Dark Destiny is an anthology of horror fiction that was edited by Edward E. Kramer and published by White Wolf in 1994, with cover art by John Cobb.
Overview[]
Dark Destiny is noteworthy in that it was White Wolf's first book to reach out from their traditional market of roleplaying fans to the wider mainstream horror fiction audience. Thus, it includes stories and even poems from well-established writers in the genre such as Harlan Ellison and Robert Bloch. Bloch's included story, "The Scent of Vinegar", was his final published work, as he died shortly before the book went to press; the story went on to win the 1995 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novelette. White Wolf used the momentum provided by Dark Destiny's generally positive reception to publish further mainstream horror and fantasy fiction, establishing the Borealis imprint to publish new and reprinted works from influential writers in the genre, including a series of reprinted books by Harlan Ellison.
Several of the included stories are explicitly set in the World of Darkness, and some directly tie in with other contemporary Vampire: The Masquerade fiction; additionally, the book's cover text references the Gothic-Punk milieu of the World of Darkness setting. However, the book is not directly branded with the World of Darkness name, and while most stories are agnostic regarding their setting, a few contradict the established World of Darkness canon. (Nancy Holder's story "Leaders of the Pack" takes place in the distant future - the future of a setting that is, in the end, confirmed to be the World of Darkness.)
The characters introduced with the "In the Forests of the Night" short story later appear in the Masquerade of the Red Death Trilogy, also by Robert Weinberg.
Dark Destiny was followed by two additional volumes, Dark Destiny: Proprietors of Fate (1995) and Dark Destiny III: Children of Dracula (1996), both of which were also edited by Edward Kramer.
Summary[]
From the Back Cover:
- Journey with us through the darkest realms of the imagination. Visit a Gothic-Punk world where vampires, werewolves and mages walk among us, though they remain shrouded from mortal eyes. Visit a world where supernatural forces and creatures have altered the course of history, society and global politics-a world much like our own.
- This volume contains twenty-two tales by masters of dark fantasy. Read of Edgar Allan Poe's brush with immortality. Harken back to the time of Odin and learn the true significance the crucifix holds for vampires. Ride with the Prince of Blood on the trail of outlaw werewolves in a post-apocalyptic nightmare.
- Welcome to the World of Darkness
Contents[]
- Forward by Edward E. Kramer
- "That Evil Stuff Again": Introduction by John Mason Skipp
- "Sensible City" by Harlan Ellison
- "Dreaming Saturn" by James S. Dorr
- "The Scent of Vinegar" by Robert Bloch
- "In the Garden" by Esther M. Freisner
- "But I Feel the Bright Eyes..." by Bill Crider
- "Vampire Lovers" by Lisa Lepovetsky
- "In the Forests of the Night" by Robert Weinberg
- "Leaders of the Pack" by Nancy Holder
- "Tools of Enslavement" by Rick R. Reed
- "To Dance" by Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg
- "Small Brown Bags of Blood" by C. Dean Andersson
- "The Love of Monsters" by Nancy A. Collins
- "Go Hungry" by Wayne Allen Sallee
- "Winter Queen" by Rick Hautala
- "Lone Wolf" by Edo van Belkom
- "Night Games" by Richard Lee Byers
- "Touch the Flame" by K. Ken Johnston
- "One of the Secret Masters" by Darrell Schweitzer
- "The Bone Woman" by Brian Herbert and Marie Landis
- "Escobar Falls" by Stewart von Allmen
- "Poisoned Dreams" by Brad Linaweaver
- "Blood Magic" by Scott Ciencin
Background Information & Trivia[]
- Nearly all the stories either fall into Vampire, Werewolf and Mage short fiction stories, except for Sensible City and The Scent of Vinegar. While The Scent of Vinegar is a Vampire story, most of it's concepts predates Kindred of the East by quite a few years. Sensible City was reprinted from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October-November 1994 Issue.
- "In the Forests of the Night" would be continued in Masquerade of the Red Death Trilogy by Robert Weinberg.
- "Escobar Falls" would be later included in the Truth Until Paradox Revised anthology.
