Blades in The Dark: The Crow's Legacy is the official larp of Blades in The Dark, the award-winning role-playing game created by John Harper and published by Evil Hat Production.
In the spectacular frame of the italian Gargonza Castle in Tuscany, players will play as the villains and criminal masterminds that animate the streets of Grimrook, engaged in a gory power fight to determine which gang will prevail in the criminal underworld, during the crucial Days of the Crow.
Planning daring heists and infiltrations, engaging in no-holds-barred confrontations and daring escapes, negotiating with the city's most dangerous thugs and fighting to enforce the boundaries of your territory are just some of the situations you'll find yourself in.
Play the game to find out if you and your comrades are tough enough to survive the Days of the Crow and triumph, or if you're destined to disappear into the dim light of eternal twilight.
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WELCOME TO
GRIMROOK
As if they were members of one of the gangs featured in Blades in The Dark, participants play the villains of Grimrook, a small outpost in the shadow of the Empire, lit only by the lights of the electrified towers. In the game, they physically dress their characters' clothes, maintaining the role throughout the duration of the event.
Choose a character, pursue its goals, consume its vices and aim to rise.
FIGHT AND LIVE
IN THE DARK
To remain even more faithful to the typical setting of Blades in The Dark, each day of actual play will be developed only during the twilight and night hours, giving participants time to refresh and rest at sunrise, but including some of the game dynamics, borrowed from the narrative techniques present in Blades in The Dark, which will be developed during the day in synergy with the Staff.
OPEN YOUR EYES:
DISCOVER LARP
It's simpler than you might imagine. You've been playing this game with your friends since childhood. You were the monster hunter, or the creature lurking in the woods. The only limit was your imagination. You don't need to have an acting background, you don't need to have experience in larp, what matters is that you want to get out there, have fun and make the other participants enjoy the game.
Reference
To get you even more into the atmosphere of Blades in The Dark: The Crow's Legacy, there are a few references that might help:
TV SERIES: Peaky Blinders by Steven Knight; Arcane by Christian Linke and Alex Yee; The Wire by David Simon; Spartacus (especially season two) by Steven S. DeKnight and Robert Tapert; Narcos by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro; Carnival Row by René Echevarria, Travis Beacham.
BOOKS: the novels of the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust; the stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser by Fritz Leiber; The Deceptions of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch; The Taste of Vengeance by Joe Abercrombie; Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
VIDEOGAMES: Thief: Shadow of the Thief and sequels by Looking Glass Studios; the Dishonored series by Arkane Studios; Bloodborne by Hidetaka Miyazaki and From Software.
MOVIES: Crimson Peak by Guillermo del Toro; Gangs of New York by Martin Scorsese; Ronin by John Frankenheimer; Heat - The Challenge and Violent Roads by Michael Mann.
SOUNDTRACKS: Furnace Room Lullaby by Neko Case.
SCENARIO
Come rookie, follow me and try to be quiet and good. This is Grimrook newbie and everyone here has a valid reason to stick a knife in your belly or between your shoulder, even if they've never met you in their lives before. Now that the Crow has died, all the sharks in this fucking tank are waiting to share his booty, but unfortunately for them and fortunately for us, it's not as easy as it sounds. There is someone guarding the Legacy and only the gang that proves itself worthy of collecting it will be able to get its hands on it. The Bluecoats have been nervous for days and everyone else is no less. From the top of the governor's palace to the bed of the last of the homeless, everyone in Grimrook knows that these are the Days of the Crow and no one is stupid enough to break the rules.
Blades in The Dark sets the adventures of its criminals in the foggy city of Doskvol, sometimes also known as Duskwall or simply 'Dusk'. It's an industrial city in full development: imagine a world similar to ours during the industrial revolution of the 1800s: there are trains, steamboats, printing presses, unadvanced electrical technology, carriages and the black smog of chimneys smoke. Doskvol is a cross between Venice, London and Prague, crowded with terraced houses and twisted streets crossed by waterways and bridges.
This city refers to a fantasy world: the world of Blades in The Dark is shrouded in perpetual darkness and haunted by specters due to a cataclysm that destroyed the Sun and brought down the Gates of Death thousands of years ago. The cities and outposts of the Empire, of which Grimrook is part of, are surrounded by crackling electrified towers that keep out the vengeful spirits and perverse horrors of the Deathlands. To power these barriers, the titanic metal ships of the Leviathan hunters are sent from Doskvol to the black waters of the Void Sea, where they seek out the demonic creatures to extract their electroplasmic blood.
