This is a larp that deals with many different themes, some of which will be reserved for certain groups. You will be able to opt in or out of these in the signup form. Here is a brief description of the main themes at this larp:
Romance: Whether in the parent generation or the young generation, romance and love will be a theme in some way. How it might look will depend on the character and dynamic. It can be straightforward or complicated, happy or unhappy, and many other things. Romances at this larp can be same-sex and mixed-sex, and you will be able to tell us in your sign-up what kind of sexualities you are comfortable with playing. Remember however that same-sex marriages and public relationships will not happen at this larp, but will be hidden romances.
Family: For almost all characters family will be an important part of the larp. This play will also touch on themes of reputation and scandal and the fact there might be consequences to the family if someone is seen doing something against the public norms. Within the family, there might be conflict, and as the head of the household is supposed to approve of the matches within the family, sometimes there will be arguments over who the best match is. There might also be jealousies, resentment, and other things within the families.
Stories: With this, we mean that this is a larp that will prioritise a romantic narrative. You are writing your character’s story while playing it, as if they were an important character in a Regency romance novel or TV show. That means that you are in charge of making the character make sense from one action to another, but that you decide how quickly they change their mind or evolve. Behind closed doors or in private, you can be angry, loud, scandalous etc. However, a certain amount of decorum will be needed in public to avoid disrupting the multiple stories. This will not be a larp where an entire room listens to two characters arguing for a long time, but one where multiple people may have similar scenes going on simultaneously. You will play the larp for your own story, but try to weave it in with other people’s stories, rather than completely sacrifice your own narrative to make someone else happy.
Norms: Depending on your character’s generation, gender, general personality, etc. they might or might not fit into the norms assigned to them. That means characters might be encouraged to act differently, behave according to their group’s norms, and change to become more like other people. In general, we will all try to make sure that no character ends up in a situation where they are completely shut out of everything, but it’s important to note that you can make your potential romance or friendships more difficult by the character acting against the norms. We will also brief you on-site so you know how much you can play with the things happening around you.
Honour: Especially for men the virtue of the women in their lives might be worth defending. Similarly, the good name and honour of a family should be defended. Matters of honour can be settled during the larp through conversation, negotiations and monetary transactions, or duels.
Seduction: It is perfectly fine to play a romance where the most intimate thing you do is to have a deep conversation or hold hands. However, it is also perfectly fine to play on themes of lust and seduction. Of course, if found out, the latter has big social consequences, and it may lead to characters being pushed into marriage to preserve honour. If an unmarried woman’s virtue is in question that might also mean it will be difficult for her to marry. A same-sex seduction that has been found out has the potential to become a scandal, but we will try to keep these things within the families of the people involved, and the people who might have observed it happening.
Rejection: It is not possible to decide for another character that they should pursue yours. We hope to provide everyone with several options through romance groups, but we can also not guarantee that your character will end up married. This larp also does not need to end with everyone being engaged, since many can choose to just wait another season and perhaps do something else for the next few months, such as travel, study, or work on their art. This means that you might experience rejection at this larp, at least if you are focused on just one other character to romance. There might however also be several storylines that start with rejection but end with acceptance.
Characters
At the end of June, all participants will receive a pre-written character, but before signups, we will provide you with some family descriptions and a couple of lines about each character so that you can state a preference in your signup form.
The full characters will include:
- A character description and backstory
- Relationships with your family or group
- Aspirations for the Season
- Potential secrets
- A number of pre-written relationships.
Players are expected not to go against their character brief during the larp and to play the relationships assigned to them. This means that if you need something changed in the character you can reach out to the organisers and we will try to find a solution together (this also goes for on-site, though we’d prefer to make alterations before the larp). The characters will be focused on concepts and tropes, not on small details or a complete history of the character.
People will also be cast into a complicated romantic net containing several other people (a romance group) so there should be multiple avenues of play within that group. You are however perfectly allowed to form other connections onsite (which will likely happen naturally), as long as you still play with those you are cast with.
