Well we just finished the 6^th Pandoran League and it was in our intention for this event to be the end of the current campaign story arc.

Just 2 weeks ago, the event was cancelled, we had made no props (as bookings were so low we were reluctant to spend any money as we expected to cancel and thus it would cost us). As is often the case bookings came in last minute and after much cajoling we were persuaded to run, it was a simple fact that we would lose less from our own pockets by running than cancelling and losing our deposit on the site (also from our own pocket). The reasons for this are below, and were a result of a promotion on my part and increase responsibility at work for my co-organiser, this meant a lack of time for marketing, planning and the constant chasing LRPers seem to need to part with their money.

So there we were with 2 weeks to make any props we needed. The original event was based around Pandora’s box, a large and elaborate series of puzzles on each face of a large ornate box. That had to be scrapped straight away as we had just two weeks to do everything from props to plot, there was no time for fancy props.

Next day I had a basic plot written and I know Dick was most concerned the event was destined to be a disaster as our intended  plot didn’t work without the elaborate props and puzzles. As if often the case with me, I work better under pressure and next morning I sent a synopsis to Dick, he liked it, so we carried on. We felt very positive about PL from that moment forth.

The plot was effectively a final trap for the “League”, leading them into a series of 5 mini plots all deadly traps in their own right, and the one larger plot linking them all together.  Each plot as is often the case could be triggered by the players (they always do) and could be dismissed and thus ended by the players. Our events tend to be a set them running and watch them unfold type affair, and it always seems to work well. Cause and effect are terms we use a lot, what you do now, effects what happens later.

We would also give them a chance to kill their long term nemesis at the end. It seemed to work beautifully, it was accessible without being too easy, although we did make a conscious decision to simplify our puzzles for this one. It all seemed to work beautifully, the tension was relatively constant, and despite one of the lowest death counts at a PL the fear was definitely up there. Ironically their own actions meant that when they finally met the “big bad” they weren’t in a position to take him out, wasn’t our intention for it to end like that but it worked none the less, and they watched him walk away following a lengthy discussion. You can read the player comments on our own forums, it seems very positive, some even said it was the best event since our Zombie event and on par with the rather well received first event. A good result.

The fact remains though that we made a considerable loss again, once more the funding of the event was from the pockets of Dick and myself, both the werewolves for example were purchased by me, Dick at the moment paid for the van. It’s a simple fact that if we don’t get 20 bookings we make a loss or with our attitude to quality, we end up fronting the cash to avoid presenting something below our own standard. It also can’t be denied that we feel obliged to run now, whereas during the first 3 events it was ran simply for the love and passion we had for it.

However enough is enough really on the loss front, we have to do something about the booking situation and its perfectly clear the reasons for our problem.

1)       The website lovely and praised as it is, doesn’t make it easy to find out how to book or when and where the event is. This was fine when we were always full, now we need new blood a slight change will enchance our bookability but we must not undermine the feel and look of the site.

2)       The DT have busy lives and demanding careers outside of LRP and our time is limited. In the last year this has meant we don’t book or announce events until rather late. This is easily resolved with more planning. Its clear that our go/no-go date needs to be 3 months in advance of the event to allow prop making and plot writing to be completed. We need to decide if our lives allow time that PL needs and deserves to keep it good.

3)       Players tend to pay last minute meaning we have no funds to plan or build props. Often those who have paid nothing at all are the same players who cancel at the last minute, meaning the DT have to find the cash that player would have brought to the pot.
A 3 month date prior to the event and a firm cancellation without 20 bookings will hopefully enforce the need to book early and avoid us paying for it. The quality of the event requires money up front and simply put we aren’t willing to plan half conceived ideas and sell ourselves short but nor are we willing to meet that shortfall in cash any longer.

4)       Marketing could be better, and with more notice, I know we could easily get 20 players to our events. Oddly though get over 25 and the horror starts to lose its edge somewhat, it feels less personal somehow, so its not just about numbers.

They are all solvable problems and simple ones really, but I wont deny it gets harder every event to come up with something new, that fits with our standard, that uses makeup preferably over masks, and that keeps the horror aspect at the forefront. Perhaps running only once a year would give us more time and less pressure. We could cut the food and stop catering but meals and etiquette are part of the Victorian feel for us. Everyone cooking on their camping stoves would change that dynamic too much.

At the moment I’m in two minds, call it a day whilst things are still good or continue to run. If I do run I need that passion back, and to lose that feeling of obligation. Lastly PL VI was the last event we the DT can subsidise and unless the booking situation changes the event will most likely cease to be. We will decide in the next month and inform those loyal players who are so hoping we continue.

