You are invited to

Dear Sir or Madam,

You have been specially selected to step into the world of Fielding’s Hollow this fall.

To accept your place, read over this missive in its entirety and ensure that you understand the commitments involved. Then, kindly fill out the form at the bottom by Saturday, September 7. Be sure to download Signal for group communiqués.

We eagerly await your reply.

༺☆༻

What: An intense, immersive role-playing event for 16 players

When: The afternoon of November 2 until the morning of November 3, 2024
(With the option to arrive early, on November 1, for a relaxed Halloween party)

Where: An exquisite private estate in Stockbridge, MA

Introduction

Fielding’s Hollow is a live-action role-playing event for 16 players, set in a remote New England town during the Gilded Age. It is not for the faint of heart.

You will be invited to sink into a trance-like immersion in your character, pursuing their aims and merging their inner world with your own. As you learn more about your family members and fellow townspeople, you will come to trust them less and less. You may be called upon to defend yourself against stunning accusations, to sacrifice that which you hold dear, and even to murder those who oppose you. If all goes well, you just might feel like you’re going a little insane.

Much will be demanded of you. In the end, more may be taken. The fate of Fielding’s Hollow hangs in the balance, and those who succeed in their aims will guide the town into the dawning of a new age. Those who don’t will be left behind—or worse.

team

Writer: Alice Maynwaring

Masters of the Game: Alice Maynwaring & Tom Low

Host: Jett Oristaglio

cost

Sliding scale: $100 – $150, to be submitted via Venmo to @Alice-Maynwaring

If you drop out up to 2 weeks before the event, you will be given a full refund. 

Dropouts less than 2 weeks before the event are strongly discouraged; therefore, if you drop within this time frame, there will be no refund.

Content Warnings

Extramarital affairs

Religious dogma

Sexual awakening

Drug use & addiction

Incestuous longing

Depression

Homosexuality & bisexuality

Death of loved ones

On Dropping Out

Given that every one of the 16 characters in Fielding’s Hollow is necessary for the story to unfold properly, dealing with dropouts may be something of a challenge. If your circumstances change and you must back out, please try to do it sooner rather than later. Alice will keep a couple understudies on deck, but they may not be able to fill in if it’s the last minute. The fewer dropouts, the better!

on works in progress

This game is still in development. It’s also very open-ended. Some plots may be murkier than others, and there may be mechanical wrinkles to iron out during the game. Please bear with us if anything goes a bit off the rails. That being said, the first two runs were each a remarkable success, and we expect this experience to be even better.

what you will need to do

  • Choose your character, in collaboration with Alice. You will fill out a form and provide your top 3 choices.

  • Keep abreast of any communiqués sent via the Signal channel. More information about the story and gameplay will be revealed as time goes on.

  • Read your character sheet and other game information assiduously (20–30 pages total).

  • Spend some time thinking about your character’s goals, relationships, and strategy. You’ll want to be prepared. (But note that no matter how much you prepare, your game may go in an entirely different direction from what you expect.)

  • If you would enjoy discussing and modifying your character with Alice as she makes revisions, please reach out!

  • Attend the event, bringing your untarnished spirit, your steeliest determination, and a period-appropriate costume with you.

The Cast

Three families rule in Fielding’s Hollow:

The Lyons family are the keepers of the town’s religion, a Gnostic offshoot of Christianity.

The Cross family manages law enforcement and liaises with the government in Boston.

The Devereux family runs the business of the mines and export of lyrium.

a Note on Casting

On gender: You do not need to choose a character who matches your gender. It’s much more important that your character matches your sensibilities and interests — or, alternatively, that they represent an edge you would like to lean into in your roleplay.

On race: In this game’s version of 1890s culture, all races are treated equally. Any character can be played by a person of any race, and the other characters would not bat an eye.

House Lyons

  • Octave Lyons

    The high priest of Fielding's Hollow, whose grasp on spiritual inspiration has been slowly fading

  • Victoria Lyons

    The wife of Octave; elegant, willful, contemptuous, an avid esotericist

  • Sophia Lyons

    The melancholy daughter of Octave & Victoria, heir apparent to the priestly station

  • Orestis Lindermayer

    German scholar and mathematician, natural philosopher, live-in tutor to Sophia

House Devereux

  • Frederic Devereux

    Disabled folk hero, recent successor to his deceased father as owner of the Devereux Mines

  • Asenath Devereux

    Teenage sister to Frederic, precocious and unheeding of social boundaries

  • Arthur Caine

    The astonishingly brilliant captain of the Devereux Mines, an English expatriate

House Cross

  • Hiram Cross

    Virtuous judge, adjudicator of disputes, and amateur Egyptologist

  • Judith Cross

    Sweet, saintly wife of Hiram, friend of unfortunates, a holy bimbo

  • Sebastian Cross

    Dashing dandy son of Hiram and Judith, recently returned from college in Boston

  • Amos Lockwood

    Bailiff and enforcer for the Cross family, staunch materialist, sober and logical

Townspeople

  • Quinn Robicheau

    Owner of the local saloon, fierce and jovial, a former detective for the Boston Police Department

  • "Crescens" Robicheau

    Twin sibling of Quinn; an unhinged, obsessive artist with progressive ideals

  • Dr. Waterhouse

    The town doctor; well-traveled, erudite, a believer in the boundlessness of human potential

  • Sarah Ballard

    A young lady recently blessed with miraculous powers of insight

  • Grimalkin

    A cynical healer of mysterious origin, whom the miners view as a near-messiah

  • ?

    Others may appear as Fate decrees

What awaits you in Fielding’s Hollow?

If you wish to accept your place, RSVP below.

The clock winds down—

Its brimming hands

Have mercy on these sinful lands.

With eye of white

And hue of blue

The midnight hour takes its due.

This game is dedicated to Nikolay Dybowski and the entire team behind Pathologic & Pathologic 2.