Dracarys - The Magic Awakens is a larp inspired by Game of Thrones for 300 players.
The game will take place Aug, 23-25, in the Castle of San Pietro in Cerro near Piacenza.
Lords and mercenaries, proud warriors and priests from far away lands. A long-forgotten magic is awakening...
Dracarys' protagonists have much to win, and all to lose.
For three days, you will be the protagonist of Dracarys, living an epic journey across magic, intrigue and adventure.
Costumes, props, decorated sets, special effects, a truly extraordinary castle all to create a 360° illusion, to take high-fantasy larp in Italy to the next level.
What is larp?
Larp (Live Action Role-Playing) is like being on a film set without any script. This means that the outcome is determined solely by the choices and actions of the players. Let’s say it’s a more sophisticated and more grown-up version of let’s pretend… where you are the main character in your own fantasy saga, and at the same time the friend, nemesis, brother in arms, or lover of other players.
How to play
Dracarys is a high quality larp, with special effects, carefully-designed costumes, well-developed characters, dramatic plot twists and an enthralling storyline.
Each of the 300 players will be given a detailed character with their own ambitions, secrets, a complex personality, social position and relationships with other participants. For three days you will act, speak, eat, sleep and fight as if you were your character in what promises to be an unforgettable experience. The game is straightforward and anybody can take part: you do not need to be able to act, their are no obscure rules, all you have to do is play along and let yourself be carried away by the world of Game of Thrones. A few simple rule will allow you to safely and realistically simulate combat and magic.
Each of the 300 players will be given a detailed character with their own ambitions, secrets, a complex personality, social position and relationships with other participants. For three days you will act, speak, eat, sleep and fight as if you were your character in what promises to be an unforgettable experience. The game is straightforward and anybody can take part: you do not need to be able to act, their are no obscure rules, all you have to do is play along and let yourself be carried away by the world of Game of Thrones. A few simple rule will allow you to safely and realistically simulate combat and magic.
The three Golden Rules of larp
1) Always stay in character: in your words, actions and thoughts. Do not talk about anything else, avoid anachronisms: the game is fun and exciting if everybody makes it real and brings it to life for the sake of the other players.
2) For every action there must be a reaction: if another character tells you a secret, slaps you, appoints you captain of the guard, stabs you in the back… react. It doesn’t matter what you do or say, but do something, preferably something appropriate, entertaining, dramatic. In a larp no action can go without having some sort of effect.
3) Accept the actions of others: in a larp everyone is their own director. Never doubt the actions or goodwill of others, and never expect a specific reaction from them. Always take what happens or what others do to you at face value and play accordingly. In a larp there is no script, no rehearsals and no retakes. It’s not that everything has to be perfect, but everything can be convincing if you decide to play along with it.
2) For every action there must be a reaction: if another character tells you a secret, slaps you, appoints you captain of the guard, stabs you in the back… react. It doesn’t matter what you do or say, but do something, preferably something appropriate, entertaining, dramatic. In a larp no action can go without having some sort of effect.
3) Accept the actions of others: in a larp everyone is their own director. Never doubt the actions or goodwill of others, and never expect a specific reaction from them. Always take what happens or what others do to you at face value and play accordingly. In a larp there is no script, no rehearsals and no retakes. It’s not that everything has to be perfect, but everything can be convincing if you decide to play along with it.
Setting
Dracarys is inspired by the HBO television series Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It is an event organised by fans of the saga and live action role playing with ten years’ experience in creating some of the best larps played in Italy through a number of different associations. We will give you all you need to live in Westeros, but only you can bring it to life!
A world of intrigue, war, blood and grudges held for decades which have been kept burning beneath the ashes. A continent torn by treason, where alliances change like the weather, feeding the ambitions of Septons, mercenaries and Lords. This is the Westeros of Dracarys, a ruthless land where contestants fight to the death in a gamble which has no limits.
The death of King Robert Baratheon has triggered the War of the Five Kings, a scourge which has devastated the Seven Kingdoms. Far from the heat of battle lies Summerhall - a derelict mansion in the Stormlands, once destroyed by an otherworldly fire unleashed by the folly of the Targaryens - now rebuilt in secret. Behind its walls, shadowy figures are working feverishly in the hope of uncovering long buried mysteries. It is rumoured that a forgotten fire lights the halls of Summerhall: the same fire which once forged the Throne of Swords for Aegon.
Dragonfire... dracarys.
