Hello Mourners and Travelers! Once again we bring you a content warning post, so you’re out-of- game prepared for all of the quiet horror we’re throwing your way during this November trade!
Dystopia Rising is by nature a horror and survival larp, and while we DO love to shock and scare your characters, we’d never want to do any actual mental or physical harm to our playerbase. Please remember it’s always okay to opt out of a scene and walk away, with no penalties or repercussions for you or your character. Player safety is first and foremost. If you have any questions or concerns after reading this blog, let us know!
Below are the elements to expect from this event.
Hallucinations - The veil is thin this time of year, and thus the Gravemind might effect your character’s mind in strange ways. They may see things that aren't actually there, or even interact with those things.
Fake Drug Use - With the release of the Local Drug Plot Cards, there will be fake drug use and manufacturing seen at this event. We prohibit the use of all actual drugs and alcohol at our events.
Loss of Control - In game mechanics may cause your character to lose control of their actions. We will never force someone into an uncomfortable situation, and if at any time you are uncomfortable, please use the eyes-down mechanic or talk to a Guide.
Torture - NPCs and/or PCs may be subject to fake torture. We will never actually put anyone at risk, and all scenes will be using the OK Check-In system to make sure everyone is having a safe and fun time.
Parasites - Specifically parasites that host in human bodies and cause harm. This includes elements like eggs, creatures growing within the skin, etc.
Psychological Horror - You may encounter psychological aspects such as extreme fear, gaslighting, paranoia, grief, and more. We encourage players to take a moment after intense scenes to decompress so that you can keep enjoying your game without extreme bleed.
Please remember you can always OPT OUT of a scene using ‘Eyes Down’ - placing your hand over your brow and looking down to signal you are leaving a scene for any reason, no questions asked. You may also ask a guide on scene to help find you somewhere to decompress.
We encourage all players to use the OK Check-In system, even when not in an intense scene.
As a reminder, the OK Check-In system works as below:
Player 1 holds the OK hand gesture up to Player 2 (reminder- can be a PC or NPC).
Player 2 has three options:
Thumbs up - “All is good, I’m having a great time.” Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - “I’m not sure.” Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - “I’m not okay/I’m uncomfortable with this scene” - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Based on Player 2’s response, Player 1 should do the following:
Thumbs up - Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Players are not expected to be therapists. We just ask that you show kindness to your fellow player and assist them in finding somewhere safe at the bare minimum. If there is an issue you need assistance with, Kendall is our Player Relations manager.
We will do our best to give content warnings before the modules these warnings pertain to. Please let us know at dystopiarisingmi@gmail.com if you have any questions and concerns.
With all that said, we can’t wait to bring you safe frights on this Silent Night! See you soon!
The residents and travelers of Mourning Glory returned for the October trade, only to find the town overrun by Nemeses. From horrifying clowns to killer slashers, the townsfolk had more than enough to deal with. But Rogue’s Gallery didn’t think so, and re-introduced their Death Games. The prizes were items important to the town’s local factions, and thus were very valuable to the right people. Rogue’s Gallery was “kind” though, and gave each participant a ticket that could be exchanged for clues, help, or even a life.
Friday night started off with a mystery- the kidnapping of Vic Ford! After leading blue bands into town, Vic and Mustang Ford were ambushed on the way home. Vic was Kidnapped, and Mustang led folks out to a Plot Hole- the entrance to a tunnel system used by Rogue’s Gallery. Unfortunately, exploring the tunnels proved too difficult, and the town had to retreat to think of another way to save Vic.
Later there were sightings of some creepy zed- Mannequins. Headless and silent, they only moved when their target looked away. Luckily folks were able to fend them off, but they persisted through the weekend. Then the first Death Games occurred- leading to violent deaths. More explosive deaths were threatened by the emergence of the Bomb Collar, a device created by Rogue Prime himself. The collar could be set off by Nemesi with a detonator, or as some found, by pulling their own collar’s chain.
During Friday night, the locals held a Graverobber meeting to discuss the urgency of the Dead Zones, during which they met Cancer and Canaan, representatives from the Zodiac Collective and the Arbiters of Aeternum respectively.
Saturday the local Darwinists established a radiation sink as a place to dispose of Dominion irradiated material, and doubled as their place of the local Darwin’s place of worship. The Nemesis games ran on, leading to death after death. Some in the town agreed to play along, while others wanted to fight back. A clue about a final confrontation was given, and the town quickly started preparations for this last deadly game.
Meanwhile, a man came into town begging for help. He claimed to have been on the run from a strange horde of zed for days, and was afflicted by a peculiar condition that caused him to drip and vomit black ichor. Unfortunately, when he was brought in for treatment, he suddenly turned into a zed that, while not strong, was extremely difficult to permanently put down. Other similarly affected victims and zed continued to appear and present dangers to the town.
After many games and Nemesis attacks, finally, the Rogue’s Gallery showdown occurred. The town met the group of anarchists on the edge of town, where they gave them a simple choice: unarm the detonators that would set off all the bomb collars, or fight the entire Rogue’s Gallery to save Vic Ford. The town quickly went to work disarming the detonators, but a few came back to bargain with Rogue Prime for Vic’s life. By turning in 10 tickets, the townsfolk was able to save their capitalist friend while sparing the life of those collared. The town was once again peaceful- or as much as a wasteland town could be.
Sunday ruined this peacefulness with the discovery that Daisy the bear was still being attacked viciously by an unknown menace. Said menace was sighted for the first time off in the woods- a creature with many eyes and glowing green claws. The town aims to hunt the creature so Daisy can finally hibernate in peace for the winter.
Now that the Nemeses are gone, what will winter bring?