- In 2003, White Wolf and Nancy A. Collins filed a lawsuit against Sony Pictures over the movie, Underworld, for being too similar to Nancy's short story: "The Love of Monsters". The lawsuit was settled confidentially.[1]
Characters[]
- Sensible City
- W. R. Gropp - Mortal, Police Lieutenant, Fake Identity: "Harold Jensen"
- Michael "Mickey" Rizzo - Mortal, Deputy Sergeant, Fake Identity: "Daniel Jensen"
- The Scent of Vinegar
- Tim - Mortal, Died
- Bernie Tanner - Mortal, Died
- Greg Kolmer - Mortal, Vampire Hunter, Died
- Marquis deSade - Owner of the House of Pain, Penangallan
- Tex Taylor - Mortal, Cowboy Star
- Ulrich Trenk - Mortal, Horror Filmmaker
- Ibrahim - Human, Vampire Hunter, Died
- In the Garden
- Duke of Este, Alfonso d'Este
- Duchess Lucretia - Female Vampire
- Medea
- Pietro
- Tarquin - Vampire
- Lord Cesare
- "But I Feel the Bright Eyes..."
- Edgar Allan Poe - Vampire who hunts other vampires
- Roger Bryce - Human who now knows of the Kindred
- George Lippard - Vampire, Destroyed
- Johann Kelpius - Nosferatu, Destroyed
- Virginia, "Sissy" - Female Nosferatu, Destroyed
- Rufus Griswold - Vampire, Destroyed
- Simkins - Ghoul
- John Sartain - Past
- Dr. Carter - Past
- Elmire Royster Shelton - Past
- Lee Harvey Oswald - Ghoul
- Muddy - Died
- In the Forests of the Night
- Dire McCann - Human Detective, knows of the Kindred, Possessed by Lamech
- Fawn - Female Vampire, Twin, Bodyguard to Vargoss
- Flavia - Female Vampire, Twin, Bodyguard to Vargoss
- Alexander Vargoss - Ventrue Prince of St. Louis
- Mosfair - Tremere, Died
- Professor Sullivan - Human who knows of the Kindred, Archaeologist
- Leslie Hill - Human Blood Doll who knows of the Kindred
- Lamech - Caine's great grandson, Methuselah
- Leaders of the Pack
- Shiloh Marie, "Vengeance" - Wolf Pack, Gangrel
- Cutter - Wolf Pack, Gangrel
- Lance Marie - Wolf Pack, Gangrel, Shiloh's Brother, Died
- Fang - Wolf Pack, Gangrel
- Tools of Enslavement
- Terence - Toreador
- Edward - Toreador
- Maria - Female Toreador, Died
- Elise Groneman - Female Human, knows of the Kindred
- Small Brown Bags of Blood
- Egil, "Kveldulf" - Get of Fenris
- Olaf the Strong - Egil's Father, Kinfolk
- Keveldulf the Skald - Egil's Grandfather, Get of Fenris
- Inga - Egil's Mother, Mortal
- Sunna- Inga's Mother, Mortal
- Guthrun Freyadis - Sunna's Mother, Mortal
- Haakon the Hawk-Eyed - Mortal, Son of Kettil the Generous
- Kettil the Generous - Mortal
- Bishop Eadfrith - Died
- The Love of Monsters
- Philip Pembroke - Ventrue, Died
- Sian - Female Garou, Died
- Vaughn - Mortal, Past, Died
- Nathaniel Cony - Pembroke's old companion, Died, Past, Mortal
- Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey - Mortal, Past, Died
- Lord Dorset - Mortal, Past
- Ruhl - Ventrue, Philip's Sire, Former Prince
- Cotton Mather - Witch-Finder, Past
- Benjamin Franklin - Mortal, Past
- Tilton - Vampire, Lord Peale's Servant/Hit Man, Camarilla
- Lord Peale - Vampire, Camarilla
- Shadowfang - Female Garou, Sian's Mother
- Go Hungry
- Michael Napier, "The Painkiller" - Garou, Crip-Gnawer
- Grover Severn - Michael's Grandfather
- Danny - Garou, Cousin to Michael
- Rory - Garou, Cousin to Michael
