DETAILS OF DESIGN DOCUMENT

 

TIME SCHEDULE OF THE GAME

Thursday

Arrival of players by 2PM

2PM – 6PM Costume fitting

6PM dinner (soup, bread)

Evening programme: 

7PM – 10PM Workshopy

 

Friday

8AM – 9AM breakfast

9AM workshops and introduction to the world and characters

12:30PM lunch

1PM – 2PM pre-game scenesscény

2PM – 3PM break and preparation for the start of the game

3PM  ritual passage into the game

3PM – approx. 12AM game

After midnight – lights-out (but we stay in the roles)

 

Saturday

9AM – 10AM breakfast

10AM – approx.8PM game

Approx. 8PM ritual exit from the game

8PM Debriefing, dinner and party! 

There will be a pub managed by the organizers where you can buy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Please bring cash, we do not accept credit cards. 

 

Sunday

9AM breakfast, clean-up and departure 

 

SLEEPING

If you opt for price option BASIC, you will sleep in the castle. You will sleep in a building but it is more like “camping in the building” than anything else. The “dormitory” is on the second floor of the castle, you will sleep on sleeping pads (Mirelon). It is 3 cm thick and it measures 50 x 200 cm. You must bring all the other equipment like sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and towels with you. We also recommend you to take ear plugs.

There is no shower at the castle, there is only a flushing toilet and cold running water on the ground floor.

If you opt for LUXURY or ULTRA LUXURY, you will sleep at one of the local hotels or guesthouses. You will sleep in one-bed or multiple-beds rooms with a toilet and a shower. There will be a minibus service from and to your hotel every morning and evening at a given hour. You can also walk, it is approximately 7 minutes of walking.

HYGIENE

There are ladies and gentlemen restrooms on the ground floor of the castle. There are two flushing toilets in each of the restrooms and a wash-basin with cold water tap. We will supply toilet paper, soap, disinfectant and paper towels. There is also one mirror in the hall between the restrooms.

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

On top of the equipment mentioned above, don’t forget to take sufficient amount of clothing, personal hygiene necessities, anything you need to cover your personal needs, CZK cash, European plug power adapter if needed, chargers, medicine, a sleeping bag and a blanket in case of BASIC package, two pairs of neutral warm shoes.

TEMPERATURE

There is nowhere to warm up inside the castle. The only room with heating is dedicated for sleeping. We will try to warm up the castle with gas heaters but it is a huge building and we will not get to the usual room temperature (23°C). The average temperature inside is 12-13°C and the average temperature outside is 5-8°C.

You will get wool costumes from us but the responsibility for warm clothing under your costumes is up to you!

You should take several layers of warm clothing with you – functional underwear, two sweaters, a down vest, a scarf, a lower back warming belt, two pairs of warm socks, leather gloves or knitted mitten, players of female characters can also have a tight cap under veils. You can trust us that you will appreciate having these extra layers. Your costumes will allow for these extra layers. If you are cold, first add an extra layer under your costume and if it is still not enough, only then come for an extra layer of costume.

CATERING

FULL BOARD FROM THURSDAY DINNER TO SUNDAY BREAKFAST IS INCLUDED IN ALL PRICE PACKAGES

We can prepare the following special diets – vegetarian, gluten free, various food allergies and milk intolerance. We cannot cover vegan and other diets.

The cuisine will be inspired by authentic recipes from the middle ages. The food will be cooked at open fire. You can expect porridge or eggs for breakfast, a thick soup with bread for lunch and a two course dinner. There will be bread with lard or fresh cheese between meals.

You can drink water or warm fruit tea all day and there will be coffee upon request.

You can also visit a pub managed by organizers, where you can buy with CZK cash mulled wine, hot juice, non-alcoholic beer and even alcoholic drinks after the game.

GAME ESTHETICS

Our aim is to provide as authentic experience of medieval life as possible, which is supported by the beautiful environment of the castle, medieval cuisine, music and most of all, the costumes. Despite that, we have decided that we will allow glasses and modern shoes. However, please take leather or faux leather, ideally two pairs. Please don’t take trainers. Military boots, hiking boots, other types of leather boots, modern winter shoes or snow boots in black or brown colour are acceptable.

