How is the new Cam and VtR larps?

[Shawn]

I've been tempted to check out the new Vampire the Requiem live action game, and probably the best venue for this would be to play in the local Camarilla game.

But how is it? From what I saw last year or so, most of the idiots, asshats and obnoxious fuckwits quit playing WW games when the whole Time of Judgement/nWoD switch came about. Or at the least, stuck with the oWoD games because the new ones were teh suxxors. Did this in fact happen? Or did they all come running back a few months later, or were they replaced by new idiots, asshats and obnoxious fuckwits?

If you have any experience with the Camarilla these days, and with LARP V:tR, let me know.

[Kid Twist]

I run a Mage Cam LARP. I would also steer anyone with half an interest in actually playing clear away from the Cam.

In my opinion, the main goal of the Camarilla global chronicle is so people with lots of MC can say that they can kill everyone in Topeka or some such. The focus isn't on the game, but on hanging out with others. No one really wants to do anything risky because that would risk character death or retribution from someone eight states away or whatever.

Plenty of people play it and have fun, but I like to actually do something during my games and not have endless meetings, and for some reason, I've yet to see the Cam game where that happens.

[Uberxael]

I'm involved in my local Mage and Vampire Cam games, and have just started running the Werewolf one, so I know a bit about this. I'm not high-MC, though, so my experience might not be typical.
First, the games are very different depending on where you are. The Sydney Vampire game, for example, is vastly different from the one here. As such, it's hard to generalise-while most people down here are responsible and don't abuse the fact that they're high MC, I do hear horror stories from other Domains. The whole 'nothing happens' thing can be kind of a problem, but I suspect that has more to do with individual players than with the organisation itself.

If you're going to do this, though, my advice would be to go in with a group-have a few of your friends turn up and make linked characters. It's vastly easier than going in blind.

[Redfeild]

My experiance...

The new system is better, cleaner, clearer than the old system. You have the new addition of covenants (think coteries on steroids) that are an excellent addition to the game. Seems a lot more balances as well.

Bout the only thing I did not like was using old names for the new clans. Old Nosferatu and new Nosferatu are completely different but you would not know that at a glance. It would have been better if they had been given new names.

As for 'those' people, I do not see them so much. They ether matured or disappeared. I do sometimes miss the cheese though...sometimes.

Over all the system and the Cam is better. But I miss the old game. I should be embracing the new. Its tones better. But I miss the old Clans, I miss the Sabot, and to some degree I even miss that god awful meta plot. Call me a masochist. I feel like I'm that old man that rants about how much better it was in the old days even though you always had to walk through snow up hill Boothe ways.

I think think WW would do good to print updated versions of the old games using the new rules. (Updated Shining Host would have been great before they even released the original :D .) Make the old game a better game. If you print it, they will buy. But I doubt that will ever happen. Oh well.

[Jadasc]

I've been a member of the Cam for about seven years now, and I've had more fun this year in Requiem than I have in many before. The new system chooses to emphasize some things that I wouldn't have, and that takes some adjustment, but I've found enough fun to stay and keep p(l)aying.

[Jadasc]

But how is it? From what I saw last year or so, most of the idiots, asshats and obnoxious fuckwits quit playing WW games when the whole Time of Judgement/nWoD switch came about. Or at the least, stuck with the oWoD games because the new ones were teh suxxors. Did this in fact happen?

It really did, in a lot of ways. After the buyout and the revision, the landscape looks really different.

It's probably also a factor that the new system makes it really, really hard to kill player characters, so those people who really enjoyed the killboxes have moved on to greener (redder?) pastures.

[Uberxael]

Over all the system and the Cam is better. But I miss the old game. I miss the Sabot, and to some degree I even miss that god awful meta plot.

If you miss the Sabbat, then can I suggest Werewolf? It's got the same pack structure, the same 'we're-all-on-the-same-side-but-we-still-hate-each-other' politics and the same splatterpunk violence and batshit craziness that a lot of people liked about Sabbat.

[Redfeild]

It really did, in a lot of ways. After the buyout and the revision, the landscape looks really different.

