College of Wizardry

The Challenge
Design Document
Version 1.1 - Updated May 11, 2017

1
 Contents
4 Chapter 1 - Introduction
5 1.1 Welcome to The Challenge
7 1.2 The SettinG
8 1.3 Design Philosophy
9 1.4 Schools of The Challenge
10 1.5 Schedule

12 Chapter 2 - What can I expect?

13 2.1 The Three Schools
16 2.2. Houses and The Challenge
18 2.3 Phases
21 2.4 Playing a Competitor
22 2.5 Playing a Cheerleader
23 2.6 Playing the Host House
24 2.7 Playing a Guest House Basics
25 2.8 Playing a Grown-up
27 2.9 Playing a Prefect
29 2.10 Gender at The Challenge
31 2.11 Character Writing
34 2.12 Costumes

35 Chapter 3 - How to play the larp

36 3.1 Rules of the larp
38 3.2 Playing Style: Light & Dark
39 3.3 Playing Style: “Winning” The Challenge
41 3.4 The Unspoken Rules
42 3.5 Guide: Professor/Judge
45 3.6 Guide: Head of a College
47 3.7 Guide: Prefect
49 3.8 Guide: Main Referee
51 3.9 Guide: The Challenge Regulator
53 3.10 Four tips on playing
55 3.11 Support characters at The Challenge
57 3.12 Injury and death at the larp

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59 Chapter 4 - The Challenge structure
60 4.1 The Challenge Disciplines
61 4.2 Taking up The Challenge
62 4.3 The Challenge Rules
63 4.4 The Hierarchy

64 Chapter 5 - Practical details!

65 5.1 What to bring - Some ideas
66 5.2 Right before the larp
68 5.3 Small practical things

69 Chapter 6 - Societies and Lore

70 6.1 NIMBUS
70 6.1.1 Societies of NIMBUS
72 6.1.2 Houses of NIMBUS
75 6.2 Czocha
75 6.2.1 Societies of Czocha
77 6.2.1 Houses of Czocha
80 6.3 Magischola
80 6.3.1 Societies of Magischola
82 6.3.2 Houses of Magischola
85 6.4 Clubs of The Challenge
85 6.4.1 The Devil’s Dealers
86 6.4.2 The Marconi’s Mumbling Masters
87 6.4.3 The Snifflers
88 6.5 Cultural differences

90 Appendix
91 Cheat sheet zone
91 NIMBUS
92 Czocha
93 New world magischola
94 Map of NIMBUS
97 Read further
97 Websites
97 Design Documents
99 Books

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 Chapter 1
Introduction

4
1.1 Welcome to The Challenge
What is this experience?
CoW: The Challenge is a larp about the students and staff of three
schools in a secret world of magic and wizardry, coming together for a
grand exhibition, tournament and festival.

A Competition between Magical Colleges

The Challenge is a rare chance for the students and staff of three
magical colleges to come together, meet and compete.

The three schools represented: Czocha College, The Nibelungen

Institute and New World Magischola are all the settings of larps in the
shared ‘College of Wizardry’ setting. This experience is designed to
give participants the chance to participate in a wider magical world,
either with a brand new character, or a character they’ve played before
at a Collage of wizardry larp.

School Loyalty and House Loyalty

Though it is a friendly rivalry, competition between the houses is at
the heart of The Challenge and each school will be endeavouring to be
named this year’s Champion. This means that that traditional individual
house rivalries of the schools can be put aside in favour of rallying
around the school as a whole.

Seriously folks. Same team.

5
A Game of Students and Staff
It’s not just students who will attending and competing at The Challenge,
but the staff as well. Teachers, Heads of Colleges, Chancellors, Janitors
and Deans will also participate in their own competitions and pursue
their own academic schemes and rivalries. Also since it is ambiguous
who is actually hosting The Challenge and therefore who is ultimately
responsible for student safety, it is an opportunity for staff to be even
more cavalier about imperiling their students lives.

Meeting of Cultures
Though The Challenge obviously has at its heart a competition, that is
far from the only purpose of the exhibition and participants who are
interested in more than magical boxing matches will still find plenty
to do there. The Challenge will be an opportunity to present magical
pet projects and causes, to conduct grand multi-disciplinary rituals, to
compare and contrast the worlds of the North American Magimundi and
the European Confluxes. It will be an opportunity to form inter-school
clubs, alliances, societies and fraternities and to pursue that most
coveted of college achievements - the spring-break romance with
international student.

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 1.2 The Setting
Imagine our world, just as it is today. Except that magic is real. The
world of magic exists in the shadows of our own world - undiscovered
by billions, but known to the initiated. It’s a world of tradition and old
bloodlines, of secrets and mysteries. It is a world of wise sorcerers,
powerful witches, and dark-hearted conjurers.

Magical Theory is taught in old castles to students more at home on

iPhones, and while some families proudly trace their lineage back to
famous Witchards such as Morgana le Fey or the Oracles of Delphi,
there are also powerful sorcerers popping up in suburban Chicago and
downtown Shanghai.

In Europe, magical societies are known as Confluxes, small to medium-

sized communities that exist on the fringes of Mundane society - or
hidden right in the midst of it. The European Confluxes are incredibly
varied and multi-faceted, and while this or that Conflux might function
as a rather typical liberal democracy, many have far more exotic and
strange systems governing the Witchards who make their living there.

They share but one thing, the oversight of the Guardian Order and the
bonds of the Traditions they are sworn to enforce. For this reason, the
one symbol that can be said to represent the European Confluxes are
the crossed keys - the symbol of the Guardian Order. This distinguishes
them from other Witchard societies - the New World Magimundi across
the Atlantic Ocean and the equally foreign powers to the east and south.

This is the world of magic. Welcome, Witchards.

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 1.3 Design Philosophy
An event to celebrate
The Challenge is a meeting of three magical institutions of learning.
In the Witchard world, it’s the Tournament of Tournaments. Every year,
three colleges gather to compete in sorcerous disciplines ranging
from the small to the gigantic. How the three get chosen is an arcane
process that it makes little sense to dive into. Suffice to say that all
witchards want their College of Wizardry to be chosen, but everyone
knows that it’s not necessarily because of academic excellence that
the contestants end up being part of the Challenge.

But while the focus is on the competitive element, it’s much more than
that. Some call it an Exhibition of Enchanters, and there’s good reason
for that. It’s cultural exchange, showing off skills and cross-pollination
of ideas and practices, and it’s one of the few times where so many
magicians meet across conflux and school borders.

Everyone is there for a reason

The Challenge is held during what is traditionally a spring break from
teaching. This means that not all students (or Staff!) are part of it,
because witchards have a tendency to use their free time to get away
from their educational institutions on a scale that’s unheard of in the
Mundane world. This also means that while it’s not always perfectly
clear WHY a given student is there, there’s definitely some kind of
reason. Unlike formal Fireball leagues or professional duelling, this is
an old, but haphazard affair, and there’s no formal qualifiers. If you’re
there, make the most of it, because chances are you’ll never live to
see it again!

Competitions are at the forefront

Each Challenge is very much its own beast, and while no two are alike,
there are a certain number of competitions that keep on popping up.
It’s almost as if the witchard world demands it, and as we all know,
tradition is often more powerful than regulation. The challenges are
divided into several realms. It’s not that there is necessarily the same
amount of challenges in each category, and some overlap (often in
wicked ways).

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1.4 Schools of The Challenge

Czocha
college of witchcraft
and wizardry
Diversity and Unity
NIMBUS
Robe colour: white
Nibelungen Institute
für Magische Bildung
und Studien
History and Tradition

Robe colour: crimson

The New World Magischola

Individuality and Loyalty

Robe colour: gold

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 1.5 Schedule
Pre-game
THU Before 16.30 Players arrive and are checked in (the bus arrives around 15.30)
THU 16.30 - 16.35 Welcome speech
THU 16.35 - 17.15 Organizer briefing in groups
THU 17.15 - 20.15 Player workshops (including some light food)
THU 20.15 - 21.00 Players get into costume (and there’s time for delays)

Phase one: Welcome to the Challenge

THU 21.00 - 21.15 The larp starts. The Welcome speech is given
THU 21.15 - 22.00 The Welcome Dinner
THU 22.00 - 24.00 Free time
THU 00.00 - 02.00 Curfew. Students should be in their beds
THU 02.00 - 07.00 Off game sleeping break for everyone

Phase two: For school and glory

FRI 07.00 - 07.45 Play starts again.
FRI 07.45 - 08.45 Breakfast
FRI 08.45 - 09.00 Messages for everyone
FRI 09.00 - 10.15 First Challenge Block
FRI 10.15 - 10.30 15 min break
FRI 10.30 - 11.45 Second Challenge Block
FRI 11.45 - 12.45 Lunch
FRI 12.45 - 13.00 Messages for everyone
FRI 13.00 - 14.15 Third Challenge Block
FRI 14.15 - 14.30 15 min break
FRI 14.30 - 16.00 Main Challenges (Physical, Social, Mental)

Phase three: Getting to know each other

FRI 16.00 - 19.00 Free time
FRI 19.00 - 20.00 Dinner
FRI 20.00 - 24.00 Free time
FRI 00.00 - 02.00 Curfew. Students should be in their beds
FRI 02.00 - 07.00 Off game sleeping break for everyone

Phase four: Show what you’ve got

SAT 07.00 - 07.45 Play starts again.
SAT 07.45 - 08.45 Breakfast
SAT 08.45 - 09.00 Messages for everyone
SAT 09.00 - 10.15 First Challenge Block
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SAT 10.15 - 10.30 15 min break
SAT 10.30 - 11.45 Second Challenge Block
SAT 11.45 - 13.00 Lunch
SAT 13.00 - 14.15 Third Challenge Block
SAT 14.15 - 14.30 15 min break
SAT 14.30 - 16:00 Main Challenges (Ethical, Knowledge, Skill)
SAT 16.00 - 17.00 Free time

Phase five: Quiet before the storm

SAT 17.00 - 18.00 Dinner
SAT 18.00 - 20.00 Getting ready for the party

Phase six: A Legendary party

SAT 20.00 - 23.00 Legendary party
SAT 23.00 - 23.15 The larp ends with the Challenge Cup being awarded
SAT 23.15 - 0.00 Structured debrief
SAT 0.00 - 04.00 Afterparty. The bar closes at 04.00

Post-game
SUN 09.00 - 10.00 Breakfast
SUN 10.00 - 10.15 The busses for Berlin leave.
SUN 10.00 - 12.00 Clean-up, debriefing and goodbyes
SUN 12.00 We leave the castle!

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 Chapter 2
What can I expect?

12
 2.1 The Three Schools
Schools of The Challenge
Characters at the Challenge will come from one of three magical colleges
from around the world.

The Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry has always been so-
mething of a misfit, ever since it was first founded by Libuse the Lion
Queen, who herself was infamously hard to pin down. Located in Po-
land, Czocha College is part of the European Confluxes, though it’s a
truly international school with students attending from all around Eu-
rope and the world. While perhaps not the best school in Europe, it is
certainly a prestigious one - though it has a reputation for attracting a
peculiar student body and faculty because of the school’s permissive
and liberal attitudes.

The Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the setting of the

original College of Wizardry larp. College of Wizardry has been run
over a dozen of times and inspired numerous other games and expan-
sion of the setting.

Playing from Czocha

Safe to say, the exact placement of Czocha status-wise is
complicated - just like student body and faculty prefers it. At
once much younger than parts of NIMBUS (Brocken had stood
for hundreds of years before Czocha was even conceived of)
it is also somehow much older (NIMBUS only became a uni-
fied institute of learning long after Czocha had been foun-
ded). You’re the exceptions, the ones who stand out - at least
that’s the way Czocha thinks of itself. You are of course to be
on your best behaviour, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t
test some boundaries.

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The Nibelungen Institute für Magische Bildung und Studien
(German for “Nibelungen Institutes for Magical Education and
Studies”)
The Nibelungen Institutes or NIMBUS are a complex beast. NIMBUS consists
of three institutes with very different history, outlook and focus.

NIMBUS is a private academy, with a reputation for decorum and strict

adherence to its rules and regulations. Its extremely exclusive admission
requirements make it stand out in stark contrast to the both Czocha and
New World Magischola, which are apparently just lousy with Werewolves,
Vampires and god knows what else.

Akademie Brocken is probably the oldest of the three. Nobody knows, be-
cause the witches and warlocks of the Brocken coven didn’t even have a
written history before they joined forces with the other two. They’re just
hedge wizards anyway if you ask the other two institutes. The Nibelun-
gen conflux is nearly as old or even older than Czocha. It’s beginnings
reach back to the time when Siegfried killed the Dragon and procured
it’s hoard for himself in 507. When the Nibelungen Hochschule was foun-
ded is also not quite clear. Today, Nibelungen is far more modern than its
two counterparts Brocken and Königsberg and focusses on technomancy
and mundane studies. Universität Königsberg is the youngest of the three
institutes and was founded by Johann Georg von Faust and his wife Mar-
garete in the year 1520. Somehow, this institute ended up with the boring
bureaucracy, magical theory and ethics.