Though some characters will contain proposed outcomes or fates, these are not set in stone and there isn’t a predetermined outcome that you have to reach by the end of the larp. There will also be a number of smaller plots written into some characters, but none that should require a great deal of time to enact during the larp. Instead, most of the plot will be personal and contained within families/groups and romantic groups.
Your off-game gender identity, sexuality or age does not determine which characters you can play. However, to play this larp you must be over 18 years old, and we may group certain off-game age groups together. It won’t affect your character’s age and you can still play in either generation, but is a way to avoid age differences of several decades between players in a romantic setting. Your off-game ethnicity also does not affect what character or family you can play in. The only non-British character at the larp is the prince, who comes from Bohemia but has been partly educated in England.
Gender
Playing a Man
A regency man has a lot of agency and freedom. He can travel, study, visit friends and family, and court eligible women. He can spend time in the gentlemen’s club drinking, gambling, and fraternising with women. However, he is still expected to behave honourably, treating the people around him with respect and care. Being publicly lewd or scandalous will reflect poorly on his family, and trying to seduce young girls may lead to his friendships with other men suffering.
In general, men at this larp will be the ones who are supposed to be active in striking up conversations, who ask women to dance, and who can suggest different activities. However, there will be some women who are also very active in this regard.
Titles and inheritance pass from a father to his oldest son. If there is no oldest son in the family, women can inherit money, but not a title.
Playing a Woman
A Regency woman is supposed to be good at a lot of different things – music, art, embroidery, etc. She is typically not very sporty or physically active and doesn’t take up a lot of space in a room. However, the Regency women at Mayfair will have more agency than at a regular Regency larp. They will be able to go on walks alone, write letters to people, and be the only woman in a group of men without it being an issue. In the women’s tea rooms, it is also possible to gamble, drink more heavily, and relax. Outside of the tea rooms, women are, however, supposed to put on a mask of docile propriety again.
There will be characters that clearly break this norm, but essentially, all characters will have something slightly rebellious in them. However, most are much better at hiding it in public and being discreet.
Gender Non-Conformity
While most of the characters will be adhering to the gender binary as described above, some characters might also fall outside of it, be it because they’re non-binary, trans men, or trans women, or because they don’t want to adhere to the strict rules society has put on their gender. These themes can and will be present at the larp, but not a main theme, and will mostly add to the internal play of characters, or to the play of smaller groups (like the characters’ families, or romance groups).
If you personally feel like you do not want to delve into these themes, e.g. because it might disrupt your own gender euphoria, or hit too close to home, it will be possible to opt out of playing around these storylines and be placed in a different romance group.
In general at this larp however, characters will be cis-gendered by others. If they wear trousers, they are considered a man, and if they wear dresses, they are considered a woman.
Parent Generation vs Young Generation
The parent generation at this larp will consist of two married couples, two widows, and two widowers. In some of these cases, they will be very involved in their children’s future, and in some cases, they will not. However, the most important part of their own experience should be focused on their own experience, rather than facilitating other people’s experiences. Parents are not NPCs but full characters with their own agency and stories. The exception to this is the Dowager Duchess and the Journalist who are played by organisers but will still be part of the romance game for the middle generation.
The parent generation will be written as one romance group, with different options. However, one of the married couples may be in a committed loving relationship and as such rather be spectators and supportive friends to the rest.
The young generation are all in their twenties, and though the order of siblings is important, the actual age is not. They can all get married, and all families are wealthy, as are all the young generation game-changers. No match possible within the young generation would at the beginning of the season cause a scandal. However, due to in-game actions during the larp, it may become a scandal when it’s actually time for proposals and marriages. The young generation are expected to drive their own romance game and not completely rely on the parent generation to do things for them. All young generation characters will be written into one of a few romance groups, where there should be more than one possible outcome for everyone. Marriage is a serious matter, and though there may be romantic notions about it, it is important to remember that the characters are choosing someone to live with for the rest of their lives.
The romance groups will be included in the characters but not be available until then.
Character Blurbs
As previously noted, players will receive full character sheets. To give you an idea of the characters and families we have put together these blurbs and in your signup you will be able to state if you are interested in any characters in particular.