It's probably also a factor that the new system makes it really, really hard to kill player characters, so those people who really enjoyed the killboxes have moved on to greener (redder?) pastures.

I don't know. Last night I saw a so called elder staked in the first round. It happened so fast no one was able to do anything but stand gap jawed.

[Jadasc]

I don't know. Last night I saw a so called elder staked in the first round. It happened so fast no one was able to do anything but stand gap jawed.

One of those pounce-from-Obfuscate jobs, I imagine? If you can recall any of the details, I might be able to comment in more depth. Staking is usually darned hard, especially without tools and in one round. (Of course, around here staking is what you do to vampires you want to capture, not kill.)

[theliel]

My experiance...

The new system is better, cleaner, clearer than the old system. You have the new addition of covenants (think coteries on steroids) that are an excellent addition to the game. Seems a lot more balances as well.

Bout the only thing I did not like was using old names for the new clans. Old Nosferatu and new Nosferatu are completely different but you would not know that at a glance. It would have been better if they had been given new names.

As for 'those' people, I do not see them so much. They ether matured or disappeared. I do sometimes miss the cheese though...sometimes.

Over all the system and the Cam is better. But I miss the old game. I should be embracing the new. Its tones better. But I miss the old Clans, I miss the Sabot, and to some degree I even miss that god awful meta plot. Call me a masochist. I feel like I'm that old man that rants about how much better it was in the old days even though you always had to walk through snow up hill Boothe ways.

I think think WW would do good to print updated versions of the old games using the new rules. (Updated Shining Host would have been great before they even released the original :D .) Make the old game a better game. If you print it, they will buy. But I doubt that will ever happen. Oh well.



Small point of order- the world reboot was not limited to larps, and all that stuff is a carryover from the TT game it's based on.

Teh Cam is independent (technically) of the Mind's Eye Theater rules, but with AlexT writing them it means that MET will be created for the cam, by the cam.

anyway, I'm trying to work up the nerve to start an independent game of Mage, but I hear good things about the CAM VtR game here in Saline.

Then again, I hear horrible things about the New Orlines/Louisana area where the worst stero types of Teh Cam are confirmed.

so. mixed bag;)

[James Holloway]

I'm in a Cam game here in the UK, which I gather are a bit different from the US ones in general. We do get a lot of numbskulls running around trying to impress people with their super-powerful characters, but in practical terms they don't have much effect on the night-to-night life of most of the characters. They go around doing their thing, we go around doing our thing, and the twain seldom meet. The games do tend toward the sit-around-and-chat, with a lot of the actual stuff happening in downtime. That's improving in our local game, so maybe it's just a question of players finding their feet.

[Sombra]

It really did, in a lot of ways. After the buyout and the revision, the landscape looks really different.

It's probably also a factor that the new system makes it really, really hard to kill player characters, so those people who really enjoyed the killboxes have moved on to greener (redder?) pastures.

Actually, I would say most players are far more cautious about random gackings because it's far EASIER to kill a PC. No Aegis (thank fucking Gawd!). No one character, no matter how powerful, can control a room, like in the last chronicle. Players who might be inclined towards a bit of biffo now realise it can be done to them in return. In my experience, most of the fuckwits have left (most ...) and those players remaining are a lot more thoughtful about how they play.

Yeah, you can be precious about not taking risks etc, but think about it - it's a more accurate reflection of the game world than the last chronicle was. Vampires especially have a high regard for their own survival, anmd act accordingly. Doesn't mean they can't be complete bastards though, they just find different - more game friendly - ways to do it. :rolleyes:

The new system is So Much Better, once you get used to it. "Fisty-shakies", or "wanking" was a stupid basis for a complex system. Old MET sucked arse big time. I prefer the new game, personally. Less fuckwits, more story, people now use the experience they gained in the old LARP to imake the new one better. And with the new - more deadly - rules, the usual suspect fucktards tend to keep their heads down and mouths shut a bit more. Not all the time, but it's an improvement.

But, like anything, it depends on where you go and who you interact with.