NIMBUS is one of the few schools to offer both a basic magical education
to young Witchards, as well as a college level education. It is located…
somewhere in Germany, though because of some sort of enchantment it
cannot be located on any map. School staff insist this is of course by de-
sign and not the product of a very un-German filing error.

The Nibelungen Institutes is the setting for a College of Wizardry larp run in
the German language. It had its inaugural run in the winter of 2017.

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Playing from NIMBUS
You’re the hosts. It’s your school that provides the setting for
this year’s Challenge, and you’re damn proud of it. This is your
event and you’re not going to let anyone ruin it. You know that
Challenges are not exactly easy to host and that the visitors
may get feisty. You’re here to make everything run smoothly.
It’s your castle, your space and your time. You’re going to do
your best to be gracious hosts, and you’re going to be open,
welcoming and friendly, but you’re also not going to make it a
secret that YOU are in charge.

15
The New World Magischola
The New World Magischola is the youngest college and the only school
from the North American Magimundi participating in The Challenge. It
was founded in 1633, when the daugher of Virginia Dare was denied
admission to the Imperial Magischola of Massachusetts Bay. Incensed,
Dare collaborated with three other members of the Magimundi who
wanted to expand educational opportunity in North America to create
New World Magischola.

To this day New World Magischola continues in the proud tradition of

its founding by continuing to be the top choice for misfits, iconoclasts,
weirdos and other undesirables who couldn’t get into the more presti-
gious Imperial Magischola of Massachusetts Bay.

New World Magischola was the first official expansion of the College
of Wizardry setting, running four events in 2016 and more events
throughout 2017.

Playing from New World Magischola

You’re the new blood. You’re far from home, and see a lot of
what goes on in the European confluxes as quaint and old-
fashioned. Sometimes that’s good, other times it’s bad, and
there’s no clear formula at work. Things are done differently
here, and you’re very aware of the fact that you’re guests - but
that doesn’t mean that you have to approve, and you expect
there to be a lot of times when you’ll sigh loudly and end up
in yet another fruitless debate. Most of all, you are honoured
to be here, and think EVERYONE should be able to get along.

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2.2. Houses and The Challenge
At each of the three schools competing in the Challenge, students are
sorted into one of five Houses. During the Challenge, the houses will
be grouped into Trios, with a Nibelungen house hosting a guest House
from each of Czocha and Magischola. The Trios will share a common
room, and out of respect for their hosts, members of guest houses will
wear the tie colors of their corresponding host house for the duration
of the Challenge.

Host (Nibelungen) Guest (Czocha) Guest (NWM)

Flamel (silver) Libussa Dan Obeah

Grimm (teal) Durentius Casa Calisaylá
Faust (blue) Faust House Croatan
Molin (green) Molin Maison Du Bois
Krabat (red) Sendivogius Lakay Laveau

Some of the Houses have been paired together for their similarities and
some for their differences. The Challenge is an opportunity for Houses
to learn from one another and better understand the cultures of other
schools. As such, Prefects of the Trios will take turns organizing events
for one another. On Thursday night, the Czocha Prefects will lead an
event for their house Trio, with Magischola Prefects leading Friday night
events and Nibelungen host Prefects organizing events for Saturday
night leading into the party.

Individual Points and the Collaboration Cup

Separately from the Challenges happening, professors and staff
members can and will award and deduct points from individual stu-
dents for misbehavior or overachieving, just as they do during normal
schooling. At the Challenge, these points go to the house Trio, not just
to a specific house. At the end of the Challenge, whichever Trio has the
most points will win the Collaboration Cup.

17
While this trophy is mostly unofficial and has no significant prestige, the
houses of that Trio will be awarded 100 points towards their school’s
House Cup when they return to school after the Challenge. As a result,
while students will be competing school against school during the
Challenges, the rest of the time they should find ways to cooperate
with the other members of their House Trio. This can and often does
lead to complicated and exciting friendly rivalries.

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 2.3 Phases
• Phase One: Welcome to the Challenge (Thursday)

As the hosts, the NIMBUS Staff bids everyone welcome to the event.
What follows is an evening of introductions, parties and exploration.
The Staff and the students stay away from each other as much as possible,
and intermingle with their own kind. NIMBUS students choose who to
invite into their private spaces and who must wander the halls without
guides. Pecking orders are established and deeds are done, both foul
and fair. It’s huge, chaotic mess of room parties, rituals, gatherings
and experiences. Suddenly, it matters less whether you’re a Junior or a
third-year, and more where you’re from and what you’re like.

The Staff, as is fitting, turns a blind eye to student frivolity - up to a point.

They’re more than busy enough with figuring out who’s worth watching
out for and who’s a potential ally in the days to come. Friendships are
formed (or renewed), feuds spring out of nowhere, and the line between
professional courtesy, professional rivalry and completely unprofessional
pettiness becomes blurred already during the first evening. Boundaries
are established, handshakes are made and anything and everything is
done to either impress or intimidate.

• Phase Two: For school and glory (Friday morning to 17.00)

The first day of competitions means challenges in both the big and the
small. Newfound friends from the evening before suddenly find them-
selves on opposite ends of the playing field - whether it’s in Potionmaking,
Fireball or some other event. And enemies get a chance to get their
frustration out while having the alibi of “just trying to win”.

Both Staff and students compete against each other in various disci-
plines of both the trivial and the deeply disturbing kind. It is a mixture
of the magical and the mundane, and while some of these challenges
are safe and maybe even a bit boring, others are dangerous and have
the potential to cause real harm.

It can get a bit out of control, and is expected to do so. But such is the
Witcharding world!

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• Phase Three: Getting to know each other (Friday 17.00 - Friday
night)

After the stress and high tempo of the day’s activities, there is time to
relax and enjoy. To dispel the hexes and the prejudices, heal the woun-
ded bodies and wounded senses of pride, and to let down guards and
share a meal and conversation. At least, that is the ideal, but reality
often falls far short of it.

Instead, what normally happens is that some get into the spirit of things
and let bygones be bygones (“It’s all part of the game, right!?”), others
take their grievances with them and find innovative ways to express
their feelings. It is an evening of love potions slipped into the wrong
drinks, curses going astray due to counter-curses lying in ambush and
everyone trying to keep up a friendly facade while doing their best to
establish dominance.

It is also an evening, where the Staff of each College get to talk with their
own students and make plans for the final day. What is to be changed,
and what has been learned? How do we walk away from this with the
Challenge Cup? And is that rumor about scandal and deception true or
is it just wishful thinking on behalf of a sore loser? It is a night of fun and
enjoyment, but also one of fake smiles and empty promises.

• Phase Four: Show what you’ve got (Saturday morning -

Saturday 17.00)

This is where the big wands come out. Chances are taken, tempers are
frayed and everyone is doing their best (or worst!) to win. This is not
some local tournament at a backwards College. This the Challenge,
and just being here to participate in it is a huge honour. But as it always
is with witchards, things tend to go overboard and people get carried
away.

While the Staff are also here to keep the peace and ensure that every-
thing runs smoothly, sometimes it happens that things go anything BUT
smoothly. Conflicts blow up in the open, crazy schemes are hatched
and a kind of winner-takes-it-all atmosphere has a tendency to evolve.
It is exciting, it is wild and it is usually not totally safe nor sound. Still,
who would want to miss it? NO ONE!

20
• Phase Five: Quiet before the storm (Saturday 17.00 - Saturday
20.00)

This is where it all quiets down a bit. Forgiveness is asked, and given
freely. Apologies are made and spells untangled. Everyone leaves the
field of contest and finds time to prepare for the final party, with as little
unfinished business as possible. It is joyous, festive and enchanting, as
witchards roll out the charm, smooth over ruffled feathers and find it in
their hearts to move on and get ready for the party.

This is where the various Staff members usually lock themselves into
a room, and don’t leave until they’re ready to present a united front to
the students. Patience is found that might not normally be present,
intentions are accepted as being genuine, and there is a lot of energy
spent on making the small details that make up a party fall into place.

• Phase Six: A Legendary party (Saturday 20.00 - Saturday 22.00)

It all starts out so good. It is a party. Everyone is there to have a grand

time. Everyone is looking forward to finding out who has won the
Challenge Cup. There is love and good cheer in the air, and it is spec-
tacular, enjoyable and magical in a way that does not require spells. It
is a time to whisper sweet words into the ears of that special someone
you met yesterday and will leave tomorrow. It is a night for creating a
blood bond of lifelong friendship in the forest and sealing it with
unicorn’s hair. It is free-flowing emotions and positive energy all round.

Of course, that is the fantasy. For some, it is the time for dark deeds
and risky adventures. For going where no one should go and for doing
what should not be done. For daring to think so far outside the wand
that it will be remembered forever. And of course, doing all of this while
not getting caught, not getting into trouble with friends and not ruining
your life! No matter who you are, or what your agenda is, this is a night
to remember, and whatever happens, one thing is certain.

At the end, the Challenge Cup will be awarded, and everyone wants it
for their College.

21
 2.4 Playing a Competitor
Basics
The first and most important things is that any student can choose to
compete in any event (you do not have to pick a specific discipline if
you don’t want to.) For most events there is no need to sign up, but you
will need to turn up. If you are not competing in an event then go can
be a cheerleader for it. Conversely if you were a cheerleader this morning
there is no reason why you can not be a competitor this afternoon. You
can (and should) switch between the roles as you see fit.

Professors and other staff members will be allowed to compete in

certain exhibition competitions; they will not gain points towards the
Challenge cup, but will be competing for the honor of their school.

How to play a Competitor

You will be representing your school in The Challenge in any event you
choose to compete in. Your Principal, Teachers and Prefects will help
and advise you and other members of your team. You choose which
event or events you want to take part in. Simply find out the time and
location of the event and turn up.

Some events may not be advertised. The Challenge Regulator and Head
Referee may run additional events and challenges at unexpected times.
Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to take part in these
additional challenges, but be warned some of them may be unortho-
dox, risky, or even dangerous.

22
 2.5 Playing a Cheerleader
Basics
The image of the Mundane cheerleader dancing with pom poms and
spelling out the names of athletes with complex gymnastic positions is
hard to shake. Perhaps it will be a part of The Challenge too, but in our
magical world, the role of the cheerleader is far more complex.

The first and most important things is that any student can be a cheerlea-
der at any time. If you are not competing in an event then go can be a
cheerleader for it. Conversely if you were a cheerleader this morning
there is no reason why you can not be a competitor this afternoon. You
can (and should) switch between the roles as you see fit.

Cheerleaders will also have a hand in organising the newspaper, radio

and illegal betting clubs.

How to play a cheerleader

Cheer for and support your fellow students and teachers. House and
School Pride come to the fore as you cheer and chant for your team.
Flags, scarves, signs, and yes, pom poms are a part of this. Do not
underestimate the power of a good cheering squad. It is a kind of
magic in itself.

You may also wish to announce your team, or members of the team.
Whip the crowd up into a frenzy and turn neutral bystanders to your
cause with the power of your words. Think of Geoffrey Chaucer in the film,
A Knight’s Tale as he bigs up the prowess of Ulrich von Liechtenstein,
you can do that for your professors or your competitors too.

Use your skills (and your magic) to try to distract or otherwise mani-
pulate the judges (you might get caught, of course, but that is half the
fun.) Slip potions to opposing team members, hex their cheerleaders to
sing like toads, form a human pyramid, and shout until you are hoarse.

23
2.6 Playing the Host House
Basics
All Houses of the Nibelungen Institute will be Host Houses. They will
get assigned two guest houses, one of each school. That means there
will be five groups of three house-pairs, the so called “Trios”. You can
find further details in chapter called “Houses and The Challenge”.

The Host Houses will share their common rooms and tie colours with
their assigned guest houses.

How to play a host house

Competition and rivalry is what the houses start with. You know
basically nothing about the other houses you are assigned to, and your
interest in getting to know them is shadowed by the fierce wish to see
your shchool taking the Cup.

The intercultural exchange between the schools is one of the key factors
of the Challenge. Within your house Trio, there is the unique possibility
to get to know each other and to form bonds, that lasts a lifetime. You
want them to understand and acknowledge the traditions and virtues
of your house and in exchange you have an open mind for theirs. And
on the practical note: There surely are some secrets and knowledge
worth knowing about!

As a host House, it is also a sign of good manner to help your guests

with questions regarding the Nibelungen Institute, locations and rules
– it is upon you if you want to be a helping hand or to let them learn it
the hard way.

With the days passing by, it will become way more difficult to keep
your inner distance. New friendships, unexpected romantic interests
across Schools - In the end, you might even find yourself cheering for
your opponents!