Even though winter is fast approaching, the Cult of the Silent tend to don muted floral crowns in celebration of Silent Night. We wanted to give you a chance to make your own, so you can join the festivities in style!
You'll need -
Assorted fake flowers of your choice
Floral wire (you can use a thinner version or thicker "branch like" wire)
Floral tape
Hot glue
Measuring tape
Wire cutting tool
Separate individual flower stems from larger stems. Arrange stems into little bunches, making sure to evenly distribute different flower colors/types. Set aside several extra flowers as filler for later.
Using floral tape, wrap the stems in each bunch together. Try not to bunch all the flowers perfectly at the top to ensure your end product is nicely spaced.
Measure the circumference around where you'd like the crown to sit on your head. Cut a piece of floral wire slightly larger that what you measured (the flowers will add bulk). Link each end of the wire to one another by bending the tip of each side inward. You'll be left with a circle.
Beginning with the place your floral wire links together, being spiraling taping around the wire. Smooth the tape with your finger as you go.
While spiraling the floral wire with your tape, evenly work in your floral bunches. Use the flowers you set aside earlier to fill any gaps. Hot glue may be used to help secure stubborn floral bunches/stems.
Thank you to Rachael Crain for creating this tutorial.
Silent Night is a holy day for followers of the Cult of the Silent. It occurs in November, near Autumn’s last dying gasp– one last celebration and send-off before the people of the Lakesea Region bunker down through the harshest months of Wynter.
True to the nature of the Silent, most traditions associated with the holiday are respectfully low-volume. It is a time to come together, contemplate the losses of the past, and comfort each other about the future. The customary phrase to wish someone well for this season is “Silent be your night.”
As any creature winds down to rest, some last-ditch restless instincts can kick in. The Mortis Amaranthine is no different in that respect. In response to the decreasing temperature, it reacts in a self-preservation reflex, and an increase in psionic activity occurs. This activity can result in all manner of strange, morgue-like phenomena becoming more frequent in the living world.
The Silent call this a “thinning of the veil,” and believe it is the Gravemind drawing close to bid this world goodnight. Many see this as an appropriate time to reach out and remember those who have already gone on to the peaceful Nothing that the Silent believe awaits after death.
One tradition associated with the holiday is a “Herding of the Echoes” – an attempt to lead as many Echoes as possible to a secure location so that they can be locked safely away during the Great Freeze. Participants in this tradition are given psionic lanterns and noisemakers covered in bells, then sent off to attract and guide as many Echoes as possible back down into the tunnels from which they came.
The Silent also tell their children stories of an especially powerful Echo, known as the Voiceless Warden, who comes out at midnight to make sure that the Herding was successful, and that no further disturbances to Wynter’s Silence remain. Though it is as blind as any Echo, it is said that the mere sight of the Warden is enough to cause severe pain. As such, all Silent spend that midnight period obediently hidden away, to avoid drawing its wrath.
During the Great Freeze, even the Gravemind must slumber to survive. The Silent believe that to accompany and watch over her during those months is a position of great honor– that those who sleep by her side will awaken with special insight once the world thaws.
Each year, a select few are chosen to be part of the “Grave Guard.” Each person is chosen for a different virtue of their character– strength, intelligence, and compassion. These virtues are proven through three corresponding Gauntlet Trials. The victors of these trials, if willing, will undergo a procedure to slow their bodily processes to a near-hibernative state– and then be anointed to the Guard during a final farewell ceremony – a ‘burial’ into the morgue.
Thank you to Kristen Lambert for writing this post.
One of our favorite things is bringing our players dangerous, multi-faceted, and overall fun Non-Player Characters (NPCs). And we could not do this without those on their NPC shift! Sometimes, it can be hard to express the expectations of NPCing between mods going out. Thus, we want to bring you a blog post that outlines the best practices for NPCing at Dystopia Rising: Michigan, so that both players and NPCs can have a blast.
Non-Player Character (NPC)/Extra: At DRMI, we have a saying-- 'NPCs are also people.' Every Lineage you encounter presumably has a name, life, family, motivations, and should present a moral consequence if killed. That said, as NPCs, their role is limited to the scope of engagements written by staff. This means that sometimes, their agency becomes secondary to the need to provide players with an enriching and satisfying experience.
Player Character (PC)/Lead Character (LC): These characters are used by standard participants for the majority of their engagement with a game. These are characters that players portray with full agency over the character’s decision-making process within the guidelines of community, shared story, and genre. A player’s ability to have 100% agency over their character shifts to a shared agency once a character engages other participants. This is the nature of shared storytelling, where all involved (staff and participants) share the authority over scenes engaging participants within the framework of genre, safe community.
Guide: A Guide for a Dystopia Rising event is any employee or team member at an event who is able to assist you by answering questions, addressing problems, or making the experience of an event more enjoyable. Between events, branches have employees and owners who will take care of your needs. Regardless of an employee or team member’s level of involvement with the branch, all individuals tasked to help players are called Guides at an event. This ensures that all team members are treated equally and helps remove hierarchical community structures.
Module/Mod: A scene sent out by the Ops guide, whether a written scene, or a roaming threat.
Melee Damage: Any damage done by a melee weapon- a Standard, Small, Two-Handed, Unarmed, or Florentine weapon- does base 2 damage.
Projectile Damage: Any damage done by a projectile weapon- a Firearm, Bow, or Thrown weapon- does base 5 damage.
Loot: Cards and items PCs may search you for. PCs must take 30 seconds to search, and must ask for permission to physically touch you if they want to. You are allowed to say no, and they will pantomime the action.