Dracarys is not an official Game of Thrones product and is in no way backed or approved by George R.R. Martin or HBO. It is an improvised game which we will create and experience together, a tribute to the fantasy universe and characters created by George R.R. Martin. It is not a commercial product, there is no public and nobody is paid for creating it: the overheads for rental of the castle, costs of food and preparation of the sets will be shared among all the participants.
A world of intrigue, war, blood and grudges held for decades which have been kept burning beneath the ashes. A continent torn by treason, where alliances change like the weather, feeding the ambitions of Septons, mercenaries and Lords. This is the Westeros of Dracarys, a ruthless land where contestants fight to the death in a gamble which has no limits.
The death of King Robert Baratheon has triggered the War of the Five Kings, a scourge which has devastated the Seven Kingdoms. Far from the heat of battle lies Summerhall - a derelict mansion in the Stormlands, once destroyed by an otherworldly fire unleashed by the folly of the Targaryens - now rebuilt in secret. Behind its walls, shadowy figures are working feverishly in the hope of uncovering long buried mysteries. It is rumoured that a forgotten fire lights the halls of Summerhall: the same fire which once forged the Throne of Swords for Aegon.
Dragonfire... dracarys.
Dracarys is not an official Game of Thrones product and is in no way backed or approved by George R.R. Martin or HBO. It is an improvised game which we will create and experience together, a tribute to the fantasy universe and characters created by George R.R. Martin. It is not a commercial product, there is no public and nobody is paid for creating it: the overheads for rental of the castle, costs of food and preparation of the sets will be shared among all the participants.
Combat
Combat scenes use typical larp “latex weapons”: harmless but realistic foam replicas of medieval weapons. You can find many producers online where you can buy latex weapons or else you can rent them from our warehouse at the special price of €20 for all weapons appropriate to your character (as long as stocks last).
The approach we take to combat in Dracarys is cinematographic, not sports combat, and not professional stunts: duels and battles are just opportunities to create dynamic and thrilling scenes.
During the game, everyone will pretend that the weapons are real and will act out their wounds in a convincing and dramatically appropriate maner. As a rule, the first strike home will injure you: you howl in pain, limp or feel dizzy, but if you want, you can still grit your teeth and act. The second strike defeats you: your character is seriously injured, dazed, on the ground, exhausted or terrified and you can neither fight nor flee. Beg for mercy and hope that the Seven will have mercy.
Characters wearing armour can withstand a number of blows before they are injured: leather of partial metal armour means you can ignore the first strike, a coat of mail means you can ignore 2, plate armour allows you to ignore 3 blows. Some characters are physically robust or particularly tenacious and so can ignore one further strike. For example, a stout warrior in full armour can withstand 4 blows. He still has to show he has felt them, crying out in pain or acting out his shock and the impact he has felt; but he will only be actually injured at the 5th blow.
The approach we take to combat in Dracarys is cinematographic, not sports combat, and not professional stunts: duels and battles are just opportunities to create dynamic and thrilling scenes.
During the game, everyone will pretend that the weapons are real and will act out their wounds in a convincing and dramatically appropriate maner. As a rule, the first strike home will injure you: you howl in pain, limp or feel dizzy, but if you want, you can still grit your teeth and act. The second strike defeats you: your character is seriously injured, dazed, on the ground, exhausted or terrified and you can neither fight nor flee. Beg for mercy and hope that the Seven will have mercy.
Characters wearing armour can withstand a number of blows before they are injured: leather of partial metal armour means you can ignore the first strike, a coat of mail means you can ignore 2, plate armour allows you to ignore 3 blows. Some characters are physically robust or particularly tenacious and so can ignore one further strike. For example, a stout warrior in full armour can withstand 4 blows. He still has to show he has felt them, crying out in pain or acting out his shock and the impact he has felt; but he will only be actually injured at the 5th blow.
Death and Healing
Some characters will be Maesters of the Citadel, surgeons and leeches: these are the only ones who can tend to your wounds. Look for them (or if you can’t move, hope that someone will drag you to them), heed their diagnosis and follow whatever instructions they give you to heal. Game of Thrones is not a Marvel comic; always act out the effects of your injuries in a convincing and realistic manner, and remember: Valar Morghulis…
If your character is a Maester or you know about the art of healing, then you must decide the gravity and details of your patients’ injuries. You will mime appropriate treatments with bandages, fake blood, surgical instruments and so on, and explain to your patients how long it will take them to recover. An injured or defeated character should be weakened or confined to bed for at least half an hour; in any case, true realism is not our objective here. All characters must get the chance to keep on playing in the larp so under no circumstances may you declare your patient dead or force him or her to convalesce for more than two hours. You must also avoid things which might work in a film but are difficult or impossible to act out in a larp, such as the amputation of a leg.
