Books/BloodAndSalt

Blood and Salt

$19.99. Published on March 1, 2004; 128 pages. Softcover.

Writers: Geoff Grabowski, Genevieve Cogman, Ian Eller, Michael Kessler

Review total: 1

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Review by BaronSamedi

Cross-posted from the White Wolf Exalted Forums, 03/03/2004 20:52:30, by Baron Samedi, baronsamedi@clownsquad.net

OK, I have my hands on "Blood and Salt". It is kinda a niche book, covering a geographical area kinda like "Kingdom of Halta" and "Ruins of Rathess". The difference in approach here is that it covers two major locations and groups - the people of An-Teng and the Lintha and Bluehaven, instead of covering everything in a sweep like Halta or having an environs and then onto the city like Rathess. This approach worked as well as any other, managing to have a good look at the Southwest without making a sweeping generalization of a huge area like Halta.

The Introduction is simply an introduction to both the Lintha and to An-Teng. It discusses each, starting from a perspective of people on the Blessed Isle, then going into detail. The book then goes into a chapter breakdown. Overall, 4 pages, counting full page illustration; works as well as any other Intro.

Chapter One is “An-Teng”. It gives us the history, geography, and culture of An-Teng in thirty pages. In a nutshell, An-Teng is a country similar to parts of southeast and central Asia in climate. It is on the mainland North of the Silent Crescent and Fong of Morning, and West of Ten Stripes Territory. The nation is divided into three sections; each ruled by a Prince…the shore lands, the middle lands, and the high lands, as you go from shore to mountain on the map. The names and attitudes reminded me somewhat of a smattering of Chinese, Laotian, and Vietnamese. An-Teng is beautiful and ancient. It was a kingdom loved by the Solars and Lunars of the First Age, who spent much time there. The queen, who ruled over the three Princes, was well treated and the people’s lives were never too difficult. Then, in the Usurpation, terrible battles were fought, the capital was destroyed, and many Solars made their last stand. The people remember this. Since then, they have become terribly submissive, having their own culture but refusing to fight. They have offered no one armies, and present no resistance to the Dragon-Blooded. The Realm, for their part, enjoy the submissive nature of the people of An-Teng and the beauty of the land, spend a fair amount of time here, and the Realm still holds it. But the kingdom has existed continually, and people remember the first age, and the Solars. Indeed, they worship two major gods, a God of Justice and the Sun (a lieutenant of the Unconquered Sun) and a Goddess of chaos, death and disease, who they observe but do not really worship. The Immaculates don’t like this but can only do so much. This makes An-Teng an excellent staging ground for Solars, but one with their own issues built in. After the Introduction to the chapter, we get two pages of history, and two pages of geography overview. A Map similar to the one from Halta is here. We get about five pages on An-Teng culture, and a page and a half on spirituality. Then we go into the areas hardcore. First, the Shorelands, which gets a little over six pages, is revealed to us. There are Three boxed sections with adventure ideas for everyone from Solars to heroic dead in this section alone. Also, a boxed off manse description. At the end, we get a character idea breakdown, similar to Scavenger Sons, but instead of by Caste, it is Warrior, Holy Man, Savant, Criminal, and Entertainer. Next is The Middle Lands, with five and a half pages and two boxes with adventure ideas, two manse descriptions, a shadowland description, and discussion in the text of everything to pleasure cites to college towns to elephant warriors to snakes that walk like men. The end has the same breakdown as the Shore Lands. Next, the High Lands get their due, with almost four pages, three adventure seeds, a local, and the usual end breakdown. Next, about a half a page discussion of the return of the Celestial Exalted and discussion what that can mean to An-Teng, and about a half a page discussion on what happens if the Locust Crusade of the Alchemical goes north.

This section, frankly, kicks ass. It has everything you need to run a story in An-Teng, and after reading it, you will want to. I did not nearly touch on everything in this amazing locale. This section gets a major thumbs up from me.

Chapter Two is “The Lintha Family”. It would seem that the Lintha are longtime and long suffering people in observance of Kimberry, the Sea that Marched Against the Flame. Before the Usurpation, they ruled much of the West, and they wish to again. They are cannibals, castrati, and all around scary people and like the humble people of An-Teng, they remember the First Age well. Their chapter is Thirty-Four pages.

First, we get seven pages of Lintha History, from before the First Age to now. Next, we get sixteen and a half pages of their history, character, religion, habits, septs, organization, how to join, how people have tried to leave, and generally everything you even wanted to know about being a Lintha but was too busy eating your sister to ask. This section has six adventure seeds and even discussions of how Allies, backing, and Contacts work with Lintha. What it does NOT have is any sort of character creation or stat minimums (a la Halta or Outcaste) for anything. It seems like they wanted you to know all about them, but not be one, or at least, not be a full or half-blood, but it is hard to say…they did character breakdown after all. If you wanted to play a Primordial-Blooded Lintha, your out of luck for systems. Next, Bluehaven, with eight and a half pages of description of the floating islands and territories, as well as wildlife and the puzzle of ships. Only one adventure seed here.

