The Beloved Horror Franchise No One Plays | Wraith the Oblivion - Afterlife
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Afterlife is the modern VR incarnation of Wraith the Oblivion - a tabletop franchise born of the 90's that was part of the 'World of Darkness.' It was the ghostly answer to Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Wraith was a beloved system, and many people still remember it fondly as their favorite part of the World of Darkness.
Which makes it extremely weird that almost no one ever bothered to actually play it.
Let me explain why, and then we can explore Afterlife, the World of Darkness' most overlooked video game.
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Learn more about the Wraith Curse: • Near-death Experience ...
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These are the nerds I'll play Wraith with: / @handfulofnerds
00:00 A Game No One Plays
11:50 YOU DIED
30:11 Fear the reaper
50:17 Ed is Dead - Ігри
Uncensored version is up FOR FREE on Patreon: www.patreon.com/WilliamSRD
(not a direct link to the video, in compliance with UA-cam's rules about linking age restricted content)
Oddly fitting that this video was killed and then brought back.
Videomancy
What I think makes wraith so interesting is the fact that it has the highest chance of happening to people within its world.
You have to get bit by a vampire to become one, you have got to be born with lycan ancestry to become a Garou... but to become a Wraith?
Live with enough regrets that you can't rest in peace.
If you die, you risk becoming a ghost, you really can't have shit in WOD.
Well, you got a pretty good chance of getting Embraced in the WoD too
A reupload...?
*_THE CURSE OF WRAITH: THE OBLIVION STRIKES AGAIN!_*
ITS REAL
Thank you everyone for your support after the original video got age restricted. The wave of affirmation and patreon sign ups really helped me get through the worst of it.
I originally said I wouldn't censor the video, but further analysis from a few viewers suggested it was probably one SPECIFIC thing that did it. So here's the adjusted video, with some alteration, but the core of the video intact.
Thanks once again to all of you, I couldn't keep doing this without my amazing community.
THE CURSE OF WRAITH: THE OBLIVION STRIKES AGAIN!
I was introduced to your channel by the original upload, and I've watched a few of your other videos since then. Watching this one again for the engagement.
Oh, I was worried I could not see the video again! UA-cam is pants sometimes
I love you
I almost thought I was insane when the wraith video disappeared when I was midway watching it. UA-cam sure has been making alot of hurdles for long format content creators. Sulmatul had a horrible time trying to get their most recent video up, like several edits and uploads and ultimately hosting a longer version elsewhere.
"[...] you're complicit, aren't you? What did you think those coins were made of? Didnt you wonder; _why they weep_ ?"
As a relative newcomer to the Wraith mythos / lore, this writing gave me absolute chills!
I know the UA-cam system can be really difficult to get over when you reupload a video, so here is a like and a comment from me as I know interactions help with the algorithm.
It’s been really bad lately it seems.
It feels like at least 10% of videos in my notifications are reuploads nowadays.
Here is some comment about how I feel very strongly about things, engagement is strong on this video, the algorithm would sure benefit from showing it to a lot of people...
I strongly disagree with what has been said here. This, as I understand it, is known as ‘discourse’.
Me too watched the previous upload..
Joining in doing the same. You’re doing great stuff William.
You gotta love how every World/Chronicles of Darkness setting is bonkers if you think on it too hard and delve too deep into the lore. Wraith just commits more than many can handle.
Honestly I don't think Hunter: The Reckoning is that bonkers at least as far as I know (which admittedly isn't much). The craziest I ever saw it was the fact it connected to all the other games but best summarized as "get pissed and go shoot those monsters with this boomstick you found!"
Then again, I am probably oversimplifying it. Which is probably pretty likely
@@Starcraftgamer97 that's fair. Hunter isn't bonkers on the outset, but it is meant to dovetail with the actual Monster play books. So, it's the easiest to get into if played while ignoring the implications and societies the Hunters interact with or interfere with. My point still stands that, if you scratch too hard at the surface, the depth of the world lore is bonkers though lol
@@michaelrigg3623
Oh no doubt. I think that actually works pretty well with the Hunters. All the other books have such massive worlds (and the HtR books do as well) but the Hunters are boiled down to killing that Warlock or Vampire nest with sawed off in their trunk. They know as much as they themselves learn or share with each other.
Truly Lovecraftian to some degree because the deeper one goes in their hunt, the more they start seeing beyond their comprehension.