Players of the male characters, please take unicoloured cotton tracksuit trousers and some functional or merino underwear. If your character has a short surcoat, the trousers can be covered with leg wraps.

Esthetic ideals of medieval people are different from the modern esthetic ideals and our costumes reflect this. The cuts are wider, obscuring the figure while the clothing is more colourful with more daring colour combinations than nowadays. We thank you for respecting this concept.

ACCESSORIES

We will provide bags and purses.

If your character is female, please don’t use too much make-up and try to use less expressive styles.

Most characters will get some headgear – female characters will get headdresses and veils, male characters will get coifs, capes and hoods. Again, this is in line with medieval tastes.

If you sew or knit, please take the necessary equipment with you. There will be needles, threads, spare pieces of fabric, skeins and lucets. You can sew and embroider something or knit a string and you can keep the product as a souvenir.

WEAPONS AND ARMOR

We only use soft LARP weapons (BOFR) and if your character is supposed to be armed, we will provide the weapons.

We do not accept any metal weapons in our games which includes any sharp weapons.

Some characters will have a light armor which will also be provided by us. However please note that our game is not focused on fighting so don’t expect full armor. You will get gambeson, some chainmail elements and a helmet.

TOBACCO

The game is purely non-smoking. However we appreciate that this can be difficult for some of our players, there will be one place – the STABLES – where smoking and a small detour from the game is allowed. Smoking is allowed only in the STABLES before, during and after the game.

CHILL OUT ZONE

Since the game is emotionally challenging, the whole top floor of the castle will be dedicated to relaxation, taking a break from the roles and off game talk. Please don’t talk about game secrets or plots when out of character!

 

 

PLAYING STYLE

We are aware that there can be many differences between larp cultures and traditions in Europe. In the following tabs we will try to describe the playing style of our game to bring everyone on the same page; however, we are possibly not aware of all the problems which may arise. Please, if you have any questions or objections, don’t hesitate to ask us either on our email:goodpeopleoflanguedoc@gmail.com or our FB page.

GAME PREPARATION

The game is of a “come and play” sort and only light preparation is expected of the players. You will get a full character sheet and you will not be asked to participate in writing it; however, we will ask you to read it thoroughly, think about your interpretation, and consult with the organisers about any issues that might arise.

We will also not expect you to study detailed historical information on your own; we will supply you with our own comprehensive materials, summarizing what you need to know and what might be useful. There will also be pre-game workshops covering all the necessary information.

Necessary equipment you can find in first time of this document.

SCRIPTING LEVEL

The Good People of Languedoc is a scripted game but some characters have a lot of freedom in key decisions. They don’t have to think about what is the right decision because there is no “right” decision, there can be various outcomes. The final outcome of the game will be very different depending on series of decisions of the players however it is not a sandbox either, the characters don’t have total freedom. They have a lot of topics to address, many relationships to keep or develop, but they also have space for their own play, their own take on the situation. You will be transferred to medieval Languedoc and you will live the life of one of the characters.

Structure of topics in the game characters

Each of the characters has a somewhat different game. The following figure will give you a basic idea of the structure of the game. Some characters will have more romance, some will have none, there are different levels of action, immersion, intrigue or investigation. If we are asked to generally summarize the whole game, the structure would look like this:

.

LITURGY, WORSHIP AND THE CHAPEL

One of the key topics of the Good People of Languedoc is religion, more specifically Catholicism and the Catharist heresy. Religious topics cannot be completely avoided in the game but still, there are characters that will have faith as the key topic of their game while there will be other other key topics for others. All characters will experience short game masses and some characters might even lead these masses. A large portion of these services will be composed of singing of liturgical texts and other religious songs in latin. The game church services will take place in a decommissioned chapel at the castle premises. Characters leading the masses will get the materials in advance and they will have a hand written missal at their disposal (game manual for the mass in English with a few texts in latin).

Some characters will also experience religious meetings of the heretics but such meetings are less structured and they will always be improvised. It is up to the players what form these will take.

