Ever since the First Witchard, that fabled original spellcaster unleashing the power of the first magic, there has been a tension in nature. Something that shifted. Undetectable by normal senses, but nevertheless there – a tremor deep in the souls of all with the gift of magic.
WereWar is an all-new persistent storyline spanning multiple chapters across multiple locations in several countries.
The Chapters
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March 9-12, 2023 at Czocha (Poland)
Chapter Three
Czocha stands. Whilst the castle has been cut off from the rest of Witchard Kind for a year, the haven ritual has held and the walls still hold strong.
Outside, however, the Necrotic Blight surrounds the castle. There has been no way out to the forest or the lake for twelve months. For those trapped inside Czocha it has been a hard year. Supplies have been intermittent - relying on deals with the Fae and the goodwill of Northvale - food has been in short supply and the survivors are tired, traumatised, and tattered.The larp begins with the arrival of the relief. A portal has been opened and a group of Witchards comes through. These brave folk, mainly students, but a few more experienced Witchards, too old or injured to be on the front lines, arrive at Czocha not knowing what they will find or if there will be any way back out.
Magic is fading.
Across the Witchard World, spells that have been relied on for centuries are failing, magical items are losing their power, and ancient protective wards are suddenly burning out. Czocha has been affected by this as well, but to a seemingly lesser extent. This has led to an increase in the importance of Ritual magic and for Orders to turn to the darker side of their histories and explore ancient and sometimes forbidden magic.
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April 28-May 1, 2022 at Bothwell (United Kingdom)
Chapter Two
War is a reality. The Were are pushing into Witchard territories all over the continent and several confluxes have fallen. You can feel the panic take hold as uncertainty grows in the populace. The Were have been unpredictable in their attacks and no one really knows where they will strike next. Recently, a growing number of Were have been reported in the southern parts of England, and the Guardian Order has prohibited any travel using mundane means. The risk, it seems, is too great.
At Bothwell, the Headmistress has ordered an evacuation as the school prepares to become a military outpost. The Faculty are strengthening Bothwell’s protective wards while students prepare to depart. The atmosphere is heavy with tension.
And then, just as students start evacuating, the connections to the outside world crumble. Owls and other familiars disappear when travelling to and from Bothwell. Messages no longer come through. The runic bridges that have provided safe and stable travel to the rest of the world have collapsed. Some people made it across, you think, but it’s impossible to know for sure.
As the conflict is closing in, the walls of Bothwell itself seem to take on a mind of its own. The halls that had once offered comfort and security have now become a dangerous trap. Something has changed, and whatever it is, it doesn’t play by the rules of either Witchards or Were.
The remaining Faculty and students are faced with impossible odds. With uncertainty mounting and time running out, they will have to make difficult choices, take bold risks, and confront their greatest fears. Can they survive what seems like an unsurvivable situation?
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As the game begins, players will take on the roles of the staff and students who were unable to evacuate in time. You are now trapped inside the school grounds, with enemies approaching from without and within.
The mechanics and game design are different from the traditional Bothwell structure. The design leans into the concepts of exploring the unknown, of feeling trapped, of dealing with uncertainty. However, this isn’t a game about hopelessness. The story we want to tell is one of unity despite division, of compromise and sacrifice; but above all, it’s a story of loyalty and responsibility, no matter the circumstances.
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March 24-27, 2022 at Czocha (Poland)
Chapter One
When Chapter One begins, things at Czocha appear to be almost as they always have been. While Headmaster Crumplebottom welcomes everyone back for a new semester and only briefly mentions the abstract perils of a faraway war. There are murmurs amongst the professors and staff, an odd tension, perhaps a secret, but surely nothing to worry about. Life continues ...
Until war knocks on the castle gates. During the larp the Guardian Order will declare Magical Martial Law in the conflux of Czocha. With the college so near the front line, the syllabus drastically changes and professors are conscripted to teach emergency versions of their classes, to aid the war effort. Czocha has become a WereWar hospital. Students are drafted out of their Houses and into Orders to help in any way they can.
Chapter One is not about open rebellion, except the ”treasonous” act of treating or communicating with those designated as the ”enemy”, but the seeds of doubt and suspicion that something is terribly wrong in witchard society to be sown. And yes, there will be a ball at the end.
The Orders
With war comes change, welcome or not. And monumental change is wrought as the Guardian Order disbands the five traditional Houses of Czocha College. Students are instead enlisted into one of the main Orders of Witchard Society.
Timeline
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Autumn '10 - Autumn '12
The Lander Rebellion
The terrorist group, the White Fangs, hiding out in forests and caves at a conflux in Southern Lander – in Central Germany – began to strike against unprotected witchard residences in the countryside, and soon escalated the conflict to include kidnappings of magical children and attacks on hospitals.
Even more horrifying to the witchards was the fact that the werewolves started doing the unthinkable – appearing in front of mundanes and even recruiting them.
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Winter '15 - Spring '18
Hearthland Assaults
During the Winter of '15 the first reports of attacks on Witchard communities started to surface. As they grew in size and regularity authorities started to notice they all happened on or near full moons.
By the summer of '16 a major attack was attempted on Paris. Fortunately the attack was stopped, and multiple Weres were killed.
However, the skirmishes throughout the Hearthland Confluxes did not abate. The guerilla tactics proved extremely effective.
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Midsummer '19
Missing in the Mists
In height of summer of '19 the mists surrounding Avalon grew denser and deeper.
Eventually, the entire island seemed to vanish, becoming inaccessible to the outside world.
The disappearance of Avalon sent shockwaves through the European confluxes. Any and all attempts at contacting or reaching the Misty Isle have met with abject failure.
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Spring '20
Emergency Powers Granted
The Council of Regulators approach the Hearthland Confluxes with a plan to combat the growing Were menace.
The confluxes agree, and expanded authority is granted to the Council of Regulators.The Guardians move swiftly to impose limitations on the freedom of assembly, movement and speech by non-humans within the Hearthland Confluxes.
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Winter '21
War Declared
Responding to what is called "a systematic oppression of Weres" several terrorist groups, including The White Fangs, declare war on Witchard Society.
The Guardian Order responds by swiftly deploying units and troops along the Hearthland border.
What to Expect
WereWar differs from the classic College of Wizardry and Bothwell School of Witchcraft in several key ways. We’ve outlined these differences below.
Episode Plot
WereWar has a plot written by the organizers. Whilst each episode is self-contained, the actions of the players at one episode will affect what happens next. You will be able to play your character throughout the entire WereWar series, provided they survive.
Danger
Characters may be sent on quests through portals to other places. These quests can offer important information, magic, and great rewards, but some will be extremely perilous! At WereWar when you partake in dangerous quests or rituals there will be a very real risk of your character dying. At other CoW larps, you can choose whether or not your character should die; at WereWar the choice is made for you. Actions have consequences. This time, if you choose to summon a demon at midnight, the outcome will be out of your hands
Persistence
WereWar will offer a cast of persistent supporting characters you can get to know as friends, or as rivals. They have their own stories and objectives and will involve you in them. Their fates, like those of your characters, will be determined in play.
The Team
Thomas Mertz
Lead Producer, Chapter Three
Laura Sirola
Assistant Producer, Casting and Characters
Karolina Fairfax
Head of Cast, Chapter Three
Simon Brind
Story Lead, Chapter Three
John Shockley
Lore Writer
Maja Małecka
Location Manager, Chapter Three
