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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010118" data-attributes="member: 18387">Where to start on this review?  Well the beginning is always good and the beginning of the book is the cover so it is here that I shall start.  The full, yet somber colored cover, at least in my eyes, is going to attacrt some attention.  When I think of death it is a dark and dismal place as is most artwork dealing with that subject.  The cover while dark in coloration is not gloomy for how can it be with such a lovely lady and her 'pet'.  The quality of the artwork does not stop at the cover.  Throughout the book at what I would call 'key' places a picture or two can be found.  These 'key' places are where a visual image only aids the words that one is reading, such when Sorrow's Rreach and the Holy Symbol are discussed.  The other places is where one has been reading for a while and a picture is inserted to give the eyes and mind a pause to reflect.  The detail found in the cover continues from front to back though pictures on the inside are black and white sketches.  The individual links of chainmail is just an example of the attention given by the artist.Now onto the bread and butter of the book; the writting.  Right off the bat it moves to pull one into its depths by beginning with the story of a meeting between the Goddess and a new soul.  This story, the first page of chapter 1, isn't just placesd as an introduction and then forgotten about leaving the rest of the pages to be read like an instruction manual or some school text.  No the story is only the springboard for what follows.  The best way to say how the book reads is like having pages of many peoples journals taken out and melded together to create one book or even that of an interview where various people are asked to talk about what they know on one single subject:  Lady Pale.Onto more details of the chapters themselves:Chapter 1 begins with the meeting of Lady Pale and the first contributor to the book, Sir Lucien.  This is followed by a brief explination of what will be found in the following pages.  The transformation of a gentle, healing soul belonging to one named Gilyaine into the beautiful Goddess of Death, Lady Pale, is told to you by Lucien.  Lucien then gives over to Pale herself to allow her to weave her own tale of her reasons she is as she is and why her lands are as they are.Chapter 2:  This chapter packs the most information in a single chapter.  A brief summary of Pale, including her alignment, portfolio, domain, symbol and favored weapon starts this chapter off.  The quill and ink are then handed to Lord Tyrone, a follower of Pale since he saw her at another's death.  Tyrone tells of the requirements to become one of her followers.  It begins with the age when one becomes an alcolyte, then tells of when they may seek to become a Priest or Priestess and the test one must undertake.  This is folowed by the acceptable dress and colors of the Priesthood and physical appearance.  Family life, sustenance, food preperation, and gender within the Pristhood follows.  Tyrone summarizes the structure of the Priesthood beginning with the highest position, The Breath of Pale, and continuing to the lowest of alcolyte, or the Hands of Pale.  Your journeyman class of the Priesthood are called the Eyes of Pale.  These members are of Sorrow level, middle of the rank.  This is followed by information on housing, names, markings, making note the clergy try to make themselves appear as close in appearance to the Lady in which they are devoted to, as well marriage.  Chapter two is brought to a conclusion with the discussion of the priest's 'gifts' of power and two prestige classes; the Lady's Chosen and the Shade Warden.  The Lady's Chosen are an elite sect, as the name suggests, that are chosen by Lady Pale to battle against the undead foe with the advantages of her blessing.  Hit die, requirements, skills and class features are given.  The Shade Wardens are the ones that worship Death itself instead of the Lady.  This class finds mostly that of the warrior like classes rather than the clerics - paladin is one exception to this as they find the edicts of this class distasteful.  As with Lady's chosen, the hit die, requirements, skills and features are given for the class.  I must note the Shade Wardens have an alignment requirement of NON-good.Chapter 3:  This chapter, witten by the hand of Lady Estara Bannen, a High Priest of Pale, speaks of the mental attitudes of the order in which she belongs.  The mental attitudes towards what you may ask.  I shall tell you, drugs, art, language, music, entertainment as a whole, communication and education.  With a pause not, the topic flows to some specific places the followers of Pale can be found.  A temple in an Elven forest, an Ivory Tower where all the rites are taught to alcolytes, and finally the creme ala creme, Sorrow's Reach, a church that serves as the focal point of the Pristhood.Chapter 4: If you wanted more specifics on the Priesthood or more prestige classes...this is the chapter for you.  The chapter starts off with the Harrowed, a class made up of Priests of Pale at the Shadows or High Priest level.  This class is the one seeing death daily as they are the ones to see to the preperation of a corse then follow through to performing the burial rites.  The second class discussed is the Accounters.  As the name might suggest, these are the priests who account or keep track of the records concerning the history of the Church as well as deaths -and- births in any given area.  Masters or Mistresses of the Eternal Flame are the third class to be addressed.  As a show of their devotion, each day these priests give a little of themselves to see that the black flame of Death, present at the heart of their church, temple, or shrine, remains burning.  The lyrical voices of the order are known as the Melancholy and tis here many a bard can be found.  The warrior of the priesthood are know as Guardians and as their name suggests they are the protectors of the priests and temples.  