Houston, TX.
Run 1 - September 19-22, 2024.
Run 2 - November 7-10, 2024.

Seraph

The key to all you Desire.

SERAPH - THE LARP

Seraph is a Nordic Style, mechanics light, occult thriller larp for 24 participants and 2 guaranteed reserves that deals with the topics of loss, desire, and how far people are willing to go to obtain what they want the most. It will be a personal, "Type 2 fun" experience focusing on deeply interconnected roleplay and giving players an intense, emotional game that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a happy ending. All characters crave something they cannot obtain. Some have lost a loved one, some have given up on a cherished dream, and others are consumed by longing. In desperation, they have turned to the occult and have spent the last 12-15 months in an online esoteric study group led by a man named Gabriel, who has the power to provide them with a chance to have what they desperately want.

After working so long at a distance, everyone has gathered at Gabriel’s retreat to meet in person and to summon a mighty angel named Sedael, Holder of Keys. They will try to prove themselves worthy to Sedael, and if they do, they will receive a key that will allow them to achieve their heart’s desire. Gabriel has warned them not everyone succeeds in proving their worth and that Sedael may demand more from them than they are willing to give up.

Before the weekend ends, characters must answer several difficult questions, and Sedael grants them the opportunity to earn their key:

How far are you willing to go to obtain what you desire?
What are you willing to give up in exchange?
Is any cost too great to stop you when you’re so close?

Characters will all be distributed with open sheets and will have relevant triggers listed.

THE EXPERIENCE

With Seraph, we want to create a setting and characters that allows participants to lean in and have deep, intense, and meaningful interactions. We will use the “slow escalation” and tap-out system for in-game calibration and will have thorough workshops to ensure that both personal trust and understanding of the system are in place to create impactful play. The larp will be nordic style and mechanics light. And though it is about the occult and ritual magic will be part of it, it is not about the characters casting spells or using powers in any way.

The larp is a "Type 2 fun" event that heavily focuses on close connections between characters and how these affect the decisions and actions of those around them. All characters entered the study group with a primary partner, such as a partner, family member, or similarly close relationship. Although characters have a close partner, participants are not required to sign up in pairs but will be able to identify people they want to play with during the signup. We will pair people who do not identify a potential partner during the casting process.

While this relationship will be the most significant for each character, it will not be the only one. Everyone has come to know each other during the study group, but some formed closer bonds than others. These relationships with change and evolve during the game, devolving and developing as they meet for the first time in person and begin their final rituals.
You should expect intense and unhealthy relationships with many of your coplayers.

The participants at the retreat will work to earn their key from the angel Sedael, a feat that Gabriel has warned many people fail. They will need to confront the secrets, truths, and lies they have kept hidden from the people they are closest to and prove themselves worthy - to each other and Sedael.

IS THIS LARP FOR ME

This larp are for people who enjoy play centered around a type 2 drama dealing with loss, desire, intense relationships, how far you (your character) are willing to go to get what they want. Participants will engage with a personal and intimate story set in an occult modern-day setting.

All characters will have significant positive and negative relationships that can be explored in a safe and impactful manner, via mechanics introduced through extensive workshopping and practice before Seraph begins. A lot of your connections will have intense play full of conflict and unhealthy relationships. Flirting and romance play will also happen if the players desire. And players should expect sexual play in the game, though they do not have to engage with it.

Participants should be enthusiastic about joint storytelling, and believe that a goal for a larp is to tell a wonderful and impactful story together.
The larp is not intended to portray cult like dynamics, or be about summoning otherwordly beings and using their powers. The occult is a pillar for the setting, not a power mechanic in the event.

Players should experience a larp with impactful and emotional scenes, with close play with other participants within a safety and calibration system that has been extensively workshopped. You should be willing to play with an ingame calibration system be based on Slow Escalation and Tap-Out mechanics centered around personal responsibility and enthusiastic consent. We encourage you to read more about this in our safety and calibration mechanics section.

As a participant you should be comfortable with the following actions as a general part of the larp: shouting, pushing, general altercations, psychological manipulation, yelling and arguing, crying, hugging, general touching, and romantic play. The exceptions to this are that we expect everyone not to grab people from behind and also not grab the “beach body,” i.e., the area covered by a bikini. There will also be no design based on sexual assault, but sexual situation will likely be a part of the larp.

MORE INFORMATION

A lot of info from the website is also gathered in our Design Document. You can also find more info or ask questions on our Facebook page or, contact us. You will also find our policies, procedures, and terms and conditions for the event linked here.

Design document Link to Facebook Contact us Terms and Conditions