2022 End of Year Update – State of the Domain

Hi players!

There’s a lot of information in this post, please be sure to reach out with any questions or concerns or if you want to volunteer and get involved!

 First, WELCOME ALL NEW PLAYERS.  We are so excited to have you with us and we look forward to a great year of gaming in 2023.

To our players who have been with us for more than a year – THANK YOU.  Thank you for sticking with us through the pandemic and the on-line games.  Thank you for coming back to play with us in person.  Thank you for your continued financial and moral support even if you’ve not been participating in local games.

Game Attendance since April (in-person games):

2022VampApocLost
April12 8
May13 8
June10167
July10105
August11N/A5
September16123
October810N/A
November1615N/A
December1814N/A

I’m excited to see our numbers growing!  We have 34 members of the Domain (including Trial Members), and we hope to grow that in 2023.

Changeling the Lost is moving to a new site and weekend for 2023 (TBD) and if you want to check out a totally different kind of game, I encourage you to reach out to Aaron.

Annual Costs

Not including the occasional cost of props or credit card fees, here are the current fixed costs for the domain.  The Lodge has locked in our price for 2023, which is great news – it will remain at $250 per day!

CostItem
  95.88Word Press
  12.00.com Domain
  3,000.00Masonic Lodge Rental
  197.88MeetUp Premium
  3,305.76Total per year

Our Current Treasury:

 $  726Total Funds
 $  110Scholarship Funds
 $  616Available for Expenses

Our Site Fees for 2023:

Site fees go directly towards the expenses detailed above.  Any excess is held in reserve and our goal in 2023 is to rebuild our reserves.  The Domain’s large treasury reserve is what allowed us to return to gaming in person in 2022, even though our total intake each month has been less than our total expenses.  Unfortunately we’ve exhausted that reserve and so we need to manage our cash flows carefully in 2023.  Our standard site fee is increasing to $15 per day, but we have 4 tiers:

AmountTier
 $              –Scholarship
 $           10At Need
 $           15Standard
 $           20Patron

YOU select your site fee each session.  You do not need to justify your selection, and the scholarship fund is always available to pay for some or all of your site fee. Just select Scholarship on the Sign In Form. Bring a guest – a player’s first day is always free!

As a reminder, your current officers are:

Wendy – Domain Coordinator – nhma.dc@gmail.comThis is an elected position and my job is to make sure we have a place to play and that all staff and players are treating each other with respect and abiding by the MES Code of Conduct. I also am often the first point of contact for new players.  In 2023 I hope to focus more on member education – our organization has a lot of layers to it and understanding those can enhance your game experience.  My term is actually up in February, so if you think you want my job, talk to me about how to be Domain Coordinator!  But I also plan to run again because I like helping make our domain grow and our members and guests feel welcome.  I am looking for assistants, if you want to get involved, email me!

Dray – Domain Storyteller – nhma.dst@gmail.comThis is an elected position.  Dray is in charge of making sure our Venue Storytellers have what they need to run their games.  He is also the person you can go to if you have a concern about one of our Venue STs.  Venue Storytellers (VSTs) have a lot of influence over your game experience as a player, and we want to be sure there is someone you can talk to with any questions or concerns.

Chris – Vampire VST – nhma.masq2020@gmail.com

Dan – Werewolf VST – boston.apoc.vst@gmail.com

Aaron – Changeling the Lost VST – boston.lost.vst@gmail.com

Our Venue Storytellers are in charge of running their games.  Aaron is looking to grow the Changeling the Lost game, so look for more details on that for 2023.  Storytellers are elected by the players.  If you have a character, you get to vote for who your ST is.  If you think you might want to be an ST some day, ask about helping out as an assistant.  Storytelling is a skill and like any other, you get better with practice.  Our STs are elected for a 1 year term, so I know that towards the end of 2023, we’ll be looking for folks to step up and run for VST.  Which means you have almost a whole year to learn the job and decide if it’s right for you!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you soon!

