In English

Have you always wanted to spend a day in stone age? If you have, this is your chance! The larp is held at the uniquely authentic Kierikki Stone Age Centre in Oulu, Northern Finland, where you can get a first hand experience on how our ancestors lived their everyday lives.

HUOM! OBS! ATTENTION!

We would be extremely happy to have Scandinavian players in the larp!

We are able to provide all the material needed in English. Scandinavian participants would be able to use their native tongue in the larp itself, since we already have players who are fluent in Danish and Swedish.

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The Second Claws of Kierikki is a live action role-playing game situated in the combware stone age Finland. The game is based on the latest archaeological research, but the writers will be taking liberties wherever necessary for the game. The themes of the larp include, but are not limited to, in the very different kind of society that could have been with themes of matrilinearity,  gender, polyamory, and the overall life in stone age village of Kierikki. The GM:s include two archaeologists and an anthropologist, so no crude caricatures of stone age can be found from this larp.

From 5,000 to 7,000 years ago people lived in Kierikki on the sandy banks of the river Iijoki, right next to the sea. The village would have had several different types of buildings including single houses, semi-detached houses and Kierikki’s specialty, large row houses (a row of houses connected by doorways). The reconstructed buildings in the Kierikki Stone Age Center were created based on research data obtained from Kierikki’s archaeological excavations. 

The main source of livelihood came from hunting and fishing. The most important game was seals, which were hunted during the wintertime from the sea, but moose, deer, and small game along with the fish, most importantly salmon, were used in large quantities. Gathering of different kinds of edible plants was an important part of the livelihood. The climate was warmer than today, but winters were still cold and snowy. Though Kierikki was far from the central Europe, it was still well connected via trade routes. Most important imports were flint and amber, which were brought from all the way from Denmark and Baltic coast.

What is required of the player?

Some knowledge of Finnish, Danish, Swedish or possibly Norwegian would be very helpful. No vast knowledge of the stone age is necessary, since the GM:s will provide you with all the information necessary. We do, however, expect willingness to learn all the relevant information given to our players, and the willingness to invest in the props, character and the game in itself.  

When and where is it and how to get there?

The game is held in Yli-Ii, Oulu. The easiest way to arrive is to fly to Oulu airport via Helsinki or Stockholm. If you want to save some money, it is also possible to fly to Helsinki or Tampere, and take a bus (www.onnibus.com) or a train (www.vr.fi) to Oulu. Once you get to Oulu, we will take care of you. We will provide rides from the airport or station to the location, and lodging, if needed, for international participants.

The larp is held on saturday 23rd of july, but we would recommend you to arrive already the day before, so you can get to know the village and your coplayers before the actual event. The larp is held at the uniquely authentic Kierikki stone age centre in Oulu, Northern Finland. More information about the location can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/kierikki/?fref=ts

http://www.ouka.fi/oulu/kierikki/english

Where do I sign up?

If you come from outside of Finland, we recommend you to contact the GMs straight via email, at kierikkilarp@gmail.com. The signup form will be later put on the site.

But wait, I have some more questions…

Just email us at kierikkilarp@gmail.com with any questions you might have about the event. We are happy to help!

The scent of a smoldering fire is blending with the mists of the early morning. The mist rises from the opposite bank of the river, greeting the one who wakes up early to get water from the river. The sounds of others waking up are wafting from the houses by the river, ripples of silent conversation and the crackling of the starting fires in the fireplaces. The morning is calm, and the tasks of the day are taking shape in the minds of the villagers. The fish traps and snares have to be checked soon, so that the cooking for the day can start. After the hunters and the fishers have gone to their deeds, some others continue the making of new laths for the fish traps. We need a greater fish trap, so that we can start preparing for winter.

Making of arrowheads and stone tools in the early summer is very important. Both are direly needed in great quantities, so that the hunters and builders can do their part for the upkeep of the village. Maybe some of the arrows and tools can be traded later for something else? Later in the summer the traders from far away places arrive, bringing flint and amber for trading, usually to seal skins and seal blubber. The traders never arrive alone, usually the neighbours from other nearby villages come too, to hear their stories, to trade their own goods with traders and exchange news with the villagers. Sometimes someone stays, and some of the villagers might get a knew bedfellow or a companion for a longer time.

When the end of the summer gets closer, the food storages slowly grow. Preparing for the winter is essential. The berries, mushrooms and meat has to be dried, fishing and hunting gear has to be fixed, winter clothes are mended and houses have to be proofed for the hard weathers of the late autumn and winter. While the night is slowly getting longer, it is good to sit by the fireplace and share and listen to the tales of the bygone summer. When the scent of dead leaves is blending to the fog rising from the shore, villagers know; summer is nearly gone. The cold sea winds of the autumn are blowing and we need to take shelter.