Against the Dying of the Light: Volunteers
Practical information
The event starts at (TBC) pm on Thursday 8th April 2027. Please ensure that you arrive on-site between (TBC) and (TBC) pm
When and Where is the Event?
Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th April 2027
Scout Adventure Fordell Firs, located 30 mins from Edinburgh in Scotland, UK.
what is the accommodation?
Sleeping accommodation is different for each training pathway:
MEDICS: bunk beds within the off-game building. Ensuite accessible bedrooms available. Bedrooms are on the first floor and there is an elevator. This building contains toilets, showers, and the off-game kitchen and dining areas.
SCAVENGERS: bunk beds in the in-game wooden huts. These huts have 2 steps to the entrance and have heating and electricity. Toilets and showers are in a separate building approx 50m away along a gravel path.
RECRUITS: bunk beds within the in-game building. This building is one-level and contains toilets, showers, and the in-game dining and kitchen areas.
As part of our character allocation we will calibrate with participants around the level of in-game activity they want centred on their bedrooms. We will then group participants together according to opt-in elements such as midnight inspections or alarms.
tell me about the food...
We are really leaning into the post-apocalypse vibes. Food will be nutritious but super bland. Think powdered mashed potato, vegetables from tins, fried Spam, powdered milk. No caffeine, and barely any flavour! Characters have in-game ration books that can be bartered, stolen, or lost. Characters may have food taken away as punishment.
However, our participants will never go hungry! There is an entire off-game kitchen and dining area where there will be a supply of tea, coffee and snacks. Participants are also welcome to bring their own food to store and consume in the off-game area.
what about costume?
This event is set 7 years after the collapse of civilisation. Costume should be pre-2025 in origin. Your characters are civilians who arrived in Aberdeen Evac Camp with the few items they could carry.
'New' clothing shoes and accessories reach your characters via the Army soldiers, who pass on their worn out clothing to civilians. The soldiers have access to the dwindling supply of new uniforms, and of course get first pick of all the items brought back to the camp by scavenging parties who venture out into the zombie-infected surroundings of Aberdeen Evac Camp.
This means that character costume can be a mix of patched-up military gear, mixed with well-worn and mended everyday clothing. The important thing is that nothing should look new or pristine. There are washing facilities in the camp- so clothing does not have to be dirty, but there should be significant wear and tear.
There should be a clear and recognisable contrast between the average Volunteer and any characters who have access to better clothing- perhaps via the blackmarket or as a reward.
Ideas: faded t-shirts with mended tears, sweaters with one missing arm, army jacket 2 sizes too big, boots with string for laces, bags made out of old jeans, waterproof jackets with gaffa tape patches.
Check out our costume guide below (coming soon)
What will i do during the event?
The central premise of the game is that our characters are new 'Volunteers' who are starting one of three training programmes. There will be a strict timetable for characters to follow with designated relaxation times and meal times. Lights out is at 11pm- leaving plenty of time for midnight sneaky shinanegans- just watch out for the guards!
Each Volunteer is part of a group of 6 (Scavengers & Recruits) or 4 (medics). Your teammates share a bunk room and undertake most of your activities together. You may compete or collaborate, commiserate over hard times and perhaps even share a Twinkie that one of you got on the black market.
MEDICS will be trained to provide such medical services as resources allow. Treating wounded scavengers, dissecting zombies, and assisting the inscrutable Professor Corbie in her 'experiments'.
SCAVENGERS will learn basic survival skills; making fire, finding water, setting up perimeter zombie alarms. There will be the opportunity to spend a night in the woods, putting new knowledge to the test under the watchful eye of Captain Armstrong.
RECRUITS will be put through basic training in order to get the chance to enlist in the Army. Thus raising themselves out of the squalor of the civilian area of the camp, and into a world of regular meals and relative comfort.
All Volunteers will have the chance to face the zombie evasion test- although they may opt-out (ie. your character can do it the day after the event). This will involve passing through a room filled with zombies, using all of your wit and cunning to avoid their attentions.
PLEASE NOTE this is a non-combat LARP, apart from in pre-calibrated situations involving zombies. Generally you will be taught to avoid them, which we think is more fun / horrific!
what is 'monstering'
'Monstering' in this context means that we invite our participants to take on the roles of zombies, injured scavengers or other NPCs for a short time, in order to support our game play without the need for a hundred crew.
This is not compulsory, but should be excellent fun!
This will take place during your character's assigned 'latrine duty', during which if you don't want to monster you can relax instead.
But hey- why not relax as an injured NPC and offer out your smuggled chocolate in exchange for the good painkillers?
