5.0

"A personal favourite"

Set in the Witcher universe conceived by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and popularised internationally by the vide game trilogy of the same title, the LARP draws its inspiration from both the books and games, chronologically set after the end of the game trilogy. The story focuses on a gathering of influential representatives of the Northern Kingdoms some time after their conquest by the Nilfgaardian Empire. The goal of the summit is to bring lasting peace and stable profitability to the North; alas, making all these people - politicians, military and faith leaders, visionaries and mages, and, not to forget, a ragtag handful of Witchers - forget their own agendas for the greater good seems an impossible task. The LARP is played over a bit more than 48 hours of actual game time, with mandatory workshops taking up some time before the game. The venue itself is beautiful - an old catalonian country house in the mountains outside Barcelona - and the already rustic interior is complemented by additional props and furniture from the organisers' own stocks. Accommodation is comfortable, youth hostel style, with 3-6 people rooms and shared bathrooms; the sleeping areas are off-game. Meals are served in-character. While breakfast (bread, cold cuts and cheese, scrambled eggs) is an informal occasion that allows the players a slow start into the day, lunch and dinner are part of the political side of the LARP, with seating arrangements based on the favour curried with the dignitaries so far and the opportunity for praise and backhanded insults via toasts. The food is simple catalonian cuisine and regularly features two courses; red wine is served with the meals, while coffee and water are freely available throughout the day. Other beverages, including alcoholic ones, can be purchased with real money at the in-game tavern. Players are asked to moderate their alcohol intake, of course. The original player characters are pre-written, and here's where Something Ends, Something Begins really shines. While players are grouped by kingdom (six players per group), there are multiple plots and relationships outside these groups. Players can pick and choose which of those to pursue, and while the main plot of the LARP is political, many of the subplots are not and deal with a variety of other themes instead. The LARP is played by the "what you see is what you get" principle, with an emphasis of player agency. The target of any action decides the severity of the effect, and playing to lift, playing for flow and, to a degree, playing to lose is required for the best experience. There are a few scattered techniques in place to allow the organisers to exert some control over the LARP and to facilitate actions like magic spells and the like, but they are few and far between. The LARP allows for optional calibration between players or players and organisers, but other than that, there are no mandatory interruptions. I got to play a Temerian sorcerer with an unhealthy obsession with prophecy, willing to go to awful lengths in favour of a "bigger picture" only he seemed to be able to see. Constantly embroiled in both the political side of things and his personal quest, there wasn't a boring minute to the game, and by the time saturday night rolled around, I was truly exhausted and exceedingly happy. photo by A. Solana Photography (https://www.instagram.com/asolanalarpgraphy/)