THE LARPS

All Hail the Machine King

by Daniel Carleton

All Hail the Machine King is a larp about the Mechanicans, an underground cult of humans who augment their bodies with cybernetic parts in order to become closer to their machine god. Through out time, their different beliefs have caused them to split in sub factions, which slowly turned to hatred, jealousy, and eventually, war. Only one can solve this crisis, and reunite the Mechanians, The one known as the Machine King. This larp will be a light hearted comedy, and things will probably get crazy.


Backstage at High Fructose

by Stephanie Cybart

High Fructose is the music festival that anyone who knows anything about bands that no one has heard of spends all year salivating over, held in the middle of some corn field in Nebraska. This year's line up is particularly epic: Too-cool lo-fi gods Hive Engine and cavity-inducing indie-pop darlings Vespa Avenger have been booked to play, and the audience members have never had to work harder to downplay their excitement. Come to think of it, it's sort of surprising that Hive Engine and Vespa Avenger are headlining at the same festival, since rumour has it that they hate one another...


Bad Things in the Bayou

by Anna Klein

Blanchard, Louisana. A tiny backwater town in the 'Bayou State' where the population of 1592 locals keep mostly to themselves and live behind shut curtains in falling down civil war era mansions and rusting trailers. With no tourist attractions besides miles and miles of fetid swampland, a few historical buildings, and it's own local monster legend that's as old as the town's foundations, the locals don't quite know what to make of the big city tourists that have wandered into Sharlene's Diner this sticky, sweltering Thursday morning. Folks are already uneasy on account of the missing people, the old timers are muttering the Blanchard bogeymonster in increasingly serious tones, and no one steps out of doors at night without their crosses and voodoo charms. Something's a-stirring in the tepid bayous of Blanchard, and legends say it's even older and hungrier than the 'gators


Blood and Iron: Renaissance

by Kirk Jacinto

The year of Our Lord 1450 has come to pass, and strife spreads across Northern Italy. War is brewing, calls to arms are being sound, from all corners mercenaries come to answer the call of gold. To take up arms for who ever will pay them most, for gold is sweeter that honey, it is more quenching than water, and the cities of Northern Italy have much gold, someone will have to claim it all...


Blood Moon

by Cheryl Frederick, Ellen Boucher and Porl Bowdler

An eclipse is coming. This is no ordinary eclipse however, as the unusual alignment of earthly and heavenly energies stirs what is normally dormant and lets magic flow more easily. Only once in an age does such an event occur, and there is one particular spot where the effect is especially potent – the Node, an unassuming clearing in the woods where magical energies gather. People usually avoid the Node, as dangerous creatures tend to gather nearby, and sometimes, people go missing. Local folk with any sort of sense are spending the night inside, behind barred doors. But there are others about who are seeking to take advantage of the gathering power...


Break Room 3 - Basilisk Green

by Catherine and Stephanie Pegg

In the massive dungeon network of Invidius the Indifferently Coloured, adventurers are questing - and dying - as per normal. In Break Room 3-Basilisk-Green, however, things aren't so rosy. The Sewage Crawlers' Union is complaining that all the gelatinous cubes are cutting into their hours and agitating while on break; the kobold tribes and skeleton archers are fighting over the arrow-supplies; a young hobgoblin in Torture and Reclamation is trying to get married to Sherril from Supplies (and the HR Guy is furious, because that would mean neither could be vivisected without a special permission slip); two surface fairies aren't sure what they're doing here; Thog the Bloody and Carnatia's long-standing feud has evolved into hurtful language and name-calling (it's very frightening); and... someone brought...cake.


Class of '83

by Nick Huggins, facilitated by Michelle Burt

Hair spray, legwarmers, Boy George, John Hughes - The time you spent before hitting real life or university was great. Sure, there were cliques and gangs. The beautiful people preyed on the nerds. The jocks preyed...well...on the nerds. But everyone forgave everyone else in the end. Romances blossomed, life was lived between the pressures of exams, and trying to be popular with peers and the opposite sex. All of those things came clearly into focus as you drove to the school reunion. Now you're trapped, and strange things have started to happen around you. All the evidence points to the fact that someone isn't happy with the way things happened in school. They plan to get revenge, and their target is you.


E.S.P.A. (European Social Psychics Association)

by Ciarán Searle

You are cordially invited to the first meeting of the European Social Psychics Association. You may not at this time be a member of the aforementioned group, but I can assure you that I have seen you will be. It is not always easy for a psychic to make friends, knowing exactly what a person thinks of you can be quite a barrier. However, surely if there is anyone who understands your burden it is those who are similarly gifted. What could really go wrong? (Cassandra, please don't answer that.)


