Martyred somewhere around the end of the 3rd century, St. Agnes of Rome was only a young girl – around 12 or 13 years old – when she died for her belief that her heart belonged to just one suitor, and he was not a common mortal. Alas, Procop, the Governor’s son, did not take kindly to her stance and the Governor attempted to coax, sully and torture her, before finally putting her to death.
Today is St. Agnes’ Day.
Her story, in some measure, inspired the poet Keats to write The Eve of St. Agnes, a beautiful and romantic poem published in 1820. A brilliant narrative poem, completed in 42 stanzas in the Spenserian style, it tells of a young man seeking to revive his love from an enchanted sleep, only for her waking expectations not to meet her dreaming desires… but it all works out in the end in a raging storm and a couple of incidental deaths.
Keats has gone on to inspire me to write a short system-free fantasy/historical role playing adventure, The Blessing of St. Agnes, available now on RPGNow. The young daughter of a wealthy merchant has vanished, leaving him distraught and pleading for assistance. In the depths of the dark woods beyond the bounds of the town, the ruinous remains of a chapel to St Agnes hide more than a few secrets of a forgotten sisterhood and hope for the helpless.
An inspiring life inspires…
The Blessing of St. Agnes on RPGNow:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/110316/The-Blessing-of-St-Agnes
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Paul Baldowski
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