The Deveraux Family
The Deveraux family is highly respected in London and is known for being excellent hosts and company. The widow, Lady Alice, has mostly raised the children on her own after her husband passed away just a few years after her youngest was born. She is a doting mother who wishes to pass on the same happiness to her children as she experienced. Meanwhile Lord Edward, the young viscount, has publicly declared that this season he will see as many of his siblings married as possible, and that he himself wishes to find a bride. It will be a busy season for the household as four young men and three young women all try to find their matches. At the same time, it may finally be time for Lady Alice to have a second chance at marital bliss.
Lady Alice, Dowager Viscountess Hartford: Lady Alice is the perfect mother and cares deeply for the future of her children, but she has also started to feel the strain of being alone. Perhaps now that her children are preparing to marry, she can allow herself a little time to focus on her own happiness?
Lord Edward, Viscount Hartford: The young viscount is a strong-willed man who thinks he knows best for everyone around him. He is also a sore loser who doesn’t like being wrong. Still, he loves his siblings in his own way even if he sometimes struggles to show it.
The Honourable Henry Deveraux: Henry Deveraux is the typical younger son who has struggled to find a purpose in life so far, but is perfectly happy to continue just as he is. He has after all dabbled in the arts, had plenty of discreet affairs, and spent a great deal of time exploring all the joys of London.
The Honourable James Deveraux: James Deveraux is someone who loves learning new things – how mechanisms work, what people are thinking, what great thoughts and science there is out there – and who is easily excited, wowed, or intrigued by the people around him.
The Honourable Elizabeth Deveraux: Elizabeth Deveraux is the perfect young lady. Refined and accomplished and with a sweet naivety and kindness that charms the coldest hearts. During the season she is expected to have a long line of suitors.
The Honourable Mary Deveraux: Mary Deveraux has blossomed in the shadow of her older sister and has been allowed time to perfect the arts. She dreams of a kind, intelligent man that will respect her and cherish her opinions.
The Honourable Richard Deveraux: Richard Deveraux has always competed with his older brothers and that constant need to prove himself has never gone away. He is an accomplished sportsman and looks forward to impressing everyone with his cricket skills during the season, as well as anything else he can compete in.
The Honourable Anne Deveraux: Anne Deveraux does NOT wish to marry, and she’ll happily tell you so as she deliberately breaks etiquette. She vastly prefers the company of her close friends to that of men trying to woo her, unless they actually have something interesting to tell her, that is.
The Whitmore Family
The Whitmore family has recently fallen on hard times. The loss of the late Marchioness of Winchester, Lady Georgina, hit her husband hard and left him unable to adequately run the estate as he grieved. Now, son and father are working hard to return the Whitmore family name to its former glory and splendour. A step in this plan has been to take in a wealthy heiress, Miss Jemima Tilney, as a ward and to introduce her to London society, but perhaps more importantly to connect her closer to the family. As the men scheme, the two daughters are left to their own devices, trying to look to the future.
Lord Alfred, Marquess of Winchester: A man who has just come out of mourning for his wife and is looking for companionship in the future, while making sure the family name remains untarnished. He used to be very amusing company and a much sought after dance partner.
Lady Susannah Whitmore: The oldest child who has professed that she does not need to marry, but that she will see her sister happy. Of course, she decides what man would suit her sister best, and anyone wishing to marry Lady Amelia will first have to get through her thorough scrutiny.
Lord Michael, Earl of Wiltshire: The heir who has had to step up and help run the estate. He is looking for a good prospect to marry, and to bring in a small fortune to the family. At the moment his eyes are firmly fixed on Miss Tilney, but they can perhaps stray.
Lady Amelia Whitmore: The youngest daughter in the family. A sweet and naive girl who is not aware of the financial issues in the family, and trusts her older sister implicitly. She is impressionable and very ready to fall in love with any man who gives her attention.
