Pioneering Larp Safety and Studies: Sarah Bowman

Sarah Bowman is one of the writers of Enlightenment in Blood. She's the author of the book The Functions of Role-Playing Games and a pioneer in the field of larp safety. Check out her website here

In this short interview, Sarah talks about her relationship with Vampire: the Masquerade and the World of Darkness.

What are the qualities in the World of Darkness that appeal to you?

My original exposure to larp was Vampire, which drew me in because of the concepts of immortality and its subsequent effects on the psyche. How does immortality affect relationships? Life goals? Spirituality? The elements of World of Darkness that are most interesting to me involve issues of metaphysics. If someone is able to affect reality on such a profound level - whether socially, politically, or supernaturally - how does that impact their view of their own role in the universe?

In Vampire, the questions of Humanity and the search for Golconda -- for vampiric Enlightenment - were always of utmost intrigue for me. In Werewolf, this notion of devotion to a dying earth and connection to the spiritual realm, as well as group communal rituals and values are fascinating.

I like that the World of Darkness takes intimacy into account with regard to romantic relationships. The vampiric blood bond has always struck me as an excellent metaphor for addictive, codependent relationships. In Mage, the more you grow in power, often the less you feel connected to the more mundane facets of life, including important relationships with other people. So, this notion that one must choose whether or not to prioritize a more localized consciousness with ties to the external society or to expand their consciousness and potentially isolate themselves from others is a fascinating dichotomy.

How did you first encounter the World of Darkness?

I was invited to my first larp - a Vampire Mind's Eye Society game - at 19. I had done online fantasy role-playing, but was not previously exposed to the World of Darkness. I was extremely interested in theatre and improv at the time, so the idea of portraying a character all night was appealing. I ended up playing long-running Vampire and Mage larp and tabletop Chronicles off and on since then, including running larps and online forums myself. I have since tried many different styles of role-playing, but play in a local Hidden Parlor chapter occasionally.

I am delighted at the recent developments in the juxtaposition of Nordic style with Vampire, including End of the Line, the Polish run of Convention of Thorns, and now Enlightenment in Blood, as I prefer a high immersion, low mechanics style, but still love many of the themes of World of Darkness.

What's interesting about working in Enlightenment in Blood from your perspective?

The game is fascinating on many levels. First, Enlightenment in Blood is a pervasive game that features several in-game locations across the city of Berlin. Pervasive in this context means that characters will interact in public spaces, often with non-players around. The World of Darkness is particularly conducive to this style of larp, as many of the supernatural beings must hide their true nature from the rest of society. The idea of being able to explore the nightlife of a city while engaging with a sprawling fictional narrative is exciting.

From a design perspective, as I mentioned before, I'm thrilled by the emphasis on challenging existing paradigms and seeking Enlightenment. My favorite larp scenes have generally involved some mixture of romance, philosophical discussion, and metaphysical exploration. I was pleased to be able to add some of these elements to Enlightenment in Blood and hopefully help carve space for players who also enjoy that sort of game to have some quality interactions.