Getting Started
Click here for a more in-depth guide created by our NPLs (New Player Liaisons)
First Steps
1. Join our community: Getting ready for an event can be a huge undertaking if you've never attended a larp before. Take advantage of our Discord and Facebook to ask any questions you might have. Our team of New Player Liaisons are there to help with every step along the way.
2. Learn the mechanics: To be able to move on to the next step and create a character its a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics of the game. Understanding how roleplay, health points and weapon swings work are a good place to start. You can find more information on these beginning at page 6 in the Rulebook or by watching these videos created by the Toronto guild, Jericho.
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3. Create a character: After learning the basics you'll have to think of a character you'd like to play. The possibilities here are endless. You can create a deep and complex backstory or not have one at all. The choice is yours.
Begin by choosing a race and class. Each race, excluding human, requires different Racial Characteristics or visual representations to play. As for skills, you begin with a pool of 150cp (character points) to spend. Your race and class can grant unique skills in addition to a collection of skills any character can choose from. See the Skills & Descriptions section of the rulebook for more information about these skills.
An unofficial character builder Android app is available to help this process. (Be aware this may not be up to date with the current rulebook.)
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4. Create an account: Once you're settled on a character concept you can fill in the form on the Join page. You will receive a confirmation email from our Logistics team upon the creation of your database account. This email will include your account username and password to be used on the Underworld Larp database.
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5. Register for an event: Now you're ready to register and attend an event! For a guide on how to register, click here.
The Story So Far
The story of Underworld has been ongoing for over 20 years and is built around a rich backstory, which includes the history of the world, its geography, culture, politics, and mythology. The backstory provides the foundation for the LARP's setting, characters, and plot. This world is dynamic and evolving through a collaborative process involving Shapers (Game Masters) and players, with player actions and choices influencing the course of the story leading to unexpected plot twists and outcomes.
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Welcome to the captivating world of Arthos. A realm rich with ancient magic and full of beauty and mystery; a realm now steeped in conflict, the culmination of a dark past. Lush and verdant, stark and desolate, this vast land is shared by a plethora of mortal races – proud elves, enterprising humans, indomitable dwarves, formidable orcs and a myriad of others all call this place home. But they are not alone here. In this world mortals walk astride the primordial Firstborn Dragons and the Gods of Light and Darkness, each vying to place themselves at the apex of power.
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For more about the abundant lore of Underworld you can check the Global Wiki.
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For more about Mournfall's own local lore check our Local Wiki.
Races of Underworld
Here is a quick overview of the base races of Underworld. Each of the individual races in Underworld grants their own advantages and disadvantages. These can range from being able to withstand poisons to having a vulnerability to sunlight and anything in between! See the Races section of the Core Rulebook for more information on each one and our post on Racial Characteristics for makeup and costuming examples.
Savar'Aving
The Savar’Aving are a matriarchal race of cat-people who resemble humanoid hunting cats. Their society is ruled by women and views male Savar’Aving as second-class citizens. It is rare to find a dominant male Savar’Aving who is free and even more rare for him to survive for long. The Savar’Aving are a strong, proud race with deep ties to nature. They have recently suffered a catastrophic plague of necromantic origin that killed many of their people and then turned them into Undead. The few Savar’Aving that survive today struggle to put to rest their Undead sisters and attempt to rebuild their once great society. The Savar’Aving were originally known simply as the Savar, but those who survived the plague began to call themselves Savar’Aving to remind themselves that, no matter what fate throws at them, they will triumph.
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Gargylen
The Gargylen are a sentient race of half-construct, half-living gargoyles. Originally slaves, they have since broken free from the oppressive yoke of their mage creators. This construct race has proven that they have free will and are sentient. They have also developed a method of reproduction. Very little is known about them, and they have no recognized territory or homeland. A Gargylen’s skin is stone grey and often hardened, making them less susceptible to conventional weapons. All Gargylen are horned and although some have wings, they are all flightless. They are an enigma, and questions surround their purpose or moral standings. Most seem to possess an instinctual need to protect the innocent, although this is certainly not the case with all Gargylen. Gargylen characters will be no older than 30 when they come into game. Gargylen babies mature into adults in six months.
Mountain Dwarf
Mountain Dwarves are famed miners and smiths, though they may specialize in any number of trades. All dwarves sport a full beard and, although they are generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier.
Dark Elf (Drael'Thalan)
Dark Elves are an underground dwelling race that is sensitive to sunlight. Because of this, Dark Elves shun the surface world during daylight hours and often live underground. The Dark Elves are mistrusted by the other races, mainly because of their dark reputation for deception and murder, as well as their natural aptitude with Alchemy.
High Elf (Deminis'Thalan)
High Elves are a long-lived race that make their home primarily in cities. All High Elves are graceful, artistic and magically inclined. Although wise, they are perceived by other races as arrogant and rude.
