GAME DESIGN & LORE
Get deeper insights into the game design and lore
at Convention of Thorns.
Keywords
Power / Intrigue / Drama / Clan / Legacy / Magic / Politics / Decadence / Treachery / Conflict
THE YEAR 1493
Even though this isn’t a historical reenactment larp, we’re still very interested in using real world history as part of the larp.
In 1492, the Torah, holy book of the Jews, is printed for the first time, and in Rome, the infamous Rodrigo Borgia is elected Pope by a unanimous vote. The Moors have just been driven out of Granada, and the kingdom of Aragon has expelled Jews from eastern Spain and Sicily. Columbus has just returned from his voyage to America, and a new world has been opened up to Christian Europeans.
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For the Kindred, this is a time of darkness and desperation. The Catholic Inquisition has been incredibly successful in hunting down the unliving, and their stakes and bonfires have claimed the Final Death of 3/4 of the vampires.
It is a time of fear among the powerful elders of the night. Some say that the only thing keeping the Inquisition just somewhat at bay is that the Catholic church is heavily infiltrated by the clan Lasombra. Others believe that the Lasombra are using the Inquisition as a tool to strike at their enemies.
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Whatever the vampires present at the Convention might believe, they know that the next few days will shape the centuries to come.
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Convention of Thorns is, however, not meant to be a historical re-enactment. After all, vampires exist in this version of the world, and that fact is significantly more important than whether a costume piece belongs in the 1490’s or the 1600’s.
For participants, this means a couple of things:
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Gender roles are not historical. The larp is accessible to both players of all genders and vampires of all genders. Once you’ve cheated death, certain things matter less!
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This is a larp about intrigue, not history. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know a lot about European history in the 15th century! The important thing is what happens at the larp – not what happened in reality.
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Be tolerant of historical mistakes. If someone talks about Spain, even though Spain at the time is technically two kingdoms (Castille and Aragon) linked by marriage, it’s ok. We’re not here to lecture each other, but to play together.
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Playability comes first. Not only does the larp draw on historical facts – it also draws on “historical facts” from the World of Darkness fiction. Don’t worry too much about it – in the end, the important thing is that the larp is interesting to play, even if we get a few details wrong!
NO LONGER HUMAN
At Convention of Thorns, most participants play vampires; supernatural beings who have desires and cravings that no mortal can really understand.
Playing a vampire In the World of Darkness is not just about putting on some pointed teeth and going about your business as if nothing has changed. It’s about portraying a tormented character with an unnatural mind. Here are some guidelines:
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Vampires are larger than life. Their passions are deeper, their rages are wilder, and their vengeance is more brutal. Their lusts are obscure, and their morals are twisted.
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Vampires are alone. Mortals find meaning in communities and relationships. Vampires find meaning in survival and power.
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Vampires are ruthless. Betrayal and double-crosses are as natural to a vampire as doubt is to a human.
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Vampires are paranoid. Constant distrust creates a toxic environment among the unliving, where trust is scarce.
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Vampires have long memories. Humans tend to forget things. Conflicts that were relevant years ago may seem silly now. Not so with the Kindred.
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Vampires are not like us. Remember that.
THE BEAST
Inside every vampire lurks the Beast – a name given to the dark, monstrous impulses that threaten to take control if the vampire isn’t careful.
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When a vampire stops looking at mortals as people, and starts seeing them as food, it’s the Beast speaking.
When a vampire starts ignoring the niceties of society and commits unspeakable actions, it’s the Beast rearing its head.
When a vampire finally gives in and surrenders their humanity completely, they become little more than an animal, and the Beast wins.
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As mortals struggle with the concept of their own mortality, vampires struggle with the concept of the Beast.
Some choose not to think about it, while never completely forgetting that it’s there, tempting them at every turn.
Others give in to it at times, but remain in control most of the time, always fearing that they are slipping deeper down the dark path.
No one defeats the Beast. But many try.
DECADENCE & BLOOD
The shadowy realms of Kindred society are a world apart. While mortal decadence is often about material possessions, vampiric pleasure is more often derived from projecting power.
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Convention of Thorns is a larp for adults, and while we’re all playing pretend, some of the play can get dark and visually disgusting.
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It is perfectly possible to enter a room where a group of vampires are drinking each other’s blood to strengthen their bond, and while no one (of course!) drinks actual blood, it may look ghastly and cruel to the outside observer.
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Nakedness, simulated violence and rough social games are also possible elements of the experience. We are strong believers in creating safe spaces, where it is possible to easily opt-out of scenes, but we also believe in leaving participants room to play out actions that would be considered wrong in their daily life.
