nordiclarpyearbook2015

But it was when we got word that we could
borrow a real 1950ish airplane to use as
some sort of bomber the FX plan really
came together. We flew in a larper from
Oslo who also knows how to (and is allowed
to) blow things up. And that is how the first
use of an aeroplane attack with bombs in a
Norwegian larp came to be. For many participants
this part really made the larp.
The point of this larp from the start was
that the crystal had to get stolen from the
player playing its custodian. That was really
all we had in the beginning, and some of the
players had roles that were there undercover
specifically to steal it. It got stolen a couple
of times amidst the air raids, British soldiers
and scary scenes in the basement, but always
seemed to be returned. In the end one
of the players managed to snatch it, jump
out a window and run his ass of with it.
The past becomes a problem for the nazis. (Photo: Tim Esborn)
Would you do anything different
today?
Lots of little things. Overall I think this
one is the best of the three. There are a
couple of big things I would change now
if I could, though. One: The idea that the
crystal HAD to get stolen. We could have
easily written around it if it did not naturally
happen, but at the time it seemed very
important. Two: Some of the characters
were paper thin (and not just when printed
out, hehe). We would get a bit better for 3,
but if we ever make something of the same
size again, we need to spend a lot more time
fleshing out the characters and making sure
people have stuff to play on.
t
“The bomber attack really made this larp for me. Rarely have I felt so tough as when I was running around,
shouting “Feuer Frei !” while shots slammed up towards the plane. A big thanks to Olav that reinforced it
all by lying in a fetal position on the ground, muttering the Lord’s prayer.”
- The player of Oberst Wolfram Hartwig Adlersflugel, loyal officer of the Wehrmacht.
(Photo: Tim Esborn)
Consequesting Omens - third
and last larp
And so, we arrive at the last chapter: The
original idea. From the start we wanted this
to be a city larp type of thing, where players
would travel freely around the city and beyond
collecting clues, talking to NPCs and
being in character most of the time until the
end goal was achieved. From the start we
aimed high. We wanted this to be something
big and, do I dare say it, immersive… “We
knew we wanted to blow up a car”; one of
the early ideas that stuck on. We knew we
needed a lot of help from a lot of people to
meet our vision, and we knew that we wanted
the players to feel like they were part of
an action- adventure style movie. With vampires.
And gods. And magic. And trolls…
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves
into.
We started with 22 players, one of them
being a plant who was found dead the first
evening, so ending on 21. The players were
working for Vali as part of one large group
with a common goal: Get the crystal; destroy
the crystal. Easy and straightforward.
Within the larger group there were smaller
groups with their own goals and motivations,
but most everyone started the larp
believing Vali to be a good guy. Scary as
fuck, but good.
A small number of players had their doubts
and had to use the next four days to find
out more about him and about whom they
could trust, while at the same time trying to
find the crystal.
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