Velkou část bohoslužeb bude tvořit společný zpěv liturgických textů a jiných latinských náboženských písní. Herní bohoslužby se budou odehrávat v odsvěcené kapli v areálu hradu. Postavy, které budou mít za úkol vést bohoslužbu, dostanou materiály předem a k dispozici jim bude ručně psaný misál (herní návod na bohoslužbu v angličtině s několika latinskými texty).

Některé postavy zažijí také heretickou formu náboženského setkání, které ale nemá ustálenou formu a bude vždy trochu improvizované. Bude na hráčích, jak ho pojmou.

TOPICS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER IN THE GAME

religion

religious fanaticism

incest

totality and oppression

injustice

violence

power and powerlessness

servitude

Inquisition and interrogation

humiliating pre-marital rituals

social injustice

inequality between men and women

alcoholism and other cases of substance abuse

terminal illness

murder

sexual violence (direct participants in sexual violence will be tagged)

and other

TORTURE CHAMBER AND INTERROGATION

One of the key topics of this game is an investigation of heresy. Inquisition interrogation is part of it. There will be a re-enactment of the inquisition interrogation in a dedicated torture chamber in the game. This interrogation is driven by mechanics designed to protect the players from physical and psychological harm.

FIGHT AND WEAPONS

Inspired by the medieval weapons and fighting styles, we use certain forms of fighting and appropriate weapons. Still, the aim is not to provide you a re-enactor’s fighting experience. The weapons used are not made of metal, they are soft foam with solid core (type BOFRY). These are mostly one-handed swords, with a few exceptions, and not all the characters will get them. The sword is a sign of privilege and lower layers of the society are armed with a knife, a dagger or a similar weapon at best. Also, only male characters are armed.

The sword-fights are theatrical and it is inspired by the medieval swordplay. The level of skill required for the game purposes is minimal and we will teach you everything necessary during a dedicated pre-game workshop

MUSIC

Your game experience will be also enhanced by immersive live music (with one exception). We will focus on liturgical singing in one of the pre-game workshops. If any of you is a musician and you can play an instrument that is close to medieval instrument, please let us know. We will be happy to discuss if it is appropriate to bring it into our game.

CHARACTERS

SPECIFIC ROLES

There are roles in the game that have certain specifics you have to take into consideration when making your selection.

Priests – might be asked to lead a mass, an English material will be shared in advance.

Executioner/Torturer – must be played by a person that is fine with causing in-game distress to other players to enhance their dramatic experience and that is fine with an inevitable need for a greater level of physical contact with other players.

Inquisitor – must be a person that doesn’t mind interrogating other players using rougher techniques. Inevitably, his story is closely linked to the power structures of the Catholic Church and is strongly religious.

Musicians/performers – will entertain other players (by dancing, singing, story-telling – up to you.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY

Many of the characters are historical figures or inspired by a historical figure, but we squeezed their stories into a shorter time period and made them contemporaries, sometimes we have renamed them to avoid confusion in the game when their names were the same. However, you will most likely change their history by making different choices and that is perfectly ok.

CONSULTING

We are very dedicated to the safety and comfort of our players. There will be a team of organisers and consultants in the game. At any time before, during or after the game, you can come to any member of this team if you need anything, whether it concerns your character and story or your physical and psychological comfort.

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT DURING AND AFTER THE GAME

All our games contain mechanics to protect physical and psychological safety of the players. We provide an explanation of game mechanics and we practice them during pre-game workshops.

During and after the game, psychologists, couches and therapists are available for the players, either among the organizers or if a more extensive help is needed, we are ready to refer them to further professional help.

TRANSPARENCY

Our game is not transparent and it works with surprise and secrets. We are aware that this is unusual in many larping cultures, but we believe that the lack of transparency in our game has a purpose and that we have ways to make it work. We ask you to trust us in this.

The characters have their secrets. The secrets are to be revealed, but in time; and we believe that the game works well if the secrets are a surprise for both the characters and the players. Therefore, before the game you will be asked to debate your gaming preferences and set intimacy levels and physical boundaries with your close in-game partners, but please do not include “spoilers”; do not send them your character sheets or tell them what your character thinks about theirs and what you’re planning to do about it. If you are unhappy about something in the game, want to make a major decision, which might influence your co-players, or want to tweak something in your in-game relationships, please go to talk to your consulting organisers; they know the game really well and they will work out a way to make you and your co-players happy. However, please do not go to have an off-game chat with another player.