Miss Jemima Tilney: One of the gamechangers, but also the ward of the Marquess. She never knows if people like her for her personality or for her considerable fortune, but is hoping to find a love match this season. She’s also very grateful to the Whitmore family for taking her in and leading her through the season.
The Allingham Family
The Allingham family easily has the most scandalous reputation of the families present in Mayfair. Lord Alexander and Lady Rebecca throw wild parties and are rumoured to have plenty of affairs. However, they belong to an old prestigious family and are extremely amusing company so London society prefers to still invite them, even if the rumours are flying. This season they are looking to marry off their children, where Lord Matthew has an excellent reputation, contrary to the rest of his family. Lady Tabitha has instead adopted her parents’ ways and is a bit of a wild child. The Marchioness of March is a second cousin to the two children and has been recently widowed after her aged husband passed away. She is now going to see if she will fall for a man of her own age, and decide to relinquish her title.
Lord Alexander, Earl of Coventry: Lord Alexander is frequently talked about and has made many appearances in gossip columns. He’s had multiple affairs, and is an avid sportsman who deeply enjoys his luxury life.
Lady Rebecca, Countess of Coventry: Has just as bad a reputation as her husband and prefers to be seen with the young men she’s currently interested in. She used to be more reserved, but as she aged and had provided the required heir and a daughter, she loosened up.
Lord Matthew, Viscount Deerhurst: Lord Matthew is nothing like his parents. A very serious young man who wishes to create a family of his own that will not in any way be connected to scandal. He expertly navigates the different social scenes though, meaning that he’s very different at the gentlemen’s club and sometimes in private. He’s just good at being discreet.
Lady Tabitha Allingham: Lady Tabitha has never experienced any of the limitations of a typical young regency woman. She has been allowed to run wild and to do what she wants. Now she may need to adapt a little bit to find her match, or she could find someone who accepts her just as she is.
Lady Maria, Marchioness of March (widow): Lady Maria married her significantly older husband five years ago, but is now a widow. She looks forward to experiencing the London season again, and to having all the agency and choice that a widow does. After all, she can choose not to marry if she doesn’t like any of her prospects, and still live extremely comfortably. She is part of the young generation.
The Garner Family
The Garner Family has connections to many noble families, and have a plethora of titles collected among the different branches of the family tree. Lord Nicholas and Lady Emma were a love match when they married and have continued to be so ever since. They make decisions together, and during the season relive their own romantic courtship. Now they hope for the same happiness for their children, their friends, and for their nieces and nephews that will be staying with them during the season. The Garners are a stable and loving family, but that doesn’t mean that emotions can’t run high and that there might be competition if the cousins are interested in the same potential spouses.
Lord Nicholas, Baron of Arlington: Lord Nicholas is proud of the family that he and his family have built together, and the strong partnership in his marriage. He looks forward to supporting his children, nieces, and nephews as they try to find happiness during the season, and enjoying himself while dancing, drinking, and reconnecting with old friends.
Lady Emma, Baroness of Arlington: Lady Emma is respected by her husband and treated as his equal, and she has instilled the same kind of independence in her children. She is an experienced socialite who delights in putting together parties of people, matchmaking, and making friends along the way. She is always on hand for a bit of motherly advice.
The Honourable Andrew Garner: Andrew Garner is very aware of the duty he must fulfill as the heir to the family estate, and however much his parents tell him to marry for love and to go with the flow, he can’t shake the idea that he will need a completely sensible wife, who will be a partner in life, rather than a romantic fling. Perhaps he will be able to find the woman who encompasses both?
The Honourable Emily Garner: Emily Garner is curious about the world and the people in it. She has studied the same academic subjects as her brother and loves to learn new things, and to challenge men to show them that she is not just on their level, but probably smarter than they are. Now she is going to figure out her future during the season, and challenge herself to try to let her emotions rather than her brain steer her.
Lord Stuart, Baron Ossulston: Lord Stuart is a charming young rake who enjoys the company of both men and women. He is fiercely protective of his sister, but otherwise has a very relaxed approach to any scandal or impropriety, so long as it doesn’t affect her. Now the time has come for him to marry in order to continue the family line, but he doubts that he will find a woman that will match his energy.
