CharactersThe character creation process starts with our pre-written characters. You will work with one of our designers to decide if you would like to adjust the existing character or make more substantial changes. You will be given three significant relationships initially: the rest, including relationships towards the other members of your band/group, will be created in workshops before the start of the larp.
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These capsules focus on who the characters were perceived to be at the time of the bands' glory days, but mostly don't show much of their inner worlds. The full characters briefings represent who the characters were then and are now in more detail. When you sign up you will get to choose the character you would like to play. We will then work on how to alter them to reflect the experience you want.
Note: The record company wanted members of both the group and the band to be read as heterosexual, allosexual and alloromantic, and of (cis) binary gender. During their time being managed by the record company, this is how they all presented , both in their public and private life (except maybe their very private life) – but it may not be reflective of who they were then, or who they are now. Some of the character blurbs explicitly encourage play on this difference: but any character can be developed to do so. You are free to play your character as any gender, sexuality, etc. It doesn't have to be the same as your own.
Both Dirty Laundry and Indigo Crush were contracted to the same music company, Zenith Records. They were targeted by Zenith's executives to appeal to two different demographics. There were occasional public disagreements between the group and the band: but they had more personal relationships in private. And, in some cases, secretly had relationships that the company wouldn’t have approved of.
Note: The record company wanted members of both the group and the band to be read as heterosexual, allosexual and alloromantic, and of (cis) binary gender. During their time being managed by the record company, this is how they all presented , both in their public and private life (except maybe their very private life) – but it may not be reflective of who they were then, or who they are now. Some of the character blurbs explicitly encourage play on this difference: but any character can be developed to do so. You are free to play your character as any gender, sexuality, etc. It doesn't have to be the same as your own.
Both Dirty Laundry and Indigo Crush were contracted to the same music company, Zenith Records. They were targeted by Zenith's executives to appeal to two different demographics. There were occasional public disagreements between the group and the band: but they had more personal relationships in private. And, in some cases, secretly had relationships that the company wouldn’t have approved of.
Play Experience
The two groups offer different play experiences:
Indigo Crush: The manufactured nature of Indigo Crush meant their experience in the group was open to considerable control and abuse by the record company. The expected play experience of Indigo Crush is about reconciling with their past selves and each other, dealing with harms that have been done and includes the possibility of healing and recovery and regaining control of their narrative.
Dirty Laundry: Dirty Laundry had formed their own identity at the point where they were signed by Zenith. As such they had more autonomy and control while in the band, although they were required to make creative compromises. A lot of their time in the band was spent dealing with the ups and downs of fame and success and this opened rifts within the band which led to its break up. The expected play experience of Dirty Laundry is acknowledging and processing the differences that drove them apart and discovering if they can reconcile and work together.
Indigo Crush: The manufactured nature of Indigo Crush meant their experience in the group was open to considerable control and abuse by the record company. The expected play experience of Indigo Crush is about reconciling with their past selves and each other, dealing with harms that have been done and includes the possibility of healing and recovery and regaining control of their narrative.
Dirty Laundry: Dirty Laundry had formed their own identity at the point where they were signed by Zenith. As such they had more autonomy and control while in the band, although they were required to make creative compromises. A lot of their time in the band was spent dealing with the ups and downs of fame and success and this opened rifts within the band which led to its break up. The expected play experience of Dirty Laundry is acknowledging and processing the differences that drove them apart and discovering if they can reconcile and work together.
After each character capsule there's now a link to the full character briefing, as we've developed it together with the player of that character in the first run. Please be aware of the content warnings on some of them.
For Runs 2 and 3, we are making changes to some character briefings, to match player preferences – so, there will be two alternative versions of some of the characters. We will post links to the new versions here as well, when they're ready.
For Runs 2 and 3, we are making changes to some character briefings, to match player preferences – so, there will be two alternative versions of some of the characters. We will post links to the new versions here as well, when they're ready.
Dirty LaundryDirty Laundry were a local band who were discovered by Zenith Records and shaped into something that they believed would be popular.
The image created was of people who were just a bit naughty, who would play rough, and who were just a bit dangerous. Dirty Laundry thrived on scandal and excitement. They might not marry you, but they would give you the best night of your life. Lead vocalist You didn’t know who you were when you joined the band, but you did know that you wanted to be a star. Fortunately the record company was there to provide direction. They taught you how to get into enough trouble to get your fans interested, but not so much that you alienated people. You slept with some of the keenest fans – an acceptable and enjoyable part of your image. You were charming when you wanted to be, and cruel when it was acceptable. Read the full briefing (CW: death of partner by drug overdose, termination of pregnancy) Rhythm guitarist and backing vocals ( and occasionally lead vocals on a few songs) You loved the fame at first, but you found that your ideas were always pushed back on, considered too 'out there'. After an argument, not long after the original lead guitarist died, you quit to make your own way. You never managed that, and now are a singing teacher. You wonder if you have been forgiven by the rest of the band. Read the full briefing (CW: death of parents) Lead guitarist You were brought in after the previous lead guitarist died of an overdose. You were supposed to steer the band into a slightly safer image, while still keeping their market niche. You were mostly seen as the replacement: and you still occasionally get angry letters about disrespecting your predecessor's memory. Read the full briefing (CW: death of parents, death of spouse) Bass guitarist The record company got you away from your parents and gave you a new start. You didn’t have to think about how difficult your childhood had been – not when you were encouraged to drink, and do drugs and have as much sex as you could. Occasionally difficult memories would intrude, and you had a few moments of ‘weakness’. It wasn’t until you were an adult that you began to process your childhood, and you understand so much more now. Read the full briefing (CW: child abuse, substance abuse) Keyboards You had no interest in sex, or even romance. You disliked going to parties where you were expected to publicly go home with someone. Eventually you found people who felt like you. Sometimes those who lacked interest as you did or those that weren’t out as queer and needed the image boost as much as you did, which led you to counter culture, and to finding music that you actually wanted to play – although this had to be a secret to protect the band. Over time you grew to understand yourself more, and found music to be a thing of joy, instead of a burden. You are nervous about what being dragged back into the band might do to you. Read the full briefing Drummer You spent so long enjoying the controversy you created, and gave interviews that toed the line that the record label clearly approved of. You were on top of things until a comment you made about smoking marijuana before sex was picked up by the mainstream media. There was a lot of pearl-clutching, and you had to publicly apologise and leave the band. You are still angry that the record company encouraged you to say 'outrageous' things, some which weren’t even true; and then turned on you when it suited them. Read the full briefing (CW: suicidal urges) |
Indigo CrushThe theme of this group was sweetness and innocence, encouraged to be the girl or boy next door. They were created to stand for traditional values and true love.