Wild Elf (Olagot'Thalan)
Wild Elves do their best to co-exist with nature, believing that the beasts and land are here for far more than simple exploitation. They consider few things worse than taking more than you need from the world. Examples of this would be mining expeditions, industrial forestry or commercial fishing. While they are intelligent enough to understand the ways of civilization and industrial progress, they choose to live a life outside of it. Wild Elves have no formal cities or homeland and tend to live in nomadic tribes.
Wood Fae
Distant cousins to the Faerie Folk, Wood Fae are rumoured to have been born of magic within the forests of the world. This may account for many of the Wood Fae having an affinity to natural creatures. Quite contrary to their faerie folk cousins, the Wood Fae have an extreme dislike for all forms of charms and will go to nearly any length to oppose mind-altering spells or effects. They are not only averse to practicing Charming Magics themselves but are even able to remove Charming effects from others. They are for the most part very carefree and friendly. They generally live a polyamorous lifestyle, though they rarely keep one mate for more than 10 years.
Orc
Orcs, or “Green-Skins” as they are commonly called, are a fierce and combative goblinoid race. Orcs normally organize themselves into tribes and clans that consist of ogres, kobolds and other goblinoid races. Orcs appreciate strength and skill in combat above all things. They are less intelligent than a human is, but generally stronger and more disciplined.
Ajaunti (Aja)
An extravagant, passionate and amicable people, the Ajaunti (“Aja” for short) are a nomadic and colourful race. Where and when the Aja culture came to be is a mystery. Full of life, love and celebration, the Aja place high value in songs, dancing, and storytelling. Life never stops moving, so the Aja never stop moving either. Wanderers by choice and welcoming of strangers, Aja “clans” slowly criss-cross the continent in large caravans, following the weather and the winds of fate. The Ajaunti are always willing to share their wine, campfires and wisdom with any willing to join them.
Einher (Northmen)
A semi-nomadic Northern people, the Einher are very superstitious by nature. Though the Einher enjoy being shockingly vulgar, they are very serious about any conduct that may disrespect them or their kin. As such, they tend to avoid disrespecting others, unless they are looking for a fight. For an Einher it is important to know the difference between a friendly jab at someone and the sort of thing that blood will be shed for. The Einher have an irrational fear of fog, whether magical or natural. They will suffer from the effects of paranoia and/or hallucination if confronted by fog. The thicker it is, the worse the effects. This fear is strictly roleplayed. The Einher detest Ice Elves. Throughout their history, the Ice Elves have attempted to force the worship of Pandora upon them, causing much bad blood between the two civilizations.
Hobling
A typically small, peaceful people with furry feet and hands, bushy eyebrows, and fuzzy sideburns, Hoblings, in general, are a peace and comfort-loving race. Most are horrified by violence and are easily scared off by the slightest danger. However, there are still a great many that find themselves in awe of the world and travel it attempting to learn about (and experience) everything. They are fun-loving and mischievous, enjoying anything that is exciting despite whatever possible danger there may be. These are the Hoblings most often encountered by the other races, since they travel the world over. These Hoblings are often considered an annoyance by other races, but the Hoblings still greatly enjoy the company of any people and love to tell and listen to stories of adventures. All these Hoblings really wish to do is have fun and enjoy life to its fullest.
Human
Humans are the most populous of the sentient, civilized races. They range widely in appearance, culture and diversity.
Classes of Underworld
Underworld has 9 base classes to choose from, each with their own costs when it comes to purchasing skills with CP. By no means should you feel you need to comply with the title of your class. A mercenary can be a well-read pacifist, a mage can be a sneaky thief, and a bard can be a bloodthirsty warrior.
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Any class can purchase almost any skill. To learn more about each class' individual skills as well as other skills you can add to your character see the Occupations and Abilities and the Skills and Descriptions sections of the Core Rulebook.
Mercenary
Mercenaries are pure warriors. These fighters devote their lives to the perfection of the warrior's arts such as tactics, weapon skills, wine and questionable pleasures. They have little patience for higher learning or courtly manners, preferring instead to focus on weaponry and armour and their uses. Mercenaries rarely die of old age or broken hearts.
Ranger
Rangers are warriors who prefer the wild to cities. Many Rangers are trained as guardians and scouts for their Lord’s domain. Since most of their time is spent in the wilderness, Rangers are naturals at learning woodland type skills such as archery and Alchemy. A Ranger may spend their entire career chasing poachers and rogue animals or they may be their Lord’s Master of the Hunt. They have been used in the past as long-range spies.
Templar
Templars are the embodiment of the scholarly warrior. These warriors have chosen to spend their time studying the scholarly arts as well as the warrior’s arts. While a Templar will never be as refined as a warrior or scholar in their respective specialties, the Templar is far more versatile and potent in their own way.
Assassin
Assassins, the exception to the rogue generality, are specialists. They specialize in stealth, and the ability to kill silently with brutal precision. Assassins are used in many ways and can be found in all walks of life. They are not always cold-blooded killers and are used by many nobles as spies and scouts.
Nightblade
Nightblades are a hybrid of all the rogue classes, a Jack-of-all-trades. They tend to be very diverse in their studies and can always be relied upon to surprise you when you least expect it. Nightblades tend towards occupations such as forgers, smugglers, and thieves. Usually bred in the cesspool of the urban world, Nightblades live by their cunning, taking what they wish, dodging the long, but slow arm of the law.
