Vampire and the World of Darkness

We acknowledge the debt of other websites likewise dedicated to Vampire and the World of Darkness. There are (at last count) over five hundred sites; this is a listing of our favorites.

White Wolf Publishing

The official White Wolf site. For a look at that list of 500+ go to "fan sites" and "Dark Spiral"

 

B.J. Zanzibar's World of Darkness

The largest pot-pourrie of bloodlines, new disciplines, rituals, etc.

 

Ex Libris Nocturnis

The premier World of Darkness e-zine, with reviews, articles and original fiction and art.

 

Vampire in the Dark Ages -- York 1304

An ongoing chronicle -- from the size of the character list, I'm guessing a LARP, but I'm not sure where it's played. Nice-looking, but still under construction.

 

World of Darkness Storyteller Resources

Contains some Dark Ages chronicle information for London 1203 -- sketchy, but still under construction.

 

Madrid by Cold Moonlight

A Dark Ages (and modern) chronicle set in Madrid

 

Simon de Montfort, Brujah antitribu

A very nice adaption of a historical figure as a Vampire in the World of Darkness

 

York by Night, 1197

I think this is another LARP.

 

The Tremere Virtual Chantry

A beautiful site in need of material; however, it does have the most complete listing of Rituals I've seen in one place -- it lists the canon sources for published ones, and the full text for original ones.

 

New York by Night

A modern-day chronicle site, but very well done.

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Historical Reference Sites

The Internet Medieval Sourcebook

A collection of original material, documents, excerpts, letters, etc., from the medieval and renaissance periods. Some in original languages, some in translation. Also contains guides to movies set in the period, and to early music.

 

ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies

Another online compilation of source documents and articles.

 

NetSERF: The Internet Connection for Medieval Sources

A very good reference site on a wide variety of medieval topics. Check out the Images.

 

The Medieval Names Archive

A collection of articles and name lists from period sources, from a wide variety of cultures. Very good reference site for naming Dark Ages characters.

 

Historic Cities

A collection of historic city maps and drawings of historic cities from a 16th century atlas, plus links to other similar map sites as well. Both low and high resolution, beautiful detail. While the maps themselves are a bit late for Dark Ages, you can often see where the medieval walls were, the major churches, squares, and gates, and take it from there.

 

Historical Ecclesiastical Calendar

Saint's days and medieval calendar dating (as seen in our fiction), plus a history of the Western Calendar. Nice little Java applet will identify any date for you back into the Dark Ages.

 

The Patrin Web Journal - Romani Culture and History

The best web resource for the Romani (aka gypsies).

 

The Romanian Travel Guide

Contains a section on Romanian history and a county-by-county map, as well as an overall map showing primary Romanian cities. Excellent resource for a Transylvanian chronicle.

 

Romanian Voice

A nice overview site on present-day Romania (Transylvania), with some lovely images, and links to other sites.

 

The Corvinus Library

The best site for Hungarian history and references we've found. (Note: you will find discrepencies in the history between this and the Romanian version of Transylvanian history. Consider it a lesson in comparative historical points of view.)

 

Culture and History of Venice

A timeline of Venice history, and some resources and modern era pictures.

 

Storia: Diaria de Pisa

A history of Pisa (in English).

 

Museo di Palazzo Davanzati - o della Casa Fiorentina Antica

Contains pictures of a restored medieval Florentine palazzo, complete with authentic furnishings and colorful frescoes, and floorplans. (In Italian - click on Collezione for the pictures and plans.)

 

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Mythology and Magic

 

Myths and Legends

A lovely source for mythology of world cultures in general and with several very nice links to sites on Slavic mythology and paganism in specific.

 

Slavic Paganism and Witchcraft

A Slavic pagan's homepage which includes a number of useful subpages on everything from Slavic deities to Slavic pagan symbolism to Slavic pagan practices--up to and including an actual Slavic pagan herbal. Contains some very nice commentary on the actual nature of Slavic paganism, culture, and Christian influences on the same. Incredible list of links to other sites relating to Slavic paganism; exhaustive bibliography ofwritten sources.