Flight 665: Safety First

by Yahn Darkwood, Daniel Carleton, Vivian Leigh (RIP), Jack Waller, Shetland Power and Anna Northey. Facilitated by Yahn Darkwood, Daniel Carleton and Anna Northey.

Kia Ora to those travellers that have now joined us at Auckland Airport. Welcome to Panam Airways Flight 665, from Los Angeles to Sydney, via Auckland, New Zealand. Departing Auckland on February the 28th, 1966 at 22:00; we will be arriving in Brisbane, Australia following the 3 hour leisure flight from Auckland. This is a standard flight where nothing can go wrong.


A Game of Thrones: Blackfyre Rising

by Kirsten and Jamey Patten, facilitated by Donna Giltrap and Malcolm Harbrow

In Westeros, the Targaryens rule the Six Kingdoms, as they have since they came with their dragons to conquer, bringing fire and blood. King Aemon Targaryen IV is dead, and on his deathbed has decreed all of his bastards to be legitimate heirs to the throne. His only legitimate son, Daeron II, has assumed the Iron Throne, but the length of his new reign is anything but certain. The Great Houses have called their banners and marched to King's Landing, and it remains to be seen whether they come to swear fealty, or to plunge the Six Kingdoms into bitter war. Now, Gods, stand up for bastards!


Halloween at the House on the Hill

by Quentin Bourne and Sam Nicholls, facilitated by Quentin Bourne.

The girl from the spooky house on the hill, Jennifer Cray, has invited you to a Halloween party. She's not popular, for all that she's rich, but you're going anyway. Why? Maybe because you're not popular either, or for the free food, or because you're bored, or because you're interested in the old house. As soon as the last guest arrives, the doors slam shut and lock behind you. You can't get out! Your host stands up and makes an announcement: someone here is a monster, and no one is going home until she finds out who.


The Heat at 3AM

by Matt "Tigger" Brunton

A motley collection of criminals, crooks, con men and femme fatales of find themselves at The Bitter End. Will they last the night?


The Job

by Kirk Jacinto

A multi-million dollar diamond heist pulled off in broad daylight...a shipment of 'munitions jacked right out from under the Feds' noses...a shoot-out in a diner where no one knows what happened...a massacre at a drug deal...and a blind man who saw it all...


Kil Quest III: Rock Music

by Te Kahurangi Patuwai-Findlay

Calling all mercenaries. The town of High Point in the Duchy of Lionmane in the Kingdom of Infinite Light is willing to hire any who call themselves heroes to find our lost Mage. You will receive your instructions from the town of High Point, and then proceed to the forest where they were last seen. May Jah protect you (But a sword and armour wouldn’t hurt).


Louvre Actually

by Tim Creegan and Philippa McLoughlin

A special exhibition showcasing selections from the history of Western Art has finally come to the Louvre, and it was at this stop that the artworks had planned to have their big vote to decide whether postmodern art would be accepted into the ranks. There’s just one problem – the Picasso is missing. Beyond that, things are starting to get out of hand as the classics are getting snooty, the Expressionists won’t have a bar of it, the Van Gogh’s depressed, no one even wants to know what the Bosch is doing and what’s so mysterious about the Mona Lisa anyway?


Narnia and the Coming of Winter

by Joseph Outram and Daena Schofield

The events of the Magician’s Nephew have come and gone. But a new threat is on the horizon - The Queen of Charn. The self-proclaimed Queen of Winter and ruler of the Wildlands of the North. She wants the Kingdom for herself but standing in her way is the tree of life, and the reigning monarchs of Narnia. The King and Queen of Narnia have called together representatives of the various factions to discuss a plan of defence and any other problems at hand. However, there are rumours of spies and saboteurs in their ranks. Can a plan be developed and the spies ratted out before it’s too late? You’ll just have to come and visit the land of Narnia to find out...


Papers

by Petter Karlsson and Martin Rother-Schirren. Faciliated by Prema Cottingham and Walter Hamer

Papers is a playful and surreal experience about a company visited by management consultants. The larp caricatures corporate culture in a fastpaced way, using music and rituals in a cartoonish manner to energize the participants. Are you ready to go from good to great? This is totally normal. It’s just something you do at the office


Run Through the Jungle

by William McCartney

A crack team of Soldiers (ALPHA Team) have been assigned a dangerous rescue mission in a little known pacific island. Their Target is Scientist, Dr. Flinn, a leading researcher in Water purification. It is believed that Dr. Flinn was captured by the militia group "Island Thunder", while conducting tests on the island. Island thunder are most likely using Flinn's knowledge to force the villages on the island to pay big money for access to clean water.


Sarabande

Designed by Jeppe Bergmann Hamming and Maria Bergmann Hamming. Facilitated by Andreas von Knobloch.