Indigo Crush was entirely manufactured by the record company, who put out an open call to audition: hearing hundreds of people until they got the right look and sound. The group was then housed together for some months, and spent a lot of time practising before they were allowed to release their first single and do interviews. All group members are vocalists and dancers, and each was pushed into an archetypal role to fill within the group. The Cute One Indigo Crush became your life, and you were young enough to believe the hype about your morals, and your sweet nature. You gave interviews that became big stories, with the press speculating over your virginity. It was a long journey to find your true self. You’ve never been able to hold down an ordinary job, and the money is running out: so a reunion tour could be a lifeline. But it could also be a disaster. Read the full briefing The Sexy One You quit the group after it became clear that the demands the record company were placing on you about your private life were destroying you. You always knew who you were, and hiding it pained you. You left at the height of the band's fame, but remained a fan favourite. You have given interviews about your [gender / sexuality / other thing you had to hide] in recent years, and the response has mostly been supportive. Maybe you can make a comeback as your true self. Read the full briefing (CW: death of a partner) The Mysterious One The group was the chance for you to escape the life you were living before: but you couldn’t leave everything behind. You hid your drug addiction well, although you know it was exacerbated by the pressures of fame. Maybe if you had been able to get help, your life would have taken a different path: but it's not like that was the group's fault. Help wouldn’t have been available in your pre-group life, either. Read the full briefing (CW: substance addiction) The Charming One You know that your manager hated you. You had a problem with anger back then, and newspapers and magazines had to be paid off not to publish stories of your fights. As you grew up you got help, and you understand things much better now – why you felt the way you did. You are grateful for that knowledge, although it is also a source of sadness that you’re working through. Read the full briefing (CW: violence, childhood neglect, stalking) The Free Spirit At the time obeying the rules the record label set down for you was easy – you had no interest in dating, drugs or fighting, and you were frustrated with the band members who did, potentially jeopardising things for all of you. You were involved in activism, and you tried to use your fame to promote your causes. Occasionally you had to take a step back when the cause was considered too political. These days, you are a very outspoken activist, and have forgiven yourself for the times when you couldn’t be. You will never have your beliefs dictated to you again, though. Read the full briefing (CW: mental health issues) The Attractive Nerd You were something of an outsider, which meant no one knew about your mental health issues: until you had a breakdown, and the record label had to put out a statement saying that you were suffering from exhaustion while you spent six months recovering. Since then you have found a relatively normal life, although the thought of this weekend is bringing back some of your old symptoms. Your counsellor advised you not to attend: but you want closure. Read the full briefing (CW: mental health issues, abuse of power, sexual coercion) |
The Character Creation Process
(This below explains how it was for the first run of the larp. For later runs, the existing characters are being used, as linked above.)
When you sign up for Reunion, you will also be asked to indicate which of the characters you want to play, based on these capsules and on any content that you want to avoid.
We will cast you, get in contact with you about any changes you have requested to the character in the sign up form. This can also be done via an audio medium if needed. We will send the character to you as a draft. Please note a relationship may have changed even if you haven't requested any changes yourself. We will then publish final versions of all of the characters on the website.
There will be time in the workshop to create further relationships: with the other members of your band, and with specific members of the other band.
We ask that you don't pre-calibrate with anyone who isn't in one of your three written relationships, prior to the workshop. This is so that people who don't have time or energy to take part in pre-larp calibration don't feel that they are missing out on relations or on world creation.
When you sign up for Reunion, you will also be asked to indicate which of the characters you want to play, based on these capsules and on any content that you want to avoid.
We will cast you, get in contact with you about any changes you have requested to the character in the sign up form. This can also be done via an audio medium if needed. We will send the character to you as a draft. Please note a relationship may have changed even if you haven't requested any changes yourself. We will then publish final versions of all of the characters on the website.
There will be time in the workshop to create further relationships: with the other members of your band, and with specific members of the other band.
We ask that you don't pre-calibrate with anyone who isn't in one of your three written relationships, prior to the workshop. This is so that people who don't have time or energy to take part in pre-larp calibration don't feel that they are missing out on relations or on world creation.