The Successful Conclusion of the Dark Before Dawn One Shot

The Ordo Dracul are a lively bunch!

On Saturday, 5th December, we finally completed our main event of 2014 with an occult mystery set in Adelaide and involving a dozen different vampires who all expected a different event, location and even era.  There were folk in lab coats, police uniforms and masquerade ball gowns, and each vampire was shocked and confused at the location they found themselves within.

After the initial confusion, the vampires quickly realised that the location held many clues in the artwork, alchemical solutions and even spirit-possessed shrines that populated the location.  They also found a warning, or perhaps a threat, written on both the chalkboard and even projected onto a screen at various points.

Four possessing spirits of darkness would be released into the venue to possess one of the vampires every hour and twenty, give or take.  These spirits would have vital information they would be compelled to provide to the vampires in their own way but they would also be vicious threats if allowed to linger too long.  Should the vampires fail to root them out and exorcise them, they will find themselves quickly overwhelmed as each additional one is released to possess another vampire.

The vampires were informed that they had been provided with several exorcismal techniques which lurked within the hall but each technique could only be used on one person and if the wrong person were chosen, that technique would cease to work on the actual possessing entity in play at the time.  In other words, if you used a classic chant to exorcise one fellow when it turns out that the fellow next to him is the one possessed, that other fellow would now be immune.

The unafflicted vampires performed admirably under pressure, though the first possession turned to be a very tricky beast indeed, but as their own secrets began to come to light they started to turn their attention back to the greater question: Why had they been brought here?  Who was the person who had done this to them?

Things finally came to a head when a mysterious stranger arrived with a choice for those present.  Will they allow the ghostly figure to remain within the machine (the same ghostly figure that had brought them all to the strange metaphysical hall) or would they allow an ancient deity to regain control of the city.  A few picked the ghostly figure, still fewer picked the deity.  Most chose to walk their own path and refused to choose at all.

In the end, the ancient occultist, Yzador, of the Circle of the Crone made a final deal with the angelic messenger that was, in truth, an abjuration in disguise and she was banished from the realm.

The doors to the outside world finally opened and the vampires were allowed to leave.  Many did so in silent contemplation, a great contrast to the chaos and confusion that had reigned for hours earlier.

(Many of the players have chosen to reprise their roles for the campaign LARP that begins in January.  If you would be interested in an occult mystery game following the tales of the pseudo scientific Ordo Dracul and pagan occultist Circle of the Crone in a city damaged by a plague of sentient shadowy entities, leave a comment below or contact me via email at laraqua_sandgate@hotmail.com)

"The Dark Before Dawn" Vampire: the Requiem LARP

I am pleased to announce that our first LARP event will occur next month on Saturday, 6th December.  This introductory session follows the investigations of a group of Adelaide courtiers who find themselves trapped in a strange location out of time and must find their own way out.  Strangely there is little agreement on the current date - some swear it's the late 1920s or early 1930s, others that it's 1944, some think it's 1966 or 1988, with a few thinking the date is as late as 2014!

What can this mean?  Why are they all here?  And why are some of those long thought destroyed still up and walking around as if nothing has ever happened to them?

- Piece together the mystery using handouts, artefacts and scraps of knowledge gleaned from your character's skills (represented via skill cards).

- Manipulate rival courtiers, gather allies and spread truths and lies to pave your way to freedom.

- Avoid the growing miasma that slowly removes chunks of the room from beyond your reach as you solve puzzles, unlock devices and repair or break the cages that bind.

- And finally defeat supernatural adversaries by will or by strength as you try to survive through to the end with little more than your wits, some vampiric powers and very few weapons.

This Vampire: the Requiem game uses modified Blood & Smoke rules but don't worry if you've never played a dice-based roleplaying game before.  An easy to understand character booklet and a number of well-trained Game Masters and Assistant Game Masters will help you win through as will a simplified skill system.

You can purchase tickets and learn a bit more about the event over on Eventbrite.