GRIMROOK
The protagonists of Blades in The Dark: The Crow's Legacy live, or rather try to survive, in Grimrook, a small outpost located several days' journey from the capital city of Doskvol. It's in its twisted, maze-like alleyways that you'll get a taste of a Victorian haunted city, trapped inside electric walls powered by demon blood. For years, the underworld of Grimrook has been dominated by the Crow, Havran Czerny, and the men of his legendary gang: everyone, no one excluded, has had to recognise his criminal genius sooner or later, by hook or by crook, and let his "gentle instructions" become de facto edicts. With elegant grace and ruthless efficiency, Havran Czerny took it upon himself to bring balance to the powers of Grimrook, paying his dues to the Bluecoats, the city's brutal and corrupt security force, so that they wouldn't stick their noses where they didn't belong, and to the governor's men, even going so far as to ingratiate himself with some Imperial envoys. Phrases such as "if you piss in an alley, the Crow will know", or "may the Crow carry you!" have become so common in the slang of Grimrook that they have become popular sayings, even among the common people.
THE THREE DAYS OF THE CROW
As is always the case when an individual wields so much power, his death threw every scoundrel in town into chaos, triggering a series of reactions as disparate as they were violent: from the mad joy of finally being free of the Crow's shackle, to an atavistic terror at what this void at the top would bring with it. Yet they all shared a single, granitic awareness: Grimrook would never be the same again. The city was getting ready, taut as a violin string; the bloodiest gang war in memory was looming on the front line, to be fought over the Crow's Legacy. But once again, even in death, Havran Czerny wanted to put his foot down. Or rather, his claw. Imparting precise instructions to the members of his gang, by now firmly established in positions of prestige and command in the criminal world, he organized the most sumptuous of funeral ceremonies: the Three Days of the Crow.
<<You will send most of the common people away for three days and nights, tell them that repairs need to be made to the perimeter, or whatever you want and find credible, but make the slum district a proper battleground. Rally the gangs, tell them that my inheritance is not something that can be claimed without my approval. It is irrelevant that I am dead. Explain to them the few rules that have been laid down, remind them that those who do not abide by them are not only out of contention, but also out of that thin circle of gentlemen who are allowed to do business in Grimrook. Throw them the clues I have prepared, and stand by as they tear each other apart. At the end of the three days of the Crow, my friends, your voice will decide who is worthy to claim each of my legacies. You can go now. I need to rest.>>
Havran Czerny, the Crow of Grimrook
56th day of Elisar, year 847 of the Imperial Era
And now the moment has finally arrived: tonight begins the Three Days of the Crow. And it is here that your descent into the dark alleys of Grimrook also begins.
ATMOSPHERE
In the dark and cold alleys of Grimrook, under the eyes of the sometimes unaware, sometimes conniving citizens, the everlasting night is animated by the most diverse criminal actions: thefts, blackmail, extortion, bribery, murders, trade of illegal substances, even contacts with unnameable entities.
It is rare for someone in their right mind to choose the life of a criminal, usually it’s the life of a criminal that chooses the unfortunate: day after day, the struggle for survival and for dominance over others tempers and consumes both the flesh and the spirit, so much so that only the strong-willed manage to stay afloat in the dark sea of outlaws. These are the ones who have been willing to come to terms with the harsh law of reality: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
As a criminal, your entire life is dedicated to overpowering others and not being overpowered, and in order to do so you are willing to use any available tool, starting with the most powerful one: being part of a gang of individuals with common goals and aims, ranging from controlling your own street to having a monopoly on the most luxurious goods.
But this is a harsh and dangerous world, which does not spare those who make mistakes: between the constant and looming threat of ghosts and demons to the even more dangerous political intrigues, death always seems to be around the corner. The wisest and most visionary often say, however, that death would only be a release compared to other –terrible things– that could happen.
As if that wasn't enough, now there' s also the Crow's Legacy at stake, the gang leader who until now has kept the other criminal groups under his wing, supervising and guaranteeing everyone their slice of the Grimrook pie. In order to gain control of this frontier town, everyone is expected to do their best with no holds barred.
Now that the hunt is open and the contenders have come forward, behind the confident and self-assured appearances there is the idea that victory is not only not assured, but it is also bloody unlikely.
Will this perhaps bring you down? Will it stop you?
Never, because you were born for this life.
You are the dark and twisted soul of Grimrook.
DISCLAIMER
This game bases part of its experience on the consequences of failure and defeat, yours and that of others. In this event be prepared to screw or be screwed.
