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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 793
EAN num: 9781588462633
ISBN number: 1588462633
Label: White Wolf Publishing
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: August 23, 2006
Publishing house: White Wolf Publishing
Sale Popularity Level: 376414
Studio: White Wolf Publishing
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
'We don't worship the same gods, you and I, but we're more alike than you think.
Together, we are keeping something alive - something that has lived for thousands of years despite the wavering faith of mortal men.
The old gods are not dead. They live within us.
We give them life, warm blood, and they keep us from death.
That's our covenant, our promise. Everything else is fashion.'
- Gwenyth the Grey, Acolyte Princess-in-Exile
This book includes:
* A look at the religion and culture of the Circle of the Crone - the vampire covenant made up of myriad pagan cults - and the Circle's worship of venerable creator goddesses
* Details about the nature of an Acolyte's Requiem, including guides to mythic roles, spirit contact and holy nights - useful whehter you play a member of the Circle or have dealings with priests of the covenant
* The secret powers of the pagan Damned, with new bloodlines and factions drawn from as far away as Ireland and Japan, new mystic Disciplines and more than 25 new blood sorcery rituals
Circle of the Crone is a supplement for Vampire: The Requiem. For use with the World of Darkness Rulebook.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
I have to admit, when I very first picked up the book I was full of anticipation. I hadn't really liked the Crones at first, because all I could get out of them was a neo-pagan femi-nazi kind of stereotype. I was hoping the book could expand upon, alter or outright kill those stereotypes and present the Acolytes as something more than what they appeared.
Boy was I right.
The book is excellent.
The introduction and intro fiction set the tone for what is to be an exploration of teh darker sides of Vampire. The 3 1/2 pages of introduction does wonders to establish a very different relationship with the Covenant that what lept at me from teh write-up in teh core book, while still being true to what must have been the original vision of the Covenant: Dark, inhuman and primal, yet also divine, pure and natural. There is something ancient to the Crones that none of the other Covenants can muster, something primeaval that hints at forbidden truths and forgotten lore.
The introductory piece of fiction is very dark and moody, and establishes the Acolytes as more than neo-hippies and feminists. Me like! biggrin.gif
Chapter one discusses the history of the Circle, or as much of it as can be told. Because the Circle is made up of individual cults with differing belief structures and myths, mapping out the history of the Covenant is difficult at best. Instead, the chapter focuses on how teh individual cults rise to power, and eventually fall from grace, only to rise once more. The focus on this aspect of the Circle was very refreshing, and helps establish the Circle as something organic and unique that teh Storyteller can play with and mold as he desires.
Chapter two discusses life (or unlife) in the Circle. The various cults views on Amaranth, Golcond, Torpor and teh Embrace, as well as other subjects, are discussed, and the chapter provides examples of the various rituals, practices and beliefs that cults can hold. Teh adition of example cult rituals and traditions is very satisfying, as St's can copy-paste them wholesale into theri chronicles, or simply take them as inspirations for his own creations. There is also a part of the chapter dedicated totitles and roles more or less common throughout the Covenant. I especially found the archetypal roles of Maiden, Fool, Scarlet Woman, Hero, Mother, Father, Crone and Hermit intriguing and exciting. I lik ethe way they can be twisted to fit nearly any belief structure, as well as the political avenues it opens within teh Circle while still staying true to teh Covenants religious bent.
However, chapter three is where teh book comes into it's own right. It debates Acolytes' role in the politics of the Kindred, and masterfully so. The views and beliefs of the Acolytes colour their approach to the Danse Macabre in vary sepcial ways, and it was a joy to realise just how different and alien their mindset is to other, more politically minded Kindred. The way they place their religion above political gain is very unique among Vampires, and it is still made plausible within the world of Requiem.
The themes of Tribulation and Creation are everywhere in the book, and after a while they become a very natural part of the way I think about Acolytes.
I found that I especially enjoyed the concept of teh Crucible. Basically, the Acolytes put mortals through extreme tribulation, often in the form of staging extreme tragedy in their lives, and endeavor to push them towards enlightenment. This is an act of Creation unliek any other, as it creates true enlightenment. Very cool, very inhuman. Very fitting. biggrin.gif
The Factions and Bloodlines chapter was cool, but not what I bought teh book for. I'm not a huge fan of Bloodlines.
Still, I found myself inspired by tehfactions and Bloodlines both, and before long I had incorporated atleast one of teh Bloodlines into my ongoing chronicle.
OF the Bloodlines, I especially liked the Gorgons (though I had to think hard to realise I liked them) and the Carnon.