12 Months of Vampire: the Requiem

You're not safe in the shadows...

In 2011, I ran a two-year Vampire: the Requiem campaign called "The Dark Before Dawn".  I am now considering re-launching it with a one-shot that will lead to a twelve-month campaign with the option for further seasons should it remain popular.  This campaign will focus on the unlives of the Ordo Dracul and those few vampires who survived the shadow-ridden purge of the 2014 "praxis seizure" struck the vampire court a hideous blow and unleashed an onslaught of strange light-sensitive entities into Adelaide.  To make matters worse, the rules behind being a Kindred within Adelaide have changed (i.e. the God Machine rules are now in effect).

The campaign will be set shortly after that point where the local Kindred have to start picking up the pieces, having retreated to the Ordo Dracul stronghold on Quarantine Island.  All new characters need to be members of the Ordo Dracul though players of existing characters from the earlier campaign can retain their characters so long as they're willing to be under Ordo Dracul administration.  All non-Ordo Dracul NPCs will be cut off from the rest of the court until rediscovered and then will likely continue focusing on their own business.

The game will be set firmly in the occult mystery genre though there will still be political positions and benefits to encourage a reasonable amount of politics within the game.  Bear in mind, though, that in such dangerous times there will likely be PC-generated backlash against those who play the political game too overtly viciously (though a lot can be done with subtlety) and the Ordo Dracul punish those who kill their covenant-members without going through proper procedures.

If you have never played Vampire: the Requiem before or simply haven't read that deeply into the Ordo Dracul before, don't worry.  Presuming we have enough interest for this to go ahead, there will be a pre-game workshop where we will determine the basics of the covenant together, including the shared haven, character ties, boons, etc.

Feel free to register your interest or discuss possible character concepts on facebook.com/groups/Thedarkbeforedawn

A Whimsical Tale of Cunning and Derring-Do

Whimsy, colour and costuming can be oh so much fun...

We're currently considering another LARP in a different style to the vampire LARP you can see over on the Current Game Schedule Page in the bar above.  Where The Dark Before Dawn is a game of horrifying intrigue, this game will be playful and adventurous.  Where The Dark Before Dawn is a game using the admittedly complex Vampire: the Requiem rules (with simplified rules on the character sheet, but still), this game will give players only a couple skills or abilities to use.  Where The Dark Before Dawn is a carefully plotted game with cunningly defined connections and antagonisms between the characters, in this game of whimsy the players will draw their character goals from one of six hats.

While much of this game of whimsy is still in the very early developmental stages, I can tell you this.  Each player will be placed in a faction determined by their costuming in this Changeling-esque game with humans in regular streetwear; spring courtiers in vintage (1920s - 1950s); summer courtiers in medieval wear; winter courtiers in gothic or emo clothing; and autumn courtiers in steampunk wear.  Each hat is tied to one faction and each hat will have themed goals on slips of paper within it.

This should make for a suitably fun, chaotic and entertaining game for all involved.

National ABC Radio Presentation on LARP in Adelaide

All journeys start with a single step forward....

I will be speaking on ABC National Radio about LARPs in general and this LARP organisation in particular at 2.45PM today.  It's a great opportunity to let people know more about this little known hobby and the wide range of different genres and styles that are possible within it.  After all, LARPs can range from murder mysteries to social experiments, historical re-enactments to fantasy games with boffer combat, social experiments to political contests between fictional groups.

LARPs can give people the opportunity to get active when they're staged outdoors, especially with boffer combat.  They let people sneak a peek behind another person's eyes as they live a few hours as somebody else and experiment with a different personality, different choices, and different ways of being treated.  They can be intellectual exercises involving mysteries and puzzles.  They can also be a fun way to pass the time with friends, giving people the opportunity to dress up in classy or intriguing outfits and strut their stuff as both actor and audience in their own imaginary play.

It will be great to get the chance to tell people about what LARP can be and hopefully attract a few more people to our hobby.