The House Beyond the Marsh

Britain, several years after WWII. In the countryside, wartime shortages and the decline of the old landed estates have left villages struggling to recover. Far from the village, in the middle of a vast marsh, stands Blackthorn Hall—once a grand and prestigious estate, now weathered and neglected. Moss covers its white walls, the gardens have become overgrown, and much of the great house is rarely used. The surrounding marsh is in even worse condition. Polluted water from a nearby abandoned mine has turned the wetlands murky and filled them with thick, gooey gray sludge. It has continued to increase year by year, gradually changing the landscape around the estate. For reasons of your own, you have come to stay at Blackthorn Hall. You may be relative of Professor Edmund Blackthorn. Or perhaps a friend, acquaintance, worker, student, temporary guest, or a resident of a nearby village. You could have come seeking work or shelter, or you may have your own private reasons for coming to the old estate. The players do not need to know each other beforehand. Their relationships, backgrounds, and reasons for coming to Blackthorn Hall may differ from one another. How will you build a life in this quiet, melancholy place?