Next Game – Werewolf: the Apocalypse

Game On Sept 24 at 1pm

If this is your first time gaming with Shattered Antiquities, please contact Wendy to RSVP at nhma.dc@gmail.com

Game Location: 11 Bulkeley Rd Littleton MA (on the Fitchburg Line of the Commuter Rail)
Game Start 1pm
Contact the Storyteller, Dan

  • This is a private home with ample street parking.
  • The homeowner’s request all players be vaccinated with at least one booster!

Note: In October Werewolf moves to second Saturday! (October 8th)

About “The Longest Road

Come be part of the newly formed Gaian Alliance, where Garou, Fera, and Kinfolk are united at last in a battle against the Weaver.  Old enmities still simmer, and new alliances also made new enemies as the political landscape of the shifters has changed.  Meanwhile, practical matters of war against the Weaver and basic survival force political agendas to the wayside.

The Longest Road is a game about having nothing and struggling to earn everything, all while overcoming the tumultuous histories between the Silver Fangs and Glass Walkers and their allies. There is no stationary sept. What the PCs will have at start is a convoy of vehicles which they use as a base of operations, a makeshift Bawn until they can eke out an existence somewhere. Our game is about exploring player agency and how the world reacts to the reintroduction of Gaians into a city that has gone without for nearly a decade.

No prior experience with Werewolf: the Apocalypse is required to play!

Covid Protocols:
•    We are playing in a private home.  Respect closed doors and the homeowners.
•    If you feel the littlest bit sick, DO NOT COME, an immunocompromised person lives here.
•    The homeowners will not be wearing a mask, but players will be required to wear a mask while indoors.  Outdoors you may remove your mask.
•    Proof of vaccination verified including one booster.  This is a change from our standard for our 2nd weekend games so everyone will need to be re-verified, even if you have attended a Lost or Masquerade game.

August 13, 2022 – Game On – Changeling & Vampire

Details

World of Darkness LARP is live in Boston! The Modern Enigma Society (MES) is hosting both our Changeling: the Lost and Vampire: the Masquerade LARPs. We are actively recruiting new players, and there’s plenty of room in our games for all kinds of character concepts. Our next game is August 13th, 2022 at the

MASONIC LODGE OF CAMBRIDGE
1950 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140

Changeling: the Lost
12pm – 5pm, with game on at 1pm

Vampire: the Masquerade
6pm – 11pm, with game on at 7pm

Site fee: $10 for 1 game, $15 for both games. New players, your first day is free!

Note: We are actively seeking donations to raise our treasury as our rental fee is currently higher than our our income from site fees. If you can bring a little extra in August, it be gratefully accepted.

You must be vaccinated and please bring a mask in case, as they may be required. (View our complete Covid Protocols here). We are committed to be an inclusive space and encourage LARPers of color and from the LGBTQIA+ communities to join us.

If you have not attended an MES game before, please RSVP to Wendy at nhma.dc@gmail.com

The Vampire the Masquerade game is part of a networked campaign spanning over 30 games all across the USA. We offer a unique LARPing experience with the ability to be part of complex local, regional, and national plotlines and to develop rich stories and deep character connections over time. Contact our ST at nhma.masq2020@gmail.com

Our Changeling: the Lost game is a stand-alone game serving our local players. Contact our ST, Aaron at boston.lost.vst@gmail.com.

Check us out on the web at Shattered Antiquities and learn more about our Vampire the Masquerade Chronicle by reading our Settings and Character Creation info or join us on Discord

More information about our club is available at www.modernenigmasociety.org

Game on – June 25

Save the Date – Boston Apocalypse

Shattered Antiquities’ first game of Werewolf: the Apocalypse will take place on June 24!

Come be part of the newly formed Gaian Alliance, where Garou, Fera, and Kinfolk are united at last in a battle against the Weaver.  Old enmities still simmer, and new alliances also made new enemies as the political landscape of the shifters has changed.  Meanwhile, practical matters of war against the Weaver and basic survival force political agendas to the wayside.

The Longest Road is a game about having nothing and struggling to earn everything, all while overcoming the tumultuous histories between the Silver Fangs and Glass Walkers and their allies. There is no stationary sept. What the PCs will have at start is a convoy of vehicles which they use as a base of operations, a makeshift Bawn until they can eke out an existence somewhere. Our game is about exploring player agency and how the world reacts to the reintroduction of Gaians into a city that has gone without for nearly a decade.

