English Eerie

Rural Horror Storytelling Game for One Player

By Scott Malthouse
Images in the public domain

Copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017, all rights
reserved.
 English Eerie
Rural Horror Storytelling Game for One Player

By Scott Malthouse
Images in the public domain

Copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017, all rights
reserved.
 Introduction

The English countryside

is haunted. Stand in the
quiet of a lonely wood as
the leaves whisper their
secrets in your ear and
you will realise that
there's something not
quite right here. The land
is shaped by stories of
gnarled hags who enter
villages to steal away
children, phantom
coaches heard from the
roadside, and black hell
beasts roaming the moors for their next victims. Tall stone
megaliths recall witches dancing on the Sabbath, engaging
in unholy acts and calm pools hide beings who would seek
to drag wanderers to a dreadful end.

English Eerie takes inspiration from folklore, along with the

works of M.R. James, Arthur Machen and Algernon
Blackwood to help players tell their own haunted tales of
the English countryside. The game is designed to be played
over one or a series of dark evenings by the flicker of
candlelight. The player, you, will need a journal, a pen, a
ten-sided die (d10), a set of tokens in two colours (beads etc)
and a deck of playing cards.

The aim of English Eerie is to tell your own tale of rural

horror through entries in your journal - just as many
protagonists do in horror literature. The card deck will be
the engine that drives your story, presenting scenes for you
to flesh out and for your character to overcome - all of
which is recorded in physical journal entries. As time goes
on tension rises and the horror is ramped up until the
climactic end scene. There are several scenarios at the end
of this book that offer you an inspirational framework to
build a terrifying tale. You can choose to play the game in a
single sitting or to draw out the experience over a series of
nights.
 Rural Horror

When we talk about rural horror, we’re talking not only

about ghost stories and folklore set in the countryside, but
the horror inherent in the landscape itself. While many
settings work for this type of macabre genre, there is
something about the English country that makes it perfect
for spinning ghoulish tales. There is a deep, unsettled
history in the hills, woodlands and valleys of England - one
of ancient bloodshed, blood-fuelled rites and malicious
machinations. A layer of folklore has enveloped this spectral
landscape, so much so that you cannot go anywhere without
recalling a story about an evil spirit living within a cave or
being told about a phantom or two who haunt the halls of a
stately home (‘to this day you can still hear footsteps on the
landing’).

The works of renowned author M.R. James are dripping

with tales of rural terror - often set in manor houses deep
within the country, like A View from a Hill that evokes a land
haunted by the accursed dead. James’ tales were often set in
small villages or coastal towns where some evil is nudged
awake by some hapless scholar. Algernon Blackwood, who
was much loved by H.P. Lovecraft, too wrote about the cold,
naked country and its eerie inhabitants. In arguably his
greatest work, The Willows, Blackwood conjures a land that
is at odds with humanity - one that is ancient and where we
only trespass. While The Willows is set in Eastern Europe,
the descent into madness the characters face brought on by
their natural surroundings can easily be placed in England.
In fact, the scenario The Lost River in this book is inspired
by this tale.

What is presented in English

Eerie is a method of
immersing yourself as one of
the characters from these
rural horror stories. Through
the system you will craft
your very own tale, respond
to the actions of others and
unveil clues that will lead
you to the inevitable
conclusion. Like the
characters in many a weird
tale, yours may not survive,
or they may suffer a fate
even worse than death.
 Your Character

To begin play, you must form the character you will embody
when writing in your journal. This is a simple affair - in
English Eerie character mechanics are not as prominent as
in many other roleplaying games just from the simple fact
that stats and figures can get in the way of telling a good
ghost story.

Your character has two attributes: Resolve and Spirit. These

will diminish as the story unfolds, helping your character
keep his wits and determining the final outcome of the tale.

Resolve represents your character's determination to

continue onwards, to rationalise the irrational and to keep
their wits about them. Resolve is spent to help your
character overcome obstacles in scenes.

