Vampire

The Dark Ages

© 1996 and Published by:
White Wolf Game Studio


MOVIES AND TELEVISION

  • The Name of the Rose is perhaps the best Dark Medieval movie-and the book is even better, if you can wade through the depth and detail.
  • Robin and Marian (starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn) is a good, earthy story with a suitably dismal ending.
  • Jabberwocky may be comedy, but the foul city streets and brutal fight scenes are very much in keeping with the Dark Medieval world.
  • The "Brother Cadfael" episodes of PBS' Mystery!, starring Sir Derek Jacobi, have a suitable feel and good visual reference. If they aren't available, look for the original novels by Ellis Peters. These books are rich with vivid characters and historical detail. Many of the episodes are also available in video stores.
  • Robin of Sherwood (made in the '80s, first staring Michael Praed and then Jason Connery). The Robin of Sherwood episodes have plenty of good ideas on incorporating supernatural elements into medieval stories. Some nonfiction books may also provide you with inspiration.
  • The Pit and the Pendulum, a 1991 Corman film giving a particularly nasty view of the Inquisition.
  • Ladyhawke, a tale of lovers cursed by a wicked bishop to live as shapeshifters, has a more high fantasy feel, but is still good material for flavor or background.
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola may be a less-than-sparkling adaptation of the novel, but it's a fantastic source for mood and visual images. Especially note the medieval flashback scenes.

BOOKS

The Medieval Reader, Norman F. Cantor

The Art of Courtly Love, Andreas Cappelanus

Dictionary of Witchcraft and Demonology, R. H. Robbins

Magic in the Middle Ages, Richard Kieckhefer

Standards of Living in the Later Middle Ages, Christopher Dyer

England in the Thirteenth Century, Alan Harding

Life in a Medieval City, Joseph and Frances Gies

The "Brother Cadfael" Mysteries, Ellis Peters

Most recent medieval history textbooks are good references for basic facts, and they're often available secondhand for a discount at college and university bookstores at the end of a term. While older books will give you most of the same information, many of the more recent books are more readable, and may provide a different perspective on the period than older references, particularly with regard to the role of women, minorities and other disenfranchised groups during this period.

GAMES

Countless other roleplaying games have covered fantasy worlds, and sourcebooks for these games can provide new ideas to bring into your Dark Ages chronicle.

Pendragon ™, Chaosium
Dungeons and Dragons ™ (especially the Ravenloft ™ setting), TSR
Ars Magica ™, White Wolf/Wizards of the Coast
GURPS Medieval, GURPS Fantasy ™, Steve Jackson Games
Warhammer ™, Games Workshop
MERP (Middle Earth Roleplaying) ™, Iron Crown Enterprises.

OTHER SOURCES

Bear in mind that historical sources are not the only sources of inspiration for a Dark Medieval chronicle; most games will include elements of both history and fantasy, which is part of the appeal of this setting. Feel free to draw on novels, movies and music that represent your own view of the Dark Medieval period, as well as the more historical sources. By combining all these things with a healthy dose of imagination, you will be able to create a world that is entirely your own.

Back to Vampire Introduction.

To Vampire Lexicon
The terms, common and "old form" that define the "lives" of vampires.

Back to Vampire: The Dark Ages Opener.

© Copyright 1996 by White Wolf

White Wolf, Vampire the Masquerade and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. All rights reserved. Vampire the Dark Ages, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Werewolf the Wild West, Wraith the Oblivion, The Risen, and Changeling The Dreaming are trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf, Inc. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. Because of the mature themes involved, reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf on the World Wide Web at http://www.white-wolf.com

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