What are the workshops for?
The workshops on Thursday evening and Friday morning are essential for introducing you to our site and discussing game safety mechanics. It is also a great opportunity for the players to get to know each other. We will then separate into groups so that members can create shared history, and calibrate on specific themes.
Some preparation can be done online before the event, but nothing beats getting to know your community in person!
Please make sure that you arrive on-site in time for the workshops.
can i invent my own character?
Characters for this game are pre-written and cast as per participant preference on sign-up. There are three distinct training groups of volunteers (see below). Each will explore a different training pathway, but will mingle with the other volunteers at meal times and at 'rest' periods in-game.
Participants can choose which training pathway they want to undertake. There will also be opportunity to fine-tune your characters and discuss any extra plot elements.
Our understudy characters will be able to choose their training programme, but will have fewer essential character connections.
How will social media be used?
We have designed this game to ensure that minimal preparation is required prior to the actual event. You can use the Facebook and Discord groups to connect with fellow participants and discuss the game but it is not essential. You will have the same amount of in-game connections as someone who just shows up on Thursday.
We have a Discord server and Facebook group that you are welcome to join. We will also created a Facebook event that participants can join once deposits are received. Facebook is not our platform of choice and the organisers do not moderate conversations there. However it is a great way of connecting with co-players and organising transport.
If you have a question for the organisers- please either email Clarion.LARP@gmail.com or use the specific 'Questions for the Organisers' channel on Discord.
Although you are very welcome to reach out and connect with other participants before the event, there is no expectation that everyone will do this.
will there be a photographer?
There will be an in-game photographer present portrayed by a crew member. Their character will be an official Army Photographer, sent to record the training progress of the Volunteers. Expect photos of training activities and staged group shots.
Do not expect photographs of secret or emotional moments.
Participants can opt-out of appearing in photographs.
Please note: our photography policy forbids the use of photographic or recording equipment by participants in in-game areas. In off-game areas this is allowed, with the explicit contemporaneous permission of all individuals photographed.
This is intended to prevent the breaking of immersion, and also to ensure that valid consent is present for all photographs.
If you have any questions about photography- do reach out to Clarion.LARP@gmail.com. We will also discuss this policy during the ore-game workshops to ensure everyone understands our intentions.
payment deadlines and refund policy
DEPOSIT
A non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a space on a game. This is due within 4 weeks of an offer being made. Deposits are 40% of total participation cost.
BALANCE PAYMENT
Payment of the remaining amount will be due 20 weeks before the date of the event (19th November 2026). We will send out reminder emails 4 weeks before payment is due.
If we do not receive balance payment by this deadline, we will assume that they are dropping-out and will offer their space to someone on the wait list.
WAIT LIST
If we have more sign-ups than spaces in our games, we will ask participants if they wish to remain on our wait list. Participants will be placed on these lists in randomised order. If a place become available due to drop-outs we will work through our wait list in order until the offer of a space is accepted.
REFUNDS
Deposits are non-refundable.
If you drop out more than 8 weeks before the date of the game, and we can fill your space, we will refund your balance payment. If you drop out less than 8 weeks before the game, or if we cannot fill your space, there will be no refund.
LAST MINUTE SPACES
If we have drop-outs less than 8 weeks before the event, we may offer spaces at a reduced cost.
CANCELLATION of the EVENT
We live in uncertain times. If the event is cancelled we will do our utmost to refund whatever money we can to all participants. The most likely cause for this will be unforeseeable circumstances (eg. weather events, public health crises, natural disasters).
sign-up and allocation process
SIGN-UP PERIOD: 12th to 26th May 2026
Sign-ups for Against the Dying of the Light: Volunteers will be open for 2 weeks. This will be done via submission of a Google Form. At this point participants are asked to rank specific themes and character traits.
UNDERSTUDY TICKETS
This is a reduced price option, suitable for participants who are willing to take on the role of another character at short notice. The understudy characters have fewer essential connections, but are still fully part of the game. If a participant drops-out within 2 weeks of the event, one of the understudies will be offered their character.
TICKET ALLOCATION
There are 55 regular tickets and 5 understudy tickets available for this game.
If there are more than 60 sign-ups we will draw names at random.
OFFERS: from 28th May 2026
We will start sending out offers 2 days after the close of sign-up. We will ask participants to reply to their offer within 2 weeks, and to pay a 40% deposit within another 4 weeks. If we do not hear back from a participant, or the deposit is not paid, we will assume they are dropping-out and offer the space to someone else.
Risk Assessment
We have conducted a thorough risk assessment for this event, the documentation may be accessed here (coming soon)