TRIGGER WARNING
Be aware that this event deals with sensitive topics such as: gratuitous violence, foul language, abuse, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, discrimination.
HEALTHY COMPETITION, WITHOUT AGONISM
Written and designed to make you feel completely immersed in the grim setting of Blades in The Dark, the goal you must set for yourself in taking part in this larp is to create, along with the other participants, a story that you will want to remember for a long time and with fondness, even though you are aware that you will often clash with each other. It is a story of ambition, successes and failures, struggle and competition: victory in its strict sense is a foreign concept to this kind of activity, where the only loser is the one who puts agonism before a good performance.
DESIGN
The aim of The Crow's Legacy is to translate the themes and dynamics of Blades in the Dark and narrate them through the medium of larp. In order to achieve this goal, we have transposed the mechanics of John Harper's masterpiece and created new tools to recreate the unique atmosphere of Doskvol.
The first thing you need to do, before deciding whether you want to play the Crow's Legacy, is to read carefully the Principles that must guide the actions of all participants and are an essential part of the design of this event:
YOU ARE A SCOUNDREL,
ACT LIKE ONE
You are a prisoner in a dark and brutal world, the electrified towers surrounding the city are the only thing standing between you and certain death. There is no escape, space is limited and there are not enough resources for everyone. In your world there is no room for altruism, good feelings and kindness. Mors tua vita mea.
USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
TO PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER
You are not an ordinary citizen waiting for the end of your miserable existence, you have embarked on the criminal's path to get by any means what you desire or die in the attempt. Throw yourself into adventures, even the most absurd ones, and fall in love with trouble. The consequences (even the seemingly negative ones) are far more interesting than the status quo.
DON'T BE
A SMART-ASS
Our game is largely based on the concept of Fair Play, i.e. you are responsible for monitoring your character own health and stress levels. Other people's play also depends on yours, so it is your responsibility to follow all the game mechanics correctly. It is not your responsibility to judge whether others are doing so.
BE RESPONSIBLE
Through the actions of your character you are a co-author of the event, you make sure to have fun but also and above all to ensure that others have fun. In this event each participant is responsible for maintaining and contributing to the tone, style and themes of the event.
USE STRESS,
RECOVER STRESS
Criminals are not ordinary people, their will to break the system leads them to do exceptional things. This in the game mechanics translates into the use of stress. To perform the most reckless and spectacular actions, to survive the deadly blows, to get out of a tricky situation you need to use stress... DO IT! And when the tension is too high go indulge in your vices and recharge your nerves.
PLAY TO FIND OUT
WHAT HAPPENS
Go with the flow, don't decide beforhand how your character will react to certain events or who your enemies and allies will be. The event may hold innumerable hints and surprises in store for you, so be ready to embrace them and build a story that will surprise everyone... including yourself.
Below is a list of some of the mechanics we decided to use to recreate the feeling of Blades:
LO STRESS
In The Crow's Legacy the characters have a special supply of courage and luck called stress. When they want to push their limits, perform great feats or simply avoid dire consequences they can build up stress. But beware, stress is a limited resource, and once you've accumulated it you'll be at the mercy of events.
THE VICE
Being a criminal is not an easy task, every time a scoundrel puts their life at risk they end up accumulating stress and the only way to release this stress is to satisfy their vice. But vices cost money and to pay for them you are forced to be a criminal. A literal vicious circle. Every character in The Crow's Legacy is tied to a specific vice (from the most common alcoholism or gambling, to rituals full of weirdness or unusual devotions) and where there is demand there is always someone ready to provide the supply... for a fair price. In fact, on the other hand, each gang has a business that deals with the distribution and satisfaction of a specific vice.
TRAUMA AND DEATH
If you're a criminal roaming the streets of Grimrook, it's inevitable that sooner or later you'll find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time and that someone will run over you to get what they want. When a character is defeated in The Crow's Legacy, they most often gain a traumatic condition. Each character can sustain up to 3 traumatic conditions (one mild, one moderate and one severe) before coming face to face with the possibility of dying.
HEAT
Grimrook is a town of prying eyes and invisible witnesses (both among the living and the dead). Whenever a gang acts too loudly or uses 'excessive' methods to get what they want, the echo of their unconventional enterprise leads them to accumulate suspicion. Suspicion is a measure of the extent to which the authorities (however corrupt or conniving with local criminals) are aware of the dangerousness of that group of criminals. Above a certain threshold, suspicion turns them into wanted criminals, and the Bluecoats will be happy to teach a lesson to the gang that is making them look like incompetents.
