A live-action roleplaying game of dark fantasy written and run by Breaking Light Productions

August 22nd, 2009

Alice

Wonderland.  Behind the façade of its dark and crowded streets lies Wonderland’s even darker underbelly.  Ruled by thugs, drug dealers, and mysterious crime lords, Wonderland is a place governed by madness and fear.  Those in power fight to keep it, and everyone else must fight to control, escape, or survive the mad trap that surrounds them.  Things have only gotten stranger since the arrival – and disappearance – of a lost, troubled girl named Alice.  Enter this gothic world and unravel its dark and twisted secrets.  

Welcome to Wonderland.

Alice ran on August 22nd, 2009 from 8pm to 12m at a private home in Inverness, Illinois.

Registration for Alice is closed. This event occurred in the past.
Thanks for your interest! 

Tapas de Larpas Tres

Thanks for coming, we had a blast!

This event occurred on Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd-24th, 2009

Third time's the charm!

Tapas de Larpas is now a two-day gathering of a few dedicated Larpers who come together for a day of small, experimental games, or at least that's what we keep telling ourselves. The basic idea is that if the games are short, then the worst that can happen if a game truly sucks is that you've blown an hour or so. But there's usually decent Chinese and a fair amount of port to be had which always helps. Games run were Klingon Group Therapy!, Diamond Geezers, Time Travel Review Board and Fortunate the Man with None.

House on the Hill is a 4 hour freeform for 34 players that has been described as a cross between Dr. Who, HP Lovecraft and Reservoir Dogs. It ran from 7:30pm - midnight on Saturday, 11th October.

Tapas de Larpas Dos
(Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 24th, 2008, 1pm til whenever)

Last year's inaugural event was a Great Success, so we did it again.

Monkeys, Monkeys, Monkeys--A fun 2 hour LARP where you get to play the monkeys of a unique social experiment. Curious George can be found along with other favorites such as Code Monkey, Space Monkey, Rafiki, the linking armed, Barrel of Monkeys and many many more! This role playing intensive game is for those who want to role play with a sense of humor. Come engage personal primate plotlines, mysteries and intrigue! Run by the author.

Super Villain Academy--Doesn't the title say it all? This will be a playtest prior to running at this year's GenCon--beat the rush! Run by the author.

The Larp-o-Matic--by the Powers of Randomization, Fate, Destiny and the Odd Magic Eight Ball. An experimental Fête Fatale production with nods to Mike Young.

Queen of Spades--Another one by Shifting Forest Storyworks. M. Islington is a powerful and ruthless criminal with almost as many enemies as criminal connections. A group of these enemies wake to find themselves trapped on a boat in the middle of nowhere with each other, a suspicious letter, and even M. Islington.  Nobody knows how they got there or what will become of them when morning comes. As the night goes on, murder will be committed and secrets revealed. Everybody has a motive and a past they thought they'd left behind.

Unfortuntaely, the Larp-o-Matic got scotched due to time considerations. Maybe next year.

Tomorrow Is Not Enough
A Bond-ian Adventure in Two Chapters

Chapter 1: Pale Ice

(Saturday, September 22nd and October 19th, 2007--8pm to midnight) 
At Piz Arielle, a ski lodge high in the Swiss Alps, an unlikely assortment of secret agents, scientists, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, criminals, and socialites gathers ostensibly for a fundraising event. 

Chapter 2: Black Ice (multiple runs October-November)
A small team, acting on the revelations at Piz Arielle, infiltrates the evil mastermind(s)' stronghold to foil their diabolical plan.

Tapas de Larpas I
(Saturday, May 26th 2007--1:30pm to 9pm)

Plan 8 from Outer Space 
[aka Dilbert Meets Ed Wood]
a LARP by Mike Young

Infobahn 2000 -- A Fête Fatale Production

Snow White -- Parlor LARP by Shifting Forest

Two runs each of "Plan 8" and "Snow White", which Drew vows not to do again, while Infobahn got rained out after Dig spent hours constructing a huge croquet/miniature golf ground. Oh well, maybe next year

Christmas with the Soddentarrys
(Saturday, December 2nd, 2006--4pm to Midnight) 

It is Christmas Day, 1937, at the immense country estate of the Duke and Duchess of Soddentarry. You are looking forward to a lavish dinner and distinguished company this evening. Christmas cheer of course brings out the best in one's fellow man, don't you think?

