To participate in the event it is necessary to:
- Being registered through official registration form
- Accept and obey Gimle Code of Conduct.
- Paid the fees.
- Dress up and act as a character that fits our world (genre)
- Do the three gimle quizzes (knowledge about mechanics and lore)
Gimle Code of Conduct
- Get familiar with all accessible information about Gimle Larp (on a website, fanpage, FB group, Discord).
- Respect Gimle rules and game mechanics.
- Apply Gimle Safety Design system (see below).
- Assume good intentions and be kind, even or especially to those who have different perspectives.
- Cherish diversity, be open and respectful for any kind of differences (eg. languages, traditions, identities, genders, ethnicities, sexualities, religious/political beliefs).a
- Expect a multilingual environment, but switch to the common tongue of Gimle (English) when other players ask you to.
- Foster networking and new connections, introduce people to each other.
- Listen actively, be clear and specific in your communication. Express your feelings and needs.
- Respect personal boundaries of all the participants of the event (players, organizers, NPCs).
- Remember about self-care (drink water, sleep enough, respect your own personal boundaries and needs).
- In justified cases, the organizers have the right to ask participants to leave the event (eg. disrespectful behavior) or act according to specific situations, (eg. in case of emergency or evacuation).
- At the event’s location it is forbidden to:
- use any kind of physical and psychological violence (towards players)
- use or be under influence of alcohol, drugs and/or any other psychoactive substances
- vape or smoke both traditional and electronic cigarettes in larp area and in the common spaces of the farm
- damage any part of the infrastructure, including equipment and other materials.
- litter or damage any part of the natural environment, living branches, streams, ponds etc.
- Personal data of the participants gathered during registration will be processed by Hastekasen Farm Association who is the legal host of the event (we do not spread to any third party except Sverok)
- The Gimle larp has a player association connected to Sverok giving the players an insurance and power over the grants from Sverok.
- Swedish law applies to all the participants during the whole duration of the event.
The Organizing and Safety Teams will be present non-stop throughout the event.
They can be asked for assistance and clarification for any guidelines of conduct.
General rules – our vision
Choose your own experience.
It is you who decides your own experience (and also lets others choose their own). No one should force anyone else to do anything. You should always be able to choose not to be exposed to e.g. magic, combat, touch, kidnapping, knocking unconscious, etc. Always give your (IN-game) opponent a choice to choose. Your character dies only if you decide to allow it.
What you see is what you get.
Gimle is low imagination or low fantasy meaning we only allow those fantasy expressions that can be convincingly embodied. In practice, this means we have limits on what fantasy races and magical abilities you can play.
Clearly definable groups.
Every player should belong to one of the groups and every group is required to have visual uniformity. Being a beginner-friendly LARP it is important to be able to quickly understand which group someone belongs to. This way each of the groups can also get intrigue, connected to the main narrative.
Plenty of battles.
We aspire to have plenty of opportunities for combat supported by a healing system (3-6 HP). Our healing times are short (1-3 hours) and fighting rules are fairly simple.
Player empowerment.
We value diversity – but with it comes responsibility. That is why we value transparency, appreciate managing expectations and have a safety system. Check the sections of Safety Design and Disclaimers (under Rules).
Immersion is key.
Gimle LARP lasts for 3 days and strives for all-around immersion. We prefer if most players sleep IN and are therefore always IN character. Besides the big IN area, we also have an extensive OFF area called “South” where you should go if you want to do anything that does not fit into our fantasy world.
Respective and inclusive community.
Our vision is a community based on mutual respect, consent, and inclusiveness in which players feel safe to play, experiment, be curious and explore. We are LGBTQ+ friendly. Feel free to experiment with with identity, but respect our genre: “medieval fantasy larp”
Informal rules
Do’s:
Play for flow – don’t end the scene too early, don’t blindly follow your objectives, rather adapt to what others are doing and go with the flow.
Play to lift – we are empowering the community so treat all players up to their roles – king as a king, merchant as a merchant.
Play to lose – rather than winning focus on creating an amazing scene that is consensual
Dont’s:
Don’t be an asshole. Be respectful, obey the code of conduct, read the content, respect what is in mechanics and lore, respect others, be attentive to what the larp is about.