Out-of-Game/Wind: When you are walking to a mod, or respawning, you should put a hand on your head to represent that you are invisible. PCs may also call you the wind, or say it’s windy when you pass by to let others know there is nothing there.
Rhino Hide: When a NPC or PC takes many more hits than the Body and Armor they have, seemingly giving them a “thick hide”. This is frowned upon, as it is cheating.
Play for a story, not to win: When you are a threat, such as a Zed or Raider, you are there to give the Player Characters (PCs) something to rally against. Be challenging, give them a fun fight- but if they defeat you, let them. This isn’t to say your NPC can never strike a killing blow, if told to you by a Guide. But we ask you don’t Rhino Hide, overuse skills given to your threat, and generally read the room on how the PCs are feeling.
Hush, hush: When leaving Ops to NPC, please stay quiet and listen to the directions your Rules Guide gives you. It can be very distracting for a PC to hear someone that is supposed to be “invisible” talking about out-of-game things. If you must communicate, please do so in low, hushed tones. While walking from one place to another, try to stay out of sight or in the shadows. Not only is this less distracting for PCs, but if they don’t notice you in the first place, you could give them quite the surprise!
If your NPC perishes, as some are meant to, use the Out-of-Game symbol and quietly return to your Guide to see what they want you to do. Try to stay out of the way of combat when doing so, for your safety and others!
Don't use all of your skills on one person: It may be tempting to use all of your NPC’s cool skills on one person to take them down, but we promise it's much more fun if you spread the love. If you’ve used a skill, such as Break, on a PC, use the next skill on another PC nearby. Taking three Breaks in a row can be downer, especially for newer players, and others may want to face the challenge. So turn around and share that horror with the PC behind you too!
Going down in combat: When four people are on you in combat, it can be hard to know when to go down. The best rule of thumb is: if you’re not sure, it’s okay to go down early. Otherwise, there are tricks to help you count damage taken! First off, count upward- two, four, six, eight, etc. If counting in twos is difficult while in the moment, halve the damage you can take and count in ones. So 30 Body halved is 15- now just count up by one for every melee strike, and round up to 3 when shot. Still tough to remember? Why not break it down into strikes you can take. If you have 30 Body, you can get hit 15 times by a melee weapon, or 6 times by a Projectile. Just count as the strikes come.
Once you’ve taken the appropriate amount of damage, you are in Bleed Out. Safely move out of combat, so that you don’t get tripped on or injured, but wait until PCs perform a Killing Blow to die. Growl and yell at them until they Killing Blow your NPC- you’re only in Bleed Out and can still give them a show. When they finally end your NPCs short existence, give them a cool death. They just worked their butts off to kill your NPC!
Finally, don’t forget to let PCs loot you. Even if you don’t have loot, they can take the opportunity to check your NPC out and search. They must ask for permission for physical contact if they want to touch you- and you have every right to say no. Otherwise, they may just pantomime searching for 30 seconds to see if you have anything on you- or ask the Guide some questions if you’re particularly interesting.
Not full speed ahead: If you are assigned a threat that runs, such as a Burster Zed, we ask that you don’t full sprint at PCs. You should run at them at a safe speed, still screaming and being terrifying, and before you get to them, pull off to the right or left. This is for safety, so you don’t end up running directly into them and injuring yourself or the PC. The last thing we want is real world injuries to happen and for someone’s game to end early.
Pronouns and you: When referencing an NPC, even if they are a Zed, Raider, or Critter, you should never use “it” or “its”. We ask that you use they/them as a neutral pronoun. Not only do we have LGBTQ+ players that have been called it or its as a negative term, using they/them pronouns reminds us that our NPCs are actual people, and we should always show respect and be kind to other players.
Zed intelligence: Zed have one thing on their mind: food. Zed don’t use tactics or move intelligently, and most shamble slowly unless otherwise stated. There are exceptions to these rules, such as Predatory Zed- but even they are just opportunistic, efficient hunters, looking for their next meal. Zed’s power comes in the amount of waves in which they hit survivors, slowly wearing them down. While they are ravenous, dangerous killing machines, they should not tactfully zipping in and out of combat.
Zed Brawlers: When fighting, Zed use their hands, which are represented by Brawler boffers. These boffers are not weapons themselves, but extensions of the hands- just like for PCs using the Unarmed skill. So when the boffers are hit, the Zed NPC takes damage as if they were hit on the body unless otherwise noted. This is important to note, as PCs may try to hit Zed brawlers to do damage. Please pay attention to this and count that damage- your Zed probably doesn’t have iron hands.
Zed don't block: When playing a Zed, you most likely will be swinging as if you don’t have a brain- because Zed really don’t. Thus, Zed also don’t have combat tactics like blocking. Let folks hit you, it’s more fun that way!
Growl, don’t talk: While more intelligent than Zed, most Raiders cannot communicate with Strains. They make growling noises, roar, and chant in their own language, but only Thrill Kill Raiders are capable of convincingly mimicking Strain speech.
Salvage cards and what to do if you don't have any: Raiders are supposed to be handed Salvage cards in case they are looted. These represent their extremely rudimentary weapons and armor. If you find your mod went out without Salvage cards, just tell the player that searched you to find a Guide. The Guide will return to Ops to take care of any loot that needs to be handed out after the mod is finished.
Our final point is very important. Whether you are a PC or an NPC, show respect to your fellow players. NPCs are there to build stories for PCs, but they should be having just as much fun and feel safe out of game, even if your PC is hunting them down in game. At the end of the day, we are all here to tell memorable stories and have a great time. So get out there and give someone a story!
The settlement of Mourning Glory was a hotspot of activity thanks to Motor City Mayhem- a gauntlet of races and showmanship hosted by the Fords. Many showed up in souped up rides- or built them on the fly to prepare for the race. Unfortunately tires were not the only thing gaining speed as the weekend went on.
