Faery Wedding Reception Party Game 
==================================
[Ed. Note: I’m not married to the title. Rimshot!]

Info from Second Round Author:
#ThreeForged design challenge. Author 1583’s stage one game as worked
on by author 1528 in stage two.
Thanks to [REDACTED].
My inspirations: Coachride to Devil’s Castle, Zork novels, UA
Jailbreak, Werewolf, A Rough Night at the Dog and Bastard,
TSoY’s Solar System.
Original author core tenets I aim to keep: Different roles, everyone
can lose, character motivations & goals, some element of contemporary fantasy, 4-10 players, definitely a LARP of some kind, open and closed character info, keys and dice (kind of), ghouls are not zombies.
=======================
Info:
Game made for 4-10 players to be played as a LARP over a 4 hour period. Stage your game as a dinner party to get more into the scene. Eat, drink, and be married!

You will need:
●	A deck of cards (If you have the time and inclination, feel free to make your own specialized decks, but you can play if all you have are regular playing cards.)
●	Dice
●	At least 30 “coins” (This can be whatever you like, but make it something sturdy and easy to get your hands on. Aka: don't use like, pretzels.)
●	Index Cards - To write player info on for quick reference till you get to know your stats.
●	Any role playing equipment (costume, props) you will need for your character.
●	2-5 “crowns” to be worn by players when they are playing any of the royals/aristocracy at the party.

Game Background:
All characters are attending a faery wedding reception. (Note: The bride and groom have not met before the wedding ceremony, so the reception could get interesting.)

Faery Queen Luella of Aldeen is the mother of the groom, Prince Kheelan. Lord Aludvik Breezespinner of Corinta is the father of the bride, Breena. The warring kingdoms have come to peace after ten years of fighting through the arranged union of Prince Kheelan and Breena, but will this peace last through the reception?

Queen Luella is ecstatic her son is getting married. The peace treaty she could give or take, but having her son tied to actual responsibility has been her goal for over two years now. She sees him as a good man who only needs a little responsibility to make him a great one. She has known Breena since she was a little girl and has always admired her spirit. She requested Breena as Prince Kheelan’s wife from King Orin because she knew she was a woman after her own heart. She sees Breena as a fitting replacement for herself more than she does her own son. She admires Breena’s willingness to marry for peace, and despises her son’s lack of it.

Prince Kheelan isn’t ready to give up his bachelor ways and settle down with Breena. She’s a nice enough woman, but from what he has heard, she is definitely the marrying type and not a fun girl to go about town with. Kheelan also isn’t ready to take over the thrown from his mother, it’s more responsibility and demands more time than he wants to give it. He wants the fighting to end, but not at the cost of his own freedom. Kheelan enjoys sword fights, drinking, and long rides on his horse, Drake. He doesn’t see how having a wife is conducive to any part of his interests.

Lord Aludvik Breezespinner is only letting his precious baby girl go under the orders of King Orin. He’d have fought Orin on it if Breena hadn’t been so sure it was the appropriate thing to do. When the marriage was proposed in court, he came home with a black eye and a pretty heavy conviction he was to be executed soon and his daughter married off anyway. Breena intervened on his behalf, and they are now to be of the royal family of Aldeen. In some ways he will miss Corinta, but he is happy to know he will be settled near his daughter and not the King scoundrel who sold her off.

Breena is a spitfire who does not abide laziness. From all she has seen of Prince Kheelan, she has a long life of disliking her own husband ahead of her. She knows that Queen Luella requested her for his bride, and knows it was the quickest way to barter peace between Aldeen and Corinta. He mother and younger brother were two of the casualties early in the war, and much of her youth was spent tending the animals while her father fought Aldeen. She craves peace for her country more than her own happiness, and figures that any kingdom should have good steeds and beautiful woods to explore. Though she may expect her marriage to be unhappy, she hopes to become friends eventually and looks forward to new adventures in a new land.

