Libellus Sanguinis III: Wolves at the Door [Paperback]

Continuing WW's Libellus Sanguinus series, which details three Dark Ages vampire clans per book, this book details the three non-European clans in the Dark Ages setting. Essentially, each book is a mini-clanbook, covering the clan's history, outlooks, practices and disciplines during the Dark Ages. Considering that my favorite clans are covered in this book, I found it very exciting.
After an introduction saying what is in the book and why, we get to the first section, "Animals", which covers the feral and animalistic Gangrel barbarians. Probably the shortest book in this collection, it goes from the Gangrel's distant roots on the steppes of Central Asia to the Dark Ages, covering the Gangrel's outlook and practices like the revel and the survival test new embraces are subjected to. A brief section on views on other Clans and the wild places in Europe is followed by a section full of game mechanics, from wilderness oriented Merits and Flaws to new Protean and mixed discipline powers. It closes out with two new bloodlines (Greek Gangrel and the Mariners), brief mention on the "animal forms" that different Gangrel might assume and a few sample templates. There is also a "dark secret" concerning the Gangrel's connection to the Ravnos.
Following this is the chapter on the Assamites, which did quite a bit to clear up old stereotypes. After a really cool fiction piece, we get to learn about the Children of Haqim, from their homelands in Arabia, Persia and North Africa to distant Iberia, Byzantium and even into India, Asia and Africa. This is followed by some info on Alamut, Haqim's whereabouts and other clan specific info, as well as a nice section on the Clan's relatiosnhip to religions (and Viae). No longer is the Clan stereotypically associated with Islam, but now with many religions from Christianity and Judaism to distant Eastern religions to the ancient faiths of Greece and Persia. After getting Haqim's Laws (the Assamites code as it were) and views on other clans, it also goes into detail on the three Assamite castes: the Warriors (not just assassins, but also soldiers, judges, hunters and strategists), Sorcerers (specialists in Mid-Eastern magic) and Viziers (scholars, theologians, politicians and artists), as well as the clan's organization and secret societies.
Some really neat mechanics (like the Multicultural Merit, Quietus powers and some more info on Assamite blood magic) were included, as well as really original character templates, like th Sea Witch and the Reluctant Crusader. The Assamite's "dark secret" involves the Clan's connections, real and imagined, to the Hashashyinn and is a suprisingly clever twist.
The final chapter, "Serpents", focuses on the Followers of Set, and finally connects them to Egyptian magic and mythology. The Setites are presented as crusaders on a holy task, no longer mere tempters and corrupters. And they don't believe in Caine like other vampires, literally believing in Egyptian mythology and religion. The Setite backstory goes that they believe they are liberating man (and vampires) from the oppressive tyranny of Ma'at (law or balance). Info on the Setite's history, doings in Egypt and beyond, as well as the schism between the older Egyptian priesthood and the younger Decadents (primarily in Byzantium and Europe) were also really neat.
There were also plenty of mechanics for running Setites. Aside from the Merits and Flaws, there was also more information on Setite blood magics, including a new Path. There was also a new Via (Via Serpentis), designed off attaining the "original" or "natural" state of man, and it is presented as the ORIGINAL Setite Via. Pretty cool stuff. The character templates weren't bad but didn't particularly interest me. The dark secret for the Setites, involving a dark conspiracy concerning the Assamites, Setites and Baali, was pretty neat, but not really unexpected. Overall, this was an excellent book and a long needed overhaul for all three Clans really. Check it out, even if you don't use the Dark Ages setting.

Good source book for clans Gangrel, Assamites, and Followers of Set. Had new merits and flaws like nameless, pied piper, lokis gift. New higher level disciplines for protean, also has Assamite sorcery, and a new discipline for Setites calledimmanence of set...but its really setite sorcery.

I was nerviously awaiting this book. I had hoped byond hope that it would give a better representation of my favorite clan in the Dark Ages setting than the original Clanbook for the modern setting. Needless to say I purchased the book as soon as it was available, and I was taken away as I dove into the first section. I feel in love with Clan Gangrel all over again. The feel of the introductory tale gave both the feel I believe is Dark Ages and the smooth but violent purpose of nature's predators of the night. The rest of the book also holds the World of Darkness's history from some of the farthest points from the Dark Ages eurocentric world. Tales and truths decorate the Assimites' Islamic culture as well as the the Setites' Egyptian name-based society. The book was wonderous, but it was all icing on the cake for me after the woodland feel of the Gangrel world. Now all I have to wait for is the forth book in this series so I may know more about the feud between the Gangrel and Ravnos.