Spirit represents your character's thoughts, feelings and

physical well-being. As Spirit is reduced, your character
falls into a spiral of horror, doubt and harm. Ending a story
with 0 Spirit does not bode well for your character, but this
might be what you want in a tale.
Each attribute has a number of
points. To determine this, split 10
points between each, with a
minimum of 3 in each. I.e. 6
Resolve and 4 Spirit.

While the scenario may give you

an indication of what your
character may do for a living, do
create a name for him/her and
think about a little backstory to
help with the flavour of the story.
It may help inspire one of your scenes.
 Setting up the Game

English Eerie uses playing cards to help the story unfold.

Instead of using the entire deck, the game uses a select
number of cards that you must set up at the beginning of the
game. Take 3 Queens of any suit - these are the Grey Ladies,
a staple ghost in English folklore. When a Grey Lady is
revealed the Tension increases and an event occurs,
determined by the scenario you're playing.

Then take the 4, 5, 6, and 7

of all four suits, shuffling
these into a single deck (not
including the Grey Ladies).
Split this deck into 3 piles
and put a Grey Lady on the
bottom of each before
placing them back into a
single deck. This is known
as the Story Deck.

You will need a journal to

write in and a d10, in
addition to a lit candle if you have one. This latter element is
for atmospheric purposes - the game should be played in the
dark by candle or lamplight in the quiet of the night - where
shadows dance on the walls and where your imagination
can take you to dark, unsettling places.

Take your tokens and split them into two colours. One
colour will represent Resolve while the other will represent
Spirit. Put the required number of tokens matching these
attributes in two small piles in the play area.

Finally, you will need one of the printed scenarios in the

back of this book to refer to.
 Playing the Game

A game of English Eerie is played by revealing the top card

of the deck, resolving a scene, and writing down the
resulting narrative in your journal.

Each suit represents a type of scene, which are as follows:

a secondary character is harmed in some

way. For example, they could be attacked by a
creature, or even found dead.

a secondary character obstructs you in some

way (obstacle). For example, they attempt to stop you
from going where you need to go, or they physically
strike you.

the environment obstructs you in some

way (obstacle). For example, you become lost in a
dark forest or a fog gathers to obstruct your path.
 you uncover a minor clue. For example,
you discover a tattered map or a skull beneath
the floorboards.

Each scenario offers a list of secondary characters, minor

clues, environmental obstacles and secondary character
obstacles to inspire you.

The game is played by revealing

cards, which correspond to scenes in
your story. Start the game by placing
the card at the top of the Story Deck
at the side of the deck. The suit of
the card will determine the type of
scene (see previous section). You
should think of what happens in the
scene, taking inspiration from the
scenario to help you form a journal
entry dripping with terror. If the
scene involves an obstacle, you will
need to attempt to overcome it (see
Overcoming an Obstacle below).
Once you have decided on what happens in the scene and
resolved any obstacles, write this down in your journal.
Then reveal the next card and place it next to the previous
card. The new scene should relate in some way to the last -
so it shouldn’t be a random scene.

Every two cards revealed counts as a day in your journal.

. That last Grey Lady represents an entire

day in your journal. It is recommended that you play the
game over a series of real nights, giving you chance to
ruminate over the story and come up with new ideas
throughout the day.

Grey Ladies represent a notable event in the story and an

increase in tension. When a Grey Lady is revealed, read the
Tension table in the scenario to determine the event. This is
usually left fairly ambiguous so you can be as creative as
possible when telling your story. The suit of the Grey Lady
does not matter. To simulate the creeping increase in
horror, when a Grey Lady is revealed, you must either spend
a Resolve point or lose one Spirit. If you cannot lose any
more Spirit points, you still remain at 0 Spirit.
The final Grey Lady revealed signals the end of the tale, so
this is where you should wrap up. The Tension table for the
scenario will indicate the final reveal of the horror.

When a club or diamond is

revealed it means that the
scene involves an
that you must overcome. To
overcome an obstacle, roll a
d10. If the number is equal to
or above the number on the
card, you have successfully
negotiated the obstacle. If
the roll is under, you have
failed. Lose 1 Spirit on a
failure. Your journal entry
must be written to reflect a
success or failure.