This is a larp where politics, power and intrigue go hand in hand with powerful emotions, physical play and personal horror.
We do not want this to be just a journey in time, but also to another world – where vampires are more than just humans with fangs.
PLAYING A NEONATE
Neonates are the youngest vampires, though not necessarily the least powerful. They have become vampires only recently (few have been embraced into unlife more than a hundred years ago), and are not yet completely used to Kindred society.
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Some hold on to their humanity as a shield, while others wallow in debauchery and sin. Whatever the character of the vampire in question, Neonates all have one thing in common; they’re the new kids on the block.
PLAYING AN ANCILLA
Ancillae are no longer Neonates, but neither are they Elders. They are no longer wet behind the ears, and have amassed both power, reputation and an understanding of how vampire society works.
As an Ancilla, it’s a constant struggle being sandwiched between the young Neonates trying to push upwards and the Elders trying to squash ambitions from above.
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The (un)life of an Ancilla is not an easy one.
PLAYING AN ELDER
Elders are often hundreds of years old; crafty, powerful and always scheming. They are also paranoid, power hungry and so used to intrigues that gaining their trust is very hard.
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Some Elders still cling to their humanity, but most have long since decided that the Beast inside has its uses, and that morals are something that can be thrown off like clothes if the situation calls for it. Elders are the movers and shakers of Kindred society, but they are also the ones with the most to lose.
PLAYING A METHUSELAH
Ancient and extremely powerful, the Methuselahs are shadowy beings who have lost all touch with their human side. Most of them live in hiding, since younger vampires lust for their potent blood whenever they surface.
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No Methuselahs are officially present at the Convention of Thorns, but some walk among the lesser vampires cloaked in secrecy and direct events through underlings – who may not even be aware that they’re being steered.
NPCS: GHOULS
Ghouls are mortal servants that are bound to their vampire masters by blood bonds. They are significantly more powerful than ordinary humans, but are still nothing compared to the Kindred.
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At the Convention of Thorns, Ghoul characters are played by organisers and helpers, who need to be able to move around unhindered. It is also the Ghouls who serve the (bloody) drinks, move the furniture, and fix practical problems.
DAY PLAY
Because we are playing vampires, most of the events at Convention of Thorns happen in the evening and at night. This doesn’t mean that we spend the days sleeping, though! Every day, before the parties and negotiations start, we play out “blackbox” scenes in smaller groups, as preparation for the nightly play. The reason for this is that some scenes work much better as Day Play scenes than during the evening. However, we have exclusive access to the castle so the game can continue until sunset (around 4:00 A.M) and beyond at players discretion.
RULES & MECHANICS
Our mechanics and rules are custom-made for this larp, and are there to support the kind of play experience we want you to have. This means that while we may use terms and ideas familiar to many Vampire the Masquerade players, we will use them in ways that are unique to this larp.
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At the Convention of Thorns, we try to keep the mechanics simple and elegant. If you’re an experienced Vampire the Masquerade player, this may be very different from what you’re used to.If you’re completely new, don’t worry! Simplicity is our design watchword! 😉
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In general, the mechanics we use are there to help us create a dramatic feeling of cutthroat vampire politics and power struggles in the 15th century – including rules for combat, use of vampiric powers, and safety rules.
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The mechanics for the larp are presented in the Player Guide, and also at the workshops before the larp.
A RICH & DETAILED WORLD
The World of Darkness setting came into being around 25 years ago, with the publishing of the storytelling game Vampire: the Masquerade. Since then, that world has gone through revisions, expansions, and events both big and small. The lore about the world has grown from a couple of chapters in a book to a whole library on its own.
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Naturally, Convention of Thorns draws on this lore, but since it is a “what-if” scenario placed within a fictional world, we have quite a bit of creative discretion to play around with. After all, who knows what really happened in 1493 in that imaginary world of lies and half-truths?
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The important thing is that the world and its details are something we use to make the live feel more alive, not something we use to lock ourselves into storytelling cages. The larp is meant to be a dramatic exploration of an immensely important event in the history of the World of Darkness, not a competition of “ACTUALLY…” round-table discussions.
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In the end, larp is larp, and no matter what happens there, it doesn’t change the lore of the setting. Even if the Camarilla isn’t formed and it all ends in (unliving) blood being spilled, it won’t affect the OWoD universe.
With that said, we are looking forward to the game!
Player Guide
Player Guide is a PDF containing information about the larp. It details how to play, how the characters function, how practical issues are solved and much more.
It’s a living document, which means that it’s constantly being updated and revised.
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For the 2025 runs of the game, Player Guide will be released in the 4th quarter of 2024.
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If you have questions, you are more than welcome to email us.
Just write to info@wonderlarp.com.