What To Play?

Anything at all!

Whilst as a Faction there are certain preconceptions about play style and ethos, but as with any faction (or even real world country), the Tarantulas are made up of a wide variety of characters and players who all have their own unique and varied views. Whilst the traditional image of the Tarantulas would usually lean towards "dark" and "evil", we have many characters that would buck that trend and we are delighted they do so. A breadth of views and opinions keeps the game interesting and the opportunities presented in trying to convince others of a view point can provide some of the best roleplay experiences possible, so we always enjoy seeing new characters and players that may be different to what we're used to.

Whilst we are from an out-of-character perspective fully accepting of any play style, please be aware that "lighter" or "good" play styles may not have the smoothest IC experience. Whilst we welcome people playing those sort of roles (it would be pretty boring if we all agreed with each other, all the time!), we can appreciate that sort of gameplay may not be for everyone's taste.

When it comes to selecting a race, the doors are still open. The Underdark is a hostile place, and is often a home of last resort for the desperate. Any number of races have found their way into the Underdark, driven underground by war, hiding from the ravages of natural disasters, some are even the horrors that stalk the tunnels preying on those foolish enough to enter. The Drow are the iconic race of the Tarantulas, however it is in no way required. The only common part is that most races come to the underdark out of some form of desperation and drive to survive, and their mindsets - even if generations removed from that event - usually reflect that survival instinct.

The Underdark is controlled, in a very loose term of control, by the Drow. The Drow were driven underground during a war with other elves that happened many thousands of years ago. Since being driven underground, an empire grew and they stretched to cover and control most of the habitable sections of the Underdark. Due to the enormous scale of the Underdark, the sections between these habitable areas are largely uncontrollable, giving rise to many small groups, creatures and a wide array of interesting threats. 

Character Creation

Lorien Trust Races

With the above in mind, you've most likely come here looking for help, advice and guidance on creating your first character with the Tarantulas, or possibly even your first ever LARP character. So for some practical advice.

The Lorien Trust has a predefined list of races it allows to be played, although it is not exhaustive and many other races will simply be played as a subset or deviation of another race. Every standard race is currently represented in the Tarantulas, and many of the lammie supported races are as well!

So what to pick? Here are some of the most common choices.

Drow

If you speak to any of our players, it wont take long before the suggestion of Drow comes up. The faction is based upon the idea of an old Drow Empire. Drow within the faction will typically come from a Drow House or group. Whilst the faction is no longer exclusively ruled by Drow, the heritage and background allows for a lot of roleplay opportunities.

As of the latest version of the Rules (v4) the use of block black or brown makeup is not allowed within Lorien Trust events. This change has a significant impact on the look of Drow, whose makeup was traditionally a solid black base with white hair. Feel free to contact us or join our discord or facebook page to discuss further. 

Drow is typically portrayed as dark blue/grey/purple skinned with white hair and pointed ears. However there is no minimum phys-rep within the Lorien Trust.

Playing Drow is a very make up intensive choice, and that naturally isn't for everyone. However there are a lot of roleplay opportunities afford by playing Drow, thanks to the rich and unique background they have at Lorien Trust. It is worth noting that whilst you may be familiar with Drow from other fantasy sources, twenty plus years of living history have shaped the Drow within the Lorien Trust in their own unique way, whilst still holding many of the typical ideas of Drow.

Dark Elf

Whilst still a subset of Drow, Dark Elves tend to vary in having no make-up and ear tips. Groups of mixed Drow and Dark Elves are rare.

Human

We've all got a little experience at being human, making it an obvious choice. 

If you want to read more about the races of the underdark click here

Groups

Many groups in the Tarantulas are styled as Drow Households, led by an "Ilharess". This of course is only any good if you intend to be playing Drow, so of course isnt the only common option. There is a great deal of history regarding Drow and Elven clans, with many households able to trace their lineage to their ancestral roots. Most groups within the Tarantulas will have a lineage following a clan of dark elves.

The non-drow groups are often styled as mercenary groups or packs that have sworn service either to another household or the faction itself. It is common for groups, packs, or tribes to form in a effort of mutual protection from the harshness of the Underdark.

These are of course only suggestions, and we welcome any group style you can imagine!

We do recommend that any new group contacts This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can help any worries you might have, and help provide any background you may need for your chosen style. We do like to see every group given an opportunity to be involved with plots affecting the Tarantulas and the Underdark, and this is often the first step of integrating you into the faction. 