Don’t be Swen with a sword: sebastian@arrandir.se
Don’t forget to ask for consent. Consent matters in every aspect of the game: poisoning, fighting, and touch.
In case of physical injury
We have at least one medical responsible (who will present him/herself at the main meeting). Come to the merchant or the red house to get hold of the person.
Shout for help if it is an ABC condition (breathing, bleeding, shock), otherwise, go to the “kitchen” in the main house and ask for help.
In Swedish we say “skarp skada” = “sharp injury”, meaning, it is a real injury, not acting.
- If you can, handle it in an IN way and “limp” out of the play area while still in character.
- If you get seriously hurt or see someone that needs medical attention – ask for help from the organizer.
The person from the organizing team will:
- Send someone to get the medic.
- Get hold of a phone.
- Maybe start calling 1177 and/or 112.
- Send someone for the stretcher if need be… If you know the person can be moved safely.
- Transport of the injured to the OFF area down to the red house.
Make sure someone from the organization is involved (takes charge).
If you are not needed in the caretaking, don’t stare, move away and keep larping.
If 112 decides it is an emergency – they will send an ambulance.
We keep our evacuation car for “life and death” situations.
Emotional safety
GIMLE SAFETY DESIGN
Trust
Role-playing, immersion, and alibi require a community of trust. In Gimle we want that our community members can trust each other, and that trust can happen when they are and feel safe, supported, and empowered.
Transparency of Content, Rules, and Vision – Matching the Expectations
Read the content-related information about Gimle, its rules and mechanics, disclaimers, larp pictograms, lore, storyline, religion, faction descriptions etc. Check if it suits you, it’s absolutely understandable that not every genre or rule must be liked. Choose consciously your own experience.
Tailored Empowerment
Gimle is a community-based larp, and we care and empower each other. We offer support with character creation, designing personal development goals, group bonding, pre-game workshops, de-rolling and debriefings after the game online bonding within the Gimle community (FB group, discord).
Safety System
Gimle has its own Safety and Calibration system which includes the Art of Asking – Consent Negotiation, signs for OFF, OK Check-In, regulating intensity with Palm up/down, and specific mechanics eg. for intimacy or fighting. During the game, we also have a Safety Team and Sanctuaries where players can find support. IN the game area a role of such a sanctuary plays Nanna’s Hut at the Academy, in the OFF area, it is a main red house at the farm. For rest, there is the whole OFF area at the farm including a fireplace, garden, joga circle.
SAFETY definition
Safety – a place and/or state of mind:
- necessary for someone to feel that they can open up, be vulnerable, take risks, and be supported and cared for as they do.
- where they can trust others to behave responsibly and to have a shared sense of responsibility for others and the shared space.
- that allows individual autonomy, mechanisms for individual needs to be met, and compassion for other individuals in Concert. (Sarah Lynne Bowman, Maury Brown, Johanna Koljonen)
And remember! Player care and safety are more important than the game.
Basic needs first – sleep enough, drink a lot of water, enjoy food, keep warm, tend to your own needs and respect your boundaries.
Become a Master of Art of Asking
Verbally or nonverbally (with signals and codes) IN or OFF, ask for the consent of the player to have anything happen to their character. We know that it can be awkward at the beginning but it’s a base for creating a community of trust.
Feeling Safe makes me brave!
Safety and calibration can spice up many scenes and increase immersion and satisfaction as players know that they can always opt-out or decrease intensity, which allows them to take risks, pick up conflicts, throw a tantrum, go berserk, try intimacy or overcome their fears in a safe space. It helps to get out of your comfort zone but with a guaranty of not ending up in a panic zone.
BLEED
It’s a phenomenon where a character’s traits affect the player out of the game and vice versa. It’s neither negative nor positive as it can cause various outcomes, for example in educational Larps controlled bleed may be used to enhance different competencies.
It is important to understand the nature of bleed as it can help us to design our character, its relations, and engagement in the game in a way that will suit us best, even empower and also avoid unwanted effects.
- BLEED IN happens when the feelings, emotions, attitudes, behaviors, and/or skills of the participant are transferred to the character. It may help participants to play their character as themselves as it is not as demanding as pretending to be somebody else (then we say that they play ‘close to home’). On the other hand, it may cause many misunderstandings, because the actions and motivations of the character may be perceived by other players as the attitude of the participant.
