_Christmas Eve, 1861. The Sea of Okhotsk._ Ten hours ago, a nine-man crew finally harpooned a whale, their first in months, and gleefully waited out the Nantucket sleigh ride as the dying beast pulled their small boat further and further away from the whaleship Shearwater. But now the Shearwater is lost over the horizon, and the whaleboat is adrift, tethered to the leviathan’s corpse. They have no food, no navigational instruments, little water. It is getting dark and murderously cold. And the icy waters of the North Pacific hold horrors far worse than drowning and starvation. “For Those In Peril on the Sea” is a nautical horror larp inspired by the history of New England whaling and sea shanties, particularly the music of Gordon Bok. The game features sensory and psychological horror as well as many musical scenes; the ability to sing is desirable but not required.

Triggers and Content Warning: "For Those In Peril" is intended to be a sensory and psychological horror narrative. Individuals with claustrophobia, fear of the dark, or sensitivity to scents, flashing lights or certain noises should not play this game. There may be tactile elements to the game (think of having to put your hand in a bowl of peeled grapes at a haunted house.) While this is not a boffer combat game, it will take place in close quarters, so some incidental physical contact is likely. If you are capable of handling a standard haunted house, you should be able to handle this experience.

This is a game that draws heavily from real accounts of whalers and other mariners, life-and-death situations at sea, and a socially contentious historical period. Therefore, other potential themes that may emerge include: discrimination based on religion, race, class, sexual orientation or gender; substance abuse; violence; murder; cannibalism. The game may include vulgar language, sexual references, and emotional intensity including shouting/yelling. 18+

Christmas Eve, 1861, The Sea of Okhotsk. Days ago, a nine-man crew finally harpooned a whale, their first in months. They gleefully waited out their Nantucket sleigh ride as the dying beast pulled their small boat further and further away from the Shearwater. But now the whaleship is lost over the horizon, and they are adrift, tethered to the leviathan’s corpse. Days have passed. No food, no navigational instruments, and little water. It is getting dark and murderously cold. And the icy waters of the North Pacific hold horrors far worse than drowning and starvation.

“For Those in Peril on the Sea” is a four-hour 9-player nautical horror larp inspired by the history of New England whaling and sea shanties, particularly the music of Gordon Bok. The game features sensory and psychological horror as well as many musical scenes. Singing as a crew is a part of this experience.
Content Warnings

This is a Type 2 Fun game. This is a game about feelings and secrets coming out. It’s best to think of how and when said character secrets that will come out during the game itself in satisfying/dramatic ways. While the crew has tension and conflict, there are also deep feelings of love and loyalty for your ship family.

Individuals with claustrophobia or fear of the dark may not want to play this game. This game takes place in close quarters, so there will be incidental physical contact. This is a game that draws heavily from real accounts of whalers and other mariners. This includes life-and-death situations at sea and a socially contentious historical period. Therefore, other potential themes that may emerge during role-play could include: discrimination based on religion, race, class, sexual orientation or gender, substance abuse, violence, murder, cannibalism, and sacrificial suicide. The game may also include vulgar language, sexual references, and emotional intensity including shouting/yelling. Violence and character death may happen during the course of this game.

Due to the above time period and characters, direct and indirect references to slavery and the looming civil war are present. A sensitivity reading has been done and all playable characters have anti-slavery views.