Price of Inspiration
Price of Inspiration is a psychological game with urban fantasy elements. It is not intended to be a horror larp, but support a wide range of emotional and introspective play. It draws on the work of such writers as H. P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman.
The premise is a group of artists and hobbyist attending a creativity retreat for the weekend. Player characters are welcome but not required to provide the workshop content for the event.
Players are asked to 'be careful' when dicussing what happens in Price of Inspiration. The larp has low transparency and includes the potential for investigation play so is weakened by 'spoilers.'
Creation and Presentations
The larp was written by Nathan Hook and Nina Teerilahti under the group name Catharsis Productions. They presented it in English language in Finland in March 2016.
A second run is intended for October 2016.
While an entirely seperate larp with seperate characters, different themes and new techniques, it is imagined as being in the same wider world as the larp Pan.
Techniques
PoI is written as a simulationist larp. There is the possibility for investigation, but no need for characters to progress with this. Players are encouraged to play their characters in a realistic fashion. It explicitly has no pre-determined ending, and events are free to play out naturally.
A light meta-technique is used to play on occult elements. Certain in-game events can trigger players to be given meta-instructions via 'letters of note.'
The larp does not include harmful violence, but includes an abstraction for physical restraint.