- BLEED OUT occurs when feelings, emotions, attitudes, behaviors, and/or skills of the character pass to the participant. For example, it happens when a shy player portrays a self-confident character and after the game believes more in themselves and can copy actions and decisions taken during larp in real-life. Bleed out may also trigger unwanted situations or negative aspects if during a larp there is a conflict or betrayal between characters and these negative emotions stay between players after the game. Or if a player was portraying a character with negative traits and some of their behaviors (eg. being mean, bossy, etc) stick to a player.
If you experience BLEED, especially negative and wish to talk to someone, please come to our SAFETY TEAM. We have experts in Non-Formal education, trainers, mentors, and coaches who are using Larps as empowering and educational tools and have lots of experience with dealing with it.
CALIBRATION
“Calibration means the many explicit and implicit ways that players have to negotiate playstyle, play intensity, and sometimes things like the genre.” Koljonen.
In other words, imagine dialing up/down, scaling, and fine-tuning.
TOOLS in Gimle for Calibration:
- NON-VERBAL:
- IN game: You may rise the intensify – PALMS UP (with a movement up),
- IN game: Decrease the intensity, calm down – PALMS DOWN (with a movement down)
- VERBAL:
- IN game: the word “CALM” – decrease the intensity, calm down
- OFF game NEGOTIATIONS of players of how they wish to interact with each other (Art of Asking)
ART OF ASKING – Consent Negotiations
We recommend consent negotiations in Gimle for any actions which may cause discomfort in other players. The Art of Asking can be used before and during the larp, to establish boundaries and permissions between two or more players included in the affair. Consent negotiations should increase safety and trust between players which later may help to create better play, intensify drama, intrigues and conflicts, and prevent bleed out.
We suggest using Art of Asking before romance and sexuality scenes, physical contact, staged fights, violence, kidnapping, throwing a tantrum, converting by force, bullying, using poison or other uncomfortable potions.
OPT-IN/OPT-OUT
This is your adventure, you choose the experience which you want to go through. You may always decide not to participate in a scene or an act.
OFF SIGN
Off-sign holds up the game for the player.
To make it form A FIST IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE. It gives you also an opportunity to:
- OPT-OUT, you can just walk out the scene and it can be interpreted as “sorry guys I am feeling uncomfortable, I need to go”
- Use Art of Asking – Consent negotiations if you want to discuss or check in with other players
- Be invisible (eg. just passing quickly to the toilet)
- Pause the scene when adding a verbal part saying “OFF GAME” (that’s only in special situations where physical or emotional safety is endangered).
We also have a pictogram of OFF sign which marks places and objects as OFF spheres which are prohibited to enter and untouchable.
OK CHECK-IN
Player 1 flashes the “OK” symbol, with the thumb and index finger touching in an “o” and the other three fingers extended upward, to another player and established eye contact. You place this sign over your chest. This gesture means “Are you okay?”.
Answers:
A)Player repeats the gesture – which means it’s okay;
B)Player doesn’t repeat the gesture – you signal OFF and use the Art of Asking;
C)Player signals OFF – you answer with OFF sign and first you listen actively and then discuss the situation.
SANCTUARY AND SAFETY TEAM
PEOPLE
If you feel in distress reach our Safety Team. Each year its members are presented to the community before the larp. Most of the Gimle organizers are part of Hastekasen Farm Association, which is an educational center hosting international projects and has a network of experienced trainers, mentors, and coaches ready to support participants. However they wouldn’t meddle with cases that need to be tended by psychotherapists and psychiatrists, that’s why we ask for a responsible and conscious choice of participation.
As you can see in disclaimers, Gimle larp might contain some topic or situations which might be triggering.
Please make a conscious decision about joining the larp, always prioritizing your own mental health, and if you are under a serious mental health condition, including medication, we kindly ask you, for your own safety, to reconsider or restrain from participation.
If you have any doubts or questions concerning this topic, contact us so together we can find the best solution.
