The End Is Here
From time immemorial, there have been the Forms. These archetypal images, faceless and mutable, are embedded into the very structure of the universe. They are the source of the ideas and ideals that underlie consciousness and fuel creation.
But there is always a need for the concrete as an intermediary to the abstract, and so were the Forms defined. Thus as the Forms were defined, so too were Personae created that represented the Forms, with names, attributes, and powers.
Eons ago, a number of the Personae gathered, and laid out a plan to truly exist. They formed a Hierarchy, to hold strong against the chaos of existence. And it was good.
But now, things are changing. They have been called by one of their own to gather as one, in a Conclave, their courtly intrigues simmering in the background as new faces make themselves known.
The dealers are ready. The decks are shuffled.
Let the games begin.
Player Guide
We've written a detailed player guide for your perusal. This guide should cover everything you'll need to know to play The Greater Trumps, be it costuming, the setting, or how characters can 'resolve' conflict.
Characters
If you've got a specific character in mind, check out the link below, where you can read a list of characters and give your preferences. You can also check out The Greater Trumps on Facebook for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's all this, then?
The Greater Trumps is a LARP run by Narcissism, Ltd, a non-for-profit organization running events around Australia. The game we're running is heavily based on the original, written by Ken Brown, Hugh Eckert, and the late Dave Singer in the 90s. With that said, we've done a fair bit of tinkering 'under-the-hood' to bring it to, what we think, is a really high standard. We're going to continue working on it until the event itself to make sure we're producing something we can take pride in running for our players.
And what's the game?
Ultimately, The Greater Trumps is a parlor LARP that combines social and political elements. One of the core components of the game is the negotiations between the Personae. While not all of them know it at the start of game, they'll eventually be confronted with an external threat, one that forces them to redefine the system they exist in. As a result, the major conflicts of the game to revolve around political maneuvering. The Personae have varied relationships, from antagonistic enemies to innocent romances. Combined with their conflicting goals and desires for the future, it'll make designing any new system complicated and tense.
Is there workshopping?
If you played our last major game, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Sudenberg, you'll recall the lengthy workshopping that was done before game. While we'll be including similar workshopping before this game, it'll be much shorter, with a greater focus on 'getting ready to roleplay'.
Can I NPC?
We'd much rather have someone attend as a player than an NPC - the game wasn't written with NPCs in mind. We created the Courtiers in case we needed them, but they're nowhere near as essential as the individual characters. However, if you would really prefer to NPC, please get in touch with us. While we want to remove any barriers to you participating in the game as a player, we want you to enjoy yourself in the manner you're most comfortable.
What costuming and props should we bring?
Costuming is ultimately up to you; we urge you to get as creative as possible. A general rule of thumb is that fantastical, theatrical, and over-the-top costumes are encouraged, as they help paint the ethereal, dreamlike nature of The Greater Trumps, but how you costume your particular Personae is up to you. For example, Death could be an old man in a robe, a scythe in his hands, a lantern in the other, black flowers draped around his feet... or a young girl in goth attire, black lipstick, and an Ankh around her neck. Feel free to bring whatever props would enhance your roleplaying experience; the Personae are essentially minor gods over their respective domains.
The Venue
80 Smith St
Collingwood, Victoria
Caz Reitop's Dirty Secrets is one of Collingwood's secret treasures; a bar that's been built on top of a century-old bluestone basement. Well-aged and decorated in a classic Roaring Twenties' style, it's the perfect setting for the tense card games and politics of The Greater Trumps.
Multiple plates of canapes will be provided throughout the evening, and players will have exclusive use of the venue and bar. No interruptions by the public!
Ticketing Guide
Personae Ticket
Early Bird: $40
(Ends Sep 29)
Standard: $50
(Ends Oct 20)
Last Minute: $60
Personae tickets are available for all attendees. You'll be given the option to select one of the thirty-three characters that are available for this event, based on availability. We try to release characters in 'waves', based on the date tickets were purchased, so if there's a particular character you're interested in, get in early!
We encourage you to take this option if you're interested in playing or participating instead of waiting for a Courtier ticket; our priority is ensuring every character is represented.
Courtier Ticket
Standard: $20
(Ends Oct 20)
Last Minute: $30
These tickets will only be released in the event all Player Tickets sell out.
Owing to the limited number of 'Player Tickets', we're aware that there might be some players who wish to participate, but have missed out. We've created Courtiers for them; servants and attendants of the Personae who assist them in their endeavors.
In another world, these might be called NPCs; we avoid that term because we want to make sure they have just as much fun as players, even if they're lacking in political power.
Our Team
Organiser
Huw Reynolds
The dark, twisted mind of Huw is currently distracted by the joys of torturing LARP players. Pray that it stays that way, my children.
Glorious Leader
Charlie Kay
Charlie became famous in the LARP community for her memes. Somehow, this has led to people thinking she could run events.
Organiser
Marshall Nelson
Marshall's responsible nature meant he was inevitably going to be the one who kept us from burning anything to the ground.
Organiser
Brianna Farnham
It turned out absolutely everyone else in the team was terrible when it came to taking legible notes. Thankfully, Brianna wasn't.
Organiser
Paul Bergen
While nobody really knows what 'MoshPants' does for the team, we do know that whatever it is, he's doing it with a lot of enthusiasm.