Mare Incognitum

Mare Incognitum was a lovecraftian mythos horror larp set in Norway in 1951, and played on board the destroyer HMS Småland. The larp had 26 pre-written characters from different groups. Three games were run over the course of a weekend, and had participants from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, the US and the UK. The game was organized by Berättelsefrämjandet, and had some ten NPCs and crew.

Setting and Themes
Horror and mystery in a Lovecraft Mythos setting, in 1951.

Summary
The different groups of players had all boarded the freighter M/S Lyckan to sail to Narvik, in order to get home after spending time in Kirkenes. An anthropological expedition to Kirkenes had brought along a strange statuette found in a burial mound, which slowly corrupted the crew on board. As the ship got stuck in the ice and a severe storm blew in, the passengers found themselves trapped aboard a dark ship as horror crept out of the shadows.

Techniques

 * Diegetic Game Mastering
 * Honor System
 * Slow take-off
 * Slow Landing
 * Soundtrack
 * Pre-written characters
 * Shadows
 * Narrative Voice-Over
 * Playing to lose
 * Brems & Kutt
 * Pre-larp Workshop

During the game, the diegetic radio room also doubled as a Meta room, in which organizers played out meta scenes over the radio and generally "spooked" the players when they were alone.

Photo Documentation

 * Pictures from the second run, taken by Nino Hynninen.
 * Pictures from before, during and after all three runs, taken by Jonas Aronsson.