You may spend Resolve to help overcome an obstacle. You

must choose to spend Resolve before rolling and you can
spend as many tokens as you like. After rolling, add these
points to your roll.
For every Grey Lady on the table, the difficulty of any roll is
increased by 1. So a scene with a card number of 6 would
increase to 8 if there were two Grey Ladies on the table
already. This represents the story getting away from the
player as they spiral into horror.

Every horror story must come to an end and rarely does this
happen happily. Once the final Grey Lady is revealed, count
up your remaining Spirit points and refer to the Conclusion
Table in the scenario. This will tell you how to wrap up your
last journal entry. Generally, if you have Spirit left, you will
be presented with a more positive ending, but if you have 0
Spirit you will be doomed. There is no ‘bad ending’ - just the
ending there needs to be for your story.

You are playing the scenario the Beast on the Moor. You
start with 3 Resolve and 7 Spirit. After sorting out the Story
Deck, you light your candle and turn over the first card,
which is a 5 of hearts - a secondary character is harmed in
some way. As this isn’t an obstacle, you don’t have to roll so
 you begin writing in your journal. Looking at the scenario,
you select Lord Cunningham, who you are visiting to soothe
his mind as his has been raving of queer things recently.

I arrived at Cunningham Manor on Tuesday, a great

early 19th century building of pristine whiteness. The
gardens are immaculate, the roses coming through
beautifully at this time of year. Knocking on the door, I 
was greeted by a kindly lady I knew to be Mrs Bristle,
one of Christopher’s servants. As I was welcomed inside
the grand building there was a scream from the above
floors. I bolted upstairs to the location of the sound,
finding Christopher on the floor, his back against the wall,
looking feverishly out of the window. “I saw it,” said he. “I 
 saw the beast.” 

After writing this, you turn over the next card - the 6 of
diamonds. This is an environmental obstacle. You consult
the obstacles in the scenario and select ‘a thick fog blocks all
vision’. Of course, you could have come up with your own
obstacle, but decided on using the scenario for help. Because
it’s an obstacle, you must roll a d10 and try to get 6 or more.
You decide against using Resolve, as you don’t have much,
and roll a five. You have failed, losing 1 Spirit.
 Seeing my friend on the floor, a pathetic mess, I walked 
to the window where he was pointing a shaking finger. To
my astonishment and, quite frankly, dread, a thick mist
had begun to roll over the moors. Not five minutes ago
had I been out in the sunshine admiring the garden, but
now I could see nothing past the pane. The fog would not
lift for several hours and by that time any trace of what
Christopher had possibly seen had disappeared.

So ends your first day. The next day you come back to your
 journal and turn over the next card, which is the 7 of spades.
You have uncovered a minor clue. Looking at the scenario
you select the scratch mark on the door.

Breakfast in the morning was pleasant - bacon, sausages 

and egg - a perfect start to the day. I must admit that
my dreams were plagued with strange sights and sounds 
 - curse that dreaded fog last night and my friend’’s 
ravings. He seems much better today and he told me
that we could go out walking. After we had eaten I 
 slung on my boots and put on my cap before leaving. As 
I left, I turned and noticed a series of large gouges in
the main door - they almost seemed to be claw marks, as 
if from a large cat. I did not point this out to
Christopher as I knew it would send him running up to
his room again, but it prayed on my mind.

Now we can see the story

taking shape. You reveal the
last card of the day - a Grey
Lady. Consulting the Tension
Table, you see that you’re
going to witness the eyes of
the beast across the moor.
Because it’s a Grey Lady, you
must spend a Resolve or lose
a Spirit. You decide to spend
the Resolve.

We walked for much of the

day, taking in the rolling
hills, the sun shining happily upon us. Evening quickly
came and I noticed that Christopher was becoming
concerned, so I suggested we head back to the manor and 
fix up some tea. Just then, out of the dark of the copse
of trees to the east I witnessed two bright objects like
burning coals staring right at me, into my soul. Suddenly
a black mass moved in the darkness of the trees and was 
at once gone. I put the phenomena down to a trick of the
light and perhaps a fox hunting its next meal. I admit
that the vision shook me, but I paid it little attention as 
I walked back to the manor.

