Mokole (Werewolf: The Apocalypse) [ペーパーバック]

The next chapter covers the four Streams (tribes) of the Mokole: the Gumagan of Australia who share ties to the Dreamtime, the Makara priest-kings of India and neighboring lands, the primordial Mokole-Mbembe of Africa, the American Southeast and the Amazon and the scholarly Zhong Lung of East Asia's Hengeyokai. Specifics are given for each (like how the Gumagan have strong ties to the Umbra, differences in Mnesis and how the Zhong Long and Makara follow different auspices). Views on other Fera, vampires and even stranger factions (like mummies, voodooists, tribal shaman and Egyptian magi) are given, along with details on names and Duties (the Mokole Litany). The next chapter gives the crunchy bits, covering the Mokole solar auspices, new Traits, forms (not all are crocodiles or alligators; gila monsters, Komodo dragons and gharials are also represented) and Crinos traits (their Crinos form consists of various traits borrowed from other reptiles, like horns, armor, wings, frills, venom and so forth). Details on Totems are also given, along with new Totems, Fetishes and Merits/Flaws. All of these fit right in, from the reptile Totems to Fetishes drawn from Aboriginal culture.

The next chapter covers Gifts for the Mokole, including general Gifts, solar/seasonal auspice Gifts and Stream Gifts, many of which are quite interesting. A number of useful (and uniquely Mokole) Rites are also presented. In the following chapter, we are given a look at useful information on Mokole breeding, Mnesis (their racial memory), the "Innocents" (ghosts of dead metis), camps and relationships with the Nagah (were-snakes). We also get the standard templates, like the Native Rights guerilla and the rainforest ethnobotanist, and NPCs, including Uncle Monday (a centuries old Florida Conjure Doctor), Sister Rae (who has True Faith in the sun), Morwangu (who was involved in the story in the book) and Braney (a Wyrm corrupted children's show host). The book closes out nicely with details on RL crocodilians, monitors and gila monsters, the hatred for vampires (particularly Setites), Mnesis spirits, the Dragon Kings, prehistoric birds and marsupials that once served as Mokole kin, and stories set in the final days or the War of Rage.

The end also includes the typical template for creating and running Mokole characters. This can be used just as easily for western Mokole as it can for the eastern Makara/Zhong Lung (who follow slightly different creation rules). Needless to say, this book blew me away. The Mokole are probably my favorite Fera, and this book is invaluable for playing them. I also appreciated the strong focus on Australian Aboriginal culture which permeates much of this book. All in all, I think this book is quite useful for any Mokole Chronicles (and quite a head ache for those who want to try and figure out the World of Darkness's "cosmology").