"Great bore, Christmas, isn't it? All the people one hates most, gathered together in the name of good will and all that."

Dorothy L. Sayers, Strong Poison

Gail and Dig finally produced in the Chicago area their "golden age of mystery" game, intricately plotted with an equally intricate dinner. Beside the roast goose and plum pudding, there was politics, intrigue at the race track, rivalry among the horsey set, Congonian rot, and any number of messy romantic relationships. After eleven years since the original run of this game, we're unlikely to ever be foolish enough to run this one again. 

Commedia Dell'Arte
(Saturday, September 23rd, 2006--2 to 6pm) 

You are cordially invited to experience a typically strange day in the fine city of Venice (ca. 1600). Partake in the heights of comedy, the depths of tragedy, and the breadths of romance! The cast will feature miserly merchants, brave soldiers, pedantic scholars, faithful lovers, not-so-faithful lovers, clever servants, not-so-clever servants, an exotic foreigner or two, and much more.

Play it, or feel despair for the rest of your life!

Michael McAfee came out from Boston to run Commedia dell'Arte on September 23rd, 2006. There was much overacting and a good time was had by all, even the rain disturbed our clever plan to run it outdoors. 

An Evening in Monte Carlo
(Saturday, August 5th, 2006--7pm to Midnight) 

It is August 5th, 1876. England has succeeded in the unthinkable--uniting the other major powers against her--and the world is holding its breath in anticipation of war. Governments have used the latest technologies to produce new and horrifying ways to kill not just soldiers this time but civilians as well, and tensions are running high. Many fear what the world will be like in the aftermath of such a conflict, fear that the world as they know it will no longer exist. 

So they flock to Monte Carlo: The idle rich looking for one last taste of their beloved luxury...the desperate looking for a last chance to swim before the tide of war sweeps them under...the displaced whom the tide has already taken. 

The Casino is open for business!

Dig, Gail, Kerry and a number of other local players have continuing characters in the Brassy's Men "alternate history Victorian/steampunk" campaign, so we created (with the approval of the Brassy's GMs) a "between game event" in the famous Casino in Monte Carlo. This game wasn't just a social event for existing Brassy's characters, but also (because this is just the sort of thing we DO) a stand-alone LARP with fully-plotted one-shot characters set in the Brassy's universe.

It was a memorable evening in Victorian Monte Carlo, gambling in the glamorous Casino and rubbing shoulders with royalty, the famous and the fabulously wealthy!

I Was A Teenage Mutant From Outer Space
(Saturday, June 10th, 2006--5pm to Midnight) 

Take some great 50's B-movies like 'I Was A Teenage Werewolf,' 'It Came From Above,' 'Assault on Party Beach,' and even worse fare, and puree in a blender. Pour the resulting schlock mixture into a bowl. Add large sprinkles of angst, romance, and actual horror. Bake for 6 hours. Serves up to 37.

"I Was a Teenage Mutant From Outer Space" pulls together all sorts of 50's B-grade, so-bad-they're-good sci-fi and horror movies. The setting is the quiet little Arizona desert town of San Inguon, including the Pop's Malt Shop, Lovers' Lane, the town square and of course the obligatory nearby government research labs. The 30+ characters are the residents of the town, and the teenagers have at least as much going on as the adults.

IWATMFOS will run 5pm til midnight on June 10th at Cindy Bakke's house in Glenview, GM'd by Marc and Drew, with assistance from Dig and Uncle Don. Pops will be flippin' real burgers at the malt shop, so there will be a $10 fee to cover the food and bevvies.