Sarabande is a scenario originally created for Fastaval 2013. It has been run in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, England, and Texas. It is an expressionistic larp focusing on the use of repetition, non-linear time and the use of art as communication. It is set in a French café on Montmartre at the end of the 19th century where twelve persons meet every day– all entangled in issues of love, beauty, freedom and truth. Day after day they live out these issues through their art, trying desperately to break free or to find that one true love.


Slash 4: Agents of S.L.A.S.H.

by Ellen Boucher and Anna Klein

SUPERCON - The greatest gathering of superheroes on earth! Humanity's defenders gather to discuss threats to the planet, discuss uniform changes, get hammered angst and of course, engage in sexy sexy trysts (Hey baby, wanna know why they call me the Iron Man?) But something nefarious is brewing off-earth and SUPERCON is coming under a strange attack. Can the Agents of S.L.A.S.H defend themselves and fight off Glittergeddon? Or will next year's SUPERCON be a conclave of victorious villains? And most importantly, just what *is* that bulge in Batman’s suit?


The Shattered Circle

by Rowena Knill, Reuben Strom and Sarah Daymond

Based in Bioware's Dragon Age setting, this game explores the dynamics between Knights of the Templar order and the Mages of the Circle. All is not well between the two groups, as Mages chafe against circle restrictions, and Templars note increased use of forbidden, dangerous magic amongst their charges. Will an accord be reached? Or are the Circle's days numbered?


Sunset in the Silver City

by Dave Agnew and Martin Clyde, facilitated by Dave Agnew

The Throne of God sits empty. The horns have sounded, the seals have been broken and the four horsemen have ridden across the sky. A lone figure walks towards the Gates of Heaven. Any who try to stop him fall in flames. As he reaches the gates, they crumble, and Lucifer once again enters heaven. An apocalyptic game of Celestial Politics


There gloom the dark, broad seas

by Daniel Zollinger

The majestic Holsnøy, a 65ft steel sailboat with a storied history, was shipwrecked twenty years ago en route to New Zealand. After decades rusting on a Northland beach, the Holsnøy has been rescued, restored and relaunched. The crew have invited you to join them to celebrate its second wind. But something is not right here.


The Universe (Which Others Call the Library)

by Stephanie Cybart

The Library of Babel is comprised of an infinite number of books written in infinite combinations of letters and punctuation. Surrounded by so little of meaning, some of its inhabitants devote their lives to finding those rare books that contain any form of it. Others, believing that any book containing intelligible text is an affront to the library's purity, seek them out in order to destroy them. An experimental LARP based on Jorge Luis Borges' 'The Library of Babel.'


The Wumbus at Solla Sollew

by Mani Rogers and Bethany Strom

In Solla Sollew where the weather is fine
You are cordially invited to come and dine
With the Cat in the Hat on his special day
There is fun to be had and games to play
Leave your bippo-do-bungus and
put your zamp in it’s lamp
The party has started and you’re all missing out

This is a Dr Seuss inspired larp with some mature themes but general silliness.



Al-Shir Ma

By Ellen Boucher, Dale Elvy and Sophie Melchior

This is the story of the town of Al Shir-Ma; a tale of great deeds, high adventure and deep sorrow, for the fate of Al Shir-Ma is the greatest mystery of all.

Deep within the sifting sands, Al Shir-Ma was the Sultan's great prize, an oasis for the parched, a refuge for the desperate and a blessing for the devout. Since time immemorial the town’s great fountain spilled fine, clear water for all. The people of Al Shir-Ma were wealthy, trading marvellous treasures with the great caravans and bartering lost secrets and mysteries with the fierce desert tribes. Merchants, scholars, magicians and nobles; all were welcome in Al Shir-Ma. Then, a great calamity was visited upon Al Shir-Ma. One fateful day the great fountain in the town square stopped flowing and the people of the town were struck by one tragedy after another.

But, of course, our tale is just beginning...

Set loosely within the fantasy world of 1001 Nights, Al-Shir Ma is a game for 66 players, with strong threads of political intrigue, magic, romance, duplicity and revenge running throughout the game. Successfully debuted at Kapcon 2011, coming to Auckland for the first time at Chimera 2015.


In the Halls of the Erlking

By Dave Agnew, Martin Clyde, Sarah Daymond and Philippa McLoughlin

The year is 1793, and Europe is at war. Far from the front, deep in a forest that never was and always will be, the affairs of mortal men seem all but forgotten as the Wild Hunt prepares to ride and the Erlking holds Court.

Later the horns will sound and the Hunt will ride forth. For now, they gather, in hope, in fear, in celebration. The torches are lit. The first blood has been spilled. The Halls of the Erlking have opened.

A brand new dark faerie tale game for 45 players.


Photo from Chimera 2009