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Art and Graphic Sites

 

Moyra's Web Jewels

A virtual jewel mine of beautifully crafted web design sets; check it out.

 

The Icon Bazaar

The granddaddy of free-use graphics, with an extensive Links page for other sites. Good for backgrounds, buttons, bars, and other clip art.

 

Fontcraft's Scriptorium Fonts and Graphic Arts

A great source for historical and fantasy fonts (like some of the ones you see on this site), graphics, Victorian-era illustrations, and even custom design work. Some fonts can be downloaded, others come in sets on CD.

 

Elfwood

The biggest site for fantasy/science fiction art and fiction, and a lot of horror stuff as well. These are original art pieces, some very professional.

 

CGFA - A Virtual Art Museum

Art from all over the world, indexed by artist, nationality and time period - a great research site for art history, costume, etc.

 

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Storyteller Tips

BlackHatMatt.com

Helpful, practical advice from an experienced Storyteller (and White Wolf Developer), and no, he is not paying me to say that!

 

Articles by Sam Chupp

A few articles by one of the White Wolf writers.

 

The Evil Overlord List

Included here for the amusement value, as aren't Storytellers all Evil Overlords at heart? (or at least your characters are...)

 

Chronicles of the Forum

And now for something totally silly: Chronicle Horror Stories (as in, you thought your players were idiots?), "Guides" and other gems from the archives of the Vampire Forum, which just goes to show you what happens when the truly inspired meet the truly insane... or something like that. Purple shirt not included.

 

The Michelle Chronicles

Helpful, hysterical experiences of a real ST and his problem player — to remind you that maybe your players aren't really that bad after all.

 

Tales of Terror

Scenario ideas for Call of Cthulhu and other games. Great source of story fodder and inspiration here, check it out!

 

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Historical Non-Fiction

 

Daily Living in the Twelfth Century: based on the Observations of Alexander Neckam in London and Paris

-- Urban Tigner Holmes, Jr.
This book is based on the journal of a medieval clerk, and has a lot of good detailed info on housing, daily living, etc. in Paris and London.

 

Life in a Medieval City

-- Joseph and Frances Gies
ANYTHING the Gieses write is good, basic, solid stuff (they also have Life in a Medieval Castle and Life in a Medieval Village, among others). Inexpensive, still in print, and easy to read even for non-historians.

 

Life in Medieval Times

-- Marjorie Rowling
Also a good basic book, although the White Wolf background books (Liege, Lord and Lackey and Three Pillars) may do you just as well.

 

Power and Imagination: City States in Renaissance Italy

– Lauro Martines
Absolutely the BEST source for information on medieval and early Renaissance Italy I've found, readable, informative, and still in print. Particularly good for social history and political trends, and the development of city state government from the days of the early communes to the republics and signories of the 15th century.

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Historical Fiction

 

Warning: Never take your history from a historical novel you buy from the Romance section. Some are actually good, and some are really, really bad — if you don't know the difference, go elsewhere to do your research. And of course, if you don't like romance novels anyway, you haven't missed a thing.

 

The Walking Drum

by Louis L'Amour (yes, that Louis L'Amour). Apparently L'Amour always had a fascination with the medieval era and the merchant-adventurer, and given the detailed research he put into his American West sagas, I'd give him credit for reasonable accuracy here, too. It's set in 1179, and is particularly of note for the time spent in exotic locations such as Cordoba, Constantinople and Alamut (yes, that Alamut.). Overall, it's a rollicking good yarn, and great for a period feel.

 

Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett. The story centers around the building of a cathedral in 12th century England, covers three generations, and an old, almost forgotten mystery. Critically acclaimed and well worth reading.

 

Duchess of Milan

by Michael Ennis A novelized account of Beatrice d'Este (who married Lodovico Sforza) and her cousin Isabella d'Aragon (who married Gian Galeazzo Sforza, the young and ineffectual Duke of Milan). Accurate insofar as actual events during the 1490s, and gives a sense for the city and the time, as well as reasonable and very lively interpretations of the historical figures. (Amazon.com has this listed as currently out of print, but you might find it in the library or a used-book store, or it might get reprinted).

