Vesna Kurilic

In a couple of days, the second (full) event of the Croatian-based Elder Scrolls Chronicles larp will take place. It’s one of the most expected larps in Croatia this year, and one which is trying to change a couple of things about the way we do this larping thing, over here.

As it turns out, the organizers though it would be useful to share the basic info for players who are joining the event here at the SnW blog – and I said, basically, why the hell not? It’s a great example of boiling down pre-larp instructions to the important part. (And if I finally get that guest post one of the organizers promised me couple of months back in return… well, that’s just your plain old larpers’ barter.)

Please note that no, that doesn’t mean they are actually planning to bring in a drunken Daedric prince (or fifteen) – you’ll see below that the event is planned as the complete opposite. That was just my take. I’ve missed the whole Sheogorath shenaningans at the playtesting event, so… one can hope, right?

The Elder Scrolls Chronicles II – Soulburst : Friendly Player Guidelines

#1 The event is written as sandbox. No one is going to fetch you things to do. Find them yourself. (Editor’s comment: Feeling bored? Instead of sulking by the fire, check out that extra dark spot in the bush next to you… who knows what – or whom – you might encounter… It’s a bit hard to understand sandbox as a format – and even harder to play – because most of us are relaxed as players, waiting for stuff to happen rather than making it happen. The GM team of TESC made an effort to write personal quests which allow the players to influence the game as much as possible. Why not use that and see what happens when you get to choose?)

#2 It is grim and dark. You have barely survived the battle. (You guessed it – no fluffy unicorns, no hippie feelings. Survivors. Barely survived survivors. I have to admit to playing numerous military and ex-military characters so far in my larping years, but most of the time we forget to take into consideration what happens after the battles, after the war. This could possibly be the biggest difference from the first main TESC event, where we all came into the game as comfortable, well-fed members of our different groups. Every person for themselves is quite a challenge for players – one I can’t wait to see played out live this Saturday.)

#3 It is 2nd era of Tamriel. No Talos, no dragons, just the whole huge chaos of the Interregnum. (Guess you’ll just have to pick some new curse words. If you have no idea what the Second Era is, the GMs were kind enough to put it in plain words for me – think of the medieval Dark Ages. There’s a reason you can only find so much written word about the Second era in the lore – and that’s it. As a former worshipper of Talos, I regret his absence even more than that of dragons…  just remember not to get into religious disputes about the number of divines and you should be fine – for yourself as well as for the immersion of those around you.)

#4 It’s a oneshot event – so you better use your character up to their full potential. You can tell your character’s story now and never again.  (Too often have we seen characters squandered away because of promises of continuing events. Not this time.)

#5 Play to lose. Need I explain more? (Opposite from the “play to win” scenario – one we find ourselves in more often than not, in larp and everyday life alike. The “play to lose” approach in larping seems to be visible when a player sacrifices their character’s gain for the sake of other players’ experience. I’ll confess having to ask a little clarification on this one, since it’s not a common thing for me. The way I understood it is – play for the sake of the scene, for the opportunity to allow your co-players to get their spotlight, for the possibility to tell a story, together, which revolves around regular people and realistic experiences, not a duel between two heroes. If you, as me, happen to be a player focusing on your character’s victories, and if you ever wanted to experiment with a style of play completely opposite from your usual one… why not do it at a larp designed specifically to encourage that sort of roleplay?)

See you there – and let’s hope there are at least some survivors, right? (I definitely hope there will be more awesome photos – even the main picture at the SnW blog was taken at a TESC event. Yeah – it’s definitely worth it.)

Bonus: Recommended reading

Elder Scrolls Chronicles production blog / Soulburst event story / Character Guidelines (read the Putting a character in the perspective section more than once if necessary. Survivors.)