2000 Maryland Intercon
Over New Year's Eve weekend, Josh and I went to the Millenial Intercon--you mean next year's the Millenium? Oops! We'll have to do it over.
Intercon is devoted to larps, most of which--all, in this case--are 4 hour mini-larps. I signed up for 3 written by Mike Young: Miskatonic Tenth Year Reunion, Miskatonic Archaeological Expedition, and the newly written Miskatonic 2000 Reunion. I don't intend to write up the games in any detail, as they're run frequently. Indeed, unless I get massive amounts of San back, I hope to run Miskatonic Archaeological Expedition (MAE), my favorite of the 3.
The quote of the weekend came from a game I did not play in, and from the GM, Gordon Olmstead-Dean. He was running a 20th century larp as written by folks from the 21st century with very little sense of historical accuracy. He said (not verbatim, but as near as I recall):
Fully 80% of the characters had something in their packs indicating that they supported Puerto Rican independence, either with reservations, or wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, when Madonna called for Puerto Rican independence, you all acted not like 21st century people, who, of course, think the idea of Puerto Rican independence is pretty good, but like 20th century people, and blew her off without even giving her a hearing. I was very proud of you. Now, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE PLAYING A GAME SET IN 1865 AND THERE'S A VOTE ON WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE, REMEMBER THIS!
Harold Feld showed up and got seduced by the commedia side of the force, playing a Turkish slaver in Michael McAfee's commedia game (alas, scheduled opposite the 3rd Miskatonic game). I asked him about it, and he emailed:
The Commedia LARP was a lot of fun. I played a Turkish slaver with my slave Ramadan. Unbeknwonst to me, Ramadan was really Pantalone, who has been missing for several months. I also start out the game in love with Laura, Pantalone's wife.
After my initial surprise that so many people are willing to bid for an old slave like Ramadan. Ramadan convinced me to sell him to Laura so that he can press my suit for me. After my initial rejection by Laura (who tells me she is waiting for Pantalone), Ramadan "convinces" her that she is in love with me and will run away with me if I raise a sufficient quantity of funds and (over the course of the hour) do a few other little things.
[As I pointed out to Becky, in any other game, someone telling me "Your slave has convinced me that I am in love with you" would ring all kind of alarm bells. In Commedia, however, the proper response is "Oh, my plan is working perfectly!"]
Well, after selling out my business to a rival Turkish slaver, Ramadan leads me to Laura's bed chamber and "stands guard" outside. Just as things get interesting, a loud shout "It's Pantalone! He comes home after months at sea!" "My husband!" Shrieks Laura. "Here, hide in this box!" Of course I, panicked and unsuspecting, jump into the box. Snap goes the lid, snap goes the lock. Ramadan/Pantalone kicks me around for good measure, and I get sold to the rival slave trader.
Lots of fun. I even found myself making asides to an imaginary audience a la real Commedia. The downside was it was imposible to follow the other plots. I gathered the lovers tended to resolve things early and then come back as other characters.
The one downside was that Becky and Aaron were watching at the end, and Aaron did not understand that Daddy wasn't really locked in a box and beaten and kicked. He got very upset. (Not helped because he was a sleepy little bear.)
