Split Worlds Masked Ball FAQ

If you have a question that hasn't been answered below, please drop us a line through the contact form (link at the top of this page).

Logistics

Where is the ball being held?
The Guildhall, Bath on May 7th, 2016.

What time does it start?
The day time programme (for standard and VIP ticket holders) starts at 11am. The Masked Ball (for all ticket holders) starts at 7pm.

What time does it finish?
We plan to time-out at midnight.

Will I be able to get changed at the venue?
Yes, we will have dedicated changing areas.

Will there be any food provided?
There will be an afternoon tea provided for standard and VIP ticket holders. Canapes and soft drinks will be provided for all ticket holders at the Masked Ball. We have scheduled in time for people to go and get lunch and dinner, along with time for people to change into mundane clothes if they want to before going outside. However, this being Bath, there are often people gadding about in period costume for events so you may not feel the need to, and no doubt there will be lots of us getting food together.

What if I want to buy more than one ticket?
Simply click on the PayPal button for the type of ticket you want. On the first PayPal page that loads after that, you'll have the option to change quantities on the left hand side.

What if I am buying a ticket as a present for someone else?
Well, you are a lovely person! If you are absolutely sure they would want this, simply let us know the ticket is for someone else in the "Add special instructions for the seller" box of your order form when you buy the ticket. PLEASE INCLUDE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS AND MAKE IT CLEAR IT IS A GIFT – we need to get in touch with them very shortly after purchase to start character generation. If the ticket is a surprise present, we can delay this until you have told them, but the latest we can delay is Christmas, as we need to tailor our plot lines to the characters.

Will I be able to take photographs?
Modern cameras are not in keeping with the setting, so not in the in-game areas, but we do want everyone to have the chance to get pictures of themselves and each other all dressed up. We have arranged for two specialist LARP photographers to take pictures of people all evening, including posed portraits at the start of the event, and they'll be available for everyone to view afterwards.

Roleplaying

What on earth is live role playing?
It's like a improvisational drama without an audience, but so much more than that. A group called Profound Decisions run a LARP called Empire, and here's how they describe live role playing: http://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Introduction_to_LRP

Do I need to read the books first if I want to roleplay in this game?
I think you will have a much more enjoyable experience if you do! The ball is set after the end of the third novel, All Is Fair, and all three books need to be read in order. And of course, the game itself will form one giant spoiler of doom as players will know the events leading up to the ball.

What kind of characters will the players be?
Players are going to be members of the fae-touched Great Families, the ones who live in the Nether and have Fae patrons. In the books, Cathy and Will are two of the main characters who are Fae-touched, so it's the kind of life they have. Several of the Great Families will be represented at the ball and a small number of characters from the books will be played by NPCs/DPCs (non-player characters and directed player characters) for players to interact with. Each player's preferences (as given to us in the questionnaire sent out to ticket holders) will be taken into account and a character assigned to them accordingly. For example, if a player explicitly asks to be a character in a position of authority and leadership, they will likely be the head of a branch of a family.

Can I ask to be a particular character from the book?
If it is one of the major characters (like Will or Cathy), then the answer is no. If it is a more minor character mentioned in the books, the answer will probably be no, but there is a space in the questionnaire for requests and you should feel free to ask. There are several reasons the answer is probably no: some characters are very popular and there is no fair way to pick one player over another to be them on the night; those key characters would have very strict behaviour and plot guidelines on the evening, which may negatively impact your enjoyment of the event; and also, not all book characters will be there for in-game, in-world and plot reasons.

Alternatively, think about what aspect of this character you were looking forward to playing – their personality, their connections, their storyline – and let us know, so even if we can’t give that specific character, we can try to include those features in the creation of your own original new character.

Okay then, can I ask to have a particular relationship to one of them?
Yes, but again, it isn't guaranteed – for example, if you are desperate to play a major character's secret lover who has never appeared or been mentioned in the books, they may simply not exist for good reasons. The game is set in an established world that has many layers not explicitly described (yet!) in the novels, so by all means ask – you might get your wish! – but please understand that it might not be possible for reasons I cannot explain without major spoilers.

Can I ask to be in a particular family?
Yes! Again, some families are likely to be requested more than others, so we can't guarantee you will be able to be in that family, but tell us in the request section of the questionnaire and we will do our best to accommodate you.

I will be attending with friends/partners. Can we be in the same family / be married in game / have interconnected plot / a dramatic rivalry?
We love this sort of thing and there's a dedicated space for it on the first page of the player questionnaire! Tell us who the players are and how you'd like to be connected and we will do our very best to accommodate your desires.

I love the books, but I don't want to role play? Do I have to?

Not at all! If you just want to dress up and enjoy a masked ball set in the Split Worlds novels, you can get a 'mundane' ticket, but please do appreciate that an immersive live roleplaying game will be taking place so we would ask you to be aware of that and not do anything that could jeopardise the atmosphere for the players. We will send out guidelines on this closer to the event. On the other hand, if you don’t want to roleplay simply because you’re not confident with it/don’t think you’ll be good at it, let us know and we’ll attempt to put your fears to rest! Roleplaying is really very simple and very fun, and we think everyone would enjoy having a go.

Who is running the game?
The author, Emma Newman and Katie Logan. Both are experienced live RPG GMs. Emma has experience of running weekly large scale games (approx 70 players) with a team of GMs and Katie has played in, crewed and GM’d a variety of LARPs all over the country. Katie also runs the Ladies Who LARP Tumblr.