The year is 690 CE
Five years ago, King Bridei III and his war-band of Hounds pushed the tyrannical Northumbrians south across the Firth of Forth.Yours is the first generation to come of age outside the shadow of brutal raids and exploitative vassaldom.
War has left many homes broken, and in need of new guiding hands...
Spirits reclaim ancient places, their presence tangible in the air...
Communities are separated by forest and mountains alike...
Strangers pass along the roads, each one a question: friend or foe...
...but through it all, you can still gather by the hearth to rest.
Dark memories stand behind us. Fortresses were overwhelmed and razed to the ground; sometimes ours, other times theirs. Our own king turning against old allies to make an example of them. A darkness still gnaws on our people, fostered by what was done in the name of survival.But there is new life in our world, if you can muster the hope to greet it. Now more than ever is the time to find your neighbours, renew old oaths, and bring our communities together.
Now is the time
to adventure into pictland!
Features
Carved in Stone is a comprehensive setting guide to early medieval Pictish society. Through its pages you will see, touch, taste, hear and smell your way through everything that scholars currently know of the enigmatic culture of the Picts.
It's part visual encyclopaedia, with over 350 historically informed illustrations spread out across clean, easy-to-navigate layouts.
It's part setting guide, immersing you into Pictish lore by framing it as if you, the reader, were a 7th Century Pict.
It's part adventure path, with settlements to explore, characters to meet, experiences to collect throughout.
With 21st Century foresight provided in pop-ups throughout the book, you’ll be able to craft your own Pictish legends, and understand this ancient society in revolutionary new ways.
Carved in Stone is split across 5 informative acts:
1 - contexts
Get up to speed on just who the Picts were, and how we know what we know about them. Have a look at the archaeological process, converse about how narratives spring forth from scattered evidence, and understand how your voice can drive the Pictish narrative forwards.
Who are the Picts? • What is Archaeology? • What do we know? • Why should we play? • How can we play?
2 - Landscapes
Experience ancient Scotland first-hand, as you navigate through tangled temperate rainforests, peer down from the tallest snow-capped mountains, and rest beside wide open lochs.
This Land Is Ancient • Mountains • Lochs • Heathland • Temperate Rainforests • Peat Bogs • Coastline • Weather • Hazardous Weather • Changing Seasons
3 - Kingdoms
Chart out where you live, and who you can trust. Speak the languages of the four kingdoms, and figure out your place in Pictland’s pecking order.
One Pictland • Three Neighbours • Many Languages • Living Together • Hierarchy and Power • Your Protector, King Bridei mac Bili • Casting a long shadow
4 - Perspectives
Reframe your 21st century understanding of the world, to see it from those in the 7th century. Witness the spiritual, the magnificent, and the divine, and how they weave their way through Pictish society.
Time • Memory and Learning • Ogham Primer • Tales worth their telling • Endings • Beginnings • Magic & Miracles • Venerated Saints
5 - Lives
Experience daily Pictish life first-hand, answering questions like how you travel, who you meet along the way, where you rest your head at night, what to bring along for the journey, and which destinations you should stride toward
Travel • Places you pass • People you meet • Settlements • Hearth and Home • Lair • Abernethy • Abernethy Monastery • Clatchard Craig • Burghead • Cuisine • Banquets • Skills and Responsibilities • Blacksmithing • Medicine • Fashion and Presentation • Symbol Stones • Artwork and Expression • Equipment • Craft & Trade • Entertainment
what you can
look forward to
at a glance
160 pages of encyclopaedia-inspired layouts.
110k words of Pictish lore.
350+ historically informed illustrations.
Structured information that flows naturally between world-building context and table-ready resources.
Bolded summaries for quick reference during research or play.
Cross references and bookmarks to enhance navigation through the PDF.
Detailed appendices with nuanced conversations about modern scholars’ contemporary understanding of the past.
An annotated bibliography with guidance on further reading, and how different sources contributed to the book.
A comprehensive glossary that explains both every day and academic uses or terms.
Press
“It’s basically the best book on the Picts ever written. By starting from Scotland’s environment, and incorporating lessons from archaeology, history and art, this brings the Picts to life more effectively than any other depiction I’ve yet seen.”
Dr Adrián Maldonado,
National Museums Scotland
“A treasure trove of all things Pictish.”
Dr Ewan Campbell,
University of Glasgow
“Such a lot of thought and care has gone into this painstaking recreation of what it was like to live in Scotland in the seventh century. The result is a fresh perspective which is wonderfully creative yet grounded in thorough research and accessible in our age. The Picts emerge from the shadows and step forward in technicolour. This will inspire readers to bring them to life in their imagination and in their games.”
Dr Katherine Forsyth,
University of Glasgow
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use Carved in Stone?
If you're familiar with TTRPGs, like Dungeons & Dragons, you would call Carved in Stone a setting guide. This book summarises much of what we know about what life was like for the Picts in the 7th century, and its goal is to empower you to explore and play with the past.The books is filled with “functional” information, focusing on all the practical and necessary details that a storyteller would need. Topic by topic, you'll have access to the building blocks necessary to tell stories set in Pictish Scotland. This could include playing TTRPGs, writing fiction, or getting involved with LARPs or reenactment.
I don't play roleplaying games. Will I still enjoy the book?
Yes, of course! You don't need to play any games to be immerse yourself in entertaining and informative discussions about archaeology, Scotland's shared history, and the rich culture of the Picts. You will find something fascinating on every page that will spark your curiosity for these enigmatic peoples. The ordering of information is designed to get you thinking about the world as if you were a Pict, and you can enjoy being immersed in ancient Scotland's rugged past.
Who is the intended audience?
Anyone can enjoy what's inside Carved in Stone. It's filled with rich wild locales, a wide cast of characters, fabulous feasts, and the ripples of darker deeds too.This book is suitable for ages 14+, though its topics sensitively cover a wide range of themes. It is suitable for classrooms, but was not written explicitly for a scholastic environment.This book is written with someone who was never heard of the Picts in mind. No prior knowledge of the time period or of early medieval Scotland is required.
Are there Content Warnings?
Carved in Stone touches on several topics, noted below.
War, and state-inflicted violence, including themes of control and propaganda. The book is set in 690 CE, a time when the Picts were recovering from foreign occupation by the Northumbrians.
Religious differences, and overlapping faiths. This includes older forms of Christianity and Christian worship that may not align with modern forms of worship.
There are no graphic or in-depth descriptions of violence in the book. There is no sexualised nudity or erotic content in the book. There is a short disclaimer about slavery in the introduction of the book, though no content relating to slavery appears in the main text.