Cheers,

La Sombra, Cammie since ... '97 (old fart)

[Draconius42]

Then again, I hear horrible things about the New Orlines/Louisana area where the worst stero types of Teh Cam are confirmed.

so. mixed bag;)

Wait a minute now.. As the DST of Ruston, Louisiana (about 5 hours away from Baton Rouge/New Orleans), I take offense to being lumped in with the rest of Louisiana(There are 4 seperate domains here, last I checked). I've even experienced some horror stories of my own from N.O., although there are a few good people down there. As for up here, well, I'm biased, but I can personally say we have very little PC death. (And okay, I know you didn't REALLY lump all of louisiana together, but the implication was kinda there. ;p)

With that said, if two domains in the same state are that different, is it really fair to make broad claims about every camarilla domain? People are different everywhere, games are different everywhere. All you can do is look at your local chapter and decide for yourself.

[Reverend Kinesys]

Can't speak for Cam games. Might try one at Origins if they're running a NMET game. They weren't last year. The game hadn't even come out yet.


But as for V:TR. I can honestly say that it's made for better and more interesting play. It's less violent, it's more political, and I think with a little work can be made a great deal more personal than the old larps ever were.

I will admit that i hate fingers and cards. I bring a d10 at all times. At least i did until i bought a PDA with a dice roller program on it.

At first the other players weren't keen on it until i proved in a battle that my dice roller program has no friends. Now, my presence actually speeds battles up.

[Funky Phantom]

Can't speak for Cam games. Might try one at Origins if they're running a NMET game. They weren't last year. The game hadn't even come out yet.


That's not right. I bought my copies of the nMET books at Origins last year and played in a Cam. Requiem game Friday night of the con.

[Reverend Kinesys]

Ah. Must've slipped under my radar then. It wasn't in the program book.

[theliel]

Wait a minute now.. As the DST of Ruston, Louisiana (about 5 hours away from Baton Rouge/New Orleans), I take offense to being lumped in with the rest of Louisiana(There are 4 seperate domains here, last I checked). I've even experienced some horror stories of my own from N.O., although there are a few good people down there. As for up here, well, I'm biased, but I can personally say we have very little PC death. (And okay, I know you didn't REALLY lump all of louisiana together, but the implication was kinda there. ;p)

With that said, if two domains in the same state are that different, is it really fair to make broad claims about every camarilla domain? People are different everywhere, games are different everywhere. All you can do is look at your local chapter and decide for yourself.

THREAD NECROMANCY!!!!

*WEilds flaming sword*

sorry, meant to say new orleons->Louisanna, in cse there was another N.O. around.

you're prolly in the domain where i heard the horror stories from (LSU isn't up there is it?)

my main problem with the cam is the innordinante amount of buracracy invovled. It rivals only Living Grayhawk in scope and dissonnence.
Just be aware that things that seem logical IC and OOG will be prevented for a veraity of OOG reasons. *shrug* i've gone round and round on the cam forums about this, but the rulebook wobbles between simulationist (which makes sense for pvp/sandbox vampire game) and story driven.
The ammendum is much the same way.
*shrug* i have freinds having a wonderfull time in the local game.
I've got one haveing fun in the LA domain he's in but having some bad experinces in regional stuff.

and then there's the issue of having multiple characters in a venue and of st's being allowed to have characters in the venue......but that's a differnt issue.

[Jess Heinig]

As always, you really need to bring your own fun. If you want character-and-story driven play, you must bring a detailed character with your own story. If you want lots of chops and monster combat, you need to bring a character with crazy combat stats. Most games have too low an ST/player ratio to give a lot of personal attention, and there are lots of other people out there vying for the spotlight. So, the most important thing to do is find your own niche way to have fun that doesn't necessarily rely on being pivotal to the game.

[Kaiu Keiichi]

Sidetracking for a moment -

If anyone can post up links for Cam Vampire and Mage venues in the NYC area (especially Mage), I'd be very grateful. I was big into LARPS years ago and am thinking of getting back in.

CB

[Reverend Kinesys]

Went to a Cam vampire larp at Origins. and it did not suck.