Wytch Hunter
Wytch Hunters are a hybrid class who are specially trained to fight against one or more specific spheres of magic. The reasons for this vary from Wytch Hunter to Wytch Hunter; sometimes it’s motivated by personal hatred, other times they’ve simply decided on this path of training. Whatever the reason the effect is the same. In order to accomplish this task they’ve combined the arts of stealth and magic in their training.
Bard
They are musicians, storytellers, poets, Skalds and mythmakers. Bards are the creative pulse in every tavern, town and festival and their songs and stories breathe life into an otherwise drab and dreary existence. A Bard performs for the masses, uplifts the downtrodden and entertains the rich. Bards must possess at least one audible style of performance at which they are reasonably competent, such as dramatic storytelling, musical instruments requiring skill, poetry or singing. Bardic instruments do not need to be tagged. Bards tend to shy away from combat and battle, focusing more on entertaining than fighting.
Druid
Druids are scholars who tend to be most comfortable using the Nature sphere and feel a kinship to plants and animals. There are many different types of Druids, from the guardians of the forest to those who consider themselves friends of the Fae. Able to shape-shift into animals and create powerful sentient Henges, Druids also dabble in Alchemy and some physical skills. Often seen as the counter-part to Rangers, Druids sit on the magic side of the fence, whereas Rangers sit on the physical side. Less common in large urban areas, Druids are a natural fit in the dangerous outdoors that Underworld events typically use as backgrounds.
Mage
Practitioners of the arcane arts, these students of the more esoteric fields of study bring power to word and deed. The most difficult and slowest class to follow, they gain their power slowly, but are unmatched when higher levels are achieved. You can identify a beginner in the arcane arts by their well-built running legs and a Master by their paunch, grown by long hours spent in Ritual Circles.
How to Prepare
Larp camping can be an exciting and immersive experience, but it also requires some preparation and planning. Here are some tips to help make your experience more enjoyable:
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1. Plan Ahead: Before heading out, research the location and weather forecast, plan your meals, and make a packing list to ensure you have everything you need for a comfortable and safe experience. Here is a handy Larp Weekend Checklist by Underworld's Edmonton guild, Harrowvale.
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2. Pack the essentials:
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Bring a tent, sleeping bag, warm blankets, cot or air mattress, and a pillow for a comfortable sleep. Events can go from really cold (5°C) to very hot (40°C). Sleeping bags help against the cold while blankets help with moisture to protect your bedding, and can be hung up to dry. Raising your body off the ground while sleeping also helps regulate temperature.
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Make sure to pack any essential items needed to play your character. Costuming, racial characteristic representations, weapons and in game tags are the base of every character's outfit.
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Don't forget a headlamp or flashlight and extra batteries. We at Underworld use red lights as out-of-game safety lights while in game lights are made to look more period appropriate and require certain in game items to use.
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Bring hygiene items like hand sanitizer, wet wipes, toothbrush and toothpaste. The event site does not have showers so its important to be able to stay clean.
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3. Stay organized: Keep your gear organized in your tent, and pack efficiently to save space. Use storage bags or containers to keep your belongings organized and easy to find. This is especially helpful when keeping your out-of-game belongings separate from your character's in-game belongings.
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4. Bring Proper Clothing: Make sure to bring appropriate clothing for the weather and for your character's role. Layers are always a good idea, as they can be added, removed or changed as needed. A good wool or fleece cloak can do wonders and you can never have too many socks!
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5. Stay hydrated and well-fed: Bring plenty of water and food that doesn't require refrigeration. It's also a good idea to bring electrolyte drinks to replace lost fluids and salts. Store food in sealed containers or coolers to prevent spoilage and keep pests away. Dispose of food waste properly to avoid attracting wildlife.
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6. Respect the environment: Leave the campsite cleaner than you found it. Bring trash bags and dispose of your waste properly.
Things To Remember
LARP (Live Action Role Playing) is a form of interactive storytelling where players physically act out their characters in a fictional setting. While there are many different LARP systems and styles, there are some general rules that are common among most LARP communities and that we, at Underworld Larp, also follow:
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1. Safety comes first: Safety is the most important rule in LARP, and all players should prioritize their safety and the safety of others. This includes physical safety, emotional safety, and respecting boundaries.
2. Respect the game and the players: Players should respect the LARP system and the other players. This includes staying in character, not breaking the immersion, and not disrupting the game.
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3. Follow the rules: Each LARP system has its own set of rules that must be followed. These rules are in place to ensure fairness and consistency within the game.
4. Accept the consequences of your actions: In LARP, actions have consequences. Players should accept the consequences of their character's actions, whether they be positive or negative. Don't be afraid to take risks! Things that may seem like a negative situation can make for some of the best storytelling! Every good character arc includes hardship.
5. Have fun: LARP is meant to be a fun and engaging experience. Players should enjoy themselves and contribute positively to the game.
