To Dance a Jig on Tyburn Tree

"Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51 vers 1 - KJV)

Justice Hall, the sessions house of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City of London

First sessions in the eighteenth year of the reign of our sovereign King James Annoq. 1621

The judge removes his white gloves and replaces them with black. He then places the Black Cap upon his head and speaks the words of condemnation.

"The law is that thou shall return to the place from whenst thou camest and from thence to a place of execution where thou shalt hang by the neck til the body be dead. Dead. Dead. And the Lord have mercy upon thy soul."

The condemned cell at Newgate Prison

Sunday, the eighteenth day of April in the Year of our Lord sixteen hundred and twenty one.

As midnight approaches, the bellman of St. Sepulchre's crosses to the bars of the condemned cell, rings his hand bell twelve times, and begins to recite his verse. 

"All you that in the condemned hole do lie,
Prepare you for tomorrow you shall die;
Watch all and pray; The hour is drawing near
That you before the Almighty must appear;
Examine well yourselves, in time repent,
That you may not to eternal flames be sent.
And when St Sepulchre's bell in the morning tolls,
The Lord above have mercy on your soul."

To Dance a Jig on Tyburn Tree is a structured freeform roleplaying game about condemned prisoners on their way from Newgate Prison to be hanged at Tyburn Tree. The players will take on the roll of one of these unfortunate souls, and as the procession makes its way will relay scenes from their life to explain how they have ended up here.

The game can take 2-6 players, although it probably plays best with 4 or 5.

Coming Soon. The game is about 80% done, its mostly fine tuning, editing and layout that need finishing. The aim is to have the game ready for Con-Tingency 2025 at the end of January 2025.

Project temporarily paused.