FOCUS
(Saturday, January 21st, 2006--2pm to 6pm) 

Characters have come to an ordinary but out-of-the-way gathering place for a clearly mundane, if esoteric, purpose. A few are well known, and one is famous enough that many of the characters are there simply to see, hear, or talk to them. It is even rumoured that a maguffin of interest to many characters will be on display at the event, and that its inventor/discoverer may even make a surprise appearance! All indications seem to be in favour of an entertaining but peaceful time, but

Why have NPC's been disappearing mysteriously of late? Who is the dark-robed stranger seen hanging around the gathering and what does he/she want? Is there any truth to rumours of sinister origins pertaining to the maguffin? And WHAT'S WITH ALL THE FUNKY WIDGETS?

Come play 'FOCUS' - a theatre-style live-action role playing game exactly like every other theatre-style live-action role-playing game you have ever played.

The Curse of Whately's Meddling Kids
(multiple runs in October - November, 2005) 

There's always been something creepy about Whately Manor--people have said for years that it was haunted. Can Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby Doo help tonight's Special Guest Star(s) solve a creepy mystery?

For the Last Whately We've Promised to Run™, we did the Whately take on Scooby Doo. It was somewhat of a "Whately's Greatest Hits", with a sliding bookcase, Drew's Cube Lite (33% Less Cube!) in our dining room, rotating wall into Dracula's Mausoleum, Galvanic Sequencer and Egyptian tomb with mummy crashing through styrofoam wall, plus a number of new effects, including the popular Hall Of Doors. 

Pictures and video. I got 'em--the problem is finding the time to get 'em onto the website...

Teenage Mystery Dance Party
(Sunday, October 23rd, 2005 from 11am to 4pm) 

When Mike Young heard that this year's Whately was based on Scooby-Doo, he offered to run his old Hanna-Barbera game, Teenage Mystery Dance Party (while in Chicago to play Whately).  TMDP was run once before on the East Coast, way back at Intercon XII in 1997. Based on all those Hanna Barbera cartoons (including Scooby Doo) filled with kids, generally with (talking) dogs, who typically had bands and/or spiffy vehicles, but who ALWAYS stumbled into mysteries, this game had plots to wrangle, monsters and villains to flee from, and mysteries to solve--not to mention the Battle of the Bands or the Big Race. With dozens of fellow cartoon characters and some ferociously cheesy music in the background, it was a blast!

Salem is Burning
(Saturday, June 4th, 2005, 8pm to midnight) 

Witchcraft and madness rule the night, evil stalks the righteous and worthy.  God-fearing people watch their neighbors for signs of corruption.  Numerous witches have been uncovered and brought to trial in Salem.  But things have gone too far.  The governor's people are arriving tomorrow to put an end to the trials, but tonight 3 last witches face the gallows.  Are they lost souls reaping what they have sown, or innocent victims of a town gone mad?  Will they have to die to appease the mob?  Only the night will tell.

Another visit to 17th century witchcraft hysteria--this time without the Lovecraftian elements--in a new game written by our friends from Kalamazoo, Scott Bowman and Tim and Wendy Weaver. (New authors in the area--yay!)

The Curse of Whately's Monster
(multiple runs from September through November, 2004) 

It is a dark and stormy night in the Bavarian alps. A group of eminent scientists and physicians have been invited to Castle Whately to attend a scientific demonstration of the fruits of Baron Whately's research, and to assist him with their expertise in overcoming some of the technical difficulties he has encountered.

Yep, you guessed it: "Monster" means that Victor Frankenstein had nothing on the Whately family patriarch! To work out some technical details for his Monster's "companion", Whately invited a dozen eminent physicians and scientists--crackpots, each and every one--who were able to step in and bring the Bride to life! Well, except when they screwed up the blood or put Hitler's brain in the Bride and then all Died Horribly. 

But it was certainly a success from our point of view, since neither we nor the mad scientists burned down our house at any point!