 

Falls the Shadow

by Sharon Kay Penman – a novelized biography of Simon de Montfort, set in 13th century England. Penman brings life to historical characters, and gives you a look at medieval warfare and politics. (Other titles include The Sunne in Splendor (Richard III) and Here be Dragons (Llewellyn Fawr), as well as a series of medieval mysteries.)

 

Dracula

by Bram Stoker — if you have never Read the Original, you should. Granted, it is a Victorian-era novel, not medieval, but still worth the read.

 

Brother Cadfael

by Ellis Peters — A series of murder mysteries set in 12th century Shropshire, with a monk as the detective. The plots tend to get repetitive over time, but the historical details of monastery life and the events of the time are very well researched. Or rent some of the video series, staring Derek Jacoby.

 

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Movies and Television

 

Another Warning: Don't take your history from the movies, either, unless it's a flat-out documentary on the BBC or History Channel. To improve the "story," scriptwriters and directors often take severe liberties with actual history when doing a major motion picture. That being said, movies and television versions are great sources for visual mood and imagery for your players, however, and give you a feel for costume, setting and so on, as long as you aren't trying for total authenticity.

 

Robin Hood

This BBC 1980s series was great, for a number of reasons, mostly for mood and characters, as well as a creative approach to blending the familiar old legends with new historical fantasy elements. It also has good representations of 'typical' villages, towns and castles of late 12th century England. Only a few episodes are available on VHS, I keep hoping for a DVD collection...

 

Brother Cadfael

A mini-series of murder mysteries, set in the 12th century Shropshire. Also BBC, and very nicely done. (The original novels by Ellis Peters aren't bad either).

 

Merlin and the Crystal Cave

Based on the Mary Stewart novels, a charming BBC adaption of a semi-historical Myrddin Emrys, in the 5th century England and Wales. Like most BBC productions, well worth it for setting and costume and mood, if you can find it. The books are worth reading too.

 

The Six Wives of Henry VIII,

Elizabeth R.

A pair of BBC mini-series for Masterpiece Theater, and very accurate for their history, costumes, and general setting, particularly for a very high-society English court. Frankly, the BBC takes great pains to do historical settings well, and doesn't go for the shortcuts American television and movie producers do. Even the first episodes of Black Adder are worth watching as much for the costumes and sets as for the jokes!

 

Columbus: Voyage of Discovery

Watch it for the ships, more than anything, although the period feel is nice. I make no judgements on the portrayal of Columbus. I have, however, been on the replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, (and a few other later period ships) and have a whole new appreciation for the men who sailed them.

 

Ladyhawke

Technically a fantasy film, but in a very nice historical setting – still good for mood and flavor. Oh, and the characters. The characters are just wonderful. Rogero told me to say that.

 

Knight's Tale

About as historical as the Renaissance Festival, but a hell of a lot of fun. A young man of peasant birth impersonates a knight and starts winning tournaments and the heart of a lady of high birth -- and draws the ire of the black-hearted (and black-armored) villainous Count d'Anjou. This is the Middle Ages meets 1970s rock and roll... but somehow it works.

 

Stealing Heaven

This hard-to-find movie deals with the story of Abelard and Heloise; whether it is an accurate portrayal of them is irrelevant (although it does have the main events right), but it's a great look at Paris in the earlier middle ages. It has an "R" rating for erotica.

 

The Advocate

A well-done courtroom drama / murder mystery set in 15th century France – in which a lawyer is called upon to defend a pig on the charge of murder. The fact that animals COULD be, and were, charged with crimes, tried in court and punished, is one of the oddities of the medieval legal system...

 

The Reckoning

Set in 14th century England, it follows a priest on the run who joins up with a band of traveling players. When their usual fare of morality plays grows stale, they decide to portray a true story instead – enacting the recent brutal murder of a local boy by a deaf-mute woman condemned to hang. Only the players don't have all the facts quite right... As the priest and players uncover the truth, they put all their lives in deadly peril, and yet in doing so, the priest may also find redemption for his own dark past. Excellent cast, very well done.

