Archaeologists and Game Designers Unveil Pictish Kingdom's Untold Stories

In a collaborative effort, game designers, writers, archaeologists, and artists have come together to create a new illustrated guide that sheds light on the enigmatic Picts, an early medieval Scottish society that ruled northern and eastern Scotland for centuries before vanishing from written records around 1,100 years ago.

The Picts, descendants of Iron Age tribes, are renowned for their intricate carvings on standing stones and the construction of impressive hillforts. The new book, titled "Carved in Stone: A Storyteller's Guide to the Picts," aims to capture the rich diversity of Pictish life, from farmers and hunters to monks and craftspeople.

Recent archaeological discoveries have challenged the popular portrayal of the Picts as "blue-tattooed barbarians," revealing a more complex and sophisticated society. These findings include the unearthing of an "incredibly rare" stone carving of a Pictish face in Fife, as well as the discovery of a 1,000-year-old Pictish ring in Moray and a 1,200-year-old standing stone with previously unseen carvings in the Highlands.

The project, led by Brian Tyrell of Stout Stoat Press and Dr. Heather Christie, an archaeologist and gamer, aims to bring these stories to life through a setting for tabletop role-playing games, allowing players to immerse themselves in the world of the Picts.