Venue
The venue is Einon Pirtti, an end of 19th century villa with outbuildings.
Einon Pirtti is located in Orivesi (60km from Tampere). The plan is to have a possibility for a joint bus-ride from Helsinki or Tampere to the location. Einon Pirtti is also easily accessible by car in approximately 2,5h from the Helsinki Airport.
The location in not unfortunately totally accessible: the lighting is dim inside the villa and the accommodations do not have wheelchair ramps.
The address:
Einon Pirtti
Eräpyhäntie 164, Orivesi
196 km from Helsinki Airport
54 km from Tampere
Taking Care of the Venue
The venue is private and there shouldn’t be any outside people moving about. There’s a road nearby but no line of sight from the road directly to the building where most of the play happens.
Because we want to leave the venue in good shape, we suggest avoiding play that results in an excessive mess. So no throwing around food or anything similarly messy!
Let’s try not to break things so the venue can be used for larp again.
The wear and tear your costume can be expected to suffer is calibrated at the level of having to take it off and put it on multiple times and perhaps throwing yourself on the floor in religious ecstasy.
Accommodations
Accommodation will be in rooms with two to four people. You’ll sleep in a bed and the venue has showers and bathrooms. However, washing facilities are shared and not unique to each room.
Food
The food available at the larp will principally be vegan but we strive to accommodate all dietary restrictions. A special survey about this and other issues will be sent to the participants of each run.
Alcohol
We expect participants to be sober during the larp and will ask anyone who is visibly drunk to step out and cool down. Drinking alcohol during the larp is acceptable within these limits but you’re better of bringing your own since the larp won’t feature a bar.
At past runs, good choices have included non-alcoholic or low alcohol sparkling wine and vodka which has been diluted with water.
Language
The larp will be played entirely in English.
Price
The cost of participation is 350 €, with a small number of subsidized tickets available. The fee includes accommodation, food for the entirety of your stay at the larp, a robe used by the cult (but not other elements of your costume) and your participation in the experience, including a prewritten character. We have a small number of tickets available at a reduced price, 200 €, meant for those unable to pay the full price.
In addition, we have two discounted tickets that you can choose if you’re okay being a replacement player who’ll be given one of the regular characters in the case of a cancellation. If no cancellations occur, you’ll still get to play the larp with a specially prepared character we have for that purpose. This option is suitable for those who are comfortable making preparations quite close to the event itself.
Timetable
Here’s a breakdown of the larp day to day:
Day 1 (Thursday)
During the first day, you’ll arrive at the venue, find your room, participate in the workshop and get ready for the larp. You’ll play for two hours as the newcomers arrive and a dinner is held in their honor. All characters are aware that they’re in a religious space but the hierarchies of the outside world are still in force. The Followers wait on their high-ranking visitors.
Use this time to establish the social hierarchy that will then be broken on day 2. The mood can be spiritual, celebratory, excited… All characters are looking forward to what will happen later, some with trepidation and others with anticipation. At the same time, you’re away from the eyes of society preparing to sin in the eyes of God so it’s understandable if things get a little out of control.
15:00 – You can arrive at the venue from this time onwards.
15:45 – Bus arrives at the venue, players check in and settle in their assigned rooms and beds.
16:30 – Workshop starts. You are not expected to be in costume at this time.
20:00 – All players except the Elders get in costume.
20:00 – The Elders workshop as a group,
20:20 – The Elders get into costume.
21:00 – The larp starts.
Dinner is served during the in-game period.
23:00 – In-game ends. You can calibrate with other players as needed and then go to sleep.
Day 2 (Friday)
The second day starts with eating breakfast off-game, then gathering together to go in-game. Play starts with a scene where all characters are present. The newcomers are inducted into the Followers. This takes the shape of a ritual that may already test the resolve of some characters: Disrespecting the Czar is a grave sin.
During the induction, the hierarchy topples. The newcomers are all mere novices, supplicants hoping for guidance from more experienced members of the Followers, whatever form that takes.
As the day proceeds, you will do your best to sin and help others sin, both on your own initiative and through collective rituals and practises. The heavy lifting involved in running the rituals will be done by organizer characters but the Elders will also play a significant role.
Although you will participate in rituals that highlight different facets of sin and help you on your road, you should also take the initiative to consider what sin means for your character and explore it through scenes you and other players create.
The most ecstatic forms of sin, collectively and individually, peak at the end of day two.
9:00 – 10:00 – Breakfast.
11:00 – 12:00 – Workshop.
12:00 – In-game starts.
Lunch and dinner will be served in-game.
23:00 – in-game ends.
Day 3 (Saturday)
This day starts with an off-game breakfast and a chance to calibrate with your fellow players to make sure that your larp is working as intended.
For the characters, the third day is their last at the convocation. As the day begins, the characters have to ask themselves: Have I sinned enough? If not, now’s the last chance. The day moves from the more contemplative sinning during the day to increasingly involved actions as the characters seek to ensure their redemption through sin.
In the late afternoon, the larp moves into its final phase. Each character has to ponder the state of their soul and whether they’re ready for some of the more final sins.
If the character feels they still need to sin more, they must live. This is the choice we assume to be made by the majority of characters, since it’s hard to know if you have indeed sinned enough.
If the character feels that they have sinned enough, they can choose the one final sin: Suicide. Since deciding you’ve sinned enough requires a certain presumption, we assume this to be a minority choice.
Those dying in the collective ritual may take solace in the fact that you also provide the opportunity for other Followers to commit the sin of murder.
As this ritual concludes, the larp ends. You will have a bit of time to hug other players and otherwise decompress. Then the debrief starts, followed by the afterparty.
9:00 – 10:00 – Breakfast.
11:00 – 11:45 – Calibrating together.
12:00 – In-game starts.
Lunch and dinner will be served in-game.
20:00 – In-game ends.
20:30 – Debrief.
22:00 – Afterparty.
Day 4 (Sunday)
The last day is completely off-game. You’ll have time to pack your things, say goodbye to fellow players and participate in one last debrief exercise.
9:00 – 10:00 – Breakfast.
11:00 – Final debrief exercise.
12:00 – Bus leaves for Helsinki.
Sign Up
Sign up opens in early January for a period of two weeks and you’ll be notified whether you’ll be participating in the larp in late February.
Casting will be done on the basis of character selections during sign up so that player preferences and character options match. The sign up is not first come first served, and as long as you sign up during the sign up period you’ll have an equal chance of participating.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
If you cancel your participation before the 1st of July, 2024, you’re entitled to a full refund. If you cancel after this date, your fee will not be refunded.
Photo Policy
The larp will be documented. The process will work as follows:
One or more photographers will take photos during the larp.
After the larp, all photos will be made available to the participants for a set period of time, for example two weeks. During this time, each participant can ask for a photo to be removed from the gallery if they themselves appear in it.
When all photos asked to be removed are removed, the gallery will then be published online. Afterwards, photos from the larp may be used in the context of talking about the larp. The most common use cases are in articles and presentations, as well as just posting about the larp on social media. Using photos of yourself in different contexts, such as profile photos, is also okay. Remember to always credit the photographer. (Photo: Kai Simon Fredriksen)