Friday night, Minister-General No.Vi was seen carrying in another familiar face- Little Shit Lord, or LSL for short. LSL was not looking too good, the fact of this made clear by No.Vi, who turned out to be her mother. Before anyone could help, LSL’s chest was ripped open and a small, gore covered worm slithered its way out. It was too late to save LSL, and this realization caused the Minister-General to murder citizen Bando McLane and greviously injure others. Luckily, she was talked down by traveler Candy Hearts and local Cass Avenue before more damage could be done, and she left to wait for her daughter in the morgue.
Later that night, the Dominion, led by engineer Arc, attacked and infected people with Parasitic Cryptosis- which seemed to be the same unusually fast-moving condition that had killed LSL. With only hours to save each victim, the race to find a cure quickly began, with folks colloquially calling it the “Bad Wiggler.” A sighting was made of a quadrupedal creature, thought to have killed a poor DJ. Those with Animal Lore realized it was a man-made being, and its head was taken back to be researched. Before much progress could be made, the head disintegrated and left more questions than answers.
Saturday brought the races, and the first event- a bloody Tri-race-athlon- was won by local DJ Rivet. With great sadness, racer Vinx perished during the trial, but came back from the Gravemind determined to finish the races. The second event was the Pitstop Punch-a-Thon, won by a punchy Copper. The Stunt Spectacular made up the third event, and the prize went to Rivet once again. The final two events- the dangerous Obstacle Course race and the sneaky Dusk Dread race- were both won by local DJ Johnny Fairplay, making him the overall winner of the races.
The Dominion weren’t too keen on letting the races go on so smoothly though. During the day, a group of Dominion soldiers once again attacked the town, slaying folks in the process and using Raiders to infect others with more parasites. On top of that, packs of the strange dog-like creatures would attack alongside worms, seemingly trying to infect more people. A conflict with Arc resulted in his capture and interrogation, at which point he revealed that the Dominion’s current greatest threat against the town was “Specimen 31” and its “fully matured” form.
Research continued, with much gore and screaming, and a very well composed chalkboard theory by GODMONEY. Finally, the researchers realized that using enough poison to kill a Strain, and then bringing them back from bleedout, would kill the developing worm inside— as long as it wasn’t “old” enough to fight the toxins off. The new procedure was performed on the infected as their clocks ticked closer to death, and many were saved. What wasn’t so great was the large creature, bigger than the “dogs”, that suddenly burst into town, using psionic compulsion to force people to do its bidding. It seemed like the fully adult version of the worms, and townsfolk rallied to take it and its companions down.
While racers revved their engines and parasites exploded out of people, a Dead Zone was discovered by local doctors. Stepping into it caused a downsurge of one Infection- a deadly price to pay. When enough information was collected, a plan was enacted to heal cancerous gravemind growths that had appeared in the area. Radioactive zed and Geminis attacked, and the town had to hold them off while others worked their medicine. They were successful in removing the root cause of the contagion, and slowing the Dead Zone’s progress. But it seems the problems will still persist so long as the Dominion continues polluting our home.
Now let’s talk about the clowns! Saturday night, a birthday party was held for Junior, Moxie and Jay’s little boy! There was a cake, decorations, and even a pinata! Nevermind that the pinata was a person. Those in Mourning Glory were not a fan of this, and quickly set out to crash the party. They were not able to save the pinata, who was murdered by Junior himself, and the festivities swiftly went sour. Luckily, a few folks were able to smooth things over with the Rogue’s Gallery members before they left… though we’ll see this trade if that carries over.
Finally, Allegro Ford and Lord Executioner Essex Anastasia of Requiem appeared Sunday morning to announce a new trade agreement between Mourning Glory, Requiem, and Bravado. Townsfolk and travelers signed the agreement as witnesses, and a new era of trade has begun between the three towns. Let’s hope this chaotic settlement doesn’t blow it up.
Hello Mourners and Travelers! Once again we bring you a content warning post, so you’re out-of- game prepared for all of the fear and horror we’re throwing your way during this October trade!
Dystopia Rising is by nature a horror and survival larp, and while we DO love to shock and scare your characters, we’d never want to do any actual mental or physical harm to our playerbase Please remember it’s always okay to opt out of a scene and walk away, with no penalties or repercussions for you or your character. Player safety is first and foremost. If you have any questions or concerns after reading this blog, let us know!
Below are the elements to expect from this event.
Clowns - There is a faction of Nemesis, some of which use clown makeup and costumes. They will be highly present during this event.
CVC Scenarios - During this trade, there will be games that may force your character to cause harm to other characters. We always encourage the use of CVC check-ins during these points to make sure everyone is having a good time, and you are able to opt-out if you ever become uncomfortable.
Self Harm - The games mentioned above may force characters to harm themselves as well. We realize that players could be triggered by this, and would never want to make anyone feel unsafe. If you are uncomfortable with this aspect, you are of course able to opt-out of the scene, and we will announce when scenes may include this.
Psychological Horror - This event is about horrific games and how far a character is willing to push themselves, even breaking themselves in the process. You may encounter psychological aspects such as extreme fear, gaslighting, paranoia, grief, and more. We encourage players to take a moment after intense scenes to decompress so that you can keep enjoying your game without extreme bleed.
Cannibalism - Other than our Gorger friends, there is a module that includes themes of cannibalism, and may have PCs unknowingly partaking in it. We will warn out of game when this module is happening, so those who do not want to participate can avoid it.
