Feeling the Sting of Shame in a Lupine LARP

Feeling the Sting of Shame in a Lupine LARP

In front of a yellow moon on a black canvas, there is a grey werewolf with red eyes who is pointing their index finger at something outside the image.

Fig. 1: A werewolf pointing at the next victim they intend to infect.

In a nondescript industrial complex in southern Tampere, I, Sloth, am shamed; shamed to the point of confession by my fellow villagers. I have not done any ill, but neither has my accused friend, Sorrow.

The moon shines on our wretched faces as we suffer in restless slumber. Claws scrape across carpet as the werewolves seek to add the innocent to their infected ranks. Disturbing folk music tears us from sleep, and we head to the bar to drown our worries in beer. The mood is subdued, and silence rules the room.

The sun having passed its peak, the priest married Pride and Vanity in a ceremony that was accompanied by cheers. Bullied by the priest when I was a boy, I booed, adding cacophony to euphony. Rumours about the priest’s questionable past had spread by the time we chose the next villager to shame into confession. The priest, it turned out, was Father Wolf.

Blue pillars and an open door in a large office space.

Fig. 2: Inside the Games As Art Center.

In live-action role-play (LARP), people engage in embodied pretend play that blurs the fictional and real: On the one hand, I was a deadly sin in a German village threatened by werewolves in disguise. On the other hand, I was a student trying to stay in character without making a fool of myself. Complete immersion in an emergent story about personified sins and wolves is difficult to achieve as a second-time LARPer in a mundane office space without props.

The zealots and wolves I played with were similarly committed but equally inexperienced. For a beginner, engaging in embodied pretend play is emotionally challenging, and sensing others’ insecurities adds to the challenge. Self-regulatory effort is needed to overcome the desire to break character or run out the door. Familiar faces among the villagers reduced the anxiety felt, but the decisiveness and confidence with which the LARP was led was a key ingredient to its success.

The narrative and the characters were designed by Leland Masek, who handed out prompts, answered questions, and occasionally intervened to ensure that the LARP progressed smoothly. Designed story elements did not interfere with but supported emergent storytelling as driven by the participants in the LARP.

In a LARP about public shaming in a German village infested by werewolves, setting the stage in a mundane office space without props is challenging. Inexperienced participants add to the emotional challenges faced, but familiar faces and Leland’s competent lead turned this LARP into a dramatic showdown between Father Wolf and its prey.

LARP design
Leland Masek

Date & Place
21 October 2023 at the Games As Art Center (Voimakatu 11, Tampere)

Players
Approx. 10

Pictures
Featured image: Village Hamlet Picturesque. Uploaded by ArtSpark:
https://pixabay.com/users/artspark-13342248/. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/village-hamlet-picturesque-rain-7913993/
Fig. 1: Werewolf Full Moon Fantasy. Uploaded by OpenClipart-Vectors: https://pixabay.com/users/openclipart-vectors-30363/. https://pixabay.com/vectors/werewolf-full-moon-fantasy-monster-2024126/
Fig. 2: Games As Art Center. https://gamesasartcenter.com/about/

Inspiration
The blog by Chris Crawford on interactive storytelling: https://www.erasmatazz.com/

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Uriel Nyffenegger

Passionate about games, literature, and philosophy, Uriel delights in feeling complex emotions and thinking big thoughts. Overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts, he plays basketball until he turns into metal Mario and needs a nap.

#larp ##Shame ##Werewolves ##DeadlySins