24
 2.7 Playing a Guest House
Basics
All houses from Czocha and New World Magischola are guest houses
at the Nibelungen Institute. They are divided and assigned to one of
the host houses from Nibelungen. That means there will be five groups
of three House-Pairs, the so called “Trios”. You can find further details
in chapter titled “Houses and the Challenge”.

As a sign of respect, members of a guest House will wear the tie of their
host house. Separated pins can mark their original house. During the
larp, each guest house belongs to the common room of their host house.

How to play a guest house

Competition and rivalry is what the houses start with. You know
basically nothing about the other Houses you are assigned to, and your
interest in getting to know them is shadowed by the fierce wish to see
your school taking the Cup.

The intercultural exchange between the schools is one of the key

factors of the Challenge. Within your house Trio, there is the unique
possibility to get to know each other and to form bonds, that lasts a
lifetime. You want them to understand and acknowledge the traditions
and virtues of your house and in exchange you have an open mind for
theirs. And on the practical note: There surely are some secrets and
knowledge worth knowing about!

With the days passing by, it will become way more difficult to keep
your inner distance. New friendships, unexpected romantic interests
across schools - In the end, you might even find yourself cheering for
your opponents!

25
 2.8 Playing a Grown-up
Judges at The Challenge are made up of Staff and Faculty from the
three competing colleges as well as a selection of well-known witchards
from around the world.

Being asked to be a judge at The Challenge is considered a great honor. It

is a chance for the powerful - celebrities, rock stars, or famed members
of Hexborn families - to be seen, and for everyone else to see them.
These are the people you hear whispers about: the Dragon Riders of
Xinjiang, the Berlin Conflux Guardians, The Regulators, the venerable
Wychwoods and Fireball Dragon champions.

For ambitious students, The Challenge is a rare opportunity to meet

and impress their heroes. For the judges, The Challenge is not only their
moment to shine, it’s their opportunity to meet other great Witchards,
to find a new apprentice, or to strike clandestine deals that might not
be possible under different circumstances. After all, what better use of
spectacle than to get what you need?

Rivalry, Status games, and Unlikely Alliances

Whilst The Challenge is a larp about an interschool competition, do not
for one moment think that you are not competing yourself. Professors
are seeking to prove their own skills and knowledge, perhaps to get
that next promotion, or tenure at another school, or perhaps to pay back
an ancient debt. Rivalries that have lasted a lifetime come to the fore
where two Witchards who have not met since their own school days
suddenly find themselves thrown together. There may be unexpected
friendships, or perhaps something more. Whether it is hexes at dawn,
or broken hearts, there will be conflict and competition all around. The
Celebrity judges come from all parts of The Witchard world. They bring
their own politics to The Challenge, some personal, some professional,
some … deadly.

Setting and Judging the Competitions

Much of your efforts will be dedicated to creating and judging the
Challenge itself, but there will be plenty of opportunities for other
activities. Not least that a hundred or more college-age Witchards are
locked in a serious competition of magical prowess. You will be busy.

26
Being a playmaker
As a grown-up, one of your central functions is to be a playmaker. Keeping
your fellow players engaged and active is your of your tasks, and that
means inspiring them to do things. Some of this is done by maintaining
discipline, some by creating the competition, and the rest by creating
plots and role-playing. Please come and talk to us if you need any guidance.

27
 2.9 Playing a Prefect

A slightly different role

15 players are chosen to play Prefects at the larp. There is one Prefect
for each house, and they are cast before the larp and cannot be
replaced during it, unless the organizers make that decision. They have
more power than the other students and are involved in more decisions,
but they also have the offgame function of helping their housemates to
have an interesting play experience. The Prefects have the opportunity
to sleep in the house common rooms.

The intercultural exchange

As written in chapter 2.2, every Prefect is part of a triangle couse
constellation. Together with the other Prefects of that Trio, they will be
in charge of coordinating and planning the intercultural exchange of
their houses. The values and traditions of each house are different and
unique. But of course, yours is special! It is your job to bring that closer
to your Trio. Be it a traditional ritual or historic lesson about heroic
stories of the founders: You can get creative!
28
 Rivalry and Alliances
You will start the larp in a highly competitive atmosphere. It’s either
your school or one of the others, that will take the Challenge Cup. Former
issues with the other Houses of your school will rest, new bonds will
be made and unexpected backstabbing might not be far away from
the corner. But time creates new forms of understanding. You will learn
more about your competitors. Unexpected friendship and maybe even
love might create conflicts you need to handle.

The right hand of the Head of the College

The Head of each College will lead their houses into the Challenge.
The five Prefects of each school will work closely together with their
Head of the College to fuel the fighting spirit and to give support the
best they can.

Leadership
The main challenge that faces the Prefects is that of leadership. The
Prefects are fanatical of winning the Challenge Cup, since it is them who
will stand with it if their school wins it – victorious in front of all rivals.
That means that they take their job of keeping their House members in
line very seriously.

Whether the Prefects are rule-abiding saints or rebellious blackhearts,

they still enforce discipline strictly and punish those who put shame on
their houses. In general, the Prefects function as a kind of morality police
for their Houses and schools. They are also responsible for upholding
the traditions and standards of their House, and even though Prefects
can have any kind of personality, they try to further the ideals and
virtues of their house. At least on the outside!

29
2.10 Gender at The Challenge
The Mundane world
Reality is as reality is. In some parts of the world, gender equality is
strong, even though no place is even close to having full gender equality.
In other places, women have it extremely tough. Since the world Colleges
of Wizardry exist in is our real world, things like gender inequality do
exist in the Mundane world, even though they are not felt by everyone.
The world of witchards is a bit different, though!

The world of magic

In the world of sorcery, gender is seen as less important. A non-male
Head of a school of magic doesn’t raise any eyebrows, and the idea
that girls are worse at magical duels, alchemy or magical pursuits is
likewise considered silly and a bit strange. Genderqueer and transgender
individuals are common and wholly accepted in the magical world.
Gender is a non-issue, and it has historically always been a non-issue.
It is part of the reason some scions of old magical families have a
tendency to consider Mundanes barbaric.

Magical romance
Here, no one will bat an eye if two young men show a romantic interest in
each other or two young people without starkly defined gender show
up as each other’s dates for a party. The feeling is that with young adult
Witchards, caring about such an unimportant thing as gender is simply
childish. This means that same-sex couples (or genderqueer combi-
nations) are just as common as heterosexual couples and that no one
cares what the students prefer in the bedroom.

For the larp, this means that there are no limitations on who your cha-
racter can have romantic entanglements with or what gender they can
perform and still fit the norms of society. It is of course perfectly possible
to play a character who views bisexuality as strange, but if this comes
up in conversation that sort of view will be treated with head-shaking
disbelief by most characters. On a more practical level, this means that
your character can be straight, bi, gay, lesbian, pansexual or whatever
you choose, and only a few people will care. In the same vein, your
character can identify as any gender, and those who find it strange are
the odd ones.

30
How this affects play
Young adult romance is very much a part of the larp, just as it is at actual
colleges, but we see no good reason for it being limited to boy/girl
romance or binary gender norms. In the end, players decide on charac-
ters’ sexuality and gender identity - we just make sure there are plenty
of options. Also, since everything is designed so the larp can be run
multiple times, having gender neutral characters is a lot easier for us.

Bottom line: gender - it ain’t that big a thing.

31
 2.11 Character Writing
Characters are pre-written by organisers
The Challenge has pre-written characters that are created by the
organisers. This doesn’t mean that everyone will receive a detailed
character description complete with life story, ambitions, personality
traits and so on, but that all players will receive a basic skeleton to
build their character from. Things like School, House, Path, goals,
personality traits and so on will be there, but there will also be plenty
of room for player input.

Relations are created by players

One of the things that are created by the players are the relations
between characters. Each character has a certain number of “tags”, that
puts it into a variety of social groups. Examples of groups are “Czocha
Dueling Club, “School New World Magischola, “House Flamel”. The
players in these groups will be introduced to each other using the
internet. This step is purely optional, and it is quite possible to play
the larp without having any relations to other players to begin with - as
long as some kind of explanation is found for it. But for most players
this will mean a broad spectrum of different relations from different
places in life. After all, a student may be a part of the groups “Aqua-
drache”, “House Molin”, and a couple of others, and can find relations
from all of them.
The organisers help facilitate the talks in the various groups, so that
meaningful relations can be created.

Your personal interpretation

In the end, the players are the ones playing. Each character has a
backstory and some personality traits in it, but these can be interpreted
in many different ways. This means that the characters belong to the
players and can be played out in whatever way they choose. The larp
will not fail because a certain character is played differently than it is
written; it will just mean that different stories are created. This is important.
Your character is your own.

Casting and Priorities

There are some characters which are different from the rest. The Prefect
characters have more responsibility in the larp and also typically sleep
in the House Common rooms. The Professors and Heads of Colleges

32
are also cast, since they are responsible for a lot of the game content.
And lastly, there are our Non-Player-Characters who play other cha-
racters rather than students - journalists, ghosts, etc. But apart from
these, everyone plays a student.

Players have some influence on what characters they will play, however.
They fill out a form stating what their priorities are. We will probably not
be able fulfill everyone’s wishes when it comes to what House they will
play, and whether they will play as Juniors, Sophomores or Seniors, but
we can do our best. Players will also get to prioritize which School they
want to come from. Again, we cannot give everyone their first priority,
but we will do our best to fulfill as many wishes as possible!

Overall Writing Process

Characters consist of six unique parts, plus generic shared information
about their School, Year, House, Club, which all characters sharing one
such attribute with them will have access to.

33
Character Part 1 - The Basics

The basics are covered here. Name, Nationality, School, House, Year
and Club.
Also, a short flavour text that gives a short description of what the
character is like. Focus is on playability and easily recognizable traits.

Character Part 2 - Light / Dark

Here, each character gets a “Light Side” and “Dark Side” written for it.
The idea is to give each character a positive side and a negative side.
The conflict between these creates a good starting point for a
meaningful inner conflict for the character - and gives the player some
options to choose between when it comes to how the character should
actually be played.

Character Part 3 - Questions

Each character gets five interesting questions, that the player must
think about. These are supposed to make the player think a bit deeper
about the character OR make the character think about interesting sto-
ryline questions. To make our lives easier as character writers, we will
sometimes reuse these. After all, it’s perfectly reasonable that more
than one character has to think about how the character feels about
werewolves!

Character Part 4 - What to do?

Here, each character receives five ideas for things to actually do during
the larp. Just as with the questions, some of these will be reused.
Probably quite a few characters will want to impress teachers, explore
the castle, etc. But with around 140 characters, it won’t be a problem if
two people share a desire for duels in the Dark Forest!

Character Part 5 - Ideas for relations

Since relations are created by players either sometime before the larp
or during the pre-game workshops, we have supplied a few ideas for
relations. These are just ideas for the players, and in no way obligatory.

34
 2.12 Costumes
Students
As a student there are two parts to your costume. The first part is your
robe, which you can read more about below. Robes are worn by
students at all times when it doesn’t say “Students: Free time” in the
schedule, which can be found at chapter 1.5. The second part is what
you choose to wear beneath. What students wear underneath their
robes is up to them, though outlandish or “Mundy” clothes (like jeans,
rock’n’roll t-shirts and such like) are severely frowned upon. During
free time, students are allowed to wear what they please, but Staff
members have been known to deduct points to students improperly
dressed - no matter the time or the place, yes, even at the Challenge,
which is hold during holidays.The NIMBUS isn’t so old and stuff that
even shoes with rubber soles are frowned upon, but it’s not exactly
downtown Berlin either. Most students from Czocha, Nibelungen or
New World Magischola wouldn’t look out of place at high-class boarding
schools, but there are plenty of exceptions.

Staff
Staff members wear whatever they please. They all have robes
for ceremonial functions, but most of them choose not to wear them
more than they have to. And contrary to students, Staff members are
not above dressing outlandishly (and outrageously). If you’re a Staff
member at The Challenge, you dress exactly as you please.

Robes
If you play a student at The Challenge, you’ll be wearing a robe a lot
of the time. The robes are provided by our partner Iron Fortress, who
also produce the Epic Armoury series of larp equipment. Robes are
loose-fitting and come in the following sizes: S, M, L, XL and XXL, with
the XXL being big enough for (hopefully) anyone!

Colours
Houses of Czocha and Magischola are going to share their tie colours
with particular Houses of NIMBUS. Members of particular Houses can
of course still wear their own symbols and logos.

Students from Czocha wear robes with white lining, Magischola takes
gold and NIMBUS crimson.

35
 Chapter 3
How to play the larp

36
 3.1 Rules of the larp
The Safety Rules
There are a lot of things we can do at Zamek Kliczków, our location.
There are also things we CANNOT do.

