In the year 20XX, as the End Times began -- as the Earth stood on the verge of Armageddon -- the angelic host fell from Heaven. In its entirety.

The angels did not know why this had happened, or how. They knew only that in one dreadful moment they had been cut off from the Divine Presence, that they had lost all knowledge and understanding of God's true nature, and that they had been sent screaming into the universe. Now they call themselves the Forsaken. It is not a name that they coined, but they have made it their own, for there is much bitter truth in it.

They were fortunate, or perhaps favored. They did not fall so far as Hell; they found themselves drifting through the reaches of space.

Now they have gathered in a temporary settlement on the moon. They are confused, and angry, and riven by controversies -- concerning God, concerning mankind, concerning the structure of their own society. So it is that the leaders of the host, the chiefs of the nine great angelic choirs, have decided to come together for a Synod. There they will make law for the Forsaken, and determine the future of their people.

Guests have been invited to the Synod. Human heroes will be present, persons of miraculous power and impeccable Davidic ancestry, seeking to be anointed Messiah -- and to obtain the angels' help for their desperate crusades on Earth. And the True Fallen of the Pit will send their own ambassadors, to see for themselves what their long-lost brethren have become, and to decide whether the Last War might be averted.

In this dark age, when even the highest and holiest have been abandoned, it seems impossible not to fear...

Art by Jian Guo. Used with permission.

In the year 20XX, as the End Times began -- as the Earth stood on the verge of Armageddon -- the angelic host fell from Heaven. In its entirety.

The angels did not know why this had happened, or how. They knew only that in one dreadful moment they had been cut off from the Divine Presence, that they had lost all knowledge and understanding of God's true nature, and that they had been sent screaming into the universe. Now they call themselves the Forsaken. It is not a name that they coined, but they have made it their own, for there is much bitter truth in it.

They were fortunate, or perhaps favored. They did not fall so far as Hell; they found themselves drifting through the reaches of space.

Now they have gathered in a temporary settlement on the moon. They are confused, and angry, and riven by controversies -- concerning God, concerning mankind, concerning the structure of their own society. So it is that the leaders of the host, the chiefs of the nine great angelic choirs, have decided to come together for a Synod. There they will make law for the Forsaken, and determine the future of their people.

Guests have been invited to the Synod. Human heroes will be present, persons of miraculous power and impeccable Davidic ancestry, seeking to be anointed Messiah -- and to obtain the angels' help for their desperate crusades on Earth. And the True Fallen of the Pit will send their own ambassadors, to see for themselves what their long-lost brethren have become, and to decide whether the Last War might be averted.

In this dark age, when even the highest and holiest have been abandoned, it seems impossible not to fear...

* * *

A few important notes: \* This game is structured around a political meeting, and most of the characters are invested in various political outcomes. While all characters have goals outside of politics, this may not be the game for you if having to engage with politics will make you unhappy. \* This game has very extensive materials, by the standards of Intercon LARPs. Each character will receive a character sheet, a rulebook, and several lore bluesheets. To give you plenty of time to read all this, casting will be done as soon as possible after the game fills. \* In the interest of giving people an idea of what they might be getting into, especially regarding the previous two bullets, the game's rulebook is available for your perusal [here](https://www.dropbox.com/s/wq5iwvqpj7dmkat/2%20Be%20Not%20Afraid%20-%0A%20Rules%20of%20Play.pdf). Go ahead and check it out if you're interested in more information. \* This game contains heavy engagement with religious themes, as well as more character-localized themes of sexuality and sexual confusion, self-hatred, and despair. Due to the presence of mature content, players under the age of 18 will not be accepted without prior GM approval. If you're under 18 and want to be involved, or if you have any questions about the game's content, please contact the GM.

In the year 20XX, as the End Times began — as the Earth stood on the verge of Armageddon — the angelic host fell from Heaven. In its entirety.

The angels did not know why this had happened, or how. They knew only that in one dreadful moment they had been cut off from the Divine Presence, that they had lost all knowledge and understanding of God’s true nature, and that they had been sent screaming into the universe. Now they call themselves the Forsaken. It is not a name that they coined, but they have made it their own, for there is much bitter truth in it.

They were fortunate, or perhaps favored. They did not fall so far as Hell; they found themselves drifting through the reaches of space.

Now they have gathered in a temporary settlement on the moon. They are confused, and angry, and riven by controversies — concerning God, concerning mankind, concerning the structure of their own society. So it is that the leaders of the host, the chiefs of the nine great angelic choirs, have decided to come together for a Synod. There they will make law for the Forsaken, and determine the future of their people.

Guests have been invited to the Synod. Human heroes will be present, persons of miraculous power and impeccable Davidic ancestry, seeking to be anointed Messiah — and to obtain the angels’ help for their desperate crusades on Earth. And the True Fallen of the Pit will send their own ambassadors, to see for themselves what their long-lost brethren have become, and to decide whether the Last War might be averted.

In this dark age, when even the highest and holiest have been abandoned, it seems impossible not to fear…

Be Not Afraid tells the tale of angels fallen from Heaven, hoping to make a new place for themselves in the universe, and their interactions with humankind and demonkind alike. The conclusion of that tale is up to you.

Be Not Afraid is a secrets-and-powers LARP for 13 PCs. Nine players become the chiefs of the nine angelic choirs, deciding the future of the Forsaken host, striving to reconstruct their society in the ways they think best. Two become the ambassadors of the Legion Infernal, sent as diplomats from the Pit to see whether the Last War can be averted. Two become two powerful human leaders with very different visions for the world, each seeking to be anointed Messiah by the angelic Synod.

The game lasts six hours, which will be taken up with politics and philosophy and world-reshaping projects… and, of course, with the blazing emotions of turbulent times.
Content Warnings

Be Not Afraid is set in a near-Earth game world that draws heavily from the themes and metaphysics of the Abrahamic religions. One of the PCs is Catholic and one is Muslim. All characters will be engaging heavily with questions about the nature of divinity.

The game is structured around a political summit, and all of the characters will be invested in specific outcomes of the negotiations occurring at this meeting. While all characters also have goals outside of politics, this may not be the game for you if having to engage with contentious politics will make you unhappy.

Topics that individual characters may be dealing with during gametime include: confusion and angst about sexuality and gender expression, self-hatred, and despair.

Topics that may be discussed in backstory include: oppressive megastates, institutionalized violence, bigotry, sexism and misogyny.

Note that the text was written before the widespread use of the singular “they”, and it uses “he” for its singular gender-unknown third-person pronoun. (See the Notes on Characterization document for more info.)