What is From the Ashes?

From the Ashes is a high-immersion live-action roleplaying game of magic, society-building, and uncovering lost knowledge. It consists of a series of 6 afternoon-long events spread across 6 weekends.

Where and when is the next run?

Where: A beautiful cabin in the woods in Warren, MA.

When: Summer 2017, spread across six Saturdays: 7/15, 7/22, 8/12, 8/26, 9/9, and 9/23.

Can I play this game having played Dogmas?

Yes.

Can I later play Dogmas (assuming it runs ever) if I have played this game?

Yes.

How does the game work? What do I actually do in the game?

A month before Ashes, you will receive a character background describing your story up to the point the game begins. This will include the story of your character's life thus far, as well as the history of the kingdom you live in and any groups you are part of.

Before the first session of the game, you'll have time to interact with a few of the other characters you know (by email or in person). You'll also be able to take some actions before game starts. You can costume for your role. (You'll receive guidance for costuming, which is optional but encouraged.)

When the time of the first session comes, you'll walk into game as your character, and for that afternoon everything you do is what your character does. Perhaps you'll negotiate with others over the future of your community, or perhaps you'll sneak off into the woods to perform a secret ritual. Perhaps you'll explore labyrinthine ruins, cast a powerful spell, or get into a heated argument about the will of the gods. (We will have ways of simulating things you cannot actually do, such as fighting and spellcasting, without disrupting the flow of the story.)

A year of in-game time will elapse between each in-person session; you'll choose how your character uses the time between the annual gatherings at Temesvar. At the next session, you'll once again walk into game, greet acquaintances, and work to advance your goals and face whatever comes next.

Not all characters necessarily come to every gathering. We're prepared to customize this for player availability, including writing characters who only visit once or twice (but will still play important parts in the story).

As with any good series, the game sessions will both have individual episodic stories and contribute to a building arc-plot. When it's over, whether your character fared well or not, you'll come away with exciting tales to tell.

I've played a lot of LARPs before - what makes Ashes different?

Ashes is foremost a high-immersion game. This has several consequences that may affect your enjoyment of the game.

We have constructed a highly detailed world (the same world as our previous game Dogmas of the Stormy Past is set in). Your character background will be extensive, and if you have a question about the world of Ashes not covered in this background, we probably have an answer.

The highly detailed world includes an elaborate magic system that has been described as a cross between programming and poetry. Investigation of the workings of magic will be a major theme of the game, and every character in Ashes will have the opportunity to learn and use magic, should they choose.

We stay away from out-of-character mechanics (things like solving a sudoku to simulate picking a lock). When you want to stab an enemy, you pull out your boffer and stab them. When you want to interpret some magical writing, you stare at it and try to interpret it.

Production values are fairly high. We will run the game in a nice-looking space with woods. Everything in the game is represented by a physical prop, not a piece of paper.

Who is involved with this?

Matthew Ambler, Eli Bogart, David Farhi, Kevin Gold, Casey McNamara, and Adam Yedidia are the writers of this game, with consultation and props by Reuben Aronson. You can reach us at from-the-ashes@garhdony.com.