The plot ran as follows: in the village of Crofts End, a young couple have disappeared – presumably having eloped – and the PCs are hired by the local lord to track them down and placate their parents (who, Romeo and Juliet style, are locked in a bitter, low-key feud.) What started as a simple “medieval” investigation, soon turned into a dark Call of Cthulhu style mystery. A string of encounters unfolded in a fairly linear manner, but the referees adapted the encounters to allow the players to plan and conspire, so that the players had a good degree of flexibility and were not led by the nose.

Encounters included crooked tax collectors and low-level bandits, a corrupt official and feuding peasants, leading to a demonic ritual which the PCs (of course) had to race to stop. Combats were infrequent and over very fast, but were good fun when they did occur. Spacing out the encounters gave the players plenty of time for roleplaying and discussion as they walked from one encounter to another, though led to a slow paced day for the crew.

The props were fine for a local linear system – the ritual was nicely laid out, for example – but the level of costume could have been better. Again, not bad for a local system, but far from ideal.

The site was a strange mix, in some ways excellent, but with some annoying flaws. The wood was quite large, with a good mix of terrain types, but had a few members of the public at large and was marred by the constant hum of the nearby motorway. As a nice bonus the group had access to a scout hut which provided a base of operations and location for a local “manor”, but with lots of modern fixtures and fittings evident.

The roleplaying was solid. No distracting comedy characters, no-one dropping out of character to discuss films or games, just good solid characterisations. And before and after the games everyone was pleasantly friendly, with a relaxed build up to the game and an expedition to a local pub after the event.

All in all, the game was unpolished, but highly enjoyable, carried along on the enthusiasm of the players and a truly original horror plot created by the referees. On this basis, WT’s Celtic system looks like it is worth checking out.