A Lantern in the Ivy: Cozy Fantasy Roleplaying Game

A gentle, story-focused roleplaying game about small mysteries, shared memories, and the quiet magic of community in the Lantern Hills.

There’s a hush to the Lantern Hills that isn’t silence. It’s the sound of curtains lifting, of moths turning in the dark, of a kettle just beginning to sing. The windows bloom with ivy, and the fences lean, and the crows notice everything.

A Lantern in the Ivy is a cozy fantasy roleplaying game set in a patchwork of villages, tucked where the forest hums and the path forgets its name. The Folk here know their home by feel, by smell, by soil, and by stories told three different ways. These are places shaped by kindness, craft, and memory, where every old song has a newer verse and every festival begins in someone’s kitchen.

You take the part of those called to care for it all. Members of the council, or neighbors close enough to be trusted with its work. You settle small disputes, trace strange tracks near the orchard, help worried parents find the right words, and mend what needs mending before it frays. Lately, the mending has come faster. The Freebooters have returned, a drifting kind of trouble, hard to name and harder to shake. They talk pretty, trade poorly, and leave worry in their wake. Like weeds, they seem harmless at first, but settle in and keep growing.

This book gives you everything you need to begin. Inside, you’ll find a complete description of the Lantern Hills, including its villages, its lakes, and the winding paths that connect them. The rules are drawn from The Simple Approach, a gentle, story-focused way to play that’s fully compatible with other Lightspress fantasy games and settings like Order of the Magpie. There are ready-to-play characters, as well as guidance for creating your own. You’ll meet local neighbors, explore the roles of the Folk Council, and choose which parts of the community your character helps to protect. There are seasonal story patterns to follow, each designed to feel like a tale worth retelling. You’ll also find creatures from local legend, minor magics, homemade tools, charmed items, and a few surprises tucked among the pages. Everything is here, ready for you. Light the lantern. The ivy’s growing fast.