Phenomenon 2003

A roleplaying convention

Freeforms

Freeforms, also known as Live Action Roleplays (or LARPs), are the ‘other white meat’ of roleplaying.

The games

• A night to be remembered — Marissa Harris
• A superstitious, cowardly lot — Eric Henry & James Walker
• Argo 2020 — Xole
• Atlantis — Robert Barbetti
• Shadows dawning — Ali Lawrie, Jason McIntyre, Cassandra Vuksa & Peter Wass
• Wild wild space: when two worlds collide — Liz Argall & Mike(y)

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A night to be remembered

By Marissa Harris, with Mark Bruckard, Mike Walker & Xole

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The benevolent Regent-Count Sariel ap Fiona invites all the Fae of Canberra and the realms beyond to a gathering of prestigious proportions to celebrate the birthday of his beloved Elsbeth! Join in the celebrations and revelry and slough off the ill tides of Banality — if only for one day. The grand hall of Caer Taghairm will be decked out in its finest for the event and all the omens say that it will be a day not soon to be forgotten!"

Set in modern day, real time Canberra, the characters exist both in the real world, with jobs, families and the trials of day to day living, and in the mystical, magical world of the Fae, where fantasies become reality, a mystical creature lurks around every corner and every day means a struggle to survive against the banality and harshness of the World of Darkness.

This game is brought to you in association with Carpe Civitatem, the Canberra domain of the Camarilla Australia. Existing Camarilla characters are welcome and pregenerated characters will be available at registration. If you would like to create your own character for the game, contact Marissa on marissah@optusnet.com.au or tel. 0402 474 409 for information on how to do so. For more information on the game, characters and general setting, see Canfae.

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A superstitious, cowardly lot

By Eric Henry & James Walker

Many years ago, a young man swore a grim vow:

"Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must become a creature of the night, black, terrible...a...a...a bat!"

Years later, the dark knight known as the Batman still stalks the streets of Gotham City. To chose to be a criminal in this town, you would have to be either supremely confident, very foolish, or more than a little crazy. Maybe all three. Some of the villains who fight the Batman are household names, feared by all. Others are not so fortunate.

Tonight there is a gathering of the lesser lights of the Gotham City underworld. The unknowns, the freaks, the has-beens, the wannabes, the misfits, the losers. Schemes will be schemed, plots will hatched, alliances will be forged and old scores will be settled. This a chance to change the old order. This is a chance to move up the ladder. This is a chance to finally be someone.

A superstitious, cowardly lot.

A single-session freeform for 25 players.

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Argo 2020

By Xole

The entertainment mega-corp Iolcus Vision has suffered a hostile takeover. The company's rightful CEO, Jason Aesides, has one chance to win back his father's dream.

Jason has just three hours to capture the imagination of the world with his ground-breaking television show Argo. If he can muster the ratings, he'll win the coveted Golden Fleece Award and the rights to Iolcus Vision. If he can't, the bank will foreclose on him, the spaceship Argo herself, and the contracts of all the actors aboard her.

The stakes have never been higher, but that's what Greek myth is all about.

Another freeform for 20 testosterone-poisoned Hellene cyber-heroes.

This is an Unshelled Turtle Production. For more info contact Xole, or read the Argonautika. Having played Iliad 2020 (Phenomenon 2001) is not a pre-requisite.

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Atlantis

by Robert Barbetti

31 December 2032

Cheap pressure hulls and engines have made the ocean depths readily accessible and the UN has grown in power until it has been able to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.

A discovery on the coast of Spain led explorers to a sunken city off the coast of the Canary islands. A city over 4 thousand metres below sea level, accessible only through the use high tech pressure domes and a new kind of drug.

The leader of the expedition, the architect of the new age and answerable only to his sponsors in the UN has kept the discovery secret and isolated until now. He plans to tell all in a worldwide press conference and unveil a new discovery, something he claims has the power to change the world again.

With the press conference two hours away there’s only one problem. He’s just been found dead in his lab and nobody can find the speech.

A Murder mystery for 16 researchers and 4 man UN contact team.

Characters can be prebooked on 0421 647 516 or jhelomcat@yahoo.com.au

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Shadows Dawning

By Ali Lawrie, Jason McIntyre, Cassandra Vuksa & Peter Wass

There are two sides to every story. The Garou, servants of Gaia, know that they face a mighty enemy. The Wyrm’s reach is wide, spreading from the halls of corporations to the twisted bane spirits that spawn in factory outlets. To the fallen cousins of the Garou, the Black Spiral Dancers, the world is a sea of corruption and the Garou are fighting a losing battle to save it.

Welcome to the winning side.

Welcome to the Hive of Shadows Dawning.

But life on the winning side is not always easy. Spirals don’t necessarily play well with each other. Politics, infighting and differences in opinion make life in the Hive competitive and dangerous. Only the strongest survive. Now, with rumours of a traitor in the Hive and the Alpha missing, will the Hive pull together, or will they be torn apart from within?

A 30 player Black Spiral Dancer Game set in the World of Darkness, Canberra.

Systemless: based on White Wolf’s Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
Adult themes and Horror. No rules knowledge needed.
Contact: inkling@austarmetro.com.au

This game is brought to you in association with Carpe Civitatem, the Canberra domain of the Camarilla Australia.

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Wild Wild Space: When two worlds collide

by Liz Argall & Mike(y)

A Deadlands-in-space freeform for 20? guys and gals, travellin' the final frontier.

They said the ship was safe.
They said you had more to worry about from them dang Martians.

Ah, the Mars to Earth cargo run - a milk run since the war.
Nothin' to do for a coupla weeks but pick yer nose.

They say that pirates only go for cargo transports,
'cos passenger liners aren't worth it.
Nothing but shuffleboard an' cards 'til we get to Mars.

Them 'cursed pirates ain't been seen 'round here,
now the union warships been doin' reg'lar patrols.

My God! What's that up ahead?

Dang! It's comin' right for us!

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