nordiclarpyearbook2015

Hell on Wheels: Experience the Wild West
- By Filip Appl & Tereza Staňková
The deafening sound of gunfire, shooters
crouched behind whiskey barrels for cover,
the smell of gunpowder. The long stares of
gunslingers preparing for a duel under the
burning midday sun. Beautiful ladies and
distinguished gentlemen drinking tea on the
porch of the railroad office. Cheap girls leaning
seductively over the brothel balcony railing
above the saloon. The battle cry of the
native Indians that can be heard more and
more often near the builders’ camp. A party
of freedmen workers drinking moonshine in
a tattered tent behind the saloon. Love, hate,
unexpected encounters, revenge and hope.
All this can happen in a muddy town in the
middle of nowhere. Do you think these are
scenes from a western movie? You’re wrong
– this is the Hell on Wheels larp.
Once Upon a Time in the
Czech Republic
The Hell on Wheels larp is a dramatic game
for 54 players taking place in Stonetown, a
western settlement in the Czech Republic. It
draws its inspiration from the US AMC TV
series of the same name. It borrows certain
characters and introductory plots from the
series, but handles them freely and places
them into a broader context of the transcontinental
railroad construction in 1866.
The game takes approximately 20 hours and
is preceded by roughly 5 hours of pre-game
workshops and gun handling training.
Our journey to the western-like larp started
in 2013 and went through different
concepts. Eventually, we chose to convey
a dramatic, film-like experience to the players.
We decided to make a genuine western
stuffed with all the clichés, character archetypes
and scenes people remember from
their favourite movies.
There were gunfights, duels, brawls, prostitutes,
Indians on horseback galloping
across the plain, boxing matches, cancan
in the saloon, whiskey... All emphasised by
dramatic music, both recorded and live. On
the one hand, the game is based on visually
interesting dramatic scenes, on the other it
gives the players room to experience relationships,
intrigue, powerful stories, personal
dilemmas and intimate scenes.
“Hell on Wheels is mainly about a film-like
experience; nothing too psychologically
complex. Everything is done for effect, the
inspiration coming from the Hell on Wheels
Season 2 is palpable, one cliché follows another
– but it’s a damn western! They’ve
given me exactly what they promised and
what I wanted. Duels on a muddy street,
brawls in the shadows, the howling of the
Injuns riding past... What more could I ask
for? Although it’s not completely shallow.
Racial hatred, the machinations surrounding
the election of the mayor and the personal
tragedies of the Native Americans living
in a white town, all that adds credibility
and pathos to the story. “
- Karel Cernín, player
Production
Since realistic scenery and the visual aspect
were our priorities, finding an appropriate
location for the game was crucial. We managed
to find a western town - it is small, but
perfect for our purposes since it is period
enough: There is a saloon with a brothel, an
office, a telegraph station, a store, a barbershop,
a sheriff ’s house. At the same time,
there are sufficient conveniences: Players
are accommodated in themed log cabins
and modern sanitary facilities are available.
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