Rites of the Dragon is written as Dracula's own journals, written over several centuries. They tell of his death as a human, his "rebirth" as a vampire by the hand of God, and his ongoing attempts at self-improvement which became the Coils of the Dragon. It ends with a charter for the Ordo Dracul, defining the roles and rules of the organization.
After reading The Testament of Longinus, I found this book a little disappointing. Unlike that book, this one is written as a straightforward first person narrative, albeit reflecting Dracula's shifting priorities and philosophies. The way the three "brides" of Dracula parallel the original three coils is a little too pat.
Each page contains no more than a few paragraphs, dominated by artwork of varying quality. I don't get the sense of a document new members of Order Dracul might receive. The spartan style of The Testament of Longinus, or a reproduction of a hand-written manuscript with varying styles, might have helped.
No doubt, Rites of the Dragon helps to flesh out the Ordo Dracul, and gives players insight into its founder and its philosophical underpinnings, but its execution left me cold.
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!] |