I've never played WoD but I have always had a tip of the iceberg type interest that led me to collect as much of those Orange Books as I can. It kind of led me to create my own game in Call of Cthulhu that sort of crosses a couple of ideas together that all share the same vibe: Supernatural, Dresden Files, and HtR. Some grim and gritty monster hunting that transcends into the unfathomable cosmos around the players with a potentially pulpy end game.
I was so into the dark theme and all the amazing story and then ghost Godzilla came and Doomslayers and Helldivers and I couldn't help but laugh out loud! How did it turn into this OMG. It's cool though haha!
ITS SUCH A WILD TONE SHIFT
Uh no it's perfectly apropos of the themes and plot what do you mean?? (Seriously though I love that stuff)
"Guys, trust me. Having Charon 1v1 his godzilla self is crucial to the lore"
@@dustinnabil798 the best thing is it actually was lol
WoD always escalate their ancient conspiracies. If one line has thousand year old vampires then the mages need to fight over the fabric of reality and the end game book gets antediluvians driving around in a giant rotting kaiju. It can't stay a game about keeping the old house you built yourself from being developed into a mall.
Quick note, Wraith like most of its contemporaries did get a 20th-anniversary edition RPG book which was Kickstarted for nearly $300,000 which blew past it's 50,000 dollar goal and a couple of Wraith 20th sourcebooks to go with it. As well as a 20th-anniversary short story compilation, there is a small devoted fandom even now.
Side note: Geist 2e absolutely rules and you should play it. Rather than being a game about being sad about being dead, it's a game about having a second chance and helping the people who didn't get one. Fight fascism to make the afterlife a better place, or help ghosts pass on and gamble that the real afterlife is better than what they have now. Connect with another person who only remembers little pieces of who they are and wants to rebuild themself. It's... it just rules.
Geist is one of the most optimistic CofD games
@@jordanetherington1922 Perhaps, but it also has a serious pile of horror. The Underworld wants you and everyone you love to dance to its tune. There's a nursery where children are forced to toil in a furnace burning their toys, an undead university that lures you in with promises of knowledge and then wipes your memory so you keep studying forever without ever learning, and truly monstrous people who see all death, yours included, as something to exploit.
@@jordanetherington1922 Indeed. And that's part of why it's so needed. Like Hunter it's a manifestation of the consequences of other supernaturals' actions. It's basically the Anti-Vampire in that you died and it made you closer to humanity and hate the people who manipulate and exploit the people like you for profit. There's ways to become a monster, but by default your strength comes from connecting with someone who is lost and broken.
Or, exploit ghosts for fun and profit, steal shit from the afterlife to increase your power, and ignore that the geist you're bound to is claiming to be Jack the Ripper and wants you to kill people for his amusement.
Or, be a ghost-fascist and make the afterlife worse because you can. So many ways to play, most of them will expose the players who can't distinguish between PC and Player.
Given everything I've had to say in my comment about Wraith, I'm driven to agree. Geist's concept is innately more interesting and appealing.
I cannot believe Wraith's literal entire conceit is 'the horror of both being miserable and being aware that it's over first world problems', which is totally unplayable but very artistically interesting, and that somehow ended up morphing into "JOIN THE _DOOMSLAYERS_ TO RAID THE BEDROCK OF REALITY FOR FORTUNE AND GLORY, IT IS THE *2000'S,* BABY!". It's like the entire design department wrote the first half in the midset of depression and the second half during a manic episode where they binged all of Requiem Chevalier Vampire.
All WoD metaplots escalate in a competition with the other metaplots. All metaplots had part in WW II and nazism to a point where the Holocaust must have been run by committe.
Like other WoD lines, Wraith was part of the shared World of Darkness. Your hunters could run into a haunt. Your wraith could interact with Giovanni necromancer-vampires. Mages and garou go on their weird spirit-quests. There are the mummies off to the side. In practice, everyone sits in their niche goth ghetto with giant metaplots and conspiracies that sometimes cross and sometimes ignore each other. Maybe the mage battle for reality doesn't care about the ghost kaiju and ghost nukes.
@@SusCalvin no they where busy shooting a vampire bloodgod rampaging in india with a gaint sunbased space lazer to help
This game came out about the same time as The Crow and therefore we ended up playing it as such. It such a cool idea.