GAME MECHANISMS

SAFETY

To end a scene that is not comfortable for a player or otherwise disturbing, we use a mechanism of Red STOP. Red STOP ends the scene you want to stop because it has been either too distressing for you as player or because there has been an injury for example. With Red STOP you will stop the game for all players involved in the scene. After the issue is solved, the game continues.

INSTANT STOP OF A SCENE

There is another mechanism to stop any scene which is uncomfortable for you but this time it is a mechanism that doesn’t stop the scene for other players involved to the scene – you will use a sentence: I must go to confession. You can then leave and address any of the organizers (a confessor) and discuss your issue, gather yourself and then you can continue playing. Don’t hesitate to come to us after any uncomfortable situation, we are there for you.

PHYSICAL SIDE OF THE GAME AND THE TORTURE CHAMBER

We believe that a certain degree of physical experience is important for the overall experience from the game, however it might be uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we want to give you reasonably realistic experience of medieval life and we believe that a few minutes of physical or psychological discomfort might enhance your game experience. If we disregard the cold, the main source of discomfort will be the inquisition interrogation or other type of interrogation. Not everyone will be interrogated. Nobility, clergy and pregnant (in the game) women will not be interrogated most probably. The other characters must assume that there is a possibility that they might be interrogated in the torture chamber.

Warning!

The level of physical (and psychological) discomfort in the game and in any interrogation is up to each player. However, everyone can experience a touch on their shoulder from the executioner or the helper, a few moments of kneeling on the ground (up to a minute), theater slap, whipping of a bench next to the interrogated (which serves to imitate flogging). If you are ok with more than a minimum discomfort, you can expect is a gentle immobilization – your hands will be tied up (very loosely) with a soft rope in front of you and you will be able to untie yourself easily. The interrogation might then progress to gentle “flogging” with a soft rope over your back (and the layers of clothing) or you will be “stretched on a rack”. The highest allowed degree of torture is tying your hands loosely behind your back with a soft rope and slowly pulling your arms to the ceiling.

ALL THESE DEGREES ARE PURELY VOLUNTARY AND THERE ARE CLEARLY DEFINED MECHANISMS TO FACILITATE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE INTERROGATOR AND THE INTERROGATED.

There are several supporting mechanisms connected to the torture chamber:

If you believe that your character is really tough, your character will not tell anything he or she doesn’t want to at least not on the first try. When the inquisitor applies a higher degree of torture, you should reveal a small secret even if your character is really tough. Don’t make the inquisitor depressed that no one will say a thing. The inquisitor can use up to 4 degrees of torture and every character that is interrogated will eventually share some secrets. It is an integral part of the game. Don’t try to keep your secrets the whole game.

You can of course use RED STOP or I must go to confession (to leave the scene). You can also use off-game whispering with the executioner, you can let him know if you can take more discomfort if you need to relax the pressure. There are following three in-game sentences you can use in communication with the executioner and the inquisitor:

If you have a feeling that it is too much for you as a player and you want a gentler approach, say:

Virgin Mary, stand by me!

It is an important mechanism and all interrogators and their helpers will respect it.

The game will continue as if you didn’t say anything significant but the inquisitor and the executioner will treat you gentler, they will shout less, etc.

On the other hand, if you feel that you would enjoy more pressure as a player, by which we mean that the inquisitor will for example shout more or use other suggestive methods of psychological pressure… We are still talking about psychological terror, not about actual physical punishment… you can use insolent:

God is by my side!

If you would also enjoy more physical discomfort, you can say:

Shame on the false prophets!

It is a special option just for you and use it only if you really want it.

Either way, these three sentences enable you to drive the interrogation between gentle and more naturalistic.

There is one more sentence:

It is possible that your character is facing serious threats and your friends want to help you and protect you (e.g. from interrogation). If you as a player want to experience the scene and you don’t want to be saved by other characters, you can tell the other players:

I can face my fate alone!

And they will let you face your fate.

Outside of the torture chamber, any in-game violence is only theatrical – there should be absolutely minimal physical contact between the players – the maximum allowed is clenching front loose side of the clothes (where a lapel would be if you had a coat or a jacket) and gentle shaking.