The story, such as it was, was that an old Ventrue Invictus had acquired a house about 20 years ago from a crazy Ordo Dracul. The Dragon had gone up over the high side apparently and had begun killing people in the immediate area. The House, was huge, strategically placed, geomantically significant, and hotly desired by the Ordo Dracul. It was also extremely haunted and the reason why the invictus was getting rid of it was that he was tired of dealing with it. So in order to determine who was best suited to take control of the house, he copied the notes of the crazy Dracul, and composed a sort of scavenger hunt. Also, some hunter's turned up, drawn by the concentration of over a hundred kindred in one place. The illusion of a massive house was aided by the fact that Origins saw fit to give us the Regency ballroom. which is huge and had multiple areas of play and plenty of space.

Although, scavenger hunt plots can be cheesy as fuck, this one was well handled. and it seemed like ST command had their shit together, or at least together enough that it made no difference. I met a lot of interesting folk. And did not meet a single person in play who i felt needed an asskicking OOC. Maybe as Larpers are getting older, they're getting better at this funny little craft. I hope so.

[foxykitsune]

I quit the Cam this year, got sick of the OCC drama that came with it finally. I was a member for a good seven years but I had enough. Find another group other than the Cam to play with is my advice.

[GRIMJIM]

I quit the Cam this year, got sick of the OCC drama that came with it finally. I was a member for a good seven years but I had enough. Find another group other than the Cam to play with is my advice.

Seconded. IMO the new set up is even less suited to long term live action play than the old, even though the parts that make it less suitable seem to have been largely ignored (2nd hand info mind).

The changes to the system that made it more flexible (and deadly/faster) also seem to have been... moderated somewhat as well so some of the advantages of the new system would appear - from a distance - to have been lost.

It's a shame that the changeover of 'Chronicles' wasn't also used for a changeover in the OOC structure of the society which, as ever, was a far more engaging political game than the in character part.

If you happen across a good group the large scale of the Cam makes a good backdrop and a compelling world which can make for a very good experience (I was in nearly 10 years) but at some point the hassle, bureaucracy, paperwork and OOC politics reaches a breaking point.

No harm in giving it a go though. The final decider for me to get out was simply that I don't like the new games very much, particularly Mage, so there was no point (at all) left to sticking out the parts I didn't like.

There's still some good folks playing out there and it's a great excuse/enabler for travel and widening your social circle, though IMO the US side of the org always took the social club aspect a bit too far rather than just letting it happen naturally.

If you're not in the US, you're likely to get sidelined and (relatively) ignored by any international plot developments and liberties are likely to be taken with anything you do introduce to the game mix. This isn't, always, malicious but is part of the cost of being part of a larger organisation.

The major downside from a Storyteller point of view is the bureaucracy with even relatively innocuous things requiring 'approvals'. The process stifles creativity and frustrates and, while checks and balances are good in moderation, the Cam's MC (Membership class - internal hierarchical 'prestige' structure) causes people to get a bit bureaucracy mad in order to justify their positions.

Of course, all of my info is a year or two out of date now though I maintain contact with a few people within the organisation, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that the underlying weaknesses, or strengths, of the organisation have changed.

To me the Cam will always represent a missed opportunity for something that really should have been even better than it was at it's peak.

[tweaker]

Is the game in Phoenix, AZ any good?

[foxykitsune]

Is the game in Phoenix, AZ any good?

The two chapters in the Phoenix area's OOC drama is what finally made me quit. The LRA group here is non-exisitant. I am back to tabletop RPG.

[tweaker]

The two chapters in the Phoenix area's OOC drama is what finally made me quit. The LRA group here is non-exisitant. I am back to tabletop RPG.

What kinda of OOC drama? Some of the drama I have experienced was laughable, so it never really bother me.

Do you have any openings in your tabletop game? I play pretty much anything.

[Sombra]

MC is the Devil.
In Australia we have a proposal floating about that ditches MC in favour of immediate extra XP. You get paid ONCE for doing something for the club, not forever. Gets rid of the "recycled Elder" bullshit. God, I hope it gets voted in.

If anyone is interested I might be able to get my hands on it and post it - with permission from the author.