The story continues from there, with the player revealing

new cards and using the obstacles and characters in the
scenario to build up a terrifying tale. As the tension ramps
up, you might want to change your writing style to reflect
the panic your character is feeling. Short sentences that
mimic breathlessness will add to the pacing of the story, and
don’t forget to load on the atmosphere - you can never have
too much in a horror story.
While English Eerie is meant to be a solitary game, it can
also be played with more than one person. Rather than
writing down the story, it’s told out loud with friends.

Everyone involved will be playing as the narrator, each

taking in turns to reveal a card and narrate what happens in
the scene (for argument’s sake, play begins with the
youngest player). Only the person whose turn it is gets to
have the final say as to how Resolve is spent. The
multiplayer version offers more of a campfire ghost story
feel to the game.
 Scenarios

This section contains a series of scenarios to play spanning

different eras and tackling a variety of horrors in the
English countryside. You can play these in any order you
like.

Synopsis: The date is 1907. You take on the role of an

antiquarian visiting a friend in an old manor house in
Derbyshire. Your friend, Lord Christopher Cunningham, is
ailing of late and his mind is deteriorating. He raves much
about sounds on the moors, strange lights and a shape that
he swears he has seen cross his window on a few occasions.
You have decided to stay for a week to look after
Christopher and help soothe his mind.

● Lord Cunningham, a solitary noble who lives alone,

save for a few servants, in his Derbyshire manor. He
is potentially becoming a danger to himself with all
these tales of strange goings on.
● Mrs Bristle, a middle-aged plump serving woman
who dotes on Christopher. She is worried about his
state of mind and often sits with him while he sleeps.
● Mr Douglas, a butler who looks like he’s built for a
fight. He doesn’t seem to care much for his lord, and
puts in the least effort. He is in love with Ms Enfield.
● Ms Enfield, a serving girl of twenty years old. She is a
superstitious type and encourages Christopher when
he spouts his lunacy about odd sounds and shapes in
the night. Mrs Bristle isn’t fond of her ways and
believes she’s got ‘the devil in her’.

● A scratch mark on the outside door

● A bizarre howl coming from the moor
● An ancient text that is unreadable
● An old newspaper clipping about lights above Golden
Wood
● A savaged cow on the field

● A thick fog blocks all vision

● A slippery stream blocks your way
● The trees appear to whisper to you
● An animal trap on the ground
● The trapdoor is jammed
 ● A character assaults you with a weapon
● A character blocks your way out
● A character attempts to talk you out of going
somewhere
● A character leaves you lost in the wilderness
● A character has apparently been driven to lunacy

1. You witness the fiery eyes of a being in the dark on

the moors dart across the landscape
2. Lord Cunningham is nowhere to be found. They say
he went out into the wood
3. A black beast with saucer eyes confronts you in the
dark

If you have 1 or more Spirit remaining: You have lived to tell

the tale of the beast on the moor and all your faculties are in
check. You may have found a method of ridding the world of
this foul beast.

If you have 0 Spirit remaining: Your last entry details your

thoughts after fleeing the beast on the moor. You are raving,
your world has been turned upside down. You are convinced
that someone in the manor or in the area is responsible for
this beast. You will find them and put an end to them.
Synopsis: The date is 1921. You take on the role of an
explorer and adventurer who has decided to go with three
friends on a boating holiday down the River Eden in
Cumbria. The plan is to take a canoe from the river’s source
in Mallerstang and sail down to Carlisle, covering around 90
miles in distance. Despite the first few days being pleasant,
with little in the way of weather trouble, on the fourth day a
mist descends and the world suddenly becomes rather
hostile. On the fifth day you find that the environment isn’t
how you had expected it. The land around you is barren and
bleak, with not a soul to be seen. You take camp nearby and
in the morning find your canoes destroyed. It will be several
days before they can be repaired, so you will have to wait it
out in this eerie landscape.