--------------------------------------------If the Gods didnt want us to eat people, then why are they made out of meat?Grumf Kikuto - United Tribes of New BantustanSir Nathaniel Holt - The Fallen

This was a re-visit to a previous investigation of the 'Pandoran League' I did like the way that they alluded to this within the game without it becoming heavy handed, consequences wise and all that. The premise was that their nemesis, Dr. Maldicion had invited them to finally show them the meaning of terror.

The plot for the weekend was very intricate, in that we had to solve a number of puzzles relating somewhat to previous events. With a final twist at the end of a monster that they had previously never seen. More of that later. The major puzzle was a number of stones that were scattered around the site that had to be placed in the right order within a stone circle at the right time on Saturday night to open the box that contained 'Hope' (seeing the connection with pandoran league yet?). If we didn't manage to do this, we were well and truly stuffed. The problem was that the stones could only be read by moonlight and only moved in daylight. Hence we had to go out into the dark and scary woods to map them all on Friday night and on Saturday, collect them all in in a specific order so they could be placed again on the saturday night at the alloted time. All the way through this on Saturday during the day, we had to contend with zombie attacks. Which required another puzzle to be solved to stop them. Throughout the day, the zombies metamorphosed from the shambling George Romero Dawn of the dead zombies to the 28 days later variety, running around and inflicting a lot more damage on the poor player party. If that wasn't enough, we had to contend with a chinese vampire that had been released by Dr. Maldicion from a sealed urn that was found at the third outing of the league. Confused yet? I know we were!

Coupled with the fact that Dr. M had seeded his own vampires in the mix who were turning the players into their bitches throughout the weekend and a cook that wasn't all he seemed.

So far Dr. M hadn't turned up to gloat at the players. And as Saturday evening rolled around, it seemed like he wasn't going to show. The real reason for this was that I played that particular NPC and back at PL 5, I had decided that playing looked like too much fun not to get in on the action. The nice thing was that just before sundown on the Saturday, I was given the opportunity to get out of the situation and I took it. Fully expecting to join the NPC crew with random nasties roaming around. I went to speak to the DT and they said it would be great to bring back the league's nemesis to bring that part of the story arc to an end. A highlight for me as I really loved the understated nastiness of Dr. Maldicion. He was the guy that founded the league after all and they followed him only to find that he was harvesting the souls of their fallen comrades.

So, The moon comes up on the party (quite appropriately a full moon) and they tramp off to lay the stones in the appointed place and open the box. Inside the box are six silver bullets (you can see where this is going, can't you?) The big bad for the weekend shows up with his newly found apprentice that he'd turned the previous night. A huge werewolf. Kudos to the DT for this by the way. I know that they prefer make up to masks, but this big bad was a real corker. (I believe the costume is up for sale somewhere else on this site, well worth the money that anyone spends on it, truly a pants wettingly terrifying thing.) The problem was that seeing as they only had 6 silver bullets, they had to entice the werewolves into the circle for them to be weaker and more susceptible to the silver. The thing about monsters in PL is that none of them are stupid. They have thought processes like any other living being. The werewolves knew that the circle made them weaker and tried to stay out of it. I think that pitched battle of wits lasted in excess of an hour and a half, trying to entice them in with bloody cloaks as offerings or a shapely ankle of a female. When they had finally taken the two werewolves down, they returned back to the lodge, only to find that their nemesis had turned up to taunt them. At that point, I was expecting there to be a pitched battle with the vampires, Dr. M and the cook (that wasn't all he seemed to be) on one side and the rest on the other. Little did I know that the werewolf fight had been so draining to the characters and most of them were close to death, they came in and sat down and accepted that I was there to gloat. Slightly off putting as I hadn't planned for this eventuality. I had to think on the spot and waffle at them for a while. I hope that  number of them had come to realise that they had become the monsters. Offing innocents because it fitted with the plan of the moment, Allowing locals to die because they couldn't be bothered to help, etc. It was only at this point that the other NPC's that had been helping them all weekend revealed themselves as Dr. M's allies. The cook (who earlier in the day had given the players the final scroll to translate and read at the ritual of the opening of the box) demanded his payment. He was a demon that had possessed a human host. He demanded a soul in payment. The head of the league (Lord Dashwood) accepted the price and went peacefully with the demon to die. At that point, Dr. M called for an immediate dissolution of the league that he had started. None of the players agreed to this and so he calmly walked outside into the night with his allies. Never to be seen again.

I haven't had so much fun at a game in a very long time. Matt, Richard and Dick go to great lengths to make sure that their games are memorable with stunning attention to detail. They provide meals with the ticket price and more often than not, the games all have indoor sleeping.

There was talk that this may have been the last game for the pandoran league, I for one hope that isn't true. With the dedication that the DT and crew (as well as the players for their attention to costume detail and playing styles) you'd be hard pressed to find a better system within the horror genre.

Mark S.
The Sahdes Leather