OOC BS. Yep, it exists. It exists everywhere, in every orgnisation on earth. Hell, I bet even aliens have to put up with shitheads. Deal with it. I take what I enjoy out of the game and pretty much try to ignore the rest, except if it interferes with my fun, which is rarely for the most part. Still, do what works for you. I'm still finding more to like than dislike, so I'm still playing.
There IS way too much bureaucracy, though. Everybody and their dog has a job to get prestige to build their MC, there is blatant favouritism, and I've seen a few laughable abuses of power for the benefit of the position holder or their mates. Still, that stuff is in the minority from my perspective. Getting rid of MC will get rid of the prestige whores, so it will be a good start.

Cheers,

La Sombra, rant mode: deactivated

[Peter Svensson]

MC is the Devil.
In Australia we have a proposal floating about that ditches MC in favour of immediate extra XP. You get paid ONCE for doing something for the club, not forever. Gets rid of the "recycled Elder" bullshit. God, I hope it gets voted in.
We had a discussion about this issue on the White Wolf forums a few years ago. The consensus was that while the idea is great and fixes most of the problems with MC, the people with the power to make the change are the ones with the most to lose if it happens. Thus, the likelihood of making MC non-permanent is rather low.

A pity, as that would be one of the few things that would get me to play in the Cam.

[Reverend Kinesys]

The things i do for you oh gentle readers...So i'm going to another party. Kindred parties are pretty much the same thing over and over and over, ad Nauseum, ad Absurdem, ad Astra...
This one is being held at a large mansion. And i do mean large. Like the Winchester House on steroids or some shit. I didn't know there was a form of diarrhea that affected Architecture. If you look at any given group of kindred from a distance you can pretty much tell what they're like. You've got you social butterfly types with their easy smiles and hearty handshakes. You got your fight-the-power-kill-whitey types, (Like yours truly) who tend to shoot their mouths off and casually offend anybody within earshot. You've got you Fuck-off-Don't-look-at-me types who spend the most time staring at you, and then either getting upset when approached, or bolting. You've got your stick up the butt types who just never loosen up. And i'm not tarring the Invictus solely with this brush either.
Body language can tell you a lot. It looks like i'm in for a dull evening of social brinksmanship. But then again, this place is supposed to be haunted, so who knows.
Jesus fuck. why am I sober?

So. I have heard bad stories about the Camarilla. I had other options to try out if this ended up sucking or into some kind of power player circle jerk. But i must admit i was curious to try a large scale larp and it appeared that this would be one. Last year, they hadn't offered one as the system was brand new and hadn't been seen by rank and file player yet. (As it happens, there WAS an NMET Larp last year, but as far as i know it hadn't made it into the con booklet. Ah well. spilt milk...)
So i go. I sit down with my books and think about creating a host of characters for a nice spread of possibilities. But an idea sort of filtered into my head that i couldn't shake.

Earlier in the week, I had re-watched my copy of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and being a longtime fan of Hunter S. Thompson, I decided to play a character like him. a rough iconoclast with a sassy mouth and a propensity for recreational chemistry. Why not? We're both from Kentucky right?

I roll in, and meet Kelly Herrmann (Who I later learn is one of the major players in Cam organization) She helps me get oriented and points me at the storytellers to help get me approved for play. This was a bit of a shock actually. I had expected to have the basic concept disallowed and tossed in favor of some pre-gen. I was actually ready to do so. I have the ability to take on a pre-gen and just play it with as much Elan as i can manage. It's all about commiting to the character and the scene.
But, shockingly, they look me over and decide that this is just fine and hand me an additional 50 points of EXP to re-tool with.
Which i do with some speed. I get approved and off i go! They handed me a sheet with some coterie materials so that i could hook up to them and throw my story into their communal pot. But i didn't see them the whole first night. and i got into some trouble on my own, so it turned out that i didn't need it. But it was nice to fall back on and was a good bit of forethought.