No prior experience with Werewolf: the Apocalypse is required to play!

11 Bulkeley Rd Littleton MA (on the Fitchburg Line of the Commuter Rail)

Game Start 1pm

You may arrive as early as 12pm to accommodate commuter rail schedules or to receive help making a character!

If this is your first time gaming with Shattered Antiquities, please contact Wendy to RSVP at nhma.dc@gmail.com

Covid Protocols:
•    We are playing in a private home.  Respect closed doors and the homeowners.
•    If you feel the littlest bit sick, DO NOT COME, an immunocompromised person lives here.
•    The homeowners will not be wearing a mask, but players will be required to wear a mask while indoors.  Outdoors you may remove your mask.
•    Proof of vaccination verified including one booster.  This is a change from our standard for our 2nd weekend games so everyone will need to be re-verified, even if you have attended a Lost or Masquerade game.

Site Fees
We are not charging a site fee.  We encourage those who are able to make a donation of $10 per game to help us restore our domain’s treasury and to enable the rental of paid sites in the future for all our games.  We offer our thanks to Vance & Janet for opening their home.

We are part of a nationwide campaign called On Frayed Threads.  Players joining our local game will have the opportunity to travel with their character to games and conventions – both virtual and in-person – in both Massachusetts and other states.  Stay local or join up with hundreds of other players to create a vibrant, living campaign.

March 2022 Character Creation & Social

Details

World of Darkness LARP returns to Boston! The Modern Enigma Society (MES) is hosting a character creation social for both our Changeling: the Lost and Vampire: the Masquerade LARPs. We are actively recruiting new players, and there’s plenty of room in our games for all kinds of character concepts.

LA QUINTA SOMMERVILLE
23 Cummings St., Somerville, MA, 02145
Orange Line, Free Parking

4pm to 8pm – come any time, stay as long as you want!

There is no cost to attend, but you must be vaccinated and wear a mask please. We are committed to be an inclusive space and encourage LARPers of color and from the LGBTQIA+ communities to join us.

You do not have to stay the whole 4 hours! Come by for as long or as little as you like. Several current players will be there to meet and get to know you! Our games are held regularly on the second Saturday of each month, with Lost on Saturday afternoons and Masquerade on Saturday evenings.

RSVPs to Wendy at nhma.dc@gmail.com greatly appreciated.

The Vampire the Masquerade game is part of a networked campaign spanning over 30 games all across the USA. We offer a unique LARPing experience with the ability to be part of complex local, regional, and national plotlines and to develop rich stories and deep character connections over time.

Our Changeling: the Lost game is a stand-alone game serving our local players. Contact our ST, Aaron at boston.lost.vst@gmail.com.

Check us out on the web at Shattered Antiquities and learn more about our Vampire the Masquerade Chronicle by checking out our Settings and Character Creation info or join us on Discord

November 2020 Masquerade Game

It is that time again.. Boston Masquerade will be on Saturday 11/14 at 7pm Eastern on the LASTLIGHT Server.  If you have not joined the NHMA Masq2020 Server, Bri as iVST has done an incredible job coding the safety mechanics into seamless functions to be used in games.  Character sheets are not required and mechanics will not be in effect.  Game will be taking place in the Universal Elysia of the Paramount Theater and will be set on August 8, 2020.

Those kindred Christian Whitechapel knows how to reach personally receive a handwritten invitation on ivory paper with a dark golden ink. The envelope is sealed in gold wax with the ventrue clan symbol in it. The paper has a vaguely floral note to it, those familiar will recognize a subtle carnation scent.

Elizabeth Broun once said
ART IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT 
PRETTY THINGS.
IT’S ABOUT WHO WE ARE,
WHAT HAPPENED TO US, AND
HOW OUR LIVES ARE AFFECTED.

Come.
August 8th 2020
to a private art showing
of works submitted by non-Artists
that tell the stories of our lives.

