Ill Winds: A Gathering Storm
Long Description
In ages past, the People of the Kingdom were mighty of knowledge and craft, with houses which reached to the sky and strange devices none now understand. In their arrogance, they took up the forbidden power of the Black Wind and struck out at Elhayim Beastlord, lord of the spirit world. In so doing they brought about their end, for as the Beastlord fell, the Jungle grew, and swallowed up the mighty Kingdom and its people in a single day. Now, the Jungle stretches from horizon to horizon, and the People live only in sheltered enclaves, each one warded against the encroaching wild by the power of their shamans. They struggle to survive in an uncaring world, each village isolated save for dangerous trips through the hostile wilderness. Each village is a tiny nation unto itself, with traditions and beliefs handed down through the harsh years, and each has its own special connection to the Dream World, the world of the spirits and of stories told and retold.
The people of the Great Oak Enclave are aware of how lucky they are. Sheltered from the worst of the Jungle's ravages by their guardian spirit, they are a strong and peaceful people. It is the night of First Greening, the end of the cruel winter and the start of the growing season. On this night, the spirits walk closer to the earth than usual, and even the least can hope for or fear their attention. It is a most propitious time for a marriage, and so the celebration of the wedding of their chieftain's son to a daughter of the proud Eagle Peak Enclave is an occasion for joy and good cheer. Even those who would ordinarily be turned away are welcome - at least officially - so as not to offend the spirits before the ceremony. Envoys from other villages are arriving to participate, to exchange gifts, to look for trade or marriage or pacts of protection. Despite the good cheer, there are those who are taking advantage of the general invitation to work for more personal ends - or perhaps even more important ones than the success of the marriage. The Star Singers have made their divinations, and predict that blessings and good fortune will flow from this marriage - provided nothing goes wrong. But in a world such as this, trouble can take many forms...
Ill Winds: A Gathering Storm will use a mostly-new system inspired by the 'powers work' model used to great effect in past ProCon LARPs such as Widening Gyre, modified for drama and setting with additions for quick and simple combat. While combat is probable in some cases, death is extremely unlikely, and most characters should have little need to fight.