Did you try The Risen sourcebook?
Being two seperate characters shoved into one meat suit is a lot more fun in the concept than in the maintenance.
Wraiths don't even have the meat suit - it is more the ectoplasm suit
"An unplayable madterpiece" is the best way to sum up Wraith! I forgot how much I liked the background & you did a great job summarizing it!
The algorithm requires engagement.
Great video! Loved learning about Wraith. Also, my roommate loved it, too.
YOUR ROOMMATE HAS FINE TASTE
Is that a CV11 reference here, of all places?
@@adcon00 You caught me.
Only felt appropriate since my old comment went with the old version of the video, and I wanted to give the algorithm its coveted engagement. lol
I love wraith the oblivion and I think its one of the strongest of world of darkness's old line games. The shadow system that everyone complains about as too evil and creating fights is only that way if everyone at the table are dicks and if the gm just lets people be overly cruel with them. When the shadow is working as intended its like having a devil on your shoulder that can give all sorts of buffs and use its set of thorns to actually help in scenes.
The underworld itself is such an amazing local, with the shadowlands mirroring the living world and when places are forgotten or destroyed their dark counterparts literally sink into the ocean of emotion and memory below for a metaphysical high sea adventure and even a massive silent hill style dungeon crawl below that in the very depths of the underworld the Labyrinth. Wraith the oblivion afterlife I think is actually an incredibly narrow and limited scope of what it is actually like to be a ghost in wraith. A game set in Stygia or the shadowlands would be weird rather than pure scary in the same sort of way as Sunken city!
I hope wraith gets tons more people actually interested in the game now that your video is out on it :)
Great video and I'm glad its back up Will!
I mentioned my story about running Wraith last video, and I’m still proud of that. I wanted to add a little more - since then I spoke to my German girlfriend and in her opinion Charnel Houses was in many ways a very necessary book since it deals with an issue that will come up in most of Central Europe in a respectful way that can be referred to instead of leaving awkward questions to the DM. Same as World War I’s sourcebook. I can also happily say that Wraith can kinda be played in a lighthearted manner. I have used to play in a few spooky one shots around Halloween that play out more like a silly Beetlejuice movie.
That is an excellent tone to go for with this theme. Fun, colourful, but not without the potential for some drama and catharsis 👌
This video helps me realize about wraith. Learning its lore and it troubled publication. And it giving me ideas for my writing.
Thanks for acknowledging and bringing attention WoD franchise, even this specific series, to youtube. Since it has a tough time getting attention
Brazilian fan here! Commenting and liking for the algorithm sacrifice demands. This vid is a masterpiece!
Repost from my original comment on the unlisted vid.
I've played Wraith: The Oblivion more than most other Storytellers have, but the group has always been small; one at the least, two optimally and four at max. I found that this game works best with two players, where both players make one dedicated character and their shadow. Each session the players take turns between themselves to swap as Wraith and Shadow, or Spectre and Psyche, and they follow personal stories of horror and Transcendence. Another way was to allow the players to play both their Wraith and Shadow as if they were two separate characters within the same body, but this can only work with trusted players who'll properly act out their dual roles. However in saying that, my best game was with four players RPing with the former method.
The best Chronicle I ever had was a love story between two Wraiths (four players), it was a Gohic adventure that consisted of 80 in-game years and about 60 odd sessions. Involving Immortals, Mages, Garou and the encroaching Oblivion that ended with the two Wraiths reincarnation via Transcendence. The two Wraiths were a Reaper and Reaped Heretics who bonded over having lived lonely lives and turing into lovers, the Chronicles were almost entirely dedicated to these ghosly lovers finding meaning in their lonely deaths and trying to find a way to Trancend. It was my longest and most engaging tabletop game I had ever done and I've never done one like it since. Doubt I ever will again sadly... No more free time.
I hope to never play such games.
Add me to the list: Wraith is my favorite RPG setting (with Ars Magica a close second) and I've never played it. Bought and read a ton of the books back in the day and that was enough. Thanks for shining a pale light on such a beloved failure.
Wraith seems like it could be a series that's actually fun to play, with a simple shift in focus. Instead of a game about wallowing in grief and torment, the objective could be for the characters to actually process their grief, reach catharsis, accept their deaths and everything they regret, and finally find the peace needed to move on.
