The Closing of a Chapter - In More Ways Than One

We encourage guest posts from players and owners across the Larp genres.  They will not always express our views or fit every game. If you would like to do a guest spot, please email us here with your idea!  Tera Boster has been Larping for several years and has served as Plot, Campaign Plot, and as a long-term player.

When Nero Cincinnati made the decision to leave the world of Nero and venture out on their own, the first question that was asked was “What happens to the story?”  The question echoed in our minds and brought on a moment of silence as we all considered it.  What WOULD happen to the story?   We couldn’t in good conscience just leave it without resolution.  Too many people, too many players, too many characters couldn’t be left without an ending to their story.

Almost immediately, we began talking amongst ourselves.  What about the towns?  They had their own stories to tell, also.  What should we do?  What COULD we do?  The idea came quickly.  A Campaign Event.  A final blow out that would allow for the story to end… or at least for there to be an end to this chapter of it.  The Campaign Team had already been working to put the new plot arc in place.  All it would take was a few tweaks here and there and voila! A final chapter in the story of the Kingdoms of Solus, Coradar and Izendorn.   

We had to work fast as there was only a month after the last town event in February.  The Campaign Team was only newly formed and our ability to fly by the seat of our collective pants was already being tested.  The team of four began meeting immediately and often.  We had to re-work our current plot arc to fit the story we wanted to tell and our props guy immediately started work on some new pieces of costuming.  We scheduled meetings almost every week; though we often spoke several times between the formal meetings.  Our original idea was eventually scrapped and that particular arc was left to be a place to start in the new world.  A whole new story that would incorporate bits and pieces of old stories was falling into place.

We were determined to have something for everyone:  the high levels, the low levels, the players who loved epic town battles, the players who preferred smaller encounters. We agonized over how to incorporate everyone into the overall story but still provide opportunities for all types of players.  It was in this moment that we realized that the Campaign Head had chosen his team well.  It became clear that we were just as varied as the players we sought to entertain and the Campaign Head drew upon our individual strengths to provide the amount of epic awesome that was required.  We wanted to pluck heart strings, to evoke emotions that would be tough to deal with and create a sense of loss while providing flashes of hope. 

In the end, the story was simple.  A gray mist was moving in and enveloping areas of the three Kingdoms.  Time was unraveling and Void was creeping in with the help of a being known as Chronophage.  An Eater of Time.  A beast previously thought captured had been released and was consuming everything in its path.  People had already died or been lost, some PCs, some NPCs, but all of them people that other characters knew and cared for.  Tension was already building.  Citizens and adventurers were called to an Outpost to stand against the tide of Nothing.  When even that failed, a final retreat to the most fortified Keep in the Kingdom for a final stand.   New adventurers would be recruited to escort refugees to places of safety.  Experienced adventurers would be asked to stand firm on the front line so that others may escape.  When defeat was inevitable, a new realm would make itself known and welcome any who sought a place of peace.  Alternate means of escape would be provided to those who wished to remain on Tyrra or travel to other realms.

Now that the story had been written, it was time to put it into action.  Flurries of emails were fired back and forth.  Everyone that wanted a piece of the story would be provided one.   A daunting task, to be sure, but one that was necessary.  More than 100 emails were  sent out and answered in the space of about two weeks.  Depending on character affiliations, bits and pieces of information were given out.  Some folks received the same as others; a few players received unique information.  Many players sought to follow up and investigate, much to our joy.  Our hope was that the players would take all these snippets of information and put them together so that in the end the final picture would become clear. 

Then it was asked: what about the other towns and their plotlines?  Shouldn’t they be given the opportunity to wrap things up, as well?  Of course they should!  But… how?  Goodness gracious, how could we make it all fit seamlessly together?  The decision was made to allow each town a block of time to run any final encounters.  Portals could be opened from the Outpost to any of the remaining towns and the leaders of those towns could come through to request the aid of adventurers. The plot teams were encouraged to plan for their own NPCs, but would of course be permitted to borrow Campaign NPCs based on how many we would have available at the time.  Only two towns took us up on the offer, which made things easier on us. The other towns opted to end their stories in other ways.

Costuming and props were next on the agenda.  We had recruited two amazing staff folks to help us with executing this huge undertaking.  Numerous foam masks were designed and created.  We called upon them to help us determine what we had available to us in storage that could be used or modified for our purposes.  Portals needed built, something more than just some spinning glow sticks.  PVC pipe was bent and runes cut into it.  Multi-colored string lights were run through it so that the runes would flicker magically. Our props guy was furiously sculpting and building what would be an amazing piece of costuming for the final boss.  An insectoid head, a working jaw, scaled plates for the body, EL lights wired into the wings.  I believe there was a time when we thought it wouldn’t get finished, but it did and it was a glorious thing to behold. 

