Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Scuttled Ship… Finally

The first Lloegyr game, The Moorstepper on Lloegyr, was a "closed door" larp, meaning that it was designed to be played by a group of characters who couldn't leave the immediate area.  Typically, this involves being trapped in a room, and some sort of premise as to why you can't leave.  Rather than come up with a plot device, I came up with a tradition: important diplomatic discussions were held on a ship that had been scuttled upon a sandbar… and you couldn't leave until you came to an agreement.  Thus the concept of the Scuttled Ship was born.

The sequel to Moorstepper was also set on the Scuttled Ship, as well as the recent prequel game, Mournful Their Mood.  I have a special attachment to using it as a timing device, because the "way out" is through other characters, and you're not problem solving as much as racing against time (which is slightly unusual in convention games).  I'm especially excited to bring this to Ubi Sunt, as after 19 episodes, I wanted to do something very special… and the Scuttled Ship is one of the most special things in Lloegyr.

Why?  Because the meta-concept of the Scuttled Ship is that on the ship, every character is the hero of their own tale.  You have to be important to get on that ship, because space is at a premium and a very important decision is going to be made.  If you're at all political, you don't want to be off the ship, because that's where the most important political decisions are made.  The Scuttled Ship isn't about two important individuals arguing… it's about a mess of converging interests who have to be at the decision point.  Anyone with any stake in the matter of Lloegyr will be there.  Which probably includes your character… or someone your character cares about… or someone who cares about your character.

Why wouldn't you be there?  I've heard some concerns… why would a "Vincian/Kraki/Guth" be there?  Why not sink it?  Won't it just be full of magical events?

To answer your questions…

First, if you're not a Heorot or a Wahlan, you still probably have a stake in what happens.  This is going to determine the next few years, if not decades, of Lloegyr's history, and you can be certain that Guihelm Duke of Vincia, Olaf Olafson, and all those hidden players you've heard of will want someone on that boat.   So will the Faith of Arim, and the priestesses of the Dunmar-Gog, and probably a few others you might not expect.  I guarantee… if you're at all uncertain as to why you might be there… ask, and you shall receive a reason.

Second, it's relatively safe.  You might have thought "why not sink it?"  Of course, so did the Guth, over a century ago.  Remember, the ship is already sunk, and on a sandbar.  It's in the Bay of Bertha, which is adjacent to the neck and the full might of both the Aelic and Heorot people.  Most nobles will bring their guards with them to the shore, and since the days of Rand and Dannis, their navies.  While treachery is certainly possible by those on the ship… it would be quite a battle to attack it again.

And finally… will it be all magic?  No, far from it.  There will be… events, I am sure, because the Matter of Lloegyr is a mystical thing.  But it is first and foremost a political matter… the sum of decisions made by flawed and might people… and as such, politics will be at the core of the game.

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