• Safety and concern for the player always comes first. Even if it means
being shut out of something interesting.
• The interior of the castle is full of expensive things. No crazy stunts
can be tried in places where they are.
• We’re at a castle! This means narrow corridors, steep stairs and the
like. Don’t run, fall or damage yourselves!
• If something is moved, it must be put back. Remember this, if you
move things (like beds) around.
• There are places we cannot go, and these must be respected.
• No things that can ruin floors, walls, etc. No ink!

The castle spirits

When walking around the castle, one may meet someone dressed in a
certain kind of brown robe. This is a castle spirit; in the larp of course,
strictly speaking, it’s an NPC or an organiser dressed up. Castle spirits
cannot be communicated with, are immune to all magic and cannot be
moved physically. If a spirit stands in a doorway with its arms out, that
doorway is blocked. The spirits serve the organisers for getting certain
things done discreetly, so they are not to be bothered.

No physical combat
No matter how large the conflict, no witchard would dream of solving a
problem with mere violence. Monsters may be physical, but defeating
them is never a matter of just piling bodies on top of them!

The first reason is because we’re at a castle, and physical fights tend
to get rough - even when they’re just stage fights for fun. The second
reason is because we’re many players from many different playing
cultures. One person’s “This is an ok level of physical violence” may be
another player’s “I’m going to call to the police!” level.

So even though physical interaction is of course allowed, no conflicts

are solved physically.

37
Wands are NEVER stolen
A wizard or a witch without a wand is a boring character to play -
unless it’s been lost on purpose. It is forbidden (offgame, as well as
in the fiction) to steal another player’s wand. Should a wand by found
somewhere, it can of course be picked up, but it should quickly be
brought it to the attention of a Staff member or a Prefect, so they can
let the player who’s missing it get it somehow.

Spellcasting
Combat spells outside the classroom are of course forbidden to stu-
dents, but most certainly not to players! Illegal spellcasting is something
everyone knows is going on, even though the in-game penalties are
severe . Magical combat uses the College of Wizardry system of magical
combat, which is demonstrated on location in workshops.

Casting spells is simple. Performing gestures and saying a magi-

cal-sounding word does it. However, it is 100% up to the target of the
spell to interpret it (and possible effects). So a “Silencio” might silence
someone, but then again, it might not - that depends on the player
whose character is the target. After all, spells fail students often!

38
3.2 Playing Style: Light - Dark
The world of witchards contains both light, dark and fun
Magical worlds and modern day fantasy can be done in many ways.
Some is outright comedy, some is dark and sinister, and some is just
plain strange. We want to hit a blend of both the epic, the everyday and
the entertaining. Here, it’s possible to meet silly Professors with absurd
teaching methods, have heart-wrenching moments where betrayals
seem almost real and enjoy quiet scenes doing homework and talking
about who to bring as a date for the party. But there’s also room for
deadly duels with strange beasts in the forest, secret rituals in the
forbidden basements and going to bizarre student poetry readings.

Life at the Colleges of Wizardry is a blend of teenage romance, deadly

monsters, political intrigue and personal rivalries, all set against the
background of competition for the Challenge Cup. There’s still room for
some exploding magical beans, miscast spells that turn out silly and
touches of the absurd, though.

You play it as you choose - within limits

CoW: The Challenge is a larp for up to 270 players, plus the support cast
(Non-Player Characters). There will not be one playing style, but many.
We see this as an advantage, and we hope you will too. That being said,
remember that inside the other characters are other players. So don’t
do things that they won’t like. Stealing wands, chaining people in the
dungeon and leaving, and things like that may seem fair to the characters,
but for the players inside them, it’s almost never interesting. So please
remember that styles differ, and it’ll all work out!

Every student is a unique snowflake

First of all, some adhere to the rules, some break them! There is always
quite a lot of drama between those set on studies and those aiming to
make a mark of a more “freewheeling” kind. But all are fierce individualists!

39
 3.3 Playing Style:
“Winning” The Challenge

We are always competing. At its most basic and fundamental level,

every living organism is in competition for survival. Competition is our
natural state. We want to win. When we are successful, our brains
release dopamine to make us feel good. Whilst our characters may
want to win The Challenge in-game, there are other ways to ‘win’ the
larp! You may have come across the phrase “play to lose,” what this
really means is that larp is a co-operative game of make-believe and
that going for the most dramatic (or worst) outcome can make for a
more intense experience for everyone concerned. We all win.

What does this mean in practice?

If someone else is playing a character who is supposed to be scary,

or a bully, or a cheat, play them up. Be frightened of them, back away
when they approach you, let them cheat. When the time comes to take
them down, the scene will be even more dramatic. If you are going to
play the villain who terrifies the students and teachers of three separate
schools, then give them their opportunity for revenge or victory in the
final phase.
40
Acknowledge that sometimes it is fun to fail. Not for your character,
perhaps, but for you and the other players in your team. Mess things
up. Freeze at an inopportune moment. Drop the magical and metapho-
rical ball. Poke the badger. Infuriate the professor. Sneeze when you
are supposed to be hiding. When faced with a choice of where your
character is heading, go for the option that makes the best story. It is
sensible to go to bed at curfew, it is a better story to sneak off to the
forbidden forest.

Always escalate: Make this game about Witchard schools competing

into something epic. Fall in Love and play for a broken heart. Fall out
with your friends. Cheat, but get caught cheating. If you have a secret,
find a way for the secret to get out during the game. It does not mean
you always have to do this. It does not mean you have to deliberately
set out to sabotage your team’s efforts to win. As with everything, it is
about balance. If you really want to win, perhaps even more than your
character does, then do it with a smile. Give a little. Fail a little. Victory,
if it comes, will be all the sweeter for it.

The ‘winners’ of this larp are not the characters who come out on top,
but the players - all of them - who make the story come alive.

41
 3.4 The Unspoken Rules
There are model students at The Challenge
The well-behaved and careful student tries to avoid any unnecessary
mentioning or use of hazardous spells (jinxes do occur, you know!). The
aim is to learn more about magic. To master, to excel and to reach pro-
found insights into age-old mysteries. Childish pranks and loose talk
or reckless actions, are just in the way of real power. These students
love books, laboratory work and field studies. And they adore the wise
Professors and Judges that run this venerable institution. Sadly, these
students are few and far between, since the willpower needed to cast
spells often also provides the willpower to choose your own life. Some
students will report everything to the Prefects or Judge if “someone
used this potion or that”, while some won’t care one bit.

Just not very many!

Only the more experimental, carefree or radical, will openly speak about
their views on The Traditions (at least if they’re brave). They might wave
their wands in public, and even use spells on their fellow students. They
will spend time exploring the castle grounds, eat enchanted candy, and
live out all that which magic makes possible. These students would never
dream of ratting out a fellow trickster. They seek challenges like spar-
korbs drawn to the crystal. They fight for their own voice. Some have
agendas that lie outside the framework of the school, and are here to
tear up the dogmas, throw out the old books and change the face of
sorcery forever. After all, college is a time of protest and revolution.
Beyond a time of learning great things, it is a time for doing them!

However, the Staff reigns supreme

Not even the most fool-hearted would consider incantations against a
member of the Staff. Well, not unless something really bad was about
to happen otherwise. Especially since Staff members automatically win
any magical fights against students.

And winning The Challenge cup is everything!

Winning challenges (even the small ones!) earns Challenge Points.

42
 3.5 Guide: Professor-Judge
Judges at The Challenge are made up of Staff and Faculty from the
three competing colleges as well as a selection of well-known
witchards from around the world.

What’s expected of you?

As one of the judges of The Challenge, you will be hosting and determining
the winner of competitions - contest-like activities you are going to
design and host themselves. How you design them is very much up to
you, but the keywords are:

• Make it interactive (let the challengers participate - either by casting

spells, working in groups, exercises, etc)
• Make it interesting (make the challengers make choices - ethical
choices, status choices, relations choices. Give the cheerleaders
something to watch and someone to cheer for)
• Make it usable outside The Challenge (teach them things they can
use to create more play during the rest of the larp)
• Make it playable (create a way for good competitors to be able to
excel and bad ones to be able to fail)
• Make it special (for a physical challenge, summon creatures. For a
mental challenge, practice mind spells. Make it unique)

A few important things to remember:

1. Be inclusive. Playing a celebrity is only fun if you play with others.
Delegate and include.
2. Be dramatic. It’s better to make mistakes than to be passive. Don’t be
afraid to fail.
3. Be memorable. Judges should be a bit larger-than-life, both in their
good AND bad sides.

Last, but definitely not least, you can make as many additional challenges
and activities as you like. You have to host a minimum of one compe-
tition, but there’s nothing to stop you from hosting extra events for
enthusiastic volunteers.

43
You cannot compete but you can participate
Professors and judges are welcome to show off their prowess and skill
in example challenges or as entertainment after the main events.
Although you cannot win points for a school or compete for the main
prize, you too can take part in interesting tasks.

Let the students deal with it

Things happen during these types of tournaments, dangerous things.
As a judge, you should let the students take care of it. After all, you’re
much too busy to take care of minor things like werewolf attacks or
dark rituals. The students are supposed to learn something about life
too, right? So don’t solve problems for them - create problems for them
instead. Don’t be a hero. Be a judge!

The Challenge Cup & Victory Points

Every school is here to win and every student competing is trying to
gain points for their college. On Saturday evening, just before the game
ends, the winning college will receive the Challenge Cup. Your job as
a judge is to make sure that points were awarded fairly throughout the
competition.

The point scale is from 1-5, and only in extraordinary circumstances is

this 1-5 scale broken. Every time you give out points, note them down,
and whenever you are in the Judges’ Lounge, transfer your points to
The Big Book of Points. The Challenge Regulator will transfer them to
the points-keeping glasses situated outside the Judges’ Lounge.

44
Playability comes before plausibility
At The Challenge experiences and stories come first; even if it some-
times means stretching believability a little. If you as a judge meet ten
students on their way to do something illegal or immoral, it’s a boring
solution to send them back to the Castle. Giving them a pass in
exchange for a favor means that not only do they get to do whatever
they were planning on doing, they now have the opportunity to get
involved in play with you. We want you to stay true to you character, but
also make sure you (and others) have a great time!

It’s OK to be uncertain! Ask us and each other

If you’re in doubt about something, you’re always welcome to ask. Some
problems can be asked by talking to fellow Judges in the game, and
others can be solved by talking with us in the Organizer Room at the
castle. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to say “Hey,
I could use some inspiration” - especially to us. We’re there to help you
and the rest of the players have an amazing time. So make use of us, if
you feel like it!

45
3.6 Guide: Head of a College
Traditionally, each College brings its Principal (or Chancellor or whatever
title they may have) to the Challenge. As the public face of each College,
this trio is supposed to function as a calming influence on everyone,
keeping up the appearance of good sportsmanship and focusing on
cooperation and friendly competition rather than stark rivalry.

Although the Principals usually see the value of cooperating instead of

competing too directly, each one of them are naturally keen that their
College wins the highest possible esteem, so although peace is kept
on the surface, their patriotism knows no bounds during a Challenge. A
trip like this also allows a Principal to let their hair down a little.

As the Head of a College, you play a major role in defining what the
College will be like, and how its members will interact with each other.

Playing the Principal of a College is about picking favorites from the

students, letting your hair down with faculty and staff, and watching
the other Principals like hawks, while at the same time working closely
with The Challenge Regulator to keep the Challenge running smoothly.
You will both have responsibilities for inter-school cooperation and to
keep the game on its tracks.

You have two main responsibilities:

• You should keep up team spirit among the competitors from your
school, minding the friendly rivalry between schools.
• You will be responsible for giving Losing Speech at the end of the
game.

A few important things to remember:

1. Be inclusive. Make sure that the Faculty, Staff and Prefects share
information, tasks and stories. Delegate and include.
2. Be decisive. As a leader of a College, it’s better to make mistakes
than to be passive. Don’t be afraid to fail.
3. Be memorable. Principals should be a bit larger-than-life, both in
their good AND bad sides.

46
Being a playmaker
As a Principal, one of your central functions is to be a playmaker.
Keeping your fellow players engaged and active is your of your tasks,
and that means inspiring them to do things. Some of this is done by
maintaining discipline, and making sure your College does well in the
Challenge - after all, ALL Principals take the Challenge very seriously,
and will do a lot to make sure their College excels.

Other things include connecting people, sharing information, passing

along tasks and thinking up interesting stuff for others to do if they’re
bored. Maybe you suspect one of the other Colleges to be cheating
and need someone to investigate, maybe the College needs a new slogan or
call to action, or maybe there’s a particularly interesting prank to play
on another school. The options are many!

47
 3.7 Guide: Prefect
Prefect Duties: What’s expected of you?
You lead one of the Houses either a host or a visiting house:

As a Prefect, you are one of the leaders of the five from your school.
You play a major role in defining what the House will be like, and how
its members will interact with each other.

