Experience

Overview

Lumen is a larp about a group of seeming strangers who attend a retreat at a remote and mysterious location known only as Hope. These seekers – all of whom are dealing with various forms of emotional, psychological, or physical distress – are searching for healing, transformation, or escape from their personal struggles. There is magic to be found at Hope, for those who truly need it. Through unorthodox rituals and mystical practices, the seekers confront their deepest struggles and guide others through processes of transformation.

What is this larp about?

Lumen is a larp about struggle and transformation. This psychological drama revolves around a group of individuals who attend a retreat at a remote and mysterious location known only as Hope. These seekers, all of whom are dealing with various forms of emotional, psychological, or physical distress, are searching for healing, transformation, or escape from their personal struggles. Characters will draw power from the pantheon of Roman mythology and age-old archetypes as a means of discovering their own personal and collective power.
The Guides at Hope have their own struggles in their backgrounds and favour unorthodox methods for helping their guests. Over the course of the retreat, the Seekers are introduced to magical rituals that will question their perceptions, challenge them on many levels, and prepare them to face their journey and guide the others through it. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed, and the Seekers begin to connect with each other in unexpected ways, with some forming close bonds and others clashing, but ultimately working together to change themselves and – perhaps – the world around them.

What is this larp not about?

This is not a larp about a cult. Nor is it about a dysfunctional hierarchy or manipulation by those in power. While dysfunction in relationships may be present, the goal is not to merely escalate such conflicts for high drama, but rather to play towards a resolution or work toward conflict transformation.

Learning objectives

Lumen is an educational role-playing game (edu-larp) geared toward players in helping professions who plan to use RPGs with specific populations. Funded by an Erasmus+’ Higher Education grant, the goals of the game are connected to specific learning objectives that all participants should aim to experience. These learning objectives are:

  1. Design, playtest, and give feedback on transformative role-playing games with specific growth-related goals.
  2. Explore through play one’s own specific growth-related goal(s) and assist other participants in exploring their own.
  3. Apply theories and best practices of transformative analog role-playing game design within a larp experience.

The larp will include educational materials before, during, and after play to assist players in achieving these goals. The larp will also feature off- and in-game workshops and debriefs at specific periods that players are expected to attend for full participation. While players can opt-out of any game activity for emergency reasons, in order to fulfill our financial commitment to Erasmus, please only sign up if you consent to participating in all activities.

Themes

The larp will explore themes of healing, identity, and the processes of personal redemption or reinvention. Lumen is designed not only to catalyse processes of personal and social change in players, but also to teach elements of transformational analog role-playing game design through play itself. You will be involved in creating rituals and guiding each other through them.
Characters will be co-designed in workshops. The larp is intended to work with aspects of the player’s own lives, which is up to you to choose how to incorporate. To play this larp indicates a willingness to potentially transform oneself and a commitment to guiding others through their own process of change.

Content advisory

This larp will deal with some heavy themes, and plays on the idea that even in a controlled, serene environment, the process of healing can be tumultuous and unpredictable, especially when people are exploring their edges of growth. While not a therapeutic larp, the design emphasises psychological safety practices and is informed by mental health professional expertise.

Whilst it may contain some intense emotional scenes, this larp is primarily about hope in the face of adversity.

As the aim of the larp is to construct a redemptive narrative arc for one’s own life, not just the character’s, we recommend that you play a character as close to home as you feel comfortable exploring.

Storyworld

Lumen is set in the present day.

My Dearest V,

There are two secrets I kept from you in the years that we have known one another. The first, the one that you now know, is that I am dying. I told myself that it was right not to share that with you; we are all dying a little every day after all. I did not want you to grieve for me while I was still alive. Does that make sense? Perhaps you think it a betrayal, or a lack of trust, or perhaps that it was selfish? I wanted to remember your smile – always your smile, and the glow in your eyes that brought such joy, such love, and such peace to those around you, and especially to me.

I hope that you will find a space in your heart for forgiveness. You might regret not having the chance to say ‘goodbye,’ but I do not believe in goodbyes, only in saying thank you. The last time we spoke you whispered to me “Thank you for being in my life,“ I could wish for no better parting words and they sustain me – even now – as I know my time will soon be over; by the time you read these words, I shall be at peace.