PLACE
IN game Sanctuary – Nanna’s Hut in The Academy
OFF game Sanctuary – Red house at the farm (for meeting with a Safety Team member) or fire place, garden and joga circle for taking rest (emotional and/or physical). We also recommend visiting a nearby seaside.
DISCLAIMERS – GIMLE LARP PICTOGRAMS
As transparency is part of our Safety Design we try to help you take a conscious choice by visualizing our disclaimers in the form of pictograms based on the work of larp designers Zofia Skowrońska and Krzysztof Maj https://btwlarp.wixsite.com/infography
Remember about our Safety and Calibration policy, choosing your own experience and a possibility to OPT OUT.
Costumes needed
Generally players-prepared costumes with medieval fantasy style. We rather avoid Renaissance and Warhammer fashion and we respect the colors and styles of our own factions (check the detail in particular faction). There might be a possibility to rent costumes and gear from the organizers (look for announcements in Gimle social media or contact organizers). It is prohibited to wear OFF game clothes and items in the IN Gimle area during the whole larp event (also nights).
The game may contain the topic of discriminaion or taking advantage of someone.
In Gimle lots of play goes around intrigues between the factions based on manipulations, unfair negotiations, open conflicts or betrayals (check the Mechanic for Oaths). And going through the lore you may notice that certain factions dislike each other, there is also a social hierarchy with nobles and common folks, higher races and dark forces. Therefore the characters may display bullying, disgust, discrimination, hatered. Remember about our Safety & Calibration rules.
No pain (for all players).
Only forms of direct physical contact that are consensual and don’t discomfort other players are permitted (check out Calibration tools, Art of Asking, Fighting Mechanics, Stealing Mechanics, Romance and Intimacy Mechanics). Without mutual consent any form of touch is prohibited. We DON’T have a FULL TOUCH rule and you should avoid touching other player’s bodies in general, even in a fight.
The game incorporates the topic of bets and gambling.
Mercenaries, wanderers, musicians, thugs, gamblers and thieves – you can find any sort of folk in Gimle, and many of them enjoy the darkish side of life, including bets and gambling. They are mostly seen around the taverns. Also the topic of drinking, addiction and alcohol can accompany it. Note that only fake alcohol (eg. 0% cider) can be used in game as the whole event is strictly non-alcoholic. If this topic makes you uncomfortable feel free to OPT OUT.
The game may contain strong and vulgar language.
You may use derogatory names for individuals, factions and races for spicing up the interactions, but they must be used only towards the CHARACTERS and never referring to the player’s appearance, personality, identity, (dis)abilities, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class/socioeconomic status, religion, beliefs or anything connected with the players themselves. Also, even with choosing IN game character’s derogatory names, we advise more mocking than real insulting.
You might use some of the common ‘insults’ taken from fantasy games (but please restrain yourself from the vulgar ones in presence of children):
- Orcs
- filth
- scums
- savages
- brainless beasts
- Dwarves:
- tunnel rat
- bearded kegs
- gold digger
- rock eater
- bearded goblin
- angry footstool
- half-men
- drunkard
- stunties
- earthworm
- the craftsmanship of your belt is great! Did an elf make it for you?
- Elves
- leaf lickerlong-eared feeble,
- cowardly grass-eatersdaisy-snifferpointy earspansiewingless fairydiscount dryadtwigs,
- twiggerstree hugger
- Academy
- stick shaker
- spell chucker
- bookworm
- firestarter
- spook
- hexer
- caner (a user of the arcane)
- spell kisser
- wizzers
- dress-wearing, gibberish-babbling stick-flickers
- soulseller
- Humans
- rascal, scoundrel, wretch, scamp, urchin, ruffian
- short-lives, mayfly
- meatbag
- weakling
- peasant
- gal-sneaker
- gigglemug
- greedy guts
- low-born, hedge-born
- pinky, pink skins, pink thing
- oath-breakers
Some other popular fantasy ‘insults’:
- “You have such a striking face. Tell me, how many times were you struck?”
- “You’re pathetic, I’ve seen orks do better than that.”
- “Your head is so thick I mistook you for a dwarf!”
- “By the time you breed, my children will be masters of the realm…”
- “We may breed like rabbits, but we bite like wolves!”