A few important things to remember:

• Be inclusive. Make sure that Housemates share information, tasks
and stories. Delegate and include.

• Be decisive. As a leader of a House, it’s better to make mistakes than

to be passive. Don’t be afraid to fail.

• Be memorable. Prefects should be a bit larger-than-life, both in their

good AND bad sides.

You will also work with two other Prefects, from different schools, to
look after the students in your shared Common Room.

Being a playmaker
As a Prefect, one of your central functions is to be a playmaker. Keeping
your fellow students engaged and active is your of your tasks, and that
means inspiring them to do things. Some of this is done by maintaining
House discipline, and making sure your House does well in the overall
Challenge.

Other things include connecting people, sharing information, passing

along tasks and thinking up interesting stuff for Housemates to do if
they’re bored. Maybe the House needs a new song, some House poems
or there’s a particularly interesting prank to play on another House from
another school.

You will be living in close proximity to members of houses from other

schools; there is a lot of opportunity for drama, for conflict, for romance.
Seed as much of this as you can, it will generate play for your house
and those around you.

48
The important thing is that as a Prefect you can make up House tradi-
tions and goals to make life interesting for both yourself and for your
co-students. This also means you get to do things that sets your House
apart. This is true both before the larp, during the planning phase, and
during the larp itself. You get to be creative! Yay!

You’ll be busy - but don’t be afraid!

During the larp, you’ll find yourself extremely busy at most times. The
two big things are keeping the team organised and helping Housemates
get dates for the Challenge Ball. But being a Prefect at the Challenge
means being one of three people in charge of around twenty other
students, who will often be doing a million things at once - and trying
to make some sense of it all.

But don’t worry. It’ll all turn out alright in the end. You’ll probably have
moments where everything is happening at once and you lose track
of events, but this is not necessarily a problem. It’s ok if things are a
bit chaotic. And of course, you’re always welcome to come to us if you
need inspiration or guidelines. Or just a moment’s peace!

49
 3.8 Guide: Main Referee
Main Referee duties: What’s expected of you?
You introduce the Participants to the game. One of your duties is gathe-
ring all the players just after the welcoming speech, and giving them
an introduction to the challenge. This means explaining to them what
they can do and what they cannot. It is also you who must explain to
the students that use of offensive magic is strictly forbidden without
Professor supervision.

50
You are in charge of the Points for the Challenge
One of your tasks is to take the points noted by the Judges into the Big
Book of Points, and transfer them onto the overall scoreboard. The way
this is done is simple and you will get separate briefing on location.
Just drop by to Dziobak room! :)

Let the students deal with it

If danger or trouble comes to The Challenge, let the students take care
of it. After all, The Challenge is much more important than minor
irritations things like incursions from the Faerie Realm or dark rituals.
The students are supposed to be competing, right? So don’t solve
problems for them - create problems for them instead, and judge them
for it. Don’t be a hero. Be a Referee!

The Games
Not only are you in charge of The Big Book of Points, you can also
be the final arbiter for decisions around the judging of parts of the
Challenge. If there is a dispute, a question about cheating, or a query
about the rules, you have the final say.

Also you can create your own challenges. Whether these are lighthearted
games to pass away the hours of darkness, or life-and-death duels in
distant hedge mazes is entire up to you.

Playability comes before plausibility

At The Challenge the experiences and stories come first; even if it
sometimes means stretching believability a little. If you as the Main
Referee walk around after curfew, and meet ten students on their way
to the Dark Forest to do a ritual, it’s a boring solution to send them back
to the Castle. Giving them a pass in exchange for a favor means that
not only do they get to do the ritual, they now have the opportunity to
get involved in play with you.

We want you to stay true to you character, but also make sure you (and
others) have a great time!

51
3.9 Guide: The Challenge Regulator

Regulator Duties: What’s expected of you?

You make announcements.

During the larp you will make a lot of announcements to the assembled
crowd. There are 11 in total:

• Two Morning Announcements (Friday + Saturday at breakfast)

• Two Lunch Announcements (Friday + Saturday at lunch)
• Two Afternoon Announcements (Friday + Saturday after competition
ends)
• The Opening Speech (Thursday just after the game has started)
• The Party Preparation Speech (Saturday after dinner)
• The Challenge Cup Party Welcome Speech (Saturday evening when
the party starts)
• The Closing Speech (Saturday night after the Challenge Trophy has
been awarded)

For each speech, we will give you a list of things that must be said. You
are welcome to say more than what we tell you to, of course. The main
thing about the speeches is that they should be interesting, memorable
and powerful.

You name the most important office in the game

“Main Challenge Regulator” is a dull title, but as the player responsible
for this office it is up to you to adopt a suitable title. Whether it is
grandiose and overblown or something simple is entirely up to you. Do
you want to be known as The Dread Regulator, the Keeper of the Magic
Whistle, the Gamesmaker? The choice (within reason) is yours!

Let the students deal with it

If danger or trouble comes to the castle, let the students take care of it.
After all, you’re much too busy organising The Challenge to take care
of minor things like werewolf attacks or necromantic rituals. The students
are supposed to learn something from this experience, right? So don’t
solve problems for them - create problems for them instead, and give
points for their solution. Don’t be a hero.

52
Playability comes before plausibility
At The Challenge the experiences and stories come first; even if it some-
times means stretching believability a little. We want you to stay true to
you character, but also make sure you (and others) have a great time!

Being a playmaker

As the Challenge Regulator you have a lot of opportunity to create play

for others. Find ways to create conflict, set one school against another;
encourage politics between the teachers. You can do a walk around to
give your opinion on various aspects of the Challenge, recruit students
to spy on an illegal betting ring; and be a conduit between the politics
of the Witchard World, the schools, and The Challenge. You are there
to make the Challenge an epic event and to teach important lessons to
students and teachers alike There are lots of ways you can make sto-
ries happen. If you want to discuss ideas with us, we are ready to listen!

53
 3.10 Four tips on playing
Why these playing tips?
In our daily lives, we all know how to interact with one another (to a
certain degree, at least!). We know what it feels like to be in conflict with
someone, we know how we are friends with others and we probably
have some experience with romance as well. That doesn’t transfer ea-
sily 100% to a larp, since it’s a much more compressed and “heightened”
reality. Everything happens faster, reactions and counter-reactions are
more over-the-top and everything is much simpler than in our normal
reality. For this reason, we have made a couple of playing tips for you.
They’re meant to give you some ideas and inspiration. And if you feel
you don’t need them, that’s ok!

Playing friendship
Friends talk about things small and large. Tell your friends what’s going
on in your life, and ask about theirs. Overshare! Get involved in what
they’re doing. Do your friends favours. Say good things about them
to others. Help them out when they’re in trouble, and ask them for
help when you need it. Their problems are your problems and you can
always try to make your problems become their problems! Be loyal. Be
supportive. Unless you’re going to screw them over, of course, which
is also interesting and part of friendship. After all, the worst of enemies
can have started out as the best of friends - and exactly the same the
other way around.

Playing conflict
Enemies come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common;
they will go out of their way to make your life worse, and you’ll defini-
tely do the same for them. Share their dirty secrets if you know them.
Make them up if you don’t! Say bad stuff about them behind their back.
Make it known that you’re not on good terms when you see each other.
Fake smiles, nasty “compliments” or outright verbal attacks are all part
of the package - whatever fits the situation. Get involved in the lives of
your enemies, so you can make them worse. But most importantly of
all, be prepared to change your views. Enemies today can be friends
tomorrow, and vice versa.

54
Playing romance
Romance is a tricky thing. Sometimes it’s easy and light-hearted, and
makes everyone happy. Sometimes it’s complicated and dark, and is
the glue that keeps two (or more!) people together even though it’s
unhealthy. It can also be one-sided and exist only in someone’s head.
There are many ways to be romantic. Take walks and share inner
desires and dreams. Hold hands in the hallways. Stand up for each
other. Send love letters. Recite poems. Go on interesting dates in the
Dark Forest. Promise each other the world. And remember that some-
times love fails, and that is also a part of romance. Rather something
fast and furious than slow and safe.

Playing Housemates
The Houses of these schools have co-existed for centuries, but the
competition between them is fierce. For some students, having friends
outside of the House feels like betraying it, while others effortlessly
maintain and create friendships with students from other Houses. No
matter how you feel about your House, remember that its fate is bound
to you, and everything you do reflects upon it. This is especially true
at the Challenge, where you are representing your House to the
wider world of magic. At the Challenge, rivalries between Houses take
a backseat to the rivalries between House Trios. This is a time
of discovery and cultural exchange--ask questions of your Trio-mates
from other schools, and find the things your Houses have in common.

55
 3.11 Support characters at
The Challenge
Non-Player-Characters support the player experience
A Non-Player-Character (NPC) is character played by a participant
who’s not a player, but who instead plays a number of support roles
throughout the larp. We’re lucky enough to have quite a few partici-
pants who’ve made the journey to NIMBUS, to help us create a magical
experience for our players. They play a variety of different characters
(some of them play different characters during the course of the larp,
so don’t be surprised if you see familiar faces!), but all of them have
one thing in common - they’re there to improve player experience. Two
NPCs discussing in the Dark Forest alone doesn’t serve that much
purpose, though it may of course happen!

The power is in the hands of the players

At the Challenge, we have a design ideal that lets the players have
the power to influence the story. This means that instead of planning a
werewolf attack on Saturday night, we give some player characters the
power to summon werewolf allies. Maybe this will result in an attack on
the college - maybe not. This means that instead of having a clear time
table for when certain events happen, we try keep things dynamic.

This means that the larp will be full of opportunities, but it also means
that things may not work as expected. A summoning spell in the Dark
Forest may produce a different outcome than hoped for, and a trip to
see a Mermaid at the river may become a little bit more exciting than
first imagined!

56
Spirits of Nibelungen
The most common NPC characters are the Spirits of Nibelungen. These
spirits are bound to the castle for eternal servitude. They are easily
recognizable by their brown robes and face masks, though what they’re
wearing from the waist and down will vary from spirit to spirit. Spirits
of Nibelungen are immune to all magic, cannot be communicated with
and cannot be moved physically.

The spirits are there for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s an easy way
for NPCs to move around the castle without standing out, since people
look more or less the same once they’ve put on the brown robe and
the mask. It also gives us a chance to block off certain sections of
the castle if we need them for specific purposes. The way to deal with
spirits is simply to ignore them and accept that they are there with a
certain fatalism.

Opt-In instead of Opt-Out

One of the guidelines we have for our NPCs is that they are supposed
to give players opportunities for interesting play, not force them to
have play experiences they aren’t interested in. For this reason, very
few NPCs will enter the Castle itself - and those who do will mostly
be easily ignorable characters like travelling salesmen, visiting resear-
chers or such like.

You can still meet Vampire Hunters in the tavern, enraged Minotaurs in
the Dark Forest or mischievous Pixies in the gardens. It just means that
you’ll have to actively seek them out, and if you’re not interested, they
won’t bother you. There’ll be no attack by undead at the South Gate or
a visiting Archjustice from across the ocean demanding your attention,
but there’ll be plenty of mystery and opportunity for those who look for it.

An obvious place to go to opt in, is the tavern next to the castle, where
weary travelers and strange individuals come to rest their legs - some
looking for refuge, others on their way to adventures and looking for
companions.

57
3.12 Injury and death at the larp
You cannot kill others - but you can choose to die
Being killed at a larp is very seldom fun. Dying at one can be, but usually
only if it’s something chosen by the player for dramatic impact. This
means that it’s impossible to kill other player characters; students, Staff
members, etc. It simply cannot be done without their explicit off-game
consent. The same goes for injuries that will ruin a large part of their play.

So while it’s possible to drag off another student and give them a runic
scar on the arm (using make-up, not a real scar!), it’s not possible to
cut off players’ arms, blind them permanently or that sort of thing. This
is reinforced by our potion and spell rules, where the “victim” is always
the one deciding what the effect is.

This means that while conflicts will happen and fights can become
quite serious, nobody gets killed during fights unless they choose to
on their own. And since dying means missing out on the rest of the larp
(or becoming a ghost, at the least), it’s not something that’s going to
be happening right and left. If you choose to have your character die,
make sure it’s in an interesting way, and that someone takes care of
getting the body to the Organiser Room.

After all, dead bodies aren’t supposed to walk around. It must be said
quite clearly, though, that we do not expect character death to be a
central part of the larp. It may happen in extreme cases if the players
so choose, but this is not a larp where we expect a high death toll!

Healing happens quickly

Healing magic is very powerful. No-one wants to spend an entire larp
in a sick bed, especially since we don’t have a room that can be used
as a sick bay. So if you’ve been injured at the larp (ingame, not offgame
- if we get injured offgame, we’ll deal with that immediately), don’t lie
around playing injured for any longer than you want to. Find a Staff
member or a Healer student, and get it taken care of. Make it interesting
instead of boring.

