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Introduction

Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom

Cover art
Designers	Justin Achilli, Voronica Whitney-Robinson, Will Hindmarch, Jason Feldstein, Joddie Gray, James Lowder
Publishers	White Wolf
Publication	2003
Genres	Personal horror
Systems	Storyteller System

Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom is a sourcebook, alternative setting, and stand-alone pen-and-paper RPG designed for Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and other games set in the Old World of Darkness universe. It was developed by White Wolf Game Studios and released in 2003. The setting focuses on vampires in the continent of Africa. The location was only briefly examined in previous Old World of Darkness games.

Plot

The Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom, known as the Laibon, are fictional European vampires native to Africa in the Old World of Darkness. Despite sharing roots with the Western Kindred (traditional vampires), and being afflicted with the same curse, the Laibon have existed in relative isolation from the Western Kindred for some time and have become distinct from traditional vampires in various ways. Additionally, they do not consider themselves to be descended from Caine (the first vampire), but rather view their existence as related to various African myths and legends.

Unlike Kindred (who are most commonly defined in-game by their adherence to or violation of "Humanity"), the Laibon owe a dual loyalty to their mortal counterparts (called Aye) and to the spirit world (called Orun). Failure of both loyalties leads to monstrous degeneration and feral predatory behavior. High levels of Aye causes a Laibon to appear alive, while high Orun causes a Laibon to appear unearthly and often demonic. Those few Laibon who manage to maintain high levels of Aye and high levels of Orun simultaneously appear angelic, possibly transcendent.

Tenets of the Ebony Kingdom

In the RPG, the Tenants have been handed down for millennia and represent the conservative status quo of Laibon society. Recently brought into question by the rapid change of the modern world, they are nevertheless fiercely upheld by the Guruhi and the Shango.

1. The Guruhi Are The Land: As the oldest Legacy, the Guruhi have a natural right to rule.
2. Those Who Endure Judge: Leadership and status are naturally assumed to derive from age and experience.
3. Belonging Grants Protection: More cynically, "citizenship implies fealty".
4. The Secret Must Be Kept: This ensures that mortals are not acutely aware of the existence of the undead.
5. No Secrets From The Magaji: This Tenet is enforced to keep the Magaji (ruler) "in the know."
6. Sires Command, Children Inherit: In other words, just as age determines leadership, lineage determines fealty.
7. The Eldest Command Undeath: A reinforcement of the rulership by the eldest.
8. Travelers Obey The Tenets: This twofold rule requires that Laibon away from home adheres to the Tenets, as do outsiders in the Ebony Kingdom.
9. The Eldest Are Kholo: This Tenet allows some flexibility in any given area's power structure, as traveling elders (particularly among the Kinyonyi) are granted due respect despite their not belonging.

Legacies

Unlike the highly political clans of the western Kindred, Laibon can be divided into legacies, which act more as extended familial relations than as unified factions. These Legacies are bound by a common lineage and curse, but hold no full loyalty to one another.

These legacies include the Akunanse, Children of Damballah, Guruhi, Ishtarri, Kinyonyi, Mla Watu, the Naglopers, Nkulu Zao, Osebo, Shango, and the Xi Dundu.

Other Factions

Other major players in the World of Darkness setting also have interactions with the Ebony Kingdom legacies.

Notable factions include the Ghiberti bloodline of the clan Giovanni, the Malkavians, and the Ventru.

Laibon Bloodline

When first introduced in Vampire: the Dark Ages, the Laibon were presented as a bloodline of wandering wise men and shaman from Africa. Since the publication of Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom, Laibon has become the blanket term for all African Kindred who belong to one of several different lineages. Although the Laibon remain an option for Dark Ages game, they probably represent the wandering Akunanse Lineage.

Reception

Reception

Review scores
Source	Rating
Backstab	[1]
Casus Belli	[2]
Goodreads	[3]

Backstab was critical of the game, saying that while it had a good concept, it was poorly implemented in the book, with information often being hard to find and embedded in pieces of short fiction, comparing it unfavorably to the earlier game Kindred of the East. ^[1]

References

• Justin Achilli et al., Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom, (White Wolf Game Studio, 2003, ISBN  1-58846-239-0)
• Robert Hatch et al., A World of Darkness (Second Edition), (White Wolf Game Studio, 1996, ISBN  1-56504-207-7)