Those individuals whom Christian does not know how to personally reach are also invited to this event through the monthly comings and goings of kindred through elysia and their monthly routines. IOW no one is left out, everyone is invited.

OOC :
This is a “Reverse-Toreador Salon”
NON-Toreador PCs are encouraged to submit ‘Art’ that reflects the stories of our characters lives or unlives. Many of us have an idea of what our sheets might look like so if you are planning on purchasing dots of an appropriate art skill feel free to include their approximate ratings in the ooc descriptions of your pieces. 

TO SUBMIT ART :https://forms.gle/ux7Ghi8NSPELVmcEA

All PCs will be encouraged to vote for their two favorite pieces, which may not be their own work, by leaving a thumbs up emoji on the art entry.

Toreador PCs will be given two votes. A thumbs up emoji and the toreador clan emoji.

Rumor is there are boons up for grabs for the top non-artist artists.

IC and OOC questions can be directed to Chris R, player of Christian Whitechapel and DST of MA003D.  They can be reached on discord or via email at nhma.dst@gmail.com

Bri B is the iVST and they can also be reached on discord or via email at nhma.masq2020@gmail.com

New players are always welcome! If you’re not a member of the Modern Enigma Society and wish to join us for our online game, please get in touch with us.

A new chronicle, a new decade…

And now, an update to the Shattered Antiquities webpage. (Now with the right number of “i’s” in the title.) The information here is still being updated, but at least what is here is correct. If you find any errors of fact or form — was that header always misspelled? — email me at nhma.dc@gmail.com and I’ll squash ’em.

Space Games on Hiatus

We currently have no Space VST, so we are not currently running a live event for that venue. Members interesting VSTing for Space should contact the DST.

We anticipate a new Regional Discord Space game starting up in the near future, and are waiting news from the RSTs office. The Western MA domain in Springfield may also run live games in the future.

From the Desk of the DC: Domain Finances

1. Sabbat will be moving to the Cambridge Masonic Temple with the rest of our games for at least the next two months but possibly going forward. This means that the site fee for this game will need to be raised a little. 
2. With the Chronicle Reset Survey out for Masquerade, we do not know when the chronicles will be ending, but it could be as soon as January (and as late as two years or more from now.) When the last chronicle ended, we had 13 straight months of dipping into our savings to ensure that we could afford site fees every month as players lost interest until each game’s chronicle reset. I would like to ensure that we can weather this chronicle transition smoothly as relates to finances, just as we did last time. 
3. An overwhelming recognition that some members do face financial difficulties even with current site fees, and changing those fees should be done with careful thought as to where we currently are financially and looking to our future needs as a domain.

With that said, here’s what I’d like to try for the next two months as regards the site fees for games. This is a trial for August and September to test that we can cover having all four of our games at the Masonic Temple financially. 
Apocalypse or Camarilla or both: $15 for the day (unchanged)
Space: $15 for the day (unchanged)
Storytelling or NPC duty only: Free (unchanged)
Sabbat: $10 for the day (CHANGED)
Sabbat and Space together: $15 (CHANGED)

Please remember that we do have the Sponsorship Fund as well, which currently has $130 available in it. If you appreciate the other gamers around you and they add to your game and you would like to see them there even if their finances are tight, please consider donating some money to this sponsorship fund.

I would like to ask that everyone try this for the next two months (August and September), and then provide feedback starting August 31. I will remind people to give feedback around this time.

Rhys O’Madigan
they/them/their
US2012100158
Domain Coordinator for Boston’s Shattered Antiquities
nhma.dc@gmail.com

Game Site Change

We have moved out of the Crowne Plaza for the foreseeable future, and are currently hosting games at The Cambridge Masonic Lodge. All games will be hosted there, on the same schedule as before. Sabbat continues to be held at a private location.

The address of the new site is:
1950 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140  

Free parking is available in the indicated lot on Hadley Street, try to park as close to the fence as you can.

Do not park in the Credit Union parking lot – they tow!

There is also guest parking available at the hotel, but they charge a fee.
If you have accessibility issues and need to park closer to the Lodge, please email the DC by the Tuesday before each game weekend