INTIMACY

We leave the level of intimacy up to the players, we only give the maximum allowed level. The absolute maximum level of intimacy allowed in-game includes:

• a gentle hug
• a kiss on a cheek
• holding hands in public

Please leave other intimacies to your private moments before and after the game if you have someone close to you participating in the same game. This limitation is there to ensure general comfort of players.

Any in-game sexual intercourse will be played as taking off your headdress and a brief hug.

We would like to stress that rape or any other type of forced intercourse is not one of the topics of the game and any (in-game) forced sexual intercourse must be consulted with the organizers in advance.

Game mechanics connected to punishment

• A typical punishment that might appear in the game is a fine, penance or payment of damages

• A game mechanic for branding will be introduced in pre-game workshops (it is absolutely safe, painless and you can wash it off effortlessly after the game)

• Pillory will be used as one of the punishments (approximately 15 minutes, not a real pillory, just mock binding to a tree trunk and in-game public shaming)

• Prison (15 minutes in the dungeon with windows)

• There will be no hanging, burning at stake will not happen before Saturday evening (there will be no actual fire involved, your safety will not be threatened)

Safety and protection of life and property consent

The act of registration to this game also constitutes a consent of the player that they will under all circumstances behave in a manner that does not put their or anyone else’s life, health or property at risk. Alcohol consumption is allowed during the game but the players consent that they will drink responsibly. Consumption of other psychotropic drugs is strictly forbidden.

The players declare that they will treat the premises and equipment of the state castle Lipnice with utmost care knowing that the castle is a National Cultural Treasure. The players will not damage in any way the building itself or any of the property within it, they will not cut into plastering, damage floors and they will immediately notify the organizers in case of spillage.

The players will also treat with utmost care any items and costumes provided to them by the organizers.

The players will be respectful to other players. The players will not disrupt the game with their behaviour (by talking about topics not related to the game and the setting). If they feel the need to step out of the role, they will do so strictly in premises dedicated to such purpose.

Our games are strictly non-smoking. Smoking players will respect this and they will only smoke in a designated smoking area.

Medical emergencies

The set-up of our games does not create situations where the lives of players would be in danger. However, accidents can happen even under the least expected circumstances and we are prepared for such situations. During our dramatical LARPs, a trained health professional is always present and we are ready to call an ambulance in case of an emergency.

Declaration of respect for the equality of people regardless of their nationality, sex or religion

The team of authors of the game acknowledges that in their games, various facts from religious and political history of certain nations are used. Multiple characters are written with world-views that make it clear that they see things in black and white, their simplified point of view is meant to reflect the historical reality of the people living in the given place at the time of our game. We intend to let you experience thinking and world-view of people from history.

For that reason, even attitude to gender topics reflects the historical reality. The historical reality was strongly prejudiced in terms of gender, religion and nationality. That does not mean that we are expressing our personal opinions to the rights of minorities by creating a game from such period. The aim is to create a thrilling and entertaining game which is as close to historical reality as is possible for us.

That being said, some of historical facts might be described in a way that does not fully correspond to actual findings of historians. We are presenting dramatic historical games, not documentaries. Conflicts and opposing views are accentuated and sometimes even exaggerated, one-sided and unfair to some religious groups or nationalities. We would like to clarify that this is done only to make the game more dramatic. A good story needs a drama and that is created by the catharsis of conflicts and strife. There is no value statement attached from our side to any of the situations occurring during the game. We value all religions, sexes and nationalities equally. If you feel offended by any event in the game, please contact the organizers immediately to help us resolve the situation.

Gender

Unless clearly stated otherwise, all characters in the game have a set sex and they are either male or female. This is an integral part of the game design and we cannot change the characters to suit the needs of individual players. Since our historical games focus on a certain level of historical authenticity, unless clearly stated otherwise, we do not have crossgender characters.

At the same time, we welcome without reservation all players regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The character selection process is based on a dialog between the players and the organizers and we are very forthcoming. In some of our games, you can play a character without a defined sex or in other cases, we have male or female option of the same character. This is mentioned in the short character bios for each game.

