Role-playing game popular among vampires

A vampire pretends to be a corporate vice-president introducing the new "values statement" of his company.

Game helps vampires learn about average humans

By Reporter X

Lord Zephan has been a vampire for over 150 years.  Most of that time spent in Chicago.  He survived the Great Chicago Fire.  In the 1920s, he ruled over the Chicago mob families, and when crime bored him, he brought down Capone.   His political influence is so great, that he has personally selected all of Chicago's mayoral candidates since 1950.  Since the 1970s, he has controlled all of Chicago's mainstream media outlets.  As the seventh oldest vampire in Chicago, few things stir his cold soul.  Nothing that is, except for the exploits of his human character in a role-playing game. 

"My customer service character just got a three percent pay raise!"  He says as his face glows with a happiness rarely seen in decades.

While humans have been playing vampires in controversial live action role-playing games, this reporter has learned that vampires have started their own human role-playing games.  The games have quickly become the biggest vampire past time in Chicago since the creation of Goth bars.  Once a week, vampires take over a skyscraper floor and pretend to be workers at a major corporation.  Their characters must struggle to survive as they fight their way up the corporate ladder.

The games started in 2006 shortly after three "LARPers" were turned into vampires.  The LARPers soon realized that being a vampire wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"Dude, being a vampire sucks!"  Said Jason Lee, head storyteller of the human game.  "You can't have sex any more, you only want to meet humans to drink their blood, and the older vampires always pick on you.  I feel like I'm in high school, and freshman year actually lasts a century!"

Lee says the other LARPers decided to start their own role-playing game to remind themselves of what it was like to be mortal.  After customizing the rules from their old game, they started to play their human LARP.  To their surprise, other vampires took an interest in their game.

"It was kind of tough at first, because the older vampires would try to cheat.  We tried putting a maximum age limit on our games, but then they got mad.  Eventually I had to give the vampire Overlord my heart, and in return he ruled that no one could cheat in our game.  Let me tell you, it really hurt, but it was worth it."

Lee thinks that there two reasons why LARP has become so popular among vampires.  First, it gives players an opportunity to remember what it was like to be a human.  Many vampires, he says, regret becoming a monster, and long for the simple days of being human.  Second, Lee thinks that vampires like to have challenges that they can't solve with their supernatural powers.  An average vampire can read someone's mind, run at close to the speed of sound, and can throw a car.  They can solve almost any problem with these powers.  As a mortal, however, they have to actually think their way out of a problem.

Mistress Dominique, a vampire for 100 years, likes the challenge of playing a human.

"I can use my powers of sexuality to lure any man that I want."  She said.  "When I tried that with my human characters, I always kept failing my pregnancy tests.  So now my current character has a college education, and she can actually do the jobs she's hired for.  Not only that, but she meets characters that are attracted to her intelligence.  It kind of makes you think doesn't it."

Blood Wolf, a feral vampire, feels that the game gives him empathy towards humans.

"Once I demanded that a CEO sacrifice 100 employees to me.  I couldn't understand why he was so horrified by my request.  Now I understand why.  Not only that, I now know that it's better to have the CEO organize a blood drive ever three months.  That way he doesn't feel like I'm a monster, and in the long run I get a stable source of blood.  The game helped me see humanity in a new light."

Lee says that some vampires still try to cheat or exploit flaws in the rules.  Though with the backing of the Overlord's enforcers, the storytellers are able to effectively deal with them.

This reporter witnessed an exchange between Lee and a vampire trying to exploit the rules.

Lee:  Your character can't go from being a janitor to Chief Accounting Officer!  You're at a chance pull just to balance a checkbook!

Pug:  Yes he can.  My character has maxed out his intimidation skill, plus he has the bulging muscles and intimidating stare merits.  So right there, it would be next to impossible for the CEO to say no when I demand to be promoted.  

Lee:  But—

Pug:  Not wait a minute!  This corporation is an equal opportunity corporation.  My character is Hispanic.  Not only does he have to consider my application, but he is also down five traits on his pull to resist me.  Then you add the bonuses from my professionally written resume.  I am so far up on him that he has no choice but to hire me!

Lee:  But it doesn't work that way in real life!  A janitor with no college degree and no relevant experience cannot barge in on a CEO and expect to get promoted to the board of directors.  It just doesn’t happen.

Pug:  I don't care about real life!  I'm following the rules, and rules say that there is no way I can't not be promoted to the board!

Lee:  Well I say you're wrong and that your intimidation attempt fails.  That's my ruling.

Pug:  But it clearly says—

At this point, the Overlord's enforcer pounds Pug's head into his chest in a second.

Enforcer:  The word of the Storyteller is final.  To defy the storyteller is to defy the Overlord!

Pug:  (Pulls his head out.)  OK.

Lee hopes to spread his LARP to other vampire controlled cities.  Someday he would like to see vampires from all over the world gather in Chicago to play his game.

"It's funny.  When I played a vampire, I got to travel all over the country to meet other players.  As a real vampire, I'm stuck in Chicago.  Maybe my game will change that."

|

Please note: All stories and characters on this web site are works of fiction.