Darkened Hill & Dale

Darkened Hill & Dale is a collection of seven horror scenarios for tabletop roleplaying games, set in the modern British countryside.

Tonally, they’re a mix of cosmic and folk horror, with unique situations and threats to negotiate. The settings encompass market towns, garden centres, sleepy villages, moorlands, and beyond.

These scenarios are intended to run in 1–3 sessions and be useable with a variety of systems, so each scenario includes notes for player characters who are occult-aware and those who are not. While these scenarios are set in Britain, most should be adaptable to other locations—particularly as they’re all based in fairly rural locales.

The scenarios are accompanied by a separate collection of handout ephemera, with 2–3 items per scenario including maps, news articles, folklore book ‘photocopies’, etc.

This project was funded on Kickstarter in March 2024.

Darkened Hill & Dale is now available to buy!

What’s Included

  • Darkened Hill & Dale, 152pp, with colour illustrations
    (hardcover/softcover/PDF)
  • A collection of player handout ephemera in a printed folder, 21 items
    (physical/digital)
  • Access to a collection of reference photos for scenario locations
    (online)
  • A list of spoiler-free content warnings for players
    (online)
Mock-up of the hardback version
Mock-up of the physical folder of player handout ephemera
Mock-up of the PDF version

The Scenarios

Roses Are Red

A beautiful wedding turned into a violent bloodbath, but the survivors can’t remember why.

Six people are dead and over a dozen more have been injured in a violent brawl at an otherwise charming wedding. The cause of the brawl is unknown – none of the survivors remember the violence, a cause, or much of anything after the vows. Investigators may find that truths and roses have thorns about them, providing they don’t forget themselves first.


Death Knell

Ashby Knell is going all-out with this year’s village fair, where the rediscovered church bell will be rung for the first time in centuries.

It’s been several centuries since half of Ashby Knell burnt to the ground and the church bell was lost, never to be replaced. Recently rediscovered and restored, hundreds will be attending the fair to hear it ring again – even if the tragic death of the local vicar has cast a pall over the event. The entire village may be about to discover that some things are best left buried.


It Takes A Village

Everything looks perfect for Upper Dalby’s ‘Open Gardens’ weekend, despite the recent accidents.

The village is in full bloom, the local W.I. is enjoying a membership surge, and, just the other day, two young girls were miraculously saved from drowning in the river… weren’t they? Investigations during an Open Gardens weekend reveal that things perhaps aren’t quite as they seem.


Aurora Temporalis

Wild camping at a remote beauty spot whilst an aurora lights up the night sky should be relaxing, despite the local stories of strange apparitions.

Vibrant auroras light up the skies across Britain – what better time to arrange an illicit camping trip to the magnificent stone formations of Malham Crags? As the metallic scream of a failing plane engine cuts through the night, lights in the sky are soon the least of the campers’ concerns.


Fatstock

It’s winter in Mawbury. The reservoir has frozen over, the Hunt has gathered, and it’s time for the annual Fatstock Show & Dinner.

This agricultural market town continues to thrive against the odds, and farmers from all around bring their finest livestock to compete in the annual Fatstock show. After the show, the town’s elite gather to paint the town red. That the dinner is oddly secretive is probably nothing to worry about, and the death of a local businessman is surely unrelated.


Moonlit Shadow

Old Annie Haddow, Captured a Shadow,
Up on the moor, In a silvery night.

A summer wildfire has uncovered ancient rock carvings up on the moor, purported ‘big cat’ sightings abound once again, and the police are looking for witnesses following the death of a local metal detectorist in a suspected dog attack. Local folklore tells tales of witchcraft and greed, but the truth may be even stranger.


Fools’ Fire

The village sank into the marsh years ago, but its lonely church remains. Its doors open only once a year, for the midsummer festival of St John’s Eve.

The coastline of Inskirk is rife with superstition and mystery – including sea caves haunted by smugglers’ ghosts and an entire village sunken into the marshland except for its church. It’s all great material for a team of content creators focusing on folklore, although they may not be prepared for such authentic folk tales.


Artwork

Artwork for Darkened Hill & Dale has been commissioned from Camilla Sicignano, Jazmin Presi, RainbowPhilosopher/Sarah, and Mat Pringle, who are all very talented artists.

Prints of their illustrations can be purchased as add-ons, to either hang on your wall or use as player aids.

Christopher Marron, by Jazmin Presi
Darkened Hill & Dale cover art, by Camilla Sicignano
Aurora Temporalis, by RainbowPhilosopher/Sarah

Acquiring A Copy

Darkened Hill & Dale is available in physical and digital formats.


Add-ons

Several add-ons are available for Darkened Hill & Dale. These include:

  • Handmade prints of Mat Pringle’s Darkened Hill & Dale linocut artwork
  • A4 Giclée fine art prints of the cover artwork
  • Postcard sets of NPC illustrations, scenario illustrations, and the cover artwork
  • Holographic/Iridescent stickers featuring the skull-themed logo for This Blighted Isle

This Blighted Isle

Darkened Hill & Dale is the launch title for This Blighted Isle—a series of system-flexible horror scenarios, and themed collections of scenarios, set in and around modern Britain.


FAQ

  • Where can I find the latest information about this project?
    • Monthly updates are posted on project Kickstarter pages, informal updates are shared on BlueSky, and things are sporadically posted on Instagram.
  • I have an issue with my BackerKit pre-order or Kickstarter pledge
    • I’m sorry to hear that. Please do get in touch via the platform you supported the project on.
  • I’m a reviewer/podcaster/etc interested in covering Darkened Hill & Dale
    • That’s cool! Get in touch if you’d like to chat about the project, or if you need any information or supporting materials.
  • I’m a online/physical retailer interested in stocking Darkened Hill & Dale

About Patchwork Fez Games

Hi! I’m Sarah Cole.

Although I’ve been a writer and game designer for several years, I only decided to start releasing my work to the public relatively recently – and here we are!

In the UK, I’m best known for helping to run artsy games events and organising Trick or Retreat – a not-for-profit event where folks gather to play tabletop games and generally chill out.

I do not use AI in my projects.