Ancestors

Within the Lorien Trust, and certainly within the Tarantulas, "The Ancestors" is a phrase you will hear often. So what do we mean by it? The most simple explanation as to what an Ancestor is would be somebody that was so loved by the people of Erdreja, or even Erdreja herself, that they became immortalised and saved from death, although certainly no longer alive. 

Whilst every faction has Ancestors, they are a fundamental part of life in the Tarantulas, and a little of that story is needed to really understand it.

Once upon a time.... Lothiriel was the leader of the Illythiri elves, and one of the most revered people upon all of Erdreja. Whilst performing the ritual of gazing to talk to Erdreja, Lothiriel was betrayed and killed by Evron Satuun. All the elves felt the loss of Lothiriel and a great period of mourning was held. However, so revered was Lothiriel, that Erdreja felt her death too, and rather than let her be lost forever, Erdreja created a plane for Lothiriel to continue to exist on, and she became the first Ancestor.

Centuries later, a number of elves wanted to end the period of mourning and to move forward. This outraged Lothiriels husband, and he lashed out at the head of the council in Lothiriels name, striking him a mortal blow. As he called out, Lothiriel granted him her power, and the first Incantation was cast, as was the first Harming blow.

War soon followed. On one side, the elves who felt this new power was dangerous and should be forgotten. On the other, the "dark" elves who wanted to preserve Lothiriels memory, and master her new power. Eventually, the "dark" elves were forced into the Underdark and later became the Drow. 

Over many centuries Lothiriel continued her sacrifices in death, allowing herself to be changed and corrupted to allow the changes to the Drow that enabled them to survive within the Underdark. These corruptions culminated as Lolth, and the focus of all Drow society.

Please bear in mind that this is a very simplified and abbreviated version of the history!

This split led to the formation of the Tarantulas and the Underdark, and as such is the reason why the Ancestors are front and centre amognst our concerns, as the majority of those that call the Underdark home are descended from those that chose to follow Lothiriel's memory. 

Lothiriel later became Lolth, who is the head of the Dark Elven pantheon. The other ancestors of the Tarantulas are made up of the leaders of the clans that followed Lothiriel's memory. Like other factions, each ancestor stands for something a little different, has their own aims and mindsets but will typically all show a certain reverence and loyalty to Lolth. Despite the Tarantulas "dark" image, we even have an ancestor of singing and dancing - just please don't tell anyone!

Leadership

Throne Room of Do'bluthe
Sketch by Anders Willhelm

The Tarantulas are led by a Val'sharess, this title is akin to Empress but is also held with a faith based gravitas. The Val'sharess will often have two advisors who are authorised to speak in her place on very select subjects. These three positions are typically held the faction NPC's.

Below this, the Val'sharess will select a number of people to fill certain expert roles, and act has her go to for expert information on those chosen subjects. These roles will often be similar across other factions and may hold title's such as High Mage or War Commander. Any of these roles are available to players.

Following the traditions of the Drow Empire each region of the Underdark is ruled by the dominant group, and rules with complete autonomy on all local matters, however must answer to the Val'sharess on any matter she requests. That sort of intereferance is rare, and typically a group or house would be left to have total control over their lands.

For more information on our current leadership, please read: Leadership of the Tarantulas

The Underdark

The Tarantulas make their home in the subterrenean empire known as the Underdark. 

This network of natural tunnels, caves and caverns is known to expand across all of Erdreja, however the Tarantulas are only able to control small pockets of it under the Heartlands. The tunnels themselves are known to regularly collapse, whilst new tunnels open elsewhere; For this reason the Underdark is considered to be constantly shifting, and any map of the Underdark is unreliable at best.

Naturally this makes navigating the Underdark perilous and is not an endaevour that is ever undertaken lightly. Most people that have braved the depths of the Underdark do so out of desperation. With nothing left in front of them, they turned to the deep to find some small hope of salvation.

The Underdark is as vast and changable as the surface, and even features a large number of rivers and lakes (although some are comprised of lava rather than water), with most regions having their own cultural stylings - often owing to the surface lands influences.

Of course the scale and volatility of the Underdark aren't the only risk's. Many of the most horific creatures on Erdreja make their home in the Underdark, and the perils of facing such creatures around every corner make the Underdark a place only for the desperate, the bold or the foolhardy.

History

Thanks to the expansive history of the Lorien Trust game, there is over 20 years worth of in game history that just keeps growing! Whilst this makes for a very rich and live game world, it is very difficult to try and document. We are constantly trying to update the history and bring as much of this huge gameworld into your hands.