Blackie's Bar & Grill
(Friday, September 24th, 2004)

Every year all the Supers on both sides of the fence come together to let off steam and have a little fun for the annual Good Guys/Bad Guys Fete! This year's Fete is being held at Blackie's Bar and Grill. Blackie's is run by - wait for it - Blackie, a long time "associate" of super heroes. So everyone will be setting aside personal problems for an evening of fun!

Just think of it: GMs from the East Coast who are writing games just to run in Chicago--we feel so exclusive! Jim and Kelly MacDougall returned to Chicago with the sequel to Under Dog's Tavern. [Yes, in case you didn't play the first game--Blackie would indeed be played by Marc Blumberg.] Jim & Kelly (and all the players) had so much fun that there is talk of another episode in February or March of 2006.

Nap Time
(Saturday, May 8th, 2004)

The first day of school - daunting for some, fantastically exciting for others. Here's your chance to regress and be a little kid again, at least for a few hours. Discover new toys, make new friends, and find out what this 'kindergarten' thing is all about.

The Kindergarten Simulation Game! Uncle Don Ross and his intrepid co-GMs Mike Caprio and Janet Brennan journeyed from Boston to run a game that Dig & Gail long wanted to play. Our first day of kindergarten was very eventful: we fingerpainted, heard a story, took a nap, had recess, and made lots of new friends.

The Salem Witch Trials
(Saturday, April 3rd, 2004)

Salem, Massachusetts, 1692.

The strange happenings over the past several months the townsfolk have attributed to witchcraft. Judges have been brought in to find the truth of the matter. 

In court today, you'll find out the truth. 

Remember that Salem is very close to Arkham...

Gail and Dig, with able assistance from David Cave, ran a scenario written by Aidan Walsh (courtesy of the Game Eire LARP scenarios page). Take the historical backdrop of the Salem witch trials, add a taste of Lovecraftian horror, and shake until insanity results...

The Curse of Whately's Mesa
(8 runs in October & November, 2003)

It is October 1881, in a remote area in the Southwest.  Legend says that almost one hundred years ago, the Spanish discovered gold under a nearby mesa and built the El Dorado mine there.  Rumor has it that the mine was abandoned just a few short years later when it and everyone in it were swallowed by the mountain; Hopi tradition hints at the vengeance of the Old Ones.  

A few weeks ago, old Elijah Whately, a veteran of the California Gold Rush, showed up at the Rocking W Ranch looking to purchase some supplies.  He said that he had a  map which would lead him to the location of the El Dorado mine.

Tonight is the night you will investigate the truth behind the legends of the El Dorado mine.

Discover the secrets of an abandoned (and possibly haunted) mine, as Whately takes up prospecting in the Old West!

Colonel Sebastian T. Rawhide's 
CIRCUS of the SPECTACULAR
(Saturday, June 7th, 2003)

Join Colonel Sebastian T. Rawhide 
and his 
CIRCUS of the SPECTACULAR
 as they return to America from their
TRIUMPHANT
tour of Europe where they performed for
Kings and Heads of State.

But…
The Circus is ailing financially. Can the valiant
members of the Circus save the show from the
clutches of the nefarious Bungling Brothers?

Mike Young (Miskatonic Class Reunion) returned to Chicago for an afternoon of High Melodrama 
Under the Big Top!

Starship Edsel (April 5th & 26th, 2003)

In every organization, in every unit, in every army and navy there is one department, or division, or ship where all of the malcontents, all of the insubordinates, and all of the incompetents are sent to get them out of the way. There they can whine and scowl and goof up and shirk to their heart's content without doing any harm while allowing everyone else to do their job properly. This is the tale of one such ship in one such navy. Welcome to Starship EDSEL [cue music].

We had LOTS of fun being doomed.  Unfortunately, NO-ONE had cameras, so the myriad Star Fleet uniforms, impressive Klingons and creative set designs won't ever show up on our website.  Darn.

