After the Invasion: Endgame Earth

Endgame takes place in the near future of our modern Earth. History in Endgame Earth is essentially identical to that of the real world, up until May, 2006. During that fateful month, the barriers that kept magic at bay are swept aside, and Earth is invaded by several races of monstrous alien creatures, all hostile to humanity. With the magic, mental arts, and advanced science they brought with them, they swept human defenses aside, killed or enslaved the vast majority of us, and fell to fighting amongst themselves over the ruins of our civilization.

By the time play starts, in the Endgame year of 2008, nothing is what it once was. The landscape and even the calendar are in flux, and the physical laws that we took for granted apply only often enough to trip us up when they vanish. Civilization as we knew it is gone, and most free humans struggle just to survive. Only a few brave souls in the Resistance work to rid the world of the monsters that have stolen it from us. Players take on the roles of some of these heroic individuals, and they work to solve the mystery of how this has all happened, and how it can be put right.

Heroic Horror?

While the world of Endgame is one of fear and horror, the atmosphere is not intended to be hopeless. Normal people have little hope of fighting the creatures that have come to inhabit the Earth, but with resolve, the right tools, and maybe a bit of alien magic, the players have a chance to change things for the better. Bad things are likely to happen to good people, but players should be able to expect a continuing cast of characters, as opposed to the sort of high body count you'd find in a slasher film.

Examples of this type of horror in the media are the Brendan Fraser version of "The Mummy" and its sequel, the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series, and many works by Stephen King, such as "Black House" or the "Dark Tower" series. You can find more examples in our Resources section.

Ethical Concerns

The people of Endgame Earth have gone through, and are continuing to experience, massive change and suffering. They are desperate, and in this sort of situation, custom and morality tend to drop far down a person's list of priorities.

That said, the players of Endgame are intended to be a cut above normal people. They are heroes, and they may be humanity's best hope of survival. The Endgame campaign will be the story of their efforts to do what's right. Now, this is not to say that staff will force anyone to create a "good" character, or control anyone's actions. It does mean that staff's efforts will do toward writing a story in which people can be heroic. Anyone not willing to work for the good of humanity, or at least go along for the ride with those who are, might not enjoy the game very much. We make no apologies for this, and are doing it quite intentionally. It's difficult enough to create an engaging world and series of storylines for heroes, without trying to accommodate villains as well. People who want to fight other players, or enjoy sabotaging the efforts of the majority, might find a different LARP more to their liking. If any player character is caught betraying humanity or acting against the players, staff will not mitigate the consequences, and they should not expect to be able to continue playing as that character merely because they are paying to play.

Religion in Endgame

Just as in our own, modern Earth, there are a variety of religious faiths on Endgame Earth. Players may play characters that follow any of the faiths, philosophies, or belief systems of our Earth. Humans, when confronted by alien evil in the form of the Invaders, have let their old religious differences go by the wayside. Players are prohibited from discriminating against other characters for reasons of religion, if a real life religion is involved. Players are free to have bias against characters following any game-world religions, such as the faith of the Dominator Invaders, or worship of alien Entities. Players are free to discuss their beliefs in game, but are asked not to proselytize. If anyone is uncomfortable or offended by a conversation on topics of faith, they are asked to either remove themselves from the conversation if convenient, so that it may go on without them, or to use the phrase "Let's not speak of such things." If this phrase is used, the conversation should either move on to other topics, or be taken elsewhere to prevent discomfort on the part of the speaker.

Fun and Sportsmanship

The purpose of this game is for the participants to have fun, including not only the players, but staff as well. This may not always be realistic, but it's what we're aiming for.

Endgame staff will attempt to accomplish this by telling an engaging, entertaining story that the players can participate in and influence. This story and its fun value are the most important part of Endgame.

It is the responsibility of all people involved in the game, staff and players alike, to make a reasonable effort to see that other people are able to enjoy themselves. If you are staffing an event, please remember that you are there to entertain the players. If you are playing, please keep in mind that the staff are volunteering their services to make the event possible and fun for you, and give them due consideration for this. Players who consistently cause problems or friction to the detriment of other people's fun, whether they are breaking the letter of the rules or not, may be asked to leave.