TnT:Truth and Tribulation
Truth and Tribulation is a storytelling game about Gender and Class, set in a magical version of Regency England. It borrows heavily from Good Society, by the Storybrewers Society.
Setting
Truth and Tribulation takes place in an alternative version of Regency England. In this world, power (and particularly magical power) resides almost exclusively in the hands of women, who were the first to discover it, and quickly establish themselves as the dominant gender across all of society. England currently flourishes, with a stellar navy and colonies all around the world, with a massive portion of the globe falling under the Commonwealth of Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte II (a foreign-born German who married into the Royal Family via her husband, George III.) As the power of England grew, larger and larger numbers of working class people have found themselves quickly convicted and sent to work off-shore, in the far-off colony of Australia. Now, the descendants of those people sent to the Colonies, known as Phillipians, find themselves returning to serve England's resident gentry.
The game itself is primarily set in the town of Greater Kirhampton, in the year 1816. It's a gorgeous country locale that's around three days' ride from London (two if you forgo a more leisurely pace.) The town's large enough to have a sizeable number of gentry, and host rather regular balls, but small enough to ensure its' residents have at least a passing acquaintance with one another.
The Phillipians and Australia
In our world, native Australians have come to a happy compromise with English settlers, and have no interest in leaving their home. We've done this because racism in Regency fiction is based on a person's country of origin, rather than the color of their skin.
The Phillipians form up the vast majority of England's working class. Multiple centuries of shipping their convicts to the offshore colony of Australia have created a nation of people descended from convicts, and eager to take whatever work they can in the homes and estates of England's gentry. Unlike in our history, the First Fleet sailed away in 1587, not 1787. Quickly, they worked out an arrangement with the native Australians, trading for a large parcel of land with which they established the penal colony of New Wales. Over the centuries, more and more members of the working class found themselves quickly (and brutally) convicted of harmless offenses and shipped off to 'the colony' for life.
The descendants of those convicts found themselves living in a poor country that's primarily used as a prison, and eager to escape for the wealth and luxury of England. Over time, greater and greater numbers of those descendants found themselves taking whatever meager job opportunities were offered in England, typically for far, far less pay than the average working-class Englishman would accept. It quickly became a cycle. Now, the vast majority of England's working class consists of the descendants of convicts. As the colony was called New Wales, referring to them as 'Welshman' created some confusion, especially in the northern sections of England. Instead, they became Phillipians, after Dame Artheia Phillip, leader of the First Fleet and first Governor of New Wales. Easily recognizable thanks to their broad accents.
Religion
England is a proud, Christian nation, with very little sectarian conflict. While there's still distinct branches of the Protestant and Catholic church, religious discrimination is uncommon (though is an occasional source of family feuds). The two major religious figures consist of God and Mother Eve, and both are worshipped regularly.
- “You will lack the strength to bear children of your own;
- yet through painful labor will you raise them.
- yet through painful labor will you raise them.
- Your desire will be for your wife,
- and she will rule over you.”
- Creation 3:14-15
- and she will rule over you.”
God Herself created the heavens and the earth, and the all creatures who dwell upon it - and, of course, the first Woman, Eve, and her husband, Adam. For a time, it was paradise, a Garden of Eden. That all changed, however, when Adam stole the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge as a gift for his wife. Tempting her, she ate of the Forbidden Fruit as well, and it was at that moment that magic - the power to change the world, like God Herself - became part of our world. When God discovered this, She was outraged and furious, casting out Eve and her disobedient husband, even as he was unable to strip their magic from them.
Mother Eve is widely venerated, of course, as the source of all magic, with many women becoming Saints through faith and wise use of her gift. Many Men also pray to Father Adam, to give them the strength to raise children and be faithful and dutiful husbands.
Magic
Magic is the cornerstone of the world; it's dark and looming and whispers of untold power. More importantly, magic is not a birthright; everyone is able to harness, learn it, and use it. Unfortunately, however, cultural expectations keep magic out of the hand of most men. It's women who are given the opportunity to learn magic, as is accordance with God Herself's will. After all, if we let men learn how to use magic, they'd just hurt themselves. While some men are permitted to learn and use magic, it's rare, and typically harmless - teaching a nurse how to heal, for example.
This magical isolation is enforced by more than society's norms, however. Her Majesty's Guardians enforce the law sternly and explicitly, ensuring men do not learn magic - and punishing those who do with an array of magical curses, be it stripping them of their ability to read for studying a certain scroll, to burning at the stake should they be part of a coven.
But there are still those who seek the potential - and freedom - magic offers. Known as witches, they form covens, learning, modifying, and creating spells that have never been cast before. More often than not, a bumper harvest is the work of a secretive coven of witches, rather than good weather. Unfortunately, accusations of witchcraft are as common as witchcraft itself; it's not uncommon for a man, jealous of his romantic rival, to fake a seizure and frame them as a witch.
Mood
In most cases, Truth and Tribulation is a drama. Society is judgemental and harsh, with a long memory of indiscretion. Any misstep has serious consequences, and repairing your reputation takes time. Tensions are quick to inflame, and life is difficult. With that said, there are moments of joy throughout the game, when a couple can find true love, or a character finally rises above their bad reputation. There's even the occasional moment of levity, of joking between players.
However, ultimately, happy endings are very, very rare. The best way to be happy is to accept this is the way things are, and make the most of one's standing and situation. After all, those who try to defy society's conventions soon learn to regret it.
Themes
Truth and Tribulation is explicitly an all-inclusive, feminist LARP. There are two main themes we're exploring in this game.
Gender
In Truth and Tribulation, England, and indeed, the wider world, is a matriachal sociey. It's dominated by women, not men. Women control access to magic, are more educated, and hold much more power than their male counterparts. The game explores patriarchal attitudes in a safe way by flipping history on its head, reversing the historical roles held by men and women.
This is covered more under Setting, but it's women who make the first move on men, who inherit estates, and who are allowed to have a strong, fulfilling career. More importantly, the art of magic lies almost exclusively in the hands of women, not men.
Class
Society in Regency England is set up into three distinct classes - the working class, gentry, and nobility. In our game, the nobility is rarely seen, and the game instead focuses on the massive inequality between the gentry, who live lives of leisure on their estates, and the working class (the Phillipians) underneath them.
It's important to note that Class is almost always inflexible; a young woman working as a servant has little hope of moving up in society beyond marriage, or perhaps by making his fortune.
Character Creation
See Character Creation.
Rules
The vast majority of gameplay in Truth and Tribulation does not require rules; it's a game of ambition, obligation, and longing. In the majority of cases, any disputes are negotiated by players with the use of Resolve tokens. However, there are certain storytelling mechanics we do include:
Player Expectations
- Enforce the setting
- Create a good story
- Immerse others
Cultural Touchstones
- Literally any Jane Austen novel
- Little Women
- The Power
Mechanic Count
What do players need to engage in?
a) Belief mechanics.
b) Monologue tokens.
c) Reputation.
d) Their class mechanics.
Ideally, that should be everything; we don't want to overload them with too much. At most, one more can be fit in.