We played the Jason Morningstar LARP Welcome Guests about a family of cannibals and the guests they welcome to be their dinner. Three college friends walked along the Appalachian Trail until they got lost in Amish country and ended up at the Beilly family home. The continuous play was a welcome break from our usual scene-based structure. In the end, two of our number were killed and served at the family table, while one escaped and likely called the police once he returned to civilization.
Month: June 2018
Archipelago at the Eye
Tonight we played Archipelago by Matthijs Holter, in a galaxy plagued by piracy in orbit about a central black hole known as “The Eye”. Our cast included Lilymane, a roboticist who manages to midwife a robot/human hybrid born from the womb. She would learn that her hybrid had developed a grave condition and spend most of the adventure trying to save them. Her godchild is Bjakjjon, the hybrid torn between two species, who would ultimately decide to convert their biologics into robotics and abandon humanity entirely, leaving Lilymane in the hands of pirates.
To aid her in diagnosing Bjakjjon, Lilymane enlists noted antimatter scientist, Wyo-Ming, whose research attracts the attention of Captain Barbery. His pirates, Cass the pilot and Sam the drunken gunner, infiltrate Space U and kidnap Dr. Wyo-Ming, Lilymane, and Bjakjjon. Along the way, Sam meets and is rejected by his long-lost son, and Cass comes to accept that she’ll never be able to walk away from flying or piracy.
When they return to Barbery’s cruiser, The Guillotine, they discover him agreeing to help Aulrana, an insectoid rebel from the planet Swelter, in her efforts to free the planet from outside domination. Cass and Sam plus the Captain’s robot first mate Simon (C5-MX) blow-up the Federation’s control satellites, but they crash on the surface, destroying the Federation outpost and killing much of the indigenous population. Meanwhile Wyo-Ming has fallen for Captain Barbery’s charm and they marry on the cubic pleasure station, 3D, where Simon encounters a media mogul who hires him to create a comedy about piracy for the VR vids.
Follow Superheroes
Tonight we played Follow by Ben Robbins on a quest to create a new superhero team “After the Blast” that destroyed the previous team, the Global Guardians. Led by the radicalized sidekick of the Guardians, who had turned into the grim avenger Raven, we sought out sponsorship from the Pegasus Foundation to establish a base, which was kitted out by Elementech, our inventor.
We won over the hearts of the citizens when Armament, Destruc-tor, and Polymorph defeated an irradiated, gigantic alligator attacking downtown. Polymorph went down in the fight because, having turned into a dragon, they swallowed some of the creatures blood during the fight and become infected. While the scientifically-minded members of the team searched for a cure, Raven followed the clues to the origins of the gator’s sudden growth: radioactive waste in the city’s sewers dumped by the mayor’s corporate sponsors, waste that had mutated the bacteria in the sewers and infected the alligator, Polymorph, and several citizens.
At a press conference, we announced that we had prepared a cure and found the evidence needed for A.E.G.I.S. to arrest the mayor for corruption even as we spoke. The Justice Stars were now successfully established as the protectors of the city.
Microscope Centaur Isle
Thanks to Microscope by Ben Robbins, we discovered a world populated by mythical creatures like nymphs and centaurs, at war with each other and humanity, once they came riding and conquering from the steppes. The centaurs emerged victorious from the great colonial competition, thanks to the betrayal of one troop of horses during a decisive battle. Centuries later, five families rise to rule the world, families that mix centaurs and humans, and who learn to compete through ritualized artistic and theatrical productions rather than war, as if the Olympics could be used to resolve geopolitical questions. When the cactus nymphs rose up in rebellion, the power of the families began to wither until only the Trojanus family remained. When their centaur rulers were sentenced to death in a public trial, the age of the families, and of this history, came to an end.
Companions Tale Orselia
Tonight we played Companions’ Tale by Laura Simpson. We told a tale of the conflict-filled land of Orselia, where the threat of dragon invasion hangs in the air and aspiring magicians seek enlightenment through transformation into undead mummies. Through the eyes of his companions, we learned of a mysterious Hero who would wield his magical power to defend us. But who is the Hero, really? It depends whether you’re talking to the entrepreneurial Mentor, the devoted Protege, the tale-spinning Bard, or the island-defending Outsider.
Story Games Club 