A Single Silver Coin
RPG system: LARP
Participants: 8-10 players
By
✏️ | Laura Boylan |
✏️ | Peter Litwack |
Description
Rylasos is a land of wonder and beauty. It stretches from the majestic snow capped World's Edge Mountains mountains in the north to the lush jungles of the south. Fertile farm land stretches 500 leagues to the west until it finally gives way to deserts so vast that none have ever crossed them. Hundreds of islands dot the blue-green sea to the east with shores of gleaming white sands and coral reefs in every color of the rainbow. At the center of it all sits the shining city of Karthank the center of the known world and the seat of power of the Parthadrian Empire.
Some say that the glory of the land of Rylasos itself is surpassed only by that of the empire. Perhaps, this is true. Under the rule of the empire, peace and prosperity have reigned for over three centuries. Dragons once roamed free and terrorized many a village. Now, they are all but extinct. Evil sorcerers once practiced dark magics openly but now, they too are all but gone. Major advances have been made in architecture, medicine, shipwrighting and dozens of other spheres. Indeed, it is a glorious time to be alive.
Or, it was before you died. Perhaps you fell in battle. Perhaps your ship sank in a storm. Or perhaps you lived a long and full life but eventually succumbed to the ravages of time as all must one day. In some ways, it doesn't really matter. Your soul has found itself upon the shore of the Sea of Shadows, the underground ocean which separates this life from the next. You must cross the sea and then, on the far shore, you will be judged and assigned your eternal place in the afterlife.
You stood upon the shore for who knows how long. Perhaps it was hours or perhaps it was years or even decades. Time does not pass for the dead as it does for the living.
In time, a small ferry arrived. You knew instictively that it was assigned to you. Several others boarded the ferry with you. Perhaps, you know them or perhaps you do not. But you know that somehow your fate is inextricably intertwined with theirs. That is why you were all assigned to this ferry. Something connects you all.
During your voyage accross the sea, you will be tested. In what way, you do not know. If you pass all the tests you will be given a chance to enter paradise. But to enter paradise you must pay a toll - a single silver coin.
When you first arrived upon the shore of Sea of Shadows, you were clothed as you chose to dress in life but your only possessions were an item symbolic of how you lived your life and three silver coins. Only one coin is needed to enter paradise but you know that souls are often easily parted from their coins during the passage accross the sea.
Will you pass all your tests, retain a single silver coin and be admitted to eternal paradise? Or will you fail or be unable to pay the toll and be condemned to an eternity in torment?
* * *
A Single Silver Coin is a dark fantasy game about death, loss and regret. It follows the journey of several deceased souls as they travel to the afterlife, each one seeking admitance to eternal paradise.
This game makes no explicit reference to any real world religion but may include some fictionalized religious elements that are based on real world inspirations. This game explores a number of mature themes and may not be appropriate for some younger players.
A Single Silver Coin is a three hour dark fantasy LARP about death, loss, love, faith, regret, and forgiveness. It was written by Peter Litwack and Laura Boylan, with Ian Ynda-Hummel and Rory Talk as GMs for this run. 18+ only, please.
**Out of universe description:**
This is a game about emotion and roleplaying. There is no combat. There are very few mechanics, and they are mostly diegetic. (There are no greensheets.) Most characters do not have anything similar to a goal list, because all of the characters are dead and traveling to their afterlife. The game is about people reflecting on their lives and talking to other people who were significant in their lives. There are secrets to be revealed, apologies to be made, forgiveness to be given or withheld.
Most characters have not lead idyllic lives, and there are a lot of potentially upsetting themes in the game, including at least one suicide. It is small enough game that it is very hard to completely avoid contact with those themes. There are, however, absolutely no references to sexual assault in this game. We have tried our best to handle them in a mature, sensitive, and interesting manner. Previous runs have been very emotionally intense.
Important physical note: This game is run in low lighting for atmospheric reasons.
Casting: This game is very very hard to cast, because the characters are about such specific emotional experiences and most players only have a small number of characters we think they would enjoy. We will do casting as early as possible, and if we think that we won't be able to give you a character we really think you'll enjoy in \*this\* run, we will tell you, so you can decide if you want to drop out and play another run (we intend to be running this game for a long time.)
If you are not sure if this is a game you would enjoy, for any reason, please feel free to email us and we will be happy to discuss it with you.
**In universe description:**
Rylasos is a land of wonder and beauty. It stretches from the majestic snow capped World's Edge Mountains mountains in the north to the lush jungles of the south. Fertile farm land stretches 500 leagues to the west until it finally gives way to deserts so vast that none have ever crossed them. Hundreds of islands dot the blue-green sea to the east with shores of gleaming white sands and coral reefs in every color of the rainbow. At the center of it all sits the shining city of Karthank the center of the known world and the seat of power of the Parthadrian Empire. Some say that the glory of the land of Rylasos itself is surpassed only by that of the empire. Perhaps, this is true. Under the rule of the empire, peace and prosperity have reigned for over three centuries. Dragons once roamed free and terrorized many a village. Now, they are all but extinct. Evil sorcerers once practiced dark magics openly but now, they too are all but gone. Major advances have been made in architecture, medicine, shipwrighting and dozens of other spheres. Indeed, it is a glorious time to be alive. Or, it was before you died. Perhaps you fell in battle. Perhaps your ship sank in a storm. Or perhaps you lived a long and full life but eventually succumbed to the ravages of time as all must one day. In some ways, it doesn't really matter. Your soul has found itself upon the shore of the Sea of Shadows, the underground ocean which separates this life from the next. You must cross the sea and then, on the far shore, you will be judged and assigned your eternal place in the afterlife. You stood upon the shore for who knows how long. Perhaps it was hours or perhaps it was years or even decades. Time does not pass for the dead as it does for the living. In time, a small ferry arrived. You knew instinctively that it was assigned to you. Several others boarded the ferry with you. Perhaps, you know them or perhaps you do not. But you know that somehow your fate is inextricably intertwined with theirs. That is why you were all assigned to this ferry. Something connects you all. During your voyage across the sea, you will be tested. In what way, you do not know. If you pass all the tests you will be given a chance to enter paradise. But to enter paradise you must pay a toll - a single silver coin. When you first arrived upon the shore of Sea of Shadows, you were clothed as you chose to dress in life but your only possessions were three silver coins. Only one coin is needed to enter paradise but you know that souls are often easily parted from their coins during the passage across the sea. Will you pass all your tests, retain a single silver coin and be admitted to eternal paradise? Or will you fail, or be unable to pay the toll, and be condemned to an eternity in torment?
Played at
Intercon M (2013) | |
♻ | Intercon O (2015) |
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