The Honourable Augusta Garner: Augusta Garner is a perfect young debutante, who matches sweetness of disposition with unexpected wit and humour. Last year she received several offers of marriage but turned them all down because she did not feel prepared to marry. However, this year she believes she’ll be ready.
Sir Algernon Garner (baronet): Sir Algernon has spent several years exploring the world and studying at prestigious universities. However, it is now time for him to find a wife and form a family, or to find an academic pursuit that will last for more than half a year. It’s time for him to finally commit.
Miss Charlotte Garner: Miss Garner has spent her last few years engaged in different charities or women’s clubs and has made a name for herself as a good networker and a determined samaritan. Now, as her brother looks towards marriage she is expected to do the same, but somehow she still seems to mainly seek out the company of other women.
The Gamechangers
The Gamechangers are characters that aren’t part of a large family but are also looking for matches during the season. They will have deeper connections to one of the families to give them a natural connection point with them. Two of them (Miss Jemima Tilney and the Marchioness of March) will be staying with established families, while the rest of the young generation will be living in the gentlemen’s club. The young gamechangers have free reign in the romance game as they are not too closely related to anyone else, but they will mostly not have family play.
Sir Victor Crawford (knighted): Sir Victor Crawford and his cousin have a very close relationship, almost like siblings. He brings her with him everywhere, even to traditional male only places. After having been knighted by the queen he is making full use of that to push the boundaries of what is accepted and proper.
Dame Ellinor Crawford (knighted): Dame Ellinor Crawford is often seen on the arm of her cousin, and has been known to visit gentlemen’s clubs with him and the seedier parts of London. However, as she has been knighted by the queen and is a personal friend of hers she gets away with things that most other young ladies would not.
Her Grace Beatrice, Dowager Duchess of Suffolk (NPC): The Dowager Duchess is a shrewd woman who observes social interactions around her and analyses them. She often knows when a match is starting to form, and when someone is in danger of making a fool of themselves. Now she is in London to marry off her son, and reconnect with her old friends.
His Grace Peter, Duke of Suffolk: The young Duke is aware that he should marry and that he is a very attractive match for many people. However, he seems less keen on it and is very unwillingly participating in this year’s season. Perhaps true love will sway him into marriage though.
His Royal Highness, Prince Otakar of Lobkowicz: The Prince hails from Bohemia but has spent a few years in England studying and has this year been persuaded by his old school friends to join the season. A kind and attentive man, and a perfect gentleman. Who knows, perhaps he might be persuaded to bring an English bride back home?
Mr John Smith – A Journalist (NPC): Mr Smith is a very trustworthy man who knows a lot about the goings-on of society and is invited to all the grand events to cover them for his paper. In his own column, he never hints at any of the scandals but keeps everything proper, a far cry from the gossip section of another publication that instead contains things that only someone present at the event would notice. He is a widower in the parent generation.
Crew Characters
In general, the crew will have a number of different functions during the larp. One task most crew members will have is to act as servants during the morning calling hours, bring breakfast baskets to the houses, and potentially stay to wait for the people living there. In the evening, they will help set up the joint dinner, including carrying tables and chairs and clearing the room afterwards to set up for the dancing. In between that, they can be introduced as NPC characters.
Some options for additional tasks for crew members:
- Being on-site a day early to help with the shopping haul, carrying groceries etc.
- Offering to play music during dancing.
- Playing a priest for any potential marriages during the larp, which means reading a short passage in a small chapel.
- Performing in some way, through singing or something else.
- These are just a handful of options, and you are more than welcome to suggest something else in your form.
It’s good to note that crew characters will change during acts and will not have a cohesive narrative in that way, but rather play a function. Crew members will help the larp run smoothly and be mainly off-game helpers. They will be sharing a large room on the top floor, where the sleeping situation is thick mattresses on the floor.
The kitchen will be in-game and we have two cooks cast for the larp. They will play NPC characters while in the kitchen and may show up as strangers during the larp.