Booking & Arriving at an Event

By now you've likely started to get some ideas, and maybe starting to get excited about the opportunites of playing within the Lorien Trust world, so where do you go next?

Booking

Well the first obvious step is getting yourself booked for the events! Of course there are multiple events, and if you're just starting out you may not want to commit to doing all four main events, so how do you pick?! 

Spring Moot - This is the first event of the year. This event tends to build up a little slower, as for many it is the first time they've attended an event in 6 months, and dusting off the cobwebs can take a little while.

Great Erdrejan Fayre - This event is a little unusual. The primary focus for this event is a wide array of games designed to make use of as many character and occupational skills as possible, and in the most interesting ways they can. This event tends to feature less combat, and is the only one of the four that does not allow for Ritual's.

Summer Moot - This event is often referred to as the short moot. Whilst the dates of events are changeable, this event typically doesnt fall on a bank holiday weekend, meanig it only runs Friday to Sunday. The side effect of this is it tends to have slightly lower attendance, however the days are still just as action packed!

Gathering - This is the biggest event of the four and draws both the biggest crowds and the most activity. It is the highlight of the Lorien Trust year, featuring the best opportunites for large scale combat, powerful rituals and all manner of roleplay.

All of these events can be booked at www.lorientrust.com with discounts for booking early and for booking multiple events.

Sanctioned Events

You might have noticed a distinction of four main events, during the year there are many smalled events known as Sanctioned Events. These events are run throughout the year by the various smaller teams that help make Lorien Trust events possible. These events are typically 3 days long, and cater for 50 to 100 people, running from smaller independant sites. 

The best way to find these events is via your chosen faction or guild, unfortunately there is no single source for them. The events run by the Tarantula Faction can be found at http://events.tarantulafaction.com.

Arrival

You've got your ticket, you've prepared your character kit, and you're ready to dive into the action. What next?

The exact layout for each event can vary each year, according to weather & ground conditions so you should always refer to your booking pack for more information, but as a rough outline...

When you arrive at the site there are a number of tents set up to sign you into the event and check any weapons or armour for safety. This step can be a little time consuming, but is for your own benefit. Nobody enjoys finding chunks of the weapon being torn out on poor quality armour!

From here, there will be a site map showing where each faction is camped, and the check in staff will be happy to direct you if your'e struggling orientating yourself with the map.

Once you arrive at your chosen faction, it will be outlined by a blue nylon rope. Some factions split their camping areas, prioritising In Character themed tents towards the front of the camp. These tents often provide some sense of disguise for plastic tents and can help keep the world more thematic. If you are unsure how the camps are laid out, heading further back into the camp is usually a safe bet, although asking around your faction won't hurt either!

If you're driving to the event, vehicles are often allowed onto the camping fields, but is dependant on the weather. When you are permitted, you only allowed 30 minutes to drop off your kit at the camp before moving your car to the designated car parks.

Let's Go!

You've picked a race, your character and your faction. You've set up your tent, and you're ready to get stuck in!

There are a few last bits of information that are useful for new players, namely what should you expect to find around the event.

Traders & Food Vendors

Lorien Trust events have a number of third party traders that operate at the events. There is a dedicated section for food vendors as well as a fully licensed bar. There is also a regular array of LARP traders offering a range of goods to help further your hobby. Specific traders at events may vary between events

Toilets & Showers

There are a number of portable toilets around each camp, with blocks near major thoroughfares. There are also more accessible toilets as well as showers available near Event Support. All the toilets are cleaned repeatedly during the day, however should you encounter a problem please let your faction security team, or event support know and they will arrange for it be resolved.

Event Support, Security & First Aid

With luck, you'll never need to visit any of these three locations, but its worth being aware of them. All three of these tents are kept together close to the main set piece and have signs outside each.

The Lorien Trust keep a staff of highly trained first aiders available at all times, should they be needed.

Security & Event Support are there to ensure your event runs smoothly.

Games Control

This tent is your primary port of call for anything regarding your character. Whether you want to learn new skills, change existing skills or are unfortunate enough to need a new character, this is the place to go. 

Monster Room

The Lorien Trust relies on players volunteering a small portion of their event to provide the monster roles for the rest of the game world. Whilst they ask factions to do so at particular times, they are always keen for extra monsters and always have roles available. 

If you should require one, this is also the best place to locate a Referee or Marshal.