I wasn’t sure we were going to LARP for the final week of Geek Camp, but by popular demand we will … even (or especially) if it rains. I spent more time working up the framework for “The Holy Stone of Gheklisk,” but no such luxury exists for our Week Three Day Four adventure.
Campers were emailed a request to come prepared to share their characters, by answering the following four questions:
- In five words, how would you describe your character?
- What always creates trouble for this character?
- What aspect of your character is both a blessing and a curse?
- What is your character’s name?
We will begin the day by connecting each character to another by declaring an aspect of their relationship. As with the last LARP, each player will also be handed a secret goal their character must try to achieve during the game.
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Our LARP today is a collaborative storytelling activity set in a fantasy world inhabited by humans and fantastical creatures inhabiting two rival metropolitan powers. They share a tenuous relationship with each other and with the dark presence deep within the Enchanted Wood.
Rumors now circulate in both cities that the dark power is stirring, although it is not certain to what purpose. The sap of a haunted tree at the center of the Enchanted Wood is said to imbue one with magical protections from what is to come.
There are three key locations in our LARP-ing world:
The Enchanted Wood—Springing from a barren field ages ago, the Enchanted Wood is said to have originated from a single seed that fell from the Moon. This first tree is the source of great magics that have served both Good and Evil in the past. Long dormant, the current vessel for this power has been reaching out to the nearby regions to gain information about the state of current affairs.
Bree—Located at the southern edge of the wood atop a hill, Bree mixes merchant and farming communities from the surrounding countryside. It promotes an artisan culture with a reputation for innovation that serves as a front for a corrupt underworld.
Ilium—Ordered by a strict code of conduct, Ilium residents are comforted by their predictable routines and great efficiency. They are resource poor, but produce less waste while being as productive as their Bree counterparts. Located at the northern edge of the wood, Ilium is the older of the two cities and thus clings to a birthright as regional leaders.
Each location is run by a Boss capable of settling disputes, inflicting misfortune or providing information. Ideally, players will chronicle their adventures through audio journals that remains in each location.
