The Monarch of Memories is holding a ball. All of the monarchs attend. None can remember, no, nothing at all, Before the last ball reached its end.

Ten years of alliances, and enemies at war, At last in the same jeweled palace. Ten years of memories that bond and that mar Love and friendship, hatred and malice.

A chance to change, make amends, and become someone new. Leave behind your past woes and mistakes, As the Monarch of Memories remembers for you, Lest your histories repeat in your wakes.

Confront your past selves, monarchs, and choose your domains, So the cycle continues for new ten year reigns.


About
Memory Palace is a dreamy fantasy LARP about identity and memory. The game runs in approximately 3 hours, not counting pre-game and post-game activities.

Intensity of gameplay may vary, as will content generated by players, but the following content is guaranteed to be present in this game: war, immortality, memory loss, character to character antagonism, characters having access to other characters’ memories, change in core identity, learning new information about your character’s past during game.

NOTE that this game has never been run before and is somewhat experimental in terms of mechanics.


Summary
The central concept of Memory Palace is that every 10 years the Monarch of Memories hosts a ball at their palace for all the monarchs of the land, who are effectively immortal, but limited in memory. For the past ten years, each monarch (every player plays a monarch) has had influence over the world in a specific domain, which is determined by their personality traits. Traits, and therefore domain, are determined at the ball, which is the only place that monarchs have access to memories of their lives before the last ball ended. By spending time with these memories and with the other monarchs, who they’ve had various alliances, friendly and adversarial relationships with over the past ten years, monarchs trade traits with each other and potentially gain new domains. When the ball ends at midnight, monarchs step through the Gate of Memories and all their memories are washed away, leaving only their personalities, domain, and budding connections to other monarchs. Personality traits will also determine who is enemies with whom.

The Monarch of Memories remains and remembers all, and plays the role of neutral advisor to all in the next ten years. There can only be a new Monarch of Memories if another monarch gives up all their traits to the current Monarch of Memories, in which case the giver takes their place. Players will be able to express whether they are interested in this role in the casting survey.
Structure

The LARP itself is entirely taken up by the ball at the Memory Palace. No violence is possible at the ball. The game is divided into these distinct parts:

Safety Briefing and Q&A - In the half hour before game start.

9 PM to 9:20 PM - Game start. The Monarch of Memories introduces each monarch as they enter the palace. Then they explain to the attendees how the ball works. There is a script for this below.

9:20 PM to 10 PM - Monarchs mingle and view memories, but no trading of traits is possible yet.

10 PM to 12 AM - The Monarch of Memories announces that monarchs may now trade traits and gain new domains, and access memories according to their traits.

12 AM - No more trading of traits is possible. The Monarch of Memories announces the new monarchs and their domains, and each monarch exits through the Gate of Memories, which ends the game.

Debrief and Derole - Optional debrief and derole exercises.


Mechanics
This game started as a Golden Cobra Challenge entry, but I’m adapting the materials to make it an in person game as opposed to an online game. If you would like to know more about the mechanics of the game, the full online version of the game materials (minus specific memories) is available to read here: http://www.goldencobra.org/pdf/2022/Montoya–MemoryPalace.pdf The version of the game players will play will be very similar to this, but with minor changes.

The memories in the in-person game will be represented by printed out paper inside envelopes, which will be scattered throughout the game space to represent memories being “embedded” inside the titular “Memory Palace.” Characters will be able to read these memories (depending on what traits they have) and potentially “clarify” them. Each player will have a nametag with their character’s name, pronouns, and domain (which can be covered with a provided sticker and rewritten as it changes). They will also have a card for each of their traits.

Throughout the game, characters will uncover memories from their and other characters’ past lives before the previous ball. Characters primary internal motivations will be to consider their memories of the past ten years they can remember, the memories of themselves and others from before that they cannot remember outside of the ball, and then grapple with what they want to be in the future. The primary goal is to end the ball with the traits and domain that they feel would best fit who they feel they are or want to be. During the weeks leading up to the game, players will answer questions in their Google docs character sheets that explore things that characters are unsatisfied with about themselves and their traits.


Costuming
I follow the philosophy of costuming being “admired, but not required”. Players who want to costume are encouraged to go for some sort of formal wear and potentially a touch of fantasy/whimsy (wings, masks, horns, pointy ears, etc.), ideally with their character’s initial domain/traits in mind.


Content Warnings
Intensity of gameplay may vary, as will content generated by players, but the following content is guaranteed to be present in this game: war, immortality, memory loss, character to character antagonism, characters having access to other characters’ memories, change in core identity, learning new information about your character’s past during game.

http://www.oliviamontoya.com/

http://metaparadox.itch.io

Styles of Play: Freeform larp, Larp, Streaming/Online Face to Face, Gather.town, Proximity-based Spatial Video Chat LARP