You
have been a kind audience, but I need to run quietly
and reveal this secrets to the next Caern. Remember
the story, it will change your heart. Farewell, my
fellow Garou.
—Akhen Sits-to-tell, Homid
Silent Strider Galliard Fostern
Reviewed by Matías Timm |