Well, you've stumbled across this web site and you don't have a clue what it's about, outside of the idea that it's a vampire thing. No, the participants aren't wacko's. We're just a group of people who are part of a larger club who on alternating weekends pretend that we are vampires. No, I don't mean we run around trying to gack people and drink their blood. What I (we) will try to explain here is "What is live action role play".

Stories Around the Fire
(from Mind's Eye Theater "Laws of the Night")

Once upon a time, long before television or computers or even books, people sat around the fire and told stories for entertainment. Whether it was a ballad of a hero's latest exploits r a cautionary tale about dealing with the hidden creatures of the word, storytellers were a valued part of the community as teachers and entertainers. And tale-telling was hardly a passive art -- the storyteller relied on his audience for reaction to his tale as he spoke. How else would he know if they were enjoying the story, or if they were getting bored?

Time marched on, and technological developments began to change, if not interfere with, the storyteller's art. Books (and the development of greater literacy among people) meant that someone could simply read a story whenever he liked, instead of hunting down a story teller to tell it. Radio and television remade the storyteller into an impassive creature that did not encourage audience participation. Stories were still told, and in great quantity, but they were largely sterile, unliving things.

Now we come to the 1970's and the era of roleplaying. A group of players sits around a table, listening to their leader describe scenes of dank dungeons and dark cities, and they choose which path to take next. At one of these sessions, someone gets the idea to start standing up, moving and thinking as her character might. Over time, more players do the same, creating what will become known as live-action roleplaying (or LARP). In fact, this "new" entertainment is a return to the oldest -- the leader was the storyteller, taking his listeners on a new journey, and the listeners were responding in kind, taking on the roles of the characters in the story, telling this new tale to the storyteller, the other player-listeners and to themselves.

Does that help make it clearer?  Maybe it provides an inkling of what we gamers spend several hours in an evening participating in.  We look to our Storyteller to set the scene around which we will play.  Our Storyteller (ST), who is Paul, is assisted in the narrations by others known as Assistant Storytellers (AST), they would be Logan Seaton, Charlie Mathis, Torrie Mathis, Don Emerson (Influence).  .  It's their responsibility to be in different places during different scenes.  See, basically Paul can't be in 10 places at once, no matter how hard he tries so he designates who goes where with his assistants.

The scene - You have been invited by an unknown person to visit Club Nyx for a gathering of the Kindred of the Camarilla.  You are in essence the character you have created.

There are rumors that the Sabbatt (the bad guys in this case) are planning an uprising. A few Anarch's (good guys who don't like the rules of the Camarilla) drift through the larger crowd ready to step in and aid if needed, or maybe just to fulfill a purpose of their own design.

The Primogen Council (heads of the different vampire clans) have closeted themselves in a locked meeting chamber to discuss how best to handle the situation. Or maybe they are meeting to decide that the current Prince (he's the big wig of the City in the Kindred world) isn't doing his job and it's time to see his position overthrown. Maybe the Primogen Council has a puppet in mind that they wish to see standing as the Prince of the City.

From a darkened corner a shadow might appear to move, and out steps a deformed figure. Eyes a glowing red, lips twisted into a feral snarl that reveals fangs much like the canines of a wolf. He is of the clan Gangrel it is clear, and it appears he is in Frenzy. Whether the cause is of his own creation or that of someone guiding his mind is unknown.  The figure leaps at it's intended victim, a slender woman standing by herself. She is of the clan Toreador, they who are the art lovers. So intent on the studying of a portrait that hangs upon the wall it appears, that she is unaware the danger that launches itself at her.

No, the player isn't physically leaping like a madman looking to make a kill. His actions are implied verbally to both his intended victim, and one of the ST's will come and lead the scene so to speak. It is their responsibility to ensure that the rules of the game are followed and that the cheese is kept down to a mild sliced American instead of the stronger Limburger.

The challenge is made in the form of the player calling the intent of his action. Now, you may be asking how does the winner of the challenge know he's won. Well, do you remember a game called Rock, Paper, Scissors that kids played? Well, that's how it's done. Hand behind the back, and at the count of three both players bring out their hand in either the position of Rock (a closed fist), Paper (the hand out straight) or Scissors (only the first two fingers extended). Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beat Paper, and Paper beats Rock.

The scene continues until a conclusion is reached. Maybe the Gangrel attacker has been staked, and those that have gathered in the frey now discuss what action should next be taken. Clearly it would be a danger to those gathered to simply remove the stake that has been embeded in his chest. Let us bring the situation to the Prince. And from here the scene progresses.

Okay, there is a rather detailed explanation of what Live Action Roleplay entails. To sum it up in only a few words, the ST weaves a tale in which we the players take on the persona's of the characters involved, and bring the story from beginning to conclusion. Much like actors on a stage, except we don't use scripts and it's not performed before an audiance. Everything that happens does so totally off the cuff, or better yet, from the minds of those participating.