● Mary Jones, a feisty independent lady with a taste for

adventure. She has accompanied you on many an
expedition, and while you are fond of her you have
found that she can be unpredictable.
● Geoffrey Rose, a long-time friend and ally from the
war. You have both seen atrocious things and are
both still coming to terms with the horrors of the
trenches. You get the feeling it has affected Geoffrey
more than it has you.
● Ivy Prairie, an American who moved to the Lake
District after the war. She is an unknown quantity in
the group, having been introduced as Mary’s friend
(although there is seemingly more going on with the
way they look at each other).

● The sound of rain outside, despite it being dry

● A ring of dead crows
● The sound of distant piping in the air
● The stars don’t look right - it’s the wrong hemisphere
● A large rip is found in the side of the tent

● A heavy rain falls, causing you to take shelter

● You walk into a bog, beginning to sink
● Crows descend and peck at you
● You feel pulled towards the river
● Your supplies have rotted away

● A character refuses to come out of the tent

● A character leaves in the dark
● A character pins you to the ground
● A character points a revolver at their head
● A character tries to talk you into staying here
 1. In the morning, three strange symbols are etched into
the mud outside your tents.
2. One character throws themselves into the river as a
sacrifice.
3. Three impossibly tall, dark beings are seen at the
other side of the river.

If you have 1 or more Spirit remaining: You manage to

create a raft from driftwood, and although it is rudimentary,
you are able to sail down the river. After a day of floating,
you fall asleep. You awake on an embankment in Carlisle,
helped up by a local farmer.

If you have 0 Spirit remaining: Your last entry details the

beings that you have seen. They are the watchers of this
dark world. You realise that you are no longer in England,
but in some kind of pocket where these ancient beings exist.
There is no hope for you. You must make yourself a
sacrifice.
Synopsis: The date is 2017. You are reluctantly joining a
friend on a trip to a digital detox camp in order to go back to
nature and leave any tech at home. The camp is situated in
the Yorkshire Dales in the springtime in the middle of
nowhere. After arriving at the camp you are greeted by the
charismatic George, who presents himself as a self-styled
spiritual guru. While he seems quite eccentric, he is
harmless enough. Or so you think.

● Gemma Watson, a lifelong friend who has recently

found her spiritual side. She is quite naive and has
gone along with fads as long as you have known her.
● George, you don’t know his surname, or if he has one,
but he has a winning smile and a gentle demeanor. He
is warm, welcoming and clearly loves his work.
However, there’s something about him that just
doesn’t sit right.
● Brianna Gable, George’s protege who obviously
idolises him. However, he seems jealous of anyone
talking to him.
● Zak Salt, a thirty-something punk with a foul mouth.
He has a tough outer shell, but wants to improve his
life. He often spends time on his own.
● A book called The Bringing of Rains written in what
appears to be code
● A machete
● A scream from the nearby wood
● A buried femur
● A bag of dried mushrooms

● A deep dug out pit

● A heavy downpour
● A mad ram attempts to gore you
● A falling branch from above
● Poisoned food

● A character confronts you about “looking at George

like that”
● A character strikes you with the blunt of a hatchet
● A character steals something from you
● A character breaks down into a sobbing fit
● A character attempts to kill another character

1. A human skull is found in the wood

 2. Someone saw George wandering into the woods last
night with a machete
3. You confront a large wicker effigy. Campers are being
forced inside. There is a smell of smoke in the air

If you have 1 or more Spirit remaining: You escape from the

cult and end up in a sleepy village. After battering on a door
you are brought inside by an elderly couple where you
recount your tale. In the morning you get the train home, a
nervous wreck. You will no longer trust anyone.

If you have 0 Spirit remaining: Your last entry tells of how

you managed to scramble away from the effigy, recounting
seeing campers being burned alive within the wicker shell.
After you write, you fall asleep and wake up with a shadow
looming over you, machete in hand. “You will join us” says
the figure.
Synopsis: The date is 1878. You have received news that
your dear uncle has passed away. With this somber news
comes a silver lining - he has bequeathed you his estate in
Derbyshire in his will. Living in the middle of London, you
have longed to leave the city life for the serenity of the
country, so within the next month you have packed and left
for Derbyshire to start your new life. While your small
London residence was fine for a single person, you find
yourself alone in a vast eight bedroom manor house.
However, soon you find that you’re less alone than you
think.