- Brent - Garou, Cousin to Michael
- Valton Tiche - Mortal, Neighbor to Michael
- Thor - Valton's Pit Bull
- Madison Gallows - Mortal, Died
- Shane Doolittle - Mortal, Homicide Detective
- Norma Travis - Female Garou, Pastlife to Michael
- Minnie Everleigh - Mortal, Past
- Ada Everleigh - Mortal, Past
- Tarrant "Eddie" Neal - Human who knows that Norma is a werewolf, Past
- Millie Robeson - Mortal
- Louisa Napier - Mortal, Nurse, Ethan's Wife and Michael's Mother, Died
- Ethan Napier - Garou, Crip-gnawer, Louisa's Husband and Michael's Father, Died
- "Mamaw" Nickels - Mortal
- Alan Matusak - Mortal, Artist
- Winter Queen
- Alex Van Lowe - Garou, Curse of the Moon, Singer for Phobia
- Doug Moody - Mortal, Reporter
- Elizabeth - Mortal, Reporter
- Michael DeSalvo - Mortal, Pilot, Died
- Jodie McDaniels - Mortal, Died, Alex's Girlfriend
- Jeff Connors] - Mortal, Died, Alex's Road Crew
- Johnny Rice - Mortal, Died, Alex's Road Crew
- Dennis Cody - Mortal, Died, Alex's Manager
- David Gurney - Mortal, Guitarist for Phobia
- Marilyn Scoville - Mortal
- Dave - Mortal, Reporter
- Kimberly - Mortal, Reporter
- Lyssa - Female Uktena Outcast, Curse of the Moon
- Lone Wolf
- Night Games
- Constantine Augustus - Mortal, Past
- Maxentius - Mortal, Past
- Ragnachar - Constantine's Mage, actually a Garou, Past
- Ossius the Christian priest - Mortal, Past
- Crocus the Alemannic chieftain, Mortal, Past
- Optatianus Porphyrius - Mortal, Poet, Past
- Licinius - Mortal
- Maximin Daia - Mortal
- Quintus Marius - Vampire, Past
- One of the Secret Masters
- Frank Bellini - Mortal Conspiracist, Died
- Tom Satterfield - Technocracy Mage, Men in Black Operative
- Marjorie Satterfield - Mortal, Tom's Wife
- Jane Satterfield - Mortal, Tom's Daughter
- Charlie Satterfield - Mortal, Tom's Son
- The Bone Woman
- Tabitta, "The Bone Woman" - Former Dreamspeaker Mage, Female Nosferatu, Colbert's childe
- Michael - Tabitta's Former Lover, Died
- Colbert - Nosferatu, Baron Dieudonne's childe
- Baron Dieudonne, "Louis XIV" - Nosferatu
- Ted - Mortal, Died
- Alicia - Female Vampire
- Gene Spratt - Former human researcher in service to Baron Dieudonne, created a blood formula, but now is Tabitta's childe: Nosferatu
- Escobar Falls
- Dr. Hammelstein - Progenitor Mage in Quiet
- Harry Kimble - Mortal, Researcher
- Miss Kimble - Mortal, Harry's Daughter
- Escobar - Mortal, Soccer Player
- Poisoned Dreams
- Valerie - Female Virtual Adept Mage, probably Ex-Virtual Adept Mage, Paul's Assistant, Died
- Mr. Bennett - Mortal Patient, Died
- Mrs. Bennett - Mortal, Mr. Bennett's Wife
- Perseus - Mrs. Bennett's Cat, Died
- Xenton - Virtual Adept Mage
- Schulmann - Virtual Adept Mage
- Vanessa - Virtual Adept Mage
- Paul - Virtual Adept Mage, probably Ex-Virtual Adept Mage
- Blood Magic
- Anne Boleyn - Mage, Past, Died
- King Henry - - Mortal, Past
- Henry Weir - Lord, Mage, Past, Died
- Henry Fitzroy - Mortal, Past
- Mary - Mortal, Past
- George Wyatt - Mortal, Past
- Elizabeth - Mortal, Past
- Catherine of Argaon - Mortal, Past
- Gerty - Mortal, Past, Gossiper of the Castle
- Mark Smeaton - Mortal, Musician, Past, Died
Terminology[]