King Orin is the leader of Corinta and is at the wedding to make sure the bride walks down the aisle. Once at the reception he will give Lord Breezespinner a larger tract of land at home, which means nothing but shows good will since the Lord will now be living in Aldeen. King Orin despises Queen Luella, wants Breena for his own, and hates Lord Breezespinner for trying to tell him no. Prince Kheelan he could care less about, and he plans to invade Aldeen once Kheelan takes the throne. He sees him as a weakling who posses no threat. Basically, King Orin is full of chaos and blood thirst.

This wedding is the combining of recently warring kingdoms, so there is plenty of politic and intrigue to go around. There are also several young faeries that are single and looking to have some fun, mischief or otherwise, at the proceedings. Faery drink and food are flowing, all are dressed to impress, and the theme of the night is impressing everyone you can.

Both courts have pulled out all the stops to impress the guests, and this grandeur and extravagance should be reflected in play. (Marie Antoinette would be shamed by this wedding reception.) Players take on the role of some of these guests. Some will be fairies, some will be humans or vampires or more exotic beings (GIANTS! WEREWOLVES!VAMPIRES! Oh my!). Any race is fine, as long as other players agree it fits with the setting and you get a nonspecific role in your character creation.

Game Play:
First things first, you’ll need to pair up- who you came with. No guest will be an island, for going to a party and knowing nobody is boring as hell and not fun. [VARIANT: Pairings can be done by roles after they are assigned: All members of group A came together, all members of group B came together, etc.] Take a full deck of cards, shuffle them, and deal cards out to players. The first two players with matching suits know each other. If you have two or three players left (as you would with five total players), these remainders all know each other. If you’ve got four or more (as you would with six or more total players), keep dealing to the others- the next two players with matching suits likewise know each other. Lather, rinse, repeat. Paired players should now move next to each other so they can work out their details over the course of character creation. Take the pairing cards back.

Players should make a little name card tent for themselves out of a folded index card, or use some HELLO MY NAME IS stickers. Write clearly enough that people across the table can read your name and role.

After character creation you will go around in two rounds for the Flashback and the Present information for each character.

Flashback: Everyone in turn delivers a quick minute or three backstory narrative about getting the invitation, reacting to it, and/or the travel to get to the party. 

Present: Go around in turn and spend a narrative minute or two to describe your entrance, your style of dress, etc., ending with your relationship with your companion. Your companion will be the next player to introduce themselves.

Open information: Character name, affiliation, role, pairings.
Closed information: Motivation, Keys, “powers”

Character Creation:
Character creation is done with a deck of cards: Separate it into suits for now. If you’ve got prep time and are so inclined, you can make a custom deck of cards. If you have no cards, use paper or index cards to create some pairs and draw them from a bowl.. 

Affiliation (Spades)
--------------------
Every guest has an affiliation with one side of the wedding party- this should be (mostly) equally distributed. Take enough spades for your number of players, counting the Ace as one. Shuffle and deal out one spade to each player, or wash shuffle and let everyone draw from the center. Odd-ranked cards were invited by the bride’s side, even-ranked cards were invited by the groom’s side. Think about and jot down a line or two about precisely who invited you, and how.
[VARIANT: For more drama, deal cards to each player, not each pairing.] [VARIANT: Higher-ranked cards signify the strength of the relationship to your inviter.] [VARIANT: Use n+1 or even all of the spades.] [VARIANT: Just flip coins.]

Secret motivation (Hearts)
--------------------------
Wash shuffle all the hearts and let everyone pick one. If you have prep time, go ahead and make custom cards so nobody has to go back and refer to the manual during play. [VARIANT: Draw two and choose one, shuffle as needed. Draw again if they match.][VARIANT: Draw three, keep two. They must be different.]
Keep track of events you feel are connected with your secret motivation on your index card. This will be important for scoring.

