This Is The Forbidden History
The Forbidden History is not merely a larp about characters, but also a larp that encourages us as players to explore the search for the sublime in parallel with our characters. Whether it is in embracing passions we had forgotten, in appreciating new artforms, exploring freedoms we thought were barred from us, daring to burn brightly as a character or in the view of the morning sunrise, we try to bring those things with us even after it is gone.
Should you go to this larp?
Have you ever been ashamed for the things you love?
Ever felt the need to distance yourself from something you felt or wanted to say, because you felt you would be judged for it?
Ever shied away from pursuing a passion because it was ’silly’ in your eyes, or you feared it was silly in the eyes of others?
Do you shield yourself from social risk with irony and self-deprecation?
Do you feel scared of being who you are, completely, with your heart and soul?
These are only some of the questions we ask participants before the Forbidden History. We believe that through playing characters who reject these things, and by playing in an environment that supports you in doing so, we get to experience some of that atmosphere as participants as well. That is one of the reasons we keep coming back to St. Theodora’s, and one of the reasons you should go to this larp.
At the Forbidden History, we seek to portray individuals who seek to live life to the fullest and as their true selves, no matter their sexuality or gender, and we want to dare to do so as players as well.
It is a larp for those who are attracted to the atmosphere of academia, the secret compacts of hidden societies, intense friendships and romances, melancholic beauty or passionate abandon.
The play style is immersive and with a focus on your own personal journey. We want our participants to engage in close relationships and in safe exploration of boundaries, thoughts and philosophies.
It is not a requirement to know the school topics to participate in the larp, and the academic levels will not be at real college levels within these topics. However, we would prefer if it you are interested in delving into them and discussing them, even from an amateur level.
Story
The Forbidden History: Eden Unmasked takes place in the days after the mid-term exams have been completed, in the middle of the semester. During these days students find out their grades, and Professors focus on the areas they want to delve into, greatly decreasing the amount of assignments for their classes. At the same time the Secret Societies prepare for Knock Night, where Unpledged students try to show themselves worthy of being tapped for Secret Societies. On Saturday it is time for the St. Theodora’s Masque, a night of partying, relaxing and revelling in the feeling of belonging, and of saying goodbye to any Sophomores who have not been tapped for a Secret Society. It is a time of new beginnings and transformation. As always, both the official and the forbidden story exist at the same time, and the secrets of the latter are kept.
What is The Forbidden History not?
- This is not a larp about bullying.
- It is not a larp about being shut out or being ostracised, but rather about being part of something, discovering things about yourself.
- It is not a larp with public scandals or great upsets to the status quo. It is not about rebellion against an outward system.
- It is not a high school larp. This is not a larp about school tropes – it is college, the students and professors are devoted adults.
- It is not an 80’s larp. We picked the 1980s because we wanted it to be modern without having mobile phones. These people do not dress or use make-up in any normal 80s fashion – rather, they are inspired by timeless classic fashion and historical eras. There are multiple ways where the larp fiction differs from the real 80’s, including politics and circumstances in the world, all detailed in the expanded material.
- It is not a larp where anything magical or divine will be proven true. However, the experiences of the characters might very well resemble the divine or the mystical.
Changes from the previous runs
Eden Unmasked wants to focus more on the wonder and discovery of St. Theodora’s and all its aspects, but also the compromises and challenges that comes with life at the college. It is about embracing life, experiencing each moment as fully as possible knowing that there will be an end sometime in the future. Compared to Paradise Lost, it will include:
- Initiations and Knock night, where the new students are brought into the Secret Societies. However, this is not the main theme of the larp as a whole, unlike in the first two iterations of the larp.
- It is set in the fall, with the masked ball ”St. Theodora’s Masque” ending the larp. The focus is on new beginnings, hope, and the chance to change things before it’s too late.
- It has less focus on crazy parties and the last days of paradise, and more on stricter separation between the public world and the forbidden one.