The factions were very cool. Basically, they are cults like the ones discussed in chapters one and two. They have their own (often very unique) views on their Covenant and their Requiems, and many of them are masterfully written and fit into practically any chronicle. I particularly liked the Second Descent and the Semioticians. I HATE the Daughters of the Godess, but that has more to do with personal opinions than the quality of the faction.
The rest of the book is basically just Disciplines and Cruac rituals and Devotions, as well as some quick-NPC's/character concepts.
All in all, a superb book that redefines the Circle for those who never got them, and provides some solid material to work with for those who did!
I give it eight thumbs up!
Rated by buyers -
I have been playing White-Wolf's "World of Darkness" games for years, even before the new "World of Darkness" came out. I remember when I very first saw the previews for the new "Vampire: the Requiem" and was fascinated by the Circle of the Crone, a faction of pagan vampires focused on tribulation and creation. I've awaited the release of this, the last of the Covenant, books for quite some time, and now that its finally out I can say I am not disappointed. This book lays out the background, beliefs and practices of the Acolytes, and finally fleshes out WHY they do what they do. A much needed book.
It opens up with a piece of fiction focusing on Trey "Loki" Fischer, a signature character from the Chicago setting. I would have preferred to have the "Litanies of the Crone", or some other IC mythology, but the fiction is interesting and does a good job of introducing the Acolytes. We then go on to the introduction, which tries to give an overview of the Acolytes and their beliefs, explaining what they are (and what they aren't). Essentially, they are a network of cults sharing some common beliefs, but with many regional differences. We also get some info on Cruac, and the Circle's relation with spirits. Theres also an interesting bibliography of books on Paganism that can be used as inspiration, though imho it leaves out some key titles (like say, "The Golden Bough", with all the accompanying myths of sacrifice and rebirth). But then, thats just my opinion. On to the real juicy stuff.
The very first chapter gives details on the history of the Circle of the Crone, mostly as a network of pagan cults organized by a shadowy figure called the Blind Queen, and forced together by persecution from the Lancea Sanctum. From there, we go on to a chapter of the Circle's beliefs, practices and organization. The roles of the Heirophant and Chorus are explained and expanded upon, alongside less common positions like the Skald (a bard or tale-teller), Valkyrja (warriors), Haruspex (diviners), and so forth. More interesting, there are also mythic roles like the Maiden, the Fool, the Hero, and the Crone. These are more spiritual roles, and each is given examples from various pagan myths the world over. Beyond that, we also get a look at Cruac, the Acolytes' relations with the spirit world, views on tribulation and creation, holy nights, worship and other topics. A new background, Temple, is given, along with a connected Cruac ritual. Essentially, it's a place of worship that functions much as a Haven. This chapter alone should be essential reading for any chronicle involving the Acolytes. However, it also requires alot of work for the ST, since the Circle of the Crone can vary so much from location to location.
Chapter three focuses on politics of the Acolytes, how they find converts, how they seek out tribulation (often through conflict with other Covenants) and how they fit into a given domain. Theres some interesting ideas in here, including the idea of Acolytes creating underground communities. The subsequent chapter focuses on the factions and bloodlines, often a big draw for players. Numerous examples of factions are given, including the People of the Land (small rural covens), the Second Descent (devotees of chthonic gods of darkness), the Hag (vampires who are haunted by nightmares of a Crone like figure), Disciples of the Silence (nihilist worshippers of nothingness), Siapn (violently anti-Christian cultists from South America), Amanotsukai (who follow a corrupted form of Japanese Shinto), Daughters of the Goddess (fanatical feminist Goddess worshippers), and the Semioticians (scholars who study Cruac and other forms of blood magic). Examples of the variations on Cruac practiced by the different factions are given, mostly for flavor. Theres also an Acolyte ghoul family, the Bellsmeade, hidden in there. They are a small, inbred cult of mortals in an isolated hotel, who are taught to worship their creator as a god. Fun stuff!
The bloodlines are really exciting. A bit slanted, but still exciting. Of the five bloodlines, three are Gangrel (my favorite Clan ironically), and three are heavily female focused. The Asnam are a Daeva lineage that consider themselves gods, and have a Discipline that lets them connect with their worshippers (the final level actually allows them to reincarnate!). The Carnon are a lineage of Gangrel who live like pagan rock stars, and usually burn out fairly quickly. They embody the Horned God, and learn Nightmare in-Clan. The Childer of the Morrigan are mostly female warriors, and are a Gangrel lineage with Potence in-Clan and the ability to learn the Touch of the Morrigan ritual without knowing Cruac. The Gorgons are a serpent-themed bloodline of Ventrue claiming descent from Medua, and have a snake-like Discipline called Amphivena. The Mara, or Lampreys, are a lineage of aquatic Gangrel who learn Obfuscate as a Clan Discipline. Once again, variations on Cruac are ... Read More
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