58
Offgame injuries
If you get hurt for some reasons, we have an Organiser (Dziobak) Room.
Go there, and we’ll do our best to help you. We have first aid kits, cars
to take people to the nearest hospital (which is about 45 min away) and
people with first aid experience. If something happens, come to us,
and we’ll do what we can. Most of all, be careful, though. The castle is
a castle, and the forest is a forest. Don’t do crazy stuff!

Emotional overload
Larps can bring out strong emotions. This is one of the reasons some
of us play, but it also means that sometimes emotional overload happens, og
something triggers a bad memory or hits home harder than it should.
This is perfectly ok and is nothing to be ashamed of or scared of. If you
feel you need someone to talk to - whether about light things or
serious - we can be found in the Organiser Room. Since the larp has
a lot of players, we’ll have a lot of different personalities and emotio-
nal registers. Problems will arise, misunderstandings will happen and
that’s unavoidable with this sort of larp. What we can assure you is that
we’ll do our best to help if you need us.

59
 Chapter 4
The Challenge structure

60
4.1 The Challenge Disciplines
Physical challenges require the use of the body. Moving hydra eggs
without breaking them, wrestling minotaurs with protective gear and
assembling golems blindfolded all fall within the sphere of the physical.

Mental challenges put demands on the mind itself, and while magical
ability may help, it’s not at the center of the challenge. Witchard chess
with live pieces, debates in the dark under pressure and runic code
breaking are good examples of this sort of challenge.

Ethical challenges focus on the Witchard’s morals and reasoning ability.

Presiding over a faerie community and handing out justice, dealing with
the offspring of a dead cyclops or choosing between personal sacrifice
and power make up the category.

Skill challenges give the competitors a chance to put their expertise to

use while conditions are tricky. Summoning dangerous beasts while
upside down, effective spellcasting with a broken wand and duelling
count as Skill challenges.

Knowledge challenges test what the participants know, and can use.
Brewing complicated potions without recipes, creating artifacts without a
manual and listing plants to be found near a roc’s den constitute these.

Social challenges require participants to collaborate across disciplines,

across schools, and sometimes even across languages. Can you find
ways to explain a ritual diagram to your partners from a different room,
while underwater, or communicating only through a mirror?

The Riddle Heinzel is a special Suppor Character (played by one of the

NPCs). The Riddle Heinzel can be found in the Tavern afternoons and
nights, and gives away small challenges, always available for students,
who prefer to compete with the beer in their hand! Dance off? Karaoke
battle? Stealing a tie? The Riddle Heinzel is always surprising!

61
4.2 Taking up The Challenge
So you have decided to bring honour and glory to your school and
compete in one (or several) of the challenges? There are many reasons
why a character would want to compete in a challenge. Maybe you are
all about leading your school to victory, maybe you just want to show
off your awesome skills, or maybe there is a special someone you need
to impress. It can also be a way to earn status and become more popular
in your own school, an opportunity to be spotted by a talent scout, or
something to put in your application for that prestigious scholarship
you need. And participating is easy! Just make sure you are in the right
place when the Challenge Block is about to begin, as stated on the
schedule. You don’t have to sign up anywhere or report to anyone that
you plan on taking part - just show up! There might be a few exceptions
to this rule, which will be announced and clearly communicated ingame
so you always know what to do if you want to compete.

Every student can take part in every discipline, no matter what school
or house they’re from, what year they’re in or what specialties they
have. It’s just about showing up and giving it everything you’ve got!
You can take part in as many different challenges as you wish, and be
a cheerleader in just as many if that is your thing. Cheerleaders earn
points too!

The challenges are not the only way to earn points for your school, you
can also complete smaller tasks for a few points each. These tasks can
be obtained by seeking out the local Castle Goblin Riddle Heinzel in
the Tavern. And just like it is with the challenges, you can take on as
many of these tasks as you want to and have the energy for.

Organisers will provide the Major Challenges, while others will be

prepared by professors and Judges, who will be put in contact with a
special organiser to help them with this.

62
 4.3 The Challenge Rules
There are a few things to keep in mind about the points you earn in a
challenge. Competitors in a challenge are awarded points for their
accomplishment from the professors and the Judges. In some compe-
titions cheerleaders will be awarded points as well. All these points go
to the competitor’s school, and the school with the most points will win
the Challenge Cup at the end of the larp. The two losing schools will
give Losing Speeches - something everyone is desperate to avoid!

Even though all points go towards the Challenge Cup at the end, there
are also separate counts for each discipline, which are counted as well
For example, it is possible for Czocha to become Champion of the
Physical Discipline, but if they don’t win any other Disciplines they will
still lose the Challenge Cup.

But that is not all!

The Collaboration Cup

It’s not only between schools there is competition. One House from
each school will be put together to form Trios, who compete for the
Collaboration Cup. Points are earned the same way as they are for the
Challenge Cup, but they can also be deducted for breaking school
rules. This can be getting caught out of bed after curfew, cheating in
a challenge, acting disrespectful towards the staff or any number of
actions that would normally result in points deductions. It is up to the
professors and judges to determine how many points will be given and
taken in this category.
The House Trio with the most points at the end wins the Collaboration
Cup. It does not count towards the Challenge Cup, but each House
in the Trio will be awarded 100 points for the House Cup at their own
schools. This encourages cooperation between the schools, so all-out
wars don’t erupt between the different schools.

How many points can I get for a challenge?

Task Challenge Major Challenge
(prepared by Castle (prepared by professors (prepared by
Goblin Riddle Heinzel) and Judges) organisers)
1 to 5 points 6 to 10 points 11 to 20 points

63
 4.4 The Hierarchy
The Challenge Regulator

Main Referee

nimbus czocha NWM

head of college head of college head of college

teachers

houses

Flamel Libussa Dan Obeah

Grimm Durentius Casa Calisaylá
Faust Faust House Croatan
Molin Molin Maison Du Bois
Krabat Sendivogius Lakay Laveau

prefects

students

64
 Chapter 5
Practical details!

65
5.1 What to bring - Some ideas
This is not any kind of final list
It’s just a list of things we think you’d be smart to bring.
It’s divided into three parts.

Things we’ll provide

• A bed you can sleep in, with blankets, pillows, etc
• Towels for your showering needs
• Food you can eat
• Your robe
• House tie

Things you’ll need to bring

• Your wand. Without it, most magic will be impossible!
• It may be cold, so bring warm stuff as well. Remember that some
challenges are held outside, so be prepared for spending some time
without heating.
• Your party dress. If you have something to wear for the party, bring it.
It’s 100% optional, though!
• Papers, notebooks, pencils, etc. for taking notes during classes (no
ink!).
• Personal stuff (toothbrush, medicine, shampoo, etc).
• Passport! Unless you’re Polish, then it’s less relevant.

Things that are nice to have

• Potion bottles, cauldrons, and other weird stuff that might come in
handy during classes.
• More warm clothes. We don’t know what the temperatures will be,
but it might get cold.
• Stuff to decorate the House Common Rooms with. You can of course
also decorate your own room, but it’s more interesting to decorate
the spaces where a lot of the action will take place.
• Snacks, juice, alcohol, etc. if you’re planning on eating/drinking
between meals.
• Trunks, old suitcases, or other old school things to carry stuff in.
• Hats! Hats are fashionable in the wizarding world.
• Extra socks and indoor shoes.
• Earplugs. The castle has thin walls.
• Polish money. You won’t need it, but you might want it (to buy stuff
at the bar, for example).
66
 5.2 Right before the larp
Organiser briefings & workshops
Before the larp starts there are certain things we want to be certain
everyone is clear on. First of all, we have 45 minutes of organiser briefing.
This time is spent making sure everyone is on the same page on some
critical issues. We will divide you into small groups, and have a separate
group consisting of Professors and the rest.

Briefings will be about

• Playing style
• NPCs at the Challenge
• Combat magic
• Safety rules: Cut & Brake
• Physical Safety: Larp at at castle
• Non-combat magic

67
Workshop #1
When the organizer briefings are over, participants are divided into
smaller groups to talk about relations in playing styles in their smaller
groups. The idea is to help participants feel comfortable with their
characters and the game they’re about to play, to get questions out of
the way and make us all ready to start playing! ;-)
• Students separate by their school
• Professors/Staff form a group as well
• These groups have 1,5 hour to talk about how they want to play
together and to create some personal relationships with other group
members.

Workshop #2
After the first workshop, there’s a short 15 min break, and then new
groups are formed. These groups do exactly the same as before; talk
about how they want to play and establish some personal relationships.
• Students separate by their House Trios
• Professors stay in the group they have already formed.
• The time frame here is once more 1,5 hours.

Getting ready
We have set aside 45 min from 19.30 - 20.15 to get ready for the larp.
Getting into costume, saying the last offgame goodbyes to friends, etc.
However, these 45 min are also the time we have to catch up with delays,
so don’t be too surprised if they end up being a bit shorter. If your costume
requires a lot of time to get into, leave the last workshop a bit early. So
unless something goes very wrong, we will start on time at 20.15!

68
 5.3 Small practical things
It’s not a FAQ - but it’s close!
Some info doesn’t really fit in any other place. That info ends here. It’s
formulated as a list that you might find handy. There’s also a chance
that if something was on the list and isn’t there any more, it’s gotten its
own separate page. If something isn’t on the list, please write us and
we’ll do our best to answer. Read on!

• Common Rooms cannot be entered except by members of the House

Trio in question (due to magic). This is both to make sure the Prefects
and Seniors there have a better chance at getting some sleep, but
also to ensure that any prank involving a House Common Room
needs to involve at least one insider.
• Sleeping rooms marked with an offgame sign (clearly marked) are
offgame during the larp.
• It’s perfectly alright to switch roommates. If you need to change
roommates, let us know of the switch.
• Sleeping is done in 2-5 person rooms. There are no “dorm” rooms as
such.
• There’ll be a bar that’s open during the larp and during the afterparty.
The prices are reasonable. You can pay in euro or in Polish zlotych ;-)
• Power adapters are required if you don’t use European standard
equipment.

A little bit on food

For the Challenge, the castle staff will serve us three meals a day, and
we’ve done our best to make the menu as friendly as possible to
vegetarians, people with allergies, etc. That said, it’s almost impossible
to cater to everyone’s individual needs, as some may have unusual
allergies, advanced diets or simply personal preferences. We’ve taken
vegetarianism, veganism, gluten and lactose allergies into account.

If you have food-related troubles that are not associated with vegeta-
rianism, veganism, gluten or lactose allergies, feel free to contact our
practical castle coordinator at boruta.szymon@gmail.com. We can’t
solve problems, but we can at least make it clear to you which problems
you will need to solve yourself.
All meals will be buffet-style, so you can simply take what you prefer
from the tables.

69
 Chapter 6
Societies and Lore

70
 6.1 NIMBUS
6.1.1 Societies of NIMBUS
There are several official and unofficial clubs at NIMBUS, and there may
be members from most, if not all of these, present at The Challenge.

Aquadrachen-Team (Aquadragon Team)

While the most popular sport at Czocha and Magischola is Fireball Dragon,
at NIMBUS they celebrate Aquadrache! Aquadrache is a water sport that
gets practiced and played in NIMBUS’ own swimming pool. The inter-
national successful NIMBUS Team attracts quite a lot of people, but not
everybody gets accepted, as their standards are high and the training
is rough. Therefore, getting accepted by that formidable Team often
creates conflicts with friends, who don’t get in.

Jäger der verlorenen Schätze (Treasure Seeker)

You are looking for adventures and secrets to discover? The legends
about long lost artefacts is like a wakeup call for you and you directly
want to jump into stories untold and riddles unsolved until you finally
get behind the legends, right to the truth? Then this Club is made for
you! Members of this Club claiming to be the bravest and smartest
students of all, skilled detectives who fear no task! It is said, that you
need to pass a test to become a member. The Treasure Seeker value
particularly students who are cunning and clever enough, to not get
into trouble because of breaking one rule or the others. Because rules
are just in the way, if you seek for true adventure!

Kinder der Loreley (Children of the Loreley)

This Club is all about fairies and the “Anderswelt”, the otherworld.
Traditions, fairytales, habits and even an exchange of knowledge with
fairies is on the agenda. While there are ongoing discussions about the
Treaty of Avalon regarding that last point. Some Members of this Club
believe that fairies are holy, supreme creatures and they adore them
to an extreme, you could call Fangirling. Others are more skeptical and
simply want to find out more about those beings, so different and not
really reachable with a human mind or morality standards.

Königsberger Fechtverein (Koenigsberger Fencing Club)

The history of this Club is a bit odd. Starting as a real Fencing Club,
they faced serious issues within the past, including the death of some
71
members during a tournament in 1789. The result was a massive amount
of restrictions, rules, new forms of regulations – bureaucracy as it finest
– until it wasn’t even able to hold a Sword without getting punished.
Today, there is not a single member who fully understands what exactly
happened and how the rules are applied. After ever ongoing and
hotheaded discussions, the Club basically changed into a Debate Club.
But of course, nobody would openly admit that.

