EVENT
PLAYER
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WELCOME
to our Chapter
We are a consent-based Highguard group that focuses on immersion and collaborative play. We love tragedy in our stories, aiming as individuals for heavier emotion, character conflict, and psychological depth. We delve into a lot of dogma that focuses on the weird and wonderful — eerie hearth magic, group rites (you don’t need to be a mage or a priest; it’s all roleplay-driven, we have a mix of character types) and scenes where we come together to connect. As a loose rule we prefer to stay in character during game hours rather than dropping out of character regularly.
We like the priest game, the mage game, the field fighting game, the money game; we welcome members across most playstyles. We’re a traditionalist Highborn lot and we enjoy the spicy side of the nation: lineagism, realm prejudice, archaic viewpoints, falling over in horror when orcs dress nicely, being unable to converse rationally with Briars, stuffily lecturing about the danger of the realms (Winter doesn’t count), being hypocritical, and plenty more. We’re friendly Out of Character and love having a pint and a laugh to decompress. Drama In Character, No Drama Out of Character, please and thank you.
We are a Vigilance-based chapterhouse that explores lineagism, realm and magical prejudice, character bigotry, prayers and spirituality, hospitality as a value and winter-based bargaining.
We come from the Nordic larp / collaborative playstyle and we prefer to hash out story arcs between us that boost each other’s personal drama. This requires increased communication.
COLLABORATIVE
Our core group is made up of BIPOC, disabled and trans individuals who understand the difference between getting a place at the table — compared to actively cultivating a space for it.
INCLUSIVE
We love moody, complex stories where bad things can happen as easily as good. We aim to neogitate outcomes that drive more emotional intensity for our scenes, and focus on psychological experiences.
EMOTIONAL
PLAYERS FIRST
We look out for each other first and our characters second
While you may be playing a deeply self-absorbed or an oblivious character, as the person behind the driving seat you should always be attentive to your fellow participants. Changing the story to suit everyone involved is always better than forcing an outcome, even if it’s less realistic for your character.
OUR PLAYSTYLE
PLAY TO LOSE
One of the central traits of many Nordic or collaborative larps is the Play to Lose ideal. Play to Lose means that even though the characters may be trying to win, the participants can still actively try to lose; whatever that might mean in the given context.
Your deeply stoic, reserved warrior would almost certainly not let slip —and in quite so obvious a way— how shaken that fight has left him; but the player might emphasise how insecure he feels, by taking it out on a friend who was only trying to help, while visibly trying not to cry, rebuffing aid while ambivalently reaching for it. That player may request OOC for their exasperated friend to quite literally punch some sense into him — until the wall breaks and the emotion comes flooding out for how frightened he is.
PLAY TO LIFT
Do what you can to lift the roleplay of another person, especially if that person is less confident or dominant a roleplayer, less able to take up space and get some limelight of their own. Playing to Lift involves asking someone OOC what would enhance their rolepkay in particular scenes, and then helping to deliver it.
For example, lifting a mage player might involve highlighting just how intellectually savvy that scholar is, talking up his lecture from earlier in the day; it might even be the player wants someone to terrorise. A seasoned General might want to win in a fistfight — or the player may even request to lose a fight in a big way, after being caught doing something she shouldn’t. Everyone is different for what they want; we ask our members to think about what would enhance their story as they go, and help deliver on others.
WYSIWYG
Within reason “What You See Is What You Get” — keeping in mind Empire’s rules on contact. You must have the explicit permission of the player to engage them in whatever way you have negotiated. For example this can be to grapple and throw each other around or to embrace.
We enjoy physical play and will stage a duel or tussle by agreeing OOC ahead of time who the victor should be, and then dramatically playing it out, be that literally rolling on the ground, snapping and snarling with fake punches flying, or in a fake slap where the person reacts as though they have been struck.
Most of our members love getting eyeball deep in drama and theatrical representations of larp; we time-in together to a group scene, and come back in the evening for another.