Triggers

The game has some themes and motifs that may be uncomfortable for some. Conversely, some will not appear in the game (or are restricted to certain roles) and therefore we will require that players do not bring them into the game.

Part of the game design is:

Religious oppression – is one of the main themes of the game
Inequality between men and women – is part of the game.
Xenophobia – There is animosity between the old settlers and the new immigrants.
Violence (Inquisition) – It does not affect all characters, the physical and mental safety of the players is treated, but playfully the characters have to reckon with it.

Some characters may have additional triggers in the game:

Homophobia – Some characters have it in the script and we’ll be working with it in a targeted way, others probably won’t come into contact with it at all.

It’s not part of the game design and we’ll insist that it doesn’t make it into the game:

Racism – Not part of the game.

 

 

HISTORY OVERVIEW

The game takes place in the year 1262, in a small town located in a valley in the mountains in what we would call southern France nowadays. Languedoc used to be a part of the Kingdom of Aragon but over the course of two crusades, King of France took control of the region. The justification of the conquest was that the local nobility did not persecute the Cathars – heretics in the eyes of the Church. The religious leaders of the Cathars were called simply the Good People. The Church started mockingly calling them parfait or perfecti – perfects. The people of Languedoc started using Parfait without its mocking undertone. At the time of our game, there are no Parfait left. The last one of them was burned at stake under Monsegur 18 years ago, after the last big battle of the war. 

No one likes to remember the war times, there was a lot of looting and pillaging. Many living still remember the fighting. Majority of local nobility was killed in the battles of the war or had to go into exile and many manors were taken by the conquerors – members of the French families of the north who are seen as invaders by the locals.

The Dominicans operate in the region with the support of the new nobility – the pope endowed them with the right to preside over courts spiritual – the Inquisition. Their goal is to find heretics and to bring them back to the right faith or to sentence them for their heresy. The bishop of Narbonne was given governance over the region by King of France and he therefore held both secular and religious power over the region. The representatives of the Church are untouchable for both the locals and the French. 

The French nobility brings new habits and traditions as well as their law. The French law is much less progressive in many ways that the local law. Men and women were almost equal in the South and there was also virtual freedom of religious beliefs. It was the norm that people in the South could read, which included reading the Bible and interpreting its texts. However, according to the Catholic Church, people should not own the Bible and reading and interpreting it is absolutely out of the question – that is the domain of priests. The spirit of ancient Rome survived in many habits in Languedoc. On the other hand, the French nobility is used to a very patriarchal and strictly Catholic society.  

A person of 21st century would experience the culture of Languedoc in 13th century as liberal, relaxed and tolerant, maybe a bit indulgent and libertine. The new French nobles are offended by this culture and we would see their opinions as uptight, chauvinist and exceedingly puritan. 

According to the old laws of Languedoc, there was no issue in Lady Eleanor inheriting the Quillan manor from her late husband Raimund of Quillan. However, according to the laws of Frencdh invaders, she has to pass the inheritance to an adult man, otherwise her manor will have to be surrendered to the Crown. Eleanor plans to give the manor to her son as soon as he gets married. The wedding is about to take place when our game begins. 

 

Don’t worry, you really don’t need much historical knowledge. Take the following information as material for those who really enjoy it and want to read more details.

MORE ABOUT HISTORY >>

SOUVENIRS

You can find various items and presents connected to the game in our e-shop larp-sword.com.

T-shirts, commemorative coins, leather folder for documents and other. T-shirts are very nice with embroidery, not just a print. You can have other colours than black, if you let us know in advance at our email email, what size and colour you want and we will have it made for you (the price for all T-shirts is the same, regardless of size and colour). 

The offer is slowly expanding, you can view all options, order from the e-shop larp-sword.com and some of the items can be bought on site before the game or after the game. However it is possible that not everything will be available in sufficient quantity.

One of these nice items could be useful directly in the game: leather folio with a notebook inside. There are two sizes available – A6 for 24 EUR and A5 for 32 EUR. 

The cross is the symbol of Languedoc and it is typical for the region where the game takes place. After returning to the 21st century, you can put diaries and notebooks inside the folio. 

However you can also use it in the game and put your game documents in it. 

CONDITIONS OF LIFE IN THE CASTLE >>