Campaign Primer
This is an Out of Game document meant to give you an idea of the world of Wraithvale so that you can better determine how you can interact with the In Game world and our culture.
Our Goals
The goals of this game, myself, and my staff are to create a safe, inclusive, welcoming environment so that we can build a healthy, happy community to play make believe in the woods together with. While we strive to bring as many people together as possible to be part of this community, we acknowledge the paradox of tolerance and understand it is part of our duties include making sure that everyone who attends the game is acting in good faith and according to our Code of Conduct. We will work to resolve issues within the community with empathy and understanding but will act in accordance with our values and remove negative influences when necessary.
This is a collaborative, role-play forward game meant to allow for social interaction with other players. There are no “main characters” here, though that doesn’t mean there won’t be moments where each person has the opportunity to shine. If you’re someone who likes to be in the thick of things, wonderful. If instead you prefer to crack the code and hand it off so you can remain out of the spotlight that’s also fantastic. If you’re just someone wanting to sit around the tavern and chat with people (In Game of course) that’s also perfect! We encourage everyone to fill out our New Player Questionnaire so we can make sure you’re having an enjoyable experience.
The World
The world of Wraithvale is an eclectic mix of genres that we are weaving together to make a cohesive story. While our overarching theme is fantasy, we have chosen to dive more into darker aspects of the genre. Much of our inspiration comes from Folk and Gothic Horror. Your primary or “home” location, Mistwillow Crossing, is a bit of Birchshield that is slowly being reclaimed by the wilds and the things that reside within it. The other lands, which you can see on our map and read about on our Continents page, will offer even more challenges from the mundane to the fantastical.
We will provide some links below for people who may not understand what the different sub-genres of Horror refer to but in brief the goal of the aspects of Horror we will utilize is to elicit discomfort and unease without relying purely on shock value or “gross out” effects. We may use some fake blood here and there, we may have some fake limbs laying around, I can’t promise we’ll never hit you with a jump scare, but these will be purely implemented to add to the atmosphere. Folk and Gothic Horror rely on atmosphere and anticipation to elicit the emotions they are looking for. Our Plot team will reference your Player Questionnaire before mods so we can speak with you if needed about possible triggers.
While there will be places for the “stick jockeys” to shine, often there will be multiple ways that players can choose to deal with the things they come across. There will be mysteries, lore, and puzzles waiting to be solved. Most importantly, there will be consequences. Player choices matter. They can and will affect the way the stories you all participate in are moving. Also important to note is that failure in this space does not mean “game over”, it simply changes the board, both for players and Plot, as reactions to what occurred play out. Fear of failure or consequences can encourage attempts to limit player agency but we want our players to understand that it is the Plot teams responsibility to keep things on the rails.
While Wraithvale LARP does not actively encourage PvP (Player vs Player) actions part of the possibility of consequences is that if you take In Game action that results in harm coming to other characters there may be In Game retaliation by said characters or the town. With that said, no other player should attempt to police, punish, or ostracize someone Out of Game for decisions made In Game. For our part, Wraithvale staff will work with players, whenever possible, to adapt their character concepts in a way they will enjoy without having them become an antagonist to other players.
Resources
What is Gothic? The Historical and Philosophical Origins of Goth and Gothic Horror
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_horror
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction
Some of Our Sources For Inspiration
Cultural Folklore
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M.R. James
Shirley Jackson
Stephen King
T. Kingfisher
The SCP Foundation
Victor LaValle
Various Historical Events
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