Shadows

Shadow influencing player at Simbelmynë

A technique where a player has a shadow, a person that follows the player around and can interact on an in-game-, and/or meta-level with the player. This shadow can for instance portray a players conscience or voices in the players head (and as such the shadow does not exist to other players), or could be something semi-real like a possessing spirit or guardian angel (and then the shadow may or may not exist for other players).

Examples

• Usually shadows are used to influence or control the player in someway. Knappnålshuvudet is a good example of a shadow-heavy LARP, where shadows in the form of guardian angels were used.
• A variant of shadows called Phantom players was used in The Monitor Celestra. The phantoms stayed invisible unless they initiated player contact by touching a player during the game.
• Another variant of Shadow was used at Simbelmynë, where non-diegetic (and, hence, invisible) shadows could whisper suggestions, clues or "inner monologues" (as if the characters were having those inner monologue themselves), initiate "dialogues" when the players were in a "dream state" and even physically steer or touch them, which the players would take as their subconscious thoughts and actions or their "base natures" winning out over their "honor".