Solemn Vale

by Mark Kelly

Solemn Vale is a quaint town in Southwest England, isolated from the world by a jagged coastline and dense woodland, scarred by mining works thrashing and rioting at the threat of closure. The close-knit community gives rise to a village mentality where the newest visitors and smallest infractions can become sources of gossip and scandal overnight. It is a land steeped in history, where forgotten sects pray to pagan gods in the dark corners of Thatcher’s Britain.

A narrative-driven storytelling game set against the backdrop of 1970s England, Solemn Vale explores an abhorrent world of Folk Horror and the Supernatural. Each game is a communal storytelling experience, with two or more Players taking on the roles of visitors or inquisitive residents whose eyes have been opened to a festering evil, ensnared in a tale of mystery and survival. Guided by the Narrator, each story will deliver a small glimpse into the grim underbelly of the Vale and the festering malevolence feeding it. Success is by no means certain, as the Wyrd corrupts and destroys all those who confront it.

Solemn Vale is a state of mind, twisted and macabre, laced with dread and paranoia and occasionally tinged with dark humour. It is the darkness in the cave, the shopkeeper’s stern glare, the lone voice urging you forward when every sight, sound, and shiver of your spine tells you to turn back...

Hardcover

First published July 1, 2023

About the author

Mark has been a management consultant and executive coach for over twenty years. He holds a BA from Wake Forest University and a MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a partner with Raleigh Consulting Group.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want a dark horror soap set in Solemn Vale! I read this book in 3 sittings due to being snowed in all weekend. I'm not 100% convinced by the Wyrd Abacus system, especially because Stage Rules feel like they would require real effort not to get forgotten in the moment if the role playing gets good.

The town though is utterly enthralling. I want to see the uneasy shifting balance between these factions and watch outsiders succumb to the insidious threats from many sides.

The art is incredible! Now I want to see maps!

[Arthur B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting bits of system design, but a cumbersome setting presentation and an underlying philosophy which doesn't wholly make sense obscures what the game is going for, and undermines several of the obvious things it might be trying to achieve. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...