Scotland’s rich history is the subject of an unpcoming tabletop roleplaying game, Carved in Stone, which aims to teach its players and gamemasters about the Pictish era of the 7th century.
Carved in Stone is a tabletop roleplaying game that has players becoming members of the Picts, a tribe of people who lived in ancient Scotland.
With Carved in Stone, player characters will find themselves overcoming many challenges, from navigating political strife and differences between the Pictish people, as well as literal obstacles in the very wilderness itself. Player characters will be attempting to discover who they are and what identity they have amongst the Pictish people, as well as what they can give back to their culture.
The Picts – who battled against the Romans, Angles and the Vikings – created standing stones and also constructed hill forts to defend themselves against rival tribes and invaders. Their stones and the remains of their hillforts have been found across Scotland, including the Highlands, Perthshire and Aberdeenshire.
Carved in Stone is being developed by Edinburgh-based game design company Dungeons on a Dime and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s Dig It! project.
Dungeons on a Dime said: “There are a great many misconceptions about the past in the public consciousness. Depictions of Scotland’s early history paint its peoples as backwards hill warriors, covered in blue tattoos and running naked into tribal warfare. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Contemporary archaeological research proves that Scotland has always been a multicultural, multilingual and socially diverse country, as it still is today. In the 7th century, before Scotland was unified as a single nation, there were five spoken languages, five separate kingdoms, international trade, fading empires, and lush landscapes.
“The problems the Picts faced in 680 CE are analogous to those we face today. By better educating ourselves about the past, we help everyone become more critical of their futures.”
An illustrated book, described as a “visual encyclopedia” of Pictish history, is due out in 2023. Dungeons on a Dime are currently crowdfunding via Kickstarter.
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living
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