Patrik´s Blog, Part 2
Patrik is probably only one of the active larpers of the Czech community who makes his larp summary in English. It is an interesting insight into this hobby because Patrik makes larps – and plays them – a lot. And his interests in themes are wide. We prepared a summary serial of his texts that provide an unique insight into his larp experience. So enjoy and we hope that it inspires you to make your own summaries. :-)
Link for the first part of Patrick’s blog is here.
Larp Summary for August 2019
In August I played three larps.
The first one’s name is Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude), and it is based on the book by Márquez. The larp (as the book) is in a style of magical realism.
The magical realism in the game has been presented by several techniques and overall playstyle. For example – one character has been played by three people. You could interpret it as three buddies or just one person in three variations (Christians know what I am talking about). And there were a lot of things you actually could interpret as you saw them. For example, you could play a „do you remember” scene, which was set in the past and it could change everything, or just show an alternative past or just a dream of better (or worse) memory. You could do that even for several times and each version was slightly different (or totally different).
Another interesting thing was that most of the players played more characters during the larp. Because in those two days of the game, the in-game time was those one hundred years, the characters were dying (by age, by revolution etc.) and another character you played had the same archetype, but was a different person (with the same name not to confuse yourself and others). So, sometimes you could play an old person and then a young one (which was always refreshing).
I feel I could talk about this larp for a very long time and I just showed the tip of an iceberg what this game offered.
I played pre-written character Arcadio, a man who was inflamed for whatever cause he chose (science, revolution, uncovering the mystery of life and death…).
I really enjoyed this game. The authors knew they were doing an experimental game and their workshops really worked to get players into the right mindset. The execution was without problems and through the whole game it felt, the organisers are experienced and they (more or less) know what they want to deliver to the players.
Second larp was Decameron loosely based on Boccaccio’s book and also inspired by Commedia dell’arte. The characters of the larp were archetypes including nomen omen. So, there were characters like Nun, Bride, Artist, Orphan etc. The game was about people who are hidden in a farmhouse (because of the plague outside) and live their lives of hypocrisy and decadence. The game worked with erotic motives and kinks. There were mechanics for shifting intimacy between characters.
Registration for the game was in pairs, mainly because you played your main intimate relationship in thoise pairs (in the game was real sex between those paired characters).
I played a pre-written character the Bishop. In public a decent and God feared person, in private… lets say not so much decent…
I liked the game. It was another experimental one and the authors themselves did not know how exactly this would work, but they had a vision and they delivered it. I expected maybe something slightly different, maybe a bit more of decadence? Hard to say, because I am actually not sure what I expected.
The third larp I played was Chronicles of New Illen, the third larp of the larp trilogy. I did not play the two previous ones. A best description of the larp is probably a generic fantasy world invaded by the Warhammer.
There were the Illens (humans) and the Beings (elves, fairies and other magical creatures). The Illens were a dominant race and the Beings were the oppressed ones.
I played a self-written Witch/Demon Hunter character named Ismael, a man who believed in the Sun God (the only true god for the Illens), but his initial zeal in his youth changed over the years into a pragmatism (there was a hard codex set by the Sun Church for the hunters, but he realised, you can be either a good follower of the codex or a good hunter, not both).
I liked to visit some classic fantasy world after a while. What the game needed was more clear design and more focus on players. My game was more about just following what the organiser’s characters are doing and it did not feel like my character matters nor did I have a chance to be a real part of the story anyhow.
The relationships I created with other players (mainly before the game) worked really well and I do not regret attending this larp at all (and I also appreciate all the work the organisers and all other people involved put into making this happen!).
Larp Summary for September 2019
Well, technically, I have been part of two larps… See below :-).
First was Changeling: The Lost setting, where I played an NPC that brought a painting to a party and left. Time spent was about five minutes (really big role, I am so proud of myself, I handled such a task) (after that, I headed to a Steampunk event).
The other larp I played was called The Echoes of Nirnaeth (Ozvěny Nirnaeth in origininal), and for me, it was probably the most anticipated larp of this year.
The setting was the Middle-Earth of the First Age during the war with Morgoth (30 years after the battle called Unnumbered Tears – Nirnaeth Arnoediad in elvish), where most of the human and elven population has been killed.
I played an elf of Doriath (an elven kingdom) – first time playing an elf (which I finally could cross off from my bucket list of a proper larper). I prepared for this larp… oh boy, I over-prepared for this larp since February, when I started discussing a new costume with my friend, who sewed it for me. I bought a new (guitar-like) lute (well… it was the last drop in deciding to buy an „larp instrument”) and I composed several songs just for the game. It is needless to say I have read the Sillmarilion (again)…
Luckily there were more geekish players than me, so we could geek-out during the larp about the events and other setting things.
I really liked the game. It was an epic fantasy with dark and adult motives (themes such as the First Kinslaying and so on).
I cannot wait to play some other fantasy game. I realised I have not had much chance to play fantasy games for some time and I missed it. So more good fantasy games, plz!
Larp Summary for October 2019
I played two larps last month.
First one is called Too Short Sunday, and it is set in the USA in the 1950’s. The focus is on artists of the time – the writers, the poets, the singers, the actors etc. The themes of the game are liberalism vs. conservatism, modern vs. old, sex, drugs, homosexuality, and the art.
During the two days long game players play characters inspired by the real historical figures (like Andrews Sisters, beat generation poets etc.) and they perform real art (writing, painting, singing etc.).
It was the times of the beginnings of the Cold War, when there were censorship, homosexuality was illegal and the society were „moral focused” (as the conservatives liked to call it). The game is not political, it does not judge, it is up to the characters and the players to do so (if they wish so).
The game was really cool, mainly because of all the real art that was happening during the game.
I played a character strongly inspired by William Burroughs, a father-like figure and a theoretic of the beat generation.
The second larp I played was „The Masquerade”, a vampire WoD urban larp set in modern Prague (by Night).
I play (because it is a continuous chronicle larp) a vampire, who is part of the high society, well educated, a dancer, a fencer, a musician and also a mystic (Lasombra antitribu).
I play this larp for several years (and this is my second character in the chronicles) and I used to play a lot of action, but with this character, I mostly play socialising and a bit of the politics and it is really different than I usually play (especially in the urban larps), but I do enjoy it.
The interesting thing about this particular vampire larp (apart from the interesting rendition of the WoD setting into a larp) is, it is played through all the city and the action is happening outside (like is common for urban larps in Czechia).
Larp Summary for November 2019
I played two larps in the November.
First one was Corpus Christi – international Vampire: The Masquerade larp in Prague (BTW I unlocked an achievement – being the only one native speaker on larp in my city). The larp lasted for one evening. I played the character of a Ventrue politician (and a guns salesman). My game was very gamistic, but there were other characters (all characters were pre-written), who had different focuses in the game.
I generally enjoyed the game, even when there were moments when I did not know what to do, when it seemed, I cannot achieve my character’s goals anymore. But after a while, I found new content to play out. And I am super-happy, I could see my foreign friends again.
The second larp I played as a long-term NPC in a urban fantasy larp chronicles inspired by Dresden Files (books about a wizard Harry Dresden by Jim Butcher). I play a policeman, who is almost oblivious of the supernatural world and is just slowly figuring out what the heck is going on.
The other larp-related thing that happened during this month was: I finally found a suitable place for my international Vampire: The Dark Ages larp, so I should be able to set the date and release first official information as soon as we agree on the date of the event!
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The photo above is set by Hana Khalida Kupková.