To say these members are noble and honorable would be an understatment.  Wonder where the mages fit?  Tis within the class known as the Mysteries.  The Mysteries are the ones who seek out artifacts and information.  They are easy to pick out by the streak of snow white in their hair.  For the monk out there, the class known as the Seals is for you.  The Seals are the protectos of knowledge and items that should never see the light of day or left unprotected where those with less that honorable intentions can use them to cause overwhelming distruction.  The Shields are the knights of old.  Ne'er running from battle yet are giving enough to sacrifice themselves to protect a priest and child alike.  These are the muscle of the order hunting down and doing away with undead.  For women only, is the scet known as the Sisterhood.  Warriors like the Shields, yet they are gentle and quiet.  I would liken them to an assassin with the calming touch of an angel.Chapter 5:  Wonder if there is a way to distinguish a member devoted to Pale, aside fom appearance and dress?  Aye; is what few adornments they have.  Such information can be found in this chapter, from the communication pendants to a belt known as the Bond of the Soul to a black jasper stone set in silver called Raven's Eye.  Some other objects are the Heartstone Necklace, a veil of ebony and silk, a life-like figurine of a raven, and a pair of dark staves.  Also spoken of at this point in the book and chapter is the Holy Symbol of the Lady Pale and the question of jewelry in regards to rank.  Following this are the items used in rituals such as a bell and knife, then to lost relics.  The lost relics are few, only five in number.  They are known as Ravensword, Glass Axe of the Feather, Flute of Last Rest, Mace of Night and the Amulet of Echoes.  Lastly this chapter deals with the rules concerning magical and non-magical methods of easing suffering at death.Chapter 6:  Rituals, Myths and Legends.  What a more direct way to say what is found in this chapter.  Covered is everything from the calendar to sacred animals to ritual clothing to prayer to plants.  Also given light is the look upon births by the order, a sample wedding ceremony and a sample rite of Death.  When it comes to the myths and legends, the beginning of the world form which Lady Pale hails and its near destruction is presented.  Also presented for one's eyes is the story of Darius the swordsman.Chapter 7:  Many names have been mentioned up to this point.  Sir Lucien, Lord Tyrone and Lady Estara Bannen and there are others.  It is in this chapter you learn of Ashala Stormhaven, the Breath of Pale, as well as a gentleman named Jon Paul, a blind mute mage named Lady Alasti, an undead known as Claudius and one learns more of the devoted knight Sir Lucien.  Then tis onto magic in the Churches of Pale starting with the Book of Days, a magical tome in which a persons's life story is written.  It is here that one may also get a glimpse of some of the spells used in dialy life as well as those used against the undead.  Some of those named are Headache of the Foe, Healing Breath, Raven's Arrow, Raven's Solace and Sundering Fury.  Two class specific spells are Know Lineage and Requiem.  Included in this chapter are examples of how the various spells may manifest.Chapters 8 and 9:  Both of these are very short chapters, yet are entertaining as well as enlightening.  Chapter 8 contains a story told or perhaps written by Darius the swordsman, in chapter 6, who due to his foolishness learned a lesson the hardest way possible.  Chapter 9 contains a hymn that appears to have been torn straight from a hymnal.Chapter 10:  We have reached the end of all, where all who pass from the living and to Lady Pale, The Great Library.  The library is described by one who is within it, Solomon Ishay of the Wayfarers upon his departure from the physical and into the arms and lands of Lady Pale.  The Book of Days is delved into a bit deeper in this chapter than it was in Chapter 7.Chapter 11: One last story to bring this supplement to a close; a 'Final Revelation'.  Tis the story of one Magister Ranulf, a man who is or shall we say was a debator too caught up in his debat to see what was right before him.The book is then brought to a close by some of the author's thoughs and his dedications.To my own personal thoughts about this piece of writting.  I find it to be truly a marvelous piece of work, one that has had a great deal of time spent upon it.  This goddess was lovingly developed in the mind of the author as was her pristhood, this all visible in the detail that is given.  It also comes through in the various views of people who are fictional yet are incredibally believeable.  This first person writting draws me in from the beginning and carried me through to the end.  For one who uses RPG books as resources for other things, it sets my mind spinning from one idea to the next.  From a DM's point of view, one could say it is more entertaining than useful, this being a DM who is more cut and dry than creative.As has been pointed out in previous reviews the book is 72 pages and is broken down as such:page 1: Coverpages 2-3: Table on contents and creditspages 4-9: Chapter 1pages 10-18: Chapter 2pages 19-21: Chapter 3pages 22-37: Chapter 4pages 38-44: Chapter 5pages 45-52: Chapter 6pages 53-60: Chapter 7page 61: Chapter 8pages 62-63: Chapter 9pages 64-66: Chapter 10pages 67-69: Chapter 11page 70: After Thoughtspage 71: Advertisement for Moon Elvespage 72: Legal InformationI did this as some before me mentioned the book is too long.  I am not going to add to this debate but leave it up to you the reader to make that decision on your own with complete knowledge of what those 72 pages contain.Would I recommend this book to people especially those of a DMing nature?  Oh yeah!Would I like to meet the Pale Raven in a game setting?  If the DM was using this book as a reference for her...Most definitely because I would know the DM has every possible bit of information he or she could hope to have to make the Goddess of Death believeable as a real being.</blockquote>

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