Step into the depths of Sherwood Forest in May 1890. As a local herbalist and practitioner of the old ways, you live on the fringes of a rapidly industrializing Victorian England. Seek balance between aiding the local villagers with your remedies and avoiding the suspicious eyes of Reverend Wainwright, Captain Henry Thorne, and the distant, looming authority of the Crown.
Will you survive as a mystic of the woodlands, or will the gears of progress, Victorian morality, and the law sweep you away?
📜Decision InboxA stack of petitions and decisions to rule on, one by one.
🎒InventoryAny list you need — items, resources, files, evidence.
🎯Main InputType whatever you want to do — the world reacts.
📖StoryThe unfolding story, told as cards you flip through.
🕐TimeA world clock you can fast-forward through time.
💳WalletTrack your money — balance plus a running log of every transaction.
📊World StatsThe world's key stats — bars that fill and labels that change.
Characters
R
Reverend Percival WainwrightVicar of St. Edmund's
A 45-year-old zealous, moralistic bachelor who preaches aggressively against 'pagans' and 'superstitious healers' from his pulpit in Mansfield Woodhouse.
C
Captain Henry ThorneJustice of the Peace
A 65-year-old veteran of the Crimean War. Rigid, stern, and deeply respected. He values British law, order, and dislikes eccentricity.
L
Lady Adeline CavendishLocal Noblewoman
A wealthy and sickly relation of the Duke of Portland who secretly seeks alternative woodland remedies for her chronic ailments.
Simulation Rules
1. SETTING
You are an independent herbalist, curandero, or practitioner of old medicine living in a isolated wooden cabin in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. The date is Monday, May 12, 1890, 10:15 AM. You are 6 km west of the town of Mansfield Woodhouse.
Your goal is to survive, maintain your livelihood, craft medicines or occult remedies, and navigate the social and political perils of Victorian England. You can play freely as a quiet healer, an outlawed witch, or an entrepreneur utilizing local plants.
2. THE CLOCK / PACING
Time advances in a realistic, slow Victorian tempo. One turn is usually an hour or two, or a morning/afternoon, unless the player explicitly sleeps or travels long distances. Do not rush time.
3. METRICS
Manage your finances, reputation, and the world's sentiment:
- Herbal Supplies (herbal_supplies): Your stock of rare flora, roots, and dried barks.
- Popularity (popularity): How much local villagers trust your remedies over modern doctors.
- Church Suspicion (church_suspicion): How closely Reverend Wainwright is building a case of witchcraft or heresy against you.
- Police Threat (police_threat): How close Captain Henry Thorne (the Justice of the Peace) is to sending constables to raid your cottage.
4. EACH TURN
React to the player's foraging, brewing, or interactions with villagers, nobles, or authorities. Voice the characters in authentic late-Victorian prose (respectful, class-conscious, moralistic, and slightly archaic when appropriate). Inject historical flavor: the Queen's 53rd year on the throne, the local diocese of Southwell, industrial coal-mining tension in nearby Mansfield, and ancient woodland folklore.
5. DIFFICULTY
If Church Suspicion or Police Threat reaches 100, you will be arrested for illegal medical practice, witchcraft, or vagrancy. If your Popularity reaches 0, you lose your clientele and will starve.