Going to a Kindred parties alone, when you're new in town is a bit like being the fresh fish on the prison yard. People circle like fucking sharks trying to decide whether you're interesting or exploitable. Some come with a sexual edge, other so painfully sexless that you feel their bleeding edge of pain.It's hard to deny the grim meat-hook reality of kindred existence when you can see the pain writ large on the face of a fellow kindred, especially while he/she is trying to cajole you into some attractive form of self destruction.
I amuse myself by taking pictures. I always ASK first, as it is otherwise fucking pointless. Oftentimes, elders will dress in period garb. Clothes they find themselves more comfortable in. Most times, they can't wear this gear on a regular night. So it's an opportunity to let the hair down and be "Casual" Also, Kindred parties are an opportunity to show off and look good and my photographer's eye is drawn to such things. Whether excessive or tasteful.
Some people don't like me to take pictures. I've yet to meet a Mekhet who was interested. Most Daeva, like myself, get their feelings hurt if you DON'T ask. Even if they turn you down.
I'm putting together a Book on Kindred existence, using my own experiences and feelings on the matter. Working at the Stone taught me the value of pictures and how they can make even a dull narrative jump and boogie. So, I take pictures and dictate notes.
Naturally, the Invictus decide to poke their nose in my entirely innocent business.

Met some good people. Had expected to meet at least a few folks who required an OOC ass-kicking but that was not the case here. I guess it varies from venue to venue, but it seems like the Columbus area Cam has their act together as did the ST staff. If there were problems, they got solved behind the scenes and i didn't see anyone walk away from the game pissed. I can't say this about every game i've played in. Maybe the people who really love Larping stay with it while the people with maturity issues get bored and leave.

I have not, in fact, seen my first ghost. I did hear the Irish band playing. Heard a woman's sigh. Caught a scent of jasmine, but i've had way more intense hallucinations than that. I'm kind of underwhelmed. But then again, the restless dead tend to get more agitated when you fail to understand what they want. But on the other hand, our erstwhile host may have just hired a band to play Irish waltzes and move from room to room without being seen just to fuck people up.
Honestly though. The little girl singing in my head was way creepier.(Especially while sober) I started hearing her in the library. Nearly got attacked by an excitable Gangrel. Found a book with possible occult significance which i promptly handed over to the ranking Crone and made my exit as thing got spookalicious in the library. My curiousity is gonna get me killed.

The plot became obvious towards the end of the night. It was a bit of a scavenger hunt in the old house with the creepy ghosts. With some hunters in the neighborhood for good measure and occasional violent bits, for those who like a little violence. Not to mention the usual back-stabbing and throat-cutting. Most Scavenger hunt plots are dumb. But this one was well crafted and the ST staff seemed up on what was going on. The use of actual props helped a bit i think. As did the riddles. It gave investigator types like me something to chew on.The game was also helped by the fact that the Regency Ballroom was HUGE and had multiple areas for play. Although i will say that it worked against us when the ST had opening and closing remarks. Next year i'll bring my Bullhorn.

...At the point, where it became obvious that the Hunters had arrived to make trouble, I was told by the Invictus types that it was unsafe to leave the house and that we should all stay. Uninterested in bedding down with a hundred other predators strange to me in a creepy old house fulla ghosts. Not my idea of a good idea. Deciding to leave the house, i did so unmolested. Apparently the hunters attacked just after I left. Can't imagine how i didn't manage to get tarred with that brush.
Strange feelings on this nervous night. People are giving me the stink-eye. Makes me wonder whether i've chosen the right path for myself. Who can know? Who can say? When i came up with my Mission, I knew there were going to be kindred who weren't going to like it. An actual book that someone can hold in their hands is proof and maybe more of vampire society. Some get, that i'm trying to help educate my fellow Carthians, other's like the Ordo and the Invictus who are built heavily along the idea of personal mentorship, see my work as a dangerous risk. But Carthians don't have the same luxuries that they do, and we need to deal with the young and ignorant among us.
So, a book. That's the plan. But already, with their noses out of joint over photos, the invictus ass-reaming is engaged. I've been scoped by at least two people with Auspex...That i know of.
With rumors of hunters in the area, it's not hard for me to put 2 and 2 together. Even one of the ranking Carthians came over and had to talk to me about the thing. Oliver Hearst seems like a good guy, But the Invictus are here in greater numbers than us. And even though the Prince of this domain is a Carthian, he has to deal with some dude named Talbot who is a major league Invictus hard-ass.
So there's heat. If they knew about the rumors about me driving an Invictus Prince in Kansas city to a nervous breakdown, they'd be all up in my grill. I'll have a talk with the Prince, and hopefully clear this up.

