Black Honor

Game: Black Honor

Type: LARP

Author: Bryan Ransil

Date: 9/2008

Teaser: The long stone hall leading to the terrace was cold, but bedecked with tapestries. Full of color and life, they first depicted epic deeds which had been performed hundreds of years ago; the glorious warriors and sorcerers of noble lineage, maintaining the world order until their dying gasps. As Ithinil walked down the hall, these glorious illustrations gave way to the times of darkness: usurpers and mighty barbarian hordes conquering and reconquering the world, endlessly juggling rule, and the demons who wished to usher the world into darkness. But then, above the entrance to the terrace, the epic of Fasadon was depicted. The Giver of Law, a merciful god, who returned from the worlds beyond only to sacrifice himself and return the world to proper order.

Ithinil gazed for a long time upon the tapestry, meditating on the magnitude of the god's sacrifice; on the many more ages that he could have lived, attempting to give the law back to men, only to see his laws crushed into dust.

It was a frigid winter's night, the snow falling upon the terrace in dark night.
"Ithinil of the Umber House! How good to see you!"

Ithinil turned to see one of his fellow dukes, Versh of the Fiery House, a temporary friend in the ever shifting court politics. Putting on a merry smile, Ithinil replied, "May the Guardians always watch over you. Have you had any word from your brother?"

"All is calm. Tornash will have served his duty, guarding Fasadon's Grave, and I will be sent in his place."

"Are you scared?"

"No. As they say, 'The Black Knights scattered, the Grave Guarded, the world is filled with peace.' What I'm thinking about most is actually being near the place where Fasadon died, and actually seeing the Guardians: the Warrior, the Warlock, and the Worshiper. What are they like?"

Ithinil looked into the stars for a long while, thinking... "They are like world, and not. Being bound to Fasadon, who is bound to the world, they make you think of everything at once. They make you feel that all of the world's history is contained within their bodies, and that their very will forms the Universe. You feel that if they died, the world would die, or be turned upside
down."

Group Background:
The Demons
You are beings of great power, beings that could rule the world from North to South, save for that “God” Fasadon.
He was never a God, but a human with major issues, and extremely unobtrusive. He was almost never talked about, despite adventuring with a half-dragon warrior, a sly rogue, and a powerful necromancer. Even as the world seemed to collapse around you, your mutual hatred of this party led you to combine your forces: Death Knight, Lady of the Night, and Prince of Darkness. You learned that they were performing a ritual, and found your chance to kill them all.
You rushed to the site, in the middle of a forest, and saw a light. You burst into the glade, and got this close to killing them all. But the light became too strong, and threw you miles away. With this explosion of light, shards of darkness stuck into your souls, empowering you. Fasadon’s three companions (the Three "Wussies" as you some times call them: Warrior, Warlock, and Worshiper) have defended the site ever since.
Meanwhile, you've recouped your forces, schemed, and even gained power. The Lady of the Night has found a minion for herself, the Verevolf Fivara, while the Prince of Darkness has numerous minions. However, for this expedition, he has brought Telvos. The Death Knight sees no need for minions, especially since it is much more fun to kill them yourself.
Normally you are barred from Fasadon's Grave, but the Black Knights have pierced the site's mystical fortifications. From your research, you know that your power shall be drained when you are around the three Wussies, making your endurance and strength almost equal to a mortal, but you feel that this raid will be successful. Those that were rejected by Fasadon's order are now trying to conquer Fasadon's Grave.
It is the perfect time to strike, and take what is rightfully yours: The World.

Character:
Fivara, the Verevolf
You don't quite know were you came from. Maybe you fell from a shooting star, or formed out of the forest's darkest shadows. Regardless, some of your first memories are of the Lady of the Night, formerly the heir of the Mother of All Wolves, Elcharna. She found you, and took you in. Though she has lost her wolf form, now appearing similar to a vampire, you are extremely close to her in spirit. Your heart is as black, and shadows just cling on to you (though you have not gotten a knack for forming it to conceal you, despite you mistress' attempts to teach you).
There are several others in your dysfunctional pack (no one seems to really be the leader, which is really confusing). You are most distant from the "Prince" of Darkness and his subordinate Telvos. Then there is the Death Knight, who (other than your mistress) you feel the closest to. He likes killing just as much as you do, and he affectionately calls you (when your lady isn't around) his "Hound of War".

Despite nearly constantly accompanying your lady, you have met one who you some how feel... more content around. There is this boy who you met once in the forest. You were romping around, when you found a comforting smell. It happened to be this boy, playing with the shadows. You two had a wonderful time together, playing in the shadows, but after that day you never saw him again...

Your Lady and the others constantly talk about killing three super-powerful humans, at a
place called "Fasadon's Grave". Fasadon was apparently a human who bound himself with the world to pervert the world order, making humans the most important species. You only know that when these beings are killed, your mistress shall (when she asserts her dominance over the others) turn the world into a forest, where there shall be great variety of amusing game.

Interesting Game Convention(s): Sort of a dramatic device, the last person in their line could not die. They would somehow escape, or there was some long-lost heir, but a family could not die out. Also, Fasodammit. That was amusing.

How Game Went: As this was my first game, and quite some time ago now, most of it has faded from my memory. I remember we went walking around, confronting groups, etc. When we came across the group with THE BOY, I went to meet him, but his group, frightened of me, kept trying to keep me away from him. He turned out to be a necromancer or something, but I guess he was with a group of goodies. Oh, well. Then, in the end, big boss battle, and something or other happened. Like I said, it was my first game. It was fun, though! And thus began my evil type-casting.