## Here or There? There are two central places in this LARP - The Town and The City - referred to sometimes as small and provincial or big and busy, respectively. Christmas movies, especially those released directly to television, present a dichotomy between these two locations - often representing the bustling metropolis as fast paced and unconcerned about human connection, with the quaint hometown acting as a foil - a safe place full of memories, potential, and people who care. In the real world, places are as complicated and full as the people who live in them, with charms, graces, and hidden skeletons. Though this game takes place in The Town, either is a valid outcome and a potential avenue to explore fulfillment for your character. ## Tone and Themes Characters that show up in Christmas movies trend along archetypical lines. We have played into common tropes, such as the big city ingénue, the small town hotties, the struggling shop keepers, the CEOs, the yuppies, etc. Each sheet has questions to help guide roleplay and give guidance on what themes the character is designed to explore. You can use those as a jumping point for roleplay that is meaningful, goofy, fun, and complex. Gameplay may lead to more questions you want to explore. This game is designed to be lighthearted, with potential for emotionally meaningful roleplay tied in with characters that begin as caricatures and soapy drama that everyone knows will ultimately be resolved by the time Santa flies overhead. Everyone can pursue a happy ending for their character, even if it is an ending that differs from your character's initial goals or your expectations as a player at the start of the game. You may ultimately end up selling the secret family recipe, choosing to stay in a small town, finding a new career, or exploring polyamory - and that's wonderful. You will have time during workshopping to discuss interlocking storylines and expectations with those to whom your character is tightly linked. Workshops will take approximately two hours. ## The Dark Stuff There are various topics which would be irresponsible to address in the tone of this LARP. - This game is not designed to explore the COVID-19 Pandemic. Players are welcome to wear masks. - This game is not designed to explore racism, sexism, xenophobia, or bigotry. - This game is not designed to explore real-world religions or real-world religious rituals. - This game is not designed to explore incest, assault, sexual assault, non-consent, or violence of any kind. - This game is not designed to explore the real-world harms of capitalism. #### Gender & Sexuality Characters are written with the gender-neutral pronouns of they/them and you can adjust those for your preference for the character. Nametags will be provided for your character's name archetype, and pronouns. You should expect to encounter romantic roleplay in this game, as well as roleplay involving family, acceptance, and the pursuit of happiness. This game is not designed to explore on-screen sex - if your character has sex during the course of the game, RP should fade-to-black. #### Christmas, Religion &, Winter Holidays This game is focused on cultural traditions as presented by a particular kind of tropey media (made-for-TV Christmas movies), not in attempting to authentically explore the underlying religions or cultures which birthed those tropes. The lighthearted, soapy nature of this game is not a lens for sensitively and thoughtfully exploring real-world faith, and is instead concerned only with a handful of niche cultural trappings which are themselves no more religious than a 30% off sale on inflatable santas. With that in mind, please do not focus characterization or roleplay on any real world religious elements (e.g., Mass, Nativity, Menorah, Yule, etc.) and avoid passing reference to real-world religions wherever possible. As above, this is an intentionally goofy game, which makes it an inappropriate setting for discussing or examining someone's real-world faith. ## Safety and Mechanics Negotiation/Nordic Open-Door Character Death Physical Touch Look Down or "Off Game," & CUT! - Venue and Physical Safety ### Negotiation/Nordic Negotiation, Consent Only, American Freeform, or Nordic style LARPs, are venues in which the story is driven by player consent. Negotiation can happen before or during the LARP. Before the game begins, these conversations can reflect the overarching story beats that players want their characters to have, specific scenes they may want to play out, and boundaries around comforts, preferences, and triggers. For example, you may have an RP partner who is very comfortable with public displays of affection and you can negotiate what your expectations are for pursuing romance. You may have an RP partner who wants you to reveal their big secret to the entire room, so that you can dramatically argue and then storm off in different directions. Or, you may have an RP partner who wants to portray a quiet character and would ask you to introduce them to other characters in each scene. In this style of LARP, secrets and goals are often shared between some players before the game begins - with the understanding that your characters do not know what you, the players know. This kind of 'metagaming' allows players to safely engage with each other and plan out their reactions and stories for maximum drama and satisfaction. This is not a requirement for play; it is an optional tool that players can use. For example, you may have the potential for a romantic ending with more than one character - the three of you sit down and determine that you want to hit a three-beat arc - first, you want the romance to be a secret love triangle; second you want the love triangle to be revealed, with the two potential romantic partners being competitive and seeking advice from others at the party; and third, you want to talk it out and decide that you are all polyamorous and try to seek out a new and different style of relationship, after which, the IC tension is released. Or, you might as a group decide that you want to leave the third beat of the arc a mystery and let it play out in-game. If you choose to reveal some of these character 'secrets' ahead of time, you can ensure that 1) Everyone's needs are met and everyone is on the same page in terms of outcomes, and 2) You have time to enact all of the major elements prior to the end of the game. This kind of game is not about holding onto a secret with the intent to catch other players off-guard. It's about working together to make sure that players' secrets are revealed in ways that are fun, satisfying, and safe for all. Additionally, because LARP is a magic medium in which goals and stories are very flexible, you may find that your character's goals change during the course of the game - and that's ok. You can re-negotiate scenes at any time, working together to support and uplift each other. For example, you find yourself under the Mistletoe with someone you have been flirting with all night. You didn't have time to speak before game on, so you quickly step to the side and ask them out of character if they are comfortable with a kiss as characters. They say they are, but they prefer a brief peck on the lips. You go back in character, stand under the mistletoe, and have your magic moment - the whole room oohs and ahs, and people have something new to gossip about. For example, you are arguing with another character about what is best for the family. You didn't negotiate it ahead of time, but you feel like it might rise to shouting or even physical rough-housing. You step to the side quickly and ask if they want to pretend to slap you, and they say they aren't comfortable with that, but add that maybe the two of you could shout over each other for a few beats and then each storm away to cool off. You step back in game and the argument escalates - and you have determined what is safe and comfortable for both of you. Nordic style is just as much about reacting to other people's drama as it is exploring your own. ### Open-Door In order to facilitate roleplay, this game is considered open-door. You can join any scene or conversation happening IC - there is no such thing as "locationally challenged." Players who need to take a few moments out of character can go to the out-of-character rooms. ### No Character Death This is not a game about PC loss; it is not a murder mystery. No characters will die during the course of the game; no characters will be allowed to commit murder during the game. If you need to leave as a player, your character simply leaves the party and goes home. ### Physical Touch Expectations Intentional physical touch should be pre-negotiated in all circumstances, unless there is an immediate safety concern. Do not touch people (particularly from behind) without their express consent or permission. Physical romantic affection needs to be negotiated and consented to. Do not kiss each other without checking in. Physical violence will be pretend-only and likely minimal in this game. All physical altercations must be pre-negotiated and performance only - do not physically strike each other. ### Look Down, Off Game, & CUT! When you need to leave a scene or check in for negotiations, use the look-down method by shielding your eyes with your hand and looking at the floor, then leaving a scene. To check in with players during game, you can also use this method or say "Off Game" before checking in about your question for a scene. For OOC venue safety issues, such as broken glass or spilled liquids, say "CUT!" loudly and firmly. Any player who hears the word "CUT!" should immediately stop roleplay and freeze where they are, until an organizer comes to clear the scene of the hazard. Once the issue has been fixed, the organizer will give the all clear to resume RP.