The Treaty of Berlin
(November 23rd, 2002 and January 25th, 2003)

The American Embassy
 in Berlin, West Germany,
Requests the Honor 
of Your Presence
at a Reception and Dinner 
to Celebrate 
the Upcoming Signature of
The Treaty of Berlin
on Saturday
the Thirteenth of May,
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Nine
at Four PM 
at the American Embassy.

It was a gala celebration the night before the official signing of an important treaty between the United States, the Soviet Union, and East and West Germany.  The diplomats and celebrities enjoyed a lavish formal dinner and lively conversation!

The Curse of Whately's Mausoleum (Six runs in October & November, 2002)

"It is October 1897, and you have been invited to the estate of Danforth Whately for an engagement party celebrating the long-anticipated nuptials of his lovely daughter Wilhelmina to a promising young solicitor and friend of the family, Mr. Jonathan Harker."

Capes, crypts, and coffins--this year our Halloween game took a bite out of the Dracula legend.  

Murder at the North Pole (July 27th, 2002)

Extra!  Special Edition!  
Santa Claus found shot under the tree!
Smoking candy cane near crime scene!
Note reads "Wrap this!"

Ben Llewellyn (who ran Appalachian Wedding here last summer) returned to the Chicago area, running a (twisted) tale of Christmas in July.

TWO World Premieres in one day!  Woo hoo!  
Under Dog's Tavern (March 2, 2002)

"Welcome to Underdog’s Tavern and the annual Good Guys/Bad Guys Fete!  Every year all the Supers on both sides of the fence come together to let off steam and have a little fun: the black/white softball game, followed by an evening of fun at Under Dog's Tavern.  There is one hard and fast rule for tonight.  No one may attack or otherwise use their powers against another in the bar.  Tonight is about détente.  So everyone needs to come with their best friendly face as they set aside personal problems for an evening of fun."

Dealer Room After Dark (March 2, 2002)

"Every night when the doors are locked the toys take over the dealer room at the Science-Fiction convention. Tonight all heck is breaking lose. Someone stole the "Dealer of the Year" trophy.  A storm is causing the power to come on and off.  And who let the Buffalo in?"

The Curse of Whately's Mythos (Six runs in October & November, 2001)

Appalachian Wedding (June 23rd, 2001)

Blood Mountain, West Virginia, 1932. The Wilkeses and the Booths are celebrating(?) the marriage of Hattie and Mac. Maybe the wedding will even happen! Come join the happy couple in this special day of love.  Even State Senator Bubby Crowe is here to mark the occasion. Today would be the perfect day, if only Preacher Wylie had survived that ambush...  [Note: Love will be simulated by patty-cake.]

Miskatonic Class Reunion (June 1st and 2nd, 2001)

Join your host Maxwell Hocforth III for Miskatonic's first class reunion. A game of Lovecraftian horror, and what could be more horrifying than a class reunion?

Last Dinner on the Titanic (Ran Saturday, April 14th, 2001)

An evening of Edwardian decadence, since eleven courses is an awful lot of food!  The ladies were genteel; the gentlemen were dapper.  Every course was toasted.  Mrs. J. J. Brown discoursed on Women's Rights, while Major Archibald Butt respectfully disagreed.  Henry Burkhardt Harris raised funding for his theatre, while his wife, Rene, made plans to mount an exhibition of paintings by that intriguing Picasso fellow.  

Our evening amongst the social elite apparently was so engrossing that we had to point out to the men, smoking cigars and drinking port out of deck, that the ship was seriously listing, and that lifeboats were now being filled...

Uberman was sent off with a bang (literally).  Thanks to Jim, Kelly, Kevin and the Terrible Trio for trekking all the way out from New York, and thanks to Sissyman for the moving eulogy.  We've found some pictures, and hope to get them on the website shortly.

The Curse of Whately's Mummy (4 runs in October, 2000)

The Mummy's finally wrapped up!  (Sorry, couldn't resist.)  Cast lists, pictures, favorite moments and players' creative answers to that burning question, "How would Indiana Jones deal with a mummy?"