- “Spoken like an ageless, long-lived, obsolete (insert race here).”
- “Haven’t your kind gone extinct yet?”
- “Elf – Erratic, long-lived, fool”
- “Dwarf – “dumb, warty, asinine, rotund, fool”
- “Elves, so much intelligence, so little brains.”
- “I’ve never met a dwarf that wasn’t a legend in his own mind.”
- “If your ancestors are so great, why are they dead?”
- “You’re uglier than the offspring of an orc begotten by an ogre.”
- “All the magic in this world and none of it can make you smarter.”
- “Just by walking near women, you cause a barren womb”
- “You’re weaker/more frail than a wizard!”
Flyting – Art of Insults
If you want to go level up and master the art of insults you can dig deeper into the tradition of flyting – a ritual, poetic exchange of insults practiced mainly between the 5th and 16th centuries. Examples of flyting are found throughout Ancient, Medieval and Modern Celtic, Old English, Middle English and Norse literature involving both historical and mythological figures. The exchanges would become extremely provocative, often involving accusations of cowardice or sexual perversion. For more information you can check here:
The game incorporates the topic of religion.
Gimle world is based on strong beliefs (check the section Religion). They are made up, inspired but not related to real religions and we mean no disrespect to any belief. Therefore in the game may appear different forms of radicalisation, fanaticism, conversion, persecucion, moral dilemmas, prayers, rituals, possession and similar acts.
Scenes of sexual intercourse.
The game may contain symbolic scenes of sexual intercourse involving the players (using the mechanics provided, only 16+ years old). Gimle is a family-friendly larp and we expect players to not exude sexuality. We encourage more subtle ways of performing affection or marital obligations depending on your character’s needs. However, if you feel that sexual intercourse scene is absolutelly needed for your character’s relations then instead of inventing your own forms of imitating sex, you shall use Ars Amandi. It involves keeping eye contact while touching the hands, arms, shoulders and, if mutually agreed, also the neck (we suggest The Art of Asking before). And when deciding to use it, remember about keeping it out of the view of other players who didn’t give consent to see such a performance.
Its creator, Swedish larp designer, Emma Wieslander explains: “The core of the Ars amandi method involves limiting the body area that the players touch and use in physical interaction to hands, arms, shoulders (above where the breasts begin and including shoulder blades, but not lower) and the neck (under and not including the earlobes). In some instances the interaction has been restricted to only include hands and arms. Touching the permitted areas, combined with eye contact and breath and moans constitutes the A to Z of Ars amandi.” (If interested we recommend further readings:
http://www.ars-amandi.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Ars-amandi-workshop.pdf
https://leavingmundania.com/2011/11/09/intro-to-ars-amandi/
The game may contain scenes of violence involving the players (according to the game mechanics).
In Gimle players have lots of opportunities to fight with safe, foam/latex weapons accredited by organizers. And many enjoy using it to fight not only Dark Forces but in duels, tavern fights, battles and wars. We DON’T have a FULL TOUCH rule and you should avoid touching other player’s bodies in general, even in a fight. Let your weapons do the job (check carefully Fighting rules). Gimle is a zone larp. Avoid fighting in the south (Gimleby / Academy). No surprise attacks at least. You can always OPT OUT or minimize your involvement in scenes of violence and fighting by creating non-fighting character who doesn’t have a weapon and avoiding battle zones.
The game may contain scary or disgusting elements.
In the darkness of Gimle forest you can encounter orks, dark elves, drows or other darkish characters. At Gimle graveyard you may see skeletons, bones and skulls. During rituals you may see, touch or be touched with fake blood. Enter the maze at your own risk, as you don’t know what lingers in its shadows. Some characters may behave in scary ways. If you seek less scary play, we recommend the Gimleby village. Feel free to OPT OUT.
The game contains the topic of magic.
In our lore Gimle is a magical region where powerful stones and artifacts can be found around; that’s why it was chosen to be a meeting point for many nations. Nevertheless, we keep magic scarce and Academy members are trying to regulate its usage and keep the balance. We have only 4 spells (Healing, Freez, Blindness and Shock Wave),some potions and a few magical artifacts. Generally we use no magic in the south (Gimleby). Also no magic on the battlefield before 9 pm. Generally we don’t mix fight and magic, only in case of supernatural Dark Forces. Keep the magic in the Academy or north of it. You are always welcomed to OPT OUT (for more detail about magic read Rules and Mechanics and also Academy description).