I can easily see the society of corrupt ferrymen being fantastic villains, a corruption of psychopomps meant to guide dead souls to their afterlife, now bent on keeping them hopeless and trapped, slaving away for eternity out of fear of an even worse fate waiting for them on the other side.
This.
From what I’ve heard, that’s what Geist: Sin Eater is.
Rewatching Wraith Video, but it got me thinking: what’s the most challenging game or book you’ve experienced? Not the hardest, mind. But the one most determined to make you feel terrible: your “Spec Ops: The Line”s, your Sinclair’s “The Jungle”s.
For me, it’s “Meltwater: A Game of Tactical Starvation”. The Cold War has ended in near mutual annihilation, and the only source of water exists in Antarctica, where the remaining Americans and Russian survivors continue to fight. Radioactive winds blow, polluting the ice sheet little by little until only one player remains.
William, I know you say that as a TTRPG this is not good, but you do such a good job summarizing this that I really want to play it now.
Glad/sorry to see you reupload this masterpiece of a video. I don't have time to watch it right now, but I'll put it on later to keep the UA-cam algorithm happy! Hope to see you keep making such amazing content about obscure content!
The one time I played Wraith the other players started backing away from me. I was a little "too good" at playing a Shadow. Never let a clinically depressed bloke be a Shadow: it's not about insulting and belittling the player, it's about suggesting some disturbing possibilities. And when my first Vampire character was a Malkavian my friend said in front of her group (who I was just introduced to), "You aren't supposed to play yourself!" Yeah, those sessions were fun...
When I play a Malkavian, I can't help but play myself.
So, playing Malkavian is saying the quite parts out loud?
Always malk…..once I was Samdei but it was supposed to be a one off game that everyone just got way into and got really dragged out….somehow I ended up being the big bad. The point I wanted to make was our game kinda ran into wraith a lot because our storyteller really loved wraith but could never get a group to run it so he had the wraith setting invade the vampire setting by way of a couple mages way too into morsseey songs. Was just supposed to be a one off that last 12-13 months with a session at least once a weekend sometimes twice. It’s just such a rich world to play in and with, the mechanics are it hard. I tried the WoD version though that feels like wraith got split into two settings the shadow parts being the beasts and the other parts being Geist but that’s just my thoughts. Ty for this had no idea this game existed gonna go get it
My favorite ghost??? Dude, do you ever heard of Raziel? A time traveling wraith soul devourer entity with shakesperian poetic self depressing talking in a divine conspiracy to kill his own father, his murderer, the Last Vampire, and the only possible Savior of the World where they live! If not, i would look into that...
Just now saw this from the algorithm and wow, I’m SUPER into this world of Wraith! Excellent video!
You're tellin me they made a setting book that let's me play see-through sad boi Magneto? I do wanna play that thank you.
I mean, when you put it like that...
I think the thing that drew most people to White Wolf games (besides the obvious aesthetic) was the crazy in depth lore that came with each of the settings. I remember legitimately enjoying reading the rulebooks, mostly because the lore sucked me in, and I got to learn a game system along the way. I really hope you cover Exalted at some point, it's my favorite White Wolf setting, and the lore is easily as in depth and over the top as all of the other White Wolf IPs combined.
Perfect video! Now they just need to release a Changeling video game so you can recap my favorite WoD setting: the one where the moon landing caused so much hope for the future that it caused the dream world and the real world to interact for the first time since the dark ages!
Holy crap Wraith is for me, this is really inspiring to keep developing my own ttrpg world
really enjoyed the original wraith vid before it got delisted, and now leaving a comment for algorithmic purposes. you’re doing fantastic work here, my dude, keep it up!
This video was the one that got me hooked on your videos. I really hope the algorithm gods bless you once more with this upload cause this is an incredible game
Man, every time i come across it, I'm reminded of how much i love the art in the world of darkness books.
The high quality, content and passion in your videos always astounds me considering the amount of subscribers you have. You deserve to have so many more! Best luck and wishes!
Omg I just found this channel and am SO EXCITED for more WoD content. I've always been super curious about the property.
Been waiting for years for someone to cover this, ty!
This was a great video! I loved hearing you explain the lore and a follow up video about the rest that you didn't explain would be awesome to watch! Thanks for making this series on the WoD. I had only ever heard of it in passing and in relation to Bloodlines.
This is so good! ❤ Thanks for covering Wraith, its such a weird game that doesnt get enough coverage!
