Another Road To Lindisfarne

Another Road To Lindisfarne is a larp variation of the Pompey Crew Design TTRPG Witch: Road To Lindisfarne and follows the journey of an accused witch and her six companions to seek Absolution.

Long Description

It is the year of our Lord 1590, and contrary winds over the North Sea have prevented his majesty -- James I and VI of England, Ireland, and Scotland, long may he reign -- from claiming his lawful bride at the appointed time. After storms keep Anne of Denmark stranded in Norway, the king decides to go after her himself. On their return journey, a noblewoman and her servant drown, and there are rumors of war.

What else could have caused this but witchcraft? These foul winds are the work of the Devil and his wicked agents. Among the accused are Agnes Sampson of North Berwick, Doctor Fian, Francis Stuart the Earl of Bothwell, and a young woman named Elouise McCleary. Bothwell has escaped persecution (so far) by virtue of his nobility. Sampson and Doctor Fian were both gruesomely tortured and burned. But what to do with this young woman? Elouise is neither wed nor employed, nor has she been said to touch strong drink or turn men's eyes to wood. Is it true she could be a witch?

The people pray for an answer.

Three days have passed since the burning of Agnes Sampson. The witchfinders have been in consultation without rest. Today, they announce that Elouise McCleary must be taken in a caged cart to the holy isle of Lindisfarne. Once there, an ancient ritual will be performed to cleanse this land of her and the last traces of her coven's unholy workings. As the sun breaks on the Sabbath day, the witch will face her absolution, suspended between the deep and the firmament.

This is the story of that journey...

Another Road To Lindisfarne is a larp variation of the Pompey Crew Design TTRPG Witch: Road To Lindisfarne, and is set vaguely during the witch trials of North Berwick. Our witchhunters are more of the secular/noble variety, and the politics of witch-hunting focuses more on the move to early modern authoritarianism, rather than the other "mythologies" surrounding the practice.

Costumes are not required, but may add to the experience. Light archetypal costuming based on modern dance/opera is strongly preferred to period accuracy.

This game is: A slow march towards a violent/uncertain end, an exploration of witch hunts, about the journey rather than the destination, focused on secular authoritarianism and mob justice, forced proximity between people who perhaps hate or fear each other, a slightly altered history, scene-based (with prompts), player-driven, character-driven, prop- and setting-light.

This game is not: about the Spanish Inquisition, about the Malleus Maleficarum, about the so-called Burning Times, a visceral display of torture and burning, high fantasy, costume-heavy, production-heavy, What You See Is What You Get.

This game's AO3 tags: Abuse of Authority, Ambiguous/Bad Ending, Bittersweet Moments, Character Study, Confessions, Ensemble Cast, Flashbacks, Imprisonment, Religious Imagery and Themes, Torture (offscreen), Travel, Witchhunt

While this game is based on the eponymous TTRPG, the (very real) witch trials of North Berwick, and the GM's own anarcho-socialist views on the witch trials, game plays a little fast and loose with time. While in the real world, walking to Lindisfarne from Edinburgh takes roughly a day, this entire procession will take about a week. We will not be worrying about real-world geography or the minutiae of the day. Players who wish to do their own research for fun can read up on the North Berwick trials or, for a deeper dive, take on Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici. These are not necessary, but may add color to the game.

Players will portray one of seven main characters (including Elouise herself) on the journey as well as any minor characters needed. These characters are the Witch, and the male (knight, priest, and noble) and female (guide, nun, and witchfinder) members of the caravan who accompany her. This larp does not have a "No Preference" option simply because all the roles carry a specific weight based on early modern gender roles and the GMs would prefer players to express a preference!

Play takes place over the trip to Lindisfarne and progresses in a four-act scene-based structure, with an epilogue at the end. At the beginning of each act, designated players will read an introduction, then all players take turns framing scenes based on their character sheet. Scenes may jump around in time, but at least three scenes in each act must be set during the journey.

Torture and burning will be represented in this game by extremely abstracted mechanics that do not involve any actual visualization or intense somatic components. The torture mechanic in this game is lovingly borrowed from https://dymphna.itch.io/dreaming-the-devil by Jennifer Coy, and proceeds as follows:

To torture Elouise, a player takes a stick from the bundle on the floor and breaks it. This represents the Witch undergoing torture. Do not describe the details of the torture in any way. Elouise must not scream, groan, or describe her reaction in any way.

The torturer must look directly at Elouise's player while breaking the stick.

After the stick is broken, Elouise must answer in the affirmative to the next question that she is asked. In their answer, the Witch must tell the questioner exactly what she thinks they wants to hear. She should be florid and profuse with their explanation, going into vivid detail to try to avoid further torture.

There are nine sticks in the bundle, and players may break up to three per act. Elouise will not die of torture if all nine sticks are broken, but will be weakened and exhausted by the time the caravan reaches Lindisfarne. Other players may also protest or encourage this treatment as they see fit.

Elouise may not be killed until she reaches her Absolution, but any other characters may die if their player so desires.

This game is not for everyone. Please read and understand the content warnings before selecting this game, you know your own needs best. For basic social contract expectations in games run by Ruffled Feathers LLC, please see The Ruffled Feathers Expectations For Players And GMs While this is a Patreon link, it is free to the public.