THE CLOCKS
Clocks are a flexible tool that can be used to keep track of the progress of individual gangs and of the external influences that can interfere with the characters. There are many different types of clocks, the progress of which will be crucial in determining the course of events in The Crow's Legacy.
Some types of clocks are:
Danger Clocks: If there is something that could go really wrong, there is probably a clock ready that marks how close this danger is to manifesting itself. Any action that threatens to make this danger closer will inevitably advance the clock.
Competition Clocks: If two or more gangs are trying to achieve the same goal, each progress towards it will trigger a segment of the competition clock. The first to complete it will be those who reach the goal first.
Faction Clocks: Each gang has a long-term goal they wish to achieve, this clock represents their progress towards it and is triggered whenever something concrete happens to bring them closer to their goal.
Linked Clocks: Whenever one of the other clocks is completed, the consequences can activate a new clock creating a chain of events linked in a double thread to the emerging choices of the players.
THE SUN IS SHATTERED, HERE IS THE SUN!
Those who have walked the ground of Akoros in its tabletop form know that a cataclysm destroyed the sun and the gates of death thousands of years before the stories of the criminals of Duskvol (and Grimrook), unfortunately we do not yet have the technology to turn off the sun during our events but to overcome this problem we have chosen to create an episodic game structure that takes place at night in 10 hour segments from sunset (around 5pm) to late night (around 3am). The late morning to early afternoon will be devoted to workshop or recreational activities.
DOWNLOAD
THE DESIGN DOCUMENT
The design document is the instruction manual of Blades in the Dark: The Crows Legacy and contains the rules and all the details you need to participate. Also, if you want to know more about Grimrook and its inhabitants, the Three Days of the Crow and the gangs that are fighting over the mysterious Legacy of Havran Czerny, you'll find what you're looking for here.
The design document will be available soon >>>
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CHARACTERS:
THE GANGS OF GRIMROOK
THE RAILGUARDS
Living along the electrified rails can sometimes be complex, other times extremely lucrative. In Grimrook, if you want anything to come in from the outside, you have to pass through the eyes of the gang that oversees the operation of the trains. No more or less ruthless than all the other criminals that infest the streets, the Railguards hold on to their monopoly on transport, sometimes making deals with this or that power group, other times blackmailing those who need their services. Over the years, they have shown that they know how to defend their supremacy as much with their fists as with deals.
#Smugglers
AETERNACARNIS
Made up of worshippers of the Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh, few gangs can claim the unity of purpose and brutal efficiency of the Aeternacarnis. The Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh is considered by many to be the State religion, although there is no official recognition of it. The Church’s philosophy honors the material life, the flesh of which the mortal body is composed, deploring and fervently fighting the corrupt spirit world and all entities within it. Often standing in the way of the Aeternacarnis and their indecipherable purposes means regretting your mistake amidst pain and vexation.
#Cults
THE BONE BREAKERS
If violence were an art, the Bone Breakers of Grimrook would certainly be leading exponents. Brutal and unabashed, they use the city's casino as a meeting place to sell their services to the highest bidder. Intimidation, kidnapping and retaliation are their daily bread and yet, although they appear to be devoid of all morals, they adhere to only one rule. If a Bone Breaker gives you their word, rest assured that they will do everything in their power not to break it, even if the sky should fall on their head.
#Bravos
ROSEBUD
There are many types of criminals in Grimrook, and it is often difficult to tell them apart because of their usually rude and sharp manners. A Rosebud affiliate, on the other hand, knows exactly how to go unnoticed as well as how to stand out in a crowd. As elegant as they are deadly, the assassins of this cartel follow a precise code of honor which establishes which contracts they can accept and which they must categorically refuse. If you end up on their list of possible prey, you'd better start praying.
#Assassins
THE RAT CIRCLE
Rats are considered weak and insignificant animals, but everyone in Grimrook knows their importance as a staple food for many. However, rats have the ability to squeeze in anywhere and survive even in the worst conditions, and the members of the Circle seem to be inspired by the qualities of rodents in every way. Owners of the lucrative Smokehouse, they consider themselves to be the best alchemists in and around Grimrook, and that's probably not too far from the truth. If you're looking for an easy fix, they'll be the ones to find you by emerging from the drain of a dirty alleyway far enough away from the Bluecoats' patrols. Capable of sneaking into any place, they can get hold of any loot no matter how well guarded it is. No one admits it publicly, but many rely on their services as both thieves and drug dealers.