By the same token, if you are playing a fighter, avoid playing scenes where you cut your enemy’s throat, execute them in the public square, pierce them through the heart and so on. As we have said before, all characters are protagonists and must be allowed to play in the larp. This kind of tragic end is only acceptable at the end of the event, i.e. the morning of the last day of play. Up until then, you must always find an excuse for capturing your enemy instead of killing him, injuring him instead of putting him to death, beating and hurting him without putting him out of the game. Remember that it is usually more important to take an enemy prisoner than to kill them.
However, part of the allure of Game of Thrones is also the fact that no character is ever safe. Presumed protagonists are frequently decapitated or assassinated without warning. In order to maintain this atmosphere of suspense in the larp, a limited number of characters will actually be killed well before the end of the game. The larpers who played them will be given another character by the Staff and can continue to play Dracarys. Nobody will know in advance which characters are going to die so it will be a surprise to everyone. If your character dies, act out the corpse for as long as it takes for a funeral or some sort of final salute. One of the Staff will come to take away the corpse and will give you instructions about your change of role as well as lending you a new costume so that any other players who see you will understand that you are not the same character as before. We are certain that it will be highly satisfying to play a tragic, heroic or pathetic death scene and then get to play a different character, continuing in the second part of the larp with a different perspective.
Further information of the death of characters will be published in the next few months on the Blog of Dracarys.
If your character is a Maester or you know about the art of healing, then you must decide the gravity and details of your patients’ injuries. You will mime appropriate treatments with bandages, fake blood, surgical instruments and so on, and explain to your patients how long it will take them to recover. An injured or defeated character should be weakened or confined to bed for at least half an hour; in any case, true realism is not our objective here. All characters must get the chance to keep on playing in the larp so under no circumstances may you declare your patient dead or force him or her to convalesce for more than two hours. You must also avoid things which might work in a film but are difficult or impossible to act out in a larp, such as the amputation of a leg.
By the same token, if you are playing a fighter, avoid playing scenes where you cut your enemy’s throat, execute them in the public square, pierce them through the heart and so on. As we have said before, all characters are protagonists and must be allowed to play in the larp. This kind of tragic end is only acceptable at the end of the event, i.e. the morning of the last day of play. Up until then, you must always find an excuse for capturing your enemy instead of killing him, injuring him instead of putting him to death, beating and hurting him without putting him out of the game. Remember that it is usually more important to take an enemy prisoner than to kill them.
However, part of the allure of Game of Thrones is also the fact that no character is ever safe. Presumed protagonists are frequently decapitated or assassinated without warning. In order to maintain this atmosphere of suspense in the larp, a limited number of characters will actually be killed well before the end of the game. The larpers who played them will be given another character by the Staff and can continue to play Dracarys. Nobody will know in advance which characters are going to die so it will be a surprise to everyone. If your character dies, act out the corpse for as long as it takes for a funeral or some sort of final salute. One of the Staff will come to take away the corpse and will give you instructions about your change of role as well as lending you a new costume so that any other players who see you will understand that you are not the same character as before. We are certain that it will be highly satisfying to play a tragic, heroic or pathetic death scene and then get to play a different character, continuing in the second part of the larp with a different perspective.
Further information of the death of characters will be published in the next few months on the Blog of Dracarys.
Magic
In Dracarys, there is an undercurrent of magic which has been forgotten but for this is no less real. We will adopt some simple conventions in order to act out magic, so that the victim of a spell knows what has happened and can react in an appropriate manner. As a rule, characters who are able to use magic will be few and far between and they will receive instructions from the Staff. Further information on magic will be published in the next few months on the Blog of Dracarys.
Poisons and potions
The wise of Westeros know the harmful and medicinal properties of plants and preparations which are represented in the larp as harmless liquids with a particular colour or flavour. These will allow you to understand whether you have been poisoned or have been given “milk of the poppy".
Poisons and potions
The wise of Westeros know the harmful and medicinal properties of plants and preparations which are represented in the larp as harmless liquids with a particular colour or flavour. These will allow you to understand whether you have been poisoned or have been given “milk of the poppy".