Torture - NPCs and/or PCs may be subject to fake torture. We will never actually put anyone at risk, and all scenes will be using the OK Check-In system to make sure everyone is having a safe and fun time.
Parasites - Specifically parasites that host in human bodies and cause harm. This includes elements like eggs, creatures growing within the skin, etc.
Jumpscares - It’s Halloween! With so many Nemesis, you may encounter a jumpscare. If you have a medical condition that may be affected by this, please let us know at dystopiarisingmi@gmail.com.
Entrapment - Your characters may be tricked into committing a crime or horrible act. We would never have a player commit a real world crime or dangerous act, and we encourage players to use the check-in system if they are concerned. This also means your character being physically trapped in a room or space. If you have claustrophobia or any other concern about this, feel free to let a guide know. We want you to feel safe!
Potential Sucide - Your characters may harm themselves to the point of death. There will also be a roulette like game that could kill your characters. Please remember if a scene becomes too intense, you may always eyes down and opt out.
Please remember you can always OPT OUT of a scene using ‘Eyes Down’ - placing your hand over your brow and looking down to signal you are leaving a scene for any reason, no questions asked. You may also ask a guide on scene to help find you somewhere to decompress.
We encourage all players to use the OK Check-In system, even when not in an intense scene.
As a reminder, the OK Check-In system works as below:
Player 1 holds the OK hand gesture up to Player 2 (reminder- can be a PC or NPC).
Player 2 has three options:
Thumbs up - “All is good, I’m having a great time.” Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - “I’m not sure.” Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - “I’m not okay/I’m uncomfortable with this scene” - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Based on Player 2’s response, Player 1 should do the following:
Thumbs up - Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Players are not expected to be therapists. We just ask that you show kindness to your fellow player and assist them in finding somewhere safe at the bare minimum. If there is an issue you need assistance with, Kendall is our Player Relations manager.
We will do our best to give content warnings before the modules these warnings pertain to. Please let us know at dystopiarisingmi@gmail.com if you have any questions and concerns.
With all that said, we can’t wait to bring you safe frights and terror this event! See you soon!
Echo Zed attack an injured Silent Cultist
So, you’re new around these parts or just don’t mess with the Grave Mind much. But maybe you’ve been hearing these terms like “Grave Attuned” and “Morgue”-- even “Dead Zone” if you were at our September 2022 event-- and you want to know more. Well, we’re bringing you a kickstart guide to the Grave Mind and all about its little mushroom hold on our character’s lives.
The Mortis Amaranthine is a species of fungus which has become an omnipresent force within the world of Dystopia Rising. Engineered long ago, its release and spread played a key role in the Fall of humanity– and the subsequent rise of the Strains our characters belong to in their current day.
Particles of fungal Infection exist symbiotically within almost everything on post-Fall Earth– creating a vast network across the entire globe. When a character dies, their biomass is rapidly decomposed, causing their body to ‘sink’ into the ground and be absorbed as food for the local Mortis. After a period of time– hours, days, perhaps even years– it may finish processing this person, reconstruct them, and spit them back out, granting them another chance at life. However, unless protected by outside means (such as the work of a Lifebinder), some of the deceased’s sense of body and self will be eroded away. This fractures the mind, and brings their bodies one step closer to final Undeath.
A dangerous medical procedure attracts Undead
While the Mortis is often colloquially referred to as the “Gravemind,” in fact those are two slightly different things– one physical, the other psychological. Though concentrations of gross, meaty, fungal material do exist underground, the Gravemind is not a place we can visit. Nor is it a sentient or malevolent being, no matter how convincing and/or traumatizing our experiences inside it can seem.
Rather, a ‘Gravemind scene’ is a vivid hallucination experienced during the process of death and reconstruction. Anything you encounter there, any tactic it employs to convince you to stay and be consumed, is actually just a reflection of your own psyche, as well as the psychological imprints left behind by those who have previously died. When it comes to the Mortis, “you are what you eat” really is true!
The mines lead to Mourning Glory’s Morgue
A “Morgue” is a place where the Amaranthine fungus is at its highest concentration. Often, these develop naturally near population centers, and serve as the spot where the dead can reliably be expected to reappear once they’ve gone through their Gravemind ordeal. Studying and interacting with the Mortis is also easiest here, making it a useful location for grave dives and other procedures. As the Mortis itself is a deeply psionic creature, strange hallucinations and phenomena may occur the closer one is to a Morgue space.
Without a local Morgue, people can still respawn after death– though there are some dangers involved. Emerging at random locations can be hazardous, and an unhealthy Mortis may be more likely to mess something up when reconstructing a Strain. You wouldn’t want to come out without your lungs, or with your arms stuck on backwards!
A horde of irradiated zed attack
Though horrific, zed are simply a mobile extension of the Mortis– serving as its food collectors and as its “immune response” to perceived threats. They respond blindly to its primitive directives as a collective hive mind, and their bodies and abilities are always evolving, locked in a perpetual “arms race” to see which tactics are the most effective at ending Strain lives.
Unless a Last Dance medical procedure is performed, all Strains will lose themselves and become a zed at the end of their final life. There is no in-universe way to be 100% certain how much Infection a character has remaining, though it is common to see dark green discoloration of the veins when a character is on their last. This is called “green veining.”
A simple mushroom? Or part of the Mortis Amaranthine?
Understandably, some characters may see the relationship with the Gravemind as an antagonistic one. After all, it’s the thing that sends zombies out to kill us. It’s the thing that uses our worst fears against us when we die, in the hope that we don’t fight our way back to life. It’s scary, and people often hate the things they can’t defeat or understand.