This section comes off as a little weak. Lintha with the Blood of Kimberry, The Sea that Marched Against the Flame are discussed, but nothing on playing them is given, and frankly, they are the true rulers of the Lintha family. Outside that, the section was not bad, but there was a huge “But what can they do?” factor. I was impressed by how cool and innovative the writing was, again, and the Lintha have a very cool and complex society. They are more then Infernalists, more then Pirates, they are a people.

Chapter Three is “Gods and Monsters”, the STUFF chapter. It runs fifty-four pages. First, we get Three Major Gods of An-Teng, the Golden Lore, The Pale Mistress (complete with twisted minions) and Fao Baaw, God of Broken Water. The latter is a God of poisoned wells, who warns people away with haunting flute music. If you try to re-poison the well, he will either lure you to your doom or beat the holy living fuck out of you with his flute. He officially rocks. Next, Creatures and Spirits of the High lands, with a couple nasty bugs, a Greater Earth dragon trapped in his manse (one of the aforementioned adventure seeds) and a sort of Claw Strider like critter. Next, we get a similar treatment for Middle Lands, with weird spirits made from miscarried children that protect their mothers (sometimes too much). Next, the Shore lands, with a disturbing ghost flower (watch out Abyssals!) and a sort of summoned assassin spirit. Finally, we get two major Dragon-Blooded nobles of An-Teng (with stats).

Next is Lintha critters. First, our first stated Infernal Exalt, an Infernal Dragon-Blooded serving Kimberry, The Sea that Marched Against the Flame, and his ship, a second circle demon with over a hundred blood apes. Nice work. Then, Lintha family members. Remember how I told you had no creation stats for these? Guess what…they use Solar Charms. No explanation is given in book. These charms represent their powers as decedents of Kimberry, The Sea that Marched Against the Flame, and their Infernal powers. I was not at all impressed by this, and for me was, along with the lack of stats for playing a Lintha, the biggest letdown of the book. We get five major NPCs, a God-Blooded Template, a Priest template, and an Outcaste Priest Template. We get stats for the family signature weapon, Lintha ships (using savage seas rules) and a ship with a monster on the bottom (wheee!) . Next, Allies of the Lintha, with two pages on a kickass Full Moon Lunar (with stats) and Sailcutter Chakrums. Some beastmen warrior templates for servants of said Lunar, a non-Blooded Lintha, the King of the Vodonik, and generic stats for Vodonik, Brine Cur, Eristrufa, Tomesscu, from Games of Divinity and Savage Seas. Finally, we get a list of “natural” critters with a big black stat box for the Southwest, then a weird type of gentle Fair Folk giant.

Next, treasure. We get a lot reprinted from Savage Seas and a few things from the Book of Three Circles, including the cord of winds, automaton assassins, light implosion bow, storm sapphires, and steelsilk sails. Now, on with the new…We get the Ancestor Sash (designed for humans, used by An-Teng elephant generals) The Seven Lotus Crown (an artifact for the rightful queen of An-Teng hidden away in the shadowland that was the capital city) and The Masks that Command The Animals, which does what it sounds like. Then, the Vodonik Kings crown and talismans allowing Lintha Priests to use Infernal Sorcery. Finally, we get spells. Four Terrestrial Spells, of which three are from Savage Seas and one is unique to this book (and probably the Lintha), as well as two hearthstones, one from Three Circles one from Dawn. At the bottom, rules for flaming arrows lifted from Savage Seas.

Overall, this was a good book. The An-Teng stuff was top notch and made me want to use it. The Lintha would have been except the lack of PC rules and jarring use of Solar Charms. I enjoyed this book more then Halta or Rathess, and I would recommend this book for those who wish to use canon locations in their game. It rocks.

Comments on BaronSamedi's Review

I actually liked the use of modified Solar charms for the God-Blooded. It serves as a reminder that the list of Spirit Charms isn't supposed to be exhaustive, and that GMs are encouraged to mix and match existing Charms rather than feeling compelled to go out and Buy More Stuff to get The Complete List Of Approved Charms. - Quendalon

Is the Infernal Sorcery worth getting excited about, or is it a letdown? - GoldenH

It doesn't actually go in to any detail on Infernal Sorcery. It's more just letting you know it's out there. - NightRain

Quen, God-Bloods get their Charms of their parents. So sayeth the Player's Guide. As far as the Lintha family goes, I'm pretty sure none of my players are willing to give up their cojones for them. The Lintha family are strictly going to be antagonists and spoilers. That being said, I'm quite impressed. I'm now pretty keen on setting my campaign in the West. -- Ascendance

I think Quendalon's point was that spirits themselves are supposed to not just be getting Charms from the approved list of spirit Charms, which has been confirmed multiple times by authors (and thank god, because those spirit Charms are sickeningly flavourless). I believe even GCG has said things like "I would have no problem with giving Ahlat a Fivefold Bulwark Stance equivalent". Therefore, the God-Blooded listed in "Blood and Salt" are perfectly canonical as far as Charms go, because you're supposed to be able to give spirits other kinds of Charms if you feel it fits their purview -- and as the authors have, again, stated, those Charms that the Lintha family have aren't Solar Charms, they're equivalent to Solar Charms.
~ Shataina