Abomination, Acolyte, Ahroun, America, Anarchs, Ancillae, Antediluvians, Ape, Apocalyse, Arnold and the Crocodile (Children's Book by Tom S.), Arnold on the Moon (Children's Book by Tom S.), Ascension, Ascension War, Avatar, Baltimore, Bangor Daily News, Beast, Bel Air, Berghoff's (Restaurant), Beverly Hills, Black Furies, Blight, Blood, Blood of the Beast (Film), Blood Bound, Blood Dolls, Blood Hunt, Boise, Book of Nod, Boston, Britain, Caern, Caine, Cainite, California, Camarilla, Canada, Carpathian Mountains, Chicago, Childer, China, Civil War, Clan, Clones, Coincidental Magick, Columbia, Convention, Crawlers (Film), Crinos, Cub, Cult of Ecstasy, Curse of the Moon, Czechoslovakia, Damned, Dhole Liturgy, DreaMeter, Dreamspeaker, Drone, Egypt, Elder, Embrace, England, Ennui, Enoch, Europe, The Everleigh Club (Chicago), Fenris, First City, Fifth Generation, First Tradition, Fourth Generation, France, Frenzy (VTM), Gaia, Gangrel, Garou, Gaul, Generation, Get of Fenris, Ghouls, Glabro, Glass Walkers, Golconda, Great Flood, Greece, Greenwich Village, Hebrides, High Mage, Hollow Ones, Hollywood, Holmby Hills, Homids, House of Pain (Location), Humanity, Hunger, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Circle, Ireland, Island of Lindsfarne, Italy, Iteration X, Jersey City, Jyhad, Kapus Pack, Kentucky, Kinain, Kindred, Kine, Klaive, Lake Geneva, Lake Michigan, Laramie, Lasombra, Las Vegas, Leeches, Littleton (Town), London, Louisville, Macedonia, Mage, Magick, Maine, Malaya, Marauders, Maryland, Masquerade, Mazatlán, Men in Black, Methuselahs, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Morton's (Location), Mundanes, Nashville, Nebraska, Nephandi, New Brunswick, News Center Six, Newscenter 13, New Hampshire, New World Order, New York, New York City, Nine Traditions, Norfolk, Nosferatu, Obedience (Town), Ohio, Orkneys, Pack (VTM), Pack (WTA), Paradigm, Paradox, Past Lives, Pawang, Penangallan, Pennsylvania, Pentex, The Phantom Nurse of Waverly Hills and other Kentucky Legends by Thom Swortz (Book), Philadelphia, Phobia (Rock Band), Pittsburgh, The Playboy Club, Portland (Maine), Primogen, Prince, Procedure, Progenitor, Progeny, Quebec, Quiet, Rage, Reality, Red Talons, Replication Phase, Richmond, Rock Springs, Rome, Russia, Sabbat, Salem, Santa Barbara, Scotland, Second Generation, Sect, Shetlands, Silent Striders, Silver, Sinaloa, Singapore, Sire, Six Alive (News Show), Snake River, Song of Mockery, Soul, Spain, Spirits, St. Louis, Swan-Pacer (Longship made by Olaf), Syndicate, Talisman, Tapestry, Technocracy, Technomancer, Tennessee, Texas, Toreador, Torrance, Totem, Traditions (VTM), Traditions (MTAs), Transylvania, Tremere, Tribe, Tristero, True Ones, Ukraine, Uktena, Undead, United States, Vampire, Vancouver, Ventrue, Verbena, Vietnam, Virtual Adepts, Void Engineers, Vulgar Magick, Wales, Washington (D.C.), Waverly Hills Sanitarium, Wendigo, Werewolf, Werewolves, Westwood, Winnipeg, Wisconsin, Witch, Witch-Hunter, Wolf Pack (Gangrel Biker Group), World War I, World War II, Wyld, Wyrm,
References[]
| Previous release | Fiction | Next release |
|---|---|---|
| None | World of Darkness books | WOD: Dark Destiny: Proprietors of Fate |