You’re attending the wedding because…

A: Esteem - You want to show respect and garner same.
K: Community - You’re a personage of import and want to be seen in the community.
Q-J: Remove Curse - The Fae have cursed you and you want it gone.
10-9: Seek Boon - You desire some wish granted or favor delivered from the Fae.
8-7: Power - You want to take advantage of someone who’s attending.
6: Revenge - You have a grudge to settle, real or imagined.
5: Paparazzi - You want to see and be seen by all the right people.
4: Romance - You’re in love, seeking love, or both.
3: Obligated - You must not refuse and will come a bit grudgingly. You’d really rather be in town.
2: Moocher - You want to make off with comestibles, a member of the wedding party, or the silverware.

Character role (Diamonds)
-------------------------
It’s impossible to hide some things in the realm of Fae. Roles are not secret- everyone will know who (or what) you are. The same is so for titles and names (not True Names, of course), as you’ve been announced to the wedding party at large when you arrive. [VARIANT: choose an interesting subset for x numbers of players. With four, choose from Faery, Human, Vampire, Mage only, etc.] [VARIANT: Double each role, so there’s always two of a given role.] [VARIANT: Draw then shuffle the choice back in.] [VARIANT: Some roles give you powers.]

You’re playing the game as a...
A: High-born Faery noble
K: Common Fae
Q: Vampire aristocrat
J: Common vampire
10: Vampire thrall
9-8: Human
7: Ghoul
6: Mage
5-4: Outsider
3: Golem/construct
2: Mage

*There is no mechanical effect due to card rank.

**Undead do not automatically get along, just like humans, just like mages. Constructs tend to have a standoffish relationship with the living. Outsiders could be actual space aliens or Elder Gods or demigods or half-breeds. Unlike zombies, ghouls are cunning, aware, and clean up nice for a party.

By now, players should have an idea of how their pairing fits together. If you need more inspiration, feel free to shuffle and use the clubs to shape the nature of a given relationship. [VARIANT: Draw one per player.][VARIANT: Choose another player at random and draw to define a relationship with them.] [VARIANT: Both flip coins. Two heads = both like. Two tails = both dislike. Mixed = mixed.]

A-K: Mutual positive relationship
Q-J: Mutual negative relationship
10-9: One-sided relationship (obligations, old history, etc)
8-7: May-November relationship (teacher/student, or otherwise)
6-5: Enthralled, ensorcelled, bound
4-3: Romantic relationship
2: Family

Keys
----
All players pick three. A person of interest usually means another player, but it’s likely that you need more characters - feel free to ask someone to step up and play a notable for the time needed. To hit a key, the action must have narrative weight - there should be real depth, meaning or consequences; matters that cannot just be hand waved offscreen. [VARIANT: Schtick protection, no doubling.] [VARIANT: Fixed keys based on role.]

●	Key of the Oppressor: Gain a coin when you overpower someone. Gain two coins when you overpower someone more powerful than you. This works with combat, wits, honorable duels, or certain other contests.
●	Key of Gossip: Gain a coin when you learn a new fact about someone else. Gain two coins when you share a fact to a person of interest.
●	Key of Kindness: Gain a coin when you help someone in need. Gain two coins if you put yourself at risk (physical, social, magical, etc) for such aid.
●	Key of the Magi: Gain a coin when you demonstrate how magic is better than a non-magical solution. Gain two coins when you one-up another mage.
●	Key of the Glutton: Gain a coin when you indulge in front of others. Gain two coins when you indulge at someone else’s expense.
●	Key of the Everfull Purse: Gain a coin when you show off (or spend) your wealth to a person of interest. Gain two coins when you make a deal in your benefit.
●	Key of the Lover: Gain a coin when you are attentive to your beloved’s needs. Gain two coins when you rebuff an advance from someone who is not your beloved.
●	Key of the Seducer: Gain a coin when you tempt a person of interest. Gain two coins when you follow through.
●	Key of the Plot: Gain a coin when you take a step toward completing your scheme. Gain two coins when you pull it off.
●	Key of the Fraud: Gain a coin when you pull off a lie about your true motives, history, or self. Gain two coins when you disprove a truth about yourself.
●	Key of the Prophet: Gain a coin when one of your cryptic prophecies comes to light. Gain two coins when one of your cryptic prophecies has indisputably come to pass.
●	Key of the Patron: Gain a coin when  you support your benefactor. Gain two coins when doing so is inconvenient, embarrassing, or otherwise unsound.
●	Key of the Conversation: Gain a coin when you get two strangers to engage in meaningful conversation. Gain two coins when you get two enemies to engage in civilized discourse.
●	Key of the Jerk: Gain a coin when you are significantly rude to a person of interest. Gain two coins when this person is above your station.
●	Key of the Matchmaker: Gain a coin whenever you introduce two potential lovers. Gain two coins it if works out.
●	Key of Fame: Gain a coin when you add to your legend. Gain two coins when doing so puts you at significant (social, political, magical, physical, etc) risk.
●	Key of Friendship: Gain a coin when you stick up for a friend. Gain two when you stick your neck out for them.
●	Key of the Alienated: Gain a coin when your misunderstanding of a situation causes you to miss an opportunity. Gain a coin when it causes you trouble.
●	Key of the Clown: Gain a coin when you make someone laugh. Gain two coins when you make everyone in the scene laugh.
●	Key of Clout: Gain a coin when you gain temporary (but significant) advantage over someone. Gain two coins when the advantage is long-lasting.
●	Key of Retribution: Gain a coin when you right a wrong. Gain two coins if means trouble for you.