NIMBUS – Duellierclub von 1884 (NIMBUS Duelling Club since 1884)

Founded under the wing of Prof. Mauritz Abraham Levi from House
Molin, this Club has a long tradition of rules, etiquette and expertise.
Back in the founding days, a Molin Senior was holding the role of the
“Philister”, some kind of head and leader of ceremonies. But in terms of
equality, this role got abandoned, however some members of House
Molin still refer to it as “the good old days”. The three main virtues are:

• Improving yourself to be loyal and honest.

• Silence is gold. There is no silver.
• Glory to the victor, mercy to the defeated.

Rumors say, that the Club developed new rules and rituals but as they
take their second virtue very seriously, barely anything is known about
it outside of the Club. However, members of the Duelling Club stay
loyal towards each other, even after graduation.

72
 6.1.2 Houses of NIMBUS

Haus Krabat
House Krabat values courage and mercy. Members of Krabat often prefer
a direct solutions for problems and don’t shy away from challenges
or dangers. Unfortunately this sometimes leads them to walk darker
paths, believing the ends justify the means. The house can seem a bit
rough, and usually members don’t care a lot about mere words, high
ideals must come with the conviction to take action. Their occasionally dark
reputation aside, Krabat are also known for helping the weak, protecting
the helpless, and showing mercy to even their most bitter enemies
when they are helpless. Members of House Krabat tend to be slow to
trust - especially those who’ve lived life with the power and privilege
of the hexborn.

Haus Faust
House Faust reveres wisdom and might. Its members are known for their
academic ambitions. They make a particular effort to strive for wisdom,
believing that might itself has no value without having earned it through
ones own hand and knowledge. Rather than using backdoors, intrigue
or shortcuts, they prefer a more honorable way. Many of NIMBUS’ best
students are from House Faust. They strive to push themselves to be
better, and reach higher than others. They judge their former founder
and his followers at Czocha to be misguided and having taken the easy
way out, facing corruption as a result. Faustians from NIMBUS want to
see a change in the world, like their patron Margete von Faust wanted.
They can seem elitist and distant but if you can get past the facade,
you’ll discover a house with fierce morals and union.
73


Haus Molin
House Molin of NIMBUS is known for loyalty and cunning. For Molin,
loyalty - especially inside the house - is very important. They are not
only a house, they are a family. This is strengthened by the house’s
countless traditions and rites. Traditions are a central element of the
house and there are so many, that even senior members of the House
don’t know them all. Members of House Molin often delight in crypto-
graphy and often use secret codes for communication. Molin are known
for having keen minds and incisive powers of perceptions which allow
them to find the smallest loopholes in the most complex rules and use
them for their advantage. Contrary to the stereotype, Molins do not see
their cunning as a tool for being unfair to or fooling others.

Haus Grimm
House Grimm values diplomacy and creativity, but they are also known
for being cosmopolitan and tolerant. They are creative, but often this
creativity is used to find novel ways out of trouble or to dodge the
rules. Grimmlings are known to value equality, and being unafraid to
follow unconventional paths to reach their goals. It’s often members

74
of House Grimm that become the rebels, outsiders, philosophers and
revolutionaries of the school.

Haus Flamel
House Flamel prides itself on diligence and reticence. Though many
members of the house could claim to be the best students in the school,
they are usually not interested in direct competition. Diligence brings
wisdom and achievements, but wisdom is only useful when guarded
by reticence. House members value acting in secrecy and only letting
their closest confidants know their true purposes and goals. Secrets
are the currency of House Flamel. Flamel is also known for being fond
of the beautiful and timeless things in life. The house has a history of
appealing to students curious about finding a means to magical
immortality, which has brought it many excellent students, but lead
many of them down dark and tragic paths

75
 6.2 Czocha
6.2.1 Societies of Czocha
There are several official and unofficial clubs at Czocha College, and
there may be members from most, if not all of these, present at The
Challenge. For more information about societies at Czocha, see the
CoW design doc pg. 55.

One note when considering whether to play a member of a secret society:

There are many aspects to play up in The Challenge already – schools,
houses, years, roles. If you want your secret society to be more than
backstory, try to imagine how your membership will impact play. How
will the NIMBUS students react to finding out that you’re a member of
W.A.N.D.? How does your membership in the unofficial Fight Club prepare
you for the physical challenges in this larp? Has your time in the Debate
Club made you enemies?

Czocha Dueling Club

The Czocha Dueling Club is a proud institution with deeply rooted notions
of ritual, honor, and tradition. Anyone can best another duelist by slinging
spells at them until they lie down and don’t get up again – but can you
do it while maintaining a sense of style? Expect to see members of this
club formally declare the intention to duel while politely sipping a cup
of tea.

Czocha Debate Club

The members of the Czocha Debate Club understand that the pen is
mightier than the sword – and that the word is mightier than the wand.
There are rules – arguments must be properly sound and sourced, and
one may not tell a lie that one knows to be a lie. Doing so is grounds for
disqualification – if it can be proved.

Czocha Fight Club

The unofficial – illegal – Czocha Fight Club was started long ago by
students who tired of the fancy-schmancy high-nosed nonsense of the
Czocha Dueling Club – students who actually wanted to learn how to
fight. When you engage someone in the Czocha Fight Club it’s all about
winning the ensuing battle no matter what.

76
W.A.N.D
W.A.N.D is an acronym for Witchards Against Non-Hexborn Discrimi-
nation, an organization which started as a coalition of smaller social
justice groups that fought against hexism, anti-werewolf sentiment,
and discrimination against Duds born to Hexborn families. Over time
W.A.N.D has become the nexus of progressive student politics at Czocha
College.

Other official Czocha societies include the poetry and arts club Horse
without Wings, A.R.M (the Alliance for Reclaiming Magic) and The
Basement Beer Brigade. Other unofficial Czocha societies include the
Ancient Order of Mischief and the Iron Covenant.

77
 6.2.1 Houses of Czocha

House Libussa
The first Founder of Czocha and the one who truly set in motion the
creation of the school was the legendary founder of Prague, Libuše
herself. Libuše is credited with the creation not only of Prague, but also the
Kingdom of Bohemia itself. In emulation of their Founder, the Libussans
strive to be as forward-thinking as possible. They are a House of
revolutionaries, artists, trailblazers, and free-thinkers. Their values are
Creativity, Daring & Foresight and their colours are Purple & White.

House Durentius
The second Founder of Czocha and the one who introduced the House
system by assigning orange ties to his students and purple ties to the
students of Libuše was the legendary Silesian Witchard known
variously as Pan Twardowski, Laurentius Dhur, or simply Durentius. Like
their Founder, the Durentians strive to be as wholeheartedly alive as
possible. They are a House of creators, fonts of energy, and lovers of
life. Their values are Valour & Diligence and their colours are Orange & Brown.

78
House Faust
The third Founder of Czocha had already played an instrumental role in
the founding of another institute of magical learning - NIMBUS - before
he came to be a Founder of Czocha. The Czocha Faust are decidedly
more influenced by the hardline power-politics approach of Johann
Georg von Faust. Like their founder before them, Czocha Faustians can
seem almost Machiavellian in their application of power. The world may
be ugly and unfair - but a true Faustian can fight just as dirty as their
enemies. As a result, they have fostered something of a split with the
NIMBUS Faustians. Ironically, the greatest rivals of Faust might just be
Faust - but then again, who else would do? They are a House of daunt-
less influencers, politicians and leaders. Their values are Knowledge,
Power & Ambition and their colors are Blue & Gold.

House Molin
The fourth Founder of Czocha was the enigmatic Witchard and Kabba-
list known through most of their life as Abraham Molin. Molin is credited
with the creation and furtherance of much of modern golem-crafting,
and although few truly knew them they touched many lives. In honour
of their Founder, the Molinians continue their legacy. They are a House
of close-knit unity, true camaraderie, and community. Their values are
Loyalty & Cunning and their colours are Green & Bronze.
79
House Sendivogius
The fifth and final Founder of Czocha was the heroic and silver-tongued
Michał Sędziwój, known also as Sędzimir or Michael Sendivogius. While
Sendivogius lived long after the other Founders, it is understood that
without his efforts Czocha would be a shadow of its former self.
Celebrating their Founder, the Sendivogians strive to uphold his honour.
They are a House of adventurers, diplomats, and warriors. Their values
are Courage, Honour & Diplomacy and their colours are Red & Silver.

80
 6.3 Magischola
6.3.1 Societies of Magischola

New World Magischola is host to many clubs, both official and unofficial.
Members of most of these clubs and societies will likely be in atten-
dance at The Challenge, in some capacity. Some will be trying to recruit
new members, establish international partnerships, or seeing what they
can learn from the ways Conflux life differs from Magimundi society.

Crossed Wands Club

The Magischola wand-dueling club has strong opinions about
formality, following the rules, and respect for one’s dueling opponents.
They also place a heavy emphasis on skill and elegance of magic, with
membership tiers based on skill level and combat prowess.

Sapience Advocates
A very intense activism group, focused on ensuring the rights of all
sentient beings, not just humans, many of whom do not have full legal
status in the Magimundi. While in the past they have focused on the
rights of vampires and Lycanthropes, their current primary emphasis is
on chupacabra rights--a difficult challenge, as many in the Magimundi
do not believe chupacabra are sentient at all.

Cultus Iktus
A counterculture group that openly uses mundane technology, finding
ways to integrate things like computers and smartphones into their
spellcasting. Cultus Iktus is the primary organization for Technomancers
in the Magimundi, as it is not seen as a proper area of study for mages.

Explorers of the Eternal

A semi-secret organization, interested in exploring ideas of immortality
and the afterlife. Those interested must solve puzzles to find the meeting
location. Meetings are often rumored to mostly consist of fancy drinks
and desserts rather than actual magical experimentation.

Foresight Enterprises
While not technically a club, employees of Foresight Enterprises
represent a powerful presence at New World Magischola. The Magi-
81
mundi’s largest corporation funds research, political movements, and
various other projects. It engages in practices many consider unethical,
and its head, Morris Hayes, has been the target of many recent activist
campaigns.

There are numerous other clubs and societies at Magischola, including

the philanthropist organization Fellowship of the Hydra, the Kokopelli
Choir, and the academically exclusive Sign of the Arrow.

82
 6.3.2 Houses of Magischola

House Croatan
While the first four houses of NWM were created at the same time,
Virginia Dare’s House Croatan is considered to hold the honor of being
the first house considering her role in organizing the cooperation of the
other founders. Members of House Croatan value tradition, honor, and
bold action to uphold and protect the Magimundi and their secrets. A
witchard of House Croatan expects to be respected, but knows that
this respect must be earned by skill and action. The Croatan house
motto is ‘To Dare is to Do,’ and their colours are those of their painted
turtle mascot: orange and brown.

Dan Obeah
Tituba, second of the four founders, was a talented shapeshifter and
healer who set aside her distrust for institutions in the hopes that the
school could help young mages develop a strong sense of ethics.
Members of Dan Obeah have a thirst for knowledge, and believe in its
power to bring freedom from enslavement. They value transformation,
renewal, and wisdom, and strive to use their formidable power, skill,
and clear-thinking for good. They seek harmony, consensus, and
symbiosis, but also know the importance of eliminating toxic elements
for the greater good. The Dan Obeah house motto is ‘By Wisdom and
Foresight’ and their colours are hunter green and silver.
83
Maison DuBois
Etienne Brulé, a fugitive from the European Confluxes with a colorful
past, served as the first Chancellor of New World Magischola and began
the Marshal tradition. Students of Maison DuBois have a strong inner
compass and want to ensure that the magical world is safe, ordered
and ethical. They have a fervent belief in justice and are not afraid to
step into a conflict to set things right. Their convictions are unassai-
lable and they value strength and loyalty above all. The Maison Dubois
motto is ‘Always Just,’ and their colors are royal blue and white.

Casa Calisaylá
Calisaylá was considered to be the most powerful of the founders,
and after initial disagreements, used their magic to protect the school.
Those from Casa Calisaylá have a certain disregard for rules and
limitations, and tend to be full of cunning and mischief. Just as their
founder eschewed the gender binary, Calisaylá students often eschew
traditional solutions. The Calisaylá motto, ‘Honor the Past, Embrace the
Future,’ comes from the long tradition of storytelling at the core of the
house’s philosophy. The house colors are crimson and gold.

84
Lakay Laveau
Marie Laveau, perhaps the greatest artificer of her era, was invited to
found a House at NWM if she would also teach there. Students of
Lakay Laveau are known for powerful charisma that allows them to get
what they need easily. They are unafraid to embrace the darker sides
of magic, and, continuing in the tradition of their founder, see death as
just another part of life. Students of Laveau see the world as their play-
ground, and are not afraid to enjoy themselves in it. The Lakay Laveau
house motto is ‘With Mind and Skill,’ and their colors are royal purple
and dark grey.