 

Timeline

A group of medieval archaeology students go back to 14th century France to rescue their professor, through the manipulation of a wormhole in time and space. The catch: the way back is tied to these little marker medallions they wear, which are only good for six hours. Second catch: The time and place is in the middle of a bloody siege of that castle, in the middle of the Hundred Years War. Based on a novel by Michael Crichton – the novel is far more detailed, but the movie is good action-suspense, and portrays the brutality of medieval warfare quite effectively. (My detailed review here)

 

Kingdom of Heaven

Set at the end of the long relatively peaceful period between the Second and Third Crusade, mostly in the Holy Land. With the exception of the character of Balian himself, the history is pretty close. Strong cast, visually powerful. Rumor hath it that the DVD will add another 40 minutes or so to the film, which is likely to change the angle of the story. If you ever wondered what Minas Tirith should have been doing against those siege towers, this is the movie to see.

 

King Arthur

One of the few interpretations that actually puts the setting at the end of the Roman rule of Britain (when what historical sources there are to verify the actual existence of Arthur actually place him), the film is a blending of historical speculation and grand epic adventure. The extended DVD puts in a few scenes that were deleted in the theatrical release (partly due to the studio's insistence on a PG-13 rating), and I think are an improvement to the original. Very good, international cast, and one of the most "epic" soundtracks of 2004.

 

Romeo and Juliet

(1968, Zeffirelli). Other than being my favorite adaption of the play, it's also great for costumes, furniture and mood for 15th century Renaissance Italy.

 

Dangerous Beauty (alternate title: The Honest Courtesan)

A semi-historical account of the life of Veronica Franco, a 16th century courtesan of Venice, who was known for her poetry, and put on trial for witchcraft. Beautifully done.

 

Nostradamos

You might find this one under Drama, or under Documentary (the logic behind Blockbuster's categories eludes me sometimes). Very nicely presented, and a good sense of time and place.

 

Shakespeare in Love

The street scenes in London are so well done you can almost smell them. A good period feel for early 1600s London. Wonderful setting, well-developed characters, don't trust it for biographical data on the Bard, however.

 

Elizabeth

Flagrant historical inaccuracies of Elizabeth's actual life aside, it's a good story, and Geoffrey Rush as Francis Walsingham is the epitome of the Elder behind the Throne. (If you want accurate, look for the BBC's Elizabeth R.)

 

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Vampire Films

note: I am skipping over the most recent crop of films like Dusk til Dawn, Vampire in Brooklyn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Blade – here are some older films worth looking for in your local video rental shop. If anyone knows of a vampire film that is actually set in the medieval or renaissance periods, let me know.

Nosferatu

The original silent black and white movie of 192– ... in its day this was a scary movie. Still worth watching after all these years.

 

Shadow of the Vampire

An extremely cool modern version of the "making of" the original Nosferatu -- where the directory hires a real vampire, called "Max Schreck" to play the part of the infamous Count Orlock...very nicely done.

 

Dracula

The original Bela Lugosi film is worth a look, so you know what a real Transylvanian accent is supposed to sound like. :-)

 

Dracula

All the old Christopher Lee films. The most useful thing about them is that if you're playing a 20th century character, these movies probably represent ALL he or she knew about vampires before the Embrace, and what most mortals assume is true.

 

The Lost Boys

Well-done effects, and a good story, and Kiefer Sutherland makes a great punk vampire...

 

Fright Night, Fright Night II

Traditional mysterious-neighbor-next-door vampire story, but Roddy McDowell as the host of the local horror movie show turned reluctant vampire hunter is worth the rental price, and the special effects aren't bad. (Sarah says the second movie is even better than the first).

 

After Dark

The epitome of a modern nomad Sabbat pack, a dark and scary story and some very nasty vamps.

 

The Addiction

A strange, black and white, artsy-noir little film that is worth a look

 

The Vampire Journals,
Subspecies, Subspecies II: Bloodstone

Not medieval, but a series of surprisingly well-done low-budget vampire films, filmed in Eastern Europe; one of the few vampire films that have vampires as protagonists (and adversaries). The major villain in Vampire Journals is a great Toreador, although his Sire Radu (who is the villain in the Subspecies series), is clearly a Tzimisce. Hard to find, but highly recommended for story and characters.

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