Thanks to Games Omnivorous for sending us a copy of Bring Me Her Bones in order to write this review. In case you are interested in buying a copy, you can find a physical copy at their official store for c. US$30 (€25) and in digital format on DriveThruRPG for c. US$9 (c. €8).
Having already covered other products from these authors (such as The Feast on Titanhead), I had high expectations also for this particular adventure, usable with any role-playing game system. The main thrust is fantasy, but is easily adapted to other settings. I wasn’t expecting anything with a lengthy or intricate plot, but something to capture my attention and amaze me on the fly. As part of the Manifestus Omnivorous adventure series, it respects its guidelines. Some of them regarding content, others the aesthetic; in any case they are all listed on the back cover.
The premise is very simple, but intriguing. King Agenor sold his soul to the Green Sun for a time of peace and prosperity. This span of time has come to an end, so the king has turned his devotion to the Beast in exchange for cruel sacrifices to extend his life. However, this entity fell in love with the king’s daughter and asked him for something very precious: the life of his princess in exchange for eternal life – or her bones, rather, so that she can devour them and thus make her his bride. The princess Europa, however, is missing.
A City You Would Never Want To Live In
The very special city where all the adventure takes place can be inserted in any monarchy and that makes Bring Me Her Bones an excellent adventure to include in any campaign (unless you decide to play it as a short, stand-alone adventure). The characters fit easily into this context and the pretexts can be varied; find the princess, hunt for treasures, astrological mysteries, and more. When the PCs arrive, they find a place to stay and are immediately immersed in the local atmosphere; various threads of gossip meander throughout the population: sightings of the princess, strange murders, disturbing omens from the sky … All this greatly facilitates the introductory work of the narrator.
The real adventure begins with a strong investigative tone. Each day is divided into “turns” (morning, afternoon, …), and the protagonists must set forth according to their goals without losing the correct path(s). While they face various obstacles and dangers.
The heart of the manual is consists of a list of places (on the pages with a violet background) and of the important personalities (on the pages with a green background), all described in deliberately broad strokes to provide strong characterization without inflicting too many constraints on the game the master’s narrative freedom. Each character is described by details ranging from appearance and habits to activities in the city. The locations involved are set forth in equally broad strokes, in evocative descriptions of what may be found in them.
Dark Omens Loom in the Sky
The passage of time has a strong influence on what happens, not only on the succession of events, but also on the changing of the sky and the elements that compose it. New constellations illuminate the celestial vault during the night, influencing the events. The cardinal points are characterized by great arcane powers, and the phases of the moon affect this deeply mystical place in their own way. Astral conjunctions generate omens capable of shaking the feeble minds of those who walk through this city.
The manual provides a map of the lunar path; the dangerous astral motions are determined by rolling dice on it, from omens, stars, seasons, mysterious entities, to inexplicable, nefarious events. This mechanic plays a very important role in the narrative. It can be very evocative and varied, due to the valuable way in which it is presented.
The purely mechanical side ends here. The characters wander among the buildings of the city, deciding what to explore and having encounters hardly to be forgotten; in all this, the sky isn’t just a background, but a cornerstone of the game experience. The style is very sandbox oriented, allowing the game master to more freely adapt to the players’ choices.
Bring Me Her Bones Aesthetic Review
The manual has about 50 pages, all colored only in deep violet and light green (including the cover). The only other color is white. All pages have a single column layout and a classic font, so you have a comfortable and pleasant reading experience.
A yellow rubberband acts as a bookmark and holds the cover together with the pages at the same time. Because it is made to be separated and used as a map of the sky and moon phases, the cover isn’t stapled like all the pages.
The illustrations in Bring Me Her Bones are composed of a few spare lines, but have great impact (as evidenced by the examples included with this review). The style is almost surrealist; they have geometric shapes that are combined with grotesque characters. Here, too, the color palette follows that of the rest of the manual. Removed from this context they would probably communicate little, but here they are perfectly integrated with the other contents and enhance the impact conveyed.
Final Considerations of the Bring Me Her Bones Review
Reflecting on what I have reported in this review, I can safely say that Bring Me Her Bones is a very valuable product. It is not a classic adventure, and an open mind is the best approach to fully appreciate it. The narration isn’t dictated step by step, but is created in concert with the players; freely exploring this delightfully disturbing city brings a wonderful feeling.
It doesn’t offer a long campaign, but everything it proposes is memorable. If even just for this fact, it deserves to be played!