However, the truth is that Strain bodies are so deeply entwined with the Infection that it is impossible to separate the two. Where the Mortis does not exist, we cannot either– traveling too far into the atmosphere, for example, would result in sudden disintegration as our molecules fall apart. And things that die disconnected from the Mortis… well, they never come back. Period.
The key word, then, is balance. Just as an environment suffers if there are too many predators in the food chain, the Mortis actually benefits from keeping a sustainable population of Strains alive. If we were ever to go completely extinct, it would have nothing left to eat! And as much as it sucks to deal with zed– the more we mess with its health, the more prone we are to experiencing diseases, unusual hordes, and other hardships.
All that said– if your character still wants to spit in the mushroom’s face and stick a bomb in the Morgue, go for it! Just know what you’re getting into, and expect some consequences. <3
Special thanks to Kristen Lambert for writing assistance.
So, with the October event approaching and so many new faces in town, some of you might be asking– what the heck is “Nemesis month?” And what, for that matter, is a “Nemesis?”
Put simply, the Nemesi are a controversial subsect of the Telling Visionist faith. Whether or not they’re officially considered heretics has been debated hotly over time– but regardless, the theme of the sect has largely stayed the same. Nemesi are TVs who dedicate themselves to villainous scripts, out of the belief that antagonists are a necessary part of progressing the ‘story’ as a whole.
Both NPCs and PCs can be Nemesi (though acting as a Nemesi PC may involve CVC.) Some TVs even consider it a tradition to switch over to a villainous script during October, the holiest month for horror and frights.
A few common types of Nemesis have become pretty notorious across the wastes (and for good reason!) Some– taking after the slasher villains of old– are simply strong, dangerous killers. Others adopt their roles with the explicit goal of pushing someone into becoming their ‘heroic’ counterpart. But in truth, just like any other person, Nemesi can have all kinds of agendas and goals. Some punish evildoers, “encouraging” them to mend their wicked ways. Others compete with fellow nemeses to see who can be the scariest TV on the block— without actually killing anyone! And still others might have their own messages they’re trying to convey.
This brings us to Mourning Glory’s local faction of NPC Nemesi, the Rogue’s Gallery.
You’ve probably encountered (or heard about) some pesky clowns who’ve been causing minor mischief in town. But Moxie and Mr. Jay are just two members of a much larger Main Cast, with much larger ambitions being planned backstage. Hopefully, you’ll get to meet some of the other members this month!
Led by an enigmatic Lascarian named Rogue Prime, the Gallery is a fanatical, anarchist group of Nemesi with scripts based loosely on the Batman canon. They fancy themselves at war against the ruling class– or as they call them, the “Owls.” Their tactics may seem vicious and manipulative– because they are– but it’s rarely without some hidden truth or lesson to be learned.
More than anything, the Gallery wants the townsfolk of Mourning Glory to rise up and take action against elitist figures of authority like the Fords. The trouble with these TVs, however, is that they can’t just be straightforward and ask. Everything has to be veiled in theatrics and trickery, which may not earn them much love among the people they’re trying to liberate. Still, they’re surprisingly successful at recruiting converts from among the area’s more downtrodden populace– those with good reason to radicalize.
During the April 2020 Online Event, “Fox Hunt”, Rogue’s Gallery absconded with powerful Faith artifacts from across the Midwastes. After transforming the Fox Theatre into a booby-trapped labyrinth, they invited PCs to come participate in a gauntlet of sick death games, with these artifacts as the prize. In the end, it was a lesson on the nature of faith and greed– the dark lengths people are willing to go to, so long as something prestigious and powerful is promised at the finish line.
During the grand finale, players were forced to choose between several NPCs to sacrifice, and players chose to hand over Mustang Ford– exactly as the Gallery had planned. Mustang was later released to safety, but only after months of torture and degredation at his captors’ hands.
Interested in reading more about our local factions? You can check them out on our Faction Page!
Hey there Mourners! As most of you know, Michigan can get COLD. Our community at DR:MI came together to give you some tips and tricks on cold weather larping so you can stay warm and keep having fun.
C-O-L-D
C- Clean. If you are clean and your clothes are clean (particularly your under layers) you are warm.
O- Overheating. If you are overheating it means you're sweating. It means you are no longer clean and your clothes are no longer clean. You will get cold.
L- Layers. If you're cold, put on extra layers whether it's underneath or overtop of your costume. Adjust to comfort. Try not to put too much on or else you'll go back to Overheating
D- Dry. If your clothes are wet, it doesn't matter how many layers you have on. You will remain cold. Make sure to change out your layers for clean clothes.
You can NEVER have too many socks. Wool socks in particular will keep your feet warm. Costco, REI, and Amazon have a great selection with different price points.
Buy a pack of cheap knit gloves. Change them out if they get wet from rain, snow, or sweat.
Make a warm shawl. Go to a craft store and buy 1.5 yards of fleece in a basic color. Wrap around your shoulders and head. Rub some dirt on it and its genre, and for under $20.
Many stores like Costco and Joanns will also have blanket shawls this time of year, or go to thrift stores for low price blankets and sheets to make into shawls.
A hat of some kind is also important, especially if there’s snow or a cold rain. It will keep your body heat from escaping through your head, keeping you warm.
Getting hand/foot warmer packets. You can usually get a whole pack from Walmart or a local outdoors store.
Another reason to wear thermals under your kit: if you sweat a lot, you can change them out. Sweat will make you cold (see COLD acronym), and this way you usually don't have to change your entire outfit to get warm.
We love genre’d clothing, but your health is more important. Make sure you have good shoes. Make sure you have multiple sets of under layers and don't be afraid to head to the dorms for 10 mins to switch socks or underclothes as needed.
