Last hours of the Harem

(AKA: Harem Son Saat)

RPG system: LARP
Participants: 26 players

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Description

Harem Son Saat is a historically inspired Larp. It is inspired by the history of the Ottoman Empire and European tensions preceding WWI, but all elements, especially the Sultanate of Morta Siyah where the game is set, are entirely fictional and belong to their own reality. It is fictionally located somewhere in the Balkan area, possibly on the border with Bulgaria.

The game is set in the summer of 1913.


Recent events
The first Balkan war ended in June 1913, by an Ottoman defeat, costing them most of the territories they had on the European continent. As early as 1908, a coup held by the Young Turks nationalists had left the Empire in disarray.

However, Morta Siyah, under the rule of Sultan Murat Hallil, on the Ottoman-Bulgarian frontier, managed to hold against the pressure of the European powers and nationalists alike. Despite that, the Sultan has not been able to renew communication with Istanbul since the end of the war. His son and heir died during the war and it has been rumored he is but a shadow of himself. Still, his control over the resources of the region is still great, and the area is fast becoming a strategic asset.
The occasion for the visit

After relations with Istanbul became tense, and a period of isolation, the Sultan has agreed to welcome visitors and diplomats again. But is he really willing to negotiate?

Morta Siyah has become a secluded place, maintaining ancient traditions that have been abandoned in the capital, such as the Harem, a place of subjugation and power. Ancient mystique and superstition still thrives there: it is said that the spirit of the Djinn inhabits the place and to the most influential of women, it grants the ability to predict the future. For all the exploitation they are subjected to, women have a special status in Morta Siyah.

You can’t reach the Sultan, they say, without understanding these beliefs. He never gives anything to those who don’t get to the heart of the Harem. Time goes by, and staying in Morta Siyah becomes tedious and dreary. Protocol and lockup have replaced the diplomatic discussions, for which nobody really cares anymore. Faced with the decline of a nation, the last hours of the Harem see cultures clashing and opposing aspirations failing.

Runs

Links

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