The Witches of Wenlock Liberty: Act One: Sedition Rampant

SCENARIO PREMISE Tales of sedition and witchcraft draw the Agents of Dee to the market town of Much Wenlock. However, is there more to the story than some cunning-folk stirring up trouble in rural Shropshire. THE SETTING The dissolution of ties with the Church of Rome. Widespread religious reform, upheaval in the palaces and pastures of Europe, and the spread of the written word of Protestant belief, God grew distant. The barrier created by a wall of blind faith, maintained over centuries by the Church's strength, wavered. The dense and trackless forest, the shadowy stretches of rambling roads, the ruins of sacked churches—the otherworldly slithered through widening gaps in the weave of our world. Chaos erupts in dark places, and the Wild Hunt rides out. Monsters, demons and angels are real. The wider population saw the resurgence of bugs and the Fae as a byproduct of the malefic acts enacted by the opposing sides—Catholics and Protestants. While witches may burn or suffer grave tortures, the great courts of Europe embrace matters both magical and spiritual as a means to an end. Though many who claim magical power are nothing but frauds and tricksters. In 1563, the Queen passed an Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcraft. It made magick use to kill another a capital offence—triggered in no small part by a Catholic plot to assassinate the Queen through sorcery two years earlier. It also made a felony of the use of magick to maim, consort with evil spirits, provoke love, or seek buried treasure. In 1564, the Queen passed an amendment to the Act on her most trusted advisors' advice. The Dee Sanction permitted the practice of magick in defence or for the beneficence of the realm. And, it created a loophole through which convicted traitors might use their heretical knowledge to work a penance in service to Her Majesty. Matters of magick run a tightrope fraught with peril and potential. The Sanction fell under the jurisdiction of both Francis Walsingham—master of the Queen’s spy network in Europe—and Doctor John Dee—astrologer, alchemist and companion in words to the Queen. They recruited the fortunate malefactors rescued from execution as Agents, bound to a covert intelligence service. The Dee Sanction offered the first line of defence against inimical forces, both common and supernatural. NOTES Session Zero is FREE to all players. This is a game for responsible adults. Any concerns can be raised and discussed during the free Session Zero where we will go over any potential issues that players might have in an open and non-judgemental atmosphere. Players can also opt to include additional safety tools, such as X Cards, Lines & Veils, etc. At the end of each session an opportunity will be provided to discuss the game and bring up any issues, and highlight elements both good and bad. Note: Though on occaision some games may imply certain things 'off camera', none of my games contain scenes of sex or sexual violence.