So glad I found this video! I've been working on a personal campaign and some of the mechanics you go over here helped me with ideas I didn't know how to insert into my game. I look forward to watching more content!
Just watched the original upload and was curious about what you had to change. I have to say, your reenactment of the [CENSORED!] is *flawless*.
I was so confused when the first version suddenly disappeared, I loved that video. Glad to see a version is back up!
This is one of the best video essay I watched no joke keep it up man
Was great the first time, just as good the second!
Commenting to support. Thank you so much for covering this and the fantastic lore explanation. You're awesome dude :D
I'm sorry you had to re-upload this, that really sucks. Here's a comment for the algorithm and hopefully you can get momentum on this new video!
47:12 fighting a giant kaiju that fused with your shadow?
No doubt while a heavy metal rendition of Persona 4's I'll Face Myself was playing in the background.
I literally never knew that Vampire was a part of a series - now I have something to research. Thanks for the info!
Wraith was my first introduction to the World of Darkness, believe it or not. Played it earlier this year with a friend and his buddies and it was a blast. Plenty of melodrama, high stakes, and really had me go to a dark place to play my character.
So... I probably shouldn't have watched this at 2am, but I missed out on seeing it when you first uploaded it and I can't sleep anyway lol. As you were talking about the lore, I started thinking about the possible Jungian inspiration for certain monsters and themes, which is something I've gotten from watching Resonant Arc's podcast. Funnily enough, they're covering a game that I'd thought would be up your alley; Planescape: Torment. Funny how it's basically the dnd version of the Wraith TTRPG (criticsm for gameplay but not lore lol) and you both are covering these at similar times.
I really enjoyed all the tabletop lore you explained in the beginning. Gave great context for the game segments.
I'm glad to see a good video get a second chance.
Also, gotta say I'm a fan of the classics: Jacob Marley remains my favorite ghost.
Very good video. I'm a long time fan of the old WoD games, and even I've never been able to play a game of Wraith on the table. Really appreciate channels like this bringing attention to the World of Darkness (which has so many cool ideas and concepts), to new audiences who may not be familiar with it. It really was influential for a particular generation, and it's art and writing style really does feel one of a kind.
The decision to put a niche game into the niche VR market is questionable, but I'm hopeful videos like this help it get some attention. Fingers crossed for a new Hunter:The Reckoning game someday.
Glad this got re uploaded! World of Darkness has always been something I have been curious about!
As someone who spent too much on White Wolf products back in the day, I've been enjoying your recent videos greatly!
Just found out why you're reuploaded and here's my engagement again! Keep up the amazing work!
I regret I can only thumbs up the video once; so many great gags in this video that I had to pause so I could laugh, and also the depth of your coverage is wonderful - awesome video!
A completely brand new video I've never seen before, I'm excited to watch this for the first time!
Missed the first upload, so glad to get the chance to watch it now
This video is such a good review of not only the VR video game but also the table-top RPG that it's based on, including its rich history and inherent problems.
This was a very cool video, and I appreciated it a lot! Video so nice I'll watch it twice; unfortunate for the circumstances behind it, though. Also, I will say, I certainly do not mind getting a *lot* about a tabletop system in a video, followed by the stuff on the specific video game adaptation that brings the video together. If you ever do more of that in the future, I'm certainly here for it. (Or if you just wanted to talk about a tabletop, really, but the video game adaptations of tabletops deal seems a very cool and fun niche, and it's always fun to see a new video, whether it's a game I know about or not.)
I cannot express to you how much I NEED a classic RPG following the gothpunk DND side of this setting after watching this video, like sure personal horror is cool and all and but not when you're telling me Ghostzilla could be out there and I could be fighting him
Good video! Glad you uploaded it again
I'll have you know there are many of us chronically majorly depressed freaks out here who absolutely love wallowing in the deep, endless regret of WTO💔🖤
This looks fantastic and almost too scary to play. I love it & thank you for the content!
I would ki-LOVE. I would love William to do a deep dive into the lore of Wraith, and other WoD/D&D stuff. Even if it's not video game related. Not enough channels do that, which is a shame.
I'll be honest I didn't enjoy the second part, I just can't handle horror, but man the first part... I absolutely love listening you talking about the lore, your voice, the narration, the timing, everything is perfect. I'd watch a 5 hour video of you just talking about any RPG lore without hesitation. I meant to post this on the original video, so I don't know if anything changed, but I'm sure it's still amazing.