Then… the weekend was upon us.  We settled in for a long, strenuous event.  170 people arrived on site.  It was the largest event Nero Cincinnati had ever run in its entire history.  Every cabin was filled and thanks to a large tavern building, sections were blocked off to provide even more sleeping space.  On a camp that has beds for roughly 70, it was a tight squeeze, but thankfully everyone was kind and respectful to each other when it came to sharing space. 

It seemed that every encounter we ran had the chance to be epic and intense.  This was something we had hoped for, but were so surprised when things just happened that way on their own.  Players and characters were communicating and by Saturday afternoon almost everyone knew exactly what was about to happen.

There were a few hiccups along the way, but it was to be expected.  A few things didn’t go exactly as planned, but that only encouraged the staff and NPCs to work that much harder to make the next encounter better.   Speaking of NPCs, we had an army of folks who helped us out immensely.  Everyone worked well together and did everything they were asked without complaint, even when they reached a point of exhaustion.  We were all tired, but our NPCs and staff worked so hard to make this the best event in our Chapter’s history.  To them we owe our thanks and appreciation, without doubt.

The final fight was the most exhausting encounter of which I’ve ever been a part.  It began before midnight and carried on until the wee hours of the morning.  There were a couple mechanics to help progress the story and shift the direction of the battle.  To some it seemed like a plot save, which it was not, but others viewed it as the continuation of the story we were trying to tell.  There was no treasure on this encounter and no treasure box at the end of it.  We wanted the adventurers to deal with the emotional tension we had already built up and bringing in the Duke to distribute treasure would have interrupted that.  Because we didn’t want the notion of platinum, gold and magic items to bring down the tension, we were careful to put out all of the event’s treasure beforehand.   This allowed for a chance to role-play with fellow players regarding the bomb we had just dropped:  Solus was at its end and it was time to leave.

In the end, we were giving characters four options:  stay in Solus and risk dying/resurrecting to the Void and the Mist, take the portal to a newly discovered realm, take a ship out of Solus and return to Evendarr (or other points on Tyrra), or take a second portal that would lead them to any number of other realms.   While IG it appeared that people had limited options, OOG the possibilities were much more numerous.  A fracturing of the spirit would actually allow a player to choose ALL of the options, even if their character chose only one. 

It was at this point in the event that we saw all of the emotion that had been building up over the weekend pour out in so many different ways.  Some folks were rather matter of fact about their decisions.  Some were torn between friends and loved ones that were choosing to remain on Tyrra and others that were going to a new realm.  There were tears of sorrow and of loss, but also a sort of hopeful excitement about what other adventures might await them beyond the portals.  

It wasn’t until the Closing Ceremonies, something that Nero Cincinnati had never done before, that we realized that we, the plot and staff and NPC team, were feeling all of these emotions as well.  A few words were spoken by the Campaign Head and the Owner, an expression of gratitude and appreciation for everyone that had not only been at the event, but who had also helped make Nero Cincinnati the amazing place it had become.  Not because of the game we played or the props we used or the stories we told.  No, Nero Cincinnati had become an amazing place because of the people that worked for the Chapter and played at the Chapter.  So many friendships.  So much love. 

I was content in that moment that my time with Nero was coming to an end.  I had made my own decision to leave the game and move on to other experiences.  It wasn’t until 170 people stood up to applaud, to show their love and appreciation for what we had accomplished that I felt the loss.  Tears sprang to my eyes.  The Campaign Head had to lower his face to hide his welling emotions.  I saw more than a few glassy eyes among the staff and NPCs. 

Then it occurred to me:  This wasn’t a loss.  These people weren’t lost to me.  They had become my friends and loved ones and I would still get to enjoy larping with almost every single one of them.  The team that had been built wasn’t going to be dissolved.  We would simply be writing stories for a new realm.  This wasn’t the end.  It was simply the closing of a chapter.

A few thank you’s are needed:

·       Jenn and Bill Tobin for letting me share my experience with the final event of Nero Cincinnati.

·       Eric Bauer and Rob Dreyer for giving me the opportunity to be a part of Nero Cincinnati from its beginning to its end.

·       The Players who brought the world to life with their amazing ability to pluck even MY heart strings.

·       All of my love to the Campaign Staff team:  Tim Saluga (Campaign Head), Stephen Looney (master of the low level mods and keeper of the monster cards), Chris McGrath (props guy), Matt Bair and Christine Bair (our two recruited staff folks) and every single NPC that volunteered their blood, sweat and tears to make the event as great as it could be.