#Shadows
THE ORPHANS
Being a foundling is not easy, especially if you are abandoned on the dirty and cold streets of Grimrook. However, if luck smiles on you, someone might take you by the hand and lead you to an unfamiliar place, where you can get a piece of bread and something to cover yourself with. But don't tell anyone about the place, its secrets, and the people who live there. Orphans are everywhere in the city, they have attentive eyes and ears, hidden in makeshift beds and ragged cloaks. Not all beggars are simply disinherited, not all the forgotten are capable in turn of forgetting. The attentive eyes of the Miss, whose name no one knows, watch over her children and something sinister is going on in the basement of her mansion. What are they really working on?
#Cultists
THE NIGHTCRAWLERS
If you're looking for a thrill, walk the filthy streets of Grimrook and you'll find yourself looking for the fighting arena run by the Nightcrawlers. Whether you're a fighter or a mere patron, adrenaline and money are the two things you'll find in abundance within those walls. Street fighters, trainers and bookies are the affiliates of this gang that is supposedly all about creating cheap entertainment for the people of the city. But some say there's more to the Nightcrawlers than that - they might be hired to break the legs of someone who hasn't paid their debts, or for some other morally questionable job.
#Bravos
THE EYE
You can ask anyone in town, even the most experienced criminals in Grimrook, but no one can tell you if "The Eye" really exists, if it's a well-organised group or, as many say, a single, highly skilled spy. What everyone seems to know and fear, however, is that whoever is behind the Eye really does seem to know every single little detail of Grimrook's criminal life. It is very unlikely that these are just coincidences.
#Special
ADMINISTRATION AND BLUE COATS
The established order of Grimrook is no less rotten than the rest of the city. The administration receives generous incentives to favour this or that criminal cartel, and the notorious Bluecoats have their own businesses, which they protect with ferocity and ruthlessness, disguising their violence as necessary repression of the spread of crime in the streets. Corrupt to the core and almost completely indifferent to real public health, they nevertheless strive to maintain a facade of respectability to be used when necessary.
#Special
THE COLD HAND
In the exclusive parlours of the Cold Hand, attended by prominent figures such as aristocrats, intellectuals, but also by simple, arrogant citizens, philosophical questions related to the cycle of life and death are discussed, apparently relegated to the metaphysical sphere. The reality behind this façade is an enlightened inner circle known as the "Purple Elite" who, through a mixture of arcane arts and electroplasmic sciences, aim to master this sinister empiricism and the trade of what belongs to the forbidden world of the dead.
#Hawkers
INFO
ITALIAN RUN
Thursday 24 - Sunday 27 November 2022
INTERNATIONAL RUN
Thursday 1 - Sunday 4 December 2022
Participants will be accommodated at the Gargonza Castle, an exclusively reserved hotel and historical borgo located near Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy.
Convocation is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday. Activities are scheduled to end after lunch on Sunday at 3 p.m. The event is divided into three acts, each from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
WHERE
Gargonza Castle
Monte San Savino (AR)
Tuscany, Italy
Latitude, 43° 20′ 28.9644″ N
(43.341379)
Longitude, 11° 40′ 16.0494″ E (11.671125)
BY CAR
From the Autostrada del Sole (A1). Exit n. 27 Monte San Savino (11 km). Follow the signs to Monte San Savino, continue to Gargonza along the Strada Statale 73 (SS 73) to Siena.
From Arezzo (28km). Highway towards Siena, exit Monte San Savino. Continue to Monte San Savino then to Gargonza along the Strada Statale 73 (SS 73) to Siena.
BY TRAIN
By taxi from Arezzo train station (the journey is 30 km).
BY PLANE
Distances from major airports:
105 km from Florence Peretola, Amerigo Vespucci
175 km from Pisa, Galileo Galilei
TICKETS
The costs of participation, which include accommodation for four days, three nights, six meals and three breakfasts, club membership and contribution to the organization of the event, are as follows:
Standard: 500 € (or in three installments, the first of 100 €, the others of 210 €)
+ 50 € - Supporter Option*
* The Supporting Participant contributes with an extra fee to the costs of organizing the event receiving in return the right of first refusal in the choice of characters.
PAYMENT METHODS
You can pay the ticket in one discounted lump sum or in three installments: the first at the time of registration, the second by June 1, 2022, the third by September 1, 2022.
To participate in Blades in the Dark: The Crow's Legacy you must be a member of the Eryados Cultural Association and be at least sixteen years old.
