Hey, folks. I'm putting the finishing touches on Apocalypse as we speak (no, really, the files are open on my desktop), and cruising around the various sites just to make sure that there's no real misconceptions about what we're doing.

If there's one thing I see that kind of makes me a bit sad, it's that there are a few instances of people claiming "I'm not going to use Apocalypse ever because I don't want the metaplot to ruin my game!" And although I can see why folks are feeling that way, I think it's an unfair assumption about what Apocalypse is actually going to be.

If I can say this without getting Harshly Silenced by my superiors, Apocalypse is not really a metaplot book. It *does* have some instances of metaplot � for example, tracking what Zhyzhak's been up to, the state of the war in Egypt, and other bits of information to show how the world is progressing on toward the Final Battle. In fact, some chapters are written specifically so that they can be read by players, for players to get a feel for what's going on before the final act begins.

But the vast portion of the book is a toolbox. It's designed for the Storyteller to choose the way the world ends, the catalysts that spark that ending, and the ways that the players can make a difference.

Note that last part.

Yes, we do map out what happens if no players rise to the challenge � if no packs manage to run through the scenarios provided and achieve some measure of success at great sacrifice. We do state what will happen if the players fail, or if they don't get involved at all. But that's the back-up ending. The *real* ending of Apocalypse is what happens in your game; it's totally dependent on what the Storyteller chooses to do and how the players rise to the challenge.

Remember, it's only metaplot if it's bigger than what's going on in your game � if what the Garou we're writing about are doing more important things than what your characters are doing. If you're the stars, it's not metaplot � it's just plain plot. And that's what this book is.

In fact, I think it should be mentioned that for years, people *did* want to see an Apocalypse (or Gehenna or whatever) sourcebook, so that when they chose to end the world on their own time, they would have an interesting toolbox full of ideas to use. That's exactly what these books are � the only difference is that they're the last books we're putting out for the games, not an "alternate history" thing. They don't dictate that your game *must* end any more than the release of Tribebook: Black Furies Revised meant that you had to immediately have your characters renounce their tribes and join the Black Furies. It simply means that, should you want the tools for an Apocalypse, here they are.

But they're good tools, and I hope that the simultaneous ending of the Werewolf line doesn't prejudice you against this book. Some metaplot is there for those that enjoy reading about, say, how the War for the Amazon ends. But for those of you who take things at your own pace, I think you'll find this book is aimed at you, too. If you end your chronicles next year, in five years, in ten years � this is a tool kit that should be as useful to you then as, say, Hammer & Klaive or Players Guide to the Changing Breeds.

So think of it that way � not as the patch that forever ruins your ability to replay a game, but as the last tool-box supplement for Werewolf. Should you ever want to end your game, it might be helpful.

It's certainly going to be cool.

Ethan Skemp
WWGS