Scenes
------
Each player or pair of players should come up with a scene at the beginning of the game that they would like to see happen. All of the scene ideas will be written on index cards and put where all players can see them and reach them. As a scene change happens, the player changing it will pull the card from the pile, and put the new one out. If the game moves quickly and runs out of scenes, feel free to take a short break and create more.

Scene length will vary depending on the total number of players. Scenes don’t have to jump cut like a film does, they should shift naturally like a conversation, so let scene changes happen fluidly. With a large group, it’s easy to have many people in audience mode too long; don’t hog the spotlight. If you are in a scene and notice someone watching and not participating, include them in somehow. Ask a question, accuse them of something… Try to help them engage and get more involved. This game is only as fun as the participants make it after all.

What do I do with my gold?
-----------------
Gold is important because you can use it for actions and items. Do you need a ladle for a situation and you didn’t bring one with you? Spend 5 gold to go look for it in the kitchen. A player can spend 5 gold at any time in a scene to duck out and try to find the item from somewhere, whether the item is found or not will be determined by a roll of the die. 

1-2: Failure!
3-4: A version of success, but not exactly what you were looking for. (Item may be less sturdy, more heavy, etc.)
5-6: Success!

Gold can also be used to pay bribes and to try to bribe people into doing what you ask. Make sure your offer is high enough to convince someone though, or they might tell a guard what you are up to! Guards will roll a die against you (anyone can be a guard). If they win the roll, you are kicked out of the party until you can sneak your way back in (15 mins). If you tie then you must re-roll to see if the guard buys your story. If you roll higher than the guard, they believe you and think the character who reported you is crazy. The reporter then has to roll against the guard. The tie re-roll chart is below.

1-2: Failure!
3-4: A version of success, but not exactly what you were looking for. (The guard doesn’t throw you out, but keeps an eye on you. If accused again, you are thrown out for 15 minutes then sneak your way back in.)
5-6: Success!

If a guard throws you out, you will not be excluded from the game. Take on a role in the wedding party or aristocracy and mingle with your guests. Your character cannot work on it’s goals during this time, but it will add an element to gameplay that would otherwise be missing.

Winning the game:
At the end of the reception you will add up points, and the player with the most points is the victor of the party!

Point chart:
10 pts. - Player with the most gold
10 pts - Player with the most secret motivations completed.
5 pts. - Each secret motivation completion.
1 pt. - Each gold a player has in their possession.

All the the other players must say, “Hip hip, huzzah!” three time to the winner while they wear one of the “crowns”. That how you know you won.
You also get the satisfaction of being the King/Queen of the Faery reception. Go you.