● Wilfred Batley, your driver who lives in the village

down the hill. He is soft-spoken and religious.
● Emma Trotter, a kindly baker from the village who
delivers your bread in the morning. She may know
more about the history of the manor than she lets on.
● Mary Tallow, your newly-hired cook. She is young,
naive and not the smartest tool in the box.
● The Chained Spirit, a ghostly presence who can be
heard shaking chains in the dead of night.
● Footsteps running through the halls in the night
● A fireplace lights itself
● A map of under the manor is found
● A threat appears in blood on the walls
● Translucent slime is found on the cellar door handle

● A wine bottle flies out in your direction

● The walls drip blood, covering all exits
● The fireplace erupts into a blaze
● The floorboards give way
● The door is suddenly locked from the outside

● A character won’t stop crying

● A character locks you in the cellar
● A character pleads you not to go outside
● A character sustains severe injuries
● A character threatens to burn everything

1. There is a scratching at your chamber door

2. You witness an apparition of a woman hanging from
the branch of the oak outside a window
 3. You discover an ancient tomb under the foundations.
There is something down there waiting for you - and
it wants blood.

If you have 1 or more Spirit remaining: You scramble out of

the tomb and into the fresh air. The manor begins to
crumble and in a flash it implodes, leaving nothing but a
patch on the ground.

Several months later you are back in London, living in a

small flat. Every now and again you swear you see
something standing over your bed, watching you sleep.

If you have 0 Spirit remaining: You awaken in a white,

padded cell. A kindly nurse peers down at you and smiles.
“It’s time for your walk,” she says with caramel tones. You
find yourself nodding and hobbling alongside her. “Don’t
leave me in the dark again,” you say weakly, “It awaits me in
the darkness.”
Synopsis: The date is 1968. It’s late autumn in the
Cotswolds, a vast area of countryside near Bristol and
Oxford, you and your business associate Rebecca Theckey
are travelling to the picturesque village of Bibury in search
of property development opportunities in the area. You are
staying in The Faversham Inn, a quaint cosy bed and
breakfast run by an elderly couple called Marjorie and
Arthur Taylor. You are to stay in the village for two weeks
in order to secure a much-needed contract for your
business, otherwise you will fall into liquidation. After a
couple of nights in the Faversham, you and Rebecca begin to
hear strange noises in the dead of the night - soft thumps
and groans, seemingly happening somewhere in the inn.
There is something not quite right here.

● Rebecca Thackey, your business associate and

long-time friend. She is sarcastic, acerbic and you
suspect she has a problem with drugs.
● Arthur Taylor, the soft-spoken co-owner of the
Faversham. He often carries a picture of his son, who
died in the war.
● Marjorie Taylor, the other co-owner of the inn.
Marjorie is cold, distant and doesn’t enjoy talking to
others.
● Emma Busby, an accountant who came to the
Faversham to get away from her husband. She is
often seen with a tall man with a wide-brimmed hat.

● The room is unnaturally cold

● An occult symbol is hidden behind a painting
● The sound of running on the landing
● A distant moan, coming from below
● Arthur has a tattoo of a strange symbol on his wrist

● Unseasonal snow blocks you in

● You slip on blood
● A door is sealed shut
● Something is chanting - it’s mesmerising
● A blackout

● A character prevents you from going somewhere

● A character keeps you from seeing something
● A character becomes disorderly
● A character is inconsolable
● A character threatens another character
 1. Another character talks about hearing terrible chants
from the cellar
2. Rebecca goes missing
3. You discover one or both of the co-owners feeding
something resembling their son in the cellar

If you have 1 or more Spirit remaining: You escape, despite

being harmed. You drive - not in a particular direction - you
 just drive into the night and don’t look back.

If you have 0 Spirit remaining: You pass out after

witnessing this being and the hosts’ involvement in these
horrific activities. You awaken on a table, a grotesque thing
glaring down at you. You cannot move, you cannot speak.
There is no final entry. You are devoured.