Introduction
Camarilla Belgium : Live Action Role Play
| What is the Camarilla? |
|---|
| The Camarilla is the Official international Live Action Roleplay
(a bit like interactive improvisational theatre) organization
sanctioned by White Wolf, Inc. that revolves around the gothic-horror
genre set in White Wolf's World of Darkness. We are world-renowned for
our continuous Chronicle that spans ten countries on five continents. We are proud to be part of the Global Camarilla. We are part of the world's largest live action role-play campaign, and our players help make up the tens of thousands of members of the society world-wide. |
| Who is White Wolf? |
| White Wolf Publishing is a company dedicated to redefining the art of storytelling. They seek to revitalize storytelling, once performed around the campfire and in the medieval court, but since usurped by impersonal print and film. They strive to capture the drama, tragedy, pathos, humor and horror that make a great story. With their Storyteller and Mind's Eye Theatre game systems, they try to help you create and tell compelling stories. |
| What is the World of Darkness? |
| The World of Darkness (WoD) is a setting published by White Wolf
Games Inc. It is a dark reflection of our own world, described as 'gothic
punk', where crime is abundant. The WoD differs from our own world in
that there are various supernatural creatures that lurk just out of
sight of the mortals who go about their mundane lives. Vampires emerge
at night, quietly stalking their prey while keeping their presence
secret from the world at large. Werewolves fight a losing battle to
save Mother Earth from impending doom. Mages fight in a battle for
reality. Wraiths, ghostly spirits, watch on from the other side,
tethered to those things they held dear in life. Changelings, half
human, half faerie, struggle to come to grips with the banality of a
world that denies their existence. All of this combines to make a fascinating setting within which to tell a story. |
| What is LARP? |
Ever had to perform a play out of the blue and on a whim on teacher's orders at school? Or improvisational theatre in a group? Ever heard or played Dungeons and Dragons or another tabletop (TT) role playing game with some friends, sitting at a table with your character sheet and some dice, going along with a story the game leader made up and rolling the dice to see how your character deals with the circumstances laid out for him? If you mix up those two then you have LARP in a nutshell. LARP, as live action role play is commonly referred to, takes the traditional role playing game outside (often literally) of the living room, games store, dusty attic, moldy basement or whichever place where people generally play and into the next step. In a LARP game, you don a costume and really portray the character, much like an actor on stage during a play, but this time with a character sheet telling you what you're capable of in the game instead of a script, with a game master for a director and your fellow players as your co-actors and audience at the same time. Everything is on a whim, much like improvisational theatre, and within the rules and regulations of the game, you react like your character would. There are several types of LARP. There's the LARP where players meet at set times in a venue (a pub, a room above a café, or at someone's house even) at set times and play for x-amount of hours. And then there are games which involve lodging, or even camping, going on for several days. There is regular LARP, which isn't too costume and prop heavy and that generally lasts only a couple of hours per game session (there are exceptions of course) and there's rubber swording or otherwise called fantasy LARP, were people run around in forests and fields for several days, fighting with special LARP approved weapons so people don't get hurt during battles. You can't think of a LARP game or it probably exists. Just like in regular role playing games, there are a great deal of different games and worlds to play in, each with their own particular guidebooks and rules. There are games of personal horror, games where you fight things that go bump in the night, and games where you play those exact same things. In some games you are a mere human, in others a supernatural hero or villain. Some feature the monsters we've all come to love and loathe like vampires and werewolves, others feature creatures like elves, dwarves and orcs. You can be a brave warrior, a sly thief, a wise magic user or pretty much whichever else you can come up with, in whichever world the game is set. Some games are set in our world, others in a darker version of our world and others still in worlds reminiscent of the books by Tolkien. Some are even set in space or other planes of existence altogether. LARP is a very diverse hobby, which comes in many shapes and forms with participants of all walks of life. It's a misconception that only socially awkward geeks partake in LARP, or role play full stop. The one thing everyone has in common at a LARP game is the love the participants have for the game they play. There's a game for everyone, and it can be as expensive or time consuming a hobby as you choose yourself. As far as costuming and props go, there is a large DIY culture amongst larpers. A lot of people make their own props, weapons and costume, some even professionally. So even if you have no interest in LARP what so ever but need some bits and pieces for your kit, make sure to check out LARP supply stores, they can be veritable treasure troves! |
| How much does it cost to join? |
| Currently it costs 12,5 euro per year of membership. This
membership starts on December and lasts 12 months. If you join after
December you only pay for the remaining year up to the next December
renewal date. Please use this account: |
| What are prestige points? |
| The Camarilla relies on members who volunteer their time to provide all of the organization's services and events. Because members are not paid for their time and effort, the Camarilla has developed several ways to recognize those who volunteer. The most common form of recognition is with the prestige point system. Coordinators award prestige points for service to the organization. Prestige points are a reflection of effort, time, and energy volunteered to the Camarilla. Prestige points are not awarded for actions or events that result in experience point awards, monetary gain, or other forms of compensation. Members who have earned prestige points can qualify for a higher Membership Class, resulting in awards, recognition in the organization's publications, and more flexibility in character creation. Members who advance in Membership Classes also take on more responsibility for supporting the organization and helping other members. While a higher Membership Class does show distinction and grant some privileges, it does not give members authority over one another. All members are treated equally regardless of the Membership Class they have earned. It is easy to become caught up in the race to gain another Membership Class by earning as many prestige points as possible; however, the true value of the time and effort you volunteer is found in such intrinsic rewards as new relationships, completed projects, and leadership experience. |
| How much prestige can I earn? |
|---|
Download the following document. It gives you a good idea of how much prestige is earned for your contributions. |
| How is the Camarilla organised? |
|---|
The Camarilla is organised by two branches: the Coordinator chain and the Storyteller Chain. The C-chain handles all outgame admin and makes sure you have a place to play in. The ST-chain is responsible for the storyline of the setting. Both chains have their officers, and altough they have no authority on each other's domain, they work together to ensure the quality of the game. |
| What is the Tome? |
|---|
The Tome is filled with the outgame rules of the Camarilla. We now have our own Membership handbook, which can be found Here. |