Try layering by the following
Thermal: Under Armor/similar
Fluffy: An insulator, a la thrifted cashmere. Under Armor alone can only go so far.
Wind: Wind is the second ultimate chiller. If the wet don't get you, the wind will.
Wet: rain is doom. If you are wet you will never be warm. Often things that are wind-breakers are also wet-stoppers, but make sure you have both.
Genre: Fancy on top, if you can. If not, do all the others first.
Special thanks to Brent Cleal, Fox Kaye, Heather Jean, Bradley Bowling, and Bret Hook for their contributions!
After ousting the Dominion in June and blowing up the Observatory-- and thus the local morgue-- the townsfolk of Mourning Glory returned to rebuild the town. The trade started off with a bang when the Dominion showed up to intimidate and harass the settlement, claiming it was still their territory. Locals and travelers alike banded together to chase them off, and so started the weekend.
The main focus of the trade was to find Morgue Materials for a successful Morgue Sink- a process that creates a new Morgue, so those who’ve died have somewhere to return after being processed through the Mortis Amaranthine. Various obstacles stood in the way, including an epic ride fight against Raiders, an irradiated lab full of Glow Boys, multiple attacks by the Dominion with a recently “evolved” General Boscogn, and a surgery on a Doom Fog that attracted hordes of irradiated dead. Other notable encounters included St. Mary’s offering a suspicious life insurance, a “fun” Saturday Morning Cartoons hosted by a local Rogue’s Gallery face, many mine runs (sponsored by the Fords of course), and a brave contingent saving an endangered Cult of the Silent member from terrifying Echoes.
This all led up to the moment everyone was preparing for: the Morgue Sink. After choosing a new psionic user, a biogenetics user, a faithful psionics user, and a necrokinetics user, the town ventured into the mines to create a new space for the Gravemind. It was a long and hard fight, with many obstacles in the way. Artisans had to build, salvagers and foragers had to find materials, and four psionic users had to combine their strength to finish the job. All of this while hordes of zed attacked relentlessly, maiming some and unfortunately killing others. The Morgue was remade though, and with it a miraculous Unborn was created. The town once more has a place for the dead to return from, and possibly a new messiah of the local Cult of the Silent. Now the question is: who will be sent to the morgue next?
Have questions about the cooking situation at our site? Read below for answers!
No there is not.
Yes you can. All grills and gas burners/stoves must be used outside. There are also fire pits available, but there needs to be a designated fire watcher. If a fire pit is left unattended, fire privileges will be revoked immediately.
Yes! You are welcome to use these!
No, Battle Creek Camp regulations prohibits anyone other than their staff from using it.
Yes. Peanuts are prohibited by Battle Creek Camp, and should be avoided if possible. If you accidentally bring a food with peanuts though, you will be fine. Just wipe down the area and wash your hands after eating. Player allergies include coconut, shellfish, grapes, cow milk, and blueberries. If you must use these ingredients, please be mindful when handing out food.
Not at this time. You may ask around about player run meal plans though.
Yes, but only with express permission from Logistics Director Kendall DeFrancesco. We can only have 2 crockpots/electric cooktops plugged in at the same time. This is so we do not overwhelm the power grid at the camp. When cooking indoors, please put down a mat or tablecloth to protect the tables.
We’re barely a week away from MOTOR CITY MAYHEM, and it’s time to tell you glorious racers about our outline of events! All events will take place on Saturday, starting at 10 am. Sign up ahead of time will be available at the Post Office, though spots will be available at race time too. Let’s crack into it!
A coming of age ceremony for young DJs that have finished building their first ride - but all are welcome to participate! Bring your rides to show off in a leisurely spin around town, and celebrate this momentous occasion with these blossoming gearheads.
OOG Info: This will be a chance to show off the physical cardboard rides you’ve made, pageant style. Think Woodward Dream Cruise, old car shows, etc! A great for non-combatants and blue bands.
Three checkpoints to hit, with a different challenge at every turn. Prepare yourself well, you’ll never know what’s coming next.
OOG Info: This race will include a physical running element and combat. It will take place on the forested trails. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing so you do not injure yourself.
Get ready for a BAD BRAIN BEATDOWN. No weapons, no armor, just punch. Bring yourself and we’ll provide the Pitstop and brawlers. Can you go a whole round with a raider? Prove once and for all who is the superior organism.
OOG Info: This is a combat event. Guides will provide PCs brawlers. Please be kind to the NPC playing our Pitstop and remember that combat is lightest touch.
We want to see your SICKEST TRICKS and your COOLEST RIDES. Prepare a rad stunt that’ll make the judges lose their mind, or show off the craftsmanship on your sweet ride. Rewards will go to the NASTIEST of participants.
OOG Info: Another great event for non-combatants. Show off your physical cardboard rides, or do a fun trick to impress the judges. Stunts can be as simple as spinning in circles, or coordinating a fun routine. Please remember that safety comes first, and stunts that may cause harm to you or others are prohibited.
Can you face the obstacles hurdling at you? We’re not talking about life, we’re talking about RACING! This is a full course of things to run through, hop over, and burn tires on. Oh- and you better get ready to be shot at!
OOG Info: This is a physically demanding, timed obstacle course race. Please wear shoes and costuming that is appropriate for the safety of yourself and others.
Group up in teams of three— made of a veteran racer, a journeyman, and fresh face— for this final gripping event. Race against the clock and each other for an off-road scavenger hunt like none you’ve ever seen before. Don’t forget your weapons, you are going into the Wasteland!
OOG Info: This is a team event, with a group of three people needed to participate. Where possible, have a team with one player over 180 build, one over 50 build, and one under 50 build. This event may involve combat and CVC. You may be on multiple terrains, so please wear appropriate shoes and costuming for the safety of yourself and others.
