Throne and Blade

Mind controlled warriors who can destroy whole armies battle for the safety and glory of their controllers. Those controllers manage the affairs of their competing states on the eve of war and technological revolution.

Long Description

I am the blade in thy hand. Set me to war and see thine enemies cut down. Keep me at thy side and be secure against all harm. Have me in ceremony and see thyself glorified in the eyes of all around thee.

It has been 400 years since the dawn of the reign of Thrones. When once power was held in grip of monarchs with their knights or popular assemblies supported by the pike and arquebus, that old world was upended when a strange power emerged that allowed one person to bestow immense strength and speed to another to do their bidding. Those who could grant such powers to others are now called Thrones, and those they grant power are their Blades. The power of Blades was such that they could defeat whole regiments of soldiers with cannons and horses in a matter of hours with a single sword. They could traverse the continent in just days. Soon, the control and development of then nascent states was firmly in the personal control of Thrones, who now saw one another as their competition. Wars between the newformed Dominions were often preamble to duels between rival Blades that shook the earth around them.

Then, my blade, take up the power I grant, but know always that it is my will that thou dost, and not thine own.

On bended knee, a Blade receives power and swears their oaths. A Blade serves one Throne and a Throne keeps one Blade. The power granted by a Throne also grants that Throne a great deal of influence over the mind of the Blade, able to shape and change memory and personality. Blades are made loyal and made devoted to the Throne they serve, shaped and molded to be as best suits their Throne’s desires and needs. In wartime, Blades are sent out on dangerous tasks and fight with swords at the heads of whole armies of regular troops for the sake of their Throne who watches the battle from afar, still closeby enough that the Blade might rush to their aid in an instant. In these days of the Long Century, war now is a rare thing, for Thrones have developed a sense of courtesy and decorum and compete as much in status as they do by force of arms. When they need to prove who would win some war, a friendly duel between Blades in their finest uniforms suffices to determine relative strength and settle things without bloodshed. They cooperate so well that the whole of the continent–its people, the fruits of their labor, the technology they devise–now lies in the grip of the Thrones. But the careful balancing and court diplomacy that they have long practiced seems unable to match the crises of the moment.

I shall keep thee safe and win thee honors.

The Thrones and Blades have gathered for one of their lavish balls to play status games, but all know the weight of recent days will occupy the minds of all present.

An upstart Throne has killed a beloved and mighty Throne. The orphaned Blade was taken up by her Throne’s killer, and the power of the slain Throne now lies unclaimed…

New technologies–guns with threaded barrels that fire great distances, artillery pieces that fire across whole battlefields–threaten to render the defenses that Blades offer ineffective even as they allow for new lands untouched by continental hands to be conquered…

And, at the last lavish gathering of Thrones, a Blade suddenly turned on his Throne, nearly killing her before being stopped. Tonight’s ball is at the estate of that injured Throne, whom none have seen since her injury months ago…

And I shall keep thee.

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Throne and Blade is a 6 hour larp for 11 players about control, power, violence, devotion, and care. Players should be warned that every player character in the game is either doing elaborate mind control or manipulation on another character or being controlled or manipulated by another character. The aesthetics of the character relationships are heavily romantically and sexually coded, and so often echo related themes of abuse. Additional content warnings include memory loss, survivor’s guilt, body horror, 19th century colonialism/imperialism, torture, hazing, and religious trauma.