Oh hey, this video is great! I'm liking and subscribing, thank you!
I enjoy your content and I’m sorry your other video got age restricted.
You seem like a cool guy.
good old youtube forcing censorship on world historical events. things like this is why the alt right feels so emboldened lately. anyway sorry you have to do with that William and I will gladly watch this reupload.
Soy
I found out about Afterlife because of this video.... and I couldn't have been happier for that. Only watched just enough to know this game existed, then went and got it. It's been a long time since a horror game could make me shout in panic at what happened in it!
Adding some interaction. This was a great vid and I'm sorry you have to reupload.
I really hope you can explain more of the lore from World of Darkness! - loved the way you explained wraith. It’s the most comprehensive, interesting and well made video on it that I’ve seen
I always did wonder what the fuck Wraith could be about beyond being sad and haunting a house, but I wasn't ready for the shadow-Roman emperor fighting Godzilla
This was a really fascinating deep dive into an RPG setting I knew basically nothing about. Well done.
This is absolutely interesting! I think making this concept in a rpg like Disco Elysium could really make it shine in game form. I don’t play VR and it seems like Afterlife is more of an “action” horror experience rather than a story based game.
Love your WoD videos. VtM keeps coming up in friend groups to play but never anything else. Now I know a bit more of the wider setting and have something to share with them.
Bro what, this setting is fecking insanely cool!!!!! I want to play with my table like, next week!
I love to see any content of WoD (both new and classic) made with this love and attentiveness
13:23 A caul (pronounced like 'call') is when a baby is born with part of the amniotic sac covering its head. It's fairly rare and it's often considered an omen of some kind :)
I personally really do wish they expanded on the personal grief Gameplay. Resolving your regrets, watching over your loved ones, and essentially transcending sounds like an interesting gane.
This video is fantastic, no matter how many times the algorithm demands you chop it up
Indeed!
awesome video! i hope you'll make more of these in the future
Great exploration of a really unique find! Love the video.
Love this content that's more than just D&D. As a video gamer, I wouldn't know about this kind of thing at all, and it's great to listen to you explain these so well.
Thanks for this review. I am actually one of the few to have played and storytelled Wraith, online!
Wraith was my favorite WOD game
The anime club in college I belonged to played the strange WOD games exclusively, after a TPK in Hunter: the Reckoning, we switched to Wraith: the Oblivion and then Demon: The Fallen. My wraith was house bound, we had no idea how to handle that.
This is a great video, as was the OG!!! Glad you got it up!
Love these World of Darkness videos. Here's hoping you cover that Hunter the Reckoning game someday.
There's quite a few of them, suprisngly!
Reckoning for all consoles
And then two exclusives, one for Xbox and one for PS iirc?
Blessed reup. Thanks man. Much appreciated
48:47 I totally imagine Atkins, a cenobite and “Hell’s Armorer” from the Hellraiser comics being that guy!! Holy shit that would be amazing!!
Genuinely fascinating setting, I'd love to steal it for a game that isn't a nightmare to play sometime.
Fascinating stuff, and a well crafted video! Thanks for sharing. :)
Fantastic video! I've been playing VTM for years, but never checked out most of the other WOD series. Thanks for a comprehensive essay on the subject!
Also the videogame sounds like an amazing thing that I'm never going to touch with a ten-foot pole =)
I watched the origninal vid, so I'm putting this on while I do other stuff, while muting the tab in my browser, in case youtube have directed their programmers to pay attention to 'what vids are muted'. Who knows.
I didn't know this was a reupload, now wonder when I saw it on my notifs I was like "but I already watched that" lol. Gonna give it another watch then hehe.
Changeling the Dreaming was also functionally cancelled, I don't remember if it was officially announced, but books that were announced just stopped coming out (including one of the core Kith books). It got some mentions in some crossover-oriented books, but apart from that it was dead.
Interesting that Wraith would mostly ignore the more urban fantasy aspects and focus on the afterlife lore, since Changeling was dragged kicking and screaming by WhiteWolf (and OnyxPath) in the other direction. Going from the whole "holding on to the dying embers, you can't be entirely sure are even real, of a place you remember and long for, but have never seen" to being more just "Vampire, but with fae-creatures and imagination/dream magic".