Need a ride? We’ll have a Build-A-Ride station set up for townsfolk Friday night, so you join in the rip-roaring fun.
So, you think you’ll have enough to do at MOTOR CITY MAYHEM? We think so too. Gear up, paint flames on your ride, and change your oil- or don’t, we’re not your mom.
Hello Mourners and Travelers. Dystopia Rising is by nature a horror and survival larp - and this month we’re doing our best to really bring you the horror. We have some shocking, scary stuff in store! While we DO love to shock and scare your characters, we’d never want to do any actual mental or physical harm to our playerbase. Thus, we have a few content warnings before our September trade, allowing you to prepare yourself and ask us any questions so all can have a fun and safe game. Please remember it’s always okay to opt out of a scene and walk away, with no penalties or repercussions for you or your character. Player safety is first and foremost.
Below are the elements to expect from this event.
Parasites - Specifically parasites that host in human bodies and cause harm. This includes elements like eggs, creatures growing within the skin, etc.
Worms - We will have wormlike props that will be fairly gross.
Body Horror - Alongside body horror that comes from parasites, we will have other scenes of mutilation or damage to the body that might disturb players.
Force Feeding - There might be moments when NPCs and/or PCs may be “forced” to ingest an item or effect. We will never force anyone to physically ingest something they do not wish to. Before any scene of force feeding occurs, you will be asked your consent to the scene and be informed OOG what is in the ingestible for allergy and food tolerance purposes.
Extreme Gore - There will be a great amount of fake blood and body parts seen at this event, and it may be detailed in realistic ways.
Disease - NPCs and/or PCs may become infected with a disease. It is a major part of this month’s plot. Diseases involve coughing up blood, roleplaying malaise, and other social roleplay effects.
Clowns - There is a faction of Nemesis that use clown makeup and costumes. They will be present during this event.
Torture - NPCs and/or PCs may be subject to fake torture. We will never actually put anyone at risk, and all scenes will be using the OK Check-In system to make sure everyone is having a safe and fun time.
Fake Drug Use - With the release of the Local Drug Plot Cards, there will be fake drug use and manufacturing seen at this event. We prohibit the use of all actual drugs and alcohol at our events.
Please remember you can always OPT OUT of a scene using ‘Eyes Down’ - placing your hand over your brow and looking down to signal you are leaving a scene for any reason, no questions asked. You may also ask a guide on scene to help find you somewhere to decompress.
We encourage all players to use the OK Check-In system, even when not in an intense scene.
As a reminder, the OK Check-In system works as below:
Player 1 holds the OK hand gesture up to Player 2 (reminder- can be a PC or NPC).
Player 2 has three options:
Thumbs up - “All is good, I’m having a great time.” Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - “I’m not sure.” Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - “I’m not okay/I’m uncomfortable with this scene” - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Based on Player 2’s response, Player 1 should do the following:
Thumbs up - Continue with the scene.
Hand flat and moving in an “Eh?” gesture - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Thumbs down - Deescalate the scene, offer to find somewhere to decompress/find a guide or staff to help.
Players are not expected to be therapists. We just ask that you show kindness to your fellow player and assist them in finding somewhere safe at the bare minimum. If there is an issue you need assistance with, Kendall is our Player Relations manager.
We will do our best to give content warnings before the modules these warnings pertain to. Please let us know at dystopiarisingmi@gmail.com if you have any questions and concerns.
With all that said, we can’t wait to bring you safe frights and terror this event! See you soon!
Welcome new Mourners to our wonderful town! Before you jump right into this apocalyptic dance floor, we want to give you a heads up on what will happen when you arrive- and how to keep yourself from feeling like a zombie! So read on, and go give ‘em hell kid!
Arriving on Site:
Players can arrive on site starting at 5 pm.
Feel free to bring your car down to the dorms before Game On Friday night to unpack. When you’re done unloading your things, please park your car up at the designated parking areas.
If you need med sleep, talk to the Directors- Kendall, Bradley, or Kristen.
All bunks are first come first serve. A lot of folks like to create sheet walls around the bottom bunk for privacy- you can also bring in-genre items and props to make the space feel more immersive!
Before Game-On:
Check-In begins at 7:30 pm. See the post office for your character sheet and to show your vaccination card if you haven’t submitted it online.
New Player Orientation is at 8:30 pm. This is to go over basic rules and safety, and make sure to answer any questions you have before game on!
Opening Announcements are at 9 pm. This is a round up to tell the community what’s going on and to go over other rules and safety practices. If you have questions, feel free to ask!
Game-On is at 10 PM. Time to get in your kit, or head to monster camp if you have your NPC shift at that time.
Game-On:
It’s time to have fun! But remember some key things while you’re larping:
Use the check-in system regularly to make sure everyone is having a good time.
Combat is lightest touch! If someone asks you to watch your swings, please do so.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Many players are open to helping, and you can always ask the green headband guides or someone at the post office a question.
Personal Hygiene
Please make sure you’re taking care of yourself. While we do have a Kendall to take care of issues, we expect you to take care of your mental and physical being.
We have many showers for use if you’re feeling a bit stinky. It’s a great way to freshen up and feel better!
Winka Cabin and outdoor cooking sites are open for cooking food. It’s a great idea to bring some snacks as well- granola bars are perfect for popping in your supply bag.
Get some sleep! Nothing is worse than a sleep deprived headache. If you need a very quiet place to sleep, please seek out the directors to talk about medsleep. You can email us at dystopiarisingmi@gmail.com before game as well.
Wash your hands! Covid is still a thing, as well as many other germs. Don’t get larp flu, wash your hands well.
