The Rose and the Dragon

Authors

Dave Agnew, Martin Clyde, Mike Curtis, Claire Ahuriri, Malcolm Harbrow, Donna Giltrap, Matt Swain, Helen Jones-Rippey and Ryan Paddy, with special thanks to Kath Dewar and Jacqueline Brasfield for their help

Introduction

The Rose and the Dragon will consist of four interwoven games, all set on May Day in the Barony of Thamesly in England, 1221 AD. Our aim is to create a microcosm of medieval English society that players can stray into for one evening, to celebrate a festival to welcome the coming of summer in a bygone era. Each character will be written as part of one of the four games, but will also cross over with characters in the other three, and players will be able to move between the four venues freely. The result will be a huge immersive experience.

May Day

In the Barony of Thamesly a curious custom has arisen to mark the festival of May Day. Paying homage to a local myth, the villagers costume themselves as forest creatures and parade up the road to the Great Hall. Among them is a ferocious dragon, which only a rose from the lady of the manor may tame.

This year on May Day the barony is host not only to the usual wild festivities of the village folk and those who live in the greenwood, but also several courts of nobles who are travelling to Westminster to petition the king, and the camps of their soldiers who are preparing for war.

It is the Year of Our Lord 1221, and the fourteen-year-old boy Henry III is King of England. His reign is marked by struggle against the Magna Carta, which his father King John was forced to sign by the barons. Civil war beckons between his noble supporters and those who seek to constrain the royal powers and call a parliament.

It is an age of vast contrast between the educated nobles and illiterate peasants, the god-fearing clergy and violent knights. Kings rise and fall, realms are gained and lost, and the intrigues of village life may touch even the mighty.

The village children sleep restlessly, for tomorrow will be the best day of the year. The dancing! So many strangers! And the parade!

Faction Information

War Camp: This game focuses on the military life, those hardened by battle or traumatised by it, the nature of war and the contrast with the free-wheeling folk who make a living following the soldiers. Download War Camp pdf.

The Village: The Village game explores themes of community, family, social status, and feudalism from the peasants' perspectives. Download Village pdf.

The Greenwood: The Greenwood explores the themes of freedom, duty, greed, redemption, family, treachery, and religion from the point of view of those who live in the wild woods. Download the Greenwood pdf.

The Great Hall: The Great Hall with secrecy, romance, status, family, betrayal, politics, and good old fashioned drama amongst the highborn of England. Download the Great Hall pdf

Costume

Medieval costuming, dependent on the sort of character.

Character Questionnaire

Once you have registered, you can fill in the character questionnaire here.

GM Contact

TBD


Background

At Chimera 2013 we invite you to step into another milieu. With 160 players spread across four venues, our flagship game The Rose and the Dragon will bring to life the great hall, the humble village, the forest folk and the war camps of England in the Middle Ages, all in one massive event.