The other secret is a parting gift to you, and to yours. I had hoped to share this with you in person, but it was not to be, there is no time left for me. I have discovered something so profound that I hardly know how to describe it, but let me try as though you were sitting here with me now. There are different ideas that originate from the hearts of humanity. Yes, there is always darkness, but it is insignificant next to the light that shines. I have found a way to call that light, my love. Whether it is The Divine, a shared consciousness, some spirit of universal love, or a perfect manifestation of poetry I cannot say. The work has only just begun and there is no time for me to finish it; that is for you to do now, and for you to bring to the world.

This light can heal. Perhaps not that final sleep which comes for me, but it will heal your heart, it can change you – if you will let it. Come when you can. My papers are here, and everything you need. Undrown my books, my soul. Bind up my broken staff. I will be with you on your path, in memory and – perhaps – in spirit.

I enclose a key to the house, a teardrop shed by moonlight, and my love for all you were, all you are, and everything that you may become.

When you get to the station, the cab driver will ask you for the address; but everyone in the village knows the place, I have named it, Hope.

M xxx

Is this larp for me?

Lumen is a larp that may contain a number of adult themes. Whilst participants will always be in control of their own bodies and will have methods to calibrate and control their own play, they may be invited to participate in or witness scenes played out by others. Themes that may be present in backstories and in-game discussions include but are not limited to, mental health challenges, addiction, burnout, past history of oppression and/or marginalisation, relationship challenges, abuse, trauma, spirituality, religion, paganism, birth/rebirth, war, loss, grief and death. Some difficult themes may come out in play. Planned scenes based on these themes are possible to play, but will be carefully calibrated and should be played in black-box spaces only.

Lumen will be played in English. All genders, ethnicities, and sexualities are welcome to sign up for and play at this larp. There will be extensive mandatory workshopping and discussion within your small group of players on the above themes before the larp to ensure that activities are simulated safely and well calibrated. You always choose who to touch. You will always have control over who touches you. You can always leave any scene at any time. There will be a space outside the play area where you can take a break from the fiction as needed.

Not every larp is for every person. The best way to figure out if this larp is for you, is to consider whether you would be comfortable playing on the themes above. Are you able to play on serious themes without resorting to comedy? If the answer is ‘no’ to either of these we’d urge you not to sign up.

Extensive workshopping and debriefing activities frame the play experience. Play takes place in three acts of 4-5 hours with debriefs and calibration workshops in between. Players are expected to participate in all off-game activities except in emergency situations.

What will I be doing during the larp?

The characters will spend their time at Hope learning about magic and figuring out how to use it in order to solve their problems or the problems of the world. There will be a number of set sessions facilitated by NPC characters – the Guides – that will involve exercises, discussions, rituals, and learning “magical” techniques. Characters may meet or speak with the divinities that provide the magic and be challenged or guided by them. There will also be plenty of time to interact with the other Seekers, to learn one another’s stories and to explore the past of other characters – using the magic of Hope – in order to better understand one another. Characters will undergo rituals that relate directly or indirectly to their established transformative goals. Then, characters will design short rituals using principles of transformative game design to guide others through a process of change. There will probably be some exercise too for those that want it. It will be a slow larp in as much as it is about the journey of transformation, and the – sometimes painful –process of healing. There will be no external threats, monsters, or puzzles to solve, unless well-being is a puzzle and the characters are searching for corner pieces.

Playstyle

Our larp is a place for collaborative storytelling. Rather than trying to best our co-players, we aim to engage in mutually fulfilling play. This means there will be situations in which you will come out on top and others where your role will be to suffer a dramatic loss. The most gratifying stories are a good mix of failure and success.

Do’s
  • Slowly escalate into physical touch and request permission.
    State your boundaries in verbal negotiations.
  • Say “Yes and”…
    Use the safety and game mechanics provided by the organisers.
  • Treat all co-players with dignity and respect.
  • Respect the personal expression of your co-players.
  • Co-create an environment in which all people are welcome provided they follow the Code of Conduct.
  • Involve people in your play, such as inviting quieter characters with questions in conversations, offering an empty chair at meals, inviting characters to rituals, etc.
  • Dare to end scenes or ask for off-game calibration if needed.

 

Don’ts
  • Touch people who haven’t indicated their enthusiastic and ongoing consent.
  • Use any safety or game mechanics NOT in the game design.
  • Exclude players based on their physical appearance, quality of costume, age, gender, etc.
  • Engage in intense play with others without first engaging in off-game calibration with the players in question.