WHEN IN CHARACTER, we try to stay IN CHARACTER
It’s awkward when you’ve been grumpy at someone for five solid minutes and then they bring up Tescos and you stop and realise this whole time they’ve been Out of Character and must think you’re a complete dick. And a religious nutjob.
To help each other out, we use a visible hand sign to show when we are Out of Character. Otherwise, we are in character. Being in character is no excuse for not checking in with fellow players however, especially where it concerns social PvP; we use a “Lookdown” mechanic to pause roleplay and negotiate aggression.
EXCHANGE A SCENE
If you really don’t want to lose a scene, you might consider the “Yes - but” rule of exchange.
"Out of Character. I really want to win this fight, but if I lose can you instead help lift me in another scene tonight? I have a scene planned for tomorrow that you could help me with…”
Most gamers are very enthusiastic to help you in a scene, as it adds more roleplay for them too! Of course, if it’s so impactful to your entire weekend that losing in that instance would change the course negatively of what you’d love to do - just let the player know it, and negotiate off game for a result you both enjoy. That’s why we focus more on the “Play to Lift” side of the spectrum.
bells, blood and veil
Ask not for whom the bell tolls
As a Chapter we remember death; our origins are steeped in something dark and ugly, but from that pain came power. We value the hardest lessons in life: those that bring us pain, and drive a change because of it.
Suffering as a system of learning is one of the most frightfully efficient ways to transform a person, capable of driving enormous paradigm shifts in one's personality, motives, values, even their spiritual capacity. Only when the spirit is bucking and heaving can it enter the dark night of the soul, where the strangest thoughts come to light. From that place of apparent hopelessness, the soul has to think outside the box. It's normal touchstones are gone.
Many tests in the Chapter focus on impossible choices with no-win situations — a pyrrhic victory at best. Opinions and beliefs are next to worthless unless they are accompanied by action. Goals, therefore, are dreams with deadlines, and promises are nothing if the bearer has not proven themselves capable of delivering on promises.
Death —and grief— open the soul's eyes to how fragile life truly is. Opportunities are best taken sooner rather than later where it concerns connecting to your fellows and loved ones. We are a very tight Chapter, and encourage bonding throughout all levels of the hierarchy. Each soul will see its current body die, and soon, in the grand game we play. There is no time like the present. No time to waste holding unspoken grudges. No time to sit on resentments. We burn bright, and fierce, and do not accept arguments to lay unresolved as the sun sets. This means a lot of our members lean into conflict and resolutions can be dramatic. Verbal sparring and physical fights are encouraged — all to wrench open those rusted valves.
The festival of the Day of the Dead marks our most hallowed holiday. We swear in our new members in the dead of winter, on this day.
MAGIC
OF HEARTHS
Veiling
Cowls allow someone to speak from the soul, a place beyond the masks of this world
Many beings are also commonly baffled by veils when scrying; they know what has occurred but have no idea who was involved. Privacy is rare in this world. Veiling is especially valued by our Chapter when we discuss matters of the soul, and cowls or veils are required during sombre moments.
Things that are corrupt or impure makes them liable to fail
Purity
The mortal body is no different, any impurity can quickly lead to disease or weakness unless it is removed. Worse, corruption (like Virtue) can be contagious. Soiled hands soil whatever they touch. Cleansing is crucial; it purifies and restores. We use water and anointing oils as an effective means of purification - to the body as to clothing.
Bells are associated both with the dead, and with the Labyrinth itself
Bells
It is said that a soul can hear a voice when its words are carried on the tongue of a bell. We use bells when we open and close our circle, and they are vital in our several of our practices.
Blood
Blood carries the mud and grime of a single body's detritus - but also its purest strengths. When blood is called upon from a member (in an Oathmarking, in a Hallowing, or even in Blooding a new member) they are required to fast and purge toxins from their body, becoming immediately vigilant to what impurities enter their system. Theirs is the essence that will power the magic required of them.
Blood is the Bridge
Until you are tested
The Empty One
you cannot know