The next night was even more interesting. Our erstwhile host, Now identified as Mr Bouchard, set the terms of the scavenger hunt, warned of us the traps and set us loose to seek our fortunes. I was convinced that Bouchard was actually old enough and Ventrue enough that he'd gone crazy and was, in actuality,the Ordo Dracul that he has supposedly taken the house from. Turned out not to be the case. We received some clues from that maniac's diary and off we went. Pinkie, having become curious about the house and all the rest of it, elected to stay and try to puzzle it out.
And that's when i met Emma Moreland. (Or rather, Tracy Madsen as she's known in daylight hours.) A very cute young lady with a positive gift for dialect, who ended up working with Pinkie on the case. We actually managed to find at least one of the clues all by ourselves. It was a dinner table that had been involved with at least 1 murder in the house. We also managed to help with ferreting out some of the clues and the Carthians started working as a bit of a team.

So, Me, and the English Rose, get called on the carpet by the Invictus, as a whole. This Talbot guy had showed up and decided he didn't like the idea of my little book and my pictures. Of course, the nature of my little project had gotten around the Invictus camp fire and had grown in the telling. Now i was of course taking sneaky pictures and taping kindred without their knowledge. So naturally they sent their boys around to collect me. (At least their guy was polite.) and we had a sit down. Naturally, they read me the riot act. I've been in tenser situations though, and had my poker face on. Oliver turned up to speak on my behalf, which was kind of him. But what saved my bacon was the fact that i told them the truth. Which i don't think they were prepared for. So, rather than butcher me on some kind of rumor and deal with the political fallout of it, they elected to let me go and admonish me to keep my mouth shut. Naturally this is not enough for some...

The next night, The Carthians sit down. We decide we want no damn part of owning this house. We also decide that since the Ordo want it so bad. We'll sell our action and our keys to them in exchange for consideration. In a deal brokered by Oliver, we manage to score a large estate for ourselves which Emma ends up owning in trust for the Carthians in the area. Pinkie hits on the idea of creating a Carthian Archive for his works and for the works of other carthians similarly interested. Such works would be held in the trust of trusted Carthians (Like Emma and Oliver.) We spend the rest of the evening talking politics with a couple of Invictus who seem interested in debate.
But as the evening wears on, it becomes obvious that one of our number has been ganked. Also, the Invictus Harpy sees fit to bring around the Sanctified Bishop with an earful of wrong information. He sermonizes at me for a bit and tells me that the Prince himself is talking about having my head separated from my shoulders.

...I fail to quake in my boots. which unnerves them a bit. It also unnerves Emma. So i go beard the Prince in his lair and ask him straight. The Prince is naturally shocked to hear that he's now killing fellow Carthians. He admits that i need more education. but that's not at all what he said. it occurs to me that the Harpy may have a hard-on for waxing me. and that sooner or later she'll find a sympathetic ear and her hands will be spotlessly clean.
So, with that bit of data bumping around in my skull, and our goals solved. I decide it's time to take my leave.
I have to say goodbye to my English Rose. And that hard. We'd come to like one another in a short amount of time. and i felt bad for causing her some problems. But i didn't want to tar her with my brush anymore. and i've always been rambler. So, i said my goodbyes and took my leave.
At least, i tried. I didn't get out without incident. A pair of hunters jumped me and shot me. One nearly got me with a stake. but they weren't expecting me to bugger off at a high rate of speed. Which i did. I found another car and hotwired it and left town. Hungry. covered in my own blood, pissed.
I'm gonna make some people sorry for the way this shook out.

[theliel]

to be exceeedingly fair, the Columbus LARP scene seems to have it's shit together alot more than most places, and sadly, continues where the UofM scene has fallen into utter disrepair. THe buckeyes win this one, but only because UofM shot themselves in the foot (basically all you needed previously was 4 students willing to say "i like larps" and a signer, now you need like 15....goodbye free happy playspace at the student union downtown, hello elk lodge in bfe...)

but i've traded words with a goodly number of the columbus guys over teh interwebs and find them to be pretty stand up guys.