85
 6.4 Clubs of The Challenge
Besides the clubs and societies of Czocha, NIMBUS and Magischola,
there are three clubs that are being activated only for the time of the
Challenge. Every student can join the club, no matter from which school
they are originating.

6.4.1 The Devil’s Dealers

There are many illegal and unofficial clubs in all three magical schools,
but none of them is as popular and influential as The Challenge Betting
Club, known among the participants as the Devil’s Dealers. It is also
the oldest club, as old as the idea of the Challenge itself. There were
many efforts from the teachers and organizers to eradicate the illegal
activity throughout the ages, but the need for gambling is apparently
as strong as the spirit of schools’ rivalry itself. The Dealers survived
Head of Colleges, Guardians, rules-loving teachers, high and mighty
students and it will most likely continue to thrive.

The Devil’s Dealers activities include, but are not limited to: placing
bets on Challenge participants (duh), all sorts of gambling, collecting
and selling favours, charms, magical objects, potions, dangerous plants
and once even (which resulted in the incident that most people would
prefer to forget about) a baby dragon transmuted into a chicken.

The club’s activity is illegal, so students joining it should remember

that they are breaking the rules of their respective schools and the
Challenge itself. However, most teachers and even some of the
organizers tolerate the Dealers (some are even the members themsel-
ves), as it adds to the spirit of competition and allows them to get their
hands on various valuable goods. It is worth mentioning that the Devil’s
Dealers do not use money, magical or mundane and instead the currency
varies from favours to magical objects, potions, creatures and curses.

86
6.4.2 The Marconi’s Mumbling Masters
The Marconi’s Mumbling Masters or 3M is the official radio club of the
Challenge. Its members are carefully chosen before the start of every
Challenge and it is considered a main source of news and entertain-
ment. Members of 3M are bold, cheeky, forthcoming, quick-witted and
always well informed.

3M representative should always be at every Challenge competition

and social gathering as corresponding the events is one of the main club
activities. But Marconi’s are much more than just dry facts. Broadcasts
and auditions are spiced up with saucy rumours about the competitors,
spontaneous singing outbursts and sometimes even quarrels between
the reporters. Radio is also a great way of spreading messages, threats,
love confessions, creeds and manifestos. Members of 3M pride them-
selves on the fact that sometimes listening to their auditions is better
than watching the challenges in person and their opening and closing
broadcasts are legendary. In the evenings at least one of the Masters
is present in the Tavern, telling stories and initiating singing of Irish war
songs or Greek dance competition.

News, music and the best possible entertainment - those are all the
3M’s values, but the order of their importance depends heavily on the
members of the club.

87
 6.4.3 The Snifflers

The Journalist Club, editors and publishers of the official Challenge

newspaper - The Challenge Chronicle, consider themselves the elite
of the three schools. Every member is carefully chosen and sometimes
a current member of a club must vouch for the newbie coming from
the same school. The rules are not entirely clear to anybody and differs
heavily depending on who is the current president of the club. One
thing is clear though - if you have anything to hide from other people
- embarrassing family secret, forbidden love affair, not entirely pure
blood status, that you don’t want your hexblood friends to discover -
you can be damn sure that Journalists will sniff it out. Hence the unofficial
and derogatory name of the club - the Snifflers.

Snifflers are always present when something interesting is happening -

sometimes it is an official competition, sometimes a midnight gathering
in the forest and sometimes a quarrel between once childhood friends
now the competitors from two different schools. Not even teachers
are safe, because as the members of the club will tell you - “Nothing
should stay in the way of the truth, no matter how ugly and unpleasant it is”.

88
 6.5 Cultural differences
A Note on Eurocentrism
College of Wizardry: The Challenge is about a competition between
three magical schools, two of them European (Czocha, Nibelungen)
and one of them American (New World Magischola). The competition
itself takes place on the grounds of Nibelungen, one of the European
schools, and as such most of the following lore is written from a
Eurocentric perspective. Each sub-chapter does have a short note on
how the situation differs in the New World Magimundi, however.

There are many discrepancies between the two magical worlds, and
many of the expectations that Europeans might have about Americans
and vice versa will turn out to be wrong. This is a game which is also
about culture clashes, and the meeting of wildly different cultures.
When the New World meets the Old World, there’s bound to be a few
things lost in translation.

Most of the visitors from the New World Magimundi would probably
find the ways and culture of the European Confluxes bizarre at best -
just as the European students would find the New World Magimundi
bizarre had the situation been reversed. Nonetheless, they’re here. And
while they’re here, they’ll be bound by the conventions and rules of the
Old World, so it’s worth studying it at least a tiny bit before the leap is
made and one finds oneself in a proper castle older than the U.S.A.

The Confluxes and the Magimundi

Magical society is structured very differently in different parts of the
world. European magical society consists primarily of the Confluxes, a
loosely affiliated group of independent city-states. Each Conflux has
its own history, cultural issues, and traditions. There are only a few ele-
ments that bind the Confluxes together, including the Guardian Order
and the Treaty of Avalon. European magical history is rich with conflicts
both between and within the Confluxes.

North American magical society is much more structured. The Magi-

mundi, as it is known, is divided into five Provinces - Destiny, Thunder-
bird, Mishipeshu, Solaris, and Baja. Each is overseen by an Archjustice
(who together form the Council of Five), and has its own Primaschola
where young mages study. There is also the floating Virginia Isle, sky-
high home to the richest and most elite families of old magic.
89
Read further

For more information on particular confluxes or schools, check “Read

further” section at the end of this document.

90
Appendix

91
 Cheat sheet zone
NIMBUS
House Flamel
Values: Secrecy & Diligence
Symbol: Unicorn
Colors: White & Silver
Founder: Pernelle Flamel

House grimm
Values: Diplomacy & Creativity
Symbol: Wolf
Colors: Turqoise & Irongrey
Founder: Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm

House Faust
Values: Wisdom & Might
Symbol: Dragon
Colors: Blue & Gold
Founder: Johann & Margarete von Faust

House Molin
Values: Loyalty & Cunning
Symbol: Golem
Colors: Green & Copper
Founder: Abraham Molin

House krabat
Values: Courage & Mercy
Symbol: Raven
Colors: Red & Black
Founder: Antonius Krabat

92
 Cheat sheet zone
Czocha
House Libussa
Values: Creativity, Daring & Foresight
Symbol: Silver Lion
Colors: Purple & White
Founder: Libuše
Influenced by Czech culture

House Durentius
Values: Valour & Diligence
Symbol: Rooster
Colors: Orange & Brown
Founder: Laurentius Dhur
Influenced by Silesian culture

House Faust
Values: Knowledge, Power & Ambition
Symbol: Dragon
Colors: Blue & Gold
Founder: Johann Georg von Faust
Influenced by German culture

House Molin
Values: Loyalty & Cunning
Symbol: Golem
Colors: Green & Bronze
Founder: Abraham Molin
Influenced by Ashkenazi culture

House Sendivogius
Values: Courage, Honour & Diplomacy
Symbol: White Phoenix
Colors: Red & Silver
Founder: Michał Sędziwój
Influenced by Polish culture

93
 Cheat sheet zone
New World Magischola
dan obeah
Motto: By Wisdom & Foresight
Symbol: Raven
Colors: Green & Silver
Founder: Tituba
Attributes: Transformation, Wisdom, Renewal

casa calisayla
Motto: Honor the Past, Embrace the Future
Symbol: Coyote
Colors: Red & Gold
Founder: Calisayla
Attributes: Respect, Equality

House croaton
Motto: To Dare is to Do
Symbol: Painted Turtle
Colors: Orange & Brown
Founder: Virginia Dare
Attributes: Honor, Courage, Preservation

maison du bois
Motto: Always Just
Symbol: Grizzly Bear
Colors: Royal Blue & White
Founder: Etienne Brûlé
Attributes: Loyalty, Strength

lakay laveau
Motto: With Mind & Skill
Symbol: Alligator
Colors: Deep Purple & Black/Grey
Founder: Marie Laveau
Attributes: Tenacity, Creativity, Cunning

94
Map of NIMBUS
Ground floor

95
First floor

96
Second floor

97
 Read further
The Challenge takes place in an established universe. There are quite
many other events coexisting there and a lot of supplementary material
that you may find interesting and use it to enrich your experience. Of
course none of the following is obligatory reading but if, after going
through this whole Design Document, you feel a thirst for more, here
are some useful links (and explanations):

Websites
The main go-to place for all the information - both in- and off-game:

• https://www.cowlarp.com/ - College of Wizardry i.e. where it all

started. The longest running of our witchard larps.

• https://magischola.com/ - New World Magischola. The New World

witchard larp.

• https://www.nlarp.com/ - College of Wizardry: Nibelungen. The

German-language witchard larp.

Design Documents
Just like the file that you are reading right now, the Design Documents
contain a lot of information. Some of it will be relevant only to the
nearest upcoming events but most of it will be interesting and useful
for players taking part in other events (like The Challenge) as well.

• College of Wizardry: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_FqOP9u-

hQuDazFTQXhid1l1WWs/view?usp=sharing - this is the Design Docu-
ment for our main Czocha CoWs and will be of particular interest to
those players that will play Czocha characters (be they students or
staff). The pages that would be most useful to the Challenge players are:

37-38 The study paths and the subjects at Czocha

50-54 In-depth info about the houses of Czocha
55-57 Info about the official and unofficial Czocha Clubs
58-59 Info on the other European schools
61-70 Further information about the world including society,
werewolves and other sentient creatures, the Traditions, confluxes and
Guardians, the Bound Arts, duelling, the game of Fireball Dragon and
magical means of transportation.
98
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_FqOP9uhQuDQ2NzODRyTk-
toY0U/view?usp=sharing - this is the Design Document for the Czocha
CoW sequels entitled “Midterm Madness”. While most of the im-
portant pieces of information will be found in the main CoW Design
Document, the Midterm Madness one will come in handy to those
players who want to know a bit more about witchard exams and tests
(a subject entwined quite closely with the nature of the Challenge).

• https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2gJJxX2pBTJS3NNOU1ZWEJD-
WFk - this is the CoW: Nibelungen Design Document. As Nibelungen
is a German-language larp, the Design Document is also in German.
The pages that would be most useful to the Challenge players are:

6-11 Basic info about the setting and the school

29-37 In-depth info about the staff, prefects, different parts of NIMBUS,
learning paths and classes
64 The German version of the Treaty of Avalon
66-68 The story of NIMBUS
69 Info on the Heinzel (magical creatures employed at NIMBUS
as a kind of helpers or servants)
70-74 In-depth info about the houses of NIMBUS
75-80 In-depth info about the different groups and societies at NIMBUS
82-106 Further information about the world including an explanation
on magic, werewolves, fairies and other witchard schools

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kXCOY2Uc3f4Ww1osrm-
p4ICJFHCZqwZPMJKOb_IQ1abY/edit# - this is the World Document
for the New World Magischola. It deals in details with the lore of the
Magimundi and can be useful to the players whose characters come
from this region. This info (and much more) can also be found at the
Magimundi wiki: http://magimundi.wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

• The main NWM page also contains such information:

Explanation on the Magimundi: https://magischola.com/

the-magimundi/

Info on the NWM: https://magischola.com/the-school/

99
Books
Several books (both in- and off-game) have also been created in the
cadre of this world. You can access three of them online:

http://www.rollespilsfabrikken.dk/cow/handbook/czcoha_student_
handbook.pdf
This is the in-game student handbook and - as all textbooks are - it is
susceptible to errors and misconceptions. Don’t hold it for the one and
only truth but feel free to read it, use it and create interesting play with
it. Or disregard it completely, if you prefer.

http://www.rollespilsfabrikken.dk/cow/handbook/cowbestiary.pdf
This is a bestiary that was created to accompany the handbook. All of
the points above pertain to this book as well.

http://rollespilsakademiet.dk/cow/thebookofcow4-6.pdf
This is the off-game book relating the stories and showcasing the photos
of players taking part in CoWs 4-6. If you want to learn more about what
it feel like to participate in one of out larps, take a good look inside!

100
 Credits
Designers
Stefan Deutsch
Karsten Dombrowski
Maury Brown
Agata Šwistak

Writers and editors

Joanna Maryniak
Amanda Nilsson
Lina Gentsch
Simon Brind
Martine Svanevik
Marta Szyndler
Ben Books Schwartz
Mia Devald Kyhn

Artists
Czocha crest: Justine Jones
New World Magischola crest: Lars Bundvad
NIMBUS crest: Justine Jones

Layout
Lisa Wolfrum (Wolfrum Graphics)

Photographers
Nadina Dobrowolska
Przemysław Jendroska

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