RULES and vision Gimle
Photo video policy
Films and photos may be taken discreetly during the event and if you do not want to be seen published on the larps homepage/social media, you must avoid cameras. We will not take close ups without asking and if a photo is taken secretly we will ask the persons on the image if they are OK with being seen.
Thieving
You can steal anything MARKED WITH RED TAPE Red ribbons (with red tape or a piece of red string). But do not steal things unless you are a thief.
If you raid an enemy’s camp, you may also steal things marked red. Sell the stolen item to the merchant. We want to keep things in circulation.
OFF sign
There is an OFF rune. This means that you are absolutely not allowed to go in or fiddle with the stuff where you see it. Taking something that is not marked with a red ribbon or tape is theft. We will treat it as theft.
The OFF signal …is a clenched fist at the face. Show it if you want to say something OFF, or do NOTwant to be involved in the game. Be discreet. You can display the OFF signal and ask someone: “calm down” if you think he is fighting too aggressively.
STOP OFFING SIGN
In case of unjustified OFF behavior/items, clothes or other objects which are not fitting into Gimle decorum in IN game area you can communicate to the players a reminder about “STOP OFFing”. For that we have a SIGN – raised hand with clenched fingers and a movement of opening them up toward the player.
“Play up” – “play down”
Visual cheat sheet for ribbons of the artifacts
OTHER
- Do not enter the red house.
- Do not go to the neighbors property (the yellow house),
- Do not touch any dog you meet.
- The event is Non-smoking / non-alcoholic. If you must smoke, leave the play area, see to you not being seen. The OFF area is also non-smoking.
By registering you agree to the following:
- I have read “the rules” and I will follow them.
- I have read the ‘’game mechanics’’ that are applicable to my role and I will respect them.
- I take part at my own risk, and I will be responsible for my own safety and my own belongings.
- I will respect the LARP’s equipment and other players’ belongings.
- I will never leave a fire unattended.
- I will not cut down any tree, or any bush, or break any living branch or destroy any stonewall (digging is allowed).
- I will not pee into or close to any ponds (they are a part of the drinking water system).
- I will not use any modern materials that can be seen.
- I will not OFF inside the game area.
- I will not leave my camp after the larp without cleaning it.
- I will respect other players’ integrity.
- I will not role-play with sexuality in the game. Instead I will only use sex mechanics.
- I understand that the organizers can remove me from the LARP if I break any rule (without being given any reimbursement).
Physical safety
For the roleplay to be truly immersive but at the same time very safe this requires a system:
Be very careful and respectful with each other. Always error on the side of caution. In combat the only thing that should have contact with your opponent is your weapon, never your shield and you cant grab a hold of your opponent.
(Also always be aware of your surroundings in larp combat, break character to warn your opponent if they are about to back off into something that is going make them fall and hurt themselves). Or stay in character and “draw” the fight into a safe area.
The OFF signal
The sign for talking to someone outside of the game is a fist held in front of your face. Then you whisper and come to an agreement about how to play out the scene.
In, for example, a wrestling match. Talk to who you are fighting out of the game before the scene starts.
If you are for example arresting someone and tying up their hands use the off sign and check if they are ok with that. If they are then always tie their hands in front of them never behind, in case they fall and do not tie their hands too hard.
Perhaps they are not comfortable with being touched at all by other players which is totally fine by the way. So even before grabbing someone’s arm, check if they are ok with that, error on the side of caution if you don’t know.
Do not cheat and pretend to have OFF needs that gives you advantages IN the game.
If you don’t want to have to break immersion during one of these scenes like the arrest scene try to predict it beforehand and talk to the player that you intend to try and arrest even before the game starts or if you meet the player outside the play area.
For example we have an NPC group that plays bandits – it’s highly likely they will get arrested at some point. Talk to them beforehand and check what they are comfortable with and if you know that the player you are playing in a scene with is